Reply To: Questions From a Beginner

#52161
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Participant

Well, taryal, then if follows that they have no confidence in the Buddha’s word. If they have not heard it, and heard instead a distorted and ultimately false version of it, well….that explains it for me.  The Buddha was questioned on more than one occasion, even by devas, as to how  ‘total elimination of the taints/hindrances ‘( I can think of no better way to put it right now) by one’s own efforts ,leading to perfection, be possible.  Even they must have been trying, and saw the great difficulties.  I believe they ‘confronted ‘ the Buddha with the question not to challenge Him  in the spirit of confrontation, but to be instructed by Him. The Buddha’s reply was (in brief,  in my own words): there are perfected ones now here with me.  Implication: it is possible because the proof is right here.