{"id":2634,"date":"2024-05-21T13:15:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T18:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bodhisattvaroad\/?p=2634"},"modified":"2024-05-21T13:15:47","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T18:15:47","slug":"holding-the-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bodhisattvaroad\/2024\/05\/holding-the-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Holding the Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
I think asking questions is central to Buddhism<\/a>.<\/p>\n
In \u201cBuddhism for Beginners<\/a>\u201d the nun Thubten Chodron says, \u201cSpiritual practice is more about holding questions than finding answers. Seeking one correct answer often comes from a wish to make life \u2013 which is basically fluid \u2013 into something rigid and fixed. This often leads to rigidity, closed-mindedness, and intolerance. One the other hand, holding a question \u2013 exploring its many facets over time \u2013 puts us in touch with the mystery of life. Holding questions enables us to understand things from a range of perspectives.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n
I\u2019m getting ready to teach a Basics of Buddhism class for the Rime Buddhist<\/a> Center<\/a> and I\u2019m pretty excited for it. One of the things I\u2019m going to tell the students that this is about questions. It\u2019s not about me lecturing, rather it\u2019s about holding questions together and trying to understand.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m reminded of the Buddha\u2019s teaching to the Kalamas<\/a>. This is sometimes called \u2018the Kalama Sutta\u2019 and I like to think of it as the Buddha\u2019s teaching on doubt and inquiry.<\/p>\n
The Buddha would travel around giving teachings and this time he came and met this group of people called the Kalamas. They had had many spiritual teachers come through and they weren\u2019t really having it anymore. Every new teacher came through and said, \u201cBelieve me, I\u2019ve got the real truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
So they were overwhelmed by this and they asked the Buddha, \u201cWhy should we believe you and not someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
And the Buddha told them that they should doubt him.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is proper for you, Kalamas, to doubt, to be uncertain; uncertainty has arisen in you about what is doubtful. Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another\u2019s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, \u2018The monk is our teacher.\u2019 Kalamas, when you yourselves know: \u2018These things are bad; these things are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,\u2019 abandon them.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
It\u2019s a great teaching. The Buddha told them to think for themselves. And he\u2019s telling us the same thing. Because Buddhism isn\u2019t about the Buddha and his journey. It\u2019s about you and your journey. When I first started studying Buddhism I didn\u2019t think of myself as a spiritual person. I had left behind the religion of my upbringing and was a pretty skeptical person. If it wasn\u2019t for the Kalama Sutta and teachings like it, I don\u2019t know if I would have started on my spiritual journey.<\/p>\n
I read a text that said holding questions is a good thing and that we don\u2019t have to have all the answers all the time. That was the teaching I needed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
=================================================<\/p>\n
If you want to study Buddhism with me and hold all the questions, you can sign up here. It\u2019s in person and online. I\u2019d love to see you there.<\/p>\n
Details:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
Register Online<\/a><\/p>\n
Date: 8 sessions beginning on Wednesday, June 26, 2024*
\nTime: 7:45 \u2013 9:00 pm
*\nClass Fee: $50<\/p>\n
Note: In-person class size limited to 12 people.<\/p>\n
The main book that will be used for the challenge will be\u00a0Buddhism for Beginners<\/a>\u00a0by Ven. Thubten Chodron. This book takes the most commonly asked questions\u2014beginning with \u201cWhat is the essence of the Buddha\u2019s teachings?\u201d\u2014and provides simple answers in plain English. Thubten Chodron\u2019s responses to the questions that always seem to arise among people approaching Buddhism make this an exceptionally complete and accessible introduction\u2014as well as a manual for living a more peaceful, mindful, and satisfying Life.<\/p>\n
Wednesday Online Discussions beginning June 26th<\/strong>*
*\nParticipants will meet either in-person or online Wednesdays at 7:45 pm to discuss the week\u2019s topic. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion about the practice that will include actions that can be applied to daily life\/practice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n*
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\u00a0Add to calendar<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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*I think asking questions is central to Buddhism. Many other religions are all about giving answers and telling us what to believe. Buddhism involves holding questions and being comfortable with not knowing all the time. In \u201cBuddhism for Beginners\u201d the nun Thubten Chodron says, \u201cSpiritual practice is more about holding questions than finding answers. Seeking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2668,"featured_media":2613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[632],"tags":[27,5,807,228,606,633],"class_list":["post-2634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buddhism-for-beginners","tag-buddha","tag-buddhism","tag-classes","tag-kalamas","tag-rime-center","tag-thubten-chodron"],"yoast_head":"\nHolding the Questions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I think asking questions is central to Buddhism. 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