The questions of Dr Dukkha

[Dr. Dukkha]

How to fall asleep without sleeping pills?

When I don't take a sleeping pill, I don't fall asleep until sometimes around 5am. How do you do it? How do the bhikkus do it?

On that note, how do bhikkus get themselves to wake up without an alarm clock? My Hindu friend said he also is aware of his people also doing this practice.

[cooran]

Hello Dr. Dukkha,

This article may be of assistance:

13 Natural ways to fall asleep without sleeping pills
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/1 ... 82229.html

With metta,
Chris

[Aloka]

When I don't take a sleeping pill, I don't fall asleep until sometimes around 5am. How do you do it?

Try cutting out caffeine (eg tea, coffee, coke etc) Do some gentle exercises before bed & have a warm bath.

On that note, how do bhikkus get themselves to wake up without an alarm clock? My Hindu friend said he also is aware of his people also doing this practice.

I don't know what Bikkhus do, but when I was a child I discovered that I could wake up at a certain time by repeating the awakening time a few times mentally before I went to sleep.


.

[SarathW]

Do not try to sleep.
Use all sleepless time for meditation in sleeping posture. (specially breath meditation)
Do not move your body.
Sleep in the lion posture as prescribe by Buddha.

[lyndon taylor]

Severe lack of sleep can be a sign of or cause of psychosis and severe mental illness, the body has to sleep, some people get by with as little as 2 or 3 hours sleep but that is very rare and would drive most people nuts, I have manic depression, which in my case has a root cause or sign of not sleeping AT ALL without sleeping medication, thats why little things like eliminating caffeine will only work with mild cases, severe insomnia needs to be treated with medication, and sleeping pills(Ambien, restoril etc) are usually not the best treatment as they are addictive and require higher and higher doses as the body builds up tolerance, hate to say it but if your problem is more than just an annoyance, best thing is to see a doctor.

[Mkoll]

best thing is to see a doctor.

[Dr. Dukkha]

First off, and the most obvious, people don't want to be a Buddhist because they don't want to give up worldly pleasures.
Then at the next level, I have a friend who says he's been meditating for years has been studying Buddhism but couldn't get over pain, but Judaism helped him out of it.
The next level is people who become monks for years and then gives up on it.
And then I hear about Jewish Buddhist who practiced Buddhism for years and the Dalai Lama told him to go back to Judaism.
And lastly are the rabbis who go to India and successfully convert prominent Buddhist and Hindu monks and gurus with a huge amount of followers back to Judaism.

How is this possible? Buddhism makes so much sense... Judaism and Christianity don't make any sense at all and are full of contradictions, although it seems that Kabbalah is very similar to Buddhism.

I really don't understand what is going on here. I really have trouble believing in the god thing, but to be honest, I'd much rather be a Jew if it was the true religion, if there is such thing as ultimately true religion. What do I do here?

[culaavuso]

How is this possible?

"What is the cause, good Gotama, what the reason that; since nibbana does exist, since the way leading to nibbana exists, since the good Gotama exists as adviser, some of the good Gotama's disciples on being exhorted thus and instructed thus by the good Gotama, attain the unchanging goal — nibbana, but some do not attain it?"

"Well then, brahman, I will question you on this point in reply. As it is pleasing to you, so you may answer me. What do you think about this, brahman? Are you skilled in the way leading to Rajagaha?"

"Yes, sir, skilled am I in the way leading to Rajagaha."

"What do you think about this? A man might come along here wanting to go to Rajagaha. Having approached you, he might speak thus: 'I want to go to Rajagaha, sir; show me the way to this Rajagaha.' You might speak thus to him: "Yes, my good man, this road goes to Rajagaha; go along it for a while. When you have gone along it for a while you will see a village; go along for a while; when you have gone along for a while you will see a market town; go for a while. When you have gone along for a while you will see Rajagaha with its delightful parks, delightful forests, delightful fields, delightful ponds. But although he has been exhorted and instructed thus by you, he might take the wrong road and go westwards. Then a second man might come along wanting to go to Rajagaha...(as above)... you will see Rajagaha with its delightful... ponds.' Exhorted and instructed thus by you he might get to Rajagaha safely. What is the cause, brahman, what the reason that, since Rajagaha does exist, since the way leading to Rajagaha exists, since you exist as adviser, the one man, although being exhorted and instructed thus by you, may take the wrong road and go westwards while the other may get to Rajagaha safely?"

"What can I, good Gotama, do in this matter? A shower of the way, good Gotama, am I."

"Even so, brahman, nibbana does exist, the way leading to nibbana exists and I exist as adviser. But some of my disciples, on being exhorted and instructed thus by me attain the unchanging goal — nibbana, some do not attain it. What can I, brahman, do in this matter? A shower of the way, brahman, is a Tathagata."

[Mkoll]

How is this possible?

Lack of faith, not cultivating faith through practice, not coming to terms with what faith means to them, or some other deficiency in regard to faith. In short, cultivating doubt as opposed to faith.

What do I do here?

Focus on fortifying your own faith. Reading about the details of people who convert to and then away from Buddhism is detrimental to this.

I wrote in your conspiracy thread that "feeding" your conspiracies with information leads to their growth. The same applies here: in "feeding" your mind with what leads to faithlessness and doubt, you should expect such thoughts to increase.

Bhikkhus, whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks and ponders upon, that will become the inclination of his mind.

[SarathW]

Hi Dr Dukkha
Good question I always wonder why!
It is a very complex question to answer in few words.
I was born to a Buddhist parents but I learnt about Buddhism in late in my life.
We all are different due to our age, physical differences, character, wealth, education, family, government policies , health social attitudes etc.
I think karma also a contributing factor.
============
Does Buddhism work for you?
That is what really matters.

[barcsimalsi]

And then I hear about Jewish Buddhist who practiced Buddhism for years and the Dalai Lama told him to go back to Judaism.

The Dalai Lama said that different religions are like different medicines and different people have different sickness.

[Aloka]

First off, and the most obvious, people don't want to be a Buddhist because they don't want to give up worldly pleasures.
Then at the next level, I have a friend who says he's been meditating for years has been studying Buddhism but couldn't get over pain, but Judaism helped him out of it.
The next level is people who become monks for years and then gives up on it.
And then I hear about Jewish Buddhist who practiced Buddhism for years and the Dalai Lama told him to go back to Judaism.
And lastly are the rabbis who go to India and successfully convert prominent Buddhist and Hindu monks and gurus with a huge amount of followers back to Judaism.

How is this possible? Buddhism makes so much sense... Judaism and Christianity don't make any sense at all and are full of contradictions, although it seems that Kabbalah is very similar to Buddhism.

I really don't understand what is going on here. I really have trouble believing in the god thing, but to be honest, I'd much rather be a Jew if it was the true religion, if there is such thing as ultimately true religion. What do I do here?

I don't think there's much point in speculating about why Buddhism doesn't work for some people . The world is a big place and Its a bit like wondering why some people don't like apple pie.

If you think that it makes sense for you, and if you haven't done so already, try going to a Buddhist Centre or monastery, listen to some Dhamma talks and then ask questions if you have any.


.

[Mkoll]

Does Buddhism work for you?
That is what really matters.

Yes, this is what is important in the end.

[Shaswata_Panja]

Okay I am gonna say something that is going to put most people off here:


We need to make a distinction between Judaism and Christianity...

You know why so many earnest JewBus (even monks) go back to Judaism? Quite simply because it is a racial and cultural religion. That quite simply makes a religion extra special. Christianity is a missionary non-racial religion. Any Tom,Dick and Harry can and are welcomed to join Christianity. The barriers of entry to a religion like Judaism,Shinto or even Hinduism are extra-high and extra-hard. That Shinto is a racial religion is exactly the reason that it was chosen and Buddhism purged out when the time came for Japan to choose a national religion. The level of satisfaction,contentment and peace of belonging to your racial religion cannot be underscored...Take my example, I used to be a Christian convert from Hinduism around seven years back..I was abroad and lonely and in dire problems. But as soon as I again started watching Bollywood movies and went back to India to take part in festivities, I felt a surge of joy and pride...the sense of belonging to te ways of my ancestors, the sense that my bloodline will also follow the same traditions...I decided then and there, No way I am going to associate with a religion that calls my traditions meaningless and even satanic (mostly satanic)


But the sense of belonging to the ways of the forefathers has been lost in Western Christianity, as Christianity started the transition from White religion to non-White religion mid 19th century (coinciding with Darwinism with most Whites then adopting Scientism as their religion and a few adopting Eastern religions)

There are still quite a few ex Jew Theravada monks...would not be surprised a few of them reverting back to Judaism even after a couple of decades...But would be doubly surprised if some ex Christian Thervada monks go back to Christianity..The pull of shared Jewish culture,faith,religion,traditions,history,persecution is too much...and on top of that the Jewish mentality (and rightly so) that they are under constant siege

[LXNDR]

do Jewish buddhists really RETURN to Judaism? i'd think they rather discover it, because Jewish community for the most part is secular and my impression is that Jewish buddhists come from secular background

it's just that they discover spirituality through Buddhism, then recall that they have their own spiritual tradition and return to their roots