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The Other Tree
lobster
Veteran
As we know there are some controversial Buddhist Dharmas, for example the teachings of the non Shakyamuni Buddhas.
Some of us practice a little way from the Bodhi tree, perhaps even adopting Judaic, psychological, Christian or other esoteric traditions ...
One of my favoured non dharma practices is psychological reprogramming using light trance and positive affirmation:
I tend to create my own usually in a presentation program (such as Powerpoint). The subconscious responds well to simplicity and trance. This sort of thing ...
What is your secret?
3
Comments
My secret is Swedish crime fiction. It has taught me a lot about samsara, humanity with all its flaws and also compassion. It has done me the same thing Dharma books do for other people.
(But it's not my religion!)
Knitting.
I lose myself in the rhythm of counting the stitches and adding row, upon row...
I used to love anything spiritual out there and prayed a lot to whoever out there, gods, spirits, jesus, ect... then I became a buddhist through Saddharma Puntarika Sutra ( wonderful dharma of the lotus sutra ), and my teacher monk said, now ( latter days of the Law, after 5th 500 years (since) Shakyamuni Buddha's extinction) it is very important to stay within the Law ( Saddharma Puntarika ). there are prediction that buddha left ( don't know the english name, I only know korean name, 동국역경원 대방등경 55권 ) about practice are differs according to ages and what happens after 5th 500years afterwards ( that people start arguing about the preaches and white law will lose its power ). that is why he left Lotus Sutra. ( for the sentient beings like us living in the latter days of the Law. ) because only the Saddharma is the correct law during the latter days of the law. He said rest are considered as "other" way, which means black law. hope this make sense to you...
Bit cut and dried.
Other messages are also available as an option....
How do you induce light trance, OP? Or any trance?
I like science fiction and fantasy books and movies for their philosophies and morals of the story. I can't always just read about the dharma but I seem to find it everywhere if I'm in the right mindset.
Other than that, I just practice to be as aware as I can be and learn something new every day. I have good days and bad days.
I do different forms of meditation depending on how things are unfolding at the time but I am not religious and perform no real rituals.
I am a bit OCD when it comes to the positioning of my little statues for some odd reason.
I also pray to everybody through candles and focus the energy towards whoever I think could use it at the time even though logic says we/you will never really feel it.
When I think about myself I suffer but when I think about others compassion almost takes its place.
I was actually very depressed when I started writing this post because of my perceived failings but now again I can see that my daughter and fiance are depending on me and that makes me stronger.
I guess that isn't a big secret really... That the "I" we see in others is more fruitful than the "I" we see in me.
Listening to beautiful soothing music like on the video; losing myself in a good movie; saying simple prayers; mindfulness of course; getting enough sleep (one of my bigger challenges).
@Lobster
Hmmmmm!
Are you improving at taking photos of your path while walking backwards or at stalking someone else's tracks?
My secret if I wasn't spilling the beans here...is
Any physical action, especially if it's a bit repetitive, helps points out what a drama queen my own mind can be when I'm forcing it to participate in an activity that doesn't allow it to so easily grab the spotlight away from all my other sense gates.
It is amazing how the Dharma can simply shine whenever ones mind is unable to monopolize life's stage.
Sport.
Don't get too excited when your team wins or too downcast when they lose.
There's always next week (or next Ashes series in my case!!)
"What is your secret?"
I would have to say that one of my favourites is watching "Doctor Who" the present moment Time Lord who is forever venturing back and forth (the past and future ) and all the stories that arise from the imaginative trips...
The brain (neurons firing away) is like the Tardis wandering through space & time, ie, the mind...
I have a vivid imagination ....but don't we all
In line with mental reprogramming, I have loved the Coué method for years.
Walking meditation has been a favourite activity, too, since the beginning of Spring, which has helped me put into perspective some Buddhist shamanic teachings I have been reading about lately.
By studying self hypnosis.
Thanks guys,
Personally I find the narrative style of traditional Dharma both stylistically and culturally often less than inspiring. This is partly to do with the one dimensional, rather than continuous and changing levels designed within other story telling traditions ...
The initiatory oral traditions exist on the level of exoteric entertainment, interior potential and experience, revelation of multiple understanding and contemplation and so on, all in the one tale.
Once upon a time Khidr, the teacher of Moses, called upon mankind with a warning. At a certain date, he said, all the water in the world which had not been specially hoarded, would disappear. It would then be renewed, with different water, which would drive men mad.
Only one man listened to the meaning of this advice. He collected water and went to a secure place where he stored it, and waited for the water to change its character.
On the appointed date the streams stopped running, the wells went dry, and the man who had listened, seeing this happening, went to his retreat and drank his preserved water.
When he saw, from his security, the waterfalls again beginning to flow, this man descended among the other sons of men. He found that they were thinking and talking in an entirely different way from before; yet they had no memory of what had happened, nor of having been warned. When he tried to talk to them, he realized that they thought that he was mad, and they showed hostility or compassion, not understanding.
At first, he drank none of the new water, but went back to his concealment, to draw on his supplies, every day. Finally, however, he took the decision to drink the new water because he could not bear the loneliness of living, behaving and thinking in a different way from everyone else. He drank the new water, and became like the rest. Then he forgot all about his own store of special water, and his fellows began to look upon him as a madman who had miraculously been restored to sanity.
Walking the dogs ! And just being in nature.
I enjoy taking my big binoculars down to the sea and looking at stuff.
Thanks guys
As usual I very much liked what @how said and will create or join any thread on mindfullness which even though flavour of the mainstream media at the moment, is a profound and comprehensive practice ...
... Meanwhile here are some unfashionable and more relateable alternative wisdom branches:
Matthew 22:37-40
New International Version (NIV)
Translated into Buddha Speech:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your Buddha with all your heart and with all your being and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest precept. And the second is like it: ‘Love your sangha as yourself.’ All the Dharma and the Bodhisattvas hang on these two noble truths.”
The unpopular dervish path for Islamists, godists and mystical terrorists:
http://islam.uga.edu/sufismawaken.html
Taoism as portrayed in Te Tao Ching and classic internal cultivation of tai chi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching
Vedanta is the cool bit of Hinduism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta
... and now back to the tree felling ...
like to write the experiences get during the meditation
after a while there are heaps of pages and go through them to see whether they make any sense to a reader
if so, send them to a publisher
already could published four books (sell them at very cheap, like $2 to $5 to cover the cost)
enjoy a lot when get some letters from readers
'i' checked 'my' mind whether there is any pride (mana) when writing the bold and italic letters in this post
no there is no pride but there is some pleasure in the mind
yes, i am improving
Well said @upekka
all too often we understand the critical distinction between us and other but progress also entails a distancing between our Buddha nature and our egoic inclinations ... or is that just me again ...
If only @lobster would listen to such good sense there might be some hope ...
Oh yes, the great lesson: Open ears, open eyes, close mouth. How many times do we have to remind ourselves of that one. I personally lost count. [and I have the bruises to prove it.]
Well said @Lionduck all too often we have a need for unloading or confirming the 'wisdom' we have accumulated along the way. An experience or different perspective may be more useful to others than cliches, admonishments and inspiring but short lived advice.
It is why our personal integrity, practice and capacity needs to be engaged.
More tea vicar?
http://www.prairiewindzen.org/emptying_your_cup.html