I feel Like I already know most of you here from a few years of lurking on the other forum but since few know me, an introduction seemed appropriate.
Anyway
42 year old Service Technician with a family trying to figure out how to fit Buddhism into my daily life in a meaningful, committed way.
I sometimes attend the Sri Lankan Temple here intown with Ven. Basnagoda Rahula Thero who I claim as my teacher but have not visited in sometime.
I have completed a 10 day vipassana course but do not meditate regularly anymore and can't claim that I have ever mastered a committed meditation schedule.
Currently I seem to be reevaluating Buddhisms effectiveness in my life or at least my commitment to it. I'm hopping by increasing my efforts to interact with other Buddhist I may rekindle my enthusiasm for practice.
Thank you again for the new forum.
Wishing you all well,
Zack.
Hello from Houston.
Hello from Houston.
I am of nature to decay, I have not gone beyond decay.
I am of the nature to be diseased, I have not gone beyond disease.
I am of the nature to die, I have not done beyond death.
All that is mine, dear and delightful, will change and vanish.
I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to
my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do,
whether good or evil, of that I shall be the heir.
Thus we should frequently recollect.
- Upajjhatthana Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya v.57
I am of the nature to be diseased, I have not gone beyond disease.
I am of the nature to die, I have not done beyond death.
All that is mine, dear and delightful, will change and vanish.
I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to
my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do,
whether good or evil, of that I shall be the heir.
Thus we should frequently recollect.
- Upajjhatthana Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya v.57
-
Cittasanto
- Posts: 6646
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
- Location: Ellan Vannin
- Contact:
Re: Hello from Houston.
Hi
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
Re: Hello from Houston.
Welcome Zack and thanks for your efforts.
Others may disagree, but I think every Buddhist student goes through periods of revision. At first, Buddhism was 'x' but now it seems more like 'y.' At first there was enthusiasm, but then the enthusiasm got stale. At first there were hopes, but then those hopes ran into daily-life realities. As I say, I think all this an more like it happens to anyone who takes up a Buddhist practice.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to any of this. Everyone muddles along as best they can. But I think one key element is patience ... and not biting off more than you can actually chew. If you find no convenient time to fit in an hour of meditation, find a convenient time to fit in 20 minutes, or 10, or 5. Same with reading or memorizing or chanting or whatever other exercises your practice suggests. Just be constant in the promises you make to yourself and things have a way of falling into place.
Best wishes.
Others may disagree, but I think every Buddhist student goes through periods of revision. At first, Buddhism was 'x' but now it seems more like 'y.' At first there was enthusiasm, but then the enthusiasm got stale. At first there were hopes, but then those hopes ran into daily-life realities. As I say, I think all this an more like it happens to anyone who takes up a Buddhist practice.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to any of this. Everyone muddles along as best they can. But I think one key element is patience ... and not biting off more than you can actually chew. If you find no convenient time to fit in an hour of meditation, find a convenient time to fit in 20 minutes, or 10, or 5. Same with reading or memorizing or chanting or whatever other exercises your practice suggests. Just be constant in the promises you make to yourself and things have a way of falling into place.
Best wishes.
Re: Hello from Houston.
Hi Zack
Like what Genkaku says, many of us have gone through periods where our our motivation disappears from view and our practice gets thrown in the 'too hard' basket. My own experience has been that my practice has been renewed by pulling myself through those difficult times. I don't think you could go wrong by makng contact with other practitioners to discuss your situation and to find inspiration, and finding the time to do what it is that you do in your practice.
Welcome to Dhammawheel.
Metta
Ben
Like what Genkaku says, many of us have gone through periods where our our motivation disappears from view and our practice gets thrown in the 'too hard' basket. My own experience has been that my practice has been renewed by pulling myself through those difficult times. I don't think you could go wrong by makng contact with other practitioners to discuss your situation and to find inspiration, and finding the time to do what it is that you do in your practice.
Welcome to Dhammawheel.
Metta
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
-
retrofuturist
- Posts: 27858
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: Hello from Houston.
Greetings and welcome to Dhamma Wheel.
Metta,
Retro.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
-
floating_abu
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:50 pm
Re: Hello from Houston.
Good to see you and old Ducky again, Zack.Zack wrote:I feel Like I already know most of you here from a few years of lurking on the other forum but since few know me, an introduction seemed appropriate.
Anyway
42 year old Service Technician with a family trying to figure out how to fit Buddhism into my daily life in a meaningful, committed way.
I sometimes attend the Sri Lankan Temple here intown with Ven. Basnagoda Rahula Thero who I claim as my teacher but have not visited in sometime.
I have completed a 10 day vipassana course but do not meditate regularly anymore and can't claim that I have ever mastered a committed meditation schedule.
Currently I seem to be reevaluating Buddhisms effectiveness in my life or at least my commitment to it. I'm hopping by increasing my efforts to interact with other Buddhist I may rekindle my enthusiasm for practice.
Thank you again for the new forum.
Wishing you all well,
Zack.
Welcome and best wishes.