Thank Buddha

ClayTheScribe

At the end of a hard day or the end of a hard week, it's nice to be able to turn on a Jack Kornfield recording, read some Thich Nhat Hanh or come here and read posts and be exposed to the living dharma. For so many years when I was really depressed people told me to just be grateful and I thought "My life sucks, how can I be grateful?" But now I see just how important it is. I would like to thank all of you for your wisdom, kind words, less-than-kind but helpful words or for at least keeping me entertained. I'm also learning to even be grateful for the "bad" times and "bad" things in my life so I can recognize the good.

What are you grateful for in your practice?

Jeffrey

I am grateful such as it is. In my practice I am grateful for a routine continuity and the wishes to keep practicing.

Lady_Alison

Op...I'm so glad you are in high spirits. It hasn't been easy.

I am grateful for a week of bad meditation....when I manage to have a good one, I will be happy for those too.

Bad meditation sittings have shown me a busy mind, lack of concentration, too much past and future, that I need to put the cat in another room because she wants to sit in my lap while I'm doing it...um, and lack of patience.

mfranzdorf

I'm grateful to have found this community and this practice. For many years I just felt my thoughts on the world around me were "wrong". You know, since they really didn't fit into the standard dogma. After a lot of thinking and reflection, I honestly feel that I've found my base. I am nowhere as well versed in this practice as most of you here, but I'm learning, and I couldn't be more excited.

Jeffrey

I am happy for you I have also found it good to make friends with my thoughts.

Zero

I'm grateful for suffering.

I ride the goodtimes so there is no time to be grateful.

Now and again I stop and take it in when its good - I turn that into gratitude for suffering yet to come.

When I was younger, this cycle took much longer to complete - now it can be over almost before it started or some cycles still take their time!

Lady_Alison

@mrfranzdorf are you kidding? None of us know what we are doing! ...lol...we are on the same path but some a little further away and others a little behind...but the journey is more important than the destination...hopefully someone brought a map.

mfranzdorf

@mrfranzdorf are you kidding? None of us know what we are doing! ...lol...we are on the same path but some a little further away and others a little behind...but the journey is more important than the destination...hopefully someone brought a map.

You, m'lady, are too kind. Thank you for the encouragement. I generally gravitate more towards situations where I feel more confident in myself, where I've got thinks figured out. This whole deal is new ground...

weighted

... that I need to put the cat in another room because she wants to sit in my lap while I'm doing it...

I discovered the same.

zen_world

my teacher says:
I am grateful to all the suffering I had so I can sit here and relate to you...

same goes for me...

person

... that I need to put the cat in another room because she wants to sit in my lap while I'm doing it...

I discovered the same.

I like it when my cat wants to meditate with me. She doesn't try to sit directly on my lap though, she just curls up at my feet laying against my legs. I feel like she is benefiting from the positive vibes of my meditation.

Lady_Alison

@mfranzdorf...I think the more we face our fears and challenge them, the more we realize how irrational they are...that gives you confidence. So challenge each fear...today I learned of a new irrational fear I've had for ages. I had been baking Brownies from scratch because I "supposedly hated the cardboard taste "...well I bought a box of Duncan and while I was preparing it, a memory was triggered...I use to make Brownie's with my first boyfriend when I was 14. I let the memory pass over me...it is a pleasant memory in of itself, but we ended our relationship badly. Can you believe that! I had an aversion to Brownie mix because of a childish love 14 years ago!

Aversion to emotional pain.

Anyway, Brownies taught me something good today, cherish the memories don't dwell on the bad ones unless for practical insight and learning.

Did I ramble? Officer? What was the question?

ClayTheScribe

@person, Animals are much more in tune with intuition and the energy of other animals, including humans. Your energy becomes more aligned and harmonious when you meditate, so naturally animals are drawn to that, especially cats, who are the original energy healers.

Lady_Alison

^^is that why my cat follows me around?! She hates my husband...mildly tolerates him...oh, I'm grateful to Buddha for him too!

Maybe she gets a bad vibe from him? Hmm, I'm sure she would smother him in his sleep if she could.

Seeking_peace

@mfranzdorf I felt much the same as you did until I found Buddhism. I very much understand. So much hate and judgement is taught through traditional dogma. One statement I read a few years ago pretty much summed up my feelings. "no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism" - DL

Lady_Alison

@seeking_peace not to mention 2500 years to perfect meditation...if you are going to learn to bake a cake, go to culinary school, if you are going to learn to meditate, seek the Buddhist way.

mfranzdorf

@Lady_Alison Could you be any cooler? Seriously, you rock!

@Seeking_peace Nice to know. We seem to be coming from the same place too. I'm not here for any other reason than it just feels right to me, you know, it just seems to make sense to me.

Lady_Alison

@Lady_Alison Could you be any cooler? Seriously, you rock!

@Seeking_peace Nice to know. We seem to be coming from the same place too. I'm not here for any other reason than it just feels right to me, you know, it just seems to make sense to me.

"The empty can rattles the most "

Ah, feeling personality! That's common among spiritual seekers...you probably will never satisfy your need to improve your inner spiritual life...welcome to the club.