Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Are you a Dharma snob?
lobster
Crusty Veteran
I think I am. 
Each of these things I think of as almost dharma or pretend dharma:
- New Age Buddhism
- One trick ponies, one sadhana, mantra etc
- Part time dharma
- Follow the leader/teacher/head cabbage
My Dharma must be genuine because:
- I practice
... can not think of anything else I do. Oh yes, feel superior, oops failed again?
At the moment I am on solo retreat, so far my failures include:
- twisting my right knee through mindless yoga sitting
- ravaging the emergency biscuit and chocolate stash (all chocolate gone)
- eating carnivore fish, pig products and not feeling compassion
- having two jukuzi type bubble (meditation) baths a day
- using social media
May have to invoke Spaghetti Monster Buddha for empowerment ...
7
Comments
My Dharma is bigger then yours.
It is true, for it is written by a long-time-dead-guy ,in the book of holy verses.
Page 1, verse 192837129837192832.
You do not posses the awesome powers to summon the Spaghetti Monster Buddha, only members of MY Sangha can do that.
That is written also, somewere.
I do not to believe my brand of Buddhism is better than other brands of Buddhism. Superior, Name Brand Buddhism versus generic Buddhism or any such thing. But often find myself having such delusional thoughts as "If more people only practiced Buddhism the world would be so much better." For all I know it would be much worse.
All hail the Spaghetti Monster and its sidekick ChocolateAndBiscuits!
@Lobster
Dharma snob retreat blues.
If with each moment,
a new being secedes the last,
what then is a retreat
outside our time's passage?
Dharmic truth or folly
and it's practitioner now past,
leaves who to deal with
all the carry on baggage?
It can be a rewarding job, becoming a Dharma snob-practising the Dharma can improve the quality of Karma, and the perks are just great, once through the gate-less gate
(So "I" have heard
Indeed @how
I feel this baggage of nonsensical judgement, personal preference undervaluing peoples present. The idea of letting go is all very well until we evaluate, differentiate, attach to our folly or insight etc.
Yesterday I had to crawl around. Today my knee has healed. By the time dawn had finished this wake up display:
I was back to contemplating a fruitarian breakfast. However by the end of the day I was back on tuna and choccy cookies.
My intentions are so good. My resolve is weak. Hopefully I will throw it out altogether. Soon I will be in the enviable position of being able to judge myself as a dharmic failure ...
Maybe I can be a Taoist ...
Be kind guys, I haz lost the plot
That is a truly breathtaking picture, lobbie. What did you say?
Sorry, I saw the picture and everything else disappeared without even a 'pop'.
Just goes to show, the claw is mightier than the shell cracker.
Now where was I? Oh yes.
Me thimks we all be dharma snobs at one time er 'nother.. er 'nother.. er 'nother...
OK lobs, you not failure. You just human. Get right back up on that tricycle and go fer it!
Oh, and watch out for that hot chocolate and the dharma cookies. (snap fingers) That's right you did.
Glad to hear you've healed up.
Peace to all
Actually, I am inwardly pretty convinced everyone would benefit from contact with the Dharma.
Naturally, that is something I usually keep to myself, except when I meet my friends for coffee and there is this usual exchange on "Thank God for this...," "May God have mercy for that..."
Then I realize we all have our personal path to tread, and I must seem as biased and limited to them in their eyes as they are in mine.
We all suffer from cognitive dissonance at some point and will inevitably ignore or deny anything that does not fit our beliefs.
May sound odd but in a way we are all living the dharma perfectly.
I certainly can be a dharma snob but I wouldn't stop loving anybody just because I see things differently.
I definitely think people benefit from exposure to the Dharma. But as soon as you tell them "that sounds like Buddhism!" they back off. It seems more important they have exposure to the core values (which most religions provide if they so choose to focus on those things) than the exact terms and labels.
If you take the core of what Buddhism is without the explanation around it, it's the same as the core of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Paganism and so many other things. You cannot tell them apart. If you were to take a test on what the core values of each religion were, you wouldn't be able to select which one focuses on kindness or compassion or helping the needy. Because they all are based on those things. Just some have kept their focus a bit better than others (based on what the leadership has been doing and how it's passed down).
Kindness, compassion, treat other people well, caring for yourself and others-that's human nature (I believe so anyhow). The different religions just are paths for us to figure that out and some go astray. Even in Buddhism some go astray. Those values are not exclusive to any religion. But the 10 commandments, the 4 Noble Truths, they are the Trademarked way for people on that path to attempt to achieve those things.
I wish people were more open to all wisdom traditions. There are things to learn from all of them, but the labels put up fences. I wish so many Christians weren't so afraid, because their fear of hell and Satan doesn't serve them well. Or anyone else, really.
It's funny, thinking back to the dharma snob question, can any of us really be snobs when we talk about those core values: kindness, compassion, etc? I don't think so. It's the details we get snobbish about. The commandments, the noble truths, the precepts. It's those details we use to judge others by.
How does part time Dharma work ?
The problem is, theistic religions also mandate faith in their respective deity/deities. It is kindness/compassion alongside being a subject to God. While of course practitioners of these faith traditions may be kind and compassionate people and act accordingly, that's not to say that the core of the religion is such. What's more, I think it varies wildly from denomination to denomination (to be a nitpicky brat
). For instance, I would not say that Protestant Christianity's core is kindness and compassion. It's having faith that humans are inherently sinful so that Jesus could save humanity from sin by being incarnated and dying on the cross and all that stuff. Sola fide, as the Lutherans put it - actions count for nothing. However, Catholics tend to have a longer history of helping the poor and needy (in addition to other things...).
Thanks guys.
That pic is the Buddha who looked after me during my snobby retreat. She is wearing my mala, made of African necklace and Arabic zhikr beads.
I managed to do yoga and chi kung before meditating before her.
OM MANI PEME HUM HRIH
Well my diet improved. I did not distract myself by watching any TV ... but used my Ipad extensively ... not much of a retreat but I have not been hard core for a while now ...
Indeed
As a bored again Buddhist ... eh born only once ... I will be prepared to relate in the vernacular of the anti-Buddha (a sort of baggage free aunty-Christ) ...
Beliefs are not much use to me personally. I prefer knowledge and skilful means. For me that is dharma no matter how weak ...
I like what @karasti had to say. Find the core is my plan ...
I'm an ex dharma snob. Now I'm just a snob.
One can be snob about anything. Even about snobbiness itself.
There has to be standards...
Be really happy you have the opportunity to do such amazing things with your life. Dharma practice, going on retreat -- even if it is a "luxury" -- is helping you (and the rest of us) become truer to our deepest condition.
Not to be stern, just sayin'! I love the dharma so much, it has truly changed my whole life. That said, it should never be a substitute for who you are in the world, it should be that which opens you up and lets you be a free human being.
@how Oh those heavy loads we carry so unnecessarily
@how if only the forest could take the quills from the porcupine...
(your poem was really beautiful and I wanted to reply in verse)
Tee Hee!
Now that I am back in the unreal world, I am thinking of who to love?
Terrorists? Maybe tomorrow ... Too hard! Difficult family members? Too much trouble ...
My thoughts maybe? ... mmm now you are talking ...
I may set up a shrine ...