Towards a Balanced Enlightenment ~ Shinzen Young

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Jim Smith, modified 2 Years ago at 12/20/21 6:59 PM
Created 2 Years ago at 12/20/21 6:56 PM

Towards a Balanced Enlightenment ~ Shinzen Young

Posts: 1639 Join Date: 1/17/15 Recent Posts
In this youtube video Shinzen Young discusses the limitations of enlightenment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgvr-f0p0Ms

He says that what he calls "classical enlightenment" included behavioral standards carana. [Not just attainments in meditation.] He also says that sometimes you need to go outside Buddhist practice to deal with problems.

0:00 - Title
00:06 - A deeply enlightened person can still make horribly bad judgments and have misguided opinions
01:34 - "Enlightenment is better and not nearly as good as everybody thinks it is."
02:17 - Deep enlightenment doesn't make you the best person to set up a social structure (i.e. run an organization)
02:55 - Your spiritual teacher is not perfect: be careful what you project onto them
03:30 - A teacher is just an old student
04:10 - Classical enlightenment is balanced enlightenment
05:14 - The Buddha was described as vijja-carana-sampanno:
- vijja - knowledge
- carana - behavior
- sampanno - is all there

05:41 - Ways of achieving balance in behavior:
1. behavioral guidelines (ethical, wholesome, skillful conduct)
2. techniques for deconstructing the negative urges (focus in, untangle and be free)
3. techniques for constructing positive directions (nurture positive)
4. being open to feedback from everyone (teachers, peers, students, friends, family, etc.)
5. behavioral accountability structures (psychotherapy, 12-step programs, etc.)
06:31 - When practice is not cutting it: Using behavioral accountability and support structures
07:11 - 18 months of therapy - Shinzen's procrastination example of practice not being enough
07:49 - Vulnerable leadership - teacher's sharing their past and current issues
09:07 - Teachers need peer-to-peer professional and social relationships for accountability and confraternity
11:01 - "Once [teachers] become high tier, they're just independent kings that don't want to be with their peers... and near-peers in a social way."
12:28 - The Guru's Guide to Survival: Sex, Power, Money, Addiction, Co-Dependency
13:52 - An intervention by a teacher's peers is sometimes necessary - Shinzen's co-dependent relationship example of practice not being enough
14:26 - "If you see the chariot in front of you crash because of a pothole then... watch out for that pothole." - Chinese expression
16:16 - What we cannot see in ourselves - Shinzen's high-handed and manipulative behavior
18:00 - The constant feedback from Shinzen's students plus two well-known mindfulness teachers whom Shinzen respects asking him what is going on helped to change his behavior
19:43 - Feeling fortunate for others feedback
20:19 - An open sharing towards healing and clarity
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Stefan Stefan, modified 2 Years ago at 12/20/21 10:15 PM
Created 2 Years ago at 12/20/21 10:15 PM

RE: Towards a Balanced Enlightenment ~ Shinzen Young

Posts: 236 Join Date: 3/28/21 Recent Posts
Great video. Echoes a lot of what I've been saying and thinking recently. Insight means nada unless it's applied. And it's not a magical switch, you gotta apply some stuff in your life to see the fruits. I've told my friends that enlightenment is exactly what you need, but far less than you hoped. It's very down to earth and not at all magical or flashy. It's sublime without eliciting any sort of big reaction. Equanimity all the way down. 

thanks for sharing
George S, modified 2 Years ago at 12/21/21 4:36 AM
Created 2 Years ago at 12/21/21 4:36 AM

RE: Towards a Balanced Enlightenment ~ Shinzen Young

Posts: 2722 Join Date: 2/26/19 Recent Posts
'enlightenment is exactly what you need, but far less than you hoped'

Oh man, if that ain't the truth emoticon

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