gabrielbranbury wrote:Manapa wrote:
Definitely, but these trends aren't always appropriately dealt with by using sounds, smells, or something else.
Please explain
Thanks
Gabe
here is a story I was told a couple of years ago, how true it is I don't know.
a number of years ago there was a meditation teacher who ha a pet cat, this cat every day would come into the meditation hall and pester the monks for attention, or sit on their laps distracting them in different ways, so the master ordered that the cat be put in a cage during the meditation times to stop it pestering the monks.
a few years later the master died and they carried on putting the cat into the cage during the meditation times up until it died.
they then got another cat who wasn't really interested in pestering the monks for attention while they sat, but none the less they put the cat into a cage, after a few years a visiting monk came and asked why they caged the cat, the temple monks replied because it helps us to meditate.
I have heard several versions one set in Japan others Thailand or Burma and tibet, and sometimes it was a dog
essentially the trend of someone isn't always going to be the same, but habits set in, rituals and supports, based on the successful application or pleasantness, these sensory extras have a danger of being over used, as being a crutch for people, sure in certain circumstances they can be useful, and can effect us by causing certain reactions which make it easier to calm the fabrications and set aside covetousness and melancholy towards the world, but is it affecting us in a way which is only conductive, or are they leading another way? this is why these are essentially a 'coffee' they bring on fabrications which are useful but not all the time.
does that clear up what I mean?
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But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
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