Well this has been troubling me for some time so I thought I should share it here.
I recently read a few books on Buddhism, being new to it I wanted to know more about the religion. Although now it's making me wish I never read them to begin with. It pretty much shattered whatever notion I had about life up to now.
Now I'm not certain about getting a career, finishing college, finding a partner, or even enjoying the things I did up until I read about it. Every night I pray for sleep just to get a break from the constant thoughts in my head. I'm not really sure what to do now.
It makes it seem like the only way is to become a monk and leave everything behind. This whole business about enlightenment and illusions, delusions, I'm not sure what to believe anymore.
I could really use some advice or clarity right now, too much going on in this storm and I'm not sure how to navigate.
You've come this far in life (if you're in college and such) and you're in a position where you are unsure what you WANT to do, but what CAN you do? Ask yourself, "can I survive living a minimalist, spiritual life of a monk?" "Is this really the right way to go about life in this current society?"
Because I too have read Siddhartha Gautama's philosophies and texts on Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc., and what you need to keep in mind is that these books were written hundreds, if not a couple thousand of years ago. Life was different back then than it is now, obviously, so I wouldn't take those philosophies live read too literally. Having no income, or job, or skill, or education can backfire on you if you decide the monk life isn't for you. Spiritual stability doesn't mean financial or social stability, nor does it guarantee you a healthy, happy life.
I would think about those things before you make a big leap into the realm of Buddhism, because the world we live in today isn't so simple to live in as Buddhism, or any other religion, would have you believe it is.
Leaving the material world behind and becoming a monk isn't your only choice friend. It is a choice, but you have many more. The delusions, and illusions are there, but they don't make the things you feel any less real, sure emotions are fleeting but they are what makes us human. Finding that career, for which you are passionate, will give you a reason to wake up in the morning and want to go to work. Finishing college is an accomplishment, and an end of a stage in your life, one that some don't have to privilege to experience. Finding a partner? Finding that person that gives you butterflies is one thing, then to know that she loves you too? Thats a high even drugs can't beat. Sure all these things and everything else is fleeting, but feeling them is what life is all about. You'll experience all these wonderful things, and you'll experience lost that is just as spectacular, but thats what makes the human experience. Your choice in the end is to feel or not to feel. One will result in highs and lows, the other a blissful medium. Neither is bad. You should just take some time and not focus soo much on the bad, but take a step back, and make a check list of all the things you are thankful for. Give yourself some time and let the shock wear off, from there just look for the little things in life that makes you happy. It'll be alright.
Why do those books you've read or religion have a monopoly on the truth?
Look inside and what resonates with you...you're using your head and not your heart.
As for my own personal experience, the supreme moments of clarity I have experienced are absolutely flooded with happiness and love for all things. And it's not a forced thing. It usually comes when i have that re-piphany that I always have a choice in the present moment and recognizing this at a deep level. I think when you take responsibility as wholly as possible, somehow the world becomes bright, exciting, possibilities and opportunities abound.
I have also had many a moment where I've used my mind far too much to analyze what is the 'right' thing to do and it does not make me happy or feel like you've discovered the truth at all. I think it's really self-loathing and overanalysis masked as trying to be a noble person.
Perhaps this analogy may be of use:
Trying to capture enlightenment is like reading a top chef's recipe for how they cooked an amazing dish and making sure you follow the recipe to a T and stressing out whenever you miss a step. You'll actually never get there if you keep re-iterating that process, you require a transcendence of that process. One day when attempting to cook the top chef's recipe for the 1000th time, you decide to throw out the book and revel in the joy of cooking itself and somehow on that day, your meal tastes just right to you.
Taoism personally resonates a little better with me since I was a child, and this is my favorite translation of the Tao Te Ching
I think it's admirable to devote your entire life to something. And admirable to take action when presented with new information.
That said, I would strongly recommend that you take some time to think over your next steps. Let it simmer for a bit.
If you still want to transition to monkhood, then go ahead and kick off the process. Spend the next few years learning the teachings, participating in the community, and seeing if you can live by the vows. At the end of that process, you'll have a better sense for whether taking life-long vows is right for you.
If not, there are other ways to participate without becoming a monk. The vast majority of people that are called to a religion are not called to ordination, but rather called to be a lay person that still lives righteously. Which I personally think is just as difficult, if not more difficult.
Finally, if Buddhism is the first religion you've had exposure to, you may also want to familiarize yourself with some of the others.
But the thing is that the philosophy just makes too much sense for me to not listen to it. It talks about patience, that some things take time to happen. But I don't know what patience is, I don't know what to do with it exactly. It says these realizations take time, but I just don't know when I'm doing it right or not. I look inside and for some reason despite all the trouble it feels like a path for me.
Feel free to join a community, build a relationship with a mentor, and start learning the teachings.
Two more points urging caution, though.
This quote by Jorge Luis Borges gets kicked around a lot - "To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely." Bear with me, because I think this can even apply to your situation.
It's attractive to you to turn off your entire life and devote it to a life of service. I get that and I've felt that as well. However, I believe that it's far easier to live righteously in a monastery with like-minded individuals, the accountability of wearing the garments, and minimal temptation than it is to live righteously as a lay person out in the world. You may be called, but you may not be called to monkhood.
Finally, I'm not sure how to say this last part without sounding judging, but learning patience is a BIG PART of life as a monk. It might be that this is when you start training your patience.
But the thing is that the philosophy just makes too much sense for me to not listen to it. It talks about patience, that some things take time to happen. But I don't know what patience is, I don't know what to do with it exactly. It says these realizations take time, but I just don't know when I'm doing it right or not. I look inside and for some reason despite all the trouble it feels like a path for me.
Then to me it sounds like it is worthy of exploration and perhaps you have some fears and worries still pent up about such a thing. To me, patience is about seeing things clearly, but it doesn't mean you aren't doing anything.
I think of it like the music of the universe. Music just sounds beautiful when you do it right. Sometimes it requires you to be silent. And you lose that beautiful spontaneity when you end up trying too hard to capture it. Same thing for enlightenment to me. It just feels beautiful. Nothing feels like a mistake and everything is where it needs to be at the time, effortlessly flowing from one moment to the next. That's just how I've come to experience and perceive these things. (And my opinion is that its a matter of degrees as well, I don't know if anyone is perfectly enlightened all the time as I think that puts you in the realm of Godhood. Perhaps Jesus is a testament to this possibility.)
In conclusion, trust yourself. Embrace your situation at hand even if it's uncomfortable. I don't know what it is, but giving yourself fully to whatever you are experiencing at the moment allows you to transcend it. I guess its just tied into the awareness of what you are actually feeling and experiencing, reminds you that you always have power over it.
Feel free to join a community, build a relationship with a mentor, and start learning the teachings.
Two more points urging caution, though.
This quote by Jorge Luis Borges gets kicked around a lot - "To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely." Bear with me, because I think this can even apply to your situation.
It's attractive to you to turn off your entire life and devote it to a life of service. I get that and I've felt that as well. However, I believe that it's far easier to live righteously in a monastery with like-minded individuals, the accountability of wearing the garments, and minimal temptation than it is to live righteously as a lay person out in the world. You may be called, but you may not be called to monkhood.
Finally, I'm not sure how to say this last part without sounding judging, but learning patience is a BIG PART of life as a monk. It might be that this is when you start training your patience.
I think you are mistaken, my post made NO mention of me finding the life of a monk attractive. I said it feels like it is the only option for me, which makes me feel trapped.
Personally, my view regarding Buddhism is that it has become a parody of what it used to be. The Buddha didn't teach these teachings. The Buddha taught the four noble truths. All the indoctrination that has happened goes a lot against the earlier texts. Then again, how can you have a religion that's.. Not a religion?
I've always loved how the secret is right there, in the first lines. Right there in plain sight, but is so hard to see.
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
I've always felt that it should've ended there. For most people, everything else just acts as a distraction. Then again, perhaps you need the distraction to spend enough time to come back to these first lines.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Sage is occupied with the unspoken
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
Well this has been troubling me for some time so I thought I should share it here.
I recently read a few books on Buddhism, being new to it I wanted to know more about the religion. Although now it's making me wish I never read them to begin with. It pretty much shattered whatever notion I had about life up to now.
Now I'm not certain about getting a career, finishing college, finding a partner, or even enjoying the things I did up until I read about it. Every night I pray for sleep just to get a break from the constant thoughts in my head. I'm not really sure what to do now.
It makes it seem like the only way is to become a monk and leave everything behind. This whole business about enlightenment and illusions, delusions, I'm not sure what to believe anymore.
I could really use some advice or clarity right now, too much going on in this storm and I'm not sure how to navigate.
1) How old are you?
2) What's your socio-cultural background?
3) What is it about Buddhist ideology that was so earth-shattering to you?
I should have specified better. When I ask socio-cultural, I meant more than just your religious upbringing. Just for simplicity's sake, I'll ask another question - What's your socio-economic background?
Just the attachment, illusions about reality, and all that.
This isn't very specific. Makes me wonder whether you've read anything about Buddhism that is actually concrete, or more just something written by someone with just a superficial understanding of Buddhism.
I mean, Traditional Buddhist thought doesn't actually make any mention about reality being an illusion.
I mean, Traditional Buddhist thought doesn't actually make any mention about reality being an illusion.
Traditional Buddhism has to deal with illusions people have of reality. Reality, or dharma, isn't an illusion. It's the way things are, as they are. The cause of suffering, or dukkha is our illusions regarding the dharma. Buddhism tries to fix these illusions to stop dukkha. This is the last of the four noble truths, i.e: The cessation of dukkha. Also know as Noble Eightfold Path.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Sage is occupied with the unspoken
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
Traditional Buddhism has to deal with illusions people have of reality. Reality, or dharma, isn't an illusion. It's the way things are, as they are. The cause of suffering, or dukkha is our illusions regarding the dharma. Buddhism tries to fix these illusions to stop dukkha. This is the last of the four noble truths, i.e: The cessation of dukkha. Also know as Noble Eightfold Path.[/FONT]
Illusions people have of reality=/=reality itself being an illusion.
My understanding is that Buddha referred to human perceptions of the world as being flawed, and that human pain and suffering came from this flawed understanding of things. Remove this flawed understanding by achieving enlightenment and you will no longer be a part of the cycle of reincarnation and pain and suffering. You will be "free".
None of this has to do with reality itself being an illusion. It is, as you put it, illusions people have of reality.
Try starting meditating a little bit every day (10-15 min), particularly before bed since you seem to have the most trouble with stray thoughts then. If you've read some Buddhism you'll have learned that meditation is absolutely indispensable in discovering reality. In this case just a little might get you to calm down though and get some emotional perspective. At the very least it's a good test whether you'll be able to handle being a monk and might actually like that lifestyle or not.
I don't know which flavor of Buddhism you've been into lately, but in say East Asia a Zen monk only meditates around 3 hours on an average day. I know someone who's kept up that regimen, is a full time professor at a research university, and is married (no children.) Even if you really buy into some kind of Buddhist view, it doesn't necessarily mean monastic life.
Still if you want to try it, many places run special retreats that will give you some kind of small taste of monastic life. Its also a place you might meet people that can further direct you if you wanted to commit. I'm concerned that this doesn't sound like something you "want" to do, but by experiencing this you might at least learn a bit more about yourself and where you want to go.
My understanding is that Buddha referred to human perceptions of the world as being flawed, and that human pain and suffering came from this flawed understanding of things. Remove this flawed understanding by achieving enlightenment and you will no longer be a part of the cycle of reincarnation and pain and suffering. You will be "free".
Yes. Although it is up to debate whether or not Buddha believed in reincarnation, or rebirth. As no concept of self or soul exists in Buddhism, it seems hard to argue so. The issue is that the translations are often imperfect, and translation as "Reincarnation" is loaded with the Hinduism meaning, where you die and are born again as an animal or something. When there is no "you", when that is just an illusion, and when the goal is to get rid of illusions, it's hard to rationalize the concept of "reincarnation" as people often think of it. That's why many prefer the term "Rebirth". Which sounds similar but is completely different. You're reborn every moment, as you (And everything else.) exists in a state of impermanence.
The situation here is similar to that of Karma. When people hear the word, they assume the Hinduism version, where good things you've done in past come to help you and bad things come to haunt you. In Buddhism, there is just Karma, there is no bad Karma or good Karma. Karma can be seen as an extension of causality. Ironically, the good and bad Karma part did creep into Buddhism, and can be found in the more modern variations. Google "Wholesome" and "Unwholesome" Karma.
I find it hilarious that Buddhism itself exists in a state of impermanence, and is reborn every moment. So, yeah. Perhaps we take this conversation elsewhere if it seems worth continuing. We can probably fill a few threads with it.
The Sage is occupied with the unspoken
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
Well this has been troubling me for some time so I thought I should share it here.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Sorry if I disappoint in being here for you to bounce ideas off or whatever, though.
I recently read a few books on Buddhism, being new to it I wanted to know more about the religion. Although now it's making me wish I never read them to begin with. It pretty much shattered whatever notion I had about life up to now.
Now I'm not certain about getting a career, finishing college, finding a partner, or even enjoying the things I did up until I read about it. Every night I pray for sleep just to get a break from the constant thoughts in my head. I'm not really sure what to do now.
It is important to know, before you die, what you are running from, to, and why, and these transformative years have much bearing on your life; but, for the time being, do something simply something you can at least stomach doing and may have an active interest in, be realistic and pragmatic, and do your all you can and your very best, sparing no effort.
Then, after some more ageing and hopefully maturing and working out who you are and what you want, go become a monk. If you were to become a monk and then realise that it's not for you before becoming ordained (or whatever) or a few years later, you may work out that you should have finished college, which is an opportunity that many do not have.
The situation here is similar to that of Karma. When people hear the word, they assume the Hinduism version, where good things you've done in past come to help you and bad things come to haunt you. In Buddhism, there is just Karma, there is no bad Karma or good Karma. Karma can be seen as an extension of causality. Ironically, the good and bad Karma part did creep into Buddhism, and can be found in the more modern variations. Google "Wholesome" and "Unwholesome" Karma.
I find it hilarious that Buddhism itself exists in a state of impermanence, and is reborn every moment. So, yeah. Perhaps we take this conversation elsewhere if it seems worth continuing. We can probably fill a few threads with it.
I think you are mistaken, my post made NO mention of me finding the life of a monk attractive. I said it feels like it is the only option for me, which makes me feel trapped.
But the thing is that the philosophy just makes too much sense for me to not listen to it. I look inside and for some reason despite all the trouble it feels like a path for me.
I thought you were saying that you couldn't wait to get started on your journey. Not that you felt trapped.
Could you clarify the problem statement? It sounds like you might be saying that you had an epiphany - and that if this is Truth, it would demand that you change your entire life around it. But you don't want to do so and therefore feel trapped and aren't sure what to do next. Is that closer?
If so, I am not sure that my advice in the in my first two posts would be much different.
First, you could join a community and see how others have incorporated these teachings into their lifestyle. I believe you will find that the vast majority do so without entirely giving up their lives and becoming monks - and that that's OK.
Second, time will usually provide perspective. It sounds like you've already had some exposure to other religious teaching as a Catholic. But you may find additional education to be useful. Just as an observation, there are several mutually-exclusive teachings out there that all claim to be the only path to Truth. Buddhism may be compelling now, but something else may be more compelling later.
If not, then I'll try my best to respond to your actual concern.
Knowledge Pool count: 308
Looking for Knowledge Pools! All languages, conditions, foil/non-foil, etc. PM me with your Pools and we can work something out
I thought you were saying that you couldn't wait to get started on your journey. Not that you felt trapped.
Could you clarify the problem statement? It sounds like you might be saying that you had an epiphany - and that if this is Truth, it would demand that you change your entire life around it. But you don't want to do so and therefore feel trapped and aren't sure what to do next. Is that closer?
If so, I am not sure that my advice in the in my first two posts would be much different.
First, you could join a community and see how others have incorporated these teachings into their lifestyle. I believe you will find that the vast majority do so without entirely giving up their lives and becoming monks - and that that's OK.
Second, time will usually provide perspective. It sounds like you've already had some exposure to other religious teaching as a Catholic. But you may find additional education to be useful. Just as an observation, there are several mutually-exclusive teachings out there that all claim to be the only path to Truth. Buddhism may be compelling now, but something else may be more compelling later.
If not, then I'll try my best to respond to your actual concern.
I said it feels trapped because most of what I read about buddhism seems logical, so i can't find anything to argue against it. The trapped feeling is that the whole religion makes it seem like the only way to do it is become a monk. But I suppose this is a new thing for me. I know every time I asked for advice they tell me to give it time, you are too young to start doing "etc etc", to take it slow and steady. But the thing is I'm not sure what slow and steady is, or if I'm doing enough, maybe I'm forcing it too much and that's the problem.
maybe I'm forcing it too much and that's the problem.
Might be possible.
Buddhism is not a cult. You aren't going to be pressured to join, so I don't think you need to feel pressured to change everything right now. It's not even like Christianity - i.e., no eternal consequences for failing to follow.
I don't see any need to force the issue. I would encourage you to continue to let it breathe.
Edit: To help with the urge to do more, it may be helpful to spend some time reading criticisms of Buddhism. If you find the counterarguments compelling, that might help you temper your path or even find a different path. If you don't find the counterarguments compelling, that might still be a useful exercise to cement your understanding of Truth. At least, I believe it is a useful exercise to test ones faith.
My suggestion is to read a lot more philosophy and other social works that explain different aspects of humans. This seems to be one of those first breaks with your cultural legacy, most people change religions at least once in their life. My suggestion would be to not approach as a religion, but rather a philosophy and taking in different aspects. There also exists a concept called syncretism that allows one to combine different religions together and meld it into their own personal worldview. There are "Bhuddist Catholics" and the like in the world, if you actually like some of the constructs.
I'd suggest reading some of the Gnostic and Manichean texts if you want to walk on the wild side a bit as well as some of the other apocrypha.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
There are a few things I think you need to do first:
1) Calm down. Think about the path rather the destination.
2) Practice being present in the here and now. Practice Mindfulness as much as you can rather than anticipation. Every time you fail do not chastise yourself, just do it again.
3) Separate Buddhist philosophy from religion. You can be a Buddhist practitioner and a Catholic at the same time if that is what you choose.
You need a mentor...someone who knows what living with this practice is really like. I am not sure if you are a westerner, but it kinda sounds like you are, so you need a western mentor. I remember when H.H. The Dalai Lama toured through my city some years ago my wife and I went to hear him speak and it was one of the most profound experiences of my life. One of the things he said was he was that while he was certain the Buddhism is the path to enlightenment for him, he was not so sure that it was the right path to enlightenment for westerners. There are things that someone who grew up in and surrounded by a faith or practice accepts and understands easily that outsiders have a hard time practicing. I think that it is possible for you to adopt Buddhist practices, but I know that you will need a guide who also understands the difficulties.
I am a convert to Judaism with no family anywhere near that faith, and when I started no friends in it either. It was something that I started reading about that I learned my wife too had always been drawn to and fascinated by. After talking about it for a few months and researching the reality of it, we found a local Jewish educational group who held 6 months of weekly classes on the faith, history, practice, and realities of living life as a Jew. My wife and I signed up started going to these classes and doing the reading assignments. They were held at synagogues, community centers, people's homes and the other students were from a variety of backgrounds and had a lot of different motivations for taking the class. Judaism, like Buddhism, is not a faith that proselytizes or seeks converts, as a matter of fact it is kind-of a pain in the rear to join in a fully official sense if you have no familial connection, but there are those that will help you if you ask for it.
My point in rattling on like this is that I needed guidance...I still need advice at times, so I went out and found it. I don't know where you live, but I know there are Buddhist centers all over the place who should be able to answer your questions so much better than a forum can.
I recently read a few books on Buddhism, being new to it I wanted to know more about the religion. Although now it's making me wish I never read them to begin with. It pretty much shattered whatever notion I had about life up to now.
Now I'm not certain about getting a career, finishing college, finding a partner, or even enjoying the things I did up until I read about it. Every night I pray for sleep just to get a break from the constant thoughts in my head. I'm not really sure what to do now.
It makes it seem like the only way is to become a monk and leave everything behind. This whole business about enlightenment and illusions, delusions, I'm not sure what to believe anymore.
I could really use some advice or clarity right now, too much going on in this storm and I'm not sure how to navigate.
Be realistic about it.
You've come this far in life (if you're in college and such) and you're in a position where you are unsure what you WANT to do, but what CAN you do? Ask yourself, "can I survive living a minimalist, spiritual life of a monk?" "Is this really the right way to go about life in this current society?"
Because I too have read Siddhartha Gautama's philosophies and texts on Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc., and what you need to keep in mind is that these books were written hundreds, if not a couple thousand of years ago. Life was different back then than it is now, obviously, so I wouldn't take those philosophies live read too literally. Having no income, or job, or skill, or education can backfire on you if you decide the monk life isn't for you. Spiritual stability doesn't mean financial or social stability, nor does it guarantee you a healthy, happy life.
I would think about those things before you make a big leap into the realm of Buddhism, because the world we live in today isn't so simple to live in as Buddhism, or any other religion, would have you believe it is.
RIP Karn EDH
Look inside and what resonates with you...you're using your head and not your heart.
As for my own personal experience, the supreme moments of clarity I have experienced are absolutely flooded with happiness and love for all things. And it's not a forced thing. It usually comes when i have that re-piphany that I always have a choice in the present moment and recognizing this at a deep level. I think when you take responsibility as wholly as possible, somehow the world becomes bright, exciting, possibilities and opportunities abound.
I have also had many a moment where I've used my mind far too much to analyze what is the 'right' thing to do and it does not make me happy or feel like you've discovered the truth at all. I think it's really self-loathing and overanalysis masked as trying to be a noble person.
Perhaps this analogy may be of use:
Trying to capture enlightenment is like reading a top chef's recipe for how they cooked an amazing dish and making sure you follow the recipe to a T and stressing out whenever you miss a step. You'll actually never get there if you keep re-iterating that process, you require a transcendence of that process. One day when attempting to cook the top chef's recipe for the 1000th time, you decide to throw out the book and revel in the joy of cooking itself and somehow on that day, your meal tastes just right to you.
Taoism personally resonates a little better with me since I was a child, and this is my favorite translation of the Tao Te Ching
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html
As an aside, delight is an interesting word!
That said, I would strongly recommend that you take some time to think over your next steps. Let it simmer for a bit.
If you still want to transition to monkhood, then go ahead and kick off the process. Spend the next few years learning the teachings, participating in the community, and seeing if you can live by the vows. At the end of that process, you'll have a better sense for whether taking life-long vows is right for you.
If not, there are other ways to participate without becoming a monk. The vast majority of people that are called to a religion are not called to ordination, but rather called to be a lay person that still lives righteously. Which I personally think is just as difficult, if not more difficult.
Finally, if Buddhism is the first religion you've had exposure to, you may also want to familiarize yourself with some of the others.
[Disclaimer: I'm Protestant.]
Two more points urging caution, though.
This quote by Jorge Luis Borges gets kicked around a lot - "To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely." Bear with me, because I think this can even apply to your situation.
It's attractive to you to turn off your entire life and devote it to a life of service. I get that and I've felt that as well. However, I believe that it's far easier to live righteously in a monastery with like-minded individuals, the accountability of wearing the garments, and minimal temptation than it is to live righteously as a lay person out in the world. You may be called, but you may not be called to monkhood.
Finally, I'm not sure how to say this last part without sounding judging, but learning patience is a BIG PART of life as a monk. It might be that this is when you start training your patience.
Then to me it sounds like it is worthy of exploration and perhaps you have some fears and worries still pent up about such a thing. To me, patience is about seeing things clearly, but it doesn't mean you aren't doing anything.
I think of it like the music of the universe. Music just sounds beautiful when you do it right. Sometimes it requires you to be silent. And you lose that beautiful spontaneity when you end up trying too hard to capture it. Same thing for enlightenment to me. It just feels beautiful. Nothing feels like a mistake and everything is where it needs to be at the time, effortlessly flowing from one moment to the next. That's just how I've come to experience and perceive these things. (And my opinion is that its a matter of degrees as well, I don't know if anyone is perfectly enlightened all the time as I think that puts you in the realm of Godhood. Perhaps Jesus is a testament to this possibility.)
In conclusion, trust yourself. Embrace your situation at hand even if it's uncomfortable. I don't know what it is, but giving yourself fully to whatever you are experiencing at the moment allows you to transcend it. I guess its just tied into the awareness of what you are actually feeling and experiencing, reminds you that you always have power over it.
Love
I think you are mistaken, my post made NO mention of me finding the life of a monk attractive. I said it feels like it is the only option for me, which makes me feel trapped.
I disagree with this. The world is simple. You follow your intuition and do what you believe to be the right thing.
I've always loved how the secret is right there, in the first lines. Right there in plain sight, but is so hard to see.
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
1) How old are you?
2) What's your socio-cultural background?
3) What is it about Buddhist ideology that was so earth-shattering to you?
I'm 22. I was raised catholic but then drifted. Just the attachment, illusions about reality, and all that.
I should have specified better. When I ask socio-cultural, I meant more than just your religious upbringing. Just for simplicity's sake, I'll ask another question - What's your socio-economic background?
This isn't very specific. Makes me wonder whether you've read anything about Buddhism that is actually concrete, or more just something written by someone with just a superficial understanding of Buddhism.
I mean, Traditional Buddhist thought doesn't actually make any mention about reality being an illusion.
Traditional Buddhism has to deal with illusions people have of reality. Reality, or dharma, isn't an illusion. It's the way things are, as they are. The cause of suffering, or dukkha is our illusions regarding the dharma. Buddhism tries to fix these illusions to stop dukkha. This is the last of the four noble truths, i.e: The cessation of dukkha. Also know as Noble Eightfold Path.
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
Illusions people have of reality=/=reality itself being an illusion.
My understanding is that Buddha referred to human perceptions of the world as being flawed, and that human pain and suffering came from this flawed understanding of things. Remove this flawed understanding by achieving enlightenment and you will no longer be a part of the cycle of reincarnation and pain and suffering. You will be "free".
None of this has to do with reality itself being an illusion. It is, as you put it, illusions people have of reality.
I don't know which flavor of Buddhism you've been into lately, but in say East Asia a Zen monk only meditates around 3 hours on an average day. I know someone who's kept up that regimen, is a full time professor at a research university, and is married (no children.) Even if you really buy into some kind of Buddhist view, it doesn't necessarily mean monastic life.
Still if you want to try it, many places run special retreats that will give you some kind of small taste of monastic life. Its also a place you might meet people that can further direct you if you wanted to commit. I'm concerned that this doesn't sound like something you "want" to do, but by experiencing this you might at least learn a bit more about yourself and where you want to go.
Yes. Notice how MirageProphet used words: "illusions about reality".
Yes. Although it is up to debate whether or not Buddha believed in reincarnation, or rebirth. As no concept of self or soul exists in Buddhism, it seems hard to argue so. The issue is that the translations are often imperfect, and translation as "Reincarnation" is loaded with the Hinduism meaning, where you die and are born again as an animal or something. When there is no "you", when that is just an illusion, and when the goal is to get rid of illusions, it's hard to rationalize the concept of "reincarnation" as people often think of it. That's why many prefer the term "Rebirth". Which sounds similar but is completely different. You're reborn every moment, as you (And everything else.) exists in a state of impermanence.
The situation here is similar to that of Karma. When people hear the word, they assume the Hinduism version, where good things you've done in past come to help you and bad things come to haunt you. In Buddhism, there is just Karma, there is no bad Karma or good Karma. Karma can be seen as an extension of causality. Ironically, the good and bad Karma part did creep into Buddhism, and can be found in the more modern variations. Google "Wholesome" and "Unwholesome" Karma.
I find it hilarious that Buddhism itself exists in a state of impermanence, and is reborn every moment. So, yeah. Perhaps we take this conversation elsewhere if it seems worth continuing. We can probably fill a few threads with it.
Sleep is the best meditation.
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
It is important to know, before you die, what you are running from, to, and why, and these transformative years have much bearing on your life; but, for the time being, do something simply something you can at least stomach doing and may have an active interest in, be realistic and pragmatic, and do your all you can and your very best, sparing no effort.
Then, after some more ageing and hopefully maturing and working out who you are and what you want, go become a monk. If you were to become a monk and then realise that it's not for you before becoming ordained (or whatever) or a few years later, you may work out that you should have finished college, which is an opportunity that many do not have.
I think I agree with you and find that your post, reflective of your age and wisdom, is very well written and helpful.
I thought you were saying that you couldn't wait to get started on your journey. Not that you felt trapped.
If so, I am not sure that my advice in the in my first two posts would be much different.
First, you could join a community and see how others have incorporated these teachings into their lifestyle. I believe you will find that the vast majority do so without entirely giving up their lives and becoming monks - and that that's OK.
Second, time will usually provide perspective. It sounds like you've already had some exposure to other religious teaching as a Catholic. But you may find additional education to be useful. Just as an observation, there are several mutually-exclusive teachings out there that all claim to be the only path to Truth. Buddhism may be compelling now, but something else may be more compelling later.
If not, then I'll try my best to respond to your actual concern.
STANDARD:
RRRMono RedRRR
MODERN:
BGBeatdown ElvesBG
GWDevoted Druid ComboGW
EDH:
URGMaelstrom WandererURG
BBBSheoldred, Whispering OneBBB
BGNath of the Gilt-LeafBG
Looking for Knowledge Pools! All languages, conditions, foil/non-foil, etc. PM me with your Pools and we can work something out
I said it feels trapped because most of what I read about buddhism seems logical, so i can't find anything to argue against it. The trapped feeling is that the whole religion makes it seem like the only way to do it is become a monk. But I suppose this is a new thing for me. I know every time I asked for advice they tell me to give it time, you are too young to start doing "etc etc", to take it slow and steady. But the thing is I'm not sure what slow and steady is, or if I'm doing enough, maybe I'm forcing it too much and that's the problem.
Yup. Apologies, I misread =(
Might be possible.
Buddhism is not a cult. You aren't going to be pressured to join, so I don't think you need to feel pressured to change everything right now. It's not even like Christianity - i.e., no eternal consequences for failing to follow.
I don't see any need to force the issue. I would encourage you to continue to let it breathe.
Edit: To help with the urge to do more, it may be helpful to spend some time reading criticisms of Buddhism. If you find the counterarguments compelling, that might help you temper your path or even find a different path. If you don't find the counterarguments compelling, that might still be a useful exercise to cement your understanding of Truth. At least, I believe it is a useful exercise to test ones faith.
I'd suggest reading some of the Gnostic and Manichean texts if you want to walk on the wild side a bit as well as some of the other apocrypha.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
1) Calm down. Think about the path rather the destination.
2) Practice being present in the here and now. Practice Mindfulness as much as you can rather than anticipation. Every time you fail do not chastise yourself, just do it again.
3) Separate Buddhist philosophy from religion. You can be a Buddhist practitioner and a Catholic at the same time if that is what you choose.
You need a mentor...someone who knows what living with this practice is really like. I am not sure if you are a westerner, but it kinda sounds like you are, so you need a western mentor. I remember when H.H. The Dalai Lama toured through my city some years ago my wife and I went to hear him speak and it was one of the most profound experiences of my life. One of the things he said was he was that while he was certain the Buddhism is the path to enlightenment for him, he was not so sure that it was the right path to enlightenment for westerners. There are things that someone who grew up in and surrounded by a faith or practice accepts and understands easily that outsiders have a hard time practicing. I think that it is possible for you to adopt Buddhist practices, but I know that you will need a guide who also understands the difficulties.
I am a convert to Judaism with no family anywhere near that faith, and when I started no friends in it either. It was something that I started reading about that I learned my wife too had always been drawn to and fascinated by. After talking about it for a few months and researching the reality of it, we found a local Jewish educational group who held 6 months of weekly classes on the faith, history, practice, and realities of living life as a Jew. My wife and I signed up started going to these classes and doing the reading assignments. They were held at synagogues, community centers, people's homes and the other students were from a variety of backgrounds and had a lot of different motivations for taking the class. Judaism, like Buddhism, is not a faith that proselytizes or seeks converts, as a matter of fact it is kind-of a pain in the rear to join in a fully official sense if you have no familial connection, but there are those that will help you if you ask for it.
My point in rattling on like this is that I needed guidance...I still need advice at times, so I went out and found it. I don't know where you live, but I know there are Buddhist centers all over the place who should be able to answer your questions so much better than a forum can.
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!