AN 10.95 Uttiyasutta, ‘With Uttiya’
| growth | epistemic status |
|---|---|
| seed | 🤷 unsure ~ I don’t know what to make of the idea we need to save ourselves from the world, not save the world |
| similes the citadel |
After asking the Buddha about the the ten unprofitable questions, Uttiya asks whether the dhamma saves the ‘whole world, or half, or a third’.
Ananda explains that we don’t need to save the world, but to save ourselves from the world. I don’t really know what to make of this, so it hasn’t really put a dent in my belief that I need to be socially engaged for my practice to benefit others. It is one thing to transform my own mind, and of course, we all know that
our problems can’t be solved with the sort of thinking that caused them,
but how does Buddhism transform our thinking? By transcending dualist and rational thought through transpersonal experience? I hope so, and I believe so. If I am going to be socially engaged, I want to at least be in the process of transforming my own thoughts.