Home › BonsaiDoug › Comments
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Badges
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@newbuddhist.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site.
BonsaiDoug
About
- Username
- BonsaiDoug
- Joined
- Visits
- 1,348
- Last Active
- Roles
- Member
- Points
- 330
- Badges
- 14
Reactions
Comments
-
@federica - nice. I especially like: "Chanting Aum allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves." I once read that the sound of Om/Aum is likened to being the "dial tone" of the universe. And if I'm not mis…
-
@kashi ... thanx! And I too make malas, but wind up giving most of them away.
-
Two early (and modest) attempts with brush and ink:
-
Here's a larger (click-able) version:
-
Mine is the kanji characters for "Buddha," and represents one of my early attempts with brush and ink.
-
"Remember, nothing in the practice of meditation is ever forced on you. The only compulsion comes from an inner force: your own desire to be free from self-inflicted suffering and stress." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu
-
First off... BIG CONGRATS! While it may take a little getting used to, retirement is great. My child-bride and I were fortunate enough to retire at 55; it's now been 11 years. Every day is a Saturday! Enjoy!!!
-
Good thread! I've never educated myself on the various hand mudras and their meanings and effects. I've always held my hands in what has come to be a comforting position; in my lap in the Dhyana mudra.
-
I've always read, and tried to practice, that prayer is a practice to awaken our own inherent inner capacities of strength, compassion and wisdom, rather than to petition some sort of external force. Author unknown (at least to me): Let me not pra…
-
I actually have nothing to bitch about!! :om: Ain't life grand!? ;)
-
My daughter doesn't know she's a Buddhist yet... Old joke: Q: What's the difference between a Buddhist and a non-Buddhist? A: The non-Buddhist thinks there's a difference.
-
From my little tree hobby.
-
I think haiku is a great form of mindfulness practice. And very Zen-like in concentration.
-
I know nothing of this site, but they usually advertise in the Buddhist magazine Tricycle: Dharma Match, DharmaMatch.com Best to you!
-
Biking, reading and bonsai.
-
Yes, today President Obama said: "It' is not a surprise to me that we are having problems at Guantanamo." Obama called Guantanamo unsafe, expensive, and said it lessens cooperation with U.S. allies. "I am going to reengage with Congress that this …
-
@Sabre - Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond - just ordered the Kindle flavor - thanx for that!
-
Is prayer and meditation all that different? Many years ago Dan Rather was interviewing Mother Teresa. “When you pray”, asked Rather, “what do you say to God?” “I don’t say anything,” she replied. “I listen.” Rather tried another tack. “Well, okay……
-
Is it [rebirth] central to the teaching, or is it something that monks were arguing about back then that isn't so important to us, or even something that fits into the other teachings of the Buddha? My assumption is that the discussion/debate/stud…
-
The Buddha taught that rebirth is part of a process called dependent origination that its happening all the time. So it can be taken as "rebirth from life to life" or "rebirth from moment to moment", and thats where scientists can get their hands …
-
"Proof?" Not sure it exists. I've just read an interesting book called "The Truth of Rebirth: And Why it Matters for Buddhist Practice" by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. An excellent read.
-
A belated Happy Natal Day!
-
Much metta along your path!
-
@BonsaiDoug, Sorry to correct you No problem. Good to know. :thumbsup:
-
@riverflow - nice... I like it. Reminiscent of early Bob Dylan. :thumbsup:
-
One of the Thai temples I used to take food to didn't have monks do the alms routine in the morning. People bought food directly to the temple and to the monk of their choice, and would usually sit with the monk and chat while he was eating. Perha…
-
The Nikayas are the best place to start, to get to know the Buddhas teachings, http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/ebdha346.htm Everyone here has offered great advice. I too would recommend the early teachings of the Nikayas. Besides, without them…
-
1) What is the difference between siddhasana posture (as shown in figure 14 here) and "quarter lotus" position? If I'm not mistaken, with quarter lotus the foot is up high on the thigh, and the other foot is completely tucked under (not lying benea…
-
For every yin there is a yang. You can't have beauty without ugliness; good without evil. And that's as philosophical as I'm gonna get today. :)
-
@JamestheGiant - good for you! Much metta in this exciting chapter of your life.
-
I have to wonder... if The Buddha had been born in say, Japan for example, might we now be discussing the proper kneeling positions?
-
I can't sit full lotus for varied reasons. But I do thank you for the link as I now have a name for the posture I use: Siddhasana - Sage posture; although with my hands folded atop one another, resting in my lap.
-
I'm still alive! Exactly! I've gotten into the habit each morning to be thankful that I didn't die overnight, and that I have yet another day to enjoy and practice.
-
[…] The karmic inheritance that gifts a new life with it's inertia is a selection from many karmic streams so that no intrinsic karmic stream remains the same from one life to the next.. A new life inherits aspects of previous karmic inertia but not…
-
The Mahayana sees Theravada as a vehicle to Buddhahood but thinks that its tenets are philosophically inferior to those of the Mahayana. So, they do not view the Nikayas as The Buddha's teachings? (confused here) The Nikayas are known as the 'Aga…
-
The Mahayana sees Theravada as a vehicle to Buddhahood but thinks that its tenets are philosophically inferior to those of the Mahayana. So, they do not view the Nikayas as The Buddha's teachings? (confused here)
-
You will find all manner of "sitting" at a retreat; not to worry. I was such a dolt the first time I attended a Thai temple - I read in the rules about the feet thing and thought to myself... but my feet face forward. How can I not have them facin…
-
Buddhism has been likened to a boat you use to cross a river. Once you reach the other shore you discard the boat. The size, color or style of boat does not matter; it's just a vessel. The important matter is the crossing.
-
Just started, "A Manual of Abhidhamma" by Venerable Nàrada Mahà Thera.
-
Where would be a good place to start out? Is there a list of recommended beginner material? Try here for some guidance: http://readingfaithfully.org/
-
Wow! What a great thread! My personal thanx to all who contributed. @riverflow - you said: "anything less than your own experential insight is insufficient to lessen suffering." My main take-away from this Sutta. Might this also be expanded to…
-
Gardening, no. Bonsai yes. When I'm totally immersed in shaping and trimming, it's extremely in-the-moment for me; very single-minded concentration. For a Theravadan... quite Zen like.
-
For those that study suttas, how did you go about starting? Do you just pick one and mull it over for awhile? Read someone else's commentaries? Follow a particular order? Have a "Sutta-a-Day" thing going on? @Invincible_summer - try this site for…
-
I also think starting with the Kalama sutra is a great idea. Most people are familiar with it, even if they don't know it. What do you guys think? Start this next week on... Sunday? What are the busy days here on NB? Are most people busy on the we…
-
What exactly do you do apart from read them, reflect upon the words? Are they teachings in themselves that were written down some one hundred years or so after the Buddhas death or something? From a Theravada standpoint (which I follow) this page s…
-
@riverflow - the Kalama Sutta might be a good start considering the famous quote that is so often taken out of context. Or perhaps start with the basic Dhammapada?
-
I am not going aginst what you are saying here as I have a very limited experience with the sutras, but why are they so essential and vital to ones practice? For me, especially the early Suttas from the Pali Tripitaka, in all likelihood are as clo…