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1. It it's appropriate to lump confidence about a toilet with faith in the Buddha and the Sangha because Buddhism is about understanding how our mind works. Our most basic mental and spiritual faculty is faith (saddha). For example, when we were a baby, as soon as we started to walk and be consciousness, we touched, explored and experimented with things until we learned to trust them. This is saddha.
2. In my view, my speech to you was "right speech".
You know what they say - A little effort gets a little result.
We are trying to end suffering here. That takes a big effort. The Buddha spoke of "the work to be done." Conditioned thinking is our normal way, but not the only way.
Not there there is anything wrong with your level of commitment. It is what it is and any amount of awakening is better than nothing.
But hitting the meditation cushion only once in a while may produce such little results that you are not even aware of it. A daily practice is required. Well for me anyway.
Another poster spoke of patience. Very true. Takes time to wake up. To cultivate patience with your practice, I would suggest lowering your expectations. Do not go looking to achieve anything like a deep meditation. It will elude you for sure and lead to disappointment and doubt. Just look at your formal practice as a relaxation time. Whatever happens happens.
Valium? Anxiety issues? I can relate. I stopped drinking. Not because of the precepts, but in spite of them. What really happened was I developed enough mindfulness and awareness that I saw that it was not helping. I am now pretty much free of the self delusion that is at the core of anxiety. Still got a ways to go yet though.
I would recommend getting into a routine of daily meditation practice first thing in the morning before any mind altering substances are on board when your clarity is at it highest point of the day.
Also, you may want to read Against the Stream by Noah Levine.
If you are looking for something to believe in, then probably yes, Buddhism might not be for you.
to me, this is an extremely strong & fundamentalist opinion
the Buddha gave so many teachings that rely purely in faith
:-/
"Monks, in this Teaching that is so well proclaimed by me and is plain, open, explicit and free of patchwork, those who have simply faith in me, simply love for me, are all destined for heaven."
And what is the right view that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions? 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is the right view that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions.
"after having directly known & realized it for themselves. "
This has nothing to do with faith.
Hi
I notice you spend your time on this forum preaching rebirth belief and now you wish to assert an exclusive doctrine of verification?
what gives?
This morning I quoted the suttas that said a mind covered in the five hindrances cannot understand the suttas
The above quote is saying it is right view on the mundane level to beleive their are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves
for example, when Ajahn Brahm tells the flock there are monks (inferring himself) who have seen their past lives, heaven & hell, etc, it is right view on the mundane level to believe Ajahn Brahm
this is what this sutta is saying
this sutta is not saying the faith followers of Ajahn Brahm have or should directly known & realized this world and the other worlds
:buck:
apart from that, the Buddha taught on two levels:
(1) mundane (lokiya) for faith followers
(2) supramundane (lokuttara) for aspirants
for those sitting on the fence, the Buddha compared them to gamblers, who make a "safe bet" (see MN 60)
You know what they say - A little effort gets a little result.
We are trying to end suffering here. That takes a big effort. The Buddha spoke of "the work to be done." Conditioned thinking is our normal way, but not the only way.
Not there there is anything wrong with your level of commitment. It is what it is and any amount of awakening is better than nothing.
But hitting the meditation cushion only once in a while may produce such little results that you are not even aware of it. A daily practice is required. Well for me anyway.
Another poster spoke of patience. Very true. Takes time to wake up. To cultivate patience with your practice, I would suggest lowering your expectations. Do not go looking to achieve anything like a deep meditation. It will elude you for sure and lead to disappointment and doubt. Just look at your formal practice as a relaxation time. Whatever happens happens.
Valium? Anxiety issues? I can relate. I stopped drinking. Not because of the precepts, but in spite of them. What really happened was I developed enough mindfulness and awareness that I saw that it was not helping. I am now pretty much free of the self delusion that is at the core of anxiety. Still got a ways to go yet though.
I would recommend getting into a routine of daily meditation practice first thing in the morning before any mind altering substances are on board when your clarity is at it highest point of the day.
Also, you may want to read Against the Stream by Noah Levine.
you have to have faith in the sangha, the buddha and the dharma.... i am not looking for some sugar coated world, jeez, i know enough that i cant change what is, but merely accept it and practice. its just that i have been so dosed up on valium the last 8 months, i have not practiced. the last 5 days made me hit rock bottom totally, and now i am off valium and soon seeing a psychiatrist
Haha. If your starting to doubt the Buddhist path, then your not practicing it correctly. The fact about Buddhism is that as soon as you put it into practice, it is instantly effective, and what instant effect does it have? The cessation of suffering. The first noble truth is that there is suffering in life. There is birth, death, sickness, old age, and death. That's not really a biggie. We all know that. The second noble truth is a tricky one, and it's the cause of suffering. What did the Buddha say the cause of suffering was? The Buddha said 'craving' was the cause of suffering. Whenever your mind comes into contact with an object via a sense organ, a feeling will arise. With that feeling as condition, craving arises. What is craving? Craving is when your mind tightens down around a feeling, and says 'I want that,' or 'I don't want that.' Craving always manifests as tension and tightness in your mind and in your body. With craving as condition, clinging (thoughts/stories about why you want it/ why you don't want it). With clinging as condition, habitual tendency (every time I feel this way I act like this). With habitual tendency as condition birth. With birth as the condition, suffering and death. So effectively what the Buddha is saying is that when our mind reacts to a feeling with craving, this entire dependently originating process comes to be. And because suffering is an inextricable part of this process, it is said that craving is the cause of that suffering. The third noble truth is the cessation of suffering. And what is the cessation of suffering? The removal of craving from your mind is the cessation of suffering. Why is the removal of craving the cessation of suffering? Because when there is no more craving in your mind there is no more cause for clinging, no more cause for habitual tendency, no more cause for birth, no more cause for suffering and death. In this way is this entire mass of suffering undone. The fourth noble truth is the eightfold path. What is the eightfold path? The eightfold path is conducive perspective, conducive intention, conducive speech, conducive action, conducive livelihood, conducive effort, conducive mindfulness, and conducive concentration. The thing about the Buddhist path is that it's a training of teaching your mind to become peaceful and accepting of whatever is happening in the present moment. Some people use Buddhism as a tool to fight things that they don't like, but it's really a path of acceptance and happiness. Good luck.
Comments
2. In my view, my speech to you was "right speech".
All the best
You know what they say - A little effort gets a little result.
We are trying to end suffering here. That takes a big effort. The Buddha spoke of "the work to be done." Conditioned thinking is our normal way, but not the only way.
Not there there is anything wrong with your level of commitment. It is what it is and any amount of awakening is better than nothing.
But hitting the meditation cushion only once in a while may produce such little results that you are not even aware of it. A daily practice is required. Well for me anyway.
Another poster spoke of patience. Very true. Takes time to wake up. To cultivate patience with your practice, I would suggest lowering your expectations. Do not go looking to achieve anything like a deep meditation. It will elude you for sure and lead to disappointment and doubt. Just look at your formal practice as a relaxation time. Whatever happens happens.
Valium? Anxiety issues? I can relate. I stopped drinking. Not because of the precepts, but in spite of them.
What really happened was I developed enough mindfulness and awareness that I saw that it was not helping. I am now pretty much free of the self delusion that is at the core of anxiety. Still got a ways to go yet though.
I would recommend getting into a routine of daily meditation practice first thing in the morning before any mind altering substances are on board when your clarity is at it highest point of the day.
Also, you may want to read Against the Stream by Noah Levine.
Best Wishes
the Buddha gave so many teachings that rely purely in faith
:-/
This has nothing to do with faith, not for those who directly know.
I have to say I agree with being, if you are looking for a comforting world view to believe in and not practice the path, it is not real Buddhism.
"practicing rightly" this is more important than whatever you believe.
I notice you spend your time on this forum preaching rebirth belief and now you wish to assert an exclusive doctrine of verification?
what gives?
This morning I quoted the suttas that said a mind covered in the five hindrances cannot understand the suttas
The above quote is saying it is right view on the mundane level to beleive their are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves
for example, when Ajahn Brahm tells the flock there are monks (inferring himself) who have seen their past lives, heaven & hell, etc, it is right view on the mundane level to believe Ajahn Brahm
this is what this sutta is saying
this sutta is not saying the faith followers of Ajahn Brahm have or should directly known & realized this world and the other worlds
:buck:
apart from that, the Buddha taught on two levels:
(1) mundane (lokiya) for faith followers
(2) supramundane (lokuttara) for aspirants
for those sitting on the fence, the Buddha compared them to gamblers, who make a "safe bet" (see MN 60)
Is it a good book by Noah Levine?