Monk Wisdom

[skittalion]

Monks are supposed to posses more wisdom than those around them. Real monks. (i'm not getting into the "are shaolin monks real monks debat here.)

Part of becoming a monk is gaining wisdom. At least traditionally. I think.

So what I'm wondering is:

Did Shaolin Monks seek to pass down wisdom? What kind of wisdom?

Did the flexible body come with a far reaching mind?

Can anyone teach this?

Does anyone here try to balance their search for wisdom with their search for fighting prowess?

On a practical note, you are training yourselves to become weapons, but weapons in the hands of the foolish or rash or ignorant are dangerous. You are in your own hands. You are your own personal weapon. But how effectively do you use it?

Why did you choose it in the first place? Was it for your sake or the sake of hurting or protecting others? Did you want to or were you born to, or just trained from too young to remember so it's all you know?

Sun Su from the Art of War said, "If you know thy enemy and know thyself you are sure to win. If you only know only your enemy or yourself you will win some of the time. If you do not know your enemy nor yourself, you are sure to lose."

So that's the wisdom of a warlord, but is it also the wisdom of a fighting monk?


Does anyone know any other monk-like wisdom?

Here's my contribution to the buddhist zen wisdom thought pool:

Zen Master (can't remember his name, but he's on youtube) says if we focus on our breath it brings us into the present moment. If we are in the past or the future we are not really living. The pesent moment is plesent. (more or less)

My thoughts:

But what if present moment isn't pleasent? What is the point then?

My answer to these thoughts:

If I dislike the present moment and want to change it I need to be here, in the moment.

Any thoughts?

[master splinter]

Monks are supposed to posses more wisdom than those around them. Real monks. (i'm not getting into the "are shaolin monks real monks debat here.)

Part of becoming a monk is gaining wisdom. At least traditionally. I think.

So what I'm wondering is:

Did Shaolin Monks seek to pass down wisdom? What kind of wisdom?

"I believe the wisdom of shaolin incorporates methods of healing through herbs and kung fu, and chan meditation.

Did the flexible body come with a far reaching mind?

"flexible bodies come with physical training"

Can anyone teach this?



Does anyone here try to balance their search for wisdom with their search for fighting prowess?


On a practical note, you are training yourselves to become weapons, but weapons in the hands of the foolish or rash or ignorant are dangerous. You are in your own hands. You are your own personal weapon. But how effectively do you use it?

Why did you choose it in the first place? Was it for your sake or the sake of hurting or protecting others? Did you want to or were you born to, or just trained from too young to remember so it's all you know?

Sun Su from the Art of War said, "If you know thy enemy and know thyself you are sure to win. If you only know only your enemy or yourself you will win some of the time. If you do not know your enemy nor yourself, you are sure to lose."

So that's the wisdom of a warlord, but is it also the wisdom of a fighting monk?

"wisdom is usually applicable to all things."


Does anyone know any other monk-like wisdom?

"sure, yogis, and taoists, to my knowledge, also practice similar methods"

Here's my contribution to the buddhist zen wisdom thought pool:

Zen Master (can't remember his name, but he's on youtube) says if we focus on our breath it brings us into the present moment. If we are in the past or the future we are not really living. The pesent moment is plesent. (more or less)

My thoughts:

But what if present moment isn't pleasent? What is the point then?

My answer to these thoughts:

If I dislike the present moment and want to change it I need to be here, in the moment.

Any thoughts?

I answered what i could in bold.

If you dislike the present moment, then you have to change.

[liutangsanzang]

I think u have to set up ur goal>

In tantric teaching they often start by setting up the motivation which is to have a plan to end as fast as possible the suffering of every beings like animals, humans, ghosts, war beings

GuanYin Pusa is the one that hears all the suffering of the world in order to end it

I like to do the following meditation

Visualize the world then one country after the other understand all the suffering, such as the suffering of animalsm humans, ghosts, war beings

[skittalion]

I'm aware of the suffering of others every day, but I'm not sure what that has to do with monk wisdom.

Always happy to hear the wisdom of others though.

Wisdom: knowledge of how to live

[liutangsanzang]

R u aware of their suffering, or r u partially aware of what ur mind think?

Maybe u should explore more emptiness of independant existence

[skittalion]

R u aware of their suffering, or r u partially aware of what ur mind think?

Maybe u should explore more emptiness of independant existence

I don't understand?

[liutangsanzang]

It is a view on emptiness of independant existence. As i told u be4 for some schools of budism ignorance of absence of independant existence is the source of violence. Because u think ur happiness is not dependant of other beings happiness u make them suffer

In that case u say u r aware of the suffering of beings

In an emptiness view one might say u r not aware of the suffering of a being but u r aware of ur mind percieving his suffering. Ur perception is dependant on ur body and mind...

4 instance if u think; he is bad, u seem to say he inherently bad and u know that

A view of emptiness would say; i think he is bad, that does not prove he is inherently bad

Peace and love

[skittalion]

For me it's more like, when someone else is sufferingI am suffering. Whether I come into contact with that person, see them from a distance or hear about their story. I personally suffer.

I have to do self exercises to regain an even keel.

When someone else does something "bad" first I try to find out why they are doing it so I can find a solution to the problem.

Most problems can be solved without violence. Some can't but usually that's because there is already an established behavior pattern or because their is a timing issue.

Usually "bad" people are suffering too. Not always, but a lot.

I feel others suffering in a very deep and personal way. Because I am apart of the world their pain is my pain.

Their joy is also my joy.

My happiness is litteraly tied to the happiness of the world.