|
echinopsis posted:the way I understand things myself is that each thought is something like an ego of itself, it rises, comes to the front, and then is somewhat hijacked by the next thought/ego ad nauseum And this works for both moment to moment rebirth, and rebirth after physical death. It is all the result of clinging. One would come back from physical death because they cling to physical life. In the old Pali, this clinging is called Tanha. And Dukkha is the suffering. So the simple formula to reach nirvana is, "Tanha causes Dukkha, so stop it." This variable ego is easy to see in daily life. The attachments and desires of your ego are different when they arise from interactions with your parents, verses your spouse, verses your coworkers. In the west, we just tend to use the euphemism "wearing different hats" to represent that we often change our "self" as we would a piece of clothing. echinopsis posted:it's the process in which attempted non-identification with thought is a process toward ending the cycle of rebirth The self is constructed through the whole clinging processes. Without clinging, there is no concept of self needed to fulfill the role of subject with an object of desire. Without subject and object, there is no distinction of self and other. It is all one "thusness". There is plenty of references to this sort of thing in the scriptures. The Buddha and plenty of other arhats had attained nirvana without needing to die and not come back. They often used the term "deathless" to refer to that state of being, even though they were going to physically die some day. The point was they were no longer "dying" in the daily cycle of rebirth because their clinging ego was no longer being born over and over.
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2022 18:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 18:18 |
|
|
catgirlgenius posted:yeah, coming to think of it, i left guided meditations behind as an everyday practice because it felt like an unnecessary reliance on something external. I wouldn't worry all that much about relying on outside stuff to meditate. One can easily find Olympic class mediators who go find more teachers to learn ever more rarefied states of meditation to practice. And in the end, if you aren't following an external guide, you just end up following some internal one. Everyone needs to start somewhere, so the coworker might need some guided meditations to follow till they learn how to run their own internally.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2022 19:02
|
|
|
Beowulfs_Ghost posted:And this works for both moment to moment rebirth, and rebirth after physical death. It is all the result of clinging. One would come back from physical death because they cling to physical life. In the old Pali, this clinging is called Tanha. And Dukkha is the suffering. So the simple formula to reach nirvana is, "Tanha causes Dukkha, so stop it." thank you for this, this is somewhat what I thought but this spells it out clearer somewhat unrelated but the thing I’m finding myself struggling with clinging onto is related to impermanence, I think anyway, because in the last few months it’s like Ive had a fundamental insight into impermanence in a way, it’s like it’s so obvious nowadays that I am finding myself always at the end of something, like a sleep in, I want the sleep in to last as long as possible but before I know it it’s over. this is kind of obvious maybe for some but it’s something Ive wrestled with lately a lot. I can somewhat accept the lesson is to accept the impermanence and live mindfully as much as possible, but this is also a blow to the ego in a sense. anyway just rambling
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2022 21:44
|
|
|
echinopsis posted:somewhat unrelated but the thing I’m finding myself struggling with clinging onto is related to impermanence, I think anyway, because in the last few months it’s like Ive had a fundamental insight into impermanence in a way, it’s like it’s so obvious nowadays that I am finding myself always at the end of something, like a sleep in, I want the sleep in to last as long as possible but before I know it it’s over. this is kind of obvious maybe for some but it’s something Ive wrestled with lately a lot. I can somewhat accept the lesson is to accept the impermanence and live mindfully as much as possible, but this is also a blow to the ego in a sense. anyway just rambling These sort of uneasy feelings can frequently come up as you start to realize some of these things. For some, they can be so profoundly negative that "The Dark Night of the Soul" gets tossed around a lot. Ignoring your own ego is as much of a blow to it as it is when some one else ignores you. If you sit quietly in meditation, and the ego pops in with some "Let's make dinner plans!", and you ignore it, like don't even argue with yourself about sticking with the meditation, but just totally blank stare ignore it, you can feel the blow. That sinking heart feeling of seeing full well that "your self" is not the most important thing in existence. And then even the sensation of a broken heart fades as the breath, or what ever your meditation focus, comes back to the forefront. If you really want a taste for how impermanent all this really is, I would recommend Mahasi style noting meditation. When you get good at it, you see the body and mind are a constant buzz of things coming and going. You can see that even what once seemed to be one persistent thought is really just a short term thing that comes and goes repeatedly. Some idea, and the ego that prods it along, might be born and die a dozen times before you actually follow through on it's craving.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2022 06:16
|
|
|
It’s true that thoughts are impermanent, and their presence comes about not by their immediate existence but by their recurrence and pattern of arousal, but would a change in long term patterns of the same not also be impermanence?
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2022 17:44
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:It’s true that thoughts are impermanent, and their presence comes about not by their immediate existence but by their recurrence and pattern of arousal, but would a change in long term patterns of the same not also be impermanence? well yeah, bodhicitta as distinguished from vritticitta can only last as long as your consciousness does, after you pass away there's no thought and no pattern of course; but the fact that I'll eventually digest a nourishing and healthy meal just the same as junk food doesn't mean that the quality of my experience during and after ingestion is the same either way. feels like being born into a physical incarnation and squandering the time deluded and suffering is like walking into a michelin star restaurant and ordering chicken nuggets! But to each their own; who am I to say, they may love chicken nuggets in a different way than I do. And after all, the name of the restaurant comprising this karmic dimension is "Delusion and Suffering", so maybe I'm the one confused as to the purpose of the establishment.
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2022 18:00
|
|
|
Who knows. Maybe we never will. And that has to be fine too.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2022 16:52
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:It’s true that thoughts are impermanent, and their presence comes about not by their immediate existence but by their recurrence and pattern of arousal, but would a change in long term patterns of the same not also be impermanence? As in the change would be impermanent? Entailing that one would change back? If you continuously nudge something in a given direction, it will end up going somewhere other than where it was originally going. And there are a lot of things that you can't undo, or un-see, or un-think. And those become the conditions for any future causes-and-conditions. This is where karma can start looking like some sort of heavenly ledger. Your cumulative good behaviors set the conditions for future good behaviors. So even though any current state of being may be transient, it would be a being that does good actions because bad thoughts simply don't cross it's mind any more.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2022 02:42
|
|
|
ram dass in hell posted:well yeah, bodhicitta as distinguished from vritticitta can only last as long as your consciousness does, after you pass away there's no thought and no pattern of course; but the fact that I'll eventually digest a nourishing and healthy meal just the same as junk food doesn't mean that the quality of my experience during and after ingestion is the same either way. feels like being born into a physical incarnation and squandering the time deluded and suffering is like walking into a michelin star restaurant and ordering chicken nuggets! But to each their own; who am I to say, they may love chicken nuggets in a different way than I do. And after all, the name of the restaurant comprising this karmic dimension is "Delusion and Suffering", so maybe I'm the one confused as to the purpose of the establishment. Of course, there are plenty of 'creators' on the smaller, sub-cosmic level. The fact that things will eventually change doesn't seem to change (heh heh) the urgency of working to relieve suffering in the here-and-now, I think. I remember late in the last thread (or was it in another conversation?) there was talk of, 'what if we just wait until the heat death of the universe, then won't all beings be realized?' etc. etc.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2022 04:17
|
|
|
Just a wee thought about recorded music, I think that recorded music more than anything provides a way for the brain to experience something 100% predictable. Especially if you throw in some drugs that sort of eliminate other senses, you can create a sort of experience that meets a requirement that normally most experiences can't give at all. Anyway 
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2022 10:49
|
|
|
That's samadhi baby unfortunately it's the wrong type; you're still depending on the structure or shape and anticipation of the music (even if it's Dub Techno mix 32) to get you to those "high states"; you'll still get pleasure, joy, ecstasy when your fully absorbed by it, but I think it's the wrong object to use. I agree with your post that recorded music is cool because it's capable of producing "same" experiences in which case yeah, absolutely, it's awesome at that. There is some supernormal qualities experienced when you're really digging the sounds, no doubt. But to take it further, it is incredibly useful to analyze your mind in those moments, as some of those states are the same when in jhana but you're not dependent on external stimuli to drive it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2022 23:17
|
|
|
I’m sitting by a pool, reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s primer on the teachings. We’re covering the twelve turnings right now, and mindfulness is part of the focus as well. There was another couple from the hotel trying to get into the pool area, but they were having trouble opening the gate. When I saw this, I felt the typical pit in my stomach whenever I see someone struggling with a gate or door. Something about that pit in my stomach spurred me to get up from my chair, walk over to the gate, and open it for them. We exchanged the usual pleasantries and thank-yous, and I returned to my seat. Since I am learning about the turnings right now, I am considering that event in light of them. The following events take place within the span of about 8 to 10 seconds in total, and in a very short span of time mentally/neurologically. First, suffering exists. I recognized two things that can be called suffering: the obvious disparity between the couple wishing to pass the gate and the gate’s difficulty, and my own internal unease via the pit in my stomach. The two sources of suffering were quickly understood, in that the couple wanted to be on the other side and that I felt uneasy (for whatever reason). As such, encouragement and realization of suffering followed naturally and almost unconsciously. I am unsure of whether the pit in my stomach or the sight of the struggling couple was the biggest source of encouragement, or drive. Next, suffering has a cause. I recognized that something about the current situation was giving rise to these sufferings, and through previous experience and cultivated habits, I was almost subconsciously driven to analyze the situation and figure out what it was. Through that action and insight, I determined that the couple couldn’t pass the gate because the handle lock mechanism was sticky and required some force. To a less clear degree, I also determined that I had a pit in my stomach because I did not want the couple to struggle with the gate. Either way, the causes of suffering were understood. These are the turnings I understand the least. Then came the turnings of the end of suffering: “suffering can end”, “suffering should be ended”, “suffering is ended”. Because suffering has a cause, suffering must have an end, or a resolution. In that way, well-being is and can be achieved. In this case, the couple can in fact pass through the gate - as I did - and I can in fact be free from the unease. I also recognize that it brings me joy and peace to do this, and is a source of well-being. Almost without words, I told myself that these sufferings can and should be ended - I don’t know how or why, it came from somewhere I do not understand. Regardless, suffering was ended by realizing “I should get up and open the gate for them”, and thus doing so. Finally, we come to the fact that there must be a way to bring about the end of suffering, and this one’s interesting. I’m not 100% sure about this part. As shown in the book, the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth turnings are recognition that “there is a noble path that leads to well-being”, encouragement that “this noble path has to be lived”, and realization that “this noble path is being lived”. Have these turnings occurred for me? If so, how? My suffering of internal unease is more readily tackled here. I recognize, continually, that there is a way of getting rid of the pit in my stomach by opening doors and gates for those struggling with them; I understand and encourage myself to address my unease by opening the doors; most obviously, I realize feeling better by having a near-unconscious habit and instinct to help people through doors and gates they struggle with. Do you suppose that counts as the last three turnings…? The couple’s suffering of getting through the gate is less clear when spoken of in terms of walking a noble path. How do recognition, encouragement, and realization work here? It is distinct from my own suffering in that it dwells in the world, in reality, and derives from the dynamic and interaction between two or more people. My best guess is that our society ingraining a cooperative nature in us to see someone struggling with a door and to help them is a sort of “macro” noble path, a path walked not by an individual but by an entire society. At this point, I am writing conjecture - I don’t understand it as well as I understand what happens in myself. (And that must be fine too!) This is good poo poo. I’m enjoying the book. I may need to read it multiple times for it to really sink in, though.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 17:45
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:My suffering of internal unease is more readily tackled here. I recognize, continually, that there is a way of getting rid of the pit in my stomach by opening doors and gates for those struggling with them; I understand and encourage myself to address my unease by opening the doors; most obviously, I realize feeling better by having a near-unconscious habit and instinct to help people through doors and gates they struggle with. Do you suppose that counts as the last three turnings…?
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 21:18
|
|
|
That was an excellent analysis of the thought flow, thanks for posting. I agree with the corn haver that the sympathetic anxiety, while in this case it has served a purpose, is suffering too.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 21:39
|
|
|
Interesting. Work’s never done, is it? Got to the chapter on the path and I’ve already got capital-q Questions.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2022 02:48
|
|
|
Hey all! I'm very new to buddhism and after doing a short introduction course at my local centre i am very keen to learn more! My brain isn't wired to read long chunks of texts so prefer something more audio/visual. Are there any good audio introductory resources out there? Podcast, audiobook, YouTube channel etc? Confusedslight fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Sep 25, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 02:06
|
|
|
edit: Accidentally double posted.
Confusedslight fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Sep 25, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 02:07
|
|
|
Hello, new friend-in-the-dharma. I'm also not gifted with a brain that is good at reading large chunks of text, so it's fortunate that there's a lot of dharma talks available for free online. And of course there's audiobooks, too, but I find these are usually paywalled, or when they're not, they may run into some copyright issues and get taken down at some point. I especially enjoy the dharma talks offered from the Plum Village Tradition, which emphasizes engaged Buddhism, practice and insight. Its founder is the late Thich Nhat Hanh, who is a famous dharma teacher. Their YouTube channel has preserved many of his dharma talks. Rven more can be found on their website as audio-only files. Some of the clips are of Thich Nhat Hanh answering a question from a lay practitioner. Others are longer, full-length dharma talks that can be over an hour in length. I'll include all links at the bottom for convenience. And although Thich Nhat Hanh is the most famous dharma teacher in the Plum Village Tradition, the dharma talks offered by his students and co-monastics are definitely worth listening to as well. Because of their varied backgrounds, they offer their own perspective on the teachings that can be uniquely helpful to hear. Beyond Plum Village's website and YouTube channel, its monasteries and practice centers around the world also have their own websites and YouTube channels. In terms of volume, it seems that Deer Park Monastery produces the most amount of content, especially English-speaking content. Plum Village also has a podcast, but I haven't started to listen to that yet. The sum total of available dharma talks is large, so I'm also happy to recommend specific videos that have stuck with me, especially if there's a topic, question, or particular sutra you're interested in. Links: Plum Village's audio library: https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/?people=thich-nhat-hanh Plum Village's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/plumvillage Deer Park Monastery's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeerParkMonastery Plum Village's Podcast: https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-in/
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 02:50
|
|
|
Thank you so much! Will definitely check them out!
Confusedslight fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Sep 25, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 02:55
|
|
|
Welcome aboard the dharma vehicle, feel free to ask if you have any questions. I hope you wanted a vegetarian meal 
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 05:05
|
|
|
Plum Village also has a smartphone app. Lets you access all sorts of talks and guided meditations, among other things.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2022 12:24
|
|
|
Has anyone listened to any Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein? My therapist recommended it, listened to a couple episodes and it seems pretty nice but I don't know a lot
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2022 01:27
|
|
|
Joseph Goldstein has episodes on the Be Here Now podcast and I love those episodes.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2022 15:54
|
|
|
Confusedslight posted:Hey all! I'm very new to buddhism and after doing a short introduction course at my local centre i am very keen to learn more! I found Ajahn Sona's utube channel to be very beginner friendly
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2022 23:11
|
|
|
Speaking of more recommendations; I'm trying to work through the [Theravada] Abhidhamma. I've listened to several talks that were interesting and understandable but the book I got by Y Karunadasa is really dense (workable, but it's tuff). Any easier texts & commentaries on it? Thank you.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2022 23:19
|
|
|
I've only listened to a few of the talks on the plum village youtube channel and i'm enjoying them! Especially this one https://youtu.be/A__DcoIZoN4 on being in the present moment.
Confusedslight fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Sep 29, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2022 19:05
|
|
|
Still working through The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings. This is one of those books that I can get through relatively easily but might take me a lifetime to understand. Oh well. I’ll do what I can.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2022 15:48
|
|
|
On the plus side if you truly understand the heart of the Buddha's teachings you're in a pretty good place. My Lama dropped a powerful guilting on me the other day by appealing to my vanity and arrogance so I'm back on the regular practice wagon after having fallen off due to work and the pandemic. I'm happy with it as I can take all my orthodox knowledge and apply it where I am now in honest pursuit of the project instead of in pursuit of the orthodoxy. In short I think the break I took from the mainstream orthodox current has served only to ultimately improve my practice. But my Lama appealed to me to return to practice in some capacity because he says I would benefit many beings and I told him well I guess I'd better because I made a vow to stick around until all the beings were benefitted so there's no point in wasting time, just getting more lifetimes that way, and let me tell you, I am over this samsaric existence thing.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2022 16:11
|
|
|
That's great Paramemetic. Well, not the whole tired of affliction thing, but getting back into practice with a new perspective. Thread, I would like to apologize for what I know to be some egregious behavior here. Just profoundly harmful thoughtlessness all around. Sorry. It may not seem like a huge deal to some but it is. If you're not in a great place you may not want to read this. It's not really personal stuff, it's about practice. I'm also an awful lazy hypocrite who is still kinda addicted to rage due to poor concentration, please consult a more noble person Please practice compassion for yourself. Compassion doesn't discriminate, and you're the best test subject available. It is very difficult for most people, and we often like to ignore difficult things by flipping it on ourselves, as if it were a selfish thing to do, or only an innately heroic or very wise person can do it and we're just an arrogant nobody. That's a trick. The uglier the thing, the more compassion it needs, and everyone has some very ugly things kicking around. It's okay to be bad at it. If you find yourself in a safe place to do so, or if you truly have no other options, throw yourself into it fully. Reaching meditative absorption in compassion, karuna jhana, can be extremely painful and terrifying. But it burns through everything we allow it to, leaving us as if we were just reborn gasping into a radiant, frothing sea of wonderful boundless love. Nothing can describe it. We can begin to truly see others and understand how they became like they did with concern and reverence. We can see the deep, deep shame in our dehumanizing tendency to praise and blame, understanding that it is merely a device, like our brain's ability to pick out a ripe versus rotten tomato. And that's just the most shallow stuff that a fairly worthless person such as myself can see. Our daily lives become vastly less burdensome even if we don't come close to giving ourselves entirely to it. If you are seriously committed to Buddhist practice I am absolutely begging you to not wait to wait until you are forced to do it, it's already grueling. You don't want to be doing this stuff as you're dying. You deserve at least to know where to find invincible peace and love when you need it. People desperately need people who want to do these things. e: I have strongly considered deleting this and will do so if someone thinks it is wise. it can be hurtful and severely triggering. there's an appropriate time for discussing things, but i don't think that some things are discussed enough. people don't know that it's an option, and should be done with a very serious committed teacher if possible. i'm probably not the person to discuss it and i have no framework for how to approach it. please seek therapy if there's an impediment to doing this stuff. it will hurt a lot less. i had a bad sole experience with a therapist as a teenager and got declared perfectly fine immediately coupled with some creepy weird behavior from them, and i didn't understand what it was about because of it. life is rich and wonderful regardless of where you're at, or it's too painful, anything. you are such a strong and wonderful person if you are living with something like ptsd or complex trauma and you make an effort to treat people well, or even something on 1/100th of that scale. even minor stuff ends up being a major problem if it hits us when we are extremely vulnerable. i just had to do it, and have to do more, and i think that a lot of people are in that position. edited spoiler corn haver fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Oct 24, 2022 |
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2022 04:34
|
|
|
Paramemetic posted:On the plus side if you truly understand the heart of the Buddha's teachings you're in a pretty good place. I finally, FINALLY, finally reached the end of The Heart and I have to say I think that I skimmed parts of it, not because I wanted to but because I don't think my head was in the right place to really take it in. It is a very excellent introduction, and I think it will bear repeat readings. I already started, but it's strange that my mind turns away from it. I would like to blame Mara, but how can I? corn haver posted:Our daily lives become vastly less burdensome even if we don't come close to giving ourselves entirely to it. If you are seriously committed to Buddhist practice I am absolutely begging you to not wait to wait until you are forced to do it, it's already grueling. You don't want to be doing this stuff as you're dying. You deserve at least to know where to find invincible peace and love when you need it. People desperately need people who want to do these things.  a powerful recommendation!
|
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2022 05:23
|
|
|
corn haver posted:
the only way out is through  https://youtu.be/tl4SsaOJlAc
|
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2022 19:23
|
|
|
What did the Enlightened One say about non- fungible tokens depicting alcoholic monks? https://alkiemonkdrinking.club/Home.html
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2022 16:10
|
|
|
Buddhist imagery and symbols should not be used to promote things contrary to the teachings of Buddhism nor for personal profit.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2022 17:05
|
|
|
Buddha NFTs lmao me when I don't follow the Precepts:  But for a relevant post I finished the Mūlapariyāya Sutta using Bhikkhu Bodhi's little handbook. I've heard it in talks before but the commentaries were great, much resonations with me, no delight.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 00:06
|
|
|
Yorkshire Pudding posted:What did the Enlightened One say about non- fungible tokens depicting alcoholic monks? lol
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 02:20
|
|
|
Virgil Vox posted:Buddha NFTs lmao I'm not sure where this falls on the "three pounds of flax" to "dried poo poo on a stick" spectrum.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 02:45
|
|
|
Cephas posted:I'm not sure where this falls on the "three pounds of flax" to "dried poo poo on a stick" spectrum. turn on your monitor
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 04:50
|
|
|
BIG FLUFFY DOG posted:Buddhist imagery and symbols should not be used to promote things contrary to the teachings of Buddhism nor for personal profit. I'm reminded of the Trump Buddha statue from a few years ago.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 04:59
|
|
|
NikkolasKing posted:I'm reminded of the Trump Buddha statue from a few years ago. Then I thought: But it is peculiar indeed to use a sort of pat, joking interpretation of a major philosophical tenet of a religious philosophy as a reason to be rude. But then I thought further: It seems unlikely that an NFT bro would be making any sort of formal anti-Buddhist statement. It is interesting to see these images have cultural penetration in a way that pictures of rabbis or priests do not.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 05:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 18:18 |
|
|
My meditation has kinda sucked lately, my mind is just going every which way and I'm really resisting even sitting down. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2022 05:22
|
|