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Buddhist Questionnaire
ThailandTom
Veteran
So this is a place for any question and here a multiple ones if you are interested.. Answer honestly 
1. If you are walking along the path (sidewalk), and a group of people notice you and do not move aside on purpose so you have to step into the road, how do you think, feel and react?
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
10. Do you chant regularly?
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
1. If you are walking along the path (sidewalk), and a group of people notice you and do not move aside on purpose so you have to step into the road, how do you think, feel and react?
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
10. Do you chant regularly?
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
0
Comments
1. If you are walking along the path (sidewalk), and a group of people notice you and do not move aside on purpose so you have to step into the road, how do you think, feel and react?
OK about this most the time because it happens so often it was one of the first (and relatively) easiest opportunities to practice generosity. But sometimes still get a teeny bit annoyed. I make an effort to move aside as gracefully as possible. I hope doing this influences them to do the same to others.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
This happened to me, last year, but it was my brother and maybe it’s easier to forgive a sibling. Either way I felt really angry and confused initially (that lasted a few weeks), then very sad that he had been in such a bad place, realising it wasn’t about me. He ignored my attempts to speak to him for months until I told him I loved him no matter what and he finally responded to me by saying he was ashamed and sorry.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No. It’s 9 in the morning and I don’t drink pints of beer at the best of times LOL! But if you’re asking if I drink alcohol the answer is occasionally in pretty small quantities.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I’d be gutted. I’d miss her like mad. I love talking to her and find her presence comforting. I guess I’d cry a lot for a while and feel deeply sad. I’m in my 30’s and haven’t lived in the same country as my mother for over a decade. It makes me want to rush back to my country of birth to spend more time with her!
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Every day with a few exceptions, up to 30 minutes, in the morning after yoga.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
I don’t really know how to answer this as I’m so new to it. I had some wonderful experiences early on of blissful calm clear states, but for a few weeks I've been battling with a bombardment of mental distractions.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Right now false speech I think. Don’t get me wrong I don’t go around telling huge lies to everyone! But I am now acutely aware of how often I engage in things like gossip (just reading one of those trashy mags at the supermarket checkout qualifies), telling tiny white lies or slight exaggerations to make myself look better or make others feel better, or saying critical words about someone (a reaction to seeing something on TV is common). I notice it all the time, and to a large degree I think people around me expect it, they do it too – it’s a form of entertainment in our culture.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Hmm maybe the idea of impermanence. It just seems logical so easy to understand.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
This is an interesting question because I was wondering the other day, at what point can you say I’m a Buddhist now? I’d like to but feel like maybe I haven’t ‘qualified’ yet if there’s such a thing!
10. Do you chant regularly?
No. I tried it as part of Kundalini Yoga though, but it gave me a terrible dry throat!
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
Not really, not right now.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
Not really, although that might be lack of knowledge at this point and maybe will change
1. If you are walking along the path (sidewalk), and a group of people notice you and do not move aside on purpose so you have to step into the road, how do you think, feel and react?
I step onto the road or barge through if it's unsafe to do so. I do my best not to allow the perceived malicious actions of others effect me, even solely on the basis that I don't really know why they're doing so.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
I may not like them very much after that, but there are lots of people I probably don't like that get help through charity services I've worked at. I would simply address with compassion, which is perhaps the beauty of the situation: they need/ed my help, and I gladly give. It is for me a lot easier to find forgiveness, or even making it a non-issue, through looking at it through that sort of lens.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No. Beer is horrible. If it were any other alcohol, I wouldn't drink it simply because my father was an alcoholic (he became sober before my birth), and that's not something I want to even risk becoming. I also intoxicate very easily, and besides breaking the fifth precept I would not forgive myself if something happened to me or another because of it.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I would be sad. It would probably take me some days (or maybe weeks) to get back into the normal routine of daily life. I would do my best to view things in relation to dependent origination and emptiness, and try my best to think that she's been reborn in a better place; that wouldn't necessarily make it better, but I think acceptance would come a lot quicker.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
As a Nichiren Buddhist, I perform a chanting or mantra meditation, which I perform as part of a larger service of Sutra recitation and prayers. The meditation probably goes on for 5-10 minutes, and I do that twice a day. If I have spare time during the day, I also chant for anywhere between 5 minutes to an hour.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
During an experiment with breathing meditation, I would take a deep, elongated inhalation and exhale, and during so allow my thoughts to run free. On the low of the breath, I would try to hold for as long was comfortable before breathing in, and stop my thoughts entirely. After some time of that, my thoughts during breathing became very thin, and I think I experienced a very deep, split second of a moment of total mental awareness.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
The study involved. It's rigourous. it's sometimes difficult to get your mind around concepts.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
The idea of a Buddha Nature and an Eternal Buddha.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Hard question. When I was but 6-7 years old, I was introduced to Buddhism by a teacher, and when I went to high school I paid more attention to it. Then I experimented with other religions from 14-16, but predominantly I was buddhist or atheist. Then at 16 I found Nichiren Buddhism, and continued with it until 18, where I became confused of the concepts. Then at 19 I took it back up. So I'm gonna say a year and a half.
10. Do you chant regularly?
Twice daily for around 15-20 minutes.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
I always said that if I didn't have a romantic partner by 40, and I had no other obligations, then I would definitely look into it. Although I'm only 20, I don't think that'll be the way it is, but you never know.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
I consider myself part of wider Nichiren Buddhism, but not a specific sect within Nichiren Buddhism. I like the idea behind it: that for the conditions of this day and age, we have a method that allows us to express faith in the Buddha that is simple yet personally profound, as I'm sure other Nichiren buddhists can attest.
If I am well illuminated at that point, I assume they have issues and hope they sort them. It ain't that important.
Or if I'm in a neg-space maybe ill get deeper into it until I end up feelin' stoopid in the dim.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
Id confront them openly and calmly about it. This has happened a number of times..
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No, its Midday and I'd be sleepy by the afternoon. If its in the bar, id take one and buy you one.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I have thought about this lot's. I would like to think I would deal with it as well as such a a dukka-bomb would allow.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Daily ideally, bidaily realistically and for not long enough.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
Level 2.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with.
Dharma, medication.
Buddhism, dogma.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Kindness and honesty.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Comming on for a decade, but I feel less and less closeness with buddhism the brighter the dharma shines.
10. Do you chant regularly?
Yes, more than I meditate.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
I dont want to be or do anything the buddha wasnt:)
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
The same school as the Buddha, at least that is my aim.
really good questions, thanks for those Tom:)
peace
-- I just step aside. I'm pretty used to being the one who steps aside, so it doesn't really bother me. My most honest answer must include though, that seldom I just don't move. Because I work out a lot, I'm usually not the one getting shoved by the impact. That happens if I have been stepping out of the way of many people the same day, and I feel like reminding the next careless person, that sometimes *he* could step aside. I often feel ashamed after doing that - the "victim" could have thought the same about me..
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
-- If someone becomes my very close friend (which has happened to two people ever), they won't act like that without a very good reason - like an illness or something. So I would understand that they have limited resources and try to help yet still..
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
-- Not right now. Under the right circumstances, like a cozy afternoon where I have no work, I'd gladly drink a beer.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
-- That is just too much of a question to answer right now. No one I was close (enough to be really sad) to has ever died, so I don't know how I would take it.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
-- I meditate every day or every other day in periods. I usually only meditate for ten - twelve minutes. At the time where I was in good "shape" I meditated every day for 20 - 30 minutes.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
-- A very special experience was when I suddenly "saw" my breath. It felt weird - like seeing a strange animal for the first time. It was like being a child and experiencing a new wonder of the world.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with?
-- I drink alcohol and I stray from the road in general from time to time, always turning back.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
-- Sexual misconduct, general awareness,
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
-- I do not call myself a Buddhist. If someone asked I would say that I have Buddhist sympathies. No one ever did that, though...
10. Do you chant regularly?
-- Never out loud. I chant mantras in my head when doing metta
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
-- Not in this life.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
-- No, I find it limiting. Being conservative about things with an original meaning means that I may be closest to theravada. I'm farthest from Tibetan, as I think it has mixed too much with local myths about gods, spirits, reborn leaders and other "magic" in general
I step into the road. Probably with no negative feelings about that.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
I see it as an opportunity to cultivate patience and compassion. Doesn't mean I'll endure the test for long.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I can't know how I would react to that.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Three or four times a week, from 20 to 40 minutes each session.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
Just being mindful for a little more time than usual.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Right speech.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Impermanence, compassion, mindfulness.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
I prefer to call myself a Dharma practitioner. For about one year.
10. Do you chant regularly?
No.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
Not really, but it sometimes crosses my mind.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
No. I study texts from several schools. My sangha follows Tibetan Buddhism, but I don't fit into all their rituals and beliefs.
Most of the time that i walk around its with my dog, so that would probably be my reaction without even noticing that they did it. I try to leave some space so that the dog doesn't jump into people but still has some space on the leash, so i step off the sidewalk quite often actually. I'm really completely used to it that its me who will give any person as much space as they take.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
I can't imagine what they'd have to do to disrespect me in such a way, i can take a lot^^ But really, if they somehow managed - i'd either let it go or talk to them and try to find out why they did it and try to understand it from their point of view.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No, if ill be consuming foods or drinks that would make me fat chocolate is the only candidate at the moment
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
Dunno, no human i knew ever died so it would be a first time. At the time my last pet died i cried like it was the end of the world for about 2 days than kinda got over it... I guess i'd be shocked that she died and sad that she died with us not quite agreeing on a lot of things which cause strain on the relationship.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
15 min about daily in the evening.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
I don't think i've experienced anything too special in meditation yet, apart from relaxing and helping me clear up my thoughts...
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with?
Umm... just kinda seeing things in my practice i guess, for example i don't really believe in reincarnation the way most Buddhists seem to do.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Not sure how to answer this question, when i learn something in the teachings i than keep it and see if i find something similar in my practice, some things make sense, or they make sense after a while but i keep everything else just in case its helpful... I don't really struggle to "embrace" anything, if i don't understand something i ask about it.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
I still don't really know what to do with the label. I learn the dharma, i meditate, try to be mindful... but am i a Buddhist? It really doesn't mean much to me... I first came across the religion about 2 years ago though.
10. Do you chant regularly?
No. I never chant.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
While i do find the lifestyle fascinating, i'd rather become a more simple layperson... I have never even seen a monk or nun in real life so i don't really know about them.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
No. I don't know enough about the various schools yet so it would be useless to just decide on one for no reason.
No big deal. I keep walking. I obviously have somewhere to be
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
The money doesn't matter. I would worry about losing a friend for some reason they felt was enough to disrespect me.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
Here, in the comfort of my own home, yes.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I would cry for many days and miss her.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Not as much as I should...
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
Idk.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Putting study into practice.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Loving, kindness, and compassion.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Half a year.
10. Do you chant regularly?
No.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
Maybe if I had no romantic things going on.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so,...?
No I don't have a branch. Still honing my beliefs.
Depends on the situation. Who I'm with, who the people are, etc.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
Same answer, it depends.. Not everything is so cut and dry, Tom.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No. I'm not a fan of beer.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
Probably become so stricken with grief that I could not think straight. I probably would not go to school and I'd cry all day.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
A couple times a week, for 5-10 minutes.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
???
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with?
General contradictions or things that don't make sense to me.?
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Emptiness
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Eh, about half a year, more or so.
10. Do you chant regularly?
Not regularly. Sometimes.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
Yes.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
Maybe Zen, because there doesn't seem to be much dogma in that.
surprised and resentful.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
This happened to me. I was very angry and obsessive about it. I ended up wanting
to send them a message and unfriended them on facebook and said goodbye to the whole thing. But I did feel sorry for her for her values.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
Nope, I'm a recovering alcoholic.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
Hasn't happened to me.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Different at different times in my life. Now I meditate 5 minutes walking in the morning and walking whenever the microwave or coffee pot is working. I sometimes do a sitting about 2 times a week and likewise sometimes do a body scan. In the morning I also do mindful exercise, listening to a dharma talk, and one household chore that I try to do mindful. It seems hard to do a household task mindful.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
I had a state where my whole body especially my head glowed with pleasure and I was very peaceful most of the morning. Then had a great morning with my mom until she started getting upset over her father dying and I lost the good feeling. Only happened once. Usually my meditation is very ordinary some degree of stability just taking the position. Some sense of waiting for something to happen. Definitely often drifting off but I am more kind to myself for that.
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Regular long meditation. And regular long reading or listening to dharma talks. I only am a short hitter, maybe 5 minutes. Up to 30 on meditation but rarely.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Just relying on it in difficult times. I have a lot of respect for the teachings and I think they can help me.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Since I really got interested in the teachings maybe 6 years ago.
10. Do you chant regularly?
No.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
No. I am disabled and I wouldn't want to be expected to do too much during that time.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
Yeah because I study mainly those teachings though I do branch out in reading. Also I am in a sangha.
2. I will try to avoid that man as much as I can. Sometimes I will treat him with much indifference.
3. Right now ? No... I don't drink beer too often. Thanks for the offer, though.
4. Sorry, can't imagine...
5. Not too often these days, but I guess I do meditate for at least fifteen minutes
6. If clapping two palms produces a sound, what is the sound of one hand clapping ? <-- the answer to this is the deepest state I've been.
7. Everything with the dharma.
8. The one with the intoxicants, I guess.
9. For two years or so...
10. I don't chant. I can't chant.
11. Maybe when I'll be 80 years old.
12. I think Zen, because I don't really try to focus on any sutra or teaching. I just simply meditate and watch the world pass by me.
Would depend on too many factors to be able to give a general answer.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
Again, unable to give any general answer.
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
No, unless very thirsty and no other fluids available or likely to be.
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I would feel sad, cry and generally wish to express my sorrow and miss her.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Sitting meditation daily.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
Unable to provide a category
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Patience.
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Buddha nature.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
20 years plus.
10. Do you chant regularly?
Yes.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
Yes, if the ' stars ever line up that way' and enable me to.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so,...?
Tibetan practice.
Thankfully I'm not the only one veiling my answers with humour!
1. If you are walking along the path (sidewalk), and a group of people notice you and do not move aside on purpose so you have to step into the road, how do you think, feel and react?
I usually step aside well ahead of time before the other party gets that close.
2. If you do a lot for a very close friend in need, maybe financially or just general support and they majorly dis respect you, how would you react?
I've been in this situation before actually. I tend to keep my mouth shut and grin and bear it. (I'm really terrible when it comes to confrontations)
3. If I offered you two pints of beer now, would you drink them?
How about a nice hot cup of tea instead? :-)
4. If your mother unexpectedly dies or died, how would you react in detail?
I would be in shock. I would cry. I would miss her and I'd be really worried about how my dad and sister would be coping. And maybe, in time, I would just be thankful, very thankful, for having the mother I had. That's about as detailed as I can get.
5. How often do you meditate and for how long on average.
Generally 20 minutes zazen daily.
6. What is the deepest state of meditation you have experienced.
Not very. I'm just thankful to sit through a single sitting right now! LOL
7. What is the biggest part of the dharma you have trouble with
Intellectualy: Rebirth.
In practise: anger (but I'm working on it!)
8. What part of the dharma has come to be the easiest to embrace?
Impermanence, emptiness and co-dependent arising.
9. How long have you considered yourself a buddhist, if you regard yourself as one that is?
Even though I have been practising for about nine months (at home, alone) I don't consider myself a Buddhist. I'd rather focus on what I do rather than what I am
10. Do you chant regularly?
No, but there are a few brief gathas I recite to myself at different times of the day.
11. Do you have any degree of interest in becoming a monk or nun at some point?
I don't think so.
12. Do you consider yourself to belong to a specific school of buddhism? If so, why?
I'd say I *lean* mostly toward Soto Zen (with a lot of interest in Dogen), but I incorporate whatever is handy from other traditions (especially tonglen, metta, and sometimes six element practise instead of shikantaza).