Was Diogenes a Buddhist?
Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who propagated the doctrine of "needlessness", i.e. the complete opposite of today's "consumer society".
In his view, man should desire only elementary things. Everything beyond that, the scholar considered "useless", external conventions, such as marriage, he rejected.
For me as a Buddhist, Diogenes' views appear to be of elementary foresight; if I, as a human being, am going to crumble to dust anyway, what good are gold and money to me?
The philosopher is also said to have met the great King Alexander. According to the story, Diogenes was sleeping in an old wine barrel. When the king came to visit (the philosopher's reputation seemed enormous), Alexander introduced himself: "I am Alexander, the great king". To this Diogenes replied: "you stand in the sun for me, go to the side"!
Well, to me also every day many people stand in the sun, but no kings.
The radical way of life of Diogenes, including his hard answer to the king, show similarities with the teaching of Buddha; not only the historical Buddha had reached "enlightenment", already before (and after) him extraordinary people had and have reached this state.
I claim: You can achieve it too, we all can become a Buddha!
According to another story, Diogenes is said to have had little in common with Plato (Greek philosopher, 428 to 348 BC). What a wonderful time this must have been, smart people were exchanging ideas!
IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING, YOU CAN'T BLAME YOURSELF
- DIRK NOWITZKI - GERMAN BASKETBALL PLAYER - B. 1978
So what do our possessions bring us, what is "in the sun" for us? What are we "fighting" for, what makes up our personality?
We don't have to sleep in an old barrel, nor should we "stand in the sun" of other people.
We could engage in the philosophy of Buddha, peeling back the layers of our personality one by one, coming back to the "core" of being, but do we want that, do you want that?
Well, I do!
Diogenes was a Buddhist!
And I love the rays of the sun.
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show