Gonna have to go with Devadatta on the whole renunciation/non-attachment issue that has arisen in this thread.
Awaiting the Fifth said:
attachment to anyone is wrong.
I couldn't disagree more. How can we live without attachment to anyone? I know this may sound unbuddhist, but to assert otherwise is impractical. Buddhists, for instance, are usually attached to Buddha, or perhaps a guru, or a sangha, or a certain teacher whose books they read.
It's not wrong to experience the pain and pleasure of attachment, but it can be overwhelming. I'm attached to many people. If they were to leave my life I would feel great pain. While they are in my life I am strengthened and empowered. Some day, though, I know that I will not work with the group of people I am currently working with. I will miss them and try to keep in touch; but I know I will be alright and will carry the experiences that I had with them along with me. If I were to lose my partner, I would be devastated. I am certainly attached to her, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She helps me develop and helps me in my practice. That is not wrong, in my mind.
Furthermore, if I thought and practiced that attachment to anyone is wrong, I would probably spend most of my time in a shack or a mountain cave, trying very hard to reach some sort of meditative bliss, simply to alleviate the loneliness. And then I would be facing all sorts of attachments: attachment to meditation, to loneliness, to my shack or cave that would keep my precious isolation and non-attachment intact.
![Confused :confused: :confused:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
As Devadatta illustrated in his post, a deconstructionist approach to the idea of non-attachment is absurd.
toujour333 said:
i am a gay buddhist and i thought that this was very beautiful b/c its the only thing that ive seen that is gay friendly that involves a religion.
Have you looked into paganism at all? Oftentimes people in that community are open-minded and accepting of a wide range of sexual preferences and expression. Not that you should stop being a Buddhist. For me, I like to practice as many spiritual avenues as call my name.
Personally, I think the colorbar is fine. Would make a nice bumpersticker.
![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)