Best Of
Re: Pure Land
They say Mahayana teachings include Theravada buddhism, but how true is that? I don’t see Mahayanists being trained to the same extent in self-reliance, etc. Perhaps one would have to spend time in a Theravada culture and in a Mahayana culture in order to find out.
Jeroen
Re: Covid Cabin
I saw an old friend in the supermarket the other day, he was maskless even though there's a big sign out front which says mask wearing inside the supermarket is mandatory...when I asked why he wasn't wearing a mask, he said something along the lines of "I know my body blah blah blah" which is all well and good, but it would seem by his defiance he was showing that he had no regards for other shoppers well being ....
At the same time I felt a tinge of sadness for his predicament , I had known him to be a kind and considerate person, he had been coming to our Buddhist group before the pandemic and now he was struggling to make ends meet, and possibly not coping to well mentally too, but he wasn't doing himself any favours by his defiant stance...
I did give him some words of comfort by saying "This too (mandates and pandemic) shall pass" ....
Shoshin1
Healthy Habits
Dear Friends of the Medicine Buddha,
As we know gut bacteria can be improved,
https://www.eatthis.com/gut-health/
so can the nose and mouth biome
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/killer-sinus-infection-how-to-tell-if-yours-is-viral-or-bacterial/
How do you improve your health?
lobster
Re: Healthy Habits
Frequent water
Multi-vitamins and essential oils so no matter how bad I get, I keep a few things in line.
House plants for company and to always be reminded of compassion.
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
I've found when I had trouble falling to sleep it was because I had my laptop and phone in the bedroom with me and would watch something while laying in bed, before trying to go to sleep...
It turns out I had been creating a habit in which the bedroom and lounge were not separate places( in both places I would be stimulating my mind by watching programmes)...
And after reading about the importance of associating the bedroom with sleep only ( a place of rest...a place with no stimulating devices)...I found it easier falling asleep...In other words I trained my mind to associate the bedroom with sleep...
Not saying that this approach with work for everyone who suffers from insomnia...
The downside is every time I walk into my bedroom to get something I start to feel drowsy and begin to nod off 
Shoshin1
Re: Taoism
"Follow your nature and accord with the Tao;
Saunter along and stop worrying.
If your thoughts are tied you spoil what is genuine...
Don't be antagonistic to the world of the senses,
For when you are not antagonistic to it,
It turns out to be the same as complete Awakening.
The wise person does not strive ( wu-wei);
The ignorant man ties himself up...
If you work on your mind with your mind,
How can you avoid an immense confusion?"
Or in a nutshell (already cracked open)
The perfect Tao is without difficulty,
Save that it avoids picking and choosing.
~Seng-ts'an~ (from Treatise on Faith in the Mind)
According to Mr Watts (The Way of Zen) the above poem is the first clear and comprehensive statement of Zen...
I think we all dabble in Taoism....some more than others....
Shoshin1
Re: Karma brought into question. I struggle to accept karma. Please help?
Some of us, mentioning no names are realising or fulfilling our Calmer Karma.
Think of it like this:
Dukkha is the price of Sukha BUT also Samsara is Nirvana.
or in other terms:
- Be Kind of Bodhisattva.
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall she also rap.
https://kidadl.com/articles/reap-what-you-sow-quotes-to-keep-you-accountableBe Cool
lobster
Re: From Buddhism to belief in God?
Given the limited amount of time, I think the person who produced this video provided a very respectable introductory overview of the Eastern Orthodox mystical tradition of prayer called Hesychasm.
The following commentary by St Sophrony explains the Orthodox Christian view of detachment, which is also an aspect of Hesychasm:
“Detachment from the world is not a renunciation of created life in the sense of a rejection or denial of it as an illusion. Nor is it a poetic or philosophical flight into the realm of lofty and beautiful images or ‘pure’ ideas which sooner or later lead into an imaginary world. No, this detaching is a yearning for the true and living God because of our love for Him, because of our calling to live in Him, the End of ends and the Value of values.”
Silouan
Re: Energy wasted
there is something that young people today call "fear of missing out" or FOMO.
Maybe it comes from technology and social media, but for older people it doesn't really exist. Except for some feeling of not being late for an event or place.
Re: Energy wasted
Partying at the right age in summer is more of an uninterrupted flow than a Saturday night peak.
When the excess comes (and it will) you find yourself going out from Thursday to Sunday, living at night and with future health problems.