Intentions

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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convivium
Posts: 577
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 7:13 am

Intentions

Post by convivium »

Do you stop to question why you are on the Buddhist path? For example, is it to eliminate personal suffering or attain inner security? If so, why do you want to do this?
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: Intentions

Post by Polar Bear »

I am following the eightfold path because I think it is the best way to help myself and others and make the world a slightly better place. The unexcelled sublime state of peace, total peace of mind, sounds pretty awesome if you ask me. I suppose it began with the classic philosophical question: What is the good life? From there I came to feel that following the eightfold path would allow me to live the good life and achieve a peace of mind that cannot be found by any other means.

Out of the goals of eudaimonia, ataraxia, apatheia, and nibbana, the last sounded like the best although they're all related in some ways.

:anjali:
Last edited by Polar Bear on Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"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."
Digity
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:13 am

Re: Intentions

Post by Digity »

When I wasn't following the path my life was messy and filled with suffering. When I started to walk the path things got better. Also, I've always struggled with the question of what's the point of life. People in highschool would tell me to relax or I'd go crazy, because I was so obsessed with these types of issues. I use to not know when to keep quiet about these matters...I would discuss it with anyone I could. Anyway, long story short...I've always had this crushing desire to know the truth about why we're here and what is the point of it all. When I learned about the Buddha's teachings it all just made sense. Everything in my mind just fell into place. It was a huge eureka moment! Since then I've just been slowly progressing along the path and although there's been road blocks along the way I feel like I make small chunks of progress. Like the Buddha said, drop by drop the jug fills. I hope the jug is filling. :)
knighter
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:44 am

Re: Intentions

Post by knighter »

Good question

I started to travel at age 21 and smoked a lot of weed, I'm 38 now and have been substance free for many years, my personal experience weed opened my mind to different levels of being, which i was very interested in.
Every person i met who was religious i found very attractive but i didnt like the fact they all seemed to be repressed to some degree or another, through blind faith most of the time.
when i started to travel south east asia and meet a few monks and alot of Buddhist house holders i found they all kept to the basic precepts but adapted to which ever situation they where in, and the follow your own path struck a cord.
I sat my first vipassana course in 1999 and kept with it ever since trying to sit short course and 10 courses when ever life lets me, which has been a few times over the years.
But ive never really called myself a Buddhist as ive learnt that the first buddha wasn't Buddhist at all, he was a vipassana meditator and its just a meditation technique, when you take a course you nearly always sit with Hindu christian atheist ect which i find most fulfilling as its open to anyone.
I was going to become a vipassana traveler, traveling the world and sitting wherever there is a centre.
But as life goes i met the love of my life i now have a 11 month old with one on the way, so a householders life for me.
im so grateful to have found vipassana again, it truly is positively life changing.
Be happy
knighter
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