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Am I just a half hearted Muslim? An incomprehensible Buddhist? A born never again Christian?
lobster
Crusty Veteran
Many Hindus consider the kitchen a shrine/devotional area. Cooking is an offering ... Muslims pray five times a day. Pagans see deity/wisdom/medecine in everything. Atheists are often more moral and ethical than the average Bodhi.
Am I just a half hearted Buddhist? 
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I don't understand the question, @lobster. Do you feel like you're not doing enough, compared to those other traditions? Those things that you list are all forms of mindfulness. If you meditate, and practice mindfulness and compassion as best you can, you're doing plenty.
BTW, why does the title to your thread say, "...half-hearted Muslim", while the text of it says "...half-hearted Buddhist"?
Fair enough. Will change it ...
That was supposed to make it clearer? I still don't get it. Unless my first guess was right--do you feel like you're not doing enough? I bet you're just fine.
Am fairly perplexed, too, @Dakini.
Sorry guys. The question is very simple ...
Are YOU a half hearted Buddhist unable to unravel and focus on what will change YOUR perplexed situation?
Clear enough? Are you able to answer? Sorry for confusing you with [insert my usual red herring chase option] We can talk about me, other religions, others efforts if you prefer ...
@lobster, the question is redundant before being asked.
We're not half-hearted at all.
But we're all striving.
And striving is the Path.
What counts is the Journey, not the Destination.
Until such a time as we see the 'Welcome, Guys!!' banner, we're ALL Half-Hearted, but with a fervent wish to complete the missing half....
...And for the record, our Devotion is widespread, and is housed in no particular location, be it the kitchen, garden, meditation corner or even the bathroom.
Being Selectively Buddhist is just as good as being no Buddhist at all.
Not unable but sometimes unwilling. When the boil needs to be lanced the lancet must go to the core to gain lasting relief. It takes vigor and courage to proceed. Just a spoon full of practice helps the medicine go down.
Tee Hee @grackle. Exactly so.
Vigor, courage and practice, whatever the Way. Preferably Middle of course ...
All of us and by that I mean at least me, are half hearted. We have to continually apply, develop and sustain determination ... On a forum we are fortunate to have some companions who inspire and encourage our efforts ...
The thing is, it's worthwhile to accept that we are all just continuously evolving seekers on the path to enlightenment. At the moment we are exploring Buddhism, but at some point we may feel drawn to Taoism (or take your pick), and we may take a little side jaunt off the Path... does that make us half hearted Buddhists? Perhaps, but it also makes us half-hearted Taoists, and so entirely full-hearted seekers.
Deep inside it is your intuition that guides you. You can't use reason to pick your way through the spiritual landscape, 'unravelling' is a poor approach. Choose what speaks to your heart, what resonates with you. And if that includes doing time as a neo-sufi then so be it.
The one area where I feel this is not the case is meditation, where a steady practice and careful and caring application of effort will eventually bear fruit. In my opinion it is a pillar of the spiritual path that should be practiced continuously, regardless of what spiritual tradition currently has centre stage.
Good answer @Kerome many thanks.
I agree that we need a pillar of intention/practice. Like you, mine is meditation. However
I do find that the understanding and emphasis of dharma on the mind sometimes leaves us with a gap ...
For example devotional mysticism is often more heart orientated. Yoga and tai chi, walking meditation etc are being taught as 'buddhist style practices' body meditations in dharma settings. Intuition and imagination are emphasised more in magickal systems. Earth based religions, have a potentially stronger insight into nature. We can with out doubt find similar teachings in dharma ...
That as you say is being full hearted ...
Yes, I've spent some time exploring different approaches and experimenting, and while it's fascinating the contradictions can be confusing at times. I think it's good to settle on a "core" practice, something that works for you and provides some continuity. For me it's satipatthana practice ( basically mindfulness ) which can be made quite simple, and which can be applied anywhere/anytime.
I totally agree that mindfulness is very valuable, both as a way of creating presence, and as a method for sharpening insight. Another area I feel is valuable is "wisdom transmission", usually as discourses: I find if the discourse is from J. Krishnamurti it can be as valuable as one by Thich Nhat Hanh. Maybe not one pillar, but three.
I've had "Buddhist study fatigue" at least once in the past year, where I needed to lay off dharma talks and refresh myself with a couple of weeks of Osho lectures on Tantra. Somehow the Buddhist attitude to striving was causing me trouble, while a sudden crash course in the full acceptance methodology of Hindu Tantra was a great answer.
It seems being half-hearted at anything would require intention. Or more, perhaps, lack of intention. Sometimes a moment may feel hopeless or half-hearted but if we can look and learn something from it, is it really? Sometimes, a person has to back off a major commitment in order to remain committed, if that makes sense? For me, anyways. There are things within my teacher's curriculum that I am fully devoted to, but get so incredibly mundane and repetitive (literally, thousands of repetitions) that there are days I think it's simply pointless. Those days, I back off. Same with any life practice. Half-hearted? I don't think so even though occasionally guilt brings me there. But that my heart isn't in it is why I back off and re-group out of respect for the practice and my dedication to it and the 3 Jewels.
I don't think seeking or being unsure means we are half-hearted. To me, half-hearted implies indifference.
Ah...I get it now.
My thoughts on your question, @lobster - are similar to @karasti's.
I think being half-hearted is one of the most fleeting of emotions - almost non-existent but mainly describes those who find life in this world such a daunting, depressing challenge that they mostly stay in bed and pull the covers up over their heads and say 'fug it.' Sure - 'sitting' seems like nothing's happening - but we know different.
Thanks guys.
Are we a transient interaction of intention, capacity, discipline, commitment etc and our unpolished/unrealised/human selves? I certainly am.
It is why again and again, as much as possible the effort is to be inspired, learn and increasingly make efforts. That is why good company, sangha, others efforts are shared ...
For example political Buddhism does not activate me
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_Peace_Fellowship
I am inclined to go inside increasingly, which has its own outer shine.
Another example ... mmm ... nope I will leave that for others to find for me - I like to think it is my Boddhisattva inducing duty. Did I go wrong again? Tsk, tsk ...