Buddhism

[mikethedrummer44]

Hey guys. After mentally picking apart christianity for quite a few days, I realized that it's not the answer for me. However, I have read that many of the members of these forums practice some aspects of Buddhism. I'm fairly ignorant of Buddhism, but what I do know is encouraging. It seems like it focuses on expanding consciousness (sorry if I'm mistaken), and this is what I'm interested.

What can you guys tell me about it? Would you recommend it? Where can I get started? Thanks.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I would start with getting one of those information books about Buddhism. I think there's one called The Everything Buddhism Book or something similar. I have the Everything Zen Book. It's very informative. It will let you know if you would like to incorporate any of the Buddhist practices into your religious life.

Best of luck.

[Abitofzen]

I'm no teacher of Dharma... at least not officially... but I'll tell you my thoughts on the matter, anyway

IMHO the power of Buddhism is that beliefs/dogma takes a back seat to actual practice... this is true in some other spiritual disciplines as well (even some practitioners of Christianity)

You are expected to practice meditation/awareness and experience the teachings... not just read about them.

Some of the Buddhist teachings are aimed at processes to become enlightened... others are aimed at recognizing that you are already enlightened...

Anything I can put in this post about Buddhism is going to be extremely reductionist... but one of the major themes is finding an end to suffering. This is a very powerful path on a personal level... but your personal success here will have a powerful effect on all the people with whom your interact as well.

If you are serious about doing some study...

I would start out with Zen Without Zen Masters by Camden Benares. It will start you in the right direction, and it's a lot of fun.

But if you want to get free info first... then anything by Shinzen Young... go to Shinzen Young The Science of Meditation in Action and listen to the Dharma Talks (or buy any of his audio programs)

You can also go to DharmaSeed.org/talks and download any of the audios.

That's a lot of information.

Pick a place to start and stick with it.

I hope this helps.

Keep smiling,

Ben

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Abitofzen

one of the major themes is finding an end to suffering.

I just wanted to add that the concept of "suffering" in Buddhism is very expansive. It includes the big tragedies, the great pains ... but it also includes the little annoyances; the small feelings of dissatisfaction; the brief moments of anxieties.

Buddha's mission was to discover the way to end suffering in ALL its forms, great or little.

[iDreamCatcher]

Some of the Buddhist teachings are aimed at processes to become enlightened... others are aimed at recognizing that you are already enlightened...

Buddhists are nice guys.
But I like to know how many people attained enlightenment by following buddhist practices. No excuses "you already enlightened" are accepted

Gleb

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by iDreamCatcher

But I like to know how many people attained enlightenment by following buddhist practices.

The more important question is how many people have followed Buddhist practices.

Buddha laid out a highly systematic approach to enlightenment. He was a very logical person, and his teachings are tightly organised into lists, steps and detailed processes. The Four Noble Truths; the Eightfold Path; the Five Precepts; the Three Marks of Existence.

But to actually succeed in following his teachings is the challenge.

Still, Buddhism isn't an "all-or-nothing" path. You might not get enlightened in this lifetime, but your attempts to follow the path, even if you keep falling off, will bring you other lesser yet valuable benefits. Such as peace; calm; joy; mental strength.

[Melchior]

Yeah, Buddhism is pretty cool (don't think of of it as a religion though, just a philosophy for living, whatever that is ), something simple to get started would be to "get rid of" your beliefs in a higher deity thingy such as god and pay more attention to what you can see around you "directly", i.e. experience nature.

[modernthing]

a buddhist author that taught me a lot is Thich Nhat Hanh, he's a buddhist monk from Vietnam who fleed during the war and now lives in France. He wrote a book called "The Miracle of Full Consciousness" (or at least this is how the French title translates, "Le Miracle de la Pleine Conscience" - looked hard to find the English version but found nothing). The book talks about how everything in our everyday life can be a form of meditation, this is what he was taught as a monk. I found a lot of wisdom in his teachings and they've really given me a new insight on life. I now try to do every tiny thing with a lot more conscience to it.

I tried to find info in English on the author and all I found is this :
Parallax Press, Publisher of Books by Thich Nhat Hanh, Mindful Living, and Engaged Buddhism

Practicing zen meditation is also very rich, I really enjoy clearing my mind and it has given me a lot more control over my life.
Though I do not consider buddhism as a religion, but rather as a philosophy, personaly. There are plenty of interesting facts and practices, enough to turn a life around...

[Abitofzen]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

I just wanted to add that the concept of "suffering" in Buddhism is very expansive. It includes the big tragedies, the great pains ... but it also includes the little annoyances; the small feelings of dissatisfaction; the brief moments of anxieties.

Buddha's mission was to discover the way to end suffering in ALL its forms, great or little.

It's a very good point.

I find that I 'generalize' suffering quite a bit now... but that might partially be due to Buddhist/meditative practice.

Both physical and emotional pain tend to manifest as sensations in the body.

Be aware and accepting of those sensations... and you will reduce suffering.

keep smiling,

Ben

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by modernthing

I tried to find info in English on the author and all I found is this :
Parallax Press, Publisher of Books by Thich Nhat Hanh, Mindful Living, and Engaged Buddhism

Thich Nhat Hanh is quite famous, actually. Among other things, he was previously nominated for the Nobel prize for peace.

[Abitofzen]

Originally Posted by Melchior

Yeah, Buddhism is pretty cool (don't think of of it as a religion though, just a philosophy for living, whatever that is ), something simple to get started would be to "get rid of" your beliefs in a higher deity thingy such as god and pay more attention to what you can see around you "directly", i.e. experience nature.

That depends on the flavor/phase of Buddhism you are studying.

Some forms of Vajrayana Buddhism incorporate deities.

Their use, isn't exactly for worship, though.

Learning to see yourself as the Buddha, or the deity, is one way to transcend separation... or to recognize enlightenment.

At least that's what I've read...

[modernthing]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Thich Nhat Hanh is quite famous, actually. Among other things, he was previously nominated for the Nobel prize for peace.

ah, didn't know that, at all, but his book did really bring a lot of peace through the reading... It made me feel so much better and so "complete"
Thanks for the info

[Abitofzen]

Originally Posted by iDreamCatcher

Buddhists are nice guys.
But I like to know how many people attained enlightenment by following buddhist practices. No excuses "you already enlightened" are accepted

Gleb

Being nice guys is a good start... a lot fewer people die that way.

If there is any 'enlightenment registry' tracking this sort of thing, I have no knowledge of it.

If there isn't... then let me go on record now as saying I think it's a bad idea.

I do like the attitude of "What kind of results do they really get?"... but since it is challenging to measure enlightenment (there are people working on this... Anna Wise for one), the only way I've found is to study with an open, yet discerning mind.

Having said that... I don't know that Buddhism gets more people enlightened than Taoism, Sufism, or any other method... but I have studied some profound Buddhist teachers.

Just a note... "You are already enlightened" is a profound teaching. With enough study... awareness & acceptance... just on that one teaching, the rest of Buddhist thought becomes extraneous....

... Or at least that's what I've heard

keep smiling,

Ben

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Abitofzen

Some forms of Vajrayana Buddhism incorporate deities.

Their use, isn't exactly for worship, though.

Right. Buddhism clearly recognises the existence of gods. In fact, the Buddhist categorisation of sentient beings includes ghosts, animals, humans, demi-gods and gods.

It's just that Buddhism doesn't place much reliance on gods (or deities), as a means of salvation for humans. Instead Buddhism teaches that you are your own best bet, if you seek enlightenment.

[Darren]

I would start out with Zen Without Zen Masters by Camden Benares. It will start you in the right direction, and it's a lot of fun.

Thanks for this. It's now next on my list

[iDreamCatcher]

Well, I been to the local buddhist center to meditate and have to admit - the atmosphere and environment is very peaceful, friendly and welcoming.
I made a few donations on occasions.

Having said that - some meditation days involved joint reading of mantras about dragons and evils and jazz like that which did not make any sense to me. So i tried to avoid going to meditation evenings which involved that.

The Noble Truths, 8-fold "do-good, don't do bad" Path and Precepts are all sounds like a great social behavior rules - but I have yet to read single experience of anyone who followed noble truths and became enlightened.

Way more experiences are along the lines of "I meditated for 20 years and nothing changed...".

I really don't want to offend anyone - but my inquiry is always super practical. I don't care if you're Buddha, king or beggar.
I judge teachings by the number of happy students not by the number plaques on the wall with the face of a teacher.

Gleb

[Piercetheveil]

I am after being fully awake and ending my own suffering. As I am doing so others around me benefit.

At this time that is Buddhism for me.

I practice formal sitting and being with my own mind. I find buddhism works for me not because it is the "one true" path but because it speaks directly to what my personal issues are.

If I find something to not be true or accurate it gets thrown away. No teaching is sacred to me and all things are open for questioning.

.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by iDreamCatcher

I judge teachings by the number of happy students

Oh, then Buddhism might just be the thing for you.

There are quite a number of different studies where scientists have done research on the brain structures and/or happiness levels of Buddhist monks. One example is here, and if you google around, you will find more stuff.

Meditation Alters Brain Structure, Functioning

Excerpt:

The term refers to the brain's recently discovered ability to change its structure and function, in particular by expanding or strengthening circuits that are used and by shrinking or weakening those that are rarely engaged. In its short history, the science of neuroplasticity has mostly documented brain changes that reflect physical experience and input from the outside world. In pianists who play many arpeggios, for instance, brain regions that control the index finger and middle finger become fused, apparently because when one finger hits a key in one of these fast-tempo movements, the other does so almost simultaneously, fooling the brain into thinking the two fingers are one. As a result of the fused brain regions, the pianist can no longer move those fingers independently of one another.

Lately, however, scientists have begun to wonder whether the brain can change in response to purely internal, mental signals. That's where the Buddhists come in. Their centuries-old tradition of meditation offers a real-life experiment in the power of those will-o'-the-wisps, thoughts, to alter the physical matter of the brain.

"Of all the concepts in modern neuroscience, it is neuroplasticity that has the greatest potential for meaningful interaction with Buddhism," says neuroscientist Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The Dalai Lama agreed, and he encouraged monks to donate (temporarily) their brains to science.

The result was the scans that Prof. Davidson projected in Dharamsala. They compared brain activity in volunteers who were novice meditators to that of Buddhist monks who had spent more than 10,000 hours in meditation. The task was to practice "compassion" meditation, generating a feeling of loving kindness toward all beings.

"We tried to generate a mental state in which compassion permeates the whole mind with no other thoughts," says Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk at Shechen Monastery in Katmandu, Nepal, who holds a Ph.D. in genetics.

In a striking difference between novices and monks, the latter showed a dramatic increase in high-frequency brain activity called gamma waves during compassion meditation. Thought to be the signature of neuronal activity that knits together far-flung brain circuits, gamma waves underlie higher mental activity such as consciousness. The novice meditators "showed a slight increase in gamma activity, but most monks showed extremely large increases of a sort that has never been reported before in the neuroscience literature," says Prof. Davidson, suggesting that mental training can bring the brain to a greater level of consciousness.

Using the brain scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging, the scientists pinpointed regions that were active during compassion meditation. In almost every case, the enhanced activity was greater in the monks' brains than the novices'. Activity in the left prefrontal cortex (the seat of positive emotions such as happiness) swamped activity in the right prefrontal (site of negative emotions and anxiety), something never before seen from purely mental activity. A sprawling circuit that switches on at the sight of suffering also showed greater activity in the monks. So did regions responsible for planned movement, as if the monks' brains were itching to go to the aid of those in distress.

[Captain Drywall]

What did the buddhist say to the hot dog vender?
A: Make me one, with everything.

[Cool Chick]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Meditation Alters Brain Structure, Functioning

i adore this ... every word. whew.

Another place you may want to look is at some of the ways the Dalai Lama breaks down Buddhism. His main tenant is compassion and it appears, in my humble opinion, that he teaches about simplicity and human kindness.

"True compassion and love in the context of training of the mind is based on the simple recognition that others, just like myself, naturally aspire to be happy and to overcome suffering, and that others, just like myself, have the natural right to fulfill that basic aspiration. The empathy you develop toward a person based on recognition of this basic fact is universal compassion. There is no element of prejudice, no element of discrimination. This compassion is able to be extended to all sentient beings, so long as they are capable of experiencing pain and happiness. Thus, the essential feature of true compassion is that it is universal and not discriminatory. As such, training the mind in cultivating compassion in the Buddhist tradition first involves cultivating a thought of even-mindedness, or equanimity, toward all sentient beings. For example, you may reflect upon the fact that such-and-such a person may be your friend, your relative, and so forth in this life, but that this person may have been, from a Buddhist point of view, your worst enemy in a past life. Similarly, you apply the same sort of reasoning to someone you consider an enemy: although this person may be negative toward you and is your enemy in this life, he or she could have been your best friend in a past life, or could have been related to you, and so on. By reflecting upon the fluctuating nature of one's relationships with others and also on the potential that exists in all sentient beings to be friends and enemies, you develop this even-mindedness or equanimity. " His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Training the Mind: Verse 2

peaceful journey to you and namaste (the one in me sees the one in you)

[PerDev]

Is Buddhism similar to Jainism ?

[ArthurHung]

You can't really practice Buddhism, in my opinion. That would be like practicing meditation.

And I do believe that consciousness is always expanding.

I recommend reading OSHO ENGLISH BOOKS

[Cool Chick]

Originally Posted by ArthurHung

You can't really practice Buddhism, in my opinion. That would be like practicing meditation.

And I do believe that consciousness is always expanding.

I recommend reading OSHO ENGLISH BOOKS

I practice meditation all the time ... to quiet the mind can be quite the difficult undertaking.

and lol @ Osho the slow talker nice link

[ArthurHung]

Oh, is your mind so noisy? Must be tough being so cool

Medigurgitation is what I call it. Those techniques where people sit with their hands clasped, or sitting in front of a wall, listening to some kind of hypnotic CD, or attempting some kind of lucid dream. Medigurgitation.

Cause it's sort of like regurgitating someone else's original unique way to bliss. And I do believe you have a better, one-of-a-kind way for yourself, Cool Chick

The originator's of Yoga poses came about them naturally through a state of meditation (being spontaneous). People who copy them mechanically trying to "achieve something" usually fail big time.

I think meditation can be best describes as the title of Steve's article here.

[Cool Chick]

Originally Posted by ArthurHung

Oh, is your mind so noisy? Must be tough being so cool

Medigurgitation is what I call it. Those techniques where people sit with their hands clasped, or sitting in front of a wall, listening to some kind of hypnotic CD, or attempting some kind of lucid dream. Medigurgitation.

Cause it's sort of like regurgitating someone else's original unique way to bliss. And I do believe you have a better, one-of-a-kind way for yourself, Cool Chick

The originator's of Yoga poses came about them naturally through a state of meditation (being spontaneous). People who copy them mechanically trying to "achieve something" usually fail big time.

I think meditation can be best describes as the title of Steve's article here.

and wow the way to enlightenment starts with honesty ... boo to you for dissin LOL ... and yes my brain tends to be what i like to call overly thoughtful. this is why i dig the uber coolness of the quiet of the meditative state. in the same spirit as your above post "must be tough to have your **** already altogether ... cause the journey is wicked fun"

yes yes yes ... i am not cool in any way ... hence the paradoxical nature of my name.

and sweetness ... mister hung ... while we're exploring names i want to thank you for the brush up and reminding me that when i make up my own silly yoga poses ... i continue to do the right thing LOL

loved your post and thank you ... mean it

and LOL @ using pavlinian material when speaking of originality and finding ones own voice ... you're priceless (no offense steve-o)

[Melchior]

Originally Posted by Abitofzen

That depends on the flavor/phase of Buddhism you are studying.

Some forms of Vajrayana Buddhism incorporate deities.

Their use, isn't exactly for worship, though.

Learning to see yourself as the Buddha, or the deity, is one way to transcend separation... or to recognize enlightenment.

At least that's what I've read...

Sounds good.

[aabbcc]

Originally Posted by ArthurHung

You can't really practice Buddhism, in my opinion. That would be like practicing meditation.

I am not quite sure I understand what you mean. Buddhism is more than meditation. If you try to live your life according to the precepts and the Noble Eightfold Path, if you observe Ango, Buddhist holidays, and the Uposatha days, if you study with a teacher, I would say you are practicing Buddhism.

[ArthurHung]

Yes, you don't understand what I mean, and I'm glad that you asked

Buddhism is more than meditation

A Buddhist would never say that. Meditation, surrendering, witnessing, disconnecting, praying, intention-manifestation, going into oneself, whatever one wants to call it, the words are insignificant.

If you try to live your life according to the precepts and the Noble Eightfold Path, if you observe Ango, Buddhist holidays, and the Uposatha days, if you study with a teacher, I would say you are practicing Buddhism.

Can someone tryto stop smoking? Can someone try to meditate? No, you can try but you will fail. Only understanding succeeds.

You can be a disciple with a master which can be useful. For example, someone "lucky" enough to study under someone life Steve Pavlina in person.

A student of a teacher of Buddhism, now I know I'm contradicting myself because I had just spoken at the beginning of this post about how words are just play, but most teachers are frauds that know nothing.

Make of this what you will, nothing I say is either now or ever of any significance, and I do believe that perhaps only someone who feels Buddhism and meditation and teachers are insignificant can feel the heart of Buddhism.