[Buddha-l] Loving your object of study

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/20/2007 10:04:25 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
rhayes at unm.edu writes:

On  Tuesday 20 November 2007 07:21, Jackhat1 at aol.com wrote:

> How do you  see this sutta supporting an only intellectual approach to the
> dhamma?  My understanding is that it says the opposite: " Having heard the
>  Dhamma, one remembers it. Remembering, one penetrates the meaning of  the
> teachings. Penetrating the meaning, one comes to an agreement  through
> pondering  the teachings. There being an agreement  through pondering the
> teachings, desire arises. When desire has  arisen, one is willing. When one
> is willing, one contemplates. Having  contemplated, one makes an exertion.
> Having made an  exertion,  one realizes with the body the ultimate truth
> and, having  penetrated  it with discernment, sees it?"

All that sounds a lot  like intellectual work to me. How do you see it, Jack?


====
I see it as describing the 3 stages  of the 'progress of the  disciple'.1. 
Understanding the doctrine (pariyatti). 2. Practicing  it
(patipatti) and 3. Penetrating it (pativedha) and realising it.  Scholarship 
only deals with 1 and not necessarily 2 and 3.
 
To make it clear, I am not denigrating scholarship nor scholars.
 
Jack



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com