Right motivation

xcintas

Hello, i am new here, sorry if my english isn't fluent. I would appreciate if you could give some advice.
When i was little i had a desire to find truth about myself, reality, i wanted to find my powers. I fought that mind is key to all answers. I beleaved that math is the best tool to utilize mind. So I solved math so intensively, that it brought me to nirvikalpa samadhi. And my desires were fulfiled, i got answers, but then i was pulled back to 'real' world. During experience there was a voice in my head, he guided me, one thing he said was: 'It is the best day in your life'. So i understood it as there is nothing more for me in this life. And I understood emptiness of math. In the end my motivation was completely broken. Later i had another desire: to find my abilities in draughts. This experience was damaging, i coudn't beleave that human can calculate so fast.

Now I am investigating more into buddishm, it gives me a lot of answers, my life is improving, I attend local diamond way buddist community, practice whenever i can, but the problem is it isn't that kind of motivation, even though i understand suffering.
I would like to know how to get right motivation and how it works for you?

SherabDorje

Your motivation has been right enough to get you to the right place. I myself may not be able to check back with you tonight, but I will do as much as I can.

What is your native language? I'm just guessing from your screen name that it might be Spanish. If so, I will help as much as I can, or try to find someone who can.

Take care. You are intelligent and your motivation is strong and has brought you here. Trust yourself.

truthseeker

I am not sure if I understand whether, why and how solving mathematical problems led to nirvikalpa samdhi (a Hinduism term for god realisation, if I am not mistaken), but perhaps it doesn't matter.

Right motivation (samma sankappa) in the sense of the eightfold path is normally translated as right intention. The word sankappa can also mean thought, purpose, aspiration, or plan. Perhaps in modern language one could render it as "having the right attitude". What is meant by that is the right volitional aspect of mind. I had previously described as follows:

While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.

Now, you asked "how to get right motivation" and the answer to that is: by developing right view. According to the eightfold path, the volitional aspect develops from the cognitive aspect, which is -probably not by accident- also what the majority of today's psychotherapists think. Thus the first two components of the eightfold path can be compared to cognitive therapy which is defined by Wikipedia as follows: "Cognitive therapy seeks to help the patient overcome difficulties by identifying and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. This involves helping patients develop skills for modifying beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors."

Cheers, Thomas

xcintas

I speak lithuanian language...

I myself don't understand how all puzzles came into right places. I was thinking all day: in school, on the way home, then solving math at home, at night. It was so intense, it felt like mountains transforming into flatlands. At that time I was identifying myself as pure will. On that special day, I was solving one math problem and i coudn't solve it. Then i told myself to solve it with all my knowledge, but it didn't work. Then i told myself to solve it with will to find all answers, but it didn't work. Then i asked myself what is more than will. And the answer was: entire being, your essence. So i put my life on the line in order to solve it and i couldn't solve it. And i gave up. But then it came to me: "I am not a thought" and it was not a thought.

Experience that came, it is hard to describe, because it is non-dual view.

Lama Ole Nydhal will be in my country soon, but i am not sure whether i'll be able to meet him. As i understand i am lacking in wisdom..

I believe that if your intensions are pure, it doesn't matter how you reach it.

Disney

Since you understand suffering, and your motivation should probably be to liberate all suffering beings until they attained supreme enlightenment and then your fruition of supreme enlightenment

ravkes

Math is a great way to gain insight to the 'true' nature of reality; that being that we know nothing about anything and that it's seemingly infinite. Really though, we know nothing. Keep questioning reality. Question the thoughts that pop up in your head, is it you or just another sensory experience? Question what you see in front of your face. Your method should be self-inquiry because of your interest in academics. Be earnest in your search my friend, and stand strong in the face of waves of emotions, sensations and thoughts that seem like they are pulling you this way and that. They are impermanent, observe them without judgement (let them be). See through into their inherent emptiness as they come and go in your presence.

Who are you? What is this? What's going on right now?

but really.. if you feel tired of the seeking and are taking it too seriously, chill out and eat a sandwich. lol, there's no rush.. this journey is inevitable.