Some people are mysteriously consumed by the need to understand what's going on. This need is so great that nothing else will ultimately satisfy them.
In some Zen monasteries new monks are interviewed and asked about their aspirations. Monks will respond by describing different goals. Such goals might include:
1. Happiness
2. Health
3. Freedom from fear
4. A better life
5. Enlightenment
There is no better or worse here. People are different, and they have different goals in life. The monks who say that enlightenment is their goal are given particular koans designed to stop the mind. The others are given meditative practices and techniques that will help them achieve their particular goals.
If someone wants a happy life, and has no interest in enlightenment, that's fine. It would be foolish and perverse to try and get them interested in something they have no interest in. In fact, some Zen traditions admonish monks pursuing enlightenment to never talk about enlightenment with people who have no interest. Tibetan Buddhism contains a similar admonishment.
In some Zen monasteries new monks are interviewed and asked about their aspirations. Monks will respond by describing different goals. Such goals might include:
1. Happiness
2. Health
3. Freedom from fear
4. A better life
5. Enlightenment
There is no better or worse here. People are different, and they have different goals in life. The monks who say that enlightenment is their goal are given particular koans designed to stop the mind. The others are given meditative practices and techniques that will help them achieve their particular goals.
If someone wants a happy life, and has no interest in enlightenment, that's fine. It would be foolish and perverse to try and get them interested in something they have no interest in. In fact, some Zen traditions admonish monks pursuing enlightenment to never talk about enlightenment with people who have no interest. Tibetan Buddhism contains a similar admonishment.
