Best Of
Re: What music are you listening to?
The more I meditate I tend to listen to less music... in fact, my walks are now earphoneless. Lately it is just instrumental like, for example, classical piano music, lo fi or chanting....
Kotishka
Re: Good and Bad People
@person
Your point is well taken.
However, it appears you are, in your farmer allegory, presenting the concept of personal gain or loss and the probability of an event appearing to be a gain resulting in a loss or a loss turning into a gain. The probability arises from the conditional uncertainty arising from the unknown or uncontrollable, by the individual.
Good or bad is thus a relative to the circumstance, not of an individual's actions, but to the circumstance of events.
Good or bad, as it appears presented in the original premise, refers to the deliberate actions of the individual. The act of giving one's food to a hungry person can be seen as a good act while stealing food from another is considered a bad act.
This is not viewed from the aspect of Gain or Loss. Rather from the perspective of, "Was this act a good act or a bad act in and of itself. Was someone helped or hurt?"
Thus the Farmer analogy does is a relatavistic approach to whether an event is or become a good or bad event based upon subsiquent events. It does not approch the issue of a deliberate action of an individual being itself good or bad, be it from the the action itself being one of good or one of bad. Nor does it address the relative value or lack thereof, of the individual's specific action.
Good vs Bad can be approached from different perspectives, be they relatavistic or situational, be they applying to an event, a deliberate action, the relation to subsequent events, to immediate circumstances, or the effect upon the community or society at large.
I must admit here and appologize that I unintentionally wandered into a different area, one of the concept of Value and the Creation thereof which was not the apparent intended direction of the subject as you originally presented it.
Good or Bad was, if I am correct, a presentation of either the actions of an individual, specific to the individual or specific events relative to the individual, not to an individuals words or actions projecting out to and having an effect, positive or negative, upon the community or society at large.
Peace to you
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: What movies are you watching?
@person said:
My TV died and I had to get a new one. It came with a 30 day free trial of Apple TV. So, asking if anyone has any recommendations for good things to watch there.
It depends on your tastes, I think, but there are many award-winning series on there. I liked Foundation, the sci fi series based on the works of Asimov, and Severance, the office drama with a twist. For All Mankind was also good. Pluribus I’ve heard good things about.
For movies there are a few exclusives you might want to catch, like F1: The Movie, Wolfs, Napoleon and Greyhound. It’s not the greatest platform for movies but there are some nice ones.
Jeroen
Re: Exercise
My life right now is somewhat related. I'm getting old (52) and do physical work. I really can't complain too much, because my body is in pretty good shape for 30 years of this stuff. But with age my body really doesn't recover as good as it used to, evenings and weekends just don't cut it anymore. Work slows down in the winter and I really became aware of what it felt like to be rested, which it seems I hadn't been getting to for a while.
Anyway, I started taking supplements to help out and hopefully get me to retirement. I'm still working it all out but I'm taking creatine and added protein, bought some whey but will be switching to a combination of pea and rice protein. Also taking fish oil and a post work recovery that has BCAAs and glutamine. And lastly, started taking a half dose of a sleep gummy with a small amount of melanin and the ingredient in tea that prevents caffeine from giving the jitters, enough to turn so so sleep into a good sleep.
Its still early days and I guess it takes a bit for things to click in but so far I do notice a difference. However, so far I've just ended up working harder and still hit my limit wearing myself out😒 , going to work on better balance there. Like I said, I haven't settled in on a complete mix yet, but it seems like it will cost me somewhere between $50 and $70 a month. Its a bit steep, but I work for myself so the more productive I am, the more I make, so it should pay for itself plus.
I'm also adding a 5 minute stretching routine for my low back and hopefully get cold showers back in the mix for reduced inflammation.
person
Re: What movies are you watching?
My TV died and I had to get a new one. It came with a 30 day free trial of Apple TV. So, asking if anyone has any recommendations for good things to watch there.
person
Re: Exercise
Superb news @Kotishka. I had a very healthy and sporty phase so know the benefits 500%! Keep it up champ!
Re the sports, walking is certainly excellent and the most underappreciated sport. As for the rest, I'm sure you'll stumble upon something that inspires you. There are no good and bad sports. Just ones we find enough satisfaction and joy to do long-term and ones we don't.
marcitko
Re: Exercise
Everything is working quite well. The formula of long walks, intermittent fasting (two meals and no (or light) dinner) and dieting is working pretty well. I am sticking to turkey for meat, sometimes chicken.
I have revisited the plant healing thread and was watching Joe Rogan's interview of Michael Pollen and pretty good advice and information there. I after entered the plant-based diet rabbit hole.
On a small note, thank goodness I'm not that into coffee. I sometimes drink one cup of black tea in the morning and then stick to rooibos or an infusion (infusión in Spanish, maybe I translated this word wrong).
About pushups, pullups, dips... Meh. Still lazy about that. I am trying to get my 10minute Qi Gong routine going first. I usually do it after my morning zazen. I find it more fun. I was considering on "rucking" but the equipment is quite pricey. I'm on a "don't buy anymore stuff, get rid of stuff you don't need" phase and I found this as another trap that would make this endeavour even harder.
Kotishka
Re: What documentary are you watching?
@Shoshin1 said:
For 'real' chocolate loversI buy Whittaker's dark chocolate 72% cocoa
I used to buy Lindt "Flor de Sal" which was 47% cacao and salt. After this, I'm sticking to Torras 100% cacao. I checked the ingredients and only pure cacao paste and no dodgey child-exploitation (for now..) ... I think it is important to share these videos and alternatives (your brand is not available where I live but I will keep an eye open for it) as a bit of Buddhist economics is a great way to continue and extend our practice to our day to day lives. Well, for those inclined in the "socially-engaged" aspect of Buddhism.
Kotishka
Re: What is my practice? Where is my practice? Who is my teacher?
@Kotishka said:
. Meanwhile I practice shikantaza...that being.... I face the wall, eyes slightly open, straight back, and bam: let it start baby!
Hey Kotishka
Of course, one could always consider turning around and facing the other half of existence.
Bad zen joke!
A mind seeking a teacher or a better explanation of a practice, is not in itself a sign of a lost pilgrim. If you have a practice that allows an objective observation of the incoming data feeds of all your sense gates and can allow them a collegial co-existence with each other, equanimity and suffering's reductions will inevitably follow.
If you ever again think you're lacking because of the absence of a teacher, consider that whatever makes you reluctant to practice in any moment is actually your real teacher.
Forget about your strengths in meditation; they will take care of themselves.
Like the spokes of the 8 fold path where the entire wheel is only as strong as the weakest spoke, your meditative progression can simply be buttressed by how you practice wherever you are least inclined to meditate. Here, the right teaching for you might exist where ever its hardest for you to meditate.
Cheers
H.
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