prana
10-21-2001, 02:53 AM
Hmmm it seems some of these are fairly personal questions. Nevertheless, I try my best.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I think you are on a mission to spread your gospel, to sew seeds as you put it. It is quite difficult to do over the internet but I admire you for trying. I think all the forum members here are searching for some sort of truth.
Can I ask you a personal question- isn't meditation a form of religion? or what constitutes as a religion.
You mention mindfulness- do you have to be in a meditative state all the time to be like this?
If so how can you get things done?
Do you not put yourself higher than other people when you can say what is good or bad for that person.
don't you have to accept yourself before you accept others?
Does it not bother you how people perceive you?
Just a few questions to rack your brain.
I do hope you will not leave this thread.
Thanx.
[/quote]
Do we have to be in a meditative state all the time ?
Personally, if I can, I will try. However, as I mention, I too am lost in the world of samsara and one can only practise practise and practise. However, being in the present moment and being mindful, one is continually in touch with the way the body is reacting, and the breath. For instance, when one gets upset, an individual may feel a sudden shortening of breath, and suddenly engulfed in heat. The skin around the shoulders and neck start to itch, and the heart becomes heated and in pain. Suddenly, if one is aware, discomfort travels through the body. Ones mind becomes agitated as discomfort sets in, one reacts with hate and aversion and craving for more blissful sensations.
If you think of it as a balloon of air, past karmic forces, if one *****s the inflated balloon, it explodes. When one becomes mindful of this phenomena, the balloon may explode. but with much less intensity. Because the mind is not, metaphorically, rolling down the hill with the thoughts that caused anger. The mind is merely watching as the past anger and current situation behaves. Ideally, one watches it without at all becming carried away by the angry waves of the past, and watch the past karmic forces die away.
Without feeding the energy, the anger burns away and decays. One does this simply, and effectively by being mindful. That is all, if one can understand, watch like a baby, and refrain from reaction, the mind is deflating this past collection of anger, using the current cause as a tool. It is very simple, powerful and scientific.
Of course, no one expects you or anyone to simply believe this with faith, you can understand this, again simply by remaining mindful and aware through meditation. It is simply like a scientist in research, scientific.
How do you get things done ?
I think you can get things done, in fact, I think because you are mindful, it is much more effective. My old teacher used to tell us, it is not as if you need to be seated in meditation like a vegetable 24 hours 7 days a week. One just needs to teach the mind and remain mindful. It is to be applied to everyday life.
Do I put myself higher than others when I tell them what is good or bad ?
I try my best not to become forceful, I simply wish to describe a technique that has helped me come out of very coarse and intense anger in the long past. But, if it does come across this way, then my apologies goes out to those whose "toes I have stepped on".
Do I have to accept myself before accepting others ?
Hmm I am not sure of this questions meaning, but if you meant, that I should come through a certain stage of realisation before I shold speak of it, then the answer is yes. I try not to say too much in-depth Buddhist theories, I try simply to say the simple truths, such as remaining mindful. Such as those where I have not at least come to realise, I quote from the great Lama's.
I take quotes from the great Lama's and I write them on the board because I feel it is beneficial to pass it on to other readers who may be interested or who is walking the same path as myself.
Does it bother me how people perceive me ?
I am a very silly individual, lost in samsara. Sometimes I joke and mostly I am serious. One can perceive me however they wish, as long as I do not cause another to increase in suffering, then I am happy. My wish is that people find what I say triggers a curiosity to simply become mindful. The rest of the way will reveal itself. Otherwise, when I am silly or rude, I am drowning back in negative karma. I just hope people find it amusing instead of hurtful.
I know some people think I come across arrogant, and sometimes I use words in other languages. I use them because english is not the best language to communicate for me, and some words just has no direct interpretation. Such as the word "citta", whic is closely related to heart, in that it isnt the solid heart but the intentional mind.... heheh as you can see I cannot explain. In cantonese, the closest word is "Sum".
However, when one speaks harshly of me, it has two sides. One is simply my impurity arises as a sensation, but if I am able to become aware and detached from it, then one also arises is the knowledge that when I die, there is slightly less ego left to destroy. In this way, I owe to them, they become my teachers, and I their student.
I wouldn't mind if people thought I am a complete mickey-mouse.
I have said much, but yet so little. Again, I mean no one any harm, these are just words.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I think you are on a mission to spread your gospel, to sew seeds as you put it. It is quite difficult to do over the internet but I admire you for trying. I think all the forum members here are searching for some sort of truth.
Can I ask you a personal question- isn't meditation a form of religion? or what constitutes as a religion.
You mention mindfulness- do you have to be in a meditative state all the time to be like this?
If so how can you get things done?
Do you not put yourself higher than other people when you can say what is good or bad for that person.
don't you have to accept yourself before you accept others?
Does it not bother you how people perceive you?
Just a few questions to rack your brain.
I do hope you will not leave this thread.
Thanx.
[/quote]
Do we have to be in a meditative state all the time ?
Personally, if I can, I will try. However, as I mention, I too am lost in the world of samsara and one can only practise practise and practise. However, being in the present moment and being mindful, one is continually in touch with the way the body is reacting, and the breath. For instance, when one gets upset, an individual may feel a sudden shortening of breath, and suddenly engulfed in heat. The skin around the shoulders and neck start to itch, and the heart becomes heated and in pain. Suddenly, if one is aware, discomfort travels through the body. Ones mind becomes agitated as discomfort sets in, one reacts with hate and aversion and craving for more blissful sensations.
If you think of it as a balloon of air, past karmic forces, if one *****s the inflated balloon, it explodes. When one becomes mindful of this phenomena, the balloon may explode. but with much less intensity. Because the mind is not, metaphorically, rolling down the hill with the thoughts that caused anger. The mind is merely watching as the past anger and current situation behaves. Ideally, one watches it without at all becming carried away by the angry waves of the past, and watch the past karmic forces die away.
Without feeding the energy, the anger burns away and decays. One does this simply, and effectively by being mindful. That is all, if one can understand, watch like a baby, and refrain from reaction, the mind is deflating this past collection of anger, using the current cause as a tool. It is very simple, powerful and scientific.
Of course, no one expects you or anyone to simply believe this with faith, you can understand this, again simply by remaining mindful and aware through meditation. It is simply like a scientist in research, scientific.
How do you get things done ?
I think you can get things done, in fact, I think because you are mindful, it is much more effective. My old teacher used to tell us, it is not as if you need to be seated in meditation like a vegetable 24 hours 7 days a week. One just needs to teach the mind and remain mindful. It is to be applied to everyday life.
Do I put myself higher than others when I tell them what is good or bad ?
I try my best not to become forceful, I simply wish to describe a technique that has helped me come out of very coarse and intense anger in the long past. But, if it does come across this way, then my apologies goes out to those whose "toes I have stepped on".
Do I have to accept myself before accepting others ?
Hmm I am not sure of this questions meaning, but if you meant, that I should come through a certain stage of realisation before I shold speak of it, then the answer is yes. I try not to say too much in-depth Buddhist theories, I try simply to say the simple truths, such as remaining mindful. Such as those where I have not at least come to realise, I quote from the great Lama's.
I take quotes from the great Lama's and I write them on the board because I feel it is beneficial to pass it on to other readers who may be interested or who is walking the same path as myself.
Does it bother me how people perceive me ?
I am a very silly individual, lost in samsara. Sometimes I joke and mostly I am serious. One can perceive me however they wish, as long as I do not cause another to increase in suffering, then I am happy. My wish is that people find what I say triggers a curiosity to simply become mindful. The rest of the way will reveal itself. Otherwise, when I am silly or rude, I am drowning back in negative karma. I just hope people find it amusing instead of hurtful.
I know some people think I come across arrogant, and sometimes I use words in other languages. I use them because english is not the best language to communicate for me, and some words just has no direct interpretation. Such as the word "citta", whic is closely related to heart, in that it isnt the solid heart but the intentional mind.... heheh as you can see I cannot explain. In cantonese, the closest word is "Sum".
However, when one speaks harshly of me, it has two sides. One is simply my impurity arises as a sensation, but if I am able to become aware and detached from it, then one also arises is the knowledge that when I die, there is slightly less ego left to destroy. In this way, I owe to them, they become my teachers, and I their student.
I wouldn't mind if people thought I am a complete mickey-mouse.
I have said much, but yet so little. Again, I mean no one any harm, these are just words.