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How Can I Progress
first post, new member here. just really got into buddhism about a month ago, read a book simple buddhism http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Buddhism-Guide-Enlightened-Living/dp/0804831769 and I like the concepts in it and would like to learn/do more, but somethings are hard to understand. im not really into reading, more hands on (adhd) some of this stuff is confusing the whole it exists, but it doesn't exist thing. i searched youtube, and found some things but if anybody had any more it would be good.
meditation is hard, specially when your not sure what results you want. am i suppose to see pitch black, but sometimes i see shapes and colors as my eyes roll up.
and i no intoxications are bad, butttt im a smoker; weed, cigs, blacks, cigars. drinker. done other drugs in them past. how does buddhism feel about prescription drugs (from a doctor/psychologist) ie. xanax, lithium, zoloft, ritalin, etc
sexual misconduct doesnt mean no one night stands right?
and im in central new jersey if theres any spots near by to learn, i'd be interested. sorry for the long first post, 17 years old male.
meditation is hard, specially when your not sure what results you want. am i suppose to see pitch black, but sometimes i see shapes and colors as my eyes roll up.
and i no intoxications are bad, butttt im a smoker; weed, cigs, blacks, cigars. drinker. done other drugs in them past. how does buddhism feel about prescription drugs (from a doctor/psychologist) ie. xanax, lithium, zoloft, ritalin, etc
sexual misconduct doesnt mean no one night stands right?
and im in central new jersey if theres any spots near by to learn, i'd be interested. sorry for the long first post, 17 years old male.
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Comments
As for meditation, what you see ... or don't see ... is totally irrelevant. The purpose of meditation is to learn how to calm the mind, focus and concentrate, and to observe without getting swept up by your thoughts. And it takes .... forever.
As for recreational drugs, they are to Buddhism like chocolate ice cream is to a dieter. In other words, they "undo" what you are trying to master in Buddhism. But while any Buddhist teacher will advise you to avoid drugs ... no one is going to "kick you out" of Buddhism if you do drugs. After you start to "get somewhere" with your Buddhist practice, it seems that many people just stop wanting to do drugs.
As for prescription drugs, they are not taken for the same reason that recreational drugs are. They are taken because they are necessary to function physically and psychologically.
Sexual misconduct refers to hurting people's feelings or using people. We always know, if we care to look at ourselves with clarity, if our actions are hurting or helping others.
The fact that you used to take other drugs but now you don't anymore is great. Start with where you're at. I'd advise against meditation until your mind is a relatively clean slate. You might not like it, but this means you're going to have to give up the pot and the booze. I had to do it, others had to do it, if you are seriously interested in the benefits of meditation you will have to do it too. Actually, when you have been practicing for a while you won't want to get high anymore, it will have totally lost its appeal.
The purpose of meditation is to make the mind bright so we can see reality more clearly. Trust me, there is enough dark fog to deal with in our minds without adding the extra layer of drugs.
You might not believe me, but its true. As for prescription drugs you'd have to ask your doctor what he thinks.
I wish you all the best.
Progress will be made almost immediately.
a one 10 days retreat can and do change many peoples life.
within 6 months one should have grasped many key concepts and make constant rapid progress.
To reach enlightenment, Ajahn Chah said that an ordained monk should have experience enough of enlightenment after 6 years of decent work to be able to go by himself and start to teach.
The point is, if you are stuck and don't make progress, ask for help as you are probably not doing it right.
to the OP,
here is Ajahn Brahm instructions for meditation.
http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/The_Basic_Method_of_Meditation_by_Ajahn_Brahmavamso
read this, start practicing and ask questions. Simple isn't it?
:rolleyesc
Perspective would likely lead to a better understanding of why he drinks and smoke...
Personally, there are no situation where i would not recommend meditation, perhaps not sitting meditation but even if this meditation is simply current moment awareness it would be beneficial in all cases as far as i know. And I've been paying attention but i did not find any compelling arguments agaisnt meditation in any life situation.
To make progress start a meditation practice. I recommend the method in Chapter 4 of the book When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron.
The six paramitas are
generosity
ethics
forbearance
joyful effort
meditation
wisdom
You are working on meditation. You need joyful effort to progress and joyful effort is based on the first 3. They feed it. Generosity is the wish for yourself and others to benefit from the meditation and wisdom... You strengthen it by giving. Including letting others hold different beliefs from you. That too is giving. Ethics is not like Christian sin of the Father. It is respect of cause and effect. You respect that meditation is the cause of good effects. Doing the right thing. Obeying the precepts. Forbearance is when things feel shitty or wrong you just practice mindfulness and note 'thinking' or 'it feels shitty' and don't blow it out of proportions just push through the obstacle keep trucking.
When you have calm through meditation. Balanced clarity openness and sensitivity. Then you can see wisdom which will cut through the dark wall of doubt which is conceiled in wrong views. Cutting ignorance at its source.
Good point.
Present moment awareness is a good idea actually and its what I did when I was quitting pot. I didn't do much sitting meditation, but I did make a bit of effort to be more mindful of what I was doing when I was doing it and to observe my thoughts and moods as they changed before, during and after toking up as well as throughout the day. After a while I realized how all this smoking nonsense which I thought was making me mellow and relaxed was actually robbing me of my peace.
Through the present moment awareness I knew that unwholesome state of mind were there but I didn't really know how to deal with unwholesome states of mind yet, but one thing I did know at this stage was that all this pot-smoking was definitely not helping. If I never quit but I kept trying to meditate it would have been like trying to cook some delicious food in a dirty saucepan. Every time I added some herbs or spices to the recipe to bring out the flavour I would bring out the flavour of the dirty filthy festering grime which was stuck to the sides of the saucepan. It is like trying to add mindfulness to your mind when the edges of your mind are covered in filth. First clean the saucepan, then do the cooking!
That won't happen dude...relax and take this one step at a time...
Read more about it, practise kindness and love, meditate without expecting to 'see' black or colours...it doesn't matter..
just practise everyday..we'll talk in a few years...by then you've slowed down a bit and you'll understand
good luck on the path!
nicely put
http://www.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA
thanks that actually did help, because the whole it exists but it doesn't exist thing is kind of confusing. i mean i understand it but only at a basic level, not like I wish to
The "the whole it exists but it doesn't thing" is easy to confuse.
The trick is to realize that all "things" are just labeled definitions. Long is only Long because Short exists. All things are relatively existent. The North hemisphere only "exists" because we have labeled North and South hemispheres.
A common reference to this is "See the forest for the trees". See objects for their "parts" and not "the whole" and you realise there is no "permanent whole".
The forest, and all things are dependent arising phenomenon.
Meaning they aren't "self contained" in their existence, as everything is a result of cause and effect. We are all One. The world is an ecosystem. Reality in its entirety is just "1 thing".
In conclusion, something may exist in a practical and functional sense, and so they appear to be independent. This is the "they do exist" part of the seemingly contradictory statement.
They "do not exist" applies in the sense that things are not self contained or independent of other things.
This realization allows one to look at reality beyond its "conceptual" existence. If all people are connected in some way or another, then love and compassion comes more naturally.
Thank you - those talks are really helpful.