Best Of
Re: Good news
I'm upright, breathing, and above ground. Having had a death of a loved one, and two other deaths of friends' husbands - in the space of 5 months - that is something I am astoundingly grateful for.
Well, it's good news to me, anyway! 😁
federica
Re: Good news
I haven't been here in ages. But my good news is I FINALLY formally took my Refuge Vows last month and have found a permanent home in a Sangha close by.
Nerida
Re: Ploggers of the world...unite!
The plogging walks have returned....my new enemies...the cans...It is a great exercise to practice both patient, equanimity and loving-kindness because I still get thoughts of: "f*cking human beings, dirty pieces of ..." and then I return to compassion and also tell myself to not be so quick to judge others. Finally, one must realise that harbouring and generating negative thoughts is useless. Better just pick up the trash and keep walking.
This was today's view.
Kotishka
Re: New? Introduce Yourself to NB Members!
Hi there, my name is Ivo. I became interested and fascinated with Buddhism two decades after seeing a biography about the life of the Tathagata on a television public broadcasting station. l while I was living with my uncle in the SF Bay Area. I started integrating meditation into my life about 7 years ago.I feel very fortunate to have found this website.I hope to gain more knowledge about the philosophy of the Blessed one! My goal is to travel to Thailand within the next year or two once I save up enough money to afford a plane ticket! Blessings
Ivomon77
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Good morning folks, thought I'd pop by and say hello.
It's been a while.
hope you're all well?
Bunks
Zazen is good
As my practice becomes deeper and more dedicated -two daily 30 minute sittings; maintaining contact with Treeleaf Zen sangha & NB forum- I have noticed that so many of my issues were demands due to preferences, none of which vital or essential for me to pursue a healthy and kind life. For example, not having internet in my room and simply accepting I had to go to another room to use my iPad. Also, noticing how many hours I spend on the internet / behind screens, absorbed in idle chatter. I sometimes feel that I've joined the Path a bit late because of how slow my progress has been. I know progress and improvement are conflicting terms in Zen, but I cannot deny (and I doubt anyone could) that zazen and Buddhist study has provided a lot of peace to me, my loved ones and my community. It has taken though a few years of starting, abandoning and repeating for it to really start to flourish.
Isn't Right view realising of this blessed opportunity, to do good and be kind, to not accumulate for garbage -materially, mentally, behaviourally- and to notice how the 4NT permeate this existence. It seems Buddhism sometimes is going a bit against your usual current: against what your biology has provided you to begin with (temperament & pre-conditioned preferences), our impulses, our self-satisfaction via self-indulgence, against the mass psychosis implemented by the news, ideologies, market, etc.
This without rejecting certain technology and pleasant treats (eating dark chocolate with sea salt as I write).
Good day to all!
Kotishka