Moderation

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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shanyin
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Moderation

Post by shanyin »

Could someone explain what "everything in moderation, including moderation" is all about? I heard that as a description of the eight-fold path.
Does this statement have anything to do with morality? What does it have to do with Buddhism?
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Ayu
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Re: Moderation

Post by Ayu »

Where is this quote from?
muni
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Re: Moderation

Post by muni »

Moderation? Reminds on Paramita discipline, because google says moderation is self-discipline.

Be a quiet mountain, when any unwholesome comes up, then thoughts are allowed to subside and there is no further running into unwholesome speech, action. Engage in wholesome by altruistic mind, for benefit of all.

This reminds as well on what H H Dalai Lama said regarding keep control on own mind.
Also be not its' servant, obeying in all kind of body-speech-mind, rather be the boss.
“This is the noble eightfold way, namely, right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right attention, right concentration, and right meditation.” — Shakyamuni Buddha at Deerpark
Simon E.
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Re: Moderation

Post by Simon E. »

shanyin wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:14 am Could someone explain what "everything in moderation, including moderation" is all about? I heard that as a description of the eight-fold path.
Does this statement have anything to do with morality? What does it have to do with Buddhism?
It has nothing to do with 'Buddhism'.
It is a quote from the humourist and playwright Oscar Wilde intended as an amusing paradox.
It's rather like the same authors, 'I can resist anything except temptation'.

Of course it can be dragged lumpishly into a discussion of the Middle Way, but only if it's intention and inherent paradox is not understood.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
shaunc
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Re: Moderation

Post by shaunc »

The buddha described his path as the middle way.
I suppose this could be loosely translated to moderation.
Simon E.
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Re: Moderation

Post by Simon E. »

It could..but that has nothing to do with the quote from Oscar Wilde, which is a play on words.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
shaunc
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Re: Moderation

Post by shaunc »

Simon E. wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:12 am It could..but that has nothing to do with the quote from Oscar Wilde, which is a play on words.
That's true. The saying isn't by the buddha or Buddhist based.
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SunWuKong
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Re: Moderation

Post by SunWuKong »

I've never been an outright hedonist, nor completely ascetic, but rather than finding the middle way, i've spent most of my life drawing from the best of both. I never used to like what the Dhammapada had to say, but I'm getting better about it now.
"We are magical animals that roam" ~ Roam
kausalya
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Re: Moderation

Post by kausalya »

To interpret this in the most flattering light, I'd say it's an admonition against being rigid in our application of ethics.

Consider the trials Naropa experienced in searching for his guru. Here are the first three:
He first encountered a limbless leper woman, who blocked his path and was unable to move aside. She told him to go around or jump over her if he was in a hurry. Pinching his nose, Naropa jumped but the woman disappeared into a rainbow halo and all he could hear were words admonishing him for being fettered by habit-forming thoughts and limitations. After that, he fell unconscious.

When he came to, he continued on his journey. While on the road, he came across a dog infested with lice and maggots. The stench of rotten flesh was overpowering and so, he had to pinch his nose and jump over the animal. The dog arose in the air, disappeared in a rainbow halo once again and he heard a voice admonishing him for not developing compassion for all living beings in accordance to the Mahayana path. Again, he fell unconscious.

When he woke up, he continued along the path. He then came across a man who was in the midst of playing tricks on his parents. He asked for Naropa’s help to turn their minds around and in return, he would reveal Tilopa’s whereabouts. However, Naropa declined, and the man receded into rainbow light. He heard a voice admonishing him for not eliminating his ego.
It makes me wonder what might have happened had he not been afraid to step outside the bounds of what he considered to be important or appropriate... :thinking:
"For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world."
(Shantideva)
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