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Just thinking
Curious...
How does a Buddhist explain where we came from? Humans are reincarnated...we had to begin somewhere. Even as far as the different races...different skin tones..
Are animals reincarnated? (including insects)
How do you really deal with rude people? Honestly a true buddhist has to get mad sometimes.
We are not suppose to kill things, what about plants?
How do Buddhist deal with being in debt, and having poor relations with others such as Family and friends?
How do they deal with Depression?
Buddhist are calm people...but something has to tick them off. I guess it takes practice...right? But even Monk has to have something that bothers them..a pet peeve, and phobia..something..
I know we are suppose to lose attachment...but how can anyone not be attached to a child or a parent or any family..friends..
I'm so clueless..LoL
Sorry for all the questions...I think them up all the time..I'm sure I will have more. My thoughts are constantly brewing... :rolleyes: :scratch: :-/
How does a Buddhist explain where we came from? Humans are reincarnated...we had to begin somewhere. Even as far as the different races...different skin tones..
Are animals reincarnated? (including insects)
How do you really deal with rude people? Honestly a true buddhist has to get mad sometimes.
We are not suppose to kill things, what about plants?
How do Buddhist deal with being in debt, and having poor relations with others such as Family and friends?
How do they deal with Depression?
Buddhist are calm people...but something has to tick them off. I guess it takes practice...right? But even Monk has to have something that bothers them..a pet peeve, and phobia..something..
I know we are suppose to lose attachment...but how can anyone not be attached to a child or a parent or any family..friends..
I'm so clueless..LoL
Sorry for all the questions...I think them up all the time..I'm sure I will have more. My thoughts are constantly brewing... :rolleyes: :scratch: :-/
0
Comments
But people are people. And I have this sneaking feeling that even the Buddha became aggravated at things. Not that he lost his "enlightenment" but stubbing your toe hurts. You know?
As for people and where they came from - that's a toughy. I honestly do believe that there is quite a bit of evolution involved in the human race. I've read books, papers, etc. where scientists have made claims that:
* the reason black people have afros and wider nostrils is because of where they have mostly lived. afros allow for the cooling of the skull. The wider nostrils allow for air to cool down before entering the head. Their pigment allows them to not sunburn like white people do.
* white people in nothern climates have thinner nostrils - which could allow for air to be heated more easily before entering the skull. vastly reduced time in sunlight allowed for a change in pigmentation.
Although even as I read some things like this, I had questions (like I normally do). Some statements in regards to "whites" in cold climates eluded to the reason of dark, flat hair allowed for warming of the skull - but what about Norse-like people with blonde or lighter hair?
Anyway, back to your other questions. People like Elohim and Simon have stated that it's okay to get mad at people. We are human after all. But, it's what we do with these experiences that matter. Reflect back on it - review the situation and see if there is something you would have rather done differently. I don't think it's bad to get angry - it's what you do with that situation. Possibly, the more we deal with other people's anger and our reaction to it - is some form of getting closer to enlightenment or "awakening". Maybe reaching some form of awakening means that you can deal with people (with compassion and love) when they are rude or evil to you. Because you may see past their actions to what is truly causing them to lash out.
I think with things like "being in debt' is another test for us. Buddha taught of "Right Intention", "Right Speech" and such. I think trying to deal honorably with your debt is a form of this "Right" thinking. To try to sneak out of debt or gain by someone else's loss - I don't think that's a good thing for our internal "Buddhist" self.
As for family, I think you have to try the best you can. Again, see past what causes them to act like they do. Try to see what causes you to react like you do. Can you find inner-peace with yourself, who you are and what you do? If so, then it might be easier to deal with friends and family and the issues they have had in life that make them act like they do.
I know what you mean though... I have a particular person in my life that has brought me a good deal of grief, anger, pain, etc. and it is very difficult for me to deal with this person. There is a huge part of me that feels this person is truly a "bad person".
But, even in my meditation, I meditate on this person finding peace and happiness. And I truly do try to do this in my meditation. I know it has made a big difference in how I view this person. I still don't set myself up for a fall regarding them - but I try to find peace with the situation within myself and hope that they find peace in their life as well.
Hope some of this helps. I'm eager to hear what some of our more "knowledgable" people have to say.
-bf
Anita I love your questions. Some of these I have wanted to ask for ages
As for rude and ignorant people, I have started saying something along the lines of "This conversation is going nowhere, I am not in a state to have a conversation with you right now." Sometimes I just walk away. Strangers is a different thing. I did ask someone not so long ago "Do you feel good for being so rude?" It was a cranky shop attendant. I realise she probably some thing on her mind but people who work with the public sometimes need to remember that the public are not mind readers!
Answer: The Buddha said that during his Awakening and meditations he saw the past of the world and the universe. For as far back as he could see the universe arose and ceased, arose and ceased, arose and ceased, so that no beginning could be seen. This does not mean that there was no beginning per se, but it is irrelevant to us now. We cannot see it, we cannot change it, and we are here now.
The Buddha doesn't explain 'how' we got here because it doesn't really matter. All that matters is we have dukkha and we can remove dukkha, that is the prime factor of the Buddha's Path. It is left up to science to figure out these other questions. Buddhism does not deny science or the hows and whys of the universe, but it is more concerned with the mind and its freedom from suffering.
I must say that Buddhism isn't really a religion. It is more of a training, or a way of living than a 'belief system". The Buddha never answered metaphysical or philosophical questions. All he was ever concerned about was dukkha and it's ceasation.
Question: "Are animals reincarnated? (including insects)"
Answer: Yes. All sentient beings from the Thirty-one planes of existence can be reborn into any other of the Thirty-one planes, from the highest of the arupa-lokas (immaterial worlds) to the lowest of apayas (states of deprivation). Whether this is literal or figurative I do not know, just what the Buddha taught. Here is some more info: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sagga/loka.html
Question: "How do you really deal with rude people? Honestly a true buddhist has to get mad sometimes."
Answer: With patience. Realizing that the person who angers you is a person just like you. They want to be happy, they are afraid of dying, and the have as much greed, hatred, and delusion as you do (as we all do for that matter
It is a training like all other things. Our habits are generally to be selfish, annoyed, and impatient with others. When we train their opposites (generosity, good will, and patience) we have skills to combat them. Some of the Buddha's teachings that deal with can be found here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn-11-004-ao0.html (shorter)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/perfections.html (longer)
Question: "We are not suppose to kill things, what about plants?"
Answer. In Buddhism plants are 'alive', but they are not 'sentient'. The have no awareness. There is nothing negative (as in kamma) aquired from eatting plants or using them for anything (i.e. clothes, medicine, food, dye, etc.) They should, of course, be used moderately and without carelessness. Wasting resources may not be 'evil', but it is definitely unwise.
Question: "How do Buddhist deal with being in debt, and having poor relations with others such as Family and friends?"
Answer: A Buddhist would try to get out of debt.
Poor relations, hmmm that's a hard one. Family is important in Buddhism and should be respected. Do your best to be kind to them and take care of them. If that is not possible then at least do them no harm (that is through speech, thought, and deed). One should have friends that are responsible, supportive, and truly caring. If they are not then you should not associate with them.
Question: "How do they deal with Depression?"
Answer: For clinical depression like everyone else I would imagine - talking to family, friends, or therapists. Perhaps medication if it is needed.
For the more moderate, occasional depression I do not know of any special ways to deal with it besides consistent meditation. The better the understanding of the Dhamma you have the less dukkha you will suffer, that is of course the reason for the Path in the first place:
"Bhikkhus, it is through not realizing, through not penetrating the Four Noble Truths that this long course of birth and death has been passed through and undergone by me as well as by you. What are these four? They are the noble truth of dukkha; the noble truth of the origin of dukkha; the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha; and the noble truth of the way to the cessation of dukkha. But now, bhikkhus, that these have been realized and penetrated, cut off is the craving for existence, destroyed is that which leads to renewed becoming, and there is no fresh becoming."
~DN 16
Question: "Buddhist are calm people...but something has to tick them off. I guess it takes practice...right? But even Monk has to have something that bothers them..a pet peeve, and phobia..something.."
Answer: Yes, of course. Humans have human troubles, human feelings, human emotions, etc. Even monks are just humans. The Buddha, however, gave trainings for his followers to use which brings calmness, then insight, and finally freedom from dukkha. Whatever the emotions and thoughts that arise in our minds they are just that - emotions and thoughts. They are not 'us' (this is covered by the Buddha's teachings on anatta or not-self). Once a practitioner has developed sufficent wisdom through meditation they soon realize many things. One of those things is that we do not have to act upon these emotions and thoughts, let alone pay any attention to them. We can simple 'watch' them arise and pass away without mentally attaching to them. They will cease to cause us any suffering and we will always remain 'calm'.
Question: "I know we are suppose to lose attachment...but how can anyone not be attached to a child or a parent or any family..friends.."
Answer: Lay followers, like us, are not necessarily asked to give up their attachments to family and friends. In everyday life we must love and care for our families, however, we can see a difference between loving and attaching. We can love and care for our family members without attaching to them. This, of course, is not easy to do. First we must see the pain of 'attaching', and then remove the tahna (craving) that leads to attachment. Compassion and love are not them same thing as attachment by the way. Attachment is what causes you pain when you lose someone or something dear to you, while causing you pain when you are around someone or something not dear to you.
About attaching to loved ones:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/khuddaka/udana/ud8-08.html and http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn42-011.html
About attaching to the body:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/khuddaka/suttanipata/snp4-02.html
Well, those are my answer. I hope that you will find some of them useful.
Jason
Honestly Elohim, you humble me sometimes... it never ceases to amaze me the wisdom you come out with....I know, I know.... it's all stuff you have learnt and are just passing on, none of it is new, it's all re-cycled.... but you do add such a valuable and intelligent element to these posts....heck, you're good-lookin' too!
Thanks for this post, and many other concurrent ones. Calm island in a choppy sea.....
Although we are all arisings from fundamental BuddhaNature, we also have the impression that we are on a journey towards it. Like a good physician, the Buddha Shakyamuni outlined the method by which we can go beyond such daily hindrances as impatience, annoyance, depression, grief, etc. He called it the Noble Eighfold Path and requires daily, constant practice because it is, in many ways, counter-intuitive.
Particularly in the post-Enlightenment world, we have this strange belief that our personal desires are 'rights'. By insisting on and pursuing these illusory 'rights', we condition ourselves to frustration and disappointment. We have even, in several places, invented words which try to convince us that these 'rights' are conditions of our humanity. Buddhism, on the other hand, does not concern itself with such delusions but assists us to train the mind to equanimity and patience.
Many Buddhist teachers have stated that all beings seek to attain happiness. By this, they mean that we seek to free ourselves from the daily dissatisfaction that afflicts us all. The Noble Eighfold Path gives us the necessary method to adjust our thinking and action in such a way as to minimise such suffering, both in ourselves and in others.
Just as our brother Comic has learned that he cannot eat vegetables and so avoids doing so, our daily meditation practice shows us how we remain attached to those patterns of thought and behaviour which reinforce rather than eliminate our suffering. Beyond this, meditation practices like Metta are structured to increase those habits of mind which some writers describe as "good heart".
If we want to learn to play a musical instrument, we need regular practice. We can remain amateurs and practice occasionally, or we can decide that daily practice will result in greater freedom and joy in our playing. The choice is ours. Exactly the same is true of the Path.
The journey is such fun with the likes of you all.... I always feel we're all walking arm in arm.
Thank you all for a wonderful 'home'! :bigclap:
I'll put kettle on.....
I have no idea how the whole skin thing works. I'm glad you pointed that out. Like I said, this one book I was reading made that statement, but I still couldn't put it in play with people of Norse descent and light colored hair.
Do Aborigines burn as badly as lighter skinned people? Or does the sun affect everyone the same?
-bf
The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) numbers on the sunscreen bottles, BTW, in case there's someone who doesn't understand them....
Go out into the sun, and from the moment you expose a piece of unprotected skin, say, on the arm, calculate the time between commencement of exposure, and the first tell-tale tingle of the sun having an effect. let's say for arguments' sake this is to be five minutes.
Multiply the number on the bottle (again, for arguments' sake, lets make this 12) then, by five. (the minutes you took to start feeling the sun....)
5 X 12 = 60.
Therefore, 60 minutes is the safest time you can spend in the sun, wearing this cream, before you start to burn.
And - get this - it doesn't matter if you re-apply the cream... you've had your time. you will now just burn, because your skin has absorbed all it can take with this cream as protection. So the higher the SPF, the longer, theoretically, you can sunbathe.....
Watch the little kiddies, mums & dads.....
I didn't know how the numbers worked on the bottle. I justu knew that "the higher the number, the more protection you get!"
-bf
Now we're digressing to the Beverly Hillbillies...
-bf
Of course, brother Dharma Elohim (Jason) has already fulfiled your needs with respect to your questions. I can only add to what he says with experience of my own practice as a disciple of Shakyamuni.
I often don't post here because I wouldn't like to confuse or distract newer practitioners with what, may seem, to be a bunch of rubbish from someone they don't even know!
Firstly let me say that you do know me. I am sangha, you are sangha - and I thank you for it.
"How does a Buddhist explain where we came from?" Wow! Where do we come from? Strike while the iron's hot, Anita! What a big question... I would say that, through my practice, I can see the causing and ending of all things. I guess I am not enough of a stargazer to ask when we (humans) started but I know (by way of prajna) that humans did start somewhere and, I may add, they will end somewhere!
"Are animals reincarnated?" Through my whole life I have shared a great connection with sentient beings - we are united in our awareness of existence. The same laws of birth and death govern us all.
Being alive, myself, I tend to concentrate on being alive together, with animals and insects. Please try this one thing for me - the next time you see a mosquito don't wave it away angrily, instead, relax in it's presence and accept that (for a small time) you can extend pure loving kindness to this tiny creature. Relax and let it bite you. It is an odd feeling but a good test of practice. Why would you prefer to not be bitten so? Surely this is a delusional desire a selfish thought (and hence not truely you). Why not enjoy every facite of existence and accept the state of being bitten and scratching for three days. It is truely wonderful.
"Really rude people..." Hmm I understand why you ask this question, my friend. Indeed, there are times when you meet people who wind you up. But, in the end, who's fault is that? Surely if we didn't grasp onto our ideas (once again thoughts, not ourselves) of how people 'ought' to behave then we wouldn't be mad. This is why when you meet really rude people you should love them and thank them - for they are truely testing the depth of your practice.
The great Zen masters speak of parental mind. The mind with which we approach every situation we meet (as all is the true reality of life) with the tenderness and loving care of a kind parent. With this attitude there is no situation that will ever make you mad. Negative emotions and thoughts may arise but it is up to us to let them go, let them pass - for they are not us, we only think they are!
Everything Elohim said about sentiant beings, in regard to plants is true (as for as I have experienced) it does no harm, however, to thank the plant for the susstenance it is providing you. Every meal is a blessing.
If you are a Buddhist in debt then I guess the only person to blame is yourself (I am speaking hypothetically, of course) - it's the law of Karma! Seriously though, there is no debt that is unsurmountable and everyhting can be balanced if we try our hardest.
As far as poor relations with family and friends I guess I would once again extend the greatest love to them for they are the people truely testing your practice. You may not like the actions or behaviour of another but that does not mean that you don't love them. Once again it is really mainly concerned with how much you cling to your conditioned ideals and feelings about things. The harder you hold on the easier it is to be led into suffering. Open the hand of thought and you'll see how much our small conditioned mind drags us around from one catastrophe to another. How can you but love others suffering in the same way.
Thus is the Bodhisattva way.
Depression is a difficult one. I know people who are clinically ddepressed and require extra serotonin, because their body fails to make enough. I also know people who are 'depressed' because they have lost their way or are clinging to some minor form of psycosis.
Myself having been the latter.
All I can is that the thoughts and attitudes that we cling to form the impression we have of reality (albeit a distorted reality). Depression is the cultivation of negative emotions. Buddhism is the reality that emotion is not real - not in the sense that most people think it is and so the cultivation of negative emotions is a hollow pastime. With correct practice I do not believe a Buddhist can continue to be depressed (unless of course they suffer from chemical deficiencies).
All buddhists are calm? Really? I know what you mean but I would say that it is a trap to bundle all the Buddhists in the world together and call them calm. Many are not and I hope this doesn't shock you when you meet one of them. Please do not let this disuade you belief in the power of the Dharma - it is the fault of the practitioner - their practice is weak and so them have difficulty living the Dharma.
In England we say "All mouth and no trousers!"
But, as my Dharma Brother said, we are all human and hence have human feelings and emotions - the difference between a lay person and a Buddhist practioner is whether or not we take those thoughts and emotions and be dragged around by them or see them for what they are (ie not real) and continue to experience reality as Shakyamuni taught us to. It takes practice to live by the latter - that's why we are practitioners!
Ahh - attachment! THE word peolple associate with Buddhism. Once again I understand where you are coming from with this question. I think it is important to not confuse attachment with love.
I love sunny days (in fact it's a wonderful day right now!) but I am not attached to them. I know that in order for there to be sunny days there must also be stormy days and rainy days and average days etc. SO by that fact I also love rainy days - for without them there would be no sunny days!
Having a child is the same thing - I love people but by the same logic as sunny days for there to be people there must also be no people (or more accurately for there to be life there must also be death). Too favour one over the other is to be lead around by the idea that living is good and dying is bad. Now here we enter the realm of a contentious issue. PLease do not misinterperate me as a fatalist but, through my practice, it has made itself aparent that life cannot exist without death - they are two parts of the one whole.
Now, as a human being, I can do two things about this piece of prajna. I can either accept it and continue to live in the present moment, continuing my practice OR I can worry about the fact that one day I will be dead (or someone I love will be dead) and attach myself to the idea that one situation is somehow better than the other. If I do this then most of my time living, either with this person or alone, will be wasted away fretting about, not what is but what could be!
The loss of a loved one is a great (meaning huge) moment in your life. Mourning is an important process aand in no way has my practice ever lent me towards 'forgetting' about lost loved ones. Far from it - they will always be a piece of my life informed by them, either spiritually or intellectually - the difference is whether of not I fail to let go of the mourning process when the time is right. To not do so is to dig the ditch of Dukka deeper. We must accept that things change - thus is the law of reality and the universe. As responsible beings within it we can but accept this.
I wish I could explain myself better but I know that all (I wish I could share) is there for the rediscovery for all of us - I trust that you'll deepen your practice and continue to walk the way.
Please remember that I stand alongside you and I am bowing low and deep!
Gassho
It's not Missouri, it's MIZZURA.
'cuse me while I go warsh my car.
I believe that all discussions can be viewed on two levels; the Human aspect (day-to-day living) and the Spiritual aspect (that which we use to guide our way....)
On a spiritual level, BSF, I can see precisely where you're coming from, but as in all things, you need to find the Middle Way and find the balance.
Pardon me for saying so, but the above comment is somewhat rash given that Malaria has become the world's number one killer. http://www.malariasite.com/
You know, mosquitoes are very much like humans. It's only the women that suck the blood out of you and then leave you itching and irritated.
But, I digress...
I must have some great karma coming my way. I say this because when I was a child, we used to wait until some blood sucking female stuck their straw thingy into us and then we'd pinch the skin on either side of the sucker thingy.
This way, when we walked or moved our arms, the mosquito couldn't pull her blood sucker thingy out of us. In fact, while the skin was pinched, they were kind of stuck there gorging. Eventually, they would pop because we fed them so well.
So... that's good, right?
-bf
So is "straw thingy" the scientific name?? That must be a boy thing - I remember my 4 brothers doing that ALL the time, and I just sat there and looked at them saying "you guys are dumb".
Yes, that is the medical name. From the Latin "Strawus Thingus". Strawus = to drink through, Thingus = blood sucker.
-- Dr. bf
Must be all that red meat...
-bf
Yeah it's great if you like eating rubber.
Palzang
bf thanks for the tip, i'll try that to the next lucky little dracula, i like to catch them alive then take off their wings and make them infantry
(Off-Topic Smiley STILL doesn't work - !! :grumble: )
I have a question about reincarnation. I do believe it happens, but I have read that the Buddha did not believe in the soul. If there is no soul, how can there be reincarnation? How can you have past lives and future lives if something does not continue on? If it is not the soul. what is it?
For more information see: http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/ebdha195.htm
I hope that this is helpful and not just making things more difficult.
Palzang
Cleopatra
Marc Anthony
J. Ceasar
An Egyptian King
Alexander
or some other famous figure in history.
Oddly enough, no one ever says "in a previous life, I was Ploppy the Slopper"
-bf
I love Blackadder...
-bf