Old but good threads

Jeroen · March 2020

I’ve recently been digging more into the past of our forum, because often questions that we come up with have been asked before. And in reading these old threads I often come up with some good stuff, so I thought I would create a thread where we can put references to old threads that we’ve read and that have been relevant for us, just to share with other forum members what is going on.

Today I was reading about the “Just Sitting” meditation, or shikantaza in Zen. It is one of my favourites, and I often practice it for clarity of mind, and I came across this:

This is a poetic description of shikantaza or “Just sitting”. It can't be deconstructed, only suggested poetically, and practised in a leap. . This Zen Buddhist way ain't everyone's cup of tea, and it is no better or worse than any other. If this description rings a bell, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Either way, no problem.

From @richardh’s opening post in https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/14290/just-sitting/p1

Its a longish thread with some gems about Just Sitting and Zen, and also some fractious toing and froing with banned ex-members. But it does present different views about whether just sitting is a path to the cessation of dhukkha, or just a pausing of it.

federica · March 2020

Mod. Note:

This isn't a problem, the issue with me is actually reviving threads that are way past their logical renewal. However, I let one pass recently, because the original poster re-opened their own thread, so that doesn't count...

Jeroen · March 2020

I don’t think we actually need to revive old threads, but we can discuss them here, if people are interested. It means we don’t get the forum being spammed with old threads, but we have a place where we can put a post about an old thread.

Jeroen · March 2020

I was reading this thread of people’s stories of how they encountered Buddhism, while searching through the forum’s history on the Dhammapada. Just some very nice and inspirational tales!

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/502776#Comment_502776

Jeroen · April 2020

If you do a forum search on “Sutra Club” there are some cool older discussions that come up.

Jeroen · April 2020

This is a good intro to Ajahn Chah by BikkhuJayasera

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/17466/ajahn-chah

Jeroen · April 2020

Here is BhikkhuJayasara’s own discussion of his path

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/21837/student-of-the-path/p1

Jeroen · April 2020

Here’s a fun old thread about the four efforts

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/23061/the-four-efforts

Jeroen · May 2020

Here’s a thread about dealing with death and cancer

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/24465/words-of-wisdom-from-a-dying-friend

Jeroen · May 2020

Here’s a fun thread about attachment to views

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/20119/attachment-to-views-can-you-laugh-at-yourself-your-beliefs-practices

Jeroen · May 2020

This was a good discussion about the importance of believing in rebirth

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/26236/how-important-is-belief-in-rebirth/p1

Jeroen · May 2020

This thread about the love-shaped hole in Buddhism reflects some differing views

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/25392/love-shaped-hole-in-buddhism/p1

Jeroen · June 2020

Discussing the documentary about the Osho commune in Oregon, the US in the 1980’s

https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/25545/wild-wild-country/p1

Alex · June 2020

During this lockdown period, I have been on quite the spiritual odyssey, having participated in ; Zen (of a very tradition style, Zafus, black robes, etc.,), Theravada, Nichiren, Plum Village, Christian meditation (John Main - effectively, mantra meditation), Ignatian prayer and spirituality, Triratna, Quakerism. I have attended multiple Zoom meetings for all of these and found the old threads very useful to gain information and viewpoints, very informative.