Best Of
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Yes that's true, there are corrupt politicians in all political parties....but from my personal observation of political parties in Aotearoa, at least left wing governments do make an effort to improve the quality of life for the less fortunate...
Shoshin1
Re: Being fed up with all things spiritual
@Jeroen said:
I’ve decided to take a break from spirituality — reading, writing, meditation, practice, discussing, Buddhism, guru’s, nonduality, everything. Until further notice.
I have slowly been dipping a toe back in the water. I’ve noticed what I react strongly against is directives — that one should do this or that. I’ve in the past been reasonably quick to agree with things, but now I feel as if that has loaded certain facets of my mind with too much ‘stuff’.
Spiritual books often have an element of showing you what you should do, if only by telling you how great it would be if you could do… in these kinds of cases I am going to go slower, taking more time to read books and preserve my own standpoint while I read.
But I think reading the words of the enlightened, and listening to them, is where I will start.
Jeroen
Seven Factors of Awakening
1. Mindfulness
2. Investigation
3. Energy
4. Joy
5. Tranquility
6. Concentration and
7. Equanimity
Eight Worldly Preoccupations
1. Hope for happiness
2. Fear of suffering
3. Hope for fame
4. Fear of insignificance
5. Hope for praise
6. Fear of blame
7. Hope for gain
8. Fear of loss
Taken together, these preoccupations represent attachment and aversion.
Re: What Meditation Is About
What is meditation for?
There are many types of meditations with different purposes and outcomes but from the point of view of the Buddha, the most important is this.
"Through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having known and made them manifest for himself right in the here & now.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html
In other words, it is the outcome of the practice that is important.
Does it lead to a reduction in stress, anxiety, and fear of being attacked?
Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.
Longchenpa
What Meditation Is About
Meditation is not about trying to become non-conceptual or to rid ourselves of negative emotions and thoughts; it's about trying to recognize that our thoughts and emotions arise from, and dissipate back into, the natural state.
Lonchenpa's Three Cycles of Natural Freedom: Oral Translation and Commentary - Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche (IX)
Re: What Meditation Is About
Just got an error message @Linc
"Body is required." in RED/read
The Buddha was right!
... and now back to the jokers who think meditation is something!
Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.
lobster
Re: What Meditation Is About
Often when trying to see the wisdom in a piece of writing it is about understanding the boundary where wise text strays into the unwise. You may see a piece of text and feel intuitively that it is wise, and you may see another piece of text and feel nothing towards it. This is the understanding of the heart, and does not bring clarity about the boundaries of wisdom. That requires a deeper seeing, and only then can you untangle what is wise about a certain text.
Jeroen
Re: Four Immeasurables
Perhaps examples of the "Four Immeasurables" in daily life.
Equanimity: You have a car which you use and like very much. You have a strong aversion to it getting damaged or destroyed. Yet, though you take meticulous care of that car, it gets totaled. Attachment means you get very upset that your car is destroyed.
Equanimity means you realize that, though you enjoyed your car, it is replacable and you are not upset at the destruction of your car but concerned for anyone who may have been hurt in the incident which resulted in the lose of your car.
Love Self explanatory In terms of day to day, you wish for your family, your neighbors, your reatives and friends to be safe, healthey, happy, and bring happiness to others.
Compassion This meas all people. Even the ones who cause you suffering or disrespect you or your family or friends. Fir instance, Devadata opposed and tried to kill the Buddha(Sakyamuni). Yet in his compassion, he did not hate Devadata. He instead declared him to be a friend, even stating Devadata would ond day become a Buddha.
Joy Even those who give you trouble, whom oppose you, a self-declared enemy.
In reguards to our fellow human beings, (men, women, them they...) A 19th century Japanese statesman stated it well: "Hate the action, not the person".
In closing, we are all imperfect. As we strive to realize the Four Immeasurables, we may stumble, we may fall from time to time. That is not failure, so long as we get right back up, dust ourselves off, take a deep breath, and continue our journey upon this path we have chosen.
Peace to all
Lionduck