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New to NewBuddhist.com
:rockon:
Just came across your site. Look forward to meeting yous guys.
My History,
Grew up in as a Christian, went to a very nice Community of Christ church (RLDS). It was a church that put more stress on the life and teachings of Jesus and what we could actually do to help our fellow man (like Jesus) and zero-stress on the superstitious myth that everyone has to be "saved" for salvation.
When I turned 24 I got sick and the doctors couldn't do anything about my condition (let alone diagnosis it). So I've had to learn to live with it and have been living with it for the last 4 years.
Most of views on god, religion, and spirituality altered completely in the last four years that I can not even believe it. I'm a whole different person from 4 years ago. I discovered Buddhism after the first year of my ailment.
Buddhism blew me away. As my worldview changed, Buddhism was there to totally comfort me in the transition. It makes the most sense out of life that I've ever come across. And the greatest thing of all, in my understanding, Buddhism isn't a set of dogma to be followed without question. Buddhism alters with the times, and uses reason, logic, and beautiful allegories and metaphors to get its point across. It also meshes well with Science.
I love it. :cheer:
I now consider myself a ZenHumanist-Agnostic (if such a thing exists....well--it must since I am one).
Just came across your site. Look forward to meeting yous guys.
My History,
Grew up in as a Christian, went to a very nice Community of Christ church (RLDS). It was a church that put more stress on the life and teachings of Jesus and what we could actually do to help our fellow man (like Jesus) and zero-stress on the superstitious myth that everyone has to be "saved" for salvation.
When I turned 24 I got sick and the doctors couldn't do anything about my condition (let alone diagnosis it). So I've had to learn to live with it and have been living with it for the last 4 years.
Most of views on god, religion, and spirituality altered completely in the last four years that I can not even believe it. I'm a whole different person from 4 years ago. I discovered Buddhism after the first year of my ailment.
Buddhism blew me away. As my worldview changed, Buddhism was there to totally comfort me in the transition. It makes the most sense out of life that I've ever come across. And the greatest thing of all, in my understanding, Buddhism isn't a set of dogma to be followed without question. Buddhism alters with the times, and uses reason, logic, and beautiful allegories and metaphors to get its point across. It also meshes well with Science.
I love it. :cheer:
I now consider myself a ZenHumanist-Agnostic (if such a thing exists....well--it must since I am one).
0
Comments
I am Adiana and I look forward to getting to know you. Welcome to the site.
Adiana:usflag: :bigclap:
I now consider myself a ZenHumanist-Agnostic (if such a thing exists....well--it must since I am one).[/QUOTE]
.....And I reckon you'll fit right in with our little community!
Welcome and nice to have you 'on board' - !! :thumbsup:
Hi! I can sooooo relate. I'm 22 and have been fighting for years to get my health problems diagnosed. Fortunately, I did get some diagnoses this year - fibromyalgia and some of the related conditions (interstitial cystitis, IBS, TMJ, etc.). The process has been very difficult since the first doctor I saw was a real bitch and pretty much said that since the blood tests she ordered didn't find anything then I would just have to live with it.
Anyways, I don't know how much my med problems contributed to my change of religions (since I had already had significant doubts) but during that time I went from Catholic to Pentacostal to ZenHumanist-Atheist (like you, I say it must exist since I am one). My relationship if Buddhism has been much like your own. I value logic, science, the room to change my mind and grow, etc.
-bf
Welcome.
Jason
Yeah, I don't know exactly how much my ailment had to do with my doubts. It seems now (when I look back) that I was always doubting and questioning (in my head), but I was too afraid to question out loud. Then it got to a point 3 years ago when I said to myself, "Well...if God exists--then he knows what I'm thinking anyway. If God exists--then its not like I'm hiding my thoughts from the guy. If God (as I understood him) exists--then he knows I have doubts and questions. I'm not being sneaky. If God knows all--then he knows my mind."
That was one of my first realizations concerning the reality of God. I think my suffering these last four years have driven me to speak up. In a lot of ways, my suffering has woken me up from believing in these silly mythological superstitions that have plagued me most of my life. I'm not saying that God doesn't exist. But I no longer put limitations on the idea of God. I find it easier to take God out of his box (or book), place him on the table, and now have no problems proding him with a stick. I find it easier now to walk around the table and look at God from all angles and ask questions as to God's nature. That's why I like Science so much.
I sort of have a problem with labeling God--well, "God". To say "God" seems to put a mythological spin on it. It's a religious label that has a lot of Xian and other religious conotations that bother me when trying to figure out "God's" reality. It's really a label for lack of a better term. "Mother Nature" seems more adequate, yet the majority of fundamentalist Xians would have a huge problem with it. They'd say I was worshiping Nature (God forbid). Haha.
Anyway, now I'm rambling. Thanks for welcoming me DharmaKitten. :smilec:
I figure if there is a god, she made me the way I am so she better prepared for me to be that way and will realize how I came to think the way I do. Hopefully she has a good sense of humor. More and more, though, I feel like there is no god, but that that makes the universe all the more wonderful and miraculous. I used to think that I had to have all the answers and I searched desperately for a religion that could convince me that it had the Truth. Now, I wonder if I would even want to know all the answers. Maybe it's ok to live life not knowing.
But then, I'm rambling now too. Rambling's fun. And your welcome (on both accounts).
MEDICAL ADVISORY: When I was born my doctors declared me to be crazy, wacky, weird, crazy, crazier, craziest... When I joined Buddhism I became insane!!!
:bigclap:
You will find quite a variety of opinions here. Some people have even transformed them into beliefs! Others of us remain wanderers in the dark, peering through the gloom of samsara to stay on the Noble Eighfold Path.
I'm still learning about the Eightfold Path, but I would like to learn how I can incorporate a practice into my everyday routine. Also, I've been toying around with meditation, but I would like to start meditating more often. Perhaps daily. I don't know yet. I'm just looking forward to learning new things.
I have heard it said:
"If you've got all the answers, then somewhere along the line - you've been misinformed.....":p
I am interested to make friendship with you. Please reply.
Vasudev, President, Sree Buddha Mission, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
devsbm@yahoo.com
Friendhip is something we are certainly not short of!
Welcome to our sangha!
Tell us a bit about yourself....
Look forward to hearing from you.....
Welcome to our little amalgamation of characters that we call our Sangha. As a ZenHumanist-Agnostic myself, I can relate. Except not sure if that fits either. I'm not sure what I am and that's okay.
Just a few things to start a daily practice. Have you checked out meditation yet? Very good practice. It isn't anything like prayer. At first I thought it was. It's not. Being a former xtian of the Bible Beater variety, I understand not wanting to put things in stone right away or ever.
Have you found an offline Sangha? This can be tricky but if you go to www.buddhanet.net they have a listing of sanghas all over the world. That's where I found my local one.
Thirdly, Buddhafoot means well but we only let him out of his cage if he has been good for the past 24 hours. Check all things said by him with Federica or Simonthepilgrim.
Fourthly, non-Buddhist related except they are look for truth in their own way, check out www.skeptic.com which is very cool.
Welcome to our little sangha. Feel free to post and let us know a little about yourself if you like. If not, that's okay too. We'll still "talk" to you.
No I don't have an offline sangha. I'll look into that site you posted.
So does Buddhafoot have "Buddhafoot-n-mouth" disease? Haha. Just kidding.
Ha.....ermmmmm.
-bf
No snarling from the cage allowed. You know the rules, Buddhafoot. I would hate to tazer you again. Or would you like that with your meds?
I just wanted to hear Jer talk some smack.
-bf
You're using smack again? Back to the Betty Ford clinic for the mentally deranged with you. This time you'll have to stay 6 months. No getting out of the cage for transportation either.
Infinite Knot,
If BF and I aren't picking with each other, something is wrong. Every once in a while, we are nice to each other. :bs: Well, not too often. Federica comes in and has to break it up once in a while.
Congratulations on meditating that much. I usually only do it once a day for 20 minutes. Thinking about adding a second time but haven't done so yet. My mind needs it though. Might work better than the meds I take. There's your open door BF.
How do you do that Ajani? I'm interested, seriously! I've never been able to do that.
Not really, in fact, it's no different to usual meditation, just so much nicer when your back and everything is rested. You can think about just anything... Even whoever you like... Soon you will reach a state of blankness if you focus on something long enough (it's ironic, but I suppose this has to do with some cognitive weirdness). Then from there it's blank blank blank blank. Well that might very well be sleeping, though. If you wanna check you just have to wake up yoursel, which just spoils the whole aim of it, to not give a damm about what is outside you. So it's very much a lose-lose situation if you cannot manage, but win-win if you can.
"We are practising sitting meditation, and we see a bowl of tomato soup in our mind's eye, so we think that it is wrong practise, because we are supposed to be mindful of our breathing. But if we practise Mindfulness, we will say, "I am breathing in, and I am thinking about tomato soup." That is right mindfulness already. 'Rightness' or 'Wrongness' is not objective. It is Subjective."
From what I gather then, it is natural for the Mind to try wandering whilst we attempt to meditate.
Let it be.
But observe it's wanderings, like an outside entity... realise that what your Mind is doing, is not You.... it's part of you, it is OF you, but it's not you. Just watch it, and gently guide yourself back to your breathing. And know that ,while it flits hither and thither, it does so because that's what it has always done. Only now, you are 'Aware 'of it..... So because you are newly aware of it, it will appear very undisciplined, and resistant to your discipline. But it is no more undisciplined than normal. you're just aware of it more.....
Is this in the right Thread?
And will you two (Jerbear and BF) behave yourselves otherwise you BF, can go in the coridoor, and you Jerbear can come to the front and sit in the front desk.
I'll just carry on sitting in the corner sucking my thumb......!
Just posted this elsewhere, ('Losing Control' thread....)where i think it is more appropriate. But U 2 Guys are the limit! And that's appropriate anywhere!! :ukflag:
Looking forward to the next chapter...
I'll just carry on sitting in the corner sucking my thumb......! [/I]
Just posted this elsewhere, ('Losing Control' thread....)where i think it is more appropriate. But U 2 Guys are the limit! And that's appropriate anywhere!! :ukflag:
Looking forward to the next chapter...[/QUOTE]
Federica,
Yes, ma'am.