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All Right! Everyone stop snoozing! We will be restarting this thread on 5/29/06. That is memorial day for us Americans, but no excuse. I realized it had been a week so I will have to step up to the plate. The chapter will be "The Three Dharma Seals". I know Fede has read up farther as she has quoted. I will read the chapter tonight but give all a week to do so. Then back to work gang! This note is more for me than anyone else. Thanks!
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
My apologies gang! I left the book in my locker when I left work. I won't be back to work until Thursday night. So we will have to start on 6/05/06. Again my apologies.
I'm so sorry about this gang but I need to put this thread on hold again. I am sorry to report that my father died last night. I don't want people holding on waiting for this but I really don't think I'm in any place to be running this thread. I will not be offended if someone wants to take this over and continue it. I just can't do it right now and I don't want you all to wait again for me. Again, my apologies.
I'm so sorry about this gang but I need to put this thread on hold again. I am sorry to report that my father died last night. I don't want people holding on waiting for this but I really don't think I'm in any place to be running this thread. I will not be offended if someone wants to take this over and continue it. I just can't do it right now and I don't want you all to wait again for me. Again, my apologies.
Hello,
this newbie sends her positive thoughts to you at this time.
When all are ready I'd like to join in this book discussion, I'm a fan of the author.
Well, I think I'm finally ready to start the discussion again. Thank you all for your patience. I must say the past 6 months have been tough but I need to get back to life. Now, there is one thing that I'm going to change. It is going to be biweekly instead of weekly. If I'm going to be working full time, I want to have the time to do this well. So the first posts will start 7/30/06. I believe it's Chapter 19, but I will check and get back to ya'll in a bit.
This is everyone's thread! Let's have fun with it!
:bigclap: :cheer:
For those of you who thought there would never be another post on this forum, well it's finally happened. I'm back to doing it! Because of work commitments though, it will be bi-weekly. Not sure when the every other weekend commitment starts but I thought I would let you all know now and why.
So much jumped out at me in this chapter that I will only do the first part today. I try to think about impermanence every day in some form or another. As the book says "When we study impermanencewe have to ask, "Is there anything in this teaching that has to do with my daily life, my daily difficulties, my suffering?" (pg 131) As a practical sort of guy, I want Buddhism to be more than a philosophy to me as if it's not usable, why bother? Every moment is just that, a moment. It isn't going to last forever, even if it seems that it's going to.
After last months crises (losing parent, quitting job), things seemed pretty darn bleak there for a bit. I did notice that I didn't initially think of these things being impermanent. Sure, my father will not come back but my pain is lessening. I've also gotten another position that is more suited to my physical capabilities. So often people I've known have seen life's trials as all encompassing with me being the worst about it at times. People's spouse/partner leaving them, losing a job, winning some money, getting a new car. Some are good and some are bad but the feelings associated with them are impermanent. They don't bring permanent happiness nor permanent sadness.
As a challenge, think about whether you exist or not. Are you a fixed entity or are you more dynamic than that? At one time, the Dalai Lama was a boy and did not have the knowledge he has today. TNH was once in Viet Nam protesting the war. Think about how one changes shows impermanence. Anyone who struggles with weight issues can attest to that fact by the number on the scale in proportion to their attitude. LOL!
"From the point of view of time, we 'impermanence' and from the point of view of space, we say 'nonself'. Things cannot remain themselves for two consecutive moments therefore, there is nothing that can be called a permanent 'self'. Before you entered this room, you were different physically and mentally. Looking deeply at impermanence, you see nonself. Looking deeply at nonself, you see impermanence. We cannot say, 'I can accept impermanence, buty nonself is too difficult.' They are the same". (Pg 132)
This paragraph helped me see the idea of anatman as more plausible than it at first seems. When we first come across the idea, we may think "What in the world? Of course I am who I am. Is Buddhism nuts?". When you think about something as impermanent, you see that things change all the time. Physical and mental aspects of ourselves change all the time. When you think about the human body, different processes occur based on internal and external conditions. That changes the body chemistry which changes how we are physically. It has also been shown that different chemical make ups change how we fell mentally. When thinking about it this way, anatman is a possibility.
So what is everyone else getting out of the chapter?
Comments
I've been talking to them and they are ready to get this show on the road!
-bf
P.S. Awwwwww.... aren't they so cute!?
Okay... I feel better now.
6/5/06 it is.
-bf
I don't know what to say in regards to this, you and your father.
I do wish you peace during this time though.
-bf
Take it easy....
I hope it all flows peacefully for you....
Fede XX
Love,
Brigid
Hello,
this newbie sends her positive thoughts to you at this time.
When all are ready I'd like to join in this book discussion, I'm a fan of the author.
Jump in where ever you are the waters fine! Actually, I'm only up to chapter 9 I just ran across this book last week while in Atlanta.
Well, I think I'm finally ready to start the discussion again. Thank you all for your patience. I must say the past 6 months have been tough but I need to get back to life. Now, there is one thing that I'm going to change. It is going to be biweekly instead of weekly. If I'm going to be working full time, I want to have the time to do this well. So the first posts will start 7/30/06. I believe it's Chapter 19, but I will check and get back to ya'll in a bit.
This is everyone's thread! Let's have fun with it!
:bigclap: :cheer:
Didn't know you left.:winkc:
So much jumped out at me in this chapter that I will only do the first part today. I try to think about impermanence every day in some form or another. As the book says "When we study impermanencewe have to ask, "Is there anything in this teaching that has to do with my daily life, my daily difficulties, my suffering?" (pg 131) As a practical sort of guy, I want Buddhism to be more than a philosophy to me as if it's not usable, why bother? Every moment is just that, a moment. It isn't going to last forever, even if it seems that it's going to.
After last months crises (losing parent, quitting job), things seemed pretty darn bleak there for a bit. I did notice that I didn't initially think of these things being impermanent. Sure, my father will not come back but my pain is lessening. I've also gotten another position that is more suited to my physical capabilities. So often people I've known have seen life's trials as all encompassing with me being the worst about it at times. People's spouse/partner leaving them, losing a job, winning some money, getting a new car. Some are good and some are bad but the feelings associated with them are impermanent. They don't bring permanent happiness nor permanent sadness.
As a challenge, think about whether you exist or not. Are you a fixed entity or are you more dynamic than that? At one time, the Dalai Lama was a boy and did not have the knowledge he has today. TNH was once in Viet Nam protesting the war. Think about how one changes shows impermanence. Anyone who struggles with weight issues can attest to that fact by the number on the scale in proportion to their attitude. LOL!
"From the point of view of time, we 'impermanence' and from the point of view of space, we say 'nonself'. Things cannot remain themselves for two consecutive moments therefore, there is nothing that can be called a permanent 'self'. Before you entered this room, you were different physically and mentally. Looking deeply at impermanence, you see nonself. Looking deeply at nonself, you see impermanence. We cannot say, 'I can accept impermanence, buty nonself is too difficult.' They are the same". (Pg 132)
This paragraph helped me see the idea of anatman as more plausible than it at first seems. When we first come across the idea, we may think "What in the world? Of course I am who I am. Is Buddhism nuts?". When you think about something as impermanent, you see that things change all the time. Physical and mental aspects of ourselves change all the time. When you think about the human body, different processes occur based on internal and external conditions. That changes the body chemistry which changes how we are physically. It has also been shown that different chemical make ups change how we fell mentally. When thinking about it this way, anatman is a possibility.
So what is everyone else getting out of the chapter?