My Dhamma Book (also available on Paper): drive.google.com/file/d/1d8VYL5iOi76u1AEmyI7iGpgPP3T5FaNa/view?usp=sharing My Almanac (also available on Paper): drive.google.com/file/d/1VzAw8zHdhOsDDUzPEubTN64qhVmQhZ0m/view?usp=sharing True Dhamma Lecture: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--uoZ3IgtEeQ.html Dhamma Hub Discord: discord.gg/AcDwZ78ybn
The explanation on the harmful effects of wrong views, especially in hindering progress towards liberation, was particularly insightful. Thank you for sharing such valuable wisdom!
A funny incident happened to me yesterday that illustrates the impact of views. My daughter had a spring toy (big spring that can go down stairs). At both ends, the tips of the spring were soldered on themselves, forming two circles at the ends (I do not mean by this that the spring formed a bracelet, this is key, the ends were just reinforced to form a more stable landing circle). I was with a friend and suddenly my daughter showed up with the spring and a necklace stuck in the middle. We tried to make the necklace go to one end but it was stuck by the circle. We were completely bewildered: how did she manage to get a closed loop (the necklace) stuck in another closed loop (the spring soldered at both ends)? Eventually we just untied the necklace to free it. But as we were so bewildered, we decided to get it stuck on purpose again, which happened quickly. Yet, we were still unable to free it! However, I knew then that I must have had a self limiting belief. Suddenly it hit me: the spring is not a closed loop, soldering a circle at the end doesn't change the fact that it is a spring. We had been stuck in this wrong view which was colouring our perception, literally. Once I removed the wrong view, freeing the necklace became child's play. Furthermore, I was wondering how on earth I could have ever believed previously that the spring was a closed loop. Right away I thought : this is such a metaphor for the path and the impact of wrong view!!
I would suggest to either read the linked booklet first and/or the lecture. Based on that, no order is really necessary. It _might_ me good to proceed in the order of release but overall I would proceed by what sparks your interest
I get that feeling too, but it's deeply ingrained in us. Like trying to make our experience better with comfort and pleasure. Avoiding discomfort and feeling and emotions we don't want
I'm no teacher, but I'd like to point out these (I think) related lines from the Suttanipata that "the sage is liberated from the mental body"... Also its said "abandon all conceivings" of course with "abandon all desire for becoming and sensual pleasures"... Also "the mind is not yours, abandon it"... its also said "the arahant does not become passionate (like the worldling), nor dispassionate (like the trainee)" because of having already seen craving as suffering and become dispassionate long beforehand... Arahant is like beyond... Yet the training is important, like foundations.
