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Playing video games.
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 4:04 pm
by K.Dhamma
Buddhist and personal stance on this subject? I am completely aware that it can be an enormous waste of time and can lead to heedlessness. But any tips on how anyone has maybe made video game playing a "more" wholesome act? Anyways, just an interesting thought.
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:09 pm
by TheNoBSBuddhist
If you can think of the disadvantages, but need help in finding any beneficial redeeming features, then I doubt it can actually be for the good.
Just my opinion....
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:26 pm
by Sokehi
If one practices Dhamma to know the truth one certainly even can experience all three characteristics when playing video games: addiction, gain and loss, laggy internet connection, your profile got hacked and you lost your valuable sword. There is nothing that's not Dhamma. But it's just a whole mass of unnecessary suffering, a pointless extra of delusion to Samsara. Life itself offers you enough to contemplate and learn from. I can't think of any aspect of video gaming (or gaming at all) that is adding something beneficial to your practice that you wouldn't find without gaming. It's distraction and a waste of time if you contemplate how very fragile and uncertain this very lifetime is. How much time do you still got? You could die tomorrow.
If you live a lay life and need to distract yourself sometimes a bit (i.e. your practice haven't brought you that far that you can abstain from it) you could try to limit yourself to a certain amount of gaming a week or a day. If you practice renunciation towards gaming habits and limit yourself a bit (or a lot
) that is truly beneficial. Step by step. Gradual training.
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 6:08 pm
by culaavuso
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:34 am
by Kasina
K.Dhamma wrote:Buddhist and personal stance on this subject? I am completely aware that it can be an enormous waste of time and can lead to heedlessness. But any tips on how anyone has maybe made video game playing a "more" wholesome act? Anyways, just an interesting thought.
I can't personally see what's unwholesome about it, however it's not going to help your practice in any foreseeable way.
I play a lot of games, and I can say this from experience; the more you get into your meditation, the less attractive games are (same stands for movies, whatever).
Although, they certainly present a better form of entertainment than intoxicants and the like, but they do have an addictive nature. If it doesn't get in the way of your practice/personal life, I say play on. If it does, perhaps you should take a look at how you're spending your time (again, that stands for any form of entertainment).
My 2 cents.
edited for spelling
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:34 am
by LXNDR
it doesn't conduce equanimity and dispassion that's for certain
but how to make it wholesome or at least beneficial ? probably by renouncing the result of the game, staying mindful to your mental states and emotional reactions while you play and trying to bring them closer to the buddhist ideal, basically taming them
if the theme of the game itself is unwholesome, for example containing acts of violence, then change the type of game as well
Re: Playing video games.
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:14 am
by walkart