Why are you practising Buddhism?

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DCM
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Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by DCM »

I started off practising to try and improve myself, to be an easier person to live with, and to find some peace.

Now after nearly 3 years in total, I’m not so sure. The goal in the Nikayas isn’t the worldly improvements above, but even though I can say the goal is Cessation Of Existence, I’m not really sure where I’m going or what I’m aiming for. Sad but true.

What are you practising for, and why?
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

I practise because life is a relentless grinding nightmare, a hideous lurch from one suffering to the next.

Is it obvious my antidepressants have stopped working? Yeah, life sucks, even though I live in one of the best countries in the world, and I don't have to work to survive.
I want out.
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Zom
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Zom »

The goal in the Nikayas isn’t the worldly improvements above
One of the goals in Nikayas *is* wordly improvements. Buddha keeps saying again and again: 1) happiness in this life 2) in future lives 2) of nibbana.
but even though I can say the goal is Cessation Of Existence, I’m not really sure where I’m going or what I’m aiming for.
It depends. I'm happy with how and what my practice brought. And ye... while nibbana is nibbana, path to it lies through joyful, blissful states - and these are to be attained first. Without such attainments no need to think much about nibbana.
What are you practising for, and why?
For decrease of all negative mental states. Why? Less problems, more happiness. Also getting nice rebirth is a worthy life goal. Meeting Dhamma in the next life is a worthy life goal. So I'm working on these things -)
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DNS
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by DNS »

Zom wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:31 pm
The goal in the Nikayas isn’t the worldly improvements above
One of the goals in Nikayas *is* wordly improvements. Buddha keeps saying again and again: 1) happiness in this life 2) in future lives 2) of nibbana.
but even though I can say the goal is Cessation Of Existence, I’m not really sure where I’m going or what I’m aiming for.
It depends. I'm happy with how and what my practice brought. And ye... while nibbana is nibbana, path to it lies through joyful, blissful states - and these are to be attained first. Without such attainments no need to think much about nibbana.
What are you practising for, and why?
For decrease of all negative mental states. Why? Less problems, more happiness. Also getting nice rebirth is a worthy life goal. Meeting Dhamma in the next life is a worthy life goal. So I'm working on these things -)
:goodpost:

There is dukkha when one is poor, dukkha when one is middle-class, dukkha when one is rich. However, there is considerable increase in general happiness when one comes out of poverty and then after upper-middle-class there is a diminishing returns where there is no increase in happiness and in many cases happiness can even decrease.

We hear on the news all the time of celebrities, professional athletes etc suffering from depression and some commit suicide. Ernest Hemmingway and Robin Williams both had fame, riches, wealth, oceanfront homes, forest homes and both committed suicide around age 61.

The Dhamma provides the benefits Zom noted and one need not wait until full enlightenment to realize it. There is a gradual reduction in unhappiness, stress and increase in happiness, equanimity to handle the vicissitudes of life.
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Sam Vara
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Sam Vara »

DNS wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:58 pm Ernest Hemmingway and Robin Williams both had fame, riches, wealth, oceanfront homes, forest homes and both committed suicide around age 61.
I'm hanging on until my next birthday to get out of the danger zone... :tongue:
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ryanM
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by ryanM »

all my friends were doing it. also, I hear the nymphs in heaven are quite beautiful.
sabbe dhammā nālaṃ abhinivesāya

"nothing whatsoever should be clung to"
Disciple
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Disciple »

For personal peace and self-discipline. Every man needs a code to live by.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings DCM,
DCM wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:28 pm What are you practising for, and why?
At this point it's because, to quote the Theosophical Society, "there is no religion higher than the truth".

:candle:

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Peace
“The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind.”

Meditation is the way to achieve letting go. In meditation one lets go of the complex world outside in order to reach the serene world inside. In all types of mysticism and in many traditions, this is known as the path to the pure and powerful mind. The experience of this pure mind, released from the world, is very wonderful and blissful. Often with meditation there will be some hard work at the beginning, but be willing to bear that hard work knowing that it will lead you to experience some very beautiful and meaningful states. They will be well worth the effort! It is a law of nature that without effort one does not make progress. Whether one is a layperson or a monk, without effort one gets nowhere, in meditation or in anything.

Effort alone, though, is not sufficient. The effort needs to be skilful. This means directing your energy just at the right places and sustaining it there until its task is completed. Skilful effort neither hinders nor disturbs you, instead it produces the beautiful peace of deep meditation. In order to know where your effort should be directed, you must have a clear understanding of the goal of meditation. The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind. If you can understand that goal then the place to apply your effort, the means to achieve the goal becomes very clear.

https://bswa.org/teaching/basic-method- ... ahn-brahm/



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Kim OHara
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Kim OHara »

DCM wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:28 pm I started off practising to try and improve myself, to be an easier person to live with, and to find some peace.
Me too, although not in quite the same order. :smile:
They are still my main reasons, and are now in your order :twothumbsup: but I have added "to help others" (the bodhisattva aspiration) to the list. It just seems to belong there.

:meditate:
Kim
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dylanj
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by dylanj »

nibbāna
Born, become, arisen – made, prepared, short-lived
Bonded by decay and death – a nest for sickness, perishable
Produced by seeking nutriment – not fit to take delight in


Departure from this is peaceful – beyond reasoning and enduring
Unborn, unarisen – free from sorrow and stain
Ceasing of all factors of suffering – stilling of all preparations is bliss
SarathW
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by SarathW »

Eliminate Dukkha.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

“Good, good, Anurādha! In the past, as today, all I describe is suffering and the cessation of suffering.”

https://suttacentral.net/sn22.86/en/sujato



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DCM
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by DCM »

dylanj wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:20 amnibbāna
Why?
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Why are you practising Buddhism?

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Why should I meditate?

The answer is simple, to enjoy true happiness.

We all know what it's like to feel happy. We have felt this many times. The problem is that invariably this feeling of happiness does not last, it ends up disappearing. How many times do we want to get something believing that would bring true happiness. By getting what we want, the feeling of happiness can be extremely intense and rewarding, but after some time we no longer feel the same thing and even begin to see defects in what once seemed completely perfect. Our reaction, as a rule, is to defect in the object. That is, if what we have obtained did not bring complete and lasting happiness, it is because we have not found the right thing and thus we have left in search of something else that is perfect and lasting. And so we continue in our quest without end.

But there is a happiness that is perfect and lasting, that does not disappear and that does not depend on the circumstances. True happiness is in the interior, in our own minds, can not be found in the outside world. This happiness is not selfish because it does not need to take anything from anyone and does no harm to anyone, because if our happiness has to depend on taking something from other people or the suffering of other people, they will somehow try to give an end to it. The happiness that comes from the interior does not have to end and does not need to take anything from anyone, so it is an act of wisdom and an act of compassion. To find it, the only possible method is meditation.

http://www.acessoaoinsight.net/arquivo_ ... #meditacao

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