Best Of
Re: Unsocial Media
@Jeroen said:
I am glad you’ve decided that Buddhist forums are among the wise uses of social media.
Jonathan Haidt who's doing the rounds at the moment with his book makes a distinction between social media and the internet generally. I'm not totally sure what he thinks about forums and discussion groups but I think his main focus are the algorithmically boosted areas that are warping people's minds.
person
Re: Unsocial Media
I am glad you’ve decided that Buddhist forums are among the wise uses of social media.
Jeroen
Re: Unsocial Media
I have killled 99% of my social media. It's toxic and offers echo chambers for whatever topic of hatred is the rage at the time.
I killed Mastodon, FB, Instagram and Tumblr. I only just logged back in here today. I'm limiting my time here too because... well I just am. During my time off the net I have prayed, meditated and gone back to scratch with my Buddhist study. I've delved back into the 4NT and Eightfold Noble Path. When I feel the time is right, I will re-do my Green Tara and Avolekiteshvara Empowerments.
My time offline has shown me, in stark reality, that EVERYONE has their own biaises and when we strongly feel something, more often than not we will mow down anyone who disagrees with protests, "sources" and anything else we can to prove them wrong. Being active online is frigging exhausting.
One thing my self imposed "exile" showed me is that it's easier to implement Right Speech and Right Action when not engaged in online drama. Just my 0.02
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
Well it was totally predictable what would happen if Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza.
Jeroen
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
I think this is the strategy and trap Hamas set and Israel has fallen right into it. Build an infrastructure with humans as shields so the only way Israel can respond militarily to a horrendous attack is to commit atrocities like it is currently doing. And I think it will work, at the end of this even if Israel continues and truly eliminates Hamas, especially with the prevention of humanitarian aid, they will lose the support of their allies and be isolated from the rest of the world. Leaving them vulnerable and alone.
person
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
When one group fails to recognize another group as worthy of consideration as human beings, as per Russia attacking Ukraine, Israel attacking Gaza (Palestine) or others, then the tragedy of war and cruel atrocities are justified against the supposed lesser beings.
the same, on a smaller scale in often a less obvious manner occurs at the individual level when subtle and not so subtle discrimination occurs against a minority or an individual who's physical characteristics, beliefs, speech, and such is different from what the antagonist(s) deem correct or normal. This is the tragedy of the Fundamental Darkness manifest in individual ignorance, jealousy, mistrust, fear and hatred of others.This expands to groups, cultures, nations.
We are engaged in a great battle to overcome this fundamental darkness, to enable and generate compassion, trust, to the reality that all are equally worthy of respect, of our compassion. We each start at ground zero, working inward and working outward to create this awakening - A daunting but oh so necessary endeavor.
Prayers for Peace
Prayers for Compassion and Mercy
Prayers that our actions enable thus to be manifest
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
Channel 4 News
Israel-Gaza war: aid demand intensifies after strike on charity convoy
When one of the UK lawyers was asked if he believes that what is going on in Palestine is a genocide, he replied
"The UK is a party to the genocide convention, and that gives it certain obligations. One of the obligations arises when there's a serious risk of genocide. Specific words are used to define what's going on if there is such a risk. When there's a serious risk of genocide, the UK is required to take all reasonable steps to try to avoid it. The government is constantly receiving legal advice. Labor has asked for that legal advice to be made public."
Do you want it to be made public?
"Personally, yes, I'd welcome that. The legal advice being made public is not something that appears in the letter, but I'm sure the majority of the population would agree. This is such an issue of public concern, both nationally and internationally. It calls for greater openness than there might normally be on the part of the government."
World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés on the attack on his aid workers in Gaza
"It's a war against humanity itself"
Evil knows no bounds
Shoshin1
Re: The Work by Byron Katie
She realized a simple truth: when she believed her thoughts, she suffered, and when she didn’t, she was happy.
Out of this insight, she developed a process of self-inquiry which she now calls “The Work.
To me, the most relevant question in the work is the fourth one.
Who would you be without the thought?
or to put it in another way
Which is more true? Are you the silent witness to the thought or the very thought itself?
Can you absolutely know which to be true?
Re: Metta Ray Burns
Well we could try to create a Buddha artificial intelligence, by training an AI on all the sutras of the Buddha and surrounding texts.
Jeroen