One Human Journey by Dennis Hunter

Has everyone seen Dennis Hunter's blog? His last post with was called "Coming Out of the Closet About Enlightenment." Several from our gang have commented on it.

onehumanjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/com...of-closet-about.html

Dennis also published Ron Crouch's article, "Kept in the Dark and Fed Sh*t."

onehumanjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/kep...ark-and-fed-sht.html

Thanks for posting these up here Kenneth. It is interesting to start engaging with people outside of the forum about issues we take for granted here (e.g. openness, practicality, personal experience, etc.). People's hackles can get raised pretty quick when you even bring these things up.

Yes, it's interesting that we seem to have actually succeeded, at least on this forum, at one of my fondest hopes, which is to normalize enlightenment. But that normalization does not extend beyond these virtual walls, so we have to make the case for honesty and transparency again, each and every time we discuss it somewhere else.

I had a revelation the other day: if not for the currently existing taboo against honesty and transparency in certain schools of Buddhism, no one would even consider campaigning for it. Withholding information on the basis that some "elders" know what is best for other people is a complete non-starter in modern Western society. But because it is (mistakenly*) perceived to be part of the ancient Buddhist tradition, secrecy and control of information are not only accepted but defended by the very people (the students) who would benefit most by free access to information.

When you take a moment to thoughtfully reflect upon who might benefit from the withholding of information, it becomes clear that the students are not the beneficiaries of a patriarchal system. Same as it ever was.

*Read the Pali suttas and see how the Buddha and his arahats routinely claimed attainments.

*arrrrgg* you (thoughts) really confuse me ...

... anyway i 'signed' already ... one year!

"*arrrrgg* you (thoughts) really confuse me ...

... anyway i 'signed' already ... one year!

"

Hi WhoIsMax,

Tell us some more. I am guessing you are going through this conflict or confusion.