Best Of
Re: LLM / "AI" text on NewBuddhist
Well Shoshin became Soshin1 to overcome a similar problem
You could @Linc (as I have just done) or write to one fo the moderators ... or post in this thread as you have done. I forgot my password and Linc kindly changed it. I recently forgot it, whilst trying to access from a phone (similar to your problem). I had it written in my password notes (which had temporarily been stolen by a multidimensional imp - or I had misplaced it).
A little patience and I am sure it can be sorted 
I seem to have some weird console mode. So tried using that to see if I could find your password. Fortunately I could not. That would make me a hacker/cracker or moderator. That would be too much power for my little brain 
lobster
Re: RIP Dr Michael Mosley
It seems seven tourists died, and three more are missing, because of the unseasonable 40 degree plus heat in the Greek isles.
Jeroen
The deathless
Just as a short tribute to Bhikkhu Samahita Thera’s view of a documentary on the deathless, I did a little research.
In Buddhism, to be deathless means you have realised Nirvana and are liberated from samsara and will have no more rebirths and thus no more deaths. So in a way the first step is understanding what it means to have realised nirvana.
Nirvana is quite a complex concept in Buddhism, in short it means the “blowing out” of the passions of greed, aversion and ignorance. But Nirvana is not a place like paradise or a state like bliss, instead it is characterised by inner peace and clarity of understanding. It is an end to suffering and the cycle of rebirth that perpetuates it. To achieve this, one can follow the Noble Eightfold Path.
It is interesting though, to see if this truly feels like the spiritual path that you personally are meant to follow. My feeling is that one can meditate on these things, to see if they ring true. It may take days or weeks before an answer arrives, for me it is often a very slow process. Your mileage may vary.
Jeroen
Re: ‘The Monk’ Danish documentary
I know nothing of this monk but is has me remember that....
It is not uncommon to meet meditative practitioners who seem to have swapped out their** worldly** set of attachments for a spiritual equivalent of the same.
While this can be an experiential upgrade in the degree to which their suffering has accordingly lessened, it can often result in an entrenchment in the attachments they originally sought to address.
Eventually when this karmic loan comes due for repayment, if the need for deeper levels of renunciation are not met, the result of that entrenchment poorly equips the practitioner to face those consequences.
One teacher of mine, used to remind her longer-term students, that the higher you spiritually climb, the further you have to potentially fall with every misstep.
how
Re: The Elephant in the Room
I found this article interesting
Invisible Armies & Proxy Warfare
The Human Cost: A stark look at the civilian toll
The Human Cost of proxy warfare is a profound and often overlooked aspect of modern conflict, manifesting in a stark and tragic toll on civilian populations.This tragic dimension extends across various forms of proxy warfare, including the utilisation of private contractors, special forces, and technological means such as drones.
Civilian casualties are not a new phenomenon in warfare, but the indirect nature of proxy conflicts often exacerbates the lack of accountability and oversight.
In regions where private military contractors operate, incidents involving civilian harm may go un-investigated or unpunished, shrouded in a cloud of legal ambiguity.
Special forces, with their covert nature, may engage in operations that lead to unintended civilian loss without sufficient public scrutiny.
The use of drone strikes offers a particularly poignant example of how remote warfare can lead to civilian casualties.
Despite the precision that technology purports to offer, errors in intelligence, targeting, and execution can, and do, lead to the deaths of innocents.
Such incidents have occurred in places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Afghanistan, often leaving families devastated and communities disrupted without clear avenues for redress.
The psychological toll on affected populations must also not be underestimated. Living under the constant threat of drone strikes or in areas controlled by proxy forces can create an environment of fear and uncertainty.
This psychological impact, in turn, can have long-term effects on mental health, community cohesion, and overall stability in the region.
Even in the context of seemingly “controlled” engagements like those conducted by special forces or highly trained contractors, the human cost can be immense.
Operations may lead to collateral damage, affecting non-combatants caught in the crossfire, or indirectly impacting civilians through the destruction of infrastructure, loss of livelihoods, and displacement.
The lack of clear accountability mechanisms in proxy warfare contributes to a culture of impunity, where transgressions against civilians may go unchecked.
International laws and norms that aim to protect non-combatants often find limited application in these shadowy conflicts, leading to a breakdown in the traditional safeguards that govern warfare.
We see this playing out all over the place and there seems to be a few key player countries involved ...
Shoshin1
Re: Not-seeking
@pegembara said:
Where is Osho now, where is the Buddha, where is Nisargadatta?
They are the fingers pointing to the moon.
They have left behind books and sutras, and I read them, widely and frequently. The reading opened doors for me, but it was never satisfying, just short-lasting insight and then on to the next nugget of wisdom. It was returning to the memory of living enlightened presence that brought peace to the search, for me.
Maybe @bunks had the right Buddhist approach by spending time amongst monastics.
Jeroen
Re: The don’t know mind
Don't know how to solve this conundrum.
The Zen Buddha
“Friend, how did you cross the flood?”
“Neither standing nor swimming, friend, I crossed the flood.”
“But how did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?”
“When I stood still, I sank. And when I swam, I was swept away. That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.”
“After a long time I see
a brahmin extinguished.
Neither standing nor swimming,
he’s crossed over attachment to the world.”
—SN 1.1
