Authority, Opinions and the Buddhist Canon

I hear that sometimes People ask what would should send say about this.

That gives me Pleasant Sensations Innocence Pleasant self referencial sensations. Pleasant feel, but also immediately when I hear that People say things like that in my talk space is.

Don't, they realize these are just my casual opinions about things but they realize how little I know about alignment don't, they realize how little?

Any teacher knows about alignment.

I understand that People.

Want to appeal to authority it, it's convenient innocence.

Basically, the there's traditionally India and also in the Western world.

3 bases for knowing things.

There is direct experience there's a logical inference and then there is.

Reliable authority.

What is distinctive about the Buddha as a teacher is that he rejected reliable authority?

As a basis of knowing.

Essentially said it's direct experience and logical inference just because a very good person says something doesn't mean it's necessarily true just because some ancient scripture that everybody believes in says something doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

And just because somebody that's meditated for 50 years or 60 years.

Says something doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

It's their casual opinion, the best they can come up with an I think it's really important to keep that in mind. Does that mean that you shouldn't listen to what these teachers, saying all we have to listen.

Because yes there's a lot, that can be learned.

But it also has to be taken not as some sort of authoritative pronouncement. It's best finger that can sort of point. And yes, this person is some experiences that I don't or has more experience than I do so I can listen to what they say, but to go beyond that think that make it carry more weight than just that person's casual opinion order.

Best that they can come up with I think is to miss the point.

We just do our best to formulate things as best we can.

So I just wanted to say a couple words along those lines. Yes, you can make use of authority to a certain degree but.

I don't think that we need to give it more.

Cloud then then it really deserves.

Also, it's sometimes asked Well, you know how does this teacher or that teacher say map on to what's in the Scriptures?

Or what's in the Canon I guess.

Western religions, the Abrahamic religions tend to call it scriptures but Buddhism. They call it. The Canon means the same thing. Unfortunately, the People that are responsible for the Buddhist Canon his immediate disciples and so forth.

Are not now alive meaning? We can't dialogue with if you ever come to the retreat with me? What you'll see is characteristic of the way I teach is that when People ask me questions.

Very seldom do I just give an answer I sometimes do.

But in most cases I find I have to ask a little more what did you mean by that.

I think I understand what you're saying but it could be this, or it could be that could you clarify it's very difficult for me?

To just answer a question directly. I find that interaction is needed a back and forth as needed.

There is no way that we can have a back and forth with the OR his immediate cycles.

It's one way.

All we've got is what is in these books?

And these books were not written down right away is quite awhile before they were breaking down. Now, some People might claim well. It was all perfectly memorized word for word. There is something of that memorizing tradition in the Indic way of doing things.

But the fact is.

Even if it was word for word.

But still not enough, not really there would have to be a back and forth.

To see really how does say I as Shinzen Young I'm teaching? How does that map on to the put I'd have to be able to dialogue with him.

And I can't, he's gone so we can look to the Scriptures.

And yes, we can get a lot from it, and we should but once again, I have rather modest.

Expectations with regards to.

How really

Sharp.

Up the communication can be between the scriptures or this cannon and us given that is a one way. St and so it's a kind of humility to understand that.

Yeah, you can make use of it, but

You can't dialogue with it and therefore don't impute.

More to it than it can deliver in terms of you understanding the path to classical liberation.