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Hello All!
Kenneth
Veteran
Greetings from Athens, Georgia. I've been meditating daily for a few months and have reached the point where I'm starting to "get" the mindfulness aspect of it as opposed to treating it like simple relaxation therapy. So it feels like a good time to start building on my meditation practice by starting on the Noble Eightfold Path. I'm coming at this from the secular side and am basically agnostic about supernatural claims in general, so karmic rebirth is not a focus for me. I say this with complete respect for all who do accept that teaching. I hope and trust that will not be an issue here. Anyway, I'm glad to be here and hope to learn, contribute and to get to know you all. 
3
Comments
Hello backatcha!
"Kia Ora!" @Kenneth
Noble Eight Fold Path?
Did I miss something again?
Oh yes I remembers:
Right Rulz
Right this and that
Be good and kind and stuff.
Hi @Kenneth, how you doing with all those suggestions?
Hi...nice to meet you!! I have family in Macon...Waynesboro...and Ellaville. C'mon in....can i
pour ya a sweet tea...
Welcome @Kenneth. Hope you find something useful here.
Rather than suspecting your doubts might disqualify you from participation, I hope you will try to understand that those doubts make you an instant member of the club.
Gautama (he's the one most often referred to as the "Buddha") left strict instructions that individuals should verify his teachings in their own experience.
He wasn't just making nice or whilstlin' "Dixie."
We iz in club? I doubt that ... which would mean membership. mmm ...
Cancel doubt ... wait ... [lobster rambles off into sunset ...]
@Kenneth Do you practice mindfulness of breathing? If so then how do you practice it?
Thanks to all for the warm welcome
@Cinorjer Hello to you!
@Shoshin I had to look that up and check the pronunciation. Kia Ora! to you too! That's a keeper. I'm at a university and I have met some NZ folks on campus from time to time. It will be cool to greet them with that.
@lobster Early days on the path. I'm better at seeing afterward where I fell short then getting it right in the first place, but hey at least I'm starting to see it. Speech and Metta are where I'm trying to focus now since those are always in the everyday experience.
@Vastmind Good to meet some one else from these parts. Full disclosure: I'm actually New Jersey born and Pennsylvania raised, but I've been in Athens for 30 years and I do like sweet tea (and grits) so maybe I can pass
@genkaku Yes one of the attractions of Buddhism for me is Gautama's emphasis on experience. The cognitive dissonance imposed by "believe this or else" creeds has probably driven more good, thinking people from various faiths than anything else. Driven out or driven underground-which just ain't healthy.
@bookworm Well, my mindful meditation is pretty conventional and just emerging really. I usually start with counting to ten and then back down a few times to try to quiet things down and then seem to spontaneously drop the counting at some point and just focus on the breath, noting thoughts and letting them go. But the cool thing is that lately I've sometimes been able to name some of the persistent thoughts "attachment" or "ego" to cite a couple of examples, as I let them go, which seems to be helpful.
Much to learn
The only thing I know about Athens, Georgia is that it's where the band REM are from.
Good luck with your practice. Lots of patience and persistence required....
Greetings from Fuerteventura!
@JohnMac Had to look that up. Looks like a great place!
@Bunks Yep, REM and also Widespread Panic. The B52s too, but they split for New York at the earliest opportunity..
Same latitude as Florida, Kenneth, and the same weather, just a lot smaller!