Best Of
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
@Kotishka
That Swedish option looks good..
While everyone's body is unique, there are some basic sitting instructions about the physical postures that seem to apply to most folks.
A chair has been my solution whenever I've injured a hip, knee, or ankle and have been forced out of the Seiza option. Here, the only warnings are about choosing a chair whose sitting height that allows one's feet to rest firmly upon the floor with the legs bent straight up & down at 90 degrees and the seat surface to match the height of your knees so as to allow unimpeded blood circulation and maximum upper body stability.
A small wedge of cushion to help tilt the coccyx and allow a comfortably upright spine is also recommended.
Yes, it's understandable to wish to be able to sit in a way that matches with the rest of those practicing Sangha members, but isn't the real deal about what works best for your own present and particular physical limitations?
Cross-legged sitting positions only really make sense when they can add to ones overall sitting stability. Pyramidal-based sitting positions actually decline in stability in a cross-legged sitting position, the higher one's knees are off the ground.
Avoid resting against the back of the chair if you can, as it tends one towards a sleepier sit. The final concern is to watch that your sitting hand mudra can still rest comfortably in your lap in this setup so that your arms & shoulders are not unduly tensed to maintain your posture.
A small folding chair whose back can be cut off without reducing its structural integrity might be interesting. It sounds like you might have a bit of a fun experiment ahead of you.
how
Re: How do you find the conditions for your own personal growth?
In terms of finding a way out of samsara, I think Osho’s discourses are an interesting pointer. For many years he spoke on many different traditions — Zen, sufism, hinduism, the Tao, and so on. When asked why he did this, he said that different people among his followers would resonate with the traditions and get something from it.
So relateability extends not just to different Buddhist teachers, but to the ‘flavour’ of entire spiritual traditions. A seeker may find himself wandering for years, searching among the different traditions for something that would resonate with him.
Progress along the way is a slippery concept. More often than not it is a gradual unfolding within until you are ripe for whatever existence has in store for you.
Jeroen
How do you find the conditions for your own personal growth?
Doing some reflecting (inspired by Rixh's post "How to practise"), I think beings are in-part made of a unique identifying mixture of kusala(wholesome) and akusala(unwholesome) causes and conditions giving rise to an identity or ego. Determining the way out of samsara often takes different early forms for different beings due in part to this mixture. A simple example could be relating to role-models. Why one person listens to one role-model and not another is often because of relateability. If two beings look for escape from samsara they may have different role-models which they will be more or less attentive to due to likes and dislikes. Having a number of role-models reflecting different mixtures presents opportunity for the being to find the one they identify with best and follow until they can seat themselves on the way. (The sutta where monks go from one teacher to another until they find the one that speaks the message in a way which is right for that group.)
As beings in-part made up of kusala and akusala causes and conditions, volitions are also a mix of kusala and akusala when aggregates are still clung to as an identity. If such a being were to look for escape from samsara, what originates from them would also be a mixture, and a changing one at that as attempts to understand lead to change. It's my current theory that searching for progress along the way causes volitions which provide great opportunity when angle of volition meets angle of reflection in a relatable way such as a multifaceted gem reflects the sun into your eyes(or doesn't) as all the components move around in space.
It makes sense to me, but a lot of things make sense to me that sometimes don't make sense.
Is this view worth examining further? If it is, are any of you examining it? If so, in what ways? Thoughts welcome.
Re: How to practise
If anyone knows a method or path in which I may take in order to further my progress towards this enlightenment we seek?
One way is to understand what the Buddha was pointing to in his teachings. You do this by reading or listening to Dhamma talks with full attention and open, curious, investigative mind.
Associating with the wise is the most important factor in my opinion.
Āvaraṇanīvaraṇa Sutta (SN 46.38)
38 (8) WITHOUT HINDRANCES (CDB p 1592)
“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple listens to the Dhamma
with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital
concern, directing his whole mind to it, on that occasion
the five hindrances are not present in him; on
that occasion the seven factors of enlightenment go to
fulfilment by development.”
“Sāriputta, this is said: ‘A factor for stream-entry
(sotāpattiyaṅgaṃ), a factor for stream-entry.’ What
now, Sāriputta, is a factor for stream-entry?”
“Association with superior persons (sappurisasaṃ-sevo), venerable sir, is a factor for stream-entry.
Hearing the true Dhamma (saddhammassavanaṃ) is a factor
for stream-entry.
Careful attention (yonisomanasikāro) is a factor for stream-entry.
Practice in accordance with the Dhamma (dhammānudhammappaṭipatti) is a
factor for stream-entry.”
Re: Wim Hof - Feel the Cold and do it Anyway
@FleaMarket said:
Three minutes is pretty good. I'm not that dedicated yet. I commit to jumping in as soon as I turn the water on but I turn it to hot and it only takes about a minute or a little longer before it starts to warm up. It's certainly not as easy in winter as it was in summer. Maybe exercise prior to shower? Get the blood circulating? That's my "cheat" at times.
If you breathe deep and fast as you get under the cold water stream, it helps a lot.
Jeroen
Re: Is the middle way comfortable?
Seek but do not pursue.
When you chase, you do not catch
When you seek, you find.
Lionduck
Re: How to practise
There is an analogy that was used by the Buddha in reference to how one should concentrate while meditating, which was like the strings on a musical instrument. String them too tight and the instrument sounds harsh, string them too loose and the instrument loses its melodiousness.
Generally I have found that when the impulse to meditate slackens, it is a good idea to change ones method a bit. For example a few years ago I switched from vipassana style “watching the belly rising and falling with the breath” to shikantaza “just sitting”, and that really helped me.
Jeroen
Re: Clinging to reason and science
We are all interconnected although we perceive separateness.
Science and religion should be compatible. However, too many persons, especially derived from the Abrahamic traditions, treat science as conflicting with or hostile to their interpretation on religion.
Buddhism and science are, in general, compatible. Even the Buddhist schools that have beliefs at variance with science accept the variances as merely the realm of religion vs the realm of science and continue to embrace both.
(Of course, there are the rare exceptions, but they do not carry the weight of the anti-science movements we see in our Western cultures, especially in the USA.)
Peace to all
Lionduck
