After discussion between oldman and myself, I have decided that the Daily Zen thread will now be a permanent resident of the Meditation/Zen Forum, it's rightful place.

Day 1:

The Buddha was wandering through India shortly after his enlightenment. Several men encountered him, and sensed something quite extraordinary about the handsome monk. "Are you a god?" they asked.
"No," he answered.
"Well, are you a deva or an angel?"
"No."
"Some kind of wizard or magician?"
"No," he said again.
Finally, perplexed, the men asked, "Well, what are you?"
"I am awake," he answered.

Buddhist Mondo

the question is not about different kinds of beings, it's about different levels of being?

Perhaps he's just saying he sees everying for what it is? There are no gods, or angels, or any man higher then the other ..and the fact that he see's this makes him awake.....? possibly?

He can recognize that fine line between good and evil, right and wrong, perpetually living in the gray area that most people forget exists.

Interested about what others think.

-Ket

He is saying there is great power in enlightenment. Notice that the men Buddha first meets after his awakening first ask him "Are you a god?" Enlightenment is the true key to power, for then we understand that power avails us nothing.


Edit: G*d D*mn flood control.

ok flood control is a little annoying. i had a great response all typed out and them blocked. And of course my unelightened *ss went and x-ed out of the screen.

I am awake.

awake=buddha

Says it all.

Not everyone who is enlightened/awakened is a buddha, at least to my knowledge. I have read of many Zen monks and nuns who have become enlightened, and I don't recall any who were referred to as a buddha. So I believe it is more than the fact that he is a buddha.

A buddha is always enlightened, but an enlightened person is not always a buddha.
That is my little ven diagram for this quandry.

Of course I have no formal knowledge of what constitutes a buddha or an enlightened person, this is based only on what I have read and thought.

Joel

Perhaps a matter of semantics, perhaps translation.

I'm no scholar, but one intepretation of the sanskrit word 'buddha' is 'awake'?

[This message has been edited by harlan (edited 04-08-2005).]

Buddha was probably known at one time as his real name 'Siddhartha Gautama', and only later called Buddha. In Sanskrit, buddha was a word already meaning enlightened, or the past participle of 'bodhati', he awakes.

Well, the version of the Buddhist Mondo used above was "I am awake" (not 'I am enlightened"). Perhaps a difference in degree in interpretation, or in 'degree'.

Modern wayfarers could just as easily ask "are you a god...or are you a Buddha...". To me, the above points directly to the inclination to objectify/iconize, and Buddha was pointing out the most important thing...is to be awake.

Striving to put Buddha on a pedastal (sp?), or splitting hairs over degrees of being 'enlightened' is counter-productive to the state of 'suchness'.