What exactly encompasses the "Path to Liberation"?

[Brother_Joe]

@dxm_dxm

I feel you might believe in the Thanissaro or other thai forest taditions ideas of consciousness “luminous all around” in nibbana

No, I do not believe in it.

[Brother_Joe]

@dxm_dxm

As for Thanissaro idea of “Buddha refused to answer if a self exists or not” - that is explained in the very sutta that he uses to make a case for such a thing. At the end of the sutta we see Buddha explain he did not answer like that to the bhramin so that he won’t become confused that there was a self but not the self is no more. In Buddha teachings, there was never a self to begin with.

yes, I’m familiar with that usual explanation.

[Brother_Joe]

@dxm_dxm

PS: Nibbana is pleasant not neutal. It is difficult to understand why it could be so while still imagining some form of consciousness in nibbana.

For me, of course Nibbana is pleasant and there is consciousness in it. For me, the Buddha was experiencing full Nibbana from under the Bodhi Tree. I understand Nibbana to be the end of suffering, which is the Five Clinging aggregates, not the Five Aggregates.

1. upadi-sesa Nibbana → 2. anupadi-sesa Nibbana

the usual version:

1. “Nibbana with aggregates remaining” happened to the Buddha under the Bodhi Tree
   →
2. “Nibbana without aggregates/parinibbana” at the Buddha’s life’s end

my version:

1. “nibbana with clinging remaining” happened when the Buddha attained the stream, some indeterminate time before the Bodhi Tree
   →
2. “nibbana without clinging remaining/parinibbana” happened under the Bodhi Tree.

[Brother_Joe]

My full analysis is here: https://www.academia.edu/27142665/Self_and_Ego

[Brother_Joe]

@dxm_dxm

It’s a little like saying: " Look, the commentaries&co lied about the 1st buddhist council and tried to make it have more weight behind it. This means the council was pretty much worthless and sutta pitaka is doing terrible in terms of authencity because why would else would they lie about it ? "

I was trying to point to the motivation of the council, that the whole myth of Buddhist Councils was created as means of controlling the masses, by controlling the texts. So yes, the council was not only worthless, but motivated by ego. Also they did not apply the second piece of the instruction from the Buddha about holding councils for maintaining the purity of the teaching.

I believe the perfect teaching of the Buddha can be found through the Sutta pitaka. I believe there are authentic teachings in it.