as part of the drug treatment programme i am told to cut all ties with ALL friends still using drugs as if they are bad people because of their behaviour..............

process

tiltbillings wrote: A lot of people claim to talk to god and that god talks to them,

withhout being disrespectful and judgemental this is a common symptom of schizophrenia and unfortunatlely psychatric wards contain many patients who converse with God.

to take refuge in the Sangha as a matter of fitting in or to belong is to do so in ignorance, neglecting the teaching of anatta I think that's an interesting take on the matter. But it depends on what exactly do you mean by "anatta", given that this is one of the more hotly disputed issues among Bu...

Another month is gone. :broke: If last month I suffered physically, this month it was my turn to be defeated mentally. Mental focus became very weak . I lost most all touch of respiration, and keeping the mind focused on incoming and outgoing breath became a huge chore. Mind became extremely wild a...

Sam Vara wrote:

Mkoll wrote:That pig must've been a good human surfer in a past life!

Well, a good surfer, maybe, but evidently not such a good human!

lets hope this little piggy will be spared from the bacon slicer !

"Monks, these six are conditions that are conducive to amiability, that engender feelings of endearment, engender feelings of respect, leading to a sense of fellowship, a lack of disputes, harmony, & a state of unity...... ? AN6.12 reading the Saraniya Sutta translated by Thanissaro Bhikku, draws m...

I had issues with the whole concept of God that were cropping up as strong thoughts in my mind when I first became a Buddhist. As time has gone on, those thoughts have greatly subsided and carry little strength. It just doesn't bother me anymore because I've divested the entire concept of any atten...

Mkoll wrote:Lao Tzu was certainly a very wise man!

lao tzu wrote:
“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

And what is it, friends, is the method of becoming high that when developed and made much of results in knowing and seeing?[6] Here, friends a beggar focuses his mind on the perception of light. Fixing on the perception of day, as by day, so by night, as by night so by day. Thus he unblindfolds the...

is there a practice i can do to safeguard me from developing conceit? "'This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is by relying on conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.' Bhikkuni Sutta http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.159.than.html translated by Thanissaro Bhikku

I think I need to judge by myself and some faith is necessary. Indeed I believe in the Buddha and the so many master after him . this is a good starting point "let's try to reach it first. Probably I will know by then". the Buddha has shown us the Path, Up to us to do the practice and experience th...

well as regards to minimalist living, i once spent a month living in a hut with no electricity, walls and floor plastereed with cow-dung, and the roof made of iron sheets, my only possesions were a change of clothes and two books. my bed a mat spread on the floor. no phone, no television, dinner coo...

Eightfolder wrote:well said....well said

+1

meditation without metta and the Dhamma may have made me calmer and more relaxed but only ever served to increase self-centredness and egotism

Modus.Ponens wrote:
But there's nothing like aiming for it to experience it ourselves.

or from what i've read:

not aiming for it!