>I think a fairly reliable guideline is: anyone who claims to be
>enlightened, is not. That's because, to view someone as enlightened is
*your*
>decision, not their's.
This somehow reminds me of the old Groucho Marx joke: "I wouldn't want to
be a part of any club that would have me as a member!" Can't say why.
>I claim, certainly not to be enlightened, but to be a Buddhist, though I
>certainly don't always live up to your description of Buddhists here.
Neither do I; as others would say, "My practice is far from perfect or
complete."
Thank you for writing; I hope what I said did not cause you any confusion
in your practice, and certainly I hope that I did not misconstrue or bear
false premises of Buddhism. Pretty much all my knowledge in the area
comes from books, and I am quite conscious of how easy it would be to
lead someone else to a false understanding.
James Wright