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Were you "Different" before becoming Buddhist?
Xrayman
Veteran
Hi all,
A good friend of mine, a few years ago decided he was going to become a Jehovah's Witness. At 19 he was a drug user-and seller, involved in illegal street drag racing etc. generally a bad person-his religion "saved" him he is a great guy now..
anyone feel that buddhism has done similar improvements on a personal level?
regards,
Xrayman:crazy:
A good friend of mine, a few years ago decided he was going to become a Jehovah's Witness. At 19 he was a drug user-and seller, involved in illegal street drag racing etc. generally a bad person-his religion "saved" him he is a great guy now..
anyone feel that buddhism has done similar improvements on a personal level?
regards,
Xrayman:crazy:
0
Comments
I pay more attention to the things around me.
I am more emotional, but spend less time "gearing up" and "gearing down" from those feelings.
From what those around me say, they think I'm the happiest person they know.
When I hear that, I think: "boy, do I have a long way to go" and "dang, have I fooled everyone, or what???"
Is that what you mean?
suffice to say, in a nutshell, that the chief difference would be, that I am not the same 'me' who woke up this morning, and it will be a different 'me' this evening...
everything else is just grist for the mill...superfluous and transitory...Just part of the walk.....
I liken it to a snake shedding its' skin in order to grow...Everything I feel I accomplish is accepted, and released for progress to take place.
I'm sorry if this post sounds "high-fah-lah".... It's all I can say.
I was a complete A-hole. Ah, probably still am but I like to think Buddhism taught me compassion.
Is that you in your avatar?
-bf
Since I converted to Buddhism:
1) I have a full, thick head of hair.
2) I've gained 3" additional inches of.... well... you know
3) I've lost 197 pounds.
4) I make $5,000 a week just sitting in the comfort of my own home!
5) I have 37% less wrinkles than I did before
6) I have confidence to go out in public.
Thanks Buddhism - you're great!
-bf
LMAO!!!!
GREAT response, Esau!
Brigid
On the topic, I dont think I have changed particularly but I do engage my brain before I act more so now. Whether that is more down to the fact I am growing older and more mature or something to do with Buddhism I couldnt say. I also make a concious effort to not get stressed out at things, obviously I dont always succeed but I think im a much happier person these days.
I thought Pac was dead. And here he is right here among us.
Whoddathunk?!?!?!
-bf
2pac will always live on!!!!! So will Elvis, though I saw him in a 7Eleven. John Lennon, George Harrison etc. Oh, and the Buddhas......
Before I began weight lifting and meditating, I was a considerably bad golfer. But over the course of 6 months, I took nearly 10 strokes off my golfing game. Although a 12 over par may sound horrendous to many of you, I did putt my first ever par and scored nothing worse than a double bogey. I attribute my relaxed stroke to just having a clear mind and not worrying about my stance.
Well that doesn't have much to do about Buddhism. But Buddhism has helped me gain a clear mind and a clear mind helps with golf.
All in all i'm a completely different person (of course we are not the same person as we was 4 seconds ago) I feel as if I can now do something with my life that I thought once I can never do, my depression still hits, but not as hard, and when it does, I do something productive with it! Thoughts of death and suicide, things that haunted me the past 1-2 years, are no longer there, I feel as if i'm finally seeing things more clearly, it's a blessing everyday, I have came to appreciate life dearly, even though it is a thing I know for a fact I will lose in the future, I want to devote my time in this life to help others, the environment, people close to me, and everyone who wishes to seek help.
oh my, I'm rambling, i'll shutup now
with love,
Wesley
Brigid
Bouncing back .. does help you and is natural for most people.. religion has never helped me as christianity is one of my pet hates now.. i won't even bother explaining why..
just to say that most ppl in britain do claim to believe in god and be a christian
our population has 1.highest teen pregnancy in europe, 2. most alcohol consumed in europe, and a lot of old ppl, grafiti.. 3. Glasgow is knifing capitol of europe. followed by other british places..
in short.. our population on average wud be a 50 something bastard who's drunk, has little respect and shags about a lot and claims he believe in god and jesus.. this guy will continue his shady life until he's about to die when he'll ask for forgiveness and believe hes off to heaven
yeaa. back to the subject.. giving up religion and giving up my grudges..( one em of was hating usa.. which i now understand was ignorance but partly justified) working out with weights.. helped me the most.. as having a good fitness level and gd endorphins pumping about u helps.. i also partake in jogging
and it took me a long time to actually realise that i was not ugly at all but that i was quite handsome.. funny how confidence does that to you..
and now buddhism is helping me.. i understand a few of the basics as i've only just started.. i love the whole chapters about suffering in "the heart of the buddha's teachings" i feel this will help me tons
You may be interested in hearing some rcordings from Henry Rollins, he had been bullied etc. when he was younger, worked out with weights, got some attitude and now-well, he's a great entertainer and spoken-word artist as well as the lead singer of Black Flag and of course the Rollins Band.
cheers
Xray
Now that I know you a little better this paragraph has me peeing my pants with laughter. It's very good. Harsh, but funny as hell.
Hi, Xray! Haven't PMed you in ages. Shall do so immediately.
Now, I am more honest with myself, more aware of my limitations, and I have a sense of perspective about the universe and my place within it- this has worked wonders in helping me to control my temper, when I realise that what I was getting wound up over was not 'that' important. I'm more patient than I used to be, and although I'm far from perfect, as far as 'works in progress' go, I think I'm doing pretty much OK.
i've justed changed my eating habits.. as im not actually gaining any weight at all..
working out to the level i do.. i've just understood the damage i'm actually doing .. i don't have any of the food in my diet to actually help this and i dont gain any muscle/weight at all
i used the weight gain crap and it worked for like a week then as soon as i stopped using it i dropped straight back down again..
sooo Lunch as follows: 60g blueberrys, 100g peanuts, 2 mushrooms,1/5 of a cucumber a sandwich (brown bread) with tomato, lettuce, and some meat.... and if im hungry after a banana and some milk mebe
oh yea I've stopped drinking beer (any alco) (came to conclusion from reading 'the heart of the buddha's teachings) too .. im on milk and water..
way i figure it im probably malnurished... ouch feel the pain
I beleive so, but if you have a problem as drugabusing or any other disorder i would recommend profesionel help. We all heard stories about people who found there salvation in religion but thats only for the few. Of course religion can help but not to stand alone.
Dalai Lama was in Denmark for some years ago and he was asked exactly the same question. And that was hes answer :-)
You young whippy-snappy scally-wag, you.....;)
I only wanted to become a Jedi!!!
I was selfish, drowning in my own ego and in very deep emotional pain as a result before Buddhism, among other things...
I was under this impression/delusion that I was somehow "improved", until my wife pointed out recently that I'm still selfish and make mistakes on a regular basis (perhaps because I'm a man? hahaha) anyway, I think that perhaps I'm now not as "good" as I (arrogantly) thought I was. I'm so depressed.
Also, recently I've been hanging around Wikipedia, there's this guy (an engineer) who wrote some convoluted rubbish-using mathematics to explain how an antenna works, I read this (I am a Radio Engineer so I have a slight clue), but it is too involved for the average person reading it, after all it is an encyclopedia not a friggin theoretical text, I made some edits to the work to improve its readability and the guy went off his nut! Now who is more "wrong" him or me? or are we both nutbag whiners that need to get lives?
cheers to the rest of you, I think I'll go and eat some worms now...
As for me, I was...wandering. And I didn't laugh or smile nearly as much as I do now.
The secret is in your Intention, X-Ray.... Was it Right Intention?
Try and take things more intuition wise.. i think our best decisions are usually the ones made straight away.. the amount of times i've not done anything.. which a lot of the time orients around girls and still does to my utter shame.. is really down to not taking inititive.
Be quick to fix mistakes and trust in not holding back, but not trying to try. I can apply that to majority of my life.. but not all.. still it helps..
We are already dead so be content that this singular time of ur bodys long existance is where u live.
mmmm I supose it was a right intention to "Help others understand"-not to piss Mr pigheadded radio guy off, It just didn't turn out that way.
Anyway, there are much more important issues to worry about so I'll stick to those in the future.
love yas all.
cheers,
Xrayman
Deb,
I know I am a work in progress and shall always continue to be one! LOL!
Adiana
A lot of spiritual stuff has opened my eyes in many ways these past years (which is good, of course), but in the end I realized that all that, somehow, was just about ME ME ME - and it just wasn't the solution.
Speaking of which, it's my perspective that's changed dramatically since I started studying and practicing Buddhism. I don't see things the way I used to. My point of view has broadened considerably and I think of myself more as a process now within a larger context of other beings who want the same things as I do; happiness and the end to suffering. I feel much more hopeful and empowered which has made me less selfish because I feel I can afford to be less selfish now. The less I self obsess the stronger and more capable I feel in dealing with life in general.
Brigid,
You are so right! When I first started practicing Buddhism, all I was thinking about was me, me, me. Once I realized that, I then knew that I needed to not do that all the time and think of others instead. In other words, I needed to gain a bigger perspective.
Adiana:usflag:
After I discovered Buddhism, I became even more skeptical, I laughed at insignificant things, and I realized that happiness had much less to do with external circumstances than it did with my state of mind. I don't believe in God, and I don't speculate on the afterlife.
I have become generally more content with my life though. I feel that I have relinquished a great deal of attachment to the rampant consumerism that dominates the country. I am not interested in the latest 'things', or fashion, or popularity. I have actually made more friends at my school, not surprisingly most of them atheists or agnostics.
Since happiness has become the highest of priorities, I made rules for myself that helps sustains that content. For instance, I used to constantly worry about things. Homework, projects, and such. I saw how working so hard every night kept my grades very high, it left me feeling empty and fatigued. I now have a rule where I refuse to do any more than 30 minutes of homework each night with an exception of 45 minutes in certain cases. This improved my efficiency and I feel much better knowing each night that I only have a half hour of homework.
Well it seems I have rambled a lot which doesn't pertain to Buddhism. Well in a way it does. By becoming more skeptical and aware, this mindfulness has given me a certain clairvoyance in life. I find myself less angry, less attached to outcomes. My friend is surprised by how seemingly unaffected I am by the amount of homework, lack of love life, and ease of life. I say it's all in the mind.
Good Sir Knight,
I really enjoyed that post. I think you're well on your way, and at such a young age! I found this "I find myself less angry, less attached to outcomes." especially wise. It's taken me forever to understand how my attachment to outcomes was causing me suffering. I still fall into bad habits but at least I'm more aware now.
Palzang
Recovering from a breakdown. I now understand how much my mind colours my life. Yes, i've changed things about me. Good or bad, only time will tell.
It is good to see you again. I am sorry to hear that you had a breakdown of some sort, but I am glad to hear that you are recovering. I hope that the changes you have made will prove to be good ones.
Sincerely,
Jason