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I suppose the proper thing to do in my first post is to introduce myself, even though I wonder why anyone would be interested. From my own perspective, I am about the most boring person in the world. Maybe other people feel that way about themselves, too.
I somehow felt obligated to register to this site. I started reading some of the threads, and I got this uneasy feeling, like I was reading somebody else’s mail. So I registered. The “Buddhism for Atheists” forum caught my eye. Seemed like a place where I could hang out and express my current level of ignorance without having somebody jump all over me.
Oh, yeah. My boring life. Although it seems like I have always been interested in Eastern philosophy, my explorations of Buddhism didn’t really become serious until about fifteen years ago, when I was released from a chemical dependency rehabilitation center. I’d spent on the order of seventeen years in jail and out of jail, searching …
A certain amount of serendipity: Less than two months out of rehab, I stumbled across a Theravada teacher, and a few months later, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. I got a job mopping floors, scraped together enough money to attend school part-time, and finished my M.A. I’ve been living in Asia for the last ten years now. Currently I quite happily reside in the PRC where I am struggling to learn the Chinese language.
I am getting old, or at least middle-aged. It’s a realization that still surprises me when I think about it, but I have noticed that t I no longer have much time for nonsense. When we begin any new endeavor, we tend to be a bit like puppies, sniffing around, exploring … in many ways, this is a young person’s job; in fact, if we don’t do that, we would be somehow failing ourselves. But after we finish sniffing around we need to take stock of what we have found. I’d guess that I’m kind of at that stage right now.
In some ways, the second generation of Buddhist scholars is doing exactly that. They are not so much the starry-eyed group that introduced Buddhism to the West. They are the Alan Coles, not the Robert Thurmans.
So at the moment my practice consists more of paring away, disposing of chaff …. deepening. Nonetheless, I’ve noticed that throughout my life, my opinions keep changing. What makes me think I’ve got it right this time? I try not to cling to my opinions. I don’t always succeed. One should remain open-minded, but skeptical.
My practice has been reduced to the Anapanasati Sutta, the Satipatthana Sutta, and the Kalama Sutta. I don’t know if more is necessary [although I do still read Stephen Batchelor for time to time].
I have broken decisively with Tibetan Buddhism [and Mahayana in general]. I’ve read entirely too much history by now to be taken in by their line of thought, although I was once a Believer. I suppose that would make me a heretic, a term that I am quite comfortable with.
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited September 2007
We've had a recent influx of new members and visitors joining us recently, so I'd just like to take the opportunity of welcoming them all and inviting them to 'officially' say hello here. But it's really nice to see you all, and we're delighted to have you aboard!
hi all,
been long time since my last post.some time ago when i tried to post here i couldnt login.thankfully after changing my password i can join in again,what a relief.that's all for now,i'll be back(with arnold's accent)
I am semi-retired and live in California. I've been interested in Buddhism since high school, when I read J.D. Salinger's books. I wanted to understand them better, and so I researched. I feel very drawn to Eastern philosophy and hope to share and learn on this forum.
I am an island of ego at sea, but in my symbolism (I'm a poet) all islands are in an archipelago, interconnected with each other in an ecology of psyche and spirit.
I was trained to do Vispassana sitting meditation even before I really knew what Buddhism was. Zen began to appeal more to me, partly due to the aesthetic influences it has had (I am a poet LOL). I have been practicing both a bit back and forth for 15 years.
I was a professor at UC Berkeley. I resigned, fed up with the petty bickering, and went on to write, mostly haiku related poetry. I also threw myself into Eastern philosophy and Western psychology.
Currently I am training to become a psychotherapist at an institute that has East/West leanings. I have been trained as a suicide prevention and crisis counselor by a Tibetan Buddhist so already have some experience in the field.
I live in Santa Cruz, California--a beach town often called "Surf City" though there is a University here which makes for a lively interchange. My first love is the ocean so I would like to move to Hawaii and set up there. I love snorkeling and would like to go everyday. Plus the University there has extensive Asian studies programs and Buddhism and philosophy. I want to study for the rest of my life, especially classical Japanese so that I can read texts in the original. I translate haiku online for poetry sites, but would benefit from expert instruction.
My totem animal is the sea turtle and I have one tattooed on my writing wrist to remind me of what it symbolizes--compassion.
I am an island of ego at sea, but in my symbolism (I'm a poet) all islands are in an archipelago, interconnected with each other in an ecology of psyche and spirit.
I was trained to do Vispassana sitting meditation even before I really knew what Buddhism was. Zen began to appeal more to me, partly due to the aesthetic influences it has had (I am a poet LOL). I have been practicing both a bit back and forth for 15 years.
I was a professor at UC Berkeley. I resigned, fed up with the petty bickering, and went on to write, mostly haiku related poetry. I also threw myself into Eastern philosophy and Western psychology.
Currently I am training to become a psychotherapist at an institute that has East/West leanings. I have been trained as a suicide prevention and crisis counselor by a Tibetan Buddhist so already have some experience in the field.
I live in Santa Cruz, California--a beach town often called "Surf City" though there is a University here which makes for a lively interchange. My first love is the ocean so I would like to move to Hawaii and set up there. I love snorkeling and would like to go everyday. Plus the University there has extensive Asian studies programs and Buddhism and philosophy. I want to study for the rest of my life, especially classical Japanese so that I can read texts in the original. I translate haiku online for poetry sites, but would benefit from expert instruction.
My totem animal is the sea turtle and I have one tattooed on my writing wrist to remind me of what it symbolizes--compassion.
Good to meet you, Island. Love the sea image. My own is more derived from the Sufis: a desert dotted with oases among which I wander. Or else, a dark forest with clearings: my 'totem animal' whom I met during a sweat on retreat is the Cave Bear: a vegetarian living in forests and now extinct. I feel great affinity with it LOL. (Never managed to get on with Jean Auel's books tho')
I am semi-retired and live in California. I've been interested in Buddhism since high school, when I read J.D. Salinger's books. I wanted to understand them better, and so I researched. I feel very drawn to Eastern philosophy and hope to share and learn on this forum.
Hello Cocobird.
Isn't it fun to hear the different ways we all came to an interest in the Dharma? Perhaps it's time to have another thread on the topic.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited January 2008
Oh my goodness, Island, hang on... haven't we met....?
Remind me, do, I'm so bad with turtles.....!!
Well, no man is an island... Oh wait, someone already used that line!
Good to meet you, island. Your career path sounds fascinating. You know, I had the same reaction to academia, except I left a little earlier on in the cycle before you did (i.e. before I completed my PhD). All the bickering and egos and petty spats. What did that have to do with anything? I've never regretted leaving.
Good luck on your study. At one point in my life I was very interested in Japanese and haikus and all that. I was stationed there in the Air Force and was tempted to just stay and live there. But karma is karma, and that wasn't in the cards. Not that I'm complaining.
I would be interested in learning more about the symbolism of the sea turtle. How does it symbolize compassion? Just curious. I like sea turtles, and compassion does fit them. I think my totem is a kite as twice I've encountered black-shouldered kites here where there shouldn't be any. It kind of fits because a kite represents adaptability and flexibility in the totem world, and that's me. They're also associated with the spirit world. Hmmm...
No man is an island, that's the whole point of the symbol for me and a poetic/symbolic system I call the Archipelago. It is too detailed (and idiosyncratic) to go into in depth right now, but briefly I will explain the sea turtle.
I color code my files on my computer (and elsewhere) using the prism colors which happen to correspond roughly to the chakras. (I'm not sure I believe in chakras, but I like synchronicities so I run with them.) Anyway, in the very center of the colors is green of course, with blue/aqua on one side and yellow on the other. So it is the very center and balancing point. Also it happens to be the heart chakra. So just symbolically according to a way of systematizing things with color and ocean imagery, it has come to represent the core of compassion. Even the tattoo is green in color.
Beyond that there are more personal reasons for the sea turtle choice. they have to do with gentleness, no harm, long memory, faithfulness, search for home, carrying one's home on one's back, being all soft inside even with a seeming carapace, and so on.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited January 2008
Just as an aside, how would I go about finding my 'Totem animal'? I would love to know....
Gee, my totems just came to me so I don't know. I have one for each area of my life--all sea creatures with the exception of the water tiger, the year of my birth, and symbol of power in reserve and fierceness.
You have a bear as your avatar/icon; are you sympathetic with them?
Did you have an encounter in nature or as a child that meant something with you that you could associate to a quality you admire and would like to foster?
I find you humble, yet strong. Gentle and compassionate. Open and understanding. You care about others and their welfare. You are almost too willing to admit mistakes; in my view sometimes they are not mistakes at all though people have taken them that way. You ready to stand up for what you believe, stand up against injustice, and stand up for yourself and for others. You are also a peacemaker.
Does that description fit? And if so, does it conjure a particular animal or thing in nature?
Were I to guess, I would chose a nurturing and somewhat social animal. A dolphin perhaps, but that is my bias toward the sea. There are plenty of other animals that fit the description.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited January 2008
I chose Pooh bear because of the quotation in my signature, which describes me to a 'T'.... , But I've always been attracted to wolves.... In fact, I am training to be a Dog Whisperer... I love dogs, but they are all similar in the sense that they all have the same 'orgins'... in the wolf-pack. The care and discipline is simple but effective. The way they interact is decisive and simple, but again, it's very ordered and organised.
I just did an on-line quiz to determine a way of narrowing down the search... and 'Wolf' came out as top answer.
so I guess, this is how my totem animal has manifested.
It fits.
Wolf is a good one. I type out a wolf when I chat online all the time. It goes:
=^|^=
Maybe you would consider finding a new avatar/icon to match your newly chosen totem? It might be fun. I'll change mine too, though it is bound to be another turtle.
I think my totem animal is the wolf too! I used to have a lot of dreams about them and they kept cropping up in my life out of nowhere. It's strange though because of my deep, deep love for cats. Can totem animals change as we age? I wonder. Because now I have dreams with cats in them. A lot of cats. Probably doesn't mean anything. But you never know...
Anyway, it's great to meet new members and I'm so glad you're here.
I like wolves too. Once back in Maryland someone showed up with a pet wolf, a huge, lovable beast. I immediately fell in love with it. I took it for a walk around one of our stupas, or rather it took me for a walk around the stupa. It seemed to know exactly what to do, which way to walk around. What a beautiful animal! Dogs are cool, but there's something about a wolf...
Hello Newbuddhists,
I was referred here by a member of another forum who said it has been true sangha for her over the years. Briefly I'm a 40 something guy who has read alot about Buddhism over the years but never quite clicked into a regular practice. I've sat regularly for a couple of years with varying success and now also sit at a local Shambhala group once a week which has been very helpful. I have a pretty busy life and two small boys (6 and 9) so it's been hard for me to attend retreats or other sorts of activities that might be helpful in deepening my practice.
Anyway, I've begun reading back over some of the old threads and it looks like a great group. Looking forward to getting to know you.
Welcome, Ben. I hope our little forum will be of use to you. I'm sure you will find others who share similar lifestyles which limit the amount of time one has to practice. Certainly that would describe most of us! It's difficult to juggle the demands of family and the desire to practice Dharma in this so-called modern world of ours (AKA degenerate times), so basically you just do the best you can. To practice Dharma at any level in these times is wonderful and amazing!
Thank you so much. It's been a long hard slog getting back here but from reading some of the posts it would seem that I am not the only one to have gone through a lot bad times in the last 12 months.
I was invited here by Brigid. I am a social worker treating sexually abused, reactive, and offending children. I took refuge in March of last year. I used to be a Catholic priest. I am gay, single, and have a cat who is very annoying at the moment. There, I think that should do it for now.
I was invited here by Brigid. I am a social worker treating sexually abused, reactive, and offending children. I took refuge in March of last year. I used to be a Catholic priest. I am gay, single, and have a cat who is very annoying at the moment. There, I think that should do it for now.
So, fairly hum-drum, non-eventful quiet laid-back life then....!
Any friend of Boo's is a friend of ours!
You are most welcome to our forum, and it's a pleasure to meet you !
Sorry about the cat. Have you tried Dominoes? it keeps them entertained for hours, you know....
Still, it doesn't sound as if it's something you can't handle....;)
I joined this forum a few months ago and I thought it was time to say hi. I normally frequent another Buddhist forum, but OH MY GOD! This place is so refreshing! I mean the people here are so nice to each other! At the other site I was becoming hesitant to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed. There are some very nice and helpful people there, but they seem to be outnumbered. I noticed that whenever a member would post a question or a comment, the subject would become hijacked by some very opininated people. Anyway, I am fairly new to Buddhism and I feel very comfortable here, no wonder I see some familiar names at this forum. (the nicer people!)
Anyway, I look forward to talking to you all in the near future.:bowdown::cheer:
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2008
I'm sorry, this is men's wear... have you tried the gardening section....?
Hi you, and welcome!
New members abound, this is great! It's so nice to have some fresh blood in the building!!
No fingerprints, no mugshots, no rap sheet.... Just a cup of tea and some friendly chat and banter.
A lot of it very educational....
I couldn't agree more with your first post. This is my original sangha and having seen how things go down on other forums I'm full of admiration for how this one is run. We've had our share of arguments, don't get me wrong. But nothing to compare to the other place. And our arguments are usually on topic, too. We can say almost anything here and won't be ridiculed or belittled for it, which makes this a safe place to learn and discuss. When arguments here start to get personal we've got excellent moderators who step in and get things back on track. Boundaries are good.
Comments
I somehow felt obligated to register to this site. I started reading some of the threads, and I got this uneasy feeling, like I was reading somebody else’s mail. So I registered. The “Buddhism for Atheists” forum caught my eye. Seemed like a place where I could hang out and express my current level of ignorance without having somebody jump all over me.
Oh, yeah. My boring life. Although it seems like I have always been interested in Eastern philosophy, my explorations of Buddhism didn’t really become serious until about fifteen years ago, when I was released from a chemical dependency rehabilitation center. I’d spent on the order of seventeen years in jail and out of jail, searching …
A certain amount of serendipity: Less than two months out of rehab, I stumbled across a Theravada teacher, and a few months later, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. I got a job mopping floors, scraped together enough money to attend school part-time, and finished my M.A. I’ve been living in Asia for the last ten years now. Currently I quite happily reside in the PRC where I am struggling to learn the Chinese language.
I am getting old, or at least middle-aged. It’s a realization that still surprises me when I think about it, but I have noticed that t I no longer have much time for nonsense. When we begin any new endeavor, we tend to be a bit like puppies, sniffing around, exploring … in many ways, this is a young person’s job; in fact, if we don’t do that, we would be somehow failing ourselves. But after we finish sniffing around we need to take stock of what we have found. I’d guess that I’m kind of at that stage right now.
In some ways, the second generation of Buddhist scholars is doing exactly that. They are not so much the starry-eyed group that introduced Buddhism to the West. They are the Alan Coles, not the Robert Thurmans.
So at the moment my practice consists more of paring away, disposing of chaff …. deepening. Nonetheless, I’ve noticed that throughout my life, my opinions keep changing. What makes me think I’ve got it right this time? I try not to cling to my opinions. I don’t always succeed. One should remain open-minded, but skeptical.
My practice has been reduced to the Anapanasati Sutta, the Satipatthana Sutta, and the Kalama Sutta. I don’t know if more is necessary [although I do still read Stephen Batchelor for time to time].
I have broken decisively with Tibetan Buddhism [and Mahayana in general]. I’ve read entirely too much history by now to be taken in by their line of thought, although I was once a Believer. I suppose that would make me a heretic, a term that I am quite comfortable with.
The origin of my nick:
http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/skyburial.htm
“ … there are elements of impurity associated with the 'butchers' who are members of the ragyaba, a socially marginal group”
I don’t intend to post often. I hope I can post well.
Good luck to everyone.
been long time since my last post.some time ago when i tried to post here i couldnt login.thankfully after changing my password i can join in again,what a relief.that's all for now,i'll be back(with arnold's accent)
I am semi-retired and live in California. I've been interested in Buddhism since high school, when I read J.D. Salinger's books. I wanted to understand them better, and so I researched. I feel very drawn to Eastern philosophy and hope to share and learn on this forum.
Isn't 707 (the number of your post on this thread) the Cosine of a 45 degree angle?
WAY COOL OMEN of a bird taking off in flight.
Come and visit with us when you're not soaring.
Welcome to our forum coco!!
I was trained to do Vispassana sitting meditation even before I really knew what Buddhism was. Zen began to appeal more to me, partly due to the aesthetic influences it has had (I am a poet LOL). I have been practicing both a bit back and forth for 15 years.
I was a professor at UC Berkeley. I resigned, fed up with the petty bickering, and went on to write, mostly haiku related poetry. I also threw myself into Eastern philosophy and Western psychology.
Currently I am training to become a psychotherapist at an institute that has East/West leanings. I have been trained as a suicide prevention and crisis counselor by a Tibetan Buddhist so already have some experience in the field.
I live in Santa Cruz, California--a beach town often called "Surf City" though there is a University here which makes for a lively interchange. My first love is the ocean so I would like to move to Hawaii and set up there. I love snorkeling and would like to go everyday. Plus the University there has extensive Asian studies programs and Buddhism and philosophy. I want to study for the rest of my life, especially classical Japanese so that I can read texts in the original. I translate haiku online for poetry sites, but would benefit from expert instruction.
My totem animal is the sea turtle and I have one tattooed on my writing wrist to remind me of what it symbolizes--compassion.
Good to meet you, Island. Love the sea image. My own is more derived from the Sufis: a desert dotted with oases among which I wander. Or else, a dark forest with clearings: my 'totem animal' whom I met during a sweat on retreat is the Cave Bear: a vegetarian living in forests and now extinct. I feel great affinity with it LOL. (Never managed to get on with Jean Auel's books tho')
Hello Cocobird.
Isn't it fun to hear the different ways we all came to an interest in the Dharma? Perhaps it's time to have another thread on the topic.
Remind me, do, I'm so bad with turtles.....!!
Hello you!
Welcome aboard!! Tea??
Good to meet you, island. Your career path sounds fascinating. You know, I had the same reaction to academia, except I left a little earlier on in the cycle before you did (i.e. before I completed my PhD). All the bickering and egos and petty spats. What did that have to do with anything? I've never regretted leaving.
Good luck on your study. At one point in my life I was very interested in Japanese and haikus and all that. I was stationed there in the Air Force and was tempted to just stay and live there. But karma is karma, and that wasn't in the cards. Not that I'm complaining.
I would be interested in learning more about the symbolism of the sea turtle. How does it symbolize compassion? Just curious. I like sea turtles, and compassion does fit them. I think my totem is a kite as twice I've encountered black-shouldered kites here where there shouldn't be any. It kind of fits because a kite represents adaptability and flexibility in the totem world, and that's me. They're also associated with the spirit world. Hmmm...
Palzang
I color code my files on my computer (and elsewhere) using the prism colors which happen to correspond roughly to the chakras. (I'm not sure I believe in chakras, but I like synchronicities so I run with them.) Anyway, in the very center of the colors is green of course, with blue/aqua on one side and yellow on the other. So it is the very center and balancing point. Also it happens to be the heart chakra. So just symbolically according to a way of systematizing things with color and ocean imagery, it has come to represent the core of compassion. Even the tattoo is green in color.
Beyond that there are more personal reasons for the sea turtle choice. they have to do with gentleness, no harm, long memory, faithfulness, search for home, carrying one's home on one's back, being all soft inside even with a seeming carapace, and so on.
You have a bear as your avatar/icon; are you sympathetic with them?
Did you have an encounter in nature or as a child that meant something with you that you could associate to a quality you admire and would like to foster?
I find you humble, yet strong. Gentle and compassionate. Open and understanding. You care about others and their welfare. You are almost too willing to admit mistakes; in my view sometimes they are not mistakes at all though people have taken them that way. You ready to stand up for what you believe, stand up against injustice, and stand up for yourself and for others. You are also a peacemaker.
Does that description fit? And if so, does it conjure a particular animal or thing in nature?
Were I to guess, I would chose a nurturing and somewhat social animal. A dolphin perhaps, but that is my bias toward the sea. There are plenty of other animals that fit the description.
I just did an on-line quiz to determine a way of narrowing down the search... and 'Wolf' came out as top answer.
so I guess, this is how my totem animal has manifested.
It fits.
=^|^=
Maybe you would consider finding a new avatar/icon to match your newly chosen totem? It might be fun. I'll change mine too, though it is bound to be another turtle.
:winkc:
Fede,
I think my totem animal is the wolf too! I used to have a lot of dreams about them and they kept cropping up in my life out of nowhere. It's strange though because of my deep, deep love for cats. Can totem animals change as we age? I wonder. Because now I have dreams with cats in them. A lot of cats. Probably doesn't mean anything. But you never know...
Anyway, it's great to meet new members and I'm so glad you're here.
Palzang
Jason
I was referred here by a member of another forum who said it has been true sangha for her over the years. Briefly I'm a 40 something guy who has read alot about Buddhism over the years but never quite clicked into a regular practice. I've sat regularly for a couple of years with varying success and now also sit at a local Shambhala group once a week which has been very helpful. I have a pretty busy life and two small boys (6 and 9) so it's been hard for me to attend retreats or other sorts of activities that might be helpful in deepening my practice.
Anyway, I've begun reading back over some of the old threads and it looks like a great group. Looking forward to getting to know you.
Gassho,
Ben
Palzang
Palzang has said it all.
he has such a knack....!!:tonguec: Good to see you here!
Will probably be reading more than posting but at least I found my way back !
Bright blessings!
The Raven returns....
Welcome back.....
Hey There, Knitwitch! I've been wondering about you quite a lot lately. Have missed you lots.
I'm lost for words...
Good to hear from you, waking Ben, too.
Solidarity in suffering!
I am just introducing myself. I am a Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche student practicing out of the Vancouver, BC centre and this is my first post:thumbsup:
I hope I will be making friends here.
Best Regards
I was invited here by Brigid. I am a social worker treating sexually abused, reactive, and offending children. I took refuge in March of last year. I used to be a Catholic priest. I am gay, single, and have a cat who is very annoying at the moment. There, I think that should do it for now.
Palzang
Thank you for introducing yourself - Cup of tea....? :thumbsup:
So, fairly hum-drum, non-eventful quiet laid-back life then....!
Any friend of Boo's is a friend of ours!
You are most welcome to our forum, and it's a pleasure to meet you !
Sorry about the cat. Have you tried Dominoes? it keeps them entertained for hours, you know....
Still, it doesn't sound as if it's something you can't handle....;)
Hello!!
Good to meet you, looking forward to getting to know you.
Welcome.
-bf
Palzang
I joined this forum a few months ago and I thought it was time to say hi. I normally frequent another Buddhist forum, but OH MY GOD! This place is so refreshing! I mean the people here are so nice to each other! At the other site I was becoming hesitant to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed. There are some very nice and helpful people there, but they seem to be outnumbered. I noticed that whenever a member would post a question or a comment, the subject would become hijacked by some very opininated people. Anyway, I am fairly new to Buddhism and I feel very comfortable here, no wonder I see some familiar names at this forum. (the nicer people!)
Anyway, I look forward to talking to you all in the near future.:bowdown::cheer:
Hi you, and welcome!
New members abound, this is great! It's so nice to have some fresh blood in the building!!
No fingerprints, no mugshots, no rap sheet.... Just a cup of tea and some friendly chat and banter.
A lot of it very educational....
Welcome!!
Lovely to see you here!!
I couldn't agree more with your first post. This is my original sangha and having seen how things go down on other forums I'm full of admiration for how this one is run. We've had our share of arguments, don't get me wrong. But nothing to compare to the other place. And our arguments are usually on topic, too.