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convivium
Posts: 577
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 7:13 am

I

Post by convivium »

I fell in love with the dhamma around 18. i started w/ goenka retreats and got obsessed with that for a few years. then i became disenchanted when i started researching into their claims and so moved to thai forest monasteries. i did a pilgramage in thailand and burma and then transfered from JC to UC berkeley. most recently i've been spending months at tassajara. i'm finishing my degree this year. i'm comfortable here, but not any closer to lasting changes in consciousness as far as i can tell.
Last edited by convivium on Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just keep breathing in and out like this. Don't be interested in anything else. It doesn't matter even if someone is standing on their head with their ass in the air. Don't pay it any attention. Just stay with the in-breath and the out-breath. Concentrate your awareness on the breath. Just keep doing it. http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Just_Do_It_1_2.php
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Polar Bear
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Re: I

Post by Polar Bear »

You didn't surf when you lived in Santa Cruz? My god! Anyway, maybe you should consider another pilgrimage or a long retreat after you get your BA. Do you have any interest in becoming a bhikkhu (judging by the other post I'd guess not)?
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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convivium
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Re: I

Post by convivium »

no, i always felt lost in the water unfortunately. yeah i thought about ordaining. i spent the last year or two lifting weights every other day and eating six meals a day, so i might do it at tassajara where i can keep that up. i would like to ordain at a theravada monastery with a teacher that has the time and motivation to teach me how to meditate. also, i am waiting till i'm more flexible, because most theravada monasteries don't like their monks to sit on chairs (and i have bulging disc issues due to sitting on the floor too often without flexibility growing up)
Just keep breathing in and out like this. Don't be interested in anything else. It doesn't matter even if someone is standing on their head with their ass in the air. Don't pay it any attention. Just stay with the in-breath and the out-breath. Concentrate your awareness on the breath. Just keep doing it. http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Just_Do_It_1_2.php
alan...
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Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: I

Post by alan... »

convivium wrote:I fell in love with the dhamma around 18. i started w/ goenka retreats and got obsessed with that for a few years. then i became disenchanted when i started researching into their claims and so moved to thai forest monasteries. i did a pilgramage in thailand and burma and then transfered from JC to UC berkeley. most recently i've been spending months at tassajara. i'm finishing my degree this year. i'm comfortable here, but not any closer to lasting changes in consciousness as far as i can tell.
what are their claims?
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convivium
Posts: 577
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 7:13 am

Re: I

Post by convivium »

hi alan,
have you done a 10 day 'goenka retreat'? you can download his dharma talks on the internet. goenka states in very absolutist terms that his technique/lineage is the only one that traces back to the buddha directly (on the 10th day). the goenka people say things are from the suttas that aren't from the suttas; e.g. bhanga nana, kalapas, etc. they disparage jhana on the grounds that you can get attached to it (which is a debate i don't want to get into here). however more than what they say (which is generally good when taken with a grain of salt and not contextualized too deeply) is the rigid and exclusionary way in which they say it. they leave out 80% of buddhism and restrict what their practioners (so as to remain in the tradition, and do longer retreats, etc) to a very limited scope of even the sutta's teachings. those are some things that come to mind. hope that helps :namaste: :guns:
Just keep breathing in and out like this. Don't be interested in anything else. It doesn't matter even if someone is standing on their head with their ass in the air. Don't pay it any attention. Just stay with the in-breath and the out-breath. Concentrate your awareness on the breath. Just keep doing it. http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Just_Do_It_1_2.php
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waimengwan
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Re: I

Post by waimengwan »

Welcome :)
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