Up 10 Degrees

I guess that I have a little different perspective on life from you. I am not trying to maintain a faith in the Buddha’s teaching or in the Four Nobel Truths. As far as I am concerned they can all be thrown in the trashcan.

What I am interested in is seeing things the way they truly are: If this confirms the Four Nobel Truths and the Buddha’s teachings, then great, I can joyously honor those teachings for the truth they reveal; But if truth informs me that matters are other than they have been expressed in the dharma, then I will have to go with truth.

Having said that, I must affirm that I have found a high degree of convergence with the way things are and that which the Buddha taught. However, I must add that my findings are not always congruent with some of the widely accepted interpretations of what the Buddha is thought to have meant when he said one thing or another.

Although it might seem to be a wonderful goal to attain freedom from suffering. To me it is so much more meaningful to realize the revelation of truth as it unfolds itself before us. And also with us, as we play our parts in the exploration of this unfathomable presence.

As far as when to leave the vehicle behind. In Zen we have a saying: “First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.” (But since you are in a Theravada practice, I guess I’d better explain a little. When you are at that “point”, the vehicle is "just gone". But, when it is appropriate to do so (as in when teaching others), you can always point to it(the vehicle), because then it is seeming to be real. Thus we have the Four Nobel Truths.