I have recently acquired a change in heart of religion and turned to a form of buddhism..I like the fact there are no creator gods, and you only seek to enlighten yourself by any means necessary, and do not follow what other people say if it isn't the way to do it for you. It's a very interesting religion and we meditate for some rituals through the year, its not like its required every day, its not even required at all. So respond and see if you would like to ask about it or look it up on the internet or the library. Or if anyone of you are buddhist as well. Farewell. Peace.
How's it goin Durchii? I take to some form of buddhism as well. I'm currently studying Zen buddhism. Have you read any of the dhammapada yet? If not here's a link for you and all the Bodhisattvas out there. It's a collection of verses and sayings split into 26 chapters. All teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the first man to reach buddha. In Tibetan Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for him/herself but also for everyone... http://www.serve.com/cmtan/Dhammapada/
I'm not Buddhist, but I practice meditation in either burmese or sitting zazen position by incense. Very natural way of relaxation, and I've found that smoking a J before starting has great effects.
I believe in some concepts of Buddhism, also Toaism, I believe one can reach the first three stages of realization, but in todays world total buddhahood cannot be realized unless you live in a isolation area with no media.
True that. If you ever wanted to reach that state you'd hate to move to Tibet and join a monastery or something. Separation of the true-self and ego can't be reached in a society with media-portrayed standards, and loss of desire in personal belongings can't happen if you don't live in solitude and monk's poverty. These are essential steps in reaching the perfect state of mind. Plain and simple. But it's not hard to reach a peaceful state of mind with zazen.
I'm going to look more into buddhism, from what I know about it there is so much truth to it. It's good to see other people are expanding their minds too. Peace-
i'm married to a sri lankan man, and his family is buddhist. i admire the religion in its basic idea, but i can't say i like it in application. I spent a couple weeks in Sri Lanka, where everyone and their brother tried to convert me (I'm really not much of anything, though by the end i really, really wanted to tell them i was a satanist) I was constantly deemed less worthy because i wasn't buddhist, and expected to participate in buddhist rituals (which I put a stop to at a certain point.) They might not have creator gods in the traditional sense, but they sure as hell worship gods, and something that resembles ancestor worship. The deities for various different things (like money and food and health and stuff) adorn the walls in all the temples, and each temple has parts of dead people for you to worship. Usually ashes of either the Buddha or some other famous priest, but we did go to "The Temple of Tooth" which buddhists take particular joy in traveling to. I have to admit I am biased because the entire trip was a disaster, and I had to watch my husband screamed at, and me blamed, for his loss in faith. Somehow, my husband always gave in, time and again, and went to go bow to a dead guy. I can't say I was impressed at all with the religion. i should say that sri lankan buddhism is likely just as different from another sect as mormans are from catholics, and that you shouldn't base anything off my experiences
Obviously this buddhist family was slightly missguided. A buddhist judges no one, as we are all the same. Why would a hospitalized man scorn an injured man limping past the hospital? The only thing that seperates us is acceptence of realization. The fact that one would scream shows the lack of control, something also scorned in the buddhist faith. Siddhartha Gautama did believe in a pantheon of gods, but hindu gods. Buddhism is not a formal religion in a sense it worships gods, but a large majority of people accept its teachings of wisdom alongside their own pantheon. It's not surprising this tradition is still practiced in Sri Lanka. Realization cannot be forced upon someone. It saddens me that people mix their own flawed ideals into a pure essence. This contradicts the original faith, as buddhism is the ultimate ideal. I hope it doesn't deter you in the future, as fed up as you may be with buddhism right now.
well, it was hardly the buddhist family, pretty much everyone i met (including the priests) expected me to become buddhist simply because i married someone whos family was buddhist. i think it is a cultural thing more than a religious thing - they live in a way so as to expect perfect obedience for their elders, and my husband and I not conforming to their views upset them. The fact that he used to follow their orders without question when he was a child, and doesn't now, is blamed on my influence. In Sri Lanka, the lines between religion and cultural tradition are very greyed - i think the inclusion of gods is more cultural than traditional buddhism. Unfortunately, as attractive as the concept of buddhism is to me, I was rather disappointed to see it in application. As I said, though, this could be solely the Sri Lankan side - you are right that their practices are very colored by hindu influences, and that may have a lot to do with my experiences.
i got into buddhism a few months ago. when i first read the eightfold path (it was some recently written interpretation) i totaly changed my life. i quit smokeing herb, swearing, and all the "bad" stuff i do, i started helping people when i could, and i felt like a pretty good person. But i went through a huge withdrawl in my enthusiasm in things i once was passionate about(surfing, skating, chillin with friends). I told myself it was okay, and tried pretty hard to have no attatchments to anything. But i ended up in a really awkward place mentally. I realized that i couldnt detatch myself from everything in our western world quite yet(im still in high school). I went back to my old habits about a month later, still keeping the the most important lessons about morality. I probably want more then anything to achieve enlightenment, but i dont see it feesable in our culture. I really would have to join a monastery and live in isolation... not sure if thats what i want. if anyone has some advice thats chill.
We've raised society, and been raised in turn. Becoming so intertwined in the process it seems impossible to destroy our dependance on this system. We've become pillars, supporting the same pressuring burden that holds us in place. Accept this burden as a factor you must deal with. If one or two pillars fall, the building stays intact. If I wait, and whisper my words of enlightenment, other pillars of support will crumble in time. And the building will come to its downfall. Every change imagineable comes from the inside, as will this. Sometimes these frustrating predicaments will drain the spiritual well. And only through perfection of self will we once again fill that well. As hard as it may be, anything less is supporting our own cyclic doom. Strive as best you can. That's the only advice I can give you. I find myself in the same position currently. But my main friends are moving to Montreal to be roommates. Considering they are the largest influence on me, I'll be in a good position to reassess where I am, and my goals. Something every bodhisattva should do from time to time. "Many are those who are blinded by this world and few are those who see the truth. Many are like birds trapped in a net and few are those who reach paradise." -From the Dhammapada
yeah i want to see what buddhism is all about... maybe someday i can just go to a buddhist temple and adopt their way of life for a few months
No, buddhism is a different form of religion. There is a collection of teachings and verses known as the Dhammapada though. I suggest you do a web search, the amount of literature you'll find will keep you busy in your own thoughts for months.