Should we have a 'Practice Corner' category?

On the topic of how useful could a Practice Corner be I would like to share the view that we would end up missing the point if we were to make it a place to debate things like whether or not one hears, feels or thinks in jhana, etc.

While the suttas definitely do provide us some hint on what one is to expect as our practice of stillness strengthens, they may not necessarily be fully consistent or comprehensive on the minor details of how the experience of this development is going to take place at the subjective level. In fact, this is in my view exactly why the Buddha started a community of contemplatives in which those junior in terms of cultivation of the path are free to seek guidance from those senior in practice, and encouraged to do so with a critical mind.

Any conversation on that topic outside the environment of a truly contemplative community framework will most of the time either go into a crazy and inconclusive fight to convince another or an enforcement of an authoritative view on the topic (e.g. Ajahn X says jhana is Y, the majority agrees in theory and thus this is right, etc).

Instead of going down that path, I reckon we should first acknowledge we may not be a community of individuals fully invested in a contemplative livelihood. Then, only then, if such a Practice corner were to be focused on simpler things like sharing how we manage to develop in ourselves the most basic aspects of the practice, then maybe, yes, we could end up coming up with something constructive and useful to others.

The suttas are rather clear on the checklist of things that one should see weakening or disappearing as the eight path factors converge in his mind and heart. I am here alluding to the five lower and five higher fetters.

If one does not see any of the lower fetters fade away as he cultivate the path factors day by day he/she is probably doing something wrong.

In most of cases, people (like me) fail miserably in the very first and basic elements of the path, like cultivating the threefold right intention. Without that checked, sorry, one should not expect things like right stillness and mindfulness to properly grow in oneself.

Another path factor usually misunderstood is the right understanding or view. For someone still “to the left” of the threshold of insight and liberation, the development and cultivation of right view can be approached as a constant coming back to the basic practical aspects of the four noble truths and its respective ennobling tasks.

In fact, in my view, most of the stress and animosity we find in online Buddhist forums has to do with people totally misunderstanding what the development of samma ditthi is all about.

People end up coming up with their own theoretical models of the Dhamma and understandably grasp fiercely to that as they truly believe they are checking the box of the right view. Then when faced with others’ different theoretical models of Dhamma endless debates ensue. They truly believe they are doing their homework! :sweat:

If instead of that we were to have a Practice Corner focused on sharing how we manage to develop in ourselves this constant practical reminder of how some things are to be fully understood (e.g. suffering and all things related), other things are to be abandoned (e.g. the causes of suffering in all its different aspects), other things are to be individually verified (e.g. freedom from suffering in all its degrees) and other things are to be individually developed (e.g. the 37 bodhipakkhiyādhammā), then maybe we could end up with something that would benefit us all.

:anjal:

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