Hello

[ericmattingly]

My name is Eric. Most of my reading in Buddhism has been in zen, but I have read and enjoyed this forum for several months. My laziness and skepticism is corrosive, yet no matter how hard I try I can't escape "the Damma." Anyway, just thought I'd say hey. You guys really have a good thing going here. Vale.

[polarbuddha101]

Welcome aboard, despite your skepticism I think the best thing you can do is start meditating and differentiating between skillful and unskillful. Even if some claims in buddhism aren't true that doesn't mean there isn't lots of wisdom to be gained by practicing. Think of buddhism as an old well that you've stumbled across while traveling through the desert and you're desperately thirsty, but when you pull water from the well it's mixed with a small amount of mud or dirt so you have to take your shirt off and sift the water through your shirt and you'll come up with enough clean water to quench your thirst. In other words, investigate, but use your intelligence as well, there's no need to immediately accept everything with reckless abandon

[mikenz66]

Mike

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Eric,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.



Thanks for saying hi!



Metta,
Retro.

[ericmattingly]

Welcome aboard, despite your skepticism I think the best thing you can do is start meditating and differentiating between skillful and unskillful. Even if some claims in buddhism aren't true that doesn't mean there isn't lots of wisdom to be gained by practicing. Think of buddhism as an old well that you've stumbled across while traveling through the desert and you're desperately thirsty, but when you pull water from the well it's mixed with a small amount of mud or dirt so you have to take your shirt off and sift the water through your shirt and you'll come up with enough clean water to quench your thirst. In other words, investigate, but use your intelligence as well, there's no need to immediately accept everything with reckless abandon

Thanks Polarbuddha! I rather like your analogy. One thing I've learned: if I there is something I think is wrong (at least when it comes to Buddhism), then I'm almost always mistaken. It's happened so much it's ridiculous. I sometimes feel like I should just give up on the "be lamp unto yourself" thing. But of course if I can't be my own lamp neither can anyone else. The key is to become a better lamp, right? I still need convincing when it comes to reincarnation, though. Or the omniscience of the Buddha. Or that an arahant dies after seven days if he hasn't ordained.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Eric,

Or the omniscience of the Buddha. Or that an arahant dies after seven days if he hasn't ordained.

Neither of these are stated in the Sutta Pitaka, so perhaps you have no need to artificially convince yourself of these things?

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

Hi Eric and welcome to Dhamma Wheel!
kind regards,

Ben

[Cittasanto]

My name is Eric. Most of my reading in Buddhism has been in zen, but I have read and enjoyed this forum for several months. My laziness and skepticism is corrosive, yet no matter how hard I try I can't escape "the Damma." Anyway, just thought I'd say hey. You guys really have a good thing going here. Vale.

Welcome aboard