Sangha Chat.

Discussion in 'Buddhism' started by Fairlight, Aug 14, 2014.

  1. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    I thought it might be a nice idea to start a Sangha thread here on hip forums,where people can casually drop in and talk about their meditation,dharma readings and obstacles they are experiencing on the Buddhist path.For those who don't know,the "Sangha" is the community of Buddhists and is one of the three jewels.I personally am no expert so I am not setting myself up as arbiter of this space,I thought it would be good to share experiences,whatever your level is,or if you are just curious.

    I leave you with a quote from Zen master Shunryu Suzuki on on enjoying life:

    "The only way is to enjoy your life.Even though you are practicing Zazen,counting your breath like a snail,you can enjoy your life,maybe much better than making a trip to the moon.That is why we practice Zazen.The kind of life you have is not so important.The most important thing is to be able enjoy your life without being fooled by things."
     
    3 people like this.
  2. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    because my meditation is beyond symbols it is not bound in time meditating nor are it's inspirations bound in reflections of form nor is it bound by any particular sensation

    this is why i show up as soft rain and singing birds and thunderstorms and howling winds as sight is a fecund hue

    we as aggregate are both tasting and knowing

    nature is ever tastefully arranged

    to be tastefully arranged ourselves our taste is informed by knowing and is not impressionistic

    we are only ever deceived by appearances or the subjectively referential as there is no previous accounting for this moments taste

    understanding is not complete unless it is shared

    consciousness exists for the purpose of finding direction and we always choose with a guide
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. Monkey Boy

    Monkey Boy Senior Member

    Messages:
    6,908
    Likes Received:
    391
    I meditated for about 1.5 hours yesterday. I always have to set my watch and force myself to do nothing otherwise my mind will always start reminding me all the things I should be doing. After the session I could really slow down and enjoy every moment.
     
  4. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    1.5 hours is a long time.I used to meditate for long periods in my early 20's but more recently only able to manage 15 minutes.When I was meditating deeply in the past my intention was to have amazing astral projections and to awaken Kundalini.It was to achieve sensationalist experiences if you will.Even though I am not getting these same results these days,I feel that the intention behind my current meditation is purer and more beneficial for me as it is informed by dharma readings.I also practice 'walking meditation" wherever I go about on foot,which helps to ground me when I traverse public spaces,as I am a little agoraphobic.
     
  5. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    Thanks also to The Dope for his poetically nuanced insights.
     
  6. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

    Messages:
    27,694
    Likes Received:
    4,465
    community may be a jewl or it may not. i take no final word as to anything. but recognize, there is more, then i or anyone else, will ever know, more then a tiny fraction, of.

    that is a good thing, about enjoying life, in the life you have. people forget that a snail CAN enjoy life, and probably does.

    people are always throwing at me that contentment is for cows.
    yet i see nothing gained by throwing away their own enjoyment of life, for whatever it is they imagine thmeselves to gain, for themselves or anyone else, by doing so.

    rather in refraining from thoughtlessness, by which restraint the world is made a better place, there is created more probability for the enjoyment of living, for both self AND others.

    when people do not understand this, i believe it is because they have been taught not to. sometimes by their parents or their friends, their lives, their beliefs, whatever it might be.

    but i don't believe the difficulty in observing this is anything people are born with. it is a wrong thing they are taught, by cultures and lives that are out of harmony.

    (also i like the calmness and acceptance of reason i see and hope i am not misperciving in buddhism, though i refrain from identifying myself with any one faith)
     
  7. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    @themnax.

    Buddhism is a broad church.There are many practitioners who insist that you should always avoid meat,toxic substances and unwise sexual relations,but I personally have a relaxed attitude.It is still a good idea to try and practice a certain moral fortitude and be wary of samsaric transgressions,but as the Buddha said,"Take the middle road".For me this means accepting you are human and just let it go.If you are thinking and conceptualizing "I am a Buddhist" too much,you are probably not being a Buddhist.
     
  8. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    So I'll open this up.I am a bad Buddhist,but if I didn't try to practice at all,I'd be a much worse person.Can anyone relate to that?
     
  9. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

    Messages:
    19,780
    Likes Received:
    13,799
    The Stink of Zen

     
  10. Monkey Boy

    Monkey Boy Senior Member

    Messages:
    6,908
    Likes Received:
    391
    Yeah, in the past I was trying to achieve something and I would never get there. A few months ago I tried sitting for 1 hour just focusing on the letting the outside in. It was a pretty profound experience and has had lasting effects.
     
  11. Fairlight

    Fairlight Banned

    Messages:
    5,915
    Likes Received:
    302
    I suppose I meditate to strengthen my ego,rather than dissolve it,quite contrary to Buddhist teaching,perhaps.I meditate to strengthen my "Inside" from the "outside".I could be quite mistaken in this,but realistically Nirvana is not my goal,just relative freedom from a certain source of living hell.
     
  12. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    I think ego gets a bad rap and nirvana overblown.
    The ego is sense of identity. It is not helpful to say there is no self and then expect the self to disappear. It is helpful to say we are an agglomerate. Biologically we consist of cells and systems that are autonomous having their own life spans and specific functions that work in concert to create human body but there is no single separate self. To liberate the ego we lay claim to more space. Within a larger sense of self perhaps there is no more inner and outer but nearer or farther both being a measure of belonging.

    You simply tinker with meditation if mastery is not your goal. If relative comfort is your goal then a candy bar will do. If you become master of your own attention then you live in a world you create rather than one that creates you. It is from this state that siddhis are possible. It is easier to be blissed out and not particularly redeeming to our social fabric other than you are unlikely to present problems than it is to master attention and bless the world or move with power in it, as opposed to protect yourself from it.
     
  13. MeatyMushroom

    MeatyMushroom Juggle Tings Proppuh

    Messages:
    2,489
    Likes Received:
    193
    Any exercises to exercise that attention? Mine tends to go to shit in new environments, or in conversation when the group dynamic changes.. ie. a new person joins, or a couple leave etc. It's kinda like switching currents, and there's turbulence in the transition.. mildly annoying :D

    Edit: I'm also drawing a line between attention and awareness - attention being the projective, awareness being the receptive.
     
  14. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    Take a breath, observe the sensation that follows.

    Take a breath, observe the sensation that follows.
     
  15. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    Say something, conceive something, observe the sensation that follows. There is nothing sensational out there except sentient being..
     
  16. MeatyMushroom

    MeatyMushroom Juggle Tings Proppuh

    Messages:
    2,489
    Likes Received:
    193
    Makes sense.
     
  17. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    Sensation is our nervous systems response to stimulus and gives you information about your content or discontent in your associations with energetic applications or whether or not your conceptions are in harmony with the rhythm of real things..Consciousness exists for the purpose of finding direction and we always choose with a guide. There is a rule of thumb, anxiety is caused by the misapprehension of what is so and apprehension of the truth always leads to dispelling suspicion. We can perform autonomous functions while thinking about something else. Muscle memory and practice contribute to freeing attention as habit takes over. If you can be attentive for one minute, you can be attentive for two and if two then for thirty and if for thirty then indefinitely. This kind of attention is free flowing and not confined to time set aside but to the immediacy of every moment. Open minded attention doesn't seek conformation but in-formation. Observe the sensations that follow the impulses of your own mind because those are what weave the fabric of consensual relations. The ray of creation proceeds thought word and deed. The quality of your attention dictates your reasonable actions/reactions. Conception precipitates action like the rain falls due to condensation around a particle.
     
  18. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

    Messages:
    19,780
    Likes Received:
    13,799
    Simple hand mundras.

    You can use this one:


    I use this sometimes when walking around somewhere, usually. I can use it and no one notices. Just a form of awareness.
     
    1 person likes this.
  19. MeatyMushroom

    MeatyMushroom Juggle Tings Proppuh

    Messages:
    2,489
    Likes Received:
    193
    Interesting about the mudra, been happening intuitively.. along with umm.. "prayer hands". Feels good, reading to be done methinks.


    And hmm, would you say there's a difference between anxiety and confusion? I interpret anxiety to be more of a nervous feeling, which isn't apparent, and although the confusion does in turn conjure up some traces of nervousness. It seems to be an effect rather than the cause and not much of an issue, I'm pretty good finding my balance, it's just the initial knock. It feels like there's almost a little too much coming in here at times to continue with consensus reality. I find myself camping outside a little too often.
     
  20. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    22,574
    Likes Received:
    1,203
    I think there is no confusion if you are not trying to provide the answer to something you don't really know the answer to. I think reality obliging to the questioner as long as the questioner doesn't put conditions on the form the answer should appear in. Open minded perception makes everything apparent.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice