希修
Favourites · 18 h · < 초기불교와 기타 영적 전통들 간의 차이 #6. 인간은 본래 善하다/神性하다? >
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내성적으로 태어난 사람도 보험영업으로 생계를 해결해야 하는 상황이 되면 노력을 통해 외향적인 모습을 연출할 수 있고 보험왕이 될 수도 있다. 그러나 불특정 다수 앞에서 떠들어야 하는 직업과 혼자 하는 일 사이의 선택이 주어진다면, 다른 모든 조건들이 동일할 경우 후자를 택할 확률이 여전히 높다.
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'본성'은 '가능성'과 다르다는 얘기가 될 것 같다. 인위적인 개입이나 제어의 노력이 없을 경우 저절로 나타나는 관성이야말로 본성이라고 할 수 있지 않을까. Nurture의 영향도 크겠지만 Nature를 완전히 삭제하지는 못 하리라는 얘기. 전세계가 다 함께 공교육, 치안, 사법 등의 모든 것을 철폐하고 완전히 무정부 상태로 돌입한다 해도 대다수의 인간들이 이태석 신부님처럼 행동해야만, 그래야만 인간이 본래 선하다/신성하다고 말할 수 있는 것 아닌지. 하지만 현실은, 폭력과 사기 등의 범죄가 차츰 늘어나 결국 "만인의 만인에 대한 투쟁" 아수라장이 될 듯. 인간 사회가 이렇게 복잡한 법률과 온갖 제도를 갖고 있는데도 불구하고 각종 크고 작은 범죄가 넘쳐나며 증거가 드러나도 계속 과오를 부인하는 이들이 각 사회 '지도층'에조차 적지 않다는 사실 자체가 바로 "인간은 본래 선/신성하다"라는 명제의 반증이 아닐지.
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자신들 포함 모든 생명체와 지구 자체까지 오로지 파괴만 하는 유일한 種이 바로 인간이다. 둘 이상의 유아를 둔 부모들은 아이들이 늘상 싸워서 고민일 뿐 서로 너무 양보만 하고 너무 사이좋게 지내서 고민이라는 집은 전무하다. 학교에서도 동급생에게 집단적인 폭력을 지속적으로 가하는 아이들 소식을 우리는 수시로 듣는다. 그런데도 가정과 학교 모두에서 무조건 "너는 선해/신성해!"라는 오직 이 한 문장만 반복하면서 키운 아이들 (A), "부모님과 선생님이 시키는 일만 하렴. 스스로 생각하려 하지 말고!"라고 주입하며 키운 아이들 (B), "니가 별 뜻 없이 한 행동에 니 친구들은 상처를 입을 수도 있고 경우에 따라서는 그 상처가 평생을 갈 수도 있어. 이러 저러한 언행은 이러 저러하기 때문에 안 되고, 대신 이렇게 저렇게 말하고 행동해야 하는 거야. 어떤 언행을 하기 이전, 와중, 사후마다 늘 스스로 숙고, 성찰해야 하는 거야."라고 명확한 기준에 의한 구체적이고 체계적인 설명을 해 줘 가면서 키운 아이들 (C). 이 세 그룹중 어떤 그룹의 아이들이 성인이 되었을 때 가장 훌륭한 민주시민이 되겠으며 선한/신성한 모습을 실제로 더 많이 보이겠는지.
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佛性은 대승불교 버젼의 성선설이다. 인간에겐 해탈할 가능성도, 도둑이 될 가능성도 있건만, '도둑성'은 인간의 본성이라고 말하지 않으면서 해탈할 가능성만 골라 내어 '불성'이라고 따로 이름붙여 인간의 본성이라고 주장하는 일에서 타당성과 설득력은 찾아보기 어렵다. 반면 초기경전에서 부처님은, 인간의 의식/마음은 'luminous' 할 수도 'defiled' 할 수도 있다고 두 가능성 모두를 언급하셨을 뿐 (AN 1.49-52) 어느 하나를 '본성'이라고 규정하신 적이 없다. 그리고 이 luminous조차 있는 그대로를 비출 가능성, 어떤 것을 있는 그대로 인식할 수 있는 가능성, 즉 수행하여 해탈에 이를 수 있는 그 가능성!을 말할 뿐 luminous 자체가 선함, 신성함 혹은 깨달음의 상태를 의미하지는 않는다는 것이 타니사로 스님의 해석이고.
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'내가 남보다 위'라는 자기미화도 '남보다 아래'라는 자기비하도 모두 '자만 (conceit)'이라는 게 초기불교의 가르침이다. 낮은 차원의 윤회계 존재들만 보면 모든 존재들은 본래 악하다 생각될 테고, 높은 차원의 윤회계 존재들만 보면 또 모든 존재들은 본래 선/신성하다 여겨질 터. 과장 혹은 왜곡일 수밖에 없는 (이런 과장/왜곡은 어떤 마음에서 기인하는 것일까?) '선/신성한 본성' 혹은 '악한 본성' 같은 전제 전혀 없이, 부처님은 상세한 DIY 해탈 프로그램 매뉴얼을 남기는 C의 방식을 선택하셨다. 초기불교에서 깨달음은 뼈를 깎는 노력으로 계발해 나가는 것이지 '무조건 생각만 내려놓으면 회복되는, 애초에 우리가 타고난 원래 상태'가 아니다.
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"'나는 특별한 존재다. 나는 특별해야 한다.' 이런 생각 때문에 자신의 하루 하루 삶에 만족 못하고 늘 초조하고 불안하고 후회하는 것입니다. 특별한 존재가 아님을 알면 특별한 존재가 되고, 특별한 존재라고 잘못 알고 있으면 어리석은 사람이 되는 겁니다." -- 법륜 스님
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#194~210: Freedom from Buddha Nature, "Head & Heart Together."
https://facebook.com/keepsurfinglife/albums/1107718949600187/
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希修 added 210 new photos to the album Head & Heart Together by Venerable Ṭhānissaro.
Favourites · mtSpou23 nMdngommasorny 2ee0dtg20 · *** You can download this book for free at https://www.dhammatalks.org/ebook_index.html under the category of 'Essays'. ***
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#2~27: The Lessons of Gratitude
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(a) You can 'appreciate' your mean difficult boss who forced you to learn how to be patient. But, as for those who went out of their ways to give you a help to improve the quality of your life, you have to feel 'grateful' and 'indebted' to.
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(b) No matter how mean or abusive your parents have been, as long as they did not leave you to starve to death when you were a baby, you are still indebted to them. However, just because you carry them on your shoulder for 100 years, it is not good enough to pay them back.
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(c) The best way to repay anyone is: (i) to work hard so that the help you received will bear as much fruit as to deserve the benefactor's resources - such as time, money or energy - invested in you instead of dissipating them; (ii) to become a person of integrity and 'wisdom' or help your benefactor to become a such a person too. ('Wisdom' in this context means to live following the Buddha's teachings.)
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(d) Since we have been going through trillion times of rebirths, everyone we meet in this life must have been a family member in one birth or another. The lesson here, though, is not that you should love everyone you meet. The real message from the Buddha is that you should wake up to the meaning-less-ness of this never-ending rebirth cycle of infinite debts, entanglements and suffering and that you should find a way to end all these through nirvana, awakening or release.
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[cf.] Considerations on how to help others wisely:
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"Limitless Compassion, Limited Resources"
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1094889330883149&set=a.1042727616099321&type=3&theater
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"Unlimited Compassion, Limited Resources" (1)~(8)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1068501266855289&set=a.1042727616099321&type=3&theater
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#28~40: No Strings Attached. Generosity.
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(a) Giving a gift is not an obligation. You give one wherever you are inspired.
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(b) The donor should be glad before, while and after giving. The recipient should be free of passion/craving, aversion and delusion.
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(c) The teaching of Dhamma should be rewarded not by a gift but by the listener's respectful learning and practicing.
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#41~64: The Power of Judgment. Admirable Friends. ('Friends' include 'teachers'.)
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(a) An 'admirable friend' is someone who has integrity and wisdom and whose actions you want to model after. Even if someone is a 'good person', if his standards/values are not necessarily what you want to internalize, he won't be a good friend for you.
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(b) In order to see your delusion, you need an admirable friend's criticism - gentle or harsh.
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(c) If you focus on 'yourself' or your 'pride' rather than on improving your 'actions', you won't be able to take a criticism, and you won't be able to have an admirable friend. But you have to test your friend's suggestions instead of going blind.
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(d) Without integrity yourself, you won't be good at judging others' integrity. By carefully evaluating your actions all the time and learning from mistakes, you will sharpen your discernment.
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(e) A teacher-student relationship or friend-friend relationship can last only as long as the relationship can help integrity and wisdom to grow. If it does not work, go separate and don't take it personally.
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(f) If one becomes a person of integrity and wisdom, it will benefit the entire world. This is why judging one's own and others' actions is not only justified but in fact necessary. The goal of the Buddhist practice is not to be 'easy-going' or 'positive' or 'happy' with a dull mind like an animal but to eradicate or reduce craving, aversion and delusion.
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[cf.] Khaggavisana Sutta "We praise companionship - yes! Those on a par, or better, should be chosen as friends. If they're not to be found, living faultlessly, wander alone like a rhinoceros."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/.../snp/snp.1.03.than.html
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# None: Think Like a Thief.
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#65~71: Strength Training for the Mind.
Mental food. Watch why you want to eat. Don't take more from the world than you are willing to give back.
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#72~89: Mindfulness Defined. Mindfulness, alertness, ardency, appropriate attention, contentment, patience, intelligence.
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#90~94: The Joy of Effort. Diligently keep evaluating your actions with honesty, not as signs of what kind of person you are but as experiments. You don't mature if you demand that the world should please or entertain you.
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#95~102: Head & Heart Together. Goodwill, compassion, equanimity.
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[cf.]
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(i) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1072471653124917&set=a.1042727616099321&type=3&theater
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(ii) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1103963433309072&set=a.1042727616099321&type=3&theater
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(iii) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1104038103301605&set=a.1042727616099321&type=3&theater
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#103~122: The Wisdom of Ego. Mature wisdom requires a mature ego.
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(a) 'Ego' = 'A healthy and well-integrated self'.
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(b) If you pursue ego-less-ness, which is a spiritual bypassing, you might become destructive to yourself and others or end up with an enlarged toxic super-ego.
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(c) Each person should take a full responsibility for developing a healthy ego and keeping an inner balance/stability. This will benefit the entire world.
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(d) #118~119: Expecting no return is not the way. The whole purpose of the Buddhist practice is to gain the true happiness of nirvana by paying the cost of walking the eightfold path. Helping others is also a trade between investing one's time and energy and the expectation that the recipients will work to bear fruit. (See #2~27 in this album.)
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[cf.] "You Are Your Own Child, Too"
https://facebook.com/keepsurfinglife/albums/840366193002132/
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#123~124: Ignorance. Craving and delusion.
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#125~142: Food for Awakening. No bare attention but appropriate attention.
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#143~193: The Buddha via the Bubble. How the Western tradition of reading the Christian Bible has resulted in a mistaken belief about 'all paths leading to the top of one and the same mountain', especially misrepresenting and distorting the Buddha's teachings. This elucidates why there are so many misunderstandings about the Buddha's teachings. ('Common core beliefs of all great religions'?)
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[cf.] #93~136: The Roots of Buddhist Romanticism. The Western Obsession with Oneness/Nonduality and Interconnectedness.
https://facebook.com/keepsurfinglife/albums/1209061849465896/
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[cf.] #137~159: Perennial Issues. 'Common Core Beliefs of All Great Religions'?
https://facebook.com/keepsurfinglife/albums/1145865939118821/
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#194~210: Freedom from Buddha Nature.
