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Re: Bodhisattva Vows
interesting, in general the Bodhisattva vow is to save the World, that is to enable other to embrace the Law and guides them along the Way.
Of course, the average "run of the mill Bodhisattva" wont be rounding up thousands of folk at a time.
So, what do we do?
We go one heart at a time. Every student is a teacher and every teacher is a student. If we can mentor even one other person, we are carrying out the Bodhisattva Vow.
in that way, the Middle Way, the Law lives and grows even as a great forest may begin with but one sapling or a vast field of flowers can arise from just a single flower, unnoticed in the beginning.
Every major change, every social transformation, good or bad, began with one person.
By taking the Bodhisattva Vow, we each determine to be that flower, that sapling.
That vow to be the spark that lights the match that lights the candle lighting the darkened room...as you are.
So simple, so easy, so difficult, so rewarding.
Just sharing a bit of my ignorance, again.
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: Past lives and memories
@rocala said:
Clearly this post is a non-starter for people here. I would like to ask why it is so off putting for people.
Most Westerners (including myself) struggle with this idea as it is so foreign to how we've been raised.
I definitely remain open minded but my faith in rebirth ebbs and wains.
Bunks
One-off high impact practices
Hello everyone,
Many of us do our daily practice/exercises in various forms. It works. However, today I'm reminded of two one-off high impact exercises that I did that brought big immediate benefits, considering the time and energy investment. I will share the two exercises and am interested to learn if any of you did similar things that I/we could also try.
1) Gratitude for (some aspects) of our misfortunes
The exercise is to look and see, and to write down in detail, all of the benefits that occurred as a result of our misfortunes. We generally tend to think that our misfortunes brought only the negative, and have a "woe-is-me" attitude, but if we look deeply, we see that there is always some good in the bad. In my case, I wrote down a whole A4 page margin to margin on what benefits occurred as a result of my mental-health troubles. Without negating the troubles, this made me look at the whole thing in a more balanced and positive way.
2) The exercise of listing in detail all of the misfortunes that did NOT happen to us
We have all experienced some misfortune. We tend to focus on those one or two or three misfortunes and, again, take a "woe is me" attitude. But we can list in detail (say, write for 15 minutes) all of the misfortunes that did NOT happen to us, but can and do happen to some. When I did this exercise, my reaction was: "oh, the misfortunes that happened to me are not that bad, it could have been much worse" 
Again, the result was a more balanced and positive outlook.
Do you know of similar one-off exercises that worked for you and that I/we could try?
marcitko
Re: Getting better "blog"
I'm still here, still struggling. Some wins, some losses. Far from perfect.
Today I'm thinking about effort in a positive direction vs perfectionism. On one hand, it's good to have high aspirations, good "perfect" role-models. On the other, observing my failings and inadequacies, it can lead to defeatism and even inaction. The best way, as it seems to me now, is to continue in the positive direction with as much effort as I can muster, day-in-and-day-out, but forgive my failings and forgive that I'm not "there yet" and have much still to do. Just do, just continue.
marcitko
Re: Past lives and memories
Past lives are memories. They are no less 'real' than what happened last year, yesterday or even a moment ago.
Why so?
Because that is what they are. A collection of memories that you have identified as belonging to you.
Memories arise and pass away. However, that which is aware of this is not a mere memory.
Re: Past lives and memories
Past lives and memories
Moment by moment experiences are constantly impacting upon the psycho-physical phenomenon (PPP) we call the self...
From what I gather, past life is just that 'past' can not be re-lived...but the PPP's karmic accumulations still make their presence felt, for example habitual patterns, likes dislikes, where one may have an instant dislike to something or someone, but not quite sure as to why this is the case...perhaps the PPP had a negative experience with it in the distant or not so distant past...
I know for me (this present sense of self), at times I may have an instant liking for a thing, person or place without ever visited or interacted with them or it before... and vice versa...
But I'm also aware that the mind can play games of make believe...
Shoshin1
Re: Buddhist quotes
Life is never perfect. Have the courage to rest your mind in the midst of imperfection.
Ajahn Brahm
Bunks
Re: Letting go of games
@Jeffrey said:
I think by intense what I mean is a a feeling of psychosis thinking people are talking or thinking about my mind.. That's an intense experience.
I think I experienced something like that when I first began seriously practicing meditation. The conclusion I came to was that what others are doing is part of the same template in which I do things too so there are often similarities and patterns that bring up memories or associations to my own life. At first this kind of feels like people are talking about you but upon further examination it's more likely just picking up patterns in what other people are doing and finding associations to your own behaviors. When looking closely enough, almost anything can reveal some pattern or association that triggers an introspective reflection, it's just about how much someone usually pays attention to that stuff which is usually not very much. Sometimes it can be helpful for spiritual growth and reflection, sometimes it can turn into nasty paranoia. A lot of it is on how it's associated in the mind and whether it's done with mindfulness or not.
Is this what's meant by Buddha nature? Perfecting virtuous living and seeing your reflection in others and using it to continue to perfect your virtue? Then by reflection of your own perfect virtue, you see the blemishes in others virtues and can attempt to guide them to see it too?
Re: Bunk up
No need for beating our selves, we have existence/Zenniths and the sangha for that. I like to beat myself with practice … just done my meditation, which gets weirder each time. For example in this session I included:
- Mostly just posture sitting, attentive relaxing …
- No mantra or tantra based visualisations/possession by godly forms (that is a rarity)
- Mudras from zen, tantra, shingon, yoga and a few new ones (not sure where they came from)
Fuck knows what tomorrow will bring. Rite speech probably. Oh and bee hiving myself in the naughty corner 
Never forget: Buddhas are not only stupas/statutes/stoners/lore etc BUTT
Buddhas R Us! Can you beat that! 
lobster
Re: Bunk up
@Bunks said:
Life’s been busy as usual. Between work, kids, sport and my partner not much time for anything else.
I did have five days with Ajahn Brahm at Newbury for Vesak a couple of weeks ago. That was nice.
My practice is on life support these days. Always telling myself I should start meditating again blah blah. Just another stick to beat myself with!
Did you do a retreat then with Ajahn Brahm? It seems to me that if anyone can help someone whose “practice is on life support” it would be him.
But regular life is important too. My stepfather — who I help care for — has taken a serious turn for the worse and can now walk, shuffle really, only short distances and that with difficulty, which means we need to lift him more often, support him when he stands and so on. It’s not so easy, and hard on the body.
Hope we’ll see you around here a bit more often.
Jeroen