On August 20, 2020, at 7:47 am, Lal Posted:
There is a subtle point here that needs to be understood.
As long as one does not “get the full picture of the wider world-view of the Buddha” there WILL BE a “person” doing kamma. Such activities are done with a perception of “me”. That perception CANNOT be removed by will power. It HAS TO come through understanding.
For example, a Sotapanna (and even an Anagami to some extent) will have that perception of “me”. That is because their understanding is not yet complete.
– That is why it is a step-by-step process.
You asked: “Does my ”spiritual practice” not lead me to the cessation of desire?”
– Yes. It will. But it is a gradual process.
– However, one can experience the “loss of cravings for desires” as one makes progress.
– The first step is, of course, to stay away from breaking the five precepts or engaging in dasa akusala as much as possible.
For the time being, it is better to avoid philosophers. We don’t want to get confused about the world-views of philosophers. There are many of them around, some are not too bad (Schopenhauer), but still, that will only “muddy the waters.’
Regarding your other comments, kamma is NOT deterministic. You have control:
“What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?”
I would recommend reading those three posts carefully before asking any more questions.