Why I Keep Repeating The Buddha’s Words …

…“Do not take my words for the truth; test them for yourself.”

If we merely reiterate words and offer no explanation, we are only repeating sounds, rather than addressing the context of situations as they arise. Repeating words without practical experience is merely perpetuating incomplete beliefs; this is the cause of ignorance, suffering and disharmony.

The Buddha’s first noble truth is to acknowledge suffering. He meant it. Buddhism is not a scholarly objective to prove that we are better than others. When we actually suffer or see others suffer, this has a profound effect on us to affect change. To go to the Dharma and ignore this advice is to think that we are perfect. It’s not until we take this first step that the rest follows – to jump ahead and think we can shortcut is pure arrogance.

Too many just repeat what they have read or heard, sounding like religious zealots with absolutely no empathy for others’ suffering or disquiet. This attitude makes the suffering and disquiet worse, and it’s the reason that I have problems with spiritual organisations.

The teaching is about removing suffering, and to admit suffering is an honest and courageous thing to do.

We all have confusion in our minds, the result of repetition of media. Clinging to media is the cause of suffering.
Media = Medium: a means by which something is communicated or expressed. The middle man.

The Buddha was saying;
I am just the middle-man; test the truth for yourself.