Letting go versus 自甘堕落

allkosong SG

Hi everyone,

1. If a homeless person is perfectly contented to be homeless - sleeping in the street, picking leftovers from the bins, wearing rags, etc - does that mean he has achieved "letting go" or is that 自甘堕落 ?

2. If as a layperson, I am perfectly contented with whatever I have now and no longer strive to be "better" in the worldly sense (eg strive to get promoted, to make more money, to get more degrees, etc), am I on the right path of the dharma or would that be 自甘堕落 ?

Thank you.

Fugazzi SG

IF is hypothesis – there is never an answer to …

FireIce SG

maybe tt person oredi "see thru red dust" 看破红尘

sinweiy SG

what do u think? u can answer yourself.

contentment is a good thing, regardless. tis where Maitreya Bodhisattva is residing now, contentment heaven, before He come down to become a Buddha.

Fcukpap SG

u can ask any materialistic gals to answer that question in a world bought by money....

FireIce SG

no link.

Dawnfirstlight SG

随缘不是随便. It means you have tried your best but accept and not attach to the outcome of your efforts.

Fcukpap SG

a world of interrelatedness

2009novice SG

Hi everyone,

Thank you.

1- not quite agreed to the analogy. Letting go is not like this... Being content means satisfied with what you have but you still can continue to pursue what you want and strive for it... I think the homeless person is either lazy or forced by circumstances... many possibilities, but definitely not letting go.

2- hmm.... 君子爱财，取之有道 mah lol... earn more money and donate to charities. Help more people... practise generosity lol definitely ok to strive for better quality of life.

An Eternal Now SG

Hi everyone,

Thank you.

1) It depends, if he is truly content with the moment than yes. More often than not, a homeless person is not contented with being homeless. However being content does not mean one should not seek improvement in one's life.

2) Striving for a better standard of living does not mean you cannot be content in the here and now. Contentment means accepting this moment as it is. You can accept this moment as it is but at the same time try to make things better, it is not contradictory.

allkosong SG

Thank you for your reply. I thought being contented means one is satisfied with (not just accepting) things the way they are? If one is satisfied with current situation, why would he/she still need to try to make things better? eg. If I am perfectly happy eating in hawker centres, why would I seek to eat in a 5-star restaurant as that would not give me more satisfaction?

Doesn't Buddhism teach us to have no desires (except for enlightenment)?

Fugazzi SG

When one’s desire is desireless – in other words, eg being there for someone or doing sth for someone with no desire to fulfil onself thru the act of being … or not acting. One simply responds to what comes with a intuitive heart!
When one sees suffering in the world, and if one suffers , empathizes or with what is happening out there, one is adding to the suffering with ones’ suffering, does that really help?
The wise thing is do what one can and if one cannot – allow it to be. To suffer that one cannot do is unaccepting and unaccepting of what is out there.

An Eternal Now SG

Doesn't Buddhism teach us to have no desires (except for enlightenment)?

In Buddhism, it is proper to seek for elimination of physical and mental suffering.

Physical suffering is aleviated through things like a proper housing, proper medical attention, a proper job so that one has an income and so on.

Mental suffering is eliminated through enlightenment.

Craving is different: craving for sensual pleasures, for luxuries, wanton craving for branded goods... those are examples of 'craving'.

Buddha teach middle way: neither ascetism (living without food, without a proper place to stay, etc) nor living in luxury (like a king). Live a moderate life conducive for the contemplative path.