“To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfections.”~ Eihei Dogen
Awakening is not the same as attaining personal perfection. This belief awakening implies perfection is peddled by mythic/dogmatic religious teachings, as well by New Age spiritual scenes (“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better…” – gag me!). Whenever we think or behave in terms of perfection or imperfection, we are dealing solely with the content of experience. The content is not the point. It never was the point, and never will be the point. Identifying with content, and then trying to improve that content, is a quick and dirty way to ensure that you will continue to remain deluded, and thus, continue to suffer.
Awakening is beyond perfection and imperfection, as it is beyond all content. Constructing an ideal of perfection implies the simultaneous construction of its dualistic opposite – imperfection. Putting ‘perfection’ up against ‘imperfection’ is like putting ‘up’ against ‘down’, or ‘left’ against ‘right’, or ‘dark’ against ‘light’. If we’re going to define awakening in dualistic terms, why not say that the awakened person is always 100% ‘up’ and never ‘down’? Oh, right – because that would be ridiculous… (I think you get the point.)
‘Up’ and ‘down’ are merely useful designations, as are ‘perfection’ and ‘imperfection’. Useful designations are empty of any existence whatsoever. Awakening is about what is. It’s about what is true. It would be a far better use of time to discover truth than to try to perfect the contents of experience. The latter is a game that cannot be won. Awakening, on the other hand, is actually true.
Forget about perfection and imperfection. In fact, forget everything if you can. Allow your mind to rest in not-knowing, and allow the truth to shine forth unobstructed.
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June 23, 2010 at 4:25 am
Fred
I remember reading Ken Wilber years ago where he said that we shouldn’t wait for enlightenment before taking part in social action and personal responsibility for change. It seemed obvious but I remember feeling that it was another imposition on the poor individual who probably was already trying to do their best.
And then Andrew Cohen for whom it seemed that any sign of imperfection in the enlightened persons behaviour was a sure sign of them lacking in complete enlightenment.
Roll forward to neo Advaita where nothing matters in the world and being a good person is something to be laughed at.
Makes me wonder what is awakening is for?;
Is it for the sake of awakening (and truth) only? Is it for the individual to feel better and not have to care about anybody else (neo Advaita). Is it about being a perfect being (Andrew Cohen) Or is it about wisdom,benefit and service for all?
June 23, 2010 at 7:14 am
Sam Watts
What Ken Wilber said is on point. I’m not a Buddhist, but there’s a saying attributed to old Buddha in the Pali canon that I really like: “Protecting oneself, one protects others. Protecting others, one protects oneself.” Both are necessary, and neither are a hindrance to waking up.
Andrew Cohen doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The neo(pseudo)-advaita bullshit is just another way of skipping over having to do any actual work to wake up. It’s all philosophy, and not even good philosophy.
To say awakening is about the truth only, and not about all that other stuff, is a bit misleading. When you wake up to the truth, you will see how the rest of it fits into place.
June 23, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Fred
“Protecting oneself, one protects others. Protecting others, one protects oneself.”
Nice saying, I hadn’t come across that one.
The neo advaita philosophy is a bit crap, however I have met some people who have woken up as a result.
February 19, 2012 at 1:29 am
L’éveil n’est pas la perfection | R-éveillez vous
[...] Par : Sam Watts [...]
May 25, 2012 at 9:37 am
LEVACQUE Rosalie
Merci pour ton article Sam Watts. En ce qui nous concerne l’éveil peut être battement précise sans faillir. Rosalie LEVACQUE
May 25, 2012 at 10:41 am
Sam Watts
Vous êtes les bienvenus, Rosalie. Je suis heureux que vous avez apprécié cet article.