Best Of
Re: Zazen is good
" They have not lived in vain who dies the day they are told about the Way."
It's Confucius but hey.
I'm not sure progress and improvement conflict with the practice as much as a set goal may. It sounds like you're on the right path for you, but then, could it be otherwise?
Re: Buddhist Economics
I personally believe recycling plastic to be pointless. Here in the UK, only 12% of plastic thrown out, ends up recycled. The remaining 88% is either incinerated, or exported. To whom, or where, I do not know, but fewer and fewer countries are willing to take on OUR rubbish...I used to take my own containers to the supermarket, to transfer my purchases into. This fell by the wayside when I moved in with Mother. It is difficult to organise one's own life when you occupy space in that of another's... but we do recycle paper, card, metal and glass.. plastic bottle tops go to a local organisation, who somehow turn them into useable items like benches, chairs, tables and play equipment for children/schools. Our famous British Pharmacy, Boots, collects medicine blister packs, to salvage the aluminium. Given that my mother is on a good quantity of prescribed medicines, they do OK by us.
I knit, but sadly use acrylic yarns, because using real wool, is costly.
Managing both my, and my mother's finances, is a constant juggling process... I honestly believe teaching kids how to deal with money is a sound objective, and should start early - but I digress.... my scant presence here shows my much-reduced use of the Internet. Social Media isolates, it doesn't conjoin...
federica
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
After fielding some questions on another forum why I remain so interested in the whole question of which films enduringly changed some aspect of my self, I think it is because the question invites you to explore yourself and your growing up through the lens of cinema. It is self knowledge, and having an understanding of which films triggered in you the concerns of depth.
For example, earlier I spoke a little about the film The Exorcist. It caused a big furore on its release, people queueing at the cinema, not being able to take it and leaving halfway through, and then being interviewed by the press once outside. For me, seeing the most scary scenes at age 11 was shocking. It gave me a lasting dislike of horror. And it’s only now that I can say, horror is the exploration of fear and shock, and to take into your own mind other people’s dreams of fear and shock is psychologically unhealthy.
Take as a contrast Buddhist films. They are filled with respect for elders, meditation, ideas of wisdom, the circular patterns of life. As an example take Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring (available on YouTube here). It’s a beautiful movie which doesn’t rely on violence to get its point across. But these kinds of films are much closer to real life than a horror film, although it takes a certain maturity to realise it. I think horror films are what you get when an immature mind explores fear and shock, and it’s only as you get older that you can start to discern what is real and what is illusion in life.
Perhaps that is why I love Hayao Miyazaki’s films so much. His movies are animated masterpieces talking about spirits, bathhouses, dragons, gods and moving castles on giant legs, so fantasies, but on an emotional level they are pure gold, each one is the expression of multiple life’s lessons about friendship, openness, courage, connection — real emotional truth. Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle and Ponyo are among my favourites of his.
Jeroen
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
@lobster said:
You have an electric chainsaw @lobster ? What an extravagance…
I used to be a gardener. It is battery operated. Reserved for natural tree fall. You will be pleased to know I am kosher, halal and vegan. In my dreams. In real life I eat what is available, a Maitreya speciality/necessity (like the olde Śākyamuni, Sakyamuni, or Shakyamuni did)...
It is all perfectly fine… I understand the tantric impulse to go chain sawing the undergrowth!
Jeroen
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
You have an electric chainsaw @lobster ? What an extravagance…
Our neighbours are currently on holiday but sometimes have BBQs which causes the smell of burnt meat to drift over our garden. Then my mother sometimes says, “I fancy a grilled chicken” and she tells me about the time my father brought home a rotisserie oven when I was little. And then I remind her, we have been vegetarian for 48 years…
Jeroen
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
I just came across an interesting story about the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. Apparently Ridley Scott’s original cut of the film test screened badly, and so the executives at Fox cut about 45 minutes out of the film to make it a more action-friendly 2 hrs and 25 minutes. It bombed at the box office, making its money back but not earning much. Critics hated it.
Then seven months later Ridley Scott released a 3 hr and 10 minutes Directors Cut, restoring nearly all the cut footage. This version went on to become very successful, and acclaimed by critics as “one of the greatest movie epics ever”. It restored a number of sub plots and gave the strong cast more of an opportunity to shine away from the action.
So I found it surprising that the Directors Cut cannot be purchased on Apple TV, all they have is the shorter Theatrical Cut.
Jeroen
Re: Using thoughts to direct the mind
It seems to me this is something you might do in meditation, but not continuously. It seems to lead to the Brahma viharas, the four divine abodes. It’s not something I would do to promote wisdom, because just to determine if a thought is ultimately wise and should be kept might take me five minutes of musing.
Jeroen
Buddhist Economics
I believe that, while no one necessarily needs to follow the socially engaged Buddhist path, not supporting certain companies or trends is a good way to deepen one’s practice, or what I associate with being Buddhist.
Unfortunately, this comes with many inconveniences. For example, refusing to support Meta means not being able to engage on Instagram, a place where you can sometimes thrive and develop your business or online image. As a mental health professional, I have always found social media controversial, but I have inevitably come to find it increasingly disruptive. It is like giving a 15-year-old a 1000cc bike to start with rather than following the usual progression of 50cc, 100cc, and so on.
Regarding other sectors, @Shoshin1 once shared a video about chocolate that made me change my purchasing habits in favour of a much more ecological and tastier option. The same should apply to products that support tyrannical regimes or destructive companies. But to what extent can one maintain this without switching off completely? I mean, what alternative does my iPad have? So far, my Buddhist economic approach has been to ensure that I use it appropriately and take good care of it so that it lasts for as long as possible.
I was reading a book called Small Is Beautiful, and it discussed how what is good for the developed world is not necessarily good for the developing world. The argument was that developing countries should not aim for exactly the same technology and comforts as us, but rather for the level of “intermediate technology” that is actually necessary. I understand the point because, if everyone aimed to own an iPad, I do not know whether that would be sustainable. Or perhaps what is truly unsustainable is not the existence of iPads themselves, but our constant drive to produce new models every year rather than focusing on durable and functional ones.
The technological revolution has brought tremendous advances, but also a great deal of noise and waste. It has also made me reflect on some of the decisions I have made in order to survive a weakening euro and the constant struggle to support myself as housing has become increasingly inaccessible, even in small towns here in Spain.
What are your Buddhist economics?
Kotishka
Re: For the coming year
It is interesting.
Often, exercise clears the the mind. Though is is not frenetic exercise, but controlled exercise.For example, walking or jogging or cross country running or rowing. Of course, the meditative exercise while walking is well documented.
Both religious and non-religious application of walking meditation or contemplation "clears the mind and opens the mind to clarity".
Also, we find that we are more alert after exercise. Tension fades away, and we are more open to our environment and interaction with others.
Back to that cup of coffee or tea.
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: Seeing the Miraculous
It seems to me that many people today are conditioned into seeing threats and danger everywhere.
The brain is wired that way ...fight or flight ...survival instinct. Always on the lookout for threats like saber tooth tigers....Old habits die hard...
Remaining calm in stressful situations, is a bi-product of meditation practice...
Seeing the Miraculous
Is to see the self dismantled through awareness...
Shoshin1