how do you explain your practice to others?

Ford5780

How do you go about explaining your meditative practices to others, whom are politely curious of what your doing.

I say politely because there are those who question in an obtrusive ,skeptical and irritated sort of manner. And unless I feel I can carry out the rest of the moment with that person,without becoming as emotionally , irrational and disturbed as they are. I would rather dismiss the subject, as I am an adult and have the right to do so.

All in an attempt to put the point across that I'm not here to judge their ways of bettering them selves in life. And as an example will close the conversation in a pleasant as possible manner.


I don't set aside much time for meditative sessions. The closest I come to set aside meditative sessions are when I come to realize that I have a chance to be extra mindful. Which comes quite frequently and sometimes not so frequently. Kinda like an oceans waves and tides . Other wise I like the practice of mindfulness which doesn't really require set aside times for it. But it is still a plus to be able to set time aside for those types of sessions.

A way of me explaining this to someone unfamiliar with my meditative practices . Is through the comparison of the christian faith. Christians set aside time to pray and speak with god. Makes them feel better and helps fortify their mind etc.

For me a set apart sessions is exactly the equivalent of a prayer session. Except I'm in my own personal space private to my self. Where I'm able to observe the rational and irrational thoughts. The inner and outer workings of things.

And the practice of being mindful in everyday activities could be translated as the practice of 'walking with the lord and savior jesus'( in a Christian point of view).

My version would be. I just go about daily activities knowing the good lessons I've learned and am aware of from the many walks of life and how I can apply them at any given moment and how those many lessons learned actually apply them selves at any given moment ,either through my own direct will or indirectly through it. Sometimes good sometimes bad.

And how some of those same wholesome lessons learned from the many walks of life I am failing to put into practice and I should further strive to achieve them as I so very much admire them when witnessed in other people.

federica

I don't talk.
I let my actions speak for me.
And the only person responsible for how I am affected by things, and how I affect things - is me.
If you want to know - watch.

That's what I tell them.


(That way, I have a responsibility to practice what I believe.
Can't let me or them down, can I?)

PS: This doesn't always work......:D

TheDoctorDonna

If I am a calmer, more peaceful person over time and someone asks "how did that happen" then I will tell them that the practice that I do has helped me. Then I offer them the chance to start attending the Teachings that I do and to see for themself if it is something that appeals to them.

compassionate_warrior

Who are you hanging out with, who asks so rudely? No one's ever asked me, I've never had to explain anything. I vote with Federica. Maybe you're keeping the wrong company. (?)

genkaku

I honestly don't quite know what to say any more. But yesterday there was a fellow her sniffing the edges of Buddhism, wondering if it might make him less afraid of death and more at ease in his life and I heard myself saying ....

What is the first thing anyone does when confronted by a difficulty -- something they want to correct or improve but are not exactly sure of how to go about it? Well, the first thing anyone does is to slow down ... examine the realm of the difficulty, investigate its aspects. All of this requires patience -- the willingness to slow down. You don't have to be a Buddhist to recognize the need to slow down in life -- find a time and place in which to examine and reflect and then take action.

The act of meditation is just an acknowledgment of the willingness to slow down. It is a courtesy to yourself and to others -- to acknowledge you don't have all -- or even some of -- of the answers, but you are willing to find out.

Something like that....

Dakini

"Religion" is such a personal matter, you could just say, "It's personal" and leave it at that. Sometimes the less said, the better. Or you could say it's a technique for quieting the mind and reflecting inwardly. 'Nuff said. Most people can relate to that, I would think.

Cloud

If they just think it weird, say "it's just meditation, like yoga, calms you down and makes you feel better". I mean that's true enough in a sense, right?

Otherwise if they have an interest in Buddhism, you can explain it fully.

fivebells

It never comes up, basically.

[DeletedUser]

Cloud wrote: »

If they just think it weird, say "it's just meditation, like yoga, calms you down and makes you feel better". I mean that's true enough in a sense, right?

Otherwise if they have an interest in Buddhism, you can explain it fully.

This is cool advice!

Living beings have uncountable karmic creditors along the path of enlightenment!:p

Karmic Creditors

Karmic entanglements pulling one another,
Past-lives connections linger behind scene.
For better, for worse, share merits together;
Partners on the Bodhi path are everywhere.

Interactions among people are complicated and entangling, and hence it is seldom the case that only one corner need be taken care of while all remaining aspects could be ignored. Not to mention the factor that causal relations accumulated over many past lives often continue to play an influential role behind the scene in this life. How could we pay attention only to what can be seen but take no heed of helps or hindrances that are invisible? In Dharma the notion of one's "karmic creditors" reminds us that, for each sentient being that has gone through many lives in the cycles of transmigration there are many sentient beings that are karmically related in a mass of entanglements. Since such karmic connections could hardly be sorted out and resolved, for better and for worse one's course of life is inevitably shared by all such "karmic creditors." Therefore, in order to escape the net of entanglements, one needs to constantly dedicate all one's merits to share with one's karmic creditors. Better still, if one could enlarge one's view to the whole Dharmadhatu and comprehend the oneness of all, then all beings are seen as intimately interconnected as parts of one body and all would become helpful comrades on the path to enlightenment.

fivebells

The Story of Tea

Then came a man of knowledge, who said to the merchants of tea, and the drinkers of tea, and to others: 'He who tastes, knows. He who tastes not, knows not. Instead of talking about the celestial beverage, say nothing, but offer it at your banquets. Those who like it will ask for more. Those who do not, will show that they are not fitted to be tea-drinkers. Close the shop of argument and mystery. Open the teahouse of experience.'

The tea was brought from one stage to another along the Silk Road, and whenever a merchant carrying jade or gems or silk would pause to rest, he would make tea, and offer it to such people as were near him, whether they were aware of the repute of tea or not. This was the beginning of the Chaikhanas, the teahouses which were established all the way from Peking to Bokhara and Samarkand. And those who tasted, knew.

At first, mark well, it was only the great and the pretended men of wisdom who sought the celestial drink and who also exclaimed: 'But this is only dried leaves!' or: 'Why do you boil water, stranger, when all I want is the celestial drink?', or yet again: 'How do I know that this is? Prove it to me. Besides the colour of the liquid is not golden, but ochre!'

When the truth was known, and when the tea was brought for all who would taste, the roles were reversed, and the only people who said things like the great and intelligent had said were the absolute fools. And such is the case to this day.

Mountains

If anyone asks specifically, I just say "yes, I meditate every day" and leave it at that. It's rarely come up though. Nobody has ever looked at me like I had two heads or anything though.

Epicurus

I explain to them why my old self started practicing and how it came to be convinced. When applicable. And then I step away and make them figure things for themselves.

Ch-an_noob

I suppose a PC way to say is:

1. Respecting one's parents
2. respect and tolerance for others
3. Generosity with time and money