So in a way I have these two distinct patterns in my brain, the one that wants to be an economist/engineer and work everything out, steady 9-5 job, house, pension. The other wants to give it all up and follow a spiritual lifestyle of contemplation and celebration for at least a few months a year. This clash of thinking styles is quite apparent in how my mind plays out on these subjects.

When I follow my spirituality, I follow my bliss, truth, peace. When I follow my inner economist, I find anxiety on my path, and there never seems to be enough, even though I am not poor. But I don’t have an income at the moment, I seem to have arrived at the end of one career without an obvious start for the next. So I’m at a bit of a crossroads right now, and this question is very relevant to me.

I’ve considered just banishing the economist, and trying to live by just following where the spiritual path leads me. But I was wondering how other people manage this balance? How do you set your inner compass?

Buddhist modernism

Basically it lays out the history of the modern Buddhist movements in the US, Europe and in some reform-minded places in the Far East. It’s a little long but I found it very interesting because it gives you a great overview of how Buddhism has been evolving over the last century or so, it seems there are some fresh winds blowing.

This quote struck me as particularly pertinent:

For many western Buddhists, the rebirth doctrine in the Four Noble Truths teaching is a problematic notion. According to Lamb, "Certain forms of modern western Buddhism [...] see it as purely mythical and thus a dispensable notion." Westerners find "the ideas of karma and rebirth puzzling", states Damien Keown – a professor of Buddhist Ethics. It may not be necessary to believe in some of the core Buddhist doctrines to be a Buddhist, though most Buddhists in Asia do accept these traditional teachings and seek better rebirth. The rebirth, karma, realms of existence and cyclic universe doctrines underpin the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism. It is possible to reinterpret the Buddhist doctrines such as the Four Noble Truths, states Keown, since the final goal and the answer to the problem of suffering is nirvana and not rebirth.

I find the whole history of Buddhist modernism very compelling because it is a discussion of how Buddhism is reshaping itself to a western view of an afterlife, which is itself in flux if you look at some of the literature in the NDE field.

From another thread ...

Well I had my ten minute time-slot with Ajahn Brahm.
The main thing I took out of it you may ask?

• Don't take things too seriously
• Be kind

As we all suspected, good dharma teachers are the norm. I remember the first time I met my informal teacher. Continues to inspire me and was barely Buddhist.

Should we bless teachers with our inanity or improve ourselves by being blessed?

OM MANY PEME HOME (something like that)

It is quite amazing that a book can dispel notions of death, ownership of the body, and other such core features of the body-mind complex. A lot of different teachings were mentioned: the three dharma seals, inter-being, impermanence in great depth, annatta and dependent origination a little.

But I haven’t been able to find a sutra for “the eight no’s” and I thought perhaps you could help me out. Anyway it’s an excellent book, I recommend it.

https://www.lionsroar.com/how-will-you-die/

So I joined two newbuddhist two years ago, and I haven't been a constant user, but I have progressed quite far in my mindfulness journey. I have been reading TNH quite a lot and find his writing accessible and thought provoking.

A hangup that I have been struggling with recently, and this quite possibly could be due to my proclivity to overthink things, has been reconciling the miracle of consciousness with non birth and non death. I fully accept the idea of a physical non birth and non death, "beings are either manifested, when conditions are correct, or not manifested, when conditions are not correct." That being said, I have found it more difficult to understand how our mental formations fit into the non-dichotomy of non birth and non death.

Consciousness is somewhat of an anomaly in the scientific community, as it is quite difficult to quantify. That being said, of course humans are conscious. Possibly the "most conscious" being on earth, if you can even say that, but that's beside the point. We are a collection of our thoughts, experiences, and mental formations. These have come to fruition since our "physical birth." When our being no longer has the conditions necessary to be a functioning human being, what happens to our consciousness? After death, as our physical form experiences an exponential increase in entropy, does this occur to our consciousness as well?

It seems nihilistic to suggest that when the synapses stop firing, that memories are lost forever, but it also (at least to me) seems like the most likely scientific explanation. Of course, there is the fact that this doesn't really matter, I mean it wouldn't really change my human experience if I knew one way or another about the "death of consciousness."

Not an easy question I know, but if anyone has any advice or a Dharma talk to point me to that would be great. Please strike up a convo in the comments or message me, this has been a burning question for me and I feel like I am spinning wheels trying to understand non birth and non death. Peace.

I relate it to much of the political discussion these days, or as @lobster pointed out about the virtue of being offended. I think of gotcha style interviews where the interviewer takes whatever the interviewee says and attempts to twist it into the most unfavorable straw man version of what the individual meant, "So what you're saying is... (something that you're not actually saying)". Or G.W Bush's quote "Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples - while judging ourselves by our best intentions."

There's the idea of the opposite of a straw man argument, known as steel man. Listen to the other with right listening so you can hear and understand their point of view to the degree that you can effectively make their own point for them.

I read this in Heinrich Harrer’s book Return to Tibet (1984), which is his account of a trip to Tibet the previous year and gives an account of the situation there since the Chinese “liberation”. It’s a little pessimistic about us Western Buddhists. Tell me what you think.

More than ever before, people in our hectic age are dreaming of imperturbability, tranquility, and harmony, and are hoping to attain these through mysticism and meditation. But I believe we can only dream of it – we can never achieve that state. It is too deeply rooted to be simply transplanted into Western culture; it is a spring which we must discover for ourselves. One has to be an Asian, to have grown up in that environment, in order to practise yoga genuinely – for us it will always only be a gymnastic exercise without spiritual effect.

It's an app that notifies you that you will die five times a day at random times, just like death. It sounds like a powerful app to reduce attachment or deal with grief.

An article from the Atlantic about it.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/when-death-pings/546587/

Then I found this. A free full MBSR program. This guy gets it.

And this. So does she.

In today’s materialistic world there is a risk of people becoming
slaves to money, as though they were simply cogs in a great
money-making machine. This does nothing for human dignity,
freedom, and genuine well-being. Wealth should serve humanity,
and not the other way around.

I think he has seen it accurately. If you look at most businesses, that is exactly what they do: treat people as cogs in a money-making machine. Corporations are often optimised around the idea of profit — look at the whole idea of cost-cutting exercises for example. They try to minimise what is spent on staff, what staff spend time on, and maximise profits.

If you then think that many people around the world are spending many hours doing the bidding of these kinds of corporations, we are already well on the way to humanity serving money. Compare that to a hundred years ago, when the modern factory was barely more than a glint in Henry Ford’s eye.

Who will be the Maitreya?
Independent AI?
A higher form of emptiness?

This guy gives what I find absolutely fascinating talks which associate behavioral, psychological, and neurological science with the Dharma. His podcast has talks and guided meditations. I'm listening to the episode called "two paths to liberation: samadhi and vipassana" right now.

This seems like it's not quite in the spirit of the concept when these teachers have full-time gigs doing other things.

Suggesting a donation is one thing, but incorporating it into the cost of a retreat?

I'd rather practice dana by giving money to an animal shelter.

What are your thoughts?

http://thubtenchodron.org/1992/12/root-difficulties/

It put me to thinking about the friends I have, who are not all Lilly-white in disposition. A couple of guys who I have shared some ups and downs with have struggled with addiction and depression recently, and when I think of their energy it does not seem totally wholesome and upright in nature to me. But they are somewhat interested in Buddhism, so that is something.

But I thought I would take it to the NewBuddhist sangha and ask, at what point does a friend become a “wrong friend” and starts feeding the afflictions in you? Have you ever ended a friendship over what effects others were having on your state of mind?

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2003/02/buddhist_retreat.html

Bringing this kind of thinking out in the open seems to me to have some benefits, in that it shows people the questions that many have about Buddhism.

Here is the list of topics in the sequence that the Buddha used to teach them:

Generosity (dana)
Virtue (sila)
— The 5 Precepts
Heaven (sagga)
Drawbacks (adinava)
Renunciation (nekkhamma)
The Four Noble Truths
— The Noble Eightfold Path

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html

I find it intriguing that very few people seem to teach Buddhism in this way any more, among the Tibetans where I’ve done some study courses there is a lot more focus on for instance the Lam Rim methods, or if you go looking via Google it takes you directly to the Four Noble Truths. But rarely do you see a complete lecture such as the Buddha gave, covering these various steps of instruction.

Without abandoning these five qualities, one is incapable of entering & remaining in the first jhana... the second jhana... the third jhana... the fourth jhana; incapable of realizing the fruit of stream-entry... the fruit of once-returning... the fruit of non-returning... arahantship. Which five? Stinginess as to one's monastery [lodgings], stinginess as to one's family [of supporters], stinginess as to one's gains, stinginess as to one's status, and ingratitude.

I consider myself a pretty generous person, I’ve done things like making a €1000 donation to a charity or offering a bed to a friend in need and I often donate my time to charitable projects, but when looking at these five attributes I find it quite difficult to connect real world behaviour with the attitude of generosity.

How do you express your generosity?

And I was wondering if others have tried this approach, and have something to say about the method. Is it worthwhile to try and remember the sutras? I doubt whether my memory is up to the task. Should I reflect on each individual Sutra in meditation? It seems difficult to do that because of the length...

Why are alleged Buddhists so needy? They need a teacher, a guide, a reason to practice, a solution to all their life problems? Tsk, tsk. I would feel superior but my list of expectations, egoic needs and alleged Buddhism are shameful too ... ?

Do we need to grow up? Take responsibility for our dukkha? Hey it may be a plan ...

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/02/02/national/maverick-buddhist-nun-dedicated-to-helping-the-needy-and-homeless/#.WuC0lrTTWhA

In Search of Balance (2016)
Health through food

Heal (2017)
Alternative healing modalities

The Dhamma Brothers (2008)
Buddhist practice in prison

Any you would recommend?

Should one then let go of one’s hopes for the future? It feels somewhat scary to live without projecting some achievable good things to aim for. It feels like letting go of a pattern that created some degree of certainty in life.

But on the other hand, hope is something that drags your attention away from the present. It encourages you to spend your time dreaming, rather than living in the here-and-now. It obscures your clarity of vision.

What are your thoughts on how beneficial hope is?

You are Avalokiteshvara: a great treasure of unaimed affection, Manjushri: a commander of flawless wisdom, Vajrapani: a destroyer of all hordes of demonic forces, Tsongkhapa: –the crown jewel of the erudite masters of the Land of Snows, at your feet, Lozang-dragpa, we make you requests.

Most of us are familiar of how the Buddha started zen by holding up a flower. Here is another finger pointing at the mooning ...

"Bhikkhus [monks, the Buddha said, holding a fleck of dung on his fingernail], if even if that much of permanent, everlasting, eternal individual selfhood/metaphysical being (Pali: attabhava), not inseparable from the idea of change, could be found, then this living the holy life could not be taught by me."
Samyutta Nikaya III 144

Just lately, perhaps under the influence of yoga I have been doing a bit more mantra such as migtsema above - the rite of formal right speech ...

Any change to practice?

“Supporters of radical Buddhist nationalist groups [in Sri Lanka] have been blamed for days of arson attacks and vandalism against Muslim-owned properties in Kandy which have prompted the government to declare its first state of emergency since the end of the civil war era.

[...] Analysts said Buddhist nationalist groups had sharpened their anti-Muslim rhetoric since the end of the civil war in 2009. Two people were killed and many more injured in Buddhist attacks on Muslims in June 2014. Several of the Buddhist extremist leaders accused of instigating the violence and are facing legal proceedings for other offences.”

So I thought the Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar were a reasonably unique phenomenon. I guess many religions right now are having to come to terms with violence and abuse in their names.

It’s certainly revealing a wrong view of mine that Buddhists are better than that. It’s interesting to observe my reaction to this news. I’m appalled and confused in a way that I’m not when it’s “just another Islamic fundamentalist”. Yet terrorism is as foreign to Islamic principles as it is to Buddhist. I should know better :-|

I've read a lot over the years in Buddhism about the dying process. Apologies for no sources because it's kind of a conglomerate in my mind from everything I've read. But I seem to have gotten the idea (which has been largely confirmed looking online a bit) that dying in Buddhism there is a focus on maintaining a good state of mind to influence your rebirth even to the point of not accepting pain meds so as not to cloud the mind.

But why? If the mind doesn't transfer/reincarnate then why focus on insisting on no pain meds or other drugs, no euthanasia etc? If the karmic stream is all that goes on, then why does it matter if the mind is foggy? If nothing about our mind but rather our karma is all that gets re-born then how does the state of mind influence that upon rebirth? I suspect I am missing something I understand, of course, the importance of maintaining a certain mind state to optimize practice in the human life, but once dying has commenced, is the mind really that important?

Edited to add: For example:
Crucial in this whole process is the state of mind at the time of death, because it is this that determines the situation a person will be reborn into. If the mind is calm and peaceful and imbued with positive thoughts at the time of death, this will augur well for a happy rebirth. However, if the mind is in a state of anger or has strong desire or is fearful etc, this will predispose to an unhappy or lower type of rebirth.

http://www.buddhanet.net/spirit_d.htm

(link to a Lions Roar article about Acer developing smart malas that count your recitations for you)

My initial reaction is almost always "ugh" but just because it's not for me doesn't mean it doesn't have a point I suppose. Personally, I think we need fewer electronic devices requiring materials we have to mine industrially. Not more. The way we continue to disengage our brains from everything because it's too much work is...incredible. We will be reduced to jello molds in no time.

Some find wisdom in parts of the dharma wood, others just blossom ...

What is pop Buddhism? Is it helpful or just 'Buddhism Lite'? New Age Dharma perhaps ... ?
https://www.lionsroar.com/yes-buddhism-is-a-religion/

I went to the store today to just grab a plastic bin for storage, then I started walking up and down the aisles to see if there was anything else I wanted to buy. The idea of catalog consciousness came to mind and I noticed how I didn't really need or want anything else but with all the stuff there I just got into the state of mind looking for things to want.

I've heard Andrea Fella say something similar in that when we get something we want it temporarily makes us happy so we start looking for other things to want so we can get it and get that same rush.

IMO they've laid out in a pretty articulate way our consumer society and how we end up powering our craving in an attempt to get that jolt of happiness that comes from getting what we want, even the small things.

Joseph goes on to say that it is akin to an addiction and that being free from that addiction of wanting to want is a much greater type of peace and happiness. I've been able to get there sometimes when I can get away from life, but I don't know how or even if it is really possible to hold onto.

I was raised to be pretty frugal with money, but recently my income has gone up some and I've found myself looking to buy items that I would normally manage to do without, like a new air conditioner or nice hiking boots. Getting caught up in wanting to want things ends up getting exhausting.

Anyone else have experiences with looking for happiness in wanting to want things too?

I like Sam Harris. He is a Buddhist ninja and values meditation and science.
Was watching a talk of his, calling for a secular spirituality and value the insight and clarity ...

His emphasis on meditation. Excellent. Very grounded.

What is your estimation?

PS. The word Muslim can be replaced with Hindu, Buddhist or [insert opposition of choice]

While the latter is (relatively) solved through a list of who cleans what by what day, the kitchen is an entirely different story. Many people leave dishes filled with food on the stove and it is very wasteful. One of the people in the suite collected the dirty dishes and put them in a tub, and that was met with a lot of anger. He eventually apologized, though I was not affected.

However, I had become extremely angry at the lack of care people seemed to have for the space and, specifically, the possessions within it. I proceeded to take away all the things I had bought with me (I go to college out-of-state) or buying with my own money and store it in my room. I figured that, if they really wanted something, they would have to ask.

This did not turn out to be fruitful. Not only did it require extra effort for me (as compared to everyone else), but it caused me to lose my student ID and make me miss my appointment, which in turn caused a lot of disappointment in myself.

I've been reading a lot on self-cherishing and the consequences of anger, and now realise the extent of my mistakes. I have put everything back and feel very upset for the ones I have hurt.

Have any of you done something similar? What can be done about people who seem to ignore the basics of living with others?

Well, this tells me I'm nowhere near to where I'd hope to be one day.

http://www.matthieuricard.org/en/blog/posts/meeting-an-ordinary-saint

Every once in a while I ask my pals the Boddhisatvas for blessings. You should similarly call on blessings for those in need. You may be in need. Formally call for help with prostrations. Dedicate merit or practice. Resonate a little or a lot ...

BLESSINGS
OM MANI PEME HUM

First, there is the story of the Buddha in one of his early incarnations as a prince who was so compassionate and so giving that he gave his body and his life to a starving tigress to feed her cubs. The king, his mother and his brothers of course greatly mourned him, and there is a statue of a tiger plus cubs in Nepal to comemorate the story.

Second, more often we come across instances where we have to be a little more skilful in what we do. A friend of mine who suffers from depression and occasional anxiety asked me yesterday for a few pills of lorazepam from my prescription (I use them for sleep), to use because he was going through a bad patch with anxiety. I don’t want to turn into his drug supplier, and he has a bit of a history with abusing substances, but I agreed to spot him two on condition he went to see his doctor. I did offer to let him stay the night as he wasn’t feeling comfortable in himself.

Third, yesterday I saw on tv a program about Buddhist chaplains in prisons here, teaching mindfulness to inmates. These it is a lot more difficult, you want to be compassionate and show these men how to feel empathy and loving kindness, but at the same time these are very dangerous people, who have all done serious things. It is easy to get manipulated in such an environment.

How do you feel about that in your life? How do you skilfully apply your compassion?

The first part is more about the way of life in Ladakh, when it was largely undeveloped back when few foreigners were allowed. The second part is more about the actual Bardo Thodol, the book of the dead.

Hope someone enjoys it, as I said it’s very restful.

And

There are these four types of people found in the world. What four? Those who are concerned neither with their own good nor the good of others, those who are concerned with good of others but not their own, those concerned with their own good but not that of others, and those who are concerned with both their own good and the good of others. Just as a stick from a funeral pyre, burning at both ends and smeared with dung in the middle, serves no useful purpose as fuel in the village or as timber in the forest—using such a simile do I speak of those concerned neither with their own good nor the good of the others. Those concerned with the good of others but not their own are more excellent and higher than this. Those who are concerned with their own good but not that of others are more excellent and higher still. But those who are concerned with both their own good and the good of others—they are, of these four persons, the supreme, the highest the topmost and the best.

Chavālāta, Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.95

It’s basically about a Buddhist psychotherapist’s view on how these two subject areas meet - his name is Mark Epstein, he wrote a book about it. Which I think is an interesting perspective on western Buddhism, since it’s a meeting between the Eastern and Western sciences of mind.

Discuss

I was reading the suttas about this and wanted to know do you base your good deed on whether the otber wants to recieve it or not or do you do the good deed for him based on your own ethics even if the other says no?

I know people have this "I dont care what people think" view but if you care about others what they think may shape how to help them on their terms not your own. Or?

How to live?
As I head towards Buddhahood (lobster fantasy realm perfection) or at least a better humanity/being, I become more aware of best life practices:

• Be kind to the wise but even more so the ignorant, especially oneself
• Don't waste your time on fear, anger, conflict, sardine-tin acquisition or [insert overriding delusions]
• Share, in other words align and learn from those on the path.

Also if you find a mysterious one sock: Put it on the hand, squirt on liquid soap, quick clean of sink, bath and or floor. Woosh. Throw sickly sock away. Wash hand. Cleaning done for another year ... [filthy lobster]

Any life tips?

The source hurling that emotion is our mind. It is the mind that projects. … a mind functioning beyond the jumbling of discursive emotions develops a steady and awake inner gaze, piercing the welter of thoughts.'

Sherab, P. & Dogyal, T. (1998). The Lion’s Gaze.

I think, it's a nice way to think about the importance of having awareness, of the source of feelings we experience within ourselves.

Finally I can be involved in all three Jewels.

Anyway, thats my blub for tonight. Later folks.

In the communes you often saw men and women getting together, it would start as mutual attraction, deepen into loving, and then sometimes people would drift apart again. But there are also other forms of love, between children and parents, between disciple and teacher, between man and God (as Rumi might have put it).

So how much of love is desire? Buddhism teaches that desire and clinging are not good things, to what extent do you apply that to love? Certainly lust is mostly desire, and romantic love is a kind of game. A love for God or for a spiritual teacher is not that at all. But on the subject of love Buddhist lore is largely silent.

In a way the closest buddhism gets to love is the Four Immeasurable Minds of loving-kindness, empathetic joy, compassion and equanimity. From what I’ve seen of it in meditation, that expression is very pure. But it’s not the same as the other forms of love.

So it’s a quandary, how to resolve this. I’m still mulling it over, but honestly I could use some fresh views

On the boards, I notice something similar that Im not familar with in person. When we discuss Buddhism, if its not in the suttas, its commentary or not from The Buddha. While study is important, Im more familar with practice/culture being primary as oppposed to did The Buddha realy teach this; how old is the sutta; fake or real things like that.

Do you think there is another way to approach talking about the validity and understanding of what The Buddha taught without using suttas as almost a divine means to determine who is correct and who is not?

https://www.lionsroar.com/aaron-lee-the-angry-asian-buddhist-has-died-age-34/

After listening to this 1hr or so talk, how would you help others or I guess see how youd see others as a priority as opposed to yourself? Not neglecting yourself.

Dharma Talk

First of all, the Right Livelihood angle. The Anguttara Nikaya III.208 asserts that the right livelihood involves not trading in weapons, living beings, meat, alcoholic drink or poison. That's reasonably straightforward, because there are a lot of professions in the western world which do not involve these things.

Second, I came across this quote while researching Right Livelihood:

Right Livelihood is an important aspect of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha encouraged his disciples to make their living in a way that does not cause harm and ideally that is ethically positive. However in the East, where most serious Buddhist practitioners have been monks, this has been given little attention.

Given that almost everyone’s life includes an economic dimension, work and career need to be integrated into life as a Buddhist. Most of us spend the majority of their waking lives at work, so it’s important to assess how our work affects our mind and heart. How can work become meaningful? How can it be a support not a hindrance to spiritual practice — a place to deepen our awareness and kindness?

https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/right-livelihood

This is setting a higher bar, not just being harmless in the work we do but in fact trying to support our spiritual practice through the work. There are many jobs that give opportunities to bring new situations into our practice, but I think there will be a division between those where it brings challenges, and those where it supports the practice.

Third, I have been thinking about how to go a step further, how to positively contribute to society while furthering the dharma. This is particularly hard because I'm not sure I'm suited to be a yoga instructor or mindfulness teacher or Buddhist psychotherapist or Buddhist lay prison chaplain, and the pool of jobs where you have an opportunity to talk about the dharma to an interested public is not at all large.

As you get successively more ambitious in how much Buddhism you want to include in your working life, the niches seem to get smaller. In part that is because there just aren't that many Buddhist businesses in Europe, where the percentage of Buddhists is somewhat lower than in the US.

Anyway, I've not yet decided how to proceed... in the short term I may take a job of the first type, while trying to line up something that satisfies the second or even third points.

I would welcome your thoughts...