How to practice

Fenix

How can I practice Buddhism? I have been told over and over that it cant be learn as a school subject or something of that nature.

How can I learn it at all then, cause deep down I know that I dont want to sit still for even a split second and would rather just be stubborn and arrogant

genkaku

Here is a pretty good site outlining meditation practice in the Zen tradition. Sorry, but it involves sitting still after deciding to address the matters of stubbornness and arrogance.

http://mro.org/zmm/teachings/meditation.php

ajnast4r

I would suggest bhante helenpola gunaratana's books 'mindfulness in plain english' and '8 mindful steps to happiness'... Great, easy to understand and apply... With special emphasis on how to APPLY... Books on basic buddhist meditation and the 8fold path.

Its really very simple... You learn how and why, and then you do it. When you commit and actually do it, you see the reduction in suffering and increase in peace and happiness... Then you WANT to continue.

person

Study and contemplate on the disadvantages of being stubborn and arrogant and the advantages of sitting still until your mind begins to change on the subject.

You have every right to be stubborn and arrogant if you want, the choice is yours.

daemyo

... cause deep down I know that I dont want to sit still for even a split second and would rather just be stubborn and arrogant

Hahahaha! That's wonderful! You, me, and everybody else!

Something about Buddhism is calling to you, or you wouldn't be here. Start at the point of being stubborn and arrogant. We all do, moment to moment.

ddrishi

Fenix wants to know how can he practice Buddhism but all replies above tell him how to practice meditation. Personally I too feel that practice of Buddhism is in fact a practice of meditation. However, I find strong resistence to this approach on this website. I am repeatedly told that Buddhism is too big to be referred to as meditation. Is it? Sometimes I wonder whether this resistence arises from the fact that it is often much easier to follow Buddha's principles of morality than sit a few minutes in meditation.......??????

Cloud

The Noble Eightfold Path is the "practice" of Buddhism. To learn more about that as well as pretty much anything else, I'd suggest the website http://www.buddhanet.net.

cabossimn

walking meditation?

person

Fenix wants to know how can he practice Buddhism but all replies above tell him how to practice meditation. Personally I too feel that practice of Buddhism is in fact a practice of meditation. However, I find strong resistence to this approach on this website. I am repeatedly told that Buddhism is too big to be referred to as meditation. Is it? Sometimes I wonder whether this resistence arises from the fact that it is often much easier to follow Buddha's principles of morality than sit a few minutes in meditation.......??????

Study and contemplation (or thinking on the teachings) is an effective way to change your perspective. Ultimately meditation is needed but alot can be accomplished without it.

cabossimn

the time after meditation is a good time to contemplate ideas and thoughts and wisdom.

Dakini

Fenix wants to know how can he practice Buddhism but all replies above tell him how to practice meditation. Personally I too feel that practice of Buddhism is in fact a practice of meditation. However, I find strong resistence to this approach on this website. I am repeatedly told that Buddhism is too big to be referred to as meditation. Is it?

Good of you to point that out, ddrishi. Buddhist practice is not equated with meditation, far from it. Look up the fairly recent thread, "What Is 'Practice'?"

Aside from the precepts (virtue), compassion and mindfulness of our motives for doing things, mindfulness of our thoughts and emotions as they arise, "practice" is also letting go of expectations, of expected outcomes to our actions, and being more flexible in life.

For example, Fenix is getting all wound up about getting the attention of a certain woman he's interested in, and winning her affection. If that doesn't work out, if his hopes and expectations aren't met, disappointment ("dukkha") will follow. Or not, if he manages to let go of that dream and move on, if it doesn't work out. He also has high hopes to get into aviation school. It's good to strive for an education. But if he doesn't get in, the practice of non-attachment would mean he would accept whatever alternative is within his reach, and be content with that option.

Practice is all in how we handle life's ups and downs, as well as building the skills that will help see us through those ups and downs. Skills we gain through mindfulness, and so forth.

zenff

Sometimes people do the sitting to avoid their problems. Not all people, all the time, and it doesn’t really work, but meditation can be an attempt to escape the inconvenient truth of our lives.

In that sense not-meditating is superior to meditating.
Face your life. Solve your problems. Be responsible.

The desire for meditation will come when the time is right. Or it may never happen. Don’t worry about it. Some people have been practicing meditation for years and they are more selfish, more stuck and more dogmatic than any reasonable person you pick from the street.

Trust your intuition.

Fenix

I just don´t feel it. I´m sick of faking it

@zenff

Ok man, thanks

Mani

Nah...no worries!

You just haven't had enough insight into the true nature of suffering of Samsara yet!

But joking aside, I think our dharma practice really starts when it hits us on a bit of a deeper level. As the Tibetans like to say, we need to combine a bit of "study, contemplation, and meditation".

Though this is a bit of a broad scope, it may help to contemplate "the four thoughts that turn the mind towards dharma." Here is a link to a very short teaching (I am a little lazy right now and did not look for a better one, but this is a start...)

http://www.palyul.org/eng_about_fourthoughts.htm

Mani

genkaku

@Fenix said: I just don´t feel it. I´m sick of faking it

Excellent observation ... seriously.

So much of life is spent clothing ourselves in thoughts and beliefs that others -- or we ourselves -- may find pleasing or acceptable that sometimes it's hard to cut through our own camouflage. But to recognize the fact that the camouflage exists and that it's exhausting and frustrating and doesn't really work... this is good stuff, even if it may be hard to see what steps might be more productive. Aside from anything else, we can be afraid that whatever steps we take will just result in more camouflage, more bullshit. And that is a possibility.

Buddhism may not be a good idea. Not your cup of tea. That's OK. If you don't like it, don't do it. This is your life, your camouflage ... and most importantly, your true self. But if you find some way that draws you and sounds perhaps 80% sensible, then take some time and make some effort to check it out.

Buddhism, to suggest one possibility, is not some Tooth Fairy occupation ... something where suddenly there is an explosion of bright lights and everything is all better. Buddhism means slowing down and taking a determined and sometimes painful look at the camouflage we have learned to live with and learned to dislike. It takes patience. It takes a willingness to set aside our camouflaging opinions and beliefs and delightful emotions and really take a look. It takes courage. Buddhism is not some feel-good drug or much-praised religion. It is hard work which individuals choose to do because living a camouflaged, bullshit life has become too confusing and ineffective. Does it work? There is only one person who can answer that question in a meaningful way and that person, I'm sorry to tell you, is YOU.

Best wishes.

grout4cake

fenix - lets say you have a beautiful dog, full of energy and very smart. Lets say you don't want to bother housetraining your dog because it would take up too much of your time and your dog is stubborn and arrogant. So you allow your dog to pee and crap in your house and other people's property,you're always looking for him because he runs off, he bites people and attacks other dogs, he grabs food of your table and turns on you if you try and move him off your sleeping spot.He barks all night,you lose sleep, your girlfriend,and the neighbors call the cops.

What is your life then going to be like? Well, you are going to be tired.have to do a lot of cleaning and mopping,searching,apologizing and paying medical bills.In addition people are not going to be happy to see you,they are going to be angry , frustrated and try to avoid you.You will have to deal with legal complications and
disputes.

This is basically your life with an untrained mind.In the long run,meditation pays off in confidence,trust and serenity.In addition you become a bonus to the world instead of delivering disaster, which complicate the life of yourself and your community in a negative way.

You may see meditating as a waste of time in the short run, just like training a dog.But in the long run you have added to your life immensely in quality and simplification - your mind or the dog can be a asset instead of a source of constant irritation, it can attract others with its happiness, it can protect you
and fill your life with love instead of problems.
Think about it.

thejoieanna

Meditate
Read
Study
Learn
And just live.