What kind of pot are you mostly?

[hope rainbow]

Remember the lamrim teaching on the three pots?
If you were to have to identify the pot that is the strongest in your attitude/behavior, which one would it be?

1. the up-side down pot?
that is a closed-mind that can not receive any Dharma, or that resists to the Dharma.

2. the leaky pot?
the pot that receives the Dharma, understands it but then forgets it quickly afterwards.

3. the dirty pot?
the pot that listens to Dharma but with bias intentions (wordly intentions) and pollutes the Dharma in its mind, making it worldly for all that it can be possible.

4. or all pots equally?

Please vote, you will see the result of the poll right after you have indicated your choice.

[kurava]

I would say number 4 because :

1) sometimes when certain teachings are pointing directly to the fault I'm guilty of, I will be like the upside turned pot - nothing can go in. In other words, I'm being selective in receiving the dharma.

2) Most , if not all of us, are leaky pots at one time or other. If we were not, we would have results to show in our practice.

3) Well, I can't honestly say my motivation is completely pure and sincere - smelly pot.

Ya, I am guilty of being like a combination of all the 3 pots 

[triesa]

I am the no 4 pot.

I am thinking even after many years of learning the dharma, what are still the causes for me being the no 4 pot?

selectiveness, stubborness, egoistic, not being mindful, excuses, just to name a few.

Got to work on all these to be a better pot to receive the dharma.

[Reena Searl]

I am more towards LEAKY POT,   I want to get rid of this in order to receive and understand dharma in depth

[negra orquida]

Leaky pot... but I wonder if one pot can be inter-related with the the other 2 pots?

Example 1: Leaky pot --> forget what was taught --> equivalent to not listening to Dharma --> indirectly is an upturned pot since not making effort to remember what was Dharma, this is sort of like a passive aggressive way of resisting Dharma?

Example 2: Leaky pot --> forget what was taught/ selective memory --> bias intentions (why remember some, forget some, if we are truly sincere in learning Dharma?) --> not remembering fully what was taught would result in wrong understanding of Dharma --> contaminated Dharma knowledge --> dirty pot?

I was told that for people who have met with the Dharma, it is most dangerous to be a leaky pot.  Anyone know why this is so?

[lotus1]

i would think i have all the three pots but more strongest on the leaky pot...
i am so fortunate to receive Dharma, do not have much bias on Dharma, but still always forget the teaching.
Currently, i learn to jot down notes and i still need to refer back to the notes to contemplate more so that the teaching can sink in. i believe we should also collect more merits for Dharma to get to us.
May i know if there is any way to help to counter 'leaky' effectively? Would chant more Manjushri mantra will help?

[Positive Change]

I would say all pots almost equally as I have traits of a closed mind, forgetfulness and with bias intentions. It is part of my practice to actually realise that these traits indeed exist in me and that it should be irradicated in order for my Dharma journey to flourish. Failing which it would all be just a waste of time... as it is no different from samsara if we view Dharma from a samsaric point of view.

Hence it is most important that we find a Guru that can and will put a big fat mirror in front of our faces to show us who we really are. Most of us have aeons of habituations that need to be shattered like the mirror in front of us and our Guru is the one that can see right through to the real us inside and wants us to realise this.

[pgdharma]

I would say No 4 as all of them are inter related but the strongest is leaky pot.

Having the fortune to meet with a Guru that patiently guides me in my spiritual journey, I am putting more effort to remember what is taught (cos i am the leaky pot) and not be selective on what is taught (like the up side down pot) . So even though I have the fortune to receive the dharma, my mind  still needs to be free of bias intentions (dirty pot).  Got to work harder to mend  the leaky pot and clean up the dirty pot before its too late and turned into upside down pot.

[Tammy]

I would say No 4 as all of them are inter related but the strongest is leaky pot.

Having the fortune to meet with a Guru that patiently guides me in my spiritual journey, I am putting more effort to remember what is taught (cos i am the leaky pot) and not be selective on what is taught (like the up side down pot) . So even though I have the fortune to receive the dharma, my mind  still needs to be free of bias intentions (dirty pot).  Got to work harder to mend  the leaky pot and clean up the dirty pot before its too late and turned into upside down pot.

Well said !

I guess this represents most of dharma practitioners as we need to work hard to be a clean and perfect pot with its mouth facing up!

[yontenjamyang]

For me, I am mostly a leaky and dirty pot.

I contaminated the Dharma with worldly concerns hoping the Dharma will bring worldly happiness; which it does; but I am not so sure if my motivations are pure enough.

I am leaky because, once I understand a certain Dharma I do not meditate on it enough to internalise it. Then I tend to forget.

[Manjushri]

I would be the leaky pot most of all.

Everything I have been taught, still has not been practiced by myself - because I have forgotten the teachings...or more accurately, chose not to improve myself.

What would a lazy pot come under, I wonder?..If there was a category for lazy pot, I'd totally top it. I guess a lazy pot is a combination of upside down and leaky pot.

[Galen]

I am guilty of being leaky pot! As much as i enjoy teachings and understand them when it was delivered, however sometimes I find it hard to recall what I have just learned!

I think I have to recite more of Manjushri's mantra to increase my memory!! 

[Klein]

I'm the leaky pot.  I practise some dharma teachings and the rest I forget. Perhaps it's a deep habituation of selectiveness manifesting into forgetfulness.

[Dondrup Shugden]

I am all the 3 pots depending on what I hear and react to the Dharma. I am complex and so different aspects of Dharma challenges my believes and stupidity.

But knowing so, is the first step to practise for perfect pot, if there is one in samsara.

[Midakpa]

When I started learning the Dharma about three years ago, I was all the three pots rolled into one. Now, with practice and effort, I've overcome most of the obstacles to learning, except for the leaky pot and the upside down pot. This is also because I have poor memory and cannot remember all that I've heard or read. During teachings, I take notes so that I can refer to them when necessary. Sometimes, when listening to a talk, my mind is distracted and some information is lost. To overcome this, I've to learn to focus and concentrate.