Buddhism and feeling good

Jeffrey

Was buddhism a strategy for feeling a good body feeling? Like meditation and yoga? I think the problem is there is no way to handle fear with purely a good body strategy.

SeaOfTranquility

A more comprehensive solution was arrived at.

Buddhism is the end of human suffering.

Good body feeling/ Bad body feeling - these can easily become yet another source for clinging/aversion. Like chasing after bliss or trying to destroy the ego.

When we meditate we just observe and let go. If it is a good feeling, good. If it is a mess, good. Same practice. Peace, calm, clarity, and happiness follow.

taiyaki

No.

Buddhism is about ending the solidifying of reality which is self and other.

It isn't about feeling good all the time.

Maximumjoy and maximum pain and everything in between. This is the whole spectrum of experience that buddhism offers. Hell not buddhism but life. Through buddhism we end our preoccupation of pulling and pushing at life.

Out of that cessation we learn that life is okay. That is the highest form of peace or bliss.

But the negative and positive isn't negated. Openness allows for everything. Just no more stickiness and no more sliding. Everything as it is.

genkaku

The Zen teacher Ta Hui (1089-1163) once wrote to one of his students and included the encouragement, "stop seeking for relief."

zombiegirl

The Zen teacher Ta Hui (1089-1163) once wrote to one of his students and included the encouragement, "stop seeking for relief."

That's great genkaku. Nice and simple. Thanks for sharing!

zenmyste

"stop seeking for relief."

( (((((((((( ( ( ( ) ) ) ) ))))))))) )

Satori moment. Thanks.

pegembara

Isn't the good feeling also impermanent?

"There are these three kinds of feeling: a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling, and neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. On the occasion when one feels a pleasant feeling, one does not feel either a painful feeling or a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. One feels only a pleasant feeling on that occasion. On the occasion when one feels a painful feeling, one does not feel either a pleasant feeling or a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. One feels only a painful feeling on that occasion. On the occasion when one feels a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling feeling, one does not feel either a pleasant feeling or a painful feeling. One feels only a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling on that occasion.

"A pleasant feeling is inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing. A painful feeling is also inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing. A neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling is also inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing.

Dighanaka Sutta

"Stop seeking for relief"

"Seeing this, an instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with pleasant feeling, disenchanted with painful feeling, disenchanted with neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. Disenchanted, he grows dispassionate. From dispassion, he is released. With release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns, 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.' A monk whose mind is thus released does not take sides with anyone, does not dispute with anyone. He words things by means of what is said in the world but without grasping at it."

seeker242

I would say it's more like leaving behind the incessant need to feel good feelings and avoid bad ones. Although there are practices that cause good feelings, deep meditation states, etc. The goal is not to just conjure up good feelings. It is to be free from dependence on experiencing particular feelings. Freedom from dependence on experiencing any of the 5 Skandhas in any particular manner. But of course, this freedom causes what people would call "good" feelings anyway.

DairyLama

Was buddhism a strategy for feeling a good body feeling?

Practice anapanasati and develop jhana. That's nice.

Songhill

Jeffery: Feeling, vedana, is the second of five aggregates (skandha) belonging to Mara the Evil One, the Buddhist devil.

"When there is feeling, Radha, there might be Mara, or the killer, or the one who is killed. Therefore, Radha, see feeling as Mara, see it as the killer, see it as the one who is killed. See it as a disease, as a tumor, as a dart, as misery, as really misery" (S.iii.189).

RebeccaS

An oldie but a goodie -

"A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"

"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!'

"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly."

Heh.

David

In life there is no truely solid ground.

Stand regardless.