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Buddhist pilgrimage Getting from distress to no-distress |
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Contents
Instant knowledge (bodhi) sans Gautama (the Buddha) The 1, 2, 3, 3 or 2, or no refuges How to become a perfect Buddha Buddhist pilgrimage: |
Buddhist Pilgrimage
Buddhist pilgrimage (i.e. Buddhism)
is good for you, that is, if you’re responding to stress (Pali: dukkha No 1) with
the psycho-physiological response of distress (dukkha No 2). Note that the Pali word
dukkha has many meanings, hence functions as a fuzz word. Buddhist
legend has it that the Buddha said: “One thing only do I teach, distress and release from
distress.” If you
imagine ‘Release from distress’ as a basic or prime function, that is to say,
as a sort of fractal, then the 84000 (meaning: a large number)
versions of Buddhism function as 84.000 local applications (= fractal
elaborations). ‘Release from distress’ is the core business (or
heart of) Buddhism. Hence the
stressed (and distressed) individual will aim to focus on the core (or prime)
business and not get distracted by one or more of its 84.000 fractal
elaborations (= derivatives). The ‘release from distress’ fractal (or program) is
activated if and when stressors are engaged. Life happens as ‘emerged’
after-affect of the interaction of stressors. Therefore stress (dukkha No 1)
is the sine qua non of life. Legend has it that the Buddha’s liberating
insight, and which triggered his Great Awakening, was: “What goes up must come down”
or
“A
thing arises because of conditions; it ceases when the conditions for its
arising cease!” Countless
things (Pali: sankharas = dharmas) arise, all must cease (or
end). They arise because of conditions = stressors. Stress (dukkha
No 1) happens when someone clings to (or craves for or attaches to or
connects with) a thing that is by its very nature stressful, i.e. because it
arises and ceases. However, distress
(to wit: suffering, hence dukkha No 2) happens as personal response to the
inability to cope with (natural and self-made) stress. Consequently,
stress (= dukkha 1) is prevented by avoiding stressors, natural and
self-made; and distress (= dukkha 2) is avoided by not responding to
stressors, natural and self-made. Obvious? Consequently
Buddhist pilgrimage can take two different routes (or a combination thereof),
with any number of personal detours. The goal (or sanctum) of route No 1 is
the elimination of one’s response to stress, namely distress. The goal of
route No 2 is the elimination of stress. The meanings of the fuzz word dukkha Introduction
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