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How do you reduce the influence of the outside world

karastikarasti BreathingMinnesota Moderator
I read a line, many months ago, in the intro to the Way of the Bodhisattva, that says "The point is driven home that, whether one enters a monastery or prefers to remain in the lay condition, there can be no progress in concentration without a severe reduction in one's involvement in worldly affairs."

I don't agree that there can be "no" progress. But I thought then, and still think now that the more we can reduce the influence of the "outside" world, the better our practice can be. Obviously, life is great practice. I don't mean to be a hermit and live in a cave and you'll be a better Buddhist. I'm a fan of the middle way.

I definitely find that certain things push my buttons. I've made some progress in reducing and avoiding those things to keep my internal peace more stable, but sometimes it's really hard to avoid and still keep contact with friends and family. Sometimes I wish I could just remove myself from all of it, but for some reason I don't feel "free" to do so.

For example, I've been highly irritated with various discussions on Facebook this morning. Now, I used to read media articles and the comments that accompany them and drive myself mad over them. I don't do that now. I got rid of pretty much all the media from my FB feed, I rarely watch national news or pay much attention to online news sites. I streamlined my Facebook to be about the people I care for and want to connect with, including friends and family I don't see often because they live long distances away. But along with that comes their posts and their anger and feelings on things they see in their world. I have a hard time stepping away from that and it impacts how I feel and my inner peace goes in the toilet.

How do you manage these things? How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace? I frequently will take a day, or a few days and just don't use the internet at all. In one sense it's a very free feeling to not be tied to the world via computer and tv, but I do miss my friends and family. I'm just feeling irritated with it and I'm not sure what to do about it. So I'm curious what others do.

Invincible_summerWisdom23

Comments

  • Knowing that you have to function in the real world means learning to counter delusions such as anger with love or compassion.
    Bunks
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I try, and like I said it has improved. But I'm trying to work on reducing my involvement in some of these "worldly affairs" because it is what I want for myself, but I'm not sure how to do it without losing contact with people I truly care for and want to stay in contact with.

    I'm not sure I'd agree that anger is more of a delusion than love. Both are real emotions, just one is more desirable than another. Just because one is "good" and one is "bad" doesn't necessarily make one a delusion and one not.
    Invincible_summer
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    @karasti -- Fighting with worldly concerns is like pissing into the wind -- it'll just mess up your shoes.

    Naturally we might all wish to be more loving, more broad-minded, less critical, less angry, less greedy .. you know, all the good stuff. But worldly concerns are endless and the only way I know to deal with them (from a Buddhist point of view) is practice.

    A very well-defined, sit-down-and-shut-up practice nourishes a perspective that has nothing to do with beating things over the head or arm-wrestling ourselves into some plaster-saint format. Bit by bit -- not overnight -- the need to exercise the 'bad' stuff just diminishes all by itself. No improvements necessary ... things improve all by themselves...

    With practice.

    FWIW.
    karastiInvincible_summerlobsterperson
  • blu3reeblu3ree Veteran
    edited March 2013
    I go on walks through the forest. Swamp hopping. Disc golf. Playing my pennywhistle. Spending more time away from technology and being out in the sunlight has profound effects on my mind. The sun rays seem to exhaust me and make me more humble less irritable less prone to argue. ( probably some type of sun poisoning but I don't have skin cancer yet! Blasted thinning ozone)

    Maybe try a musical instrument! Flutes are quick to learn. Start a garden! Plant vegetation that brings positive animals around such as hummingbirds bees squirrels deer. To attract hummingbirds try water honey and a tab of sugar my dad does that and it brings em back every year! Obviously if u live in a city these things may not be possible in that case move to da boonies! Lol
    Nwoso
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    We do have a garden, but we live in an area that has a lot of winter. It's still very much winter here and we are a good 10 weeks from planting our garden or being able to spend much time in the sun. We live in the boonies, LOL. We have squirrels and deer that come on our deck for goodies. I do enjoy that! It's hard in the winter, to be sure. I spend a lot more time online in the winter (which here is about Nov-April). I'm probably feeling rather irritable because of our recent lack of sunshine and ability to spend much time outside. I do spend time outside in the winter normally but usually I ski and snowshoe and I wasn't able to do that all winter due to injury. So not only have I been stuck inside a lot, I've been stuck on my butt a lot, too, which doesn't help at all! The sun definitely makes a difference. Even if it's not sunny, getting out in the fresh air does help. Today I had to shovel twice (winter storm in progress) and even that was nice, lol.
  • Haha! We've definantly had a long winter this year compared to previous years. Last week was 42 and sunny that was some t shirt weather for me of course it was black!

    Spring can't come faster!?!
    chela
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I am thinking about doing a weekend home retreat, of sorts. I have a husband, 3 kids, and pets to look after, but I can avoid internet and tv and concentrate on my study and videos by my teacher. Just focus fully on my practice for the weekend.
    riverflowchela
  • Make those thoughts into actions! It won't be regretted! :om: Au-om
  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    edited March 2013
    I never watch TV, unless it's Masterpiece Theater or something really phenomenal, although I do have to tune the Boob Tube (as my Mother called it) out at work. With the internet and your ability to be hyperselective, TV is a dinosaur, anyway. I Don't read the newspaper, except for an editorial or two on the New York Times and a story here and there that grabs my interest. (At $10 a month the New York Times online is a steal. ) But above all, I try my best to stay upbeat about my fellow workers and neighbors, since there's no poison more potent than local poison. The bad news of the world just doesn't impact one's spiritual life as ill will from a coworker or neighbor can.

    I also walk to work, so I have no need of driving much. I live close to everything, so when I choose to go for a drive in the country, it's a treat rather than a chore.

    Those are ways I reduce the Noisy Influences of the outside world. But I must also say that I am pretty much infatuated with its more colorful and varied sides at the same time. I'm just too interested in way too many things, so I'm basically a failure at being a monad.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I don't care much for tv, but my husband is a huge baseball fan, and normal baseball starts in 12 days, lol. From about 6-9 almost every night from April-September, baseball is on. But that doesn't mean I can't do other things of course!
    I would love to be able to walk or talk public transit everywhere! I agree about "toxic" neighbors and others you see and spend time with every day. Our neighborhood seems to wallow in toxicity so I'm trying to think of ways to improve that.
  • i usually have a period everytime i get home where is just sit in the spare room and relax to clear out all the negative emotions i have accumilated during the day. Either that or as soon as i get home i get my running shoes on and go for a long jog. I have found isolating oneself has more negatives than positives, i think when we are out in the world we just need to be aware and mindful of what is going on.
    riverflowlobster
  • I got rid of pretty much all the media from my FB feed, I rarely watch national news or pay much attention to online news sites.
    This reminds me of something I read years ago by Kelsang Gyatso Geshe which likened the constant bombardment of news to a form of pollution. Like you, I stopped watching the news. It is generally designed to distract and provoke a reaction, and I don't trust much of it any more.

    I think you can be in the world without losing yourself in the constant busy-ness. Moment to moment, I try to turn inward. Then anything can become a meditation.
    riverflow
  • ZeroZero Veteran
    karasti said:


    How do you manage these things? How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace? I frequently will take a day, or a few days and just don't use the internet at all. In one sense it's a very free feeling to not be tied to the world via computer and tv, but I do miss my friends and family. I'm just feeling irritated with it and I'm not sure what to do about it. So I'm curious what others do.

    By recognising the synergy between 'outer' and 'inner' chaos.
    Take everything as it is.
    Let irritation go... the situation is still there.
    Hold on to irritation... the situation is still there.
    lobster
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace?
    Strangely enough equanimity is something we seek initially not all the time. However let us examine some more techniques:

    Ambient music is relaxing.

    How about a Buddha box - too kitsch? There may be something available for your smartphone or tablet.


    Gardening, even a window box, that is unwinding . . .
    I like to cook or empty the dishwasher or clean . . .
    I am sure I posted here on my bubble bath meditation . . .
    I used to burn a lot of incense and just sniff essential oils to trigger mood changes.
    Prostrations are good. Walking, exercise is good.
    We have one of those vibro things for chairs. I may give that a go . . .
    What you need is a range of activities, even some that seem a little 'new agey' . . .

    Hope some of those ideas are helpful

    :wave:
    karasti
  • chelachela Veteran
    edited March 2013
    Nutriments- the key is to be mindful of your nutriments. Keep them as wholesome as possible versus ingesting unwholesome/harmful nutriments.

    #1 Edible food
    #2 Sense impressions (what comes in contact with our sense organs; ei: t.v., advertising, entertainment, art, books, music, etc.)
    #3 Volition, will, intention (the desire to obtain what we want)
    #4 Consciousness (This is "store consciousness," which is the lower realm where the karmic seeds are stored. You have positive and negative seeds which will grow into "mind consciousness" when nurtured, depending on which ones you are nurturing.)

    The one I found easiest to control at first is Sense Impressions. With meditation, Volition is becoming easier to filter (I want "good" things). I think once you get a handle on those two, it's easier to work with Consciousness. And food is what I'm working on now (one I've struggled with for years). Food could mean going vegan for some, or maybe it just means reducing processed foods. It's all about what is "right" for you.

    As always, mindfulness is key. If you practice mindfulness in all of your life, these Nutriments will be easier to manage.

    Edited to add: What I've discovered in this process of mindfully watching my Nutriments is that I have a LOT of habit energy involved in all of them. I put a note on my computer that says "Hello, Habit Energy" (Thich Nhat Hanh's idea). This hasn't been successful in getting me off my computer completely, but I am more mindful about the time I'm on and what I'm doing when on. It has made me think more about whether or not I should get on the computer (and sometimes I'm able to refocus on some other task), as well as helping me to get off the computer at some point- LOL. I would say it's been successful as it has at least helped some. I also have a note in my kitchen that says, "What are you Doing?" This helps me be mindful when I'm doing chores (cleaning up) and when I'm going to go get a snack (or habitual snacking), or make a meal.
    riverflowkarastiperson
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited March 2013
    Thats interesting. Some of the most impressive Buddhist teachers I have met ate a pretty dodgy diet. I once saw the previous Karmapa eat a plateful of KFC.. :)
    On another occasion I saw Ajahn Chah eat two Big Mac Cheeseburgers. :)

    And the desire to get what we want even when appears to be " higher" or " purer" will invariably lead to dukkha.
    What leads away from dukkha is openess to what is. Now.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I guess where I run into the biggest problem is online. I have a pretty easy time seeing and accepting people and situations for what they are "it is what it is" in real life. But online, it seems so little really is what it is, you have to figure out what it is, and what you think it is, is often not what the other person thinks it is, and it leads to a lot of disagreement and chaos. It happens here, though far less so than it happens elsewhere. Then I find myself caught up in arguments because I want to make sure no one is misunderstanding me so I am always trying to clarify what I mean. Even though I know better than to even try to convince anyone of anything, lol.
    Invincible_summer
  • chelachela Veteran
    @Citta those "impressive Buddhist teachers" are still real people. Nobody is perfect because "perfect" is a concept that we made up. And my idea of perfect is not your idea of perfect, anyway. But we have to have concepts in order to communicate ideas.

    The idea of wholesome nutriments is so that one can feel healthy and focused on being compassionate to themselves and to others. It doesn't mean that you have to be completely "pure" ("perfect"). It is just a tool to help people feel balanced and healthy, no more, no less.

    The Nutriment of Volition does not mean that we should focus on getting what we want. What is means that if we have a focused intent, we will inevitably focus our life's actions to attain it. So, if you want a high paying job, that is where you will focus most of your actions in life. If you want retribution because you feel that someone wronged you, you will focus all of your energy on that. If you want to be kind to people, you will focus your actions on that. So the Nutriment of Volition is guiding us to be mindful of our intentions, because our intentions will affect our entire life-- the way we relate to ourselves and to others-- in more profound ways that it would first appear.

    You seem to say that we should just accept / be open anything and everything that we see/hear, etc. But you also say that we should not be passive. The Nutriments actually give us a way to interact with the things in our life that have potential to harm or heal us and other beings. To simply accept is not enough, as you have clearly stated. In fact, you just gave an example of the Nutriment of Sense Impressions. Apply that idea to the other items on the list, and you will be a fairly content human.
    Citta said:

    Acceptance.
    That doesn't mean we become passive. If we are too near the radiator and getting hot, move the chair.

    riverflowkarasti
  • Become the Watcher... This statement can have many different interpretations... For me it's to be aware of everything around you, open your eyes and be mindful. Try to look at your world without judgment, without prejudice and you may start seeing things differently. Watch as emotions arise from within on what you see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and think. Try to understand the underlying conditions within that bring on these different emotions and how you react to them. Buddhism is about finding a balance in everything we do, a balance that can be achieved only by first looking within and not without.

    Open your heart and free your mind and the truth will be presented to you.
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    I know nothing of what you are presenting Chela.
    If it works for you fine. But it seems to differ considerablyat various points from Buddha Dharma.
    Which does not have as its goal being contented human beings merely, but points to the ending of dukkha.
    If the concept of the "nutrition of volition" occurs anywhere in either the Sutta or Sutras I would be grateful to you if you could point me to the canonical source.

    Acceptance is not " just"anything.
    Its hard work being open to the present moment without choosing an outcome or manipulating the world..
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I agree with you @Chela especially in regards to diet. The more "wholesome" a diet is, the better off the body, mind and spirit is. I absolutely feel this when I am really mindful of my diet. It makes a huge impact. That doesn't mean I don't have a cheeseburger sometimes of course. But I don't eat them weekly or anything.
    riverflowchela
  • Any negative emotion arises from ignorance or the superimposing of inherent existence onto self and phenomena.

    Cut this root and there is nothing that can offend, be offended nor take offense. At that point all there is, is love.

    So if you want to go big, isolate inherent existence and meditate/investigate if it holds up to scrutiny.
    riverflowCittachela
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited March 2013
    Ah...I have just done a little research of my own and discovered that the concepts that you are describing Chela are neither Sutric nor from the Suttas but are part of the Abhidhamma corpus.
    Which is not a " wrong " approach to Dharma, but is an approach to Dharma which differs fundamentally from a non duality approach like Dzogchen.
    So I will wish you well and bow out.
    The alternative is to talk past each other as there is no commonality of means.

    Namaste.
  • chelachela Veteran
    Death is also the ending of suffering. But laying down on the ground and accepting everything that comes until you are no longer breathing is not what the Buddha taught, at least to my knowledge. Learning to look deeply into the nature of things and accept the nature is one thing. To give over all hope and will is another thing. We need balance- often referred to as The Middle Way.

    @ Citta the nutriments are discussed in the Samyutta Nikaya II (Discourse on Right View). I have learned about this through The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings. Thich Nhat Hanh writes on page 31:

    ...The Buddha said, "When something has come to be, we have to acknowledge its presence and look deeply into its nature. When we look deeply, we will discover the kinds of nutriments that have helped it come to be and that continue to feed it." He then elaborated four kinds of nutriments that can lead to our happiness or our suffering-- edible food, sense impressions, intention, and consciousness.
    riverflowkarasti
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited March 2013
    See my comments before your last post Chela. I will just say that " laying down on the ground and accepting everything that comes " is not what I said. But no matter. What I said is there IS no outside world...But
    The Dharma is a broad church.
    You have your way and I have mine.

    with metta.
  • chelachela Veteran
    edited March 2013
    I am a "New Buddhist" so thank you for being so forgiving of my ignorance of your way.
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    We are all New Buddhists perpetually Chela..forgive me for doubting a teaching which forms no part of my experience. Be well.
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
    karasti said:

    I guess where I run into the biggest problem is online. I have a pretty easy time seeing and accepting people and situations for what they are "it is what it is" in real life. But online, it seems so little really is what it is, you have to figure out what it is, and what you think it is, is often not what the other person thinks it is, and it leads to a lot of disagreement and chaos. It happens here, though far less so than it happens elsewhere. Then I find myself caught up in arguments because I want to make sure no one is misunderstanding me so I am always trying to clarify what I mean. Even though I know better than to even try to convince anyone of anything, lol.

    Funny, I feel that - at least with my social circle - that it's hard to explain oneself IRL as everyone is constantly talking and reacting and trying to be funny, not letting someone who's a bit more introspective like me get a word in to explain what I just said.
  • From what I understand, it is learning to let the world be ok to you. Facebook maybe a tool to spread compassion. otherwise, what is the point of beinging a boddhisattva if your going to try and run away from all beings?
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    I'm not trying to run away from all beings. Far from it. Even if I wanted to run away from a bunch, my husband and I both have HUGE families and spend a lot of time with them, lol. Anyhow, it's more so avoiding situations that I know are pointless to get into with people who don't want to listen. Yes, we need to deal with people and we can use a lot of situations to further our practice. But Buddha also warned about consorting with fools.
  • lobster said:

    How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace?
    Strangely enough equanimity is something we seek initially not all the time. However let us examine some more techniques:

    Ambient music is relaxing.

    How about a Buddha box - too kitsch? There may be something available for your smartphone or tablet.


    Gardening, even a window box, that is unwinding . . .
    I like to cook or empty the dishwasher or clean . . .
    I am sure I posted here on my bubble bath meditation . . .
    I used to burn a lot of incense and just sniff essential oils to trigger mood changes.
    Prostrations are good. Walking, exercise is good.
    We have one of those vibro things for chairs. I may give that a go . . .
    What you need is a range of activities, even some that seem a little 'new agey' . . .

    Hope some of those ideas are helpful

    :wave:

    On pandora dot com they have a yoga radio it has alot of Buddha chillout lounge music.
    lobster
  • Figuring out what things tend to completely set me off and reduce or stop my exposure to them. For instance, I don't want to be ill informed, but I do limit my consumption of news media as it tends to get me very angry. If people post a lot of things that end up on my facebook news feed that are going to be problematic to me, I change my settings so I have to go to their wall to see their posts -- I won't be randomly bombarded with them.

    I feel like it's walking a line sometimes -- I don't want to cut out people and information to the point that I feel like I'm living in a bubble, but too much of certain kinds of things does me harm when it comes to letting go of anger and developing compassion. I go through periods where I struggle very badly with those two things, anyway. I have felt at times that this tactic was merely avoidance and wondered was it really going to change anything or were my buttons just not being pushed as often. On the other hand perhaps it's giving me enough space to develop a more charitable attitude towards others so I won't be as bothered when stuff does come up. I don't really have an answer for that and it doesn't take much for me to slip back into old patterns, but I get tired of being angry so I avoid anyway.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    Yeah I think it is a fine line. We still have to live in the world and interact with the people in it, but at the same time protect our minds while we train and develop them. I imagine as others have said that it gets easier over time, and I have found that to be true. But then I get sucked right back in and it's like starting over again, like an alcoholic who falls off the wagon, and then the alcohol affects them even more when they start drinking again after being sober for a time. You pick up where you left off, basically. It's frustrating for sure! I want to protect my mind and my senses, but I don't want to be the crazy person in the corner with horse blinders on and my hands over my ears going "la la la la I'm not listening because you annoy me!!"
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    but I don't want to be the crazy person in the corner with horse blinders on and my hands over my ears going "la la la la I'm not listening because you annoy me!!"
    Where do you get your horse blinders, mine are slightly worn.
    In daily living we may come across the crazy, parents, children, fastbuck or twatter etc.
    Children being given up for adoption is probably not possible ;)

    You do not have to live in a Diogenes barrel to adopt a simpler lifestyle
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_living

    Just remember some people are convinced meditation is sitting in the corner with horse blinders on, hands over the ears going "la la la la" . . .
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    a nun suggested I try doing a form of tonglen
    Good advice.
    http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/tonglen1.php

    I sometimes use a mirror visualisation all around me.
    Basically all the positive energy, if any, from a person or situation is allowed in.
    The mirror then transforms their negative emanation and reflects it back as metta . . .
    Very helpful. :wave:
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited March 2013
    karasti said:

    How do you manage these things? How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace?

    By being vigilant in guarding the sense doors, at least on my good days.
  • karasti said:

    I read a line, many months ago, in the intro to the Way of the Bodhisattva, that says "The point is driven home that, whether one enters a monastery or prefers to remain in the lay condition, there can be no progress in concentration without a severe reduction in one's involvement in worldly affairs."

    I don't agree that there can be "no" progress. But I thought then, and still think now that the more we can reduce the influence of the "outside" world, the better our practice can be. Obviously, life is great practice. I don't mean to be a hermit and live in a cave and you'll be a better Buddhist. I'm a fan of the middle way.

    I definitely find that certain things push my buttons. I've made some progress in reducing and avoiding those things to keep my internal peace more stable, but sometimes it's really hard to avoid and still keep contact with friends and family. Sometimes I wish I could just remove myself from all of it, but for some reason I don't feel "free" to do so.

    For example, I've been highly irritated with various discussions on Facebook this morning. Now, I used to read media articles and the comments that accompany them and drive myself mad over them. I don't do that now. I got rid of pretty much all the media from my FB feed, I rarely watch national news or pay much attention to online news sites. I streamlined my Facebook to be about the people I care for and want to connect with, including friends and family I don't see often because they live long distances away. But along with that comes their posts and their anger and feelings on things they see in their world. I have a hard time stepping away from that and it impacts how I feel and my inner peace goes in the toilet.

    How do you manage these things? How do you prevent the outside chaos from destroying your inner peace? I frequently will take a day, or a few days and just don't use the internet at all. In one sense it's a very free feeling to not be tied to the world via computer and tv, but I do miss my friends and family. I'm just feeling irritated with it and I'm not sure what to do about it. So I'm curious what others do.

    Yes, for progress, why must one reduce or severe ties with worldly affair? Throughout his ministry, Buddha rubbed shoulders with kings and commoners alike. He did not just sit and meditate all day long, did he? How then could he teach?
  • edited March 2013
    Sit your butt down in the woods, mountains, along a river, etc. and listen to the sounds. It speaks only the truth.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    @lamaramadingdong
    I try to do that as often as I can :) I'm lucky to live so close to it, I have a lot of that in my backyard. But like you I had a knee injury that kept me on my butt much of the winter. I think I've just been having a lot of spring fever like a lot of people around, lol. Winter seems to be lasting forever, which usually isn't so bad but I haven't been able to ski or snowshoe or even go for hikes or walks. I'm going to snowshoe tomorrow for the first time in a year, hopefully it goes well! Having older kids in school, even if I try to avoid current events, they talk about it school so they bring it home and want to talk about it and so on.
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