Best buddhism books according to redditors
We found 1,669 Reddit comments discussing the best buddhism books. We ranked the 599 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,669 Reddit comments discussing the best buddhism books. We ranked the 599 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Maybe your ambition is to just sit there. Maybe you should look into Buddhism and travel the globe and hone your meditation craft. Find peace within you.
Edit: since this is getting upvotes, I'll put some more advice in here. If you're looking to get into Buddhism, which personally I find to be so very very fulfilling. It teaches inner peace and happiness. I read about Buddhism during a very rough time in my life, where I was trying to find something or someone to blame on the problems. Buddhism taught me that anger, hatred & sadness are reactionary emotions. By reacting in that way towards those feelings, I am myself creating the anger and hatred. It taught me to look at every situation from other points of views. I was made angry by XYZ but their actions that cause my anger was because they had a shitty day and took it out on me, etc etc. It's my reaction that I can control, and it's my reaction that causes the anger and sadness.
The book that I read was by Thich Nhat Hanh and is titled The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation and/or Old Path White Clouds. I included a link to purchase on amazon. My best friend recently went through some trying times and I shipped him this book. I really recommend it to anyone going through struggle, or if you'd just like to see ways to handle stress.
Edit 2: So the book I suggested just went from around #2,300 on Amazon to #409 since the post. Reddit, that's pretty damn cool.
Sorry brotha, but I can't allow you to do this. I'm not going to sit here and drop the usual cliche on how you can improve your life. I'm sure you heard it all before. I can only tell you that I know how you feel. My whole life I have been battling with mental health problems because of a fucked up childhood. I was only a kid when I first tried to end my life. I could never dream of a day where things would have gotten better for me.. but it did. There's no cookie-cutter solution I can give you that would immediately improve your life. We are all different and your particular outlook on life is a product of your own life experiences.
I know though my own experiences and interacting with others who were contemplating suicide that the main source of our angst is our own toxic mindset and loneliness. There is nothing wrong with you. Just to put it into context, if you were the same person you are now, but surrounded by many who adored and loved you, your outlook on life and yourself would be drastically different. In a way your validation of yourself and your life comes externally instead of from within. Because your life is void of many elements that you believe is needed to constitute a satisfying life you have come to the conclusion that it is not worth living.
If you believe race is a major contributor to your misery than remove race as a factor. Move to an Asian enclave where you are the majority and no one would give a second thought about your race.
If your dead end job is reinforcing this perception of yourself of being a person of little value than find something that will give you fulfillment. It doesn't have to be something that brings you a shitload of money, but just something that you can be proud of or you enjoy doing. Heck, if you're seriously thinking about ending your life, go balls to the wall and start your own business on the side! It can be anything that you have interest in. With outsourcing (cheap labor), cloud, and the wealth of information online, you can start many businesses without much capital. At my gf's workplace there's this doctor who didn't become one until he was 45. It's never too late to pursue whatever you want if you have the drive and willingness.
If past failed dating experiences have jaded your views on relationship than replace it with new experiences. The truth is, most of us have had bad experiences at one time or another. Most people in general make shitty partners. But don't let a few rotten apples prevent you from hopping on the horse and trying again. Download every dating apps you can think of, go on those dating meetups, or do whatever you have to do get your tip wet or find that true love if that's what you're looking for. There are just as many women out there who are single and nearing middle age/30s+ that are in desperate need of loving. For women it's even more difficult being single when you start getting older. Worst comes to worst, tap into the divorcee pool and get yourself a heartbroken hunny looking for a rebound.
If you have few close friends than it's time to make some more by opening yourself up and actively seeking some. A solid homie is not just going to pop up in your life. Good friends are hard to come by and takes work like any relationship. What are your interests or hobbies? It's easier to make friends when you have a common interest. There's a meetup, convention, local chapter, etc. for everything you can possibly conceive of. If being Asian is a big part of your identity and life, go join an Asian org or asian club sports team at your local community center. There's leagues for every age range, so you can find others similar to yourself. Once you graduate college, it's difficult for most to make new meaningful friendship. You're going to have to put in the effort. Finding that bromance is no different than find a great woman.
Ultimately, you don't have to be different to belong. You just have to find your place. For some it comes easy and natural, for others we have to work for it. The moment you adopt a defeatist attitude is the day you pretty much accepted that life is unfair and hard but it's not within your control to dictate. We both know that's not true. Yes, your cards may be stacked against you. Yes, being Asian is like playing hardcore mode in America, but it's not impossible. All you have to do is get more skilled at playing the game of life.
Ask yourself what you really want out of life. Make a list of short term/long term goals, things you want do, see, accomplish however big or small. Having a direction in life and something to work towards is very important because it gives our lives meaning.
And all it really takes is one person to really change our lives around. Whether it is yourself after finding that self-empowerment or through another, don't lose hope until the very end. We become discontent with our lives when our lives become stagnant. Progress is important. Keep working on yourself, read and watch a shitload of self-help books and videos. Start caring less about what other people think. Put yourself out there. Open yourself up to the world. Take risks. And after all this if you still feel the same than at least you have the satisfaction knowing that you didn't leave one rock left unturned and you lived your life to the fullest.
I recommend this book to you. It can help you on adopting a new outlook on life and replacing it with your current toxic views: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482592780&sr=8-3&keywords=buddhism
You deserve to be happy. You have to let yourself. Happiness is a state of mind. It truly is. Buddhist monks in Bhutan are considered the happiest in the world, yet they have none of the things you speak of. It's like if you took an exam for class that was hard af, and you just found out you aced it. Immediately, your whole day starts looking brighter and everything starts going your way. The exam itself did not give you the feeling of happiness or your newfound positive outlook on life, it's just a meaningless piece of paper.. you did. You created that sensation, that release of hormones, by perceiving things in a more positive lens. You have to become aware that your perception and reality is not actually reality. It is a sum of your own bias life experiences and exposures. Keep fighting for the life you want. We're all rooting for you brotha!
The problem with Hagen, Batchelor, and other secular Buddhist authors is that they are so insistent that Buddhism is not a religion, that they want to remove so much of what makes it such a wonderful practice. It then winds up coming across as exactly how you put it: pseudo pop Buddhism for modern Western atheists.
I personally take offense to how they feel they can completely discount the practices of millions of Buddhists around the world, myself included, and I always recommend What the Buddha Taught as the best introductory book to Buddhism.
I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder a few years ago. Buddhism helps with my anxiety in many ways:
You're going to get a lot of unhelpful responses to this question. This, for whatever reason, is a very touchy subject. It's also one that is very difficult to talk about, because talking about the experience of enlightenment actually doesn't quite make sense, because there are major issues defining something that cannot be defined, that goes beyond experience.
Also, in my experience, the more that "you" think you know something about this subject, the more likely you are to be deluded about it. Consequently, while you want to understand this thing intellectually, if anybody thinks they can explain it to you intellectually, it's bonk. This thing cannot be known.
I recommend you check out this book, which was recommended to me by one of our valued contributors here, /u/mrbundle. I found this book to be quite interesting and helpful.
Please don't ask me anymore. All I know is that I don't know shit.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
The problem (for me) with reading books like these is that you can drink them down like water, then you ask yourself to summarized what you've just read...and have to go back and read the whole thing again...ad infinitum.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Even if you're not looking to get into Buddhism or meditation, it's incredibly thought-provoking. I read it and I immediately started it over again and the second read is proving even more fruitful than the first.
Here's a good TED talk with Matthieu Ricard.
|http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness#t-1749
Ricard is a former scientist and I found this book by him compelling.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Quantum-Lotus-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797
Respectfully, your first question is a bit too personal for me to answer. You didn't mean it that way; I understand. But to answer it I would have to reveal more than I choose.
What I can say is that I have survived grief. I experienced it, explored its depths, and came out the other side. There was a time in my life, literally, when everyone I ever had loved was dead.
Life doesn't offer any promises. All it offers is itself. And it will end soon enough, anyway.
To address the issues you raise in any sort of competent way would require far more space than I have here. I suggest--and I don't mean this as a brush-off--that you read the Bhagavad-gita, the other Upanishads, the writings of the Buddha. You also probably would want to read commentaries, as the texts probably would be indecipherable without them. You also might want to try The Razor's Edge and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which are a couple of accessible novels that at least introduce certain ideas.
This may seem like a puzzle, but the main thing to understand is that your sense of permanence is illusory. This concept is so fundamental to life that it transcends and infuses atheism, philosophy, religion. From it flows the idea that many other things also are illusory--pain, suffering, grief, desire, hope, happiness.
In any event, as you ask such valid and profound questions, it would make sense to arm yourself with the equipment to answer them, right?
Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet by Matthieu Ricard, PhD and Trinh Xuan Thuan, PhD
"Matthieu Ricard trained as a molecular biologist, working in the lab of a Nobel prize-winning scientist, but when he read some Buddhist philosophy, he became drawn to Buddhism. Eventually he left his life in science to study with Tibetan teachers, and he is now a Buddhist monk and translator for the Dalai Lama, living in the Shechen monastery near Kathmandu in Nepal. Trinh Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in Vietnam but became intrigued by the explosion of discoveries in astronomy during the 1960s. He made his way to the prestigious California Institute of Technology to study with some of the biggest names in the field and is now an acclaimed astrophysicist and specialist on how the galaxies formed.
When Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Thuan met at an academic conference in the summer of 1997, they began discussing the many remarkable connections between the teachings of Buddhism and the findings of recent science. That conversation grew into an astonishing correspondence exploring a series of fascinating questions. Did the universe have a beginning? Or is our universe one in a series of infinite universes with no end and no beginning? Is the concept of a beginning of time fundamentally flawed? Might our perception of time in fact be an illusion, a phenomenon created in our brains that has no ultimate reality? Is the stunning fine-tuning of the universe, which has produced just the right conditions for life to evolve, a sign that a “principle of creation” is at work in our world? If such a principle of creation undergirds the workings of the universe, what does that tell us about whether or not there is a divine Creator? How does the radical interpretation of reality offered by quantum physics conform to and yet differ from the Buddhist conception of reality? What is consciousness and how did it evolve? Can consciousness exist apart from a brain generating it?"
The first two books I read were The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and Mindfulness in Plain English. They'll get you started with the basics.
Mark Siderits has written a wonderful introductory overview of many key features of Buddhist philosophy in a book that I would consider a must-read on the subject. It is called Buddhism as Philosophy and offers both great depth and critical examination of the arguments at play in many of the Buddhist traditions.
I would also recommend Owen Flanagan's The Bodhisatva's Brain for an insightful discussion on some of the problems facing the very hyperbolic and enthusiastic view that many contemporaries express when discussing the effects of Buddhist practice and meditation.
If you are interested in a broad and concise overview of Buddhist thought from a Buddhist scholar, I'd recommend Walpola Sri Rahula's classic What the Buddha Taught. This book is very lean in terms of metaphysical speculation and portrays the Buddhist path in a philosophically austere and precise manner.
Since there is no one universally accepted interpretation of Buddha's teaching I would highly recommend reading wide and deep on the subject. There are many contemporary philosophers who have done great work in interpreting and examining Buddhist philosophy through the lens of modern day thought. To name a few: Miri Albahari, Jonardon Ganeri, Evan Thomspon and Matthew Mackenzie. Galen Strawson has also engaged with Buddhist thought in his writing on questions of selfhood and consciousness. Have a look at their respective academia pages and you should find much ongoing discussion on the subject and recommendations for further reading in their published articles.
Hope this helps!
edit: spelling
I appreciate the OP's original post as well as your R.D. Laing recommendation. I also 100% agree with the idea of a "predisposition towards realization and compassionate output" when it comes to certain mental illnesses (Specifically, those involving extremely heightened senses of perception).
I've been undertaking a similar "process" as you've (OP) described for about two years now. I had somewhat of an existential crisis as I was finishing out my last semester of college a couple years ago. Not really in the aspect of "how can I face this impending 40 hour work week with no end in sight?," but more of "how can I possibly be happy in this modern society in general when the standard goals are not desired?"
It led me into a deep, later clinically treated, depression that bottomed out for a good month's time as the winter settled in. As things began to become increasingly unstable in my mental state, the voices started becoming distinct and clearer. They never were commanding or provoking, but typically simple commentary or strange basic conversations. Most of the time they were harshly critical of my own life, though at other times they tended to drift off into random dialogue (there were usually two). The fact that they were occurring ended up leading me down a long, long winding spiritual path as I searched for some sort of understanding to them.
I had a new understanding of mental illness, as I was experiencing it myself, but specifically of certain schizophrenic-type aspects. The voices I heard were as real to my consciousness as any other aspect of perception that is picked up by the senses. It sounded as if they were talking in the room adjacent to mine, or at least muffled by a thin wall- usually. I found that at certain frequencies, they were more apparent and distinct. While they varied in clarity, they were undoubtedly occurring and for whatever reason I was hearing them. I was withdrawn and fascinated by this phenomena and was able to successfully communicate through thoughts, though only in what I could describe as a deep meditative state (which wasn't too difficult as I sat in a helpless bout of catatonic depression). This went on for about at week or so before I returned home, saw a doctor and got clinical assistance for my depression. Still, my idea of those with schizophrenic-type mental illnesses had changed from "people experiencing delusions" to "people experiencing reality differently."
I kept a journal during those few weeks of delusion, because I was experiencing things that I couldn't comprehend. The spiritual/knowledge path soon began as I was recovering over the next few months. I began to research ideas that had popped into my head during that time. Now, in hindsight, these revelations really aren't that mind blowing and had I been more educated on the subjects or just more of a true academic in general, I probably would've come across what I ended up with at an earlier time.
My primary empirical conclusion, was that, yes these voices do indeed exist. They hold some sort of reality in some aspect, because my consciousness is experiencing them. I also know that others experience similar instances of phenomena. This led to an idea of there being a higher/alternate dimension that conscious thought can reside in. A place that holds no truth in objectivity to the world in general, yet still a place in the mind of the beholder.
So, that's how I became acquainted with quantum theory and it's possible application to consciousness. I'm not saying that I directly subscribe to all that's laid out in a quantum consciousness theory, but it did open a whole slew of new doors of thinking and understanding quantum physics in general.
Another aspect that I derived from my experience with the voices was the idea of the duality of consciousness and matter. And that's how I began reading more into Buddhism, which I had read about before but seemingly never understood quite as fully as I did after the experience.
Just as all of this was taking place (a few months after the breakdown), I had a moment of synchronicity when I ran into an old friend during happy hour who was in the city for a day before heading back home up north. Without me even mentioning much about my experience or new found ideas, he offered me a book for borrowing (that he just happened to have on hand). It was The Quantum and the Lotus (Ricard, Thuan). It may have been the perfect combination of my two newest obsessions in one book. Reading it finally put my mind at ease and gave me a truly new perspective on life that I've been building off of ever since then.
My views have evolved and adapted with time over the last couple years, but I still haven't lost this unquenchable thirst for learning that began during those darker times. I truly think that the Buddhist perspective on life has fueled this passion while keeping me at peace with my own thoughts. I can still hear the voices, though only through a means of deep meditation, and they hardly interfere with my everyday life.
Sorry for any typos, the sun's yet to rise where I am right now.
TL;DR - Got severely depressed, heard voices that led to a more innate understanding of both quantum physics and Buddhism (neither of which I had extensive knowledge of) that has improved my outlook on life, my empathy towards others and has greatly increased my desire for knowledge than it had ever been previously.
I highly recommend this book.
Short statements in normal English paragraphs from all of the masters, each master only gets two or three pages.
I like it because you don't rely on any one master's thought patterns. They cross check and calibrate each other.
Don't read it like a novel. Read it one passage at a time. You could open it to any page and read a passage. Drink tea. Look out the window. Look at the wall. Do your thing, whatever that thing is.
Pick a place or make a space in your life to do it, so that you take it seriously when you do it. Don't do it when you aren't serious about it. Ritual and austerity are meaningless, but if your life is busy, they can make a big difference in helping you focus when you read at first.
Make it your own. Don't soil your reading place with other things. Or, soil your reading place with all other things. It's up to you, but, this is your life, your consciousness, take it seriously. You are the only one who can liberate yourself and you are the one to whom liberation matters.
After that book, whomever you liked from that book, get the book from them specifically. Foyan, Huang Po, Mazu, Hsin Hsin Ming are a great mix. Also, the Mumonkan is crucial.
As far as Mumonkan, people get fooled by the incomprehensibility of it. Enter where you find an entrance. It doesn't have to be in order. Follow that entrance, through to the end, until the whole text crumbles in front of you.
If you're looking for an overview of the concepts of Buddhism, I think reading would be better. Perhaps the short scholarly classic What the Buddha Taught or The Buddhist Handbook, a book that Altar_Spud recently recommended that looks like a great survey of Buddhism.
If you're looking for the practical application of Buddhism, especially as it applies to meditative practices, then I recommend the teachings of Gil Fronsdal. His seven part audio series, Buddist Meditation, provides a framework for the practice. There are other series in the left column if you want to further explore core teachings. There are also podcasts under the name of Audiodharma that are updated regularly, but cover all different aspects of the practice and are less concisely organized for a beginner.
Mindfulness, The Most Fundamental Skill is a Shinzen Young talk I found on Grooveshark that explains mindfulness in beautiful simplicity.
Perhaps look somewhat deeper into Buddhism. Suffering is not the problem (but the result), it's just a fact of life; what is the problem is clinging to stuff.
Buddhism is against craving. When craving is eliminated, you will do good things naturally and won't do any bad things anymore. Without such craving, the world would in fact be in a much better state. Buddhism is not in favor of eliminating positive emotions, but only negative ones (anger, delusion, craving).
(I'd highly recommend this book to understand what buddhism is about.)
No, of course not. Let me clarify. I'm not a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, but am immensely curious about it, and have read a bit about it from various sources, ranging from Words of My Perfect Teacher to the Berzin website.
One thing that characterizes TB is the emphasis on the all-important role of one's teacher (or root guru). Meditation is a complex activity, but TB is an extraordinarily complex repository of late-stage Indian Buddhist philosophy and meditation techniques, the crown jewel of which is tantra. TB lamas emphasize that tantric meditation is can be extremely powerful, but also extremely dangerous to one's mental health if practiced incorrectly, since it involves working with the body's energy systems, exercises where you visualize yourself as a deity, etc. The root guru provides intensely personalized instructions on how to meditate in this way, provides remedies to common pitfalls and issues, generally acting as very experienced coach.
And Dzogchen is the most advanced form of tantra in the Nyingma tradition. For what it's worth, Leigh Brasington - in addition to the jhana work some here might be familiar with - has been a Dzogchen practitioner for several decades, but he refuses to say basically anything about it because he doesn't feel qualified to do so.
So the idea of someone whose expertise in meditation comes from a lineage that very possibly could have fabricated its connection to authentic tantra and Dzogchen practices should give all of us pause. Going to a self-taught car mechanic carries risks, but going to an unqualified brain surgeon is downright foolhardy.
Edit: And I don't know enough about Tibetan Buddhism or Aro or Rin'dzin Pamo enough to pass any sort of judgment. I'm just advising a little skepticism on whether her contrast of TMI with Dzogchen/tantra actually jibes with what mainstream, authentic Vajrayana lamas might say.
I'd wholeheartly recommend The Words of My Perfect Teacher and The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech.
The heart of the Buddhas teaching:Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation by him is a really good book. If you ever have time to read it I highly recommend it.
I'm not against therapy at all, but might I suggest another angle? Meditation.
If you really want to get better as you say you do, find a zen practice center and learn to sit. Meditation is all about opening up space in your mind and learning to observe it. It's a long process, but very enlightening since the beggining.
If you'd like to start by reading a book, I'd like to suggest this one. It's very simple and straightforward. You don't have to be a buddhist to read it.
This video is incredible too. Watch it right now. It goes straight to the point. Alan Wallace is a very wise dude.
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If you don't mind me saying, by your description it seems like you just might suffer from Borderline personality disorder. Get yourself a professional opinion on this.
Zen mind, beginners mind
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is frequently mentioned as a good introduction to Zen.
If your interested in Zen, I recommend Zen Mind, Beginners Mind.
Rupert Gethin's Foundations of Buddhism is a thorough introduction to Buddhism. For starting reading the Pāli discourses, there's Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words - this is a selection of discourses serving as an entry point.
Then you can start with the discourses directly: start with the Majjima Nikāya and then you can also go through The Dīgha Nikāya and the Samyutta Nikāya. And then the last but not least: Aṇguttara Nikāya and the Khuddhaka Nikāya (search on Amazon). These texts would be important references for the rest of your life if you seriously pursue Buddhism.
Regarding insight meditation, Bhikkhu Anālayo's Satipaṭṭāna book is the best modern day commentary available. Highly recommend it. His "Excursions into the Pāli Discourses" Part 1 and Part 2 are also very useful since they summarize many of the topics discusses in the discourses.
Books by Shaila Catherine or Ajāhn Brahmavaṃso would be good texts regarding samatha meditation.
There are the various texts written by the Ledi Sayādaw and Mahāsi Sayadaw - two Burmese scholar-practitioners who popularized insight meditation in the last century. You can go through Ven. Ledi Sayādaw's Vipassanā Dīpani (Manual of Insight) and you can find Ven. Mahāsi Sayadaw's books here.
Bhikkhu K. Ñānānanda has many books discussing deep questions about dependent arising, the nature of nirvāna, and so forth. You can find them here.
I'll let others recommend Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna and Zen material. In general, Reginald Rays books on Tibetan Buddhism are great entry points to Tibetan Buddhism, and then there's Gampopa's Jewel Ornament Of Liberation. There's also Shantidēva's Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, useful for any Mahāyāna practitioner. With Zen there's always Dōgen Zenji's Shōbōgenzō.
You should be able to find all of the above by googling if it's available for free or on Amazon (or a University library) otherwise.
Mahayana is a much bigger beast than Theravada. Rather than a general introduction to all of Mahayana, you would be better off looking for introductions to particular traditions- Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, etc. Mahayana Buddhists generally accept as canonical the full variety of Mahayana texts, but specific texts are more emphasized by particular traditions.
In addition, there has been a kind of 'reconstruction' movement within the Theravada that sought to reform the tradition to conform more closely to the canonical texts. That movement came about in part because of critique and contact with Western theology, which emphasizes the primacy of source texts. In other traditions, post-canonical texts may be more important- rather than tackling the source texts, monks and lay students are taught from summaries and commentaries that contain the views of the oral tradition and prominent teachers.
Something like Words of My Perfect Teacher contains a pretty comprehensive overview of the Tibetan tradition as derived from the traditional sources... In the Zen tradition, The Platform Sutra is primarily a biography/hagiography of the Patriarch Hui Neng, but also contains information on how the Zen tradition regarded the teachings of various popular sutras.
I don't know if a computer dictionary is the best source of authority on eastern philosophy, though that definition isn't wrong per se. Karma is about cause and effect. Certain intentions produce certain actions which produce certain outcomes, which change the pattern of events in the world in subtle ways, which, gathering momentum, have the potential to affect everybody including yourself in the future. It's "what goes around comes around" in that sense, but it's basically just the truism that, if you do bad shit, you're going to increase the sum total of bad shit in the world, and therefore have to live in a shittier world as a result. It's not like, if you kill someone then at some random time in the future you'll get run over by a bus. Subtle difference but hopefully that makes it clear.
The Buddhist idea of reincarnation is related but a bit different, you have to understand their theory of mind and consciousness which is a bit weird and hard to grasp at first.
EDIT: If you're interested in a proper source on this stuff, I recommend this very readable book: What the Buddha taught
I'd recommend Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. It's dense and interesting, but can still be a quick read.
Hi Steve!
I would recommend reading Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki who was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the West. I would also recommend The Mind of Clover by Robert Aitken which is an excellent guide on Zen Buddhist ethics (and important part of the practice).
If you haven't already started, I would recommend you pick up a regular zazen habit, sitting daily even for just five minutes if that's all you can manage. Sitting zazen is the most important thing in the Sōtō school and Master Dogen could not recommend it enough!
Books are good but practice is much better!
Beyond that, I'm a big fan of all of Brad Warner's books. He has a great approach to Zen, I think, and makes understanding some of its more obscure and hard-to-penetrate ideas easier to digest.
And of course you can always come here and ask as my questions as you like!
please start by encouraging her to seek help from a mental health professional. a book is not going to help anyone truly depressed, no matter how enlightening it is.
that out of the way, I did find "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" helpful for dealing with anxiety and smaller bouts of depression.
best of luck to you.
I like anything by Thich Nhat Hanh but this in particular:
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Thich-Nhat/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239313355&sr=1-3
It's an amazingly practical manual for applying the Buddhas teachings to transform suffering into liberation.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130313/
What the Buddha Taught is a good start. Its brief, its easy to read and gives you an overview of what Buddhism is about. If you like it from there, get a copy of the Dhammapada
http://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Translation-Buddhist-Classic-Annotations/dp/1590303806
Although it doesn't fit the popular image of Buddhism, there's a book about buddhist warfare. Religion has always been as a reason to attack other groups that doesn't share the same religion.
> All of these weird things started at the same time, so I’m wondering if any of it can be accounted for by the awakening process.
Always see a doctor if you're concerned, but yes. Everything you're saying sounds very familiar to my own experience.
My own theory about it is that egoic mind takes up a lot of energy (or attention), so when that energy is freed up, it goes elsewhere. The body becomes more sensitive and open.
> I’m not tired when I wake up, but it’s still somehow unsatisfying.
I know exactly what you mean here, and can empathize. For me, a lot of that unsatisfactoriness was my mind not accepting the 'weirdness' of the situation. "I'm only getting 3 hours of sleep per night! This can't be healthy!" Etc.
Physically I felt fine, and the doctor confirmed I was very healthy. Eventually (after hearing Adyashanti talk about something similar) I quit mentally arguing with the reality of the situation, and accepted that even though things were a bit weird, they were find. Mind is used to our bodies being a certain way, and when that changes it takes a bit for mind to get onboard, in other words.
I can only speak to my own experience, but for me at one point it all just settled. I was getting ~3 hours of a sleep per night (and like you beautiful phrased, it felt more like a 'trance of being-ness'), weird physical sensations (including profuse sweating at night) and a whole lot of other stuff, then one day there was another 'shift' (not dissimilar to the awakening itself), and it was like a switch was turned off and a bunch of the 'weird' stuff disappeared (though others showed up, heh).
The yoga and healthiness are your friends. If your diet is really light, it may be helpful to introduce heavier, 'grounding' foods like beets, sweet potatoes, etc, but listen to your body here. Bodies are mysteriously wise, and know what they need - it's more a question of how much we can get out of the way.
All of that to say: you're not alone and what you're describing could certainly be related to the awakening.
If you haven't already, I'd strongly recommend reading Adyashanti's book The End of Your World. There's a lot of helpful info inside.
Ewk mixes legitimate Zen content with his own personal opinions without seeming to do so. He gives his opinion left and right while criticizing everyone else as if he were the ultimate authority on "what is zen and what is not, what you ought and ought not to do".
Ewk, in that sense, is nothing more than a wannabe cult leader stealing the voice of dead guys to pass off his opinions to the rubes coming here for Zen and seeking a figure of authority. To him, everybody that disagrees does so in bad faith, knowing they're lying.
Furthermore, ewk cannot make the distinction between religious worship, prayer and meditation.
Most of Ewk's comments go this way:
His attitude in his own words
> It is also interesting to note that [Alan Watts'] understanding evolves over the course of his life which is another tribute to his honesty. Not many people revisit their old conclusions, let alone their old works of nonfiction, and publicly declare their error. It is unlikely that I will, for example.
(From his book)
> I've been...serving smackdowns on this forum for five years", "I wanted to fight everybody about everything and so I did. I usually won. I have a gift inherited from my maternal grandfather through my mother for character assassination," "You do however give me lots of opportunities to show how tough and rapier witted I am
Some quotes
> Alt_troll claims he has a point... can't make the claim in an AMA though.
> Next up: Religious troll quotes single line from Huckleberry Finn, insists Twain supported slavery.
> You aren't a "Zen practitioner". You are a Dogen Buddhist. You've been a Dogen Buddhist since day one. You just haven't been honest about it.
> Pwning religious trolls in this forum for the last six years.
> Religious troll still super upset that ewk pwnd him out of business.
> Try /r/stoners. I think your observations might sound more accurate over there.
> The OP uses alt accounts because he doesn't have the courage to AMA. The OP doesn't have the courage to AMA because he knows his beliefs aren't anything to do with Zen.
> Temicco frequently lies, omits facts, and refuses to address Zen teachings that contradict his claims about Zen teachings.
(All from last week)
Ewk is just a glorified internet troll and a bully, that somehow managed to seem mystical to newcomers on this forum.
Top review of his book on amazon
> The author's flawed premise is that Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who is considered the father of Zen, was NOT actually a Buddhist. This astounding claim is not based on some newly discovered biography of Bodhidharma or diligent, exhaustive, original scholarship; rather, the author just decided it himself. Of course, even the most cursory examination of Bodhidharma's teachings would reveal that Bodhidharma (the First Patriarch of Zen) instructed Huike (his successor and the Second Patriarch of Zen) that he could rely solely upon the Lankavatara Sutra to gain enlightenment. This seems like an odd thing to do for someone who - the author claims - was not spreading the dharma (the instructions of the Buddha) since the Lankavatara is a major text of Mahayana Buddhism, which summarizes all the major points of Mahayana doctrine, and which, as a direct result of Bodhidharma's teaching is a seminal text of Zen Buddhism. The author fails to explain how this could have come to be, or address the matter at all, since he is obviously completely unaware of Bodhidharma's actual teachings or writings. Such writings include Bodhidharma's most famous work, his treatise on the "Two Entrances and Four Practices", which is largely a collection of advice on meditation techniques. The depth of the author's ignorance is further revealed by his remarkable assertion that Bodhidharma did not meditate. What Bodhidharma was doing silently gazing at a cave wall for nine years, the author does not tell us. He does tell us that meditation is not Zen, deliberately oblivious to the etymology of the term itself. The author's many untenable claims clearly stem from his lack of study, as he repeatedly admits that he actually hasn't studied much, and his citations consist only of links to videos on youtube and scant online sources. Notably, the author lambastes the inconvenience of "authority".
His main criticism of Buddhism generally, and Zen Buddhism in particular, is his belief that they are "dogmatic". By dogmatic the author must mean that Buddhists take it seriously when people try to mold the Buddha's profound and exhaustive teachings into their own pet views, as this author has done with his "zen" revolution. He is ignorant of even the most fundamental tenants of Buddhism, including the FIRST Noble Truth (Right View), which not only prohibits dogma, but even attachment to "correct" views, in favor of a detached form of cognition. The profound nature of this teaching is hopelessly lost on the author, who is too caught up in expounding his own dogma of nonsense in order to inflate his own sense of self -- an effort completely at odds with everything Buddhism teaches.
Bullshit asymetry principle
Oh, no need to apologize anyway. There's just a lot of... backstory.
You'll need to couple source material like the below with the above historical scholarship if you want to come to a full understanding.
As for some primary sources:
Tang dynasty teachers who were students of Mazu (one of the most influential Zen teachers ever)
Dazhu (although, relevant)
Huangbo
Baizhang (this text is prohibitively expensive on Amazon, so look in local libraries.)
Song dynasty teachers
Yuanwu (1, 2)
Hongzhi (1, 2) (note, take Taigen dan Leighton's introduction to Cultivating the Empty Field with a grain of salt, as he's a shitty scholar. He basically just misrepresents Hongzhi and Dahui's relationship. See Schlutter's How Zen Became Zen for more details.)
Song dynasty kanhua Chan teachers (kanhua is the main approach to Zen in both Rinzai and Seon)
Dahui (Yuanwu's student)
Wumen
A Japanese Zen teacher
Bankei (1, 2)
A Korean Zen teacher
Daehaeng (1, 2, 3)
___
Note that this leaves out huge swathes of the literature, including all of the literature associated with the East Mountain teaching, the Northern school, the Oxhead school, Soto, most of Rinzai, Obaku, most of Seon, etc. Of course, some people with more fixed and essentialist ideas of what "Zen" is object to the idea that some of these other schools/lineages are actually "Zen". Use your own head. (I'm not saying they're necessarily wrong; I'm just saying that once you feel comfortable with the basics, start to think critically about Zen and your own study of it, including e.g. how you would decide which teachings to follow, and why.)
There's no roster of "Zen masters^TM " anywhere, so the above is a bit of a random mix of my own choosing.
While reading, note what people say and ask yourself questions -- where do they agree? Where do they disagree? If they disagree, should that be reconciled or not, and why?
Some more pointed questions to ask for each book: What can one do to reach awakening? What ways to reach awakening are preferred over others? What practices and doctrines are criticized? Is there any cultivation necessary at any point along the path? If yes, what is to be cultivated? If the teacher is talking about the teachings of earlier masters, are those teachers being represented accurately, or are extrinsic frameworks being laid onto them to fit the later teacher's presentation of Zen? If you had to sum up the teacher's teaching in a slogan, what would it be?
Really, the main thing is that you can think critically about what you're reading, but the above reading list and approach would give you a really solid foundation for the things people tend to talk about on this forum.
🙏
>Thanks for sharing your wisdom
You as well.
By the way, perhaps you may find benefit in learning the word kenshō, and as one last suggestion, perhaps you might enjoy someone like Huangbo, perhaps something like this.
Whereas this sub might perhaps tend towards a sort of rational, perhaps masculine, analysis based approach, some of the Zen adepts such as Huangbo might tend towards a more ... poetic or heart based, pithy approach, and maybe you would delight in it, if you’re inclined to check it out.
If you’re put off by too much dogma, he might be perfect ;)
Best wishes, as always.
Zen Essence
Ever read Joshu or Huangbo?
I only suggest those because I'm reading Joshu again right now, and Huangbo is a BAD MOTHERFUCKER.
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Teaching-Huang-Po-Transmission/dp/0802150926
https://www.amazon.com/Recorded-Sayings-Zen-Master-Joshu/dp/157062870X
Actually I do have a Zen suggestion for you. I highly recommend Zen Mind Beginners Mind by Suzuki Roshi.
Also while Lojong is more out of the Tibetan Tradition. There is a Zen teacher by the name of Norman Fischer who has given many talks on and written a book about Lojong from a Zen'ish perspective.
The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin
Highlights from my library...
At introductory level, Skilton A Concise History of Buddhism is a good overview of Buddhism from an historical perspective.
Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin is a fairly good modern overview of Buddhist ideas.
Kalupahana A history of Buddhist philosophy - slightly eccentric, but some excellent coverage of Buddhist thought. Stops short of Tantra. However, supplement with Samuel The Origins of Yoga and Tantra.
Snellgrove Indo-Tibetan Buddhism covers late Mahāyāna and Tantra; theory oriented. Perhaps a but dated now, but non-sectarian.
For early Buddhist texts, Gethin's selections from the Pāḷi Canon is probably a better bet than Bodhi's massive tome. It is more focussed. If you get into Pāli Suttas then get the Nikāya translations, starting with Majjhima Nikāya (the most readable). Another lesser know anthology is by Glenn Wallis Basic Teachings of the Buddha. Slightly idiosyncratic, but a very interesting perspective.
For a traditional anthology of Mahāyāna texts try the much neglected Śikṣamuccaya by Śāntideva (8th Century). I have a different edition to this link, so maybe look around.
Tantra doesn't lend itself to anthologies. I think probably the best introduction to Tantra is Hakeda Kūkai: Major Works, though it may not entirely stand alone, you'll at least know what the right questions are. I've never found any book by a Tibetan Buddhist to rival Kūkai for clarity of exposition about what Tantra Buddhism is.
In terms of practice, Buddhism is often sharply divided by sectarianism and so books on practice tend to be narrowly focussed along sectarian lines. And even on single practices within sects (such as books on Theravāda approaches to breath meditation only; Zen approaches to koan practice and so on.). Note that having asked for a comprehensive book, most of the suggestions are sectarian and ignore centuries of development of Buddhism in other directions.
Buddhism also often suffers from a theory/practice disconnect. A lot of our theory/doctrine has no practical application; while some of our practices are poorly understood and communicated.
The fact is that if you take one sect at a starting point, you will find much of what you learn contradicted when you shift to a different sectarian point of view. Sects tend to present their sectarian point of view as Buddhism without ever letting on that other brands are available. So a comprehensive outline of Buddhism is almost impossible without fudging a lot of conflict and contradiction.
Refuge is a bit like Christian conversion, but more importantly it's a continuous thing. Every Vajrayana practice kicks off with taking Refuge for example, and it's also a practice in itself. Here's a teaching by Chögyam Trungpa on this topic. For a classical in depth look I recommend the relevant chapters in Gampopa's Jewel Ornament and Patrül Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher.
Here's a free PDF of Bhikkhu Bodhi's Noble Eightfold Path book. If you can get your hands on a copy of Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, it's an excellent complement to Bodhi's book, and expands on the 8fold path and other Buddhist teachings in a very accessible way.
I'll second What the Buddha Taught and In the Buddha's Words. Access to Insight is also a good resource. And of course /r/buddhism!
Read Huangbo. Approach him like a house on fire.
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Teaching-Huang-Po-Transmission/dp/0802150926
There are many good suggestions here, and good stuff to look into!
The way to apply the practice off-the-cushion is in a sense, similar to what you do on the cushion. Only it is a bit more spread out perhaps.
You make intentions to do what you need to do, be aware of those intentions, and keep your mind on track if it starts wandering. You notice you are not doing that you intended, and go back to what you intended to do, identical to following the breath.
Noticing your intentions, mental states, states shift, feeling, moods, perceptions, etc...as much as you can based on your current level of ability.
In my experience -- studying up on and applying the four foundations of mindfulness can also be a great help for practice during the day.
[The Direct Path to Realization] (https://www.amazon.com/Satipa-x1E6D-x101-Direct-Realization/dp/1899579540)
Don't get too caught up on some of the more esoteric contemplations, the most applicable aspect to the daily grind seems to be awareness of form, feeling, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness -- as well as contemplation of the five-aggregates model.
Mindfulness is the primary means of purification of all activities; and the primary rubric for that is satipatthana: the foundations of mindfulness in the body, its feelings, the mind and mental objects.
In the Sutta Pitaka:
DN 22 - Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference
MN 10 - Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta: Frames of Reference
SN 47 - Satipatthana-samyutta - a chapter from the Samyutta Nikaya on the subject
AN 8.63 - Sankhitta Sutta: In Brief (Good Will, Mindfulness, & Concentration)
Some valuable secondary reading:
Soma Thera - The Way of Mindfulness: The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary
Thanissaro Bhikkhu - Wings to Awakening, Part II.B: The Four Frames of Reference
Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo - Frames of Reference
Mahasi Sayadaw - Satipatthana Vipassana
Bhikkhu Analayo - Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization (this is a free version, it is also available in print or on Kindle)
If you haven't already checked out Culadasa's dharma treasure audio archives there are some great talks on there about some of these topics. The Teaching Retreats page especially. Meditation & Insight is a great series to start with, but several of them check off the boxes on your interests.
Secondly, I'd recommend Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization by Analayo. It's a very in good analysis of this sutta, which ends up covering a lot of ground including in-depth exploration of some of these concepts (The Aggregates, The Sense-spheres, Four Noble Truths, The Awakening Factors,etc), and how they play a role in Awakening. Can't recommend enough.
Wow! I never thought I'd see Pema Chodron quoted on reddit!
>To be without a reference point is the ultimate loneliness. It is also called enlightenment.
Her book Awakening Loving-Kindness (abridged version of The Wisdom of No Escape) was my first introduction to all things related to Buddhism as is truly a masterpiece of simplicity and wisdom.
Her master was Chögyam Trungpa, who was (one of?) the first to introduce the very-much secular tradition of Shambhala to the Western world. From wikipedia:
>Although Chogyam Trungpa, founder of Shambhala International, came out of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in his teachings Shambhala vision has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West or any one culture or religion [5]. Shambhala kingdom is seen as enlightened society that people of all faiths can aspire to and actually realize. The path to this is provocatively described as the practice of warriorship — meeting fear and transcending aggression, and of secular sacredness — joining the wisdom of the past and one's own culture with the present in nowness.
All you jaded atheists should check out Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior. All the spiritual goodness without religious bullshit!
Discussion between an astrophysicist and Buddhist monk who originally trained in molecular biology (someone also once termed "the happiest man in the world" by the British tabloids): The Quantum and the Lotus
Instant Zen.
My advice:
Don’t ask for a definition in this forum, before you’ve got familiar with the literature from some actual scholars.
1. [Blue Cliff Record] (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Cliff-Record-Thomas-Cleary/dp/159030232X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479373811&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+cliff+record)
by the Cleary brothers.
The preface will provide you a good introduction to the history of zen. Plus, insights into the lineage of the masters.
This book is actually a collection of koans. But my advice is: Don't jump into cold water. Makes yourself familiar with the background first (preface's).
2. [Zen Essence] (https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Essence-Shambhala-Dragon-Editions/dp/1570625883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479374319&sr=8-1&keywords=zen+essence+thomas+cleary) by Thomas Cleary.
Cleary provides quotes/ sayings from the masters referring to “topics” or “questions”, like “Zen Teaching?”, “Basis of Zen?”, “Summary of Zen Practice?”.
I think this approach is very helpful for people who want to get introduced to Zen, in terms of “What the hell is this shit about?” -- good guy Thomas Cleary!
3. Gateless Gate
by Robert Aiken.
This is rather a workbook for the practitioner than literature regarding zen.
I haven’t read the book I’ve linked to, but in my opinion, starting with the Mumonkan without any notes or comments from contemporary scholars/ students/ teachers/ translators is not the right approach. Use the commentaries from Aitken only as an orientation or a hint. The meaning itself has to be found by you!
Have you heard of the book Living Buddha, Living Christ? It was written by a well-known monk (endorsed by major Christian leaders) and is about how the teachings of Buddha and teachings of Christ relate to each other. There are obviously major teachings of the Church that don't carry over into Buddhism, but ideas of holiness, loving your neighbor and mindfulness sure do.
Learning about the peaceful and loving nature of Buddhism has helped shape my faith. For example, reading Buddhist teachings helped me understand how to love my neighbor in new ways. But I'm careful to apply these concepts in the framework of my Catholic beliefs, rather than adopt Buddhism as a religion.
A few good books:
Pali suttas:
http://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Teachings/dp/0861714911
Overview of the Mahayana:
http://www.amazon.com/An-Open-Heart-Practicing-Compassion/dp/0316930938
Bodhicitta:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Expand-Love-Widening-Relationships/dp/0743269691
Shunyata:
http://www.amazon.com/How-See-Yourself-You-Really/dp/0743290461
Perfection of wisdom sutras: Heart Sutra:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Heart-Understanding-Commentaries-Prajnaparamita/dp/1888375922
Diamond Cutter sutra:
http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-That-Cuts-Through-Illusion/dp/1935209442
3 principle aspects of the path:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Three-Principal-Aspects-Path/dp/1559393505
Zen:
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492
> You stop to think (or focus on your breath if you can't simply stop thinking) and when thoughts arise you observe that you're thinking about something as if someone has shoved an object in front of your face
One should not try to stop thinking, that is a futile effort, like turning off fire with fire. Also by imagining thoughts are being shoved in front of your face you're highlighting their intrusion, that is no good either. It is best to realize that thoughts will come, and when they do gently become aware of them and then focus back on your breathing. Without anger, without judgement, coming back to the here and now.
That is the muscle you exercise, the ability of getting out of your head and coming back to the now. With practice you'll be able to do this effortlessly without even trying, to the point where you live in the here and now permanently without going back into your head full of fear and doubts.
When you see that approach anxiety is only the act of being in your head and not in the present moment with a woman. You can see how the ability to leave that state at will can be beneficial to Game.
Here is the best book on the subject for anyone who wishes to learn how its done from a Master. Shunryu Suzuki is the Japanese Zen Master who brought Zen practice to the United States. It's a small book, contains no theology or religion, just practice:
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind |
---------|
In one of the best and most succinct introductions to Zen practice, the important teacher Shunryu Suzuki discusses posture and breathing in meditation as well as selflessness, emptiness, and mindfulness. |
> Have any of you felt this way before?
Sure, I was a member of the Church of Satan for about 5 years. Most of my egotism stemmed from an unhealthy self defense mechanism from having a narcissist for a parent. The anger from having an authoritarian as a parent. So yeah. I get what you're saying about finding peace.
> Where should I start?
You might have a go at our sidebar, there are a lot of resources there for the beginner. Particularly the "Basics" section.
There is also Rupert Gethin's excellent book, The Foundations of Buddhism
But really, in the end, a teacher of Buddhism that you can speak with and practice with face to face will be your ultimate best starting place.
The Foundations of Buddhism, by Rupert Gethin
I haven't read it yet, but I am very impressed by the reviews
http://smile.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddhism-Opus-S/dp/0192892231/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452086288&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=The+Foundations+of+Buddhism+Rupert+Gerthin
There are also several PDF links for it on the web like this one:
http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/The%20Foundations%20of%20Buddhism_Gethin_1998.pdf
I am 15 months into my ongoing healing process from the greatest loss of my life, so I'd like to share some things I've learned:
Rushing into another relationship is unsound advice, and most likely to hurt you and the next person you prematurely involve yourself with.
The best thing I can tell you is that healing from a loss is not like getting a cut on your flesh, where there is consistent and predictable healing. If healing from a physical wound is a straight line, then healing from an emotional loss is a jagged, swirling journey, where you sometimes take one step forward and 10 steps back. Don't get frustrated by these setbacks--just understand that the timetable for healing is not set, and trust in the heart's ability to heal:
"When an emotional injury takes place, the body begins a process as natural as the healing of a physical wound. Let the process happen. Trust the process. Surrender to it." --from "How to Survive the Loss of a Love"
Don't make any rash life-altering decisions, don't turn to drugs or alcohol (which only postpone or subvert healing), give to those who are less fortunate than you, and surround yourself with family and friends that love you unconditionally.
Here is a link to the book quoted above, which I wholeheartedly recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Loss-Love-Peter-McWilliams/dp/0931580439
And another I'm in the midst of reading, which, so far, is also exceptional:
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Past-Your-Breakup-Devastating/dp/0738213284
This is a beautiful recounting of the Buddha's journey to understanding suffering:
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411858603&sr=8-1&keywords=heart+of+a+buddha
And this is a pocket book available for free from the Amida Society:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2040437.Heart_of_A_Buddha?from_search=true
For me, feeling her "fade away" from my memory was so hurtful that I would hold on to the pain to keep the memories fresh. That is not conducive to healing. What helped me was creating a document (I used Google Docs so I could update from anywhere), and whenever a sweet memory surfaced of something she did, said, or was, I would write it down. It provided a catharsis--like a treasure chest of everything she was. I no longer compulsively read it, but it is comforting to know it's there, and has definitely helped my healing process.
For the first six months of my loss, I could barely leave the house. Since I love movies, I started trying to find ones that contained people being kind to one another (they are very rare). They helped me in reconnecting to and believing in kindness again, and I found myself watching some of my favorites just to get myself to sleep at night. I compiled a few into an IMDb list:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056580941/
Take care of yourself
--D
Source: Losing my dear wife--the sweetest, kindest person I've ever known.
If you are embracing suffering you're still doing it wrong, i suggest you read "the heart of buddha" , "a beginners mind", and "living christ living buddha" as both holistic teachers tought the same thing, but had different methods to help people obtain the goal of unlocking the door to the inner true self, conciousness, the shadow within.
Opening the hidden door in the bible: https://www.openbible.info/topics/doors
An entire website dedicated to finding the hidden door buddha talks about: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/the-all-knowing-buddha-a-secret-guide
If you think the bible is about "God" you still havent solved the riddle.
Maybe reading up on the ancient poet Rumi would be a nice place to look.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/5322592-1-one-went-to-the-door-of-the-beloved-and
You still havent found the door, youre embracing suffering rather than ending it.
Behind the door is a familure face, dont blink.
"Occasionally he stumbled over the truth but he always picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened. " (Winston Churchill)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0767903692/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_1u2SBbZ1N3G98
https://www.amazon.com/dp/159448239X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_aX2SBbYPPCCYE
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1721250093/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_9U2SBbJSXH2A6
I'm in a similar situation and after having looked around a bit I've put these two books on my Christmas list. (My family still celebrates the holiday and I look at it more as a time for giving and being with Family.)
If anyone here as any specific praise or criticism of either of these books as starters I would love to hear it. I'm also reading electronic copies of Mindfulness in Plain English and Zen and the Brain.
You're welcome. Yes, there are tons of books. A lot of people start with What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula. There's also a great webite: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ You can find a lot of the early Buddhist suttas there, as well as essays about a very wide range of topics.
First, check out the directories on DharmaNet and BuddhaNet. If you're lucky you'll find someplace close to you. If you're really lucky you'll find a good teacher who you connect with. I think that is important. My practice gained a new depth once I found a teacher.
If you're not so lucky, there are still great resources out there. Both the websites I mentioned above have a lot of good stuff on them. One of my favorites is Buddhism in a Nutshell.
If you're willing to spend the money (or have a good library system) two of my favorite books are Mindfulness in Plain English and What the Buddha Taught. Personally, I recommend buying both of them.
Mindfulness in Plain English is an amazing "how to" guide to get you meditating. In the absence of a teacher this will take you quite a ways. What the Buddha Taught is very much from the Theravada perspective and is a fantastic introduction to the most important concepts. It can be a bit textbookish at time but it well worth the read.
I don't think there's anything wrong with interfaith dialogue, but reddit is probably not the best place for it. This would probably work best as a panel discussion, of which there are numerous examples on youtube.
I'm not familiar with Quaker views, but the Three marks of existence: anicca, dukkha, and anatta would make God, Christ, the soul, and salvation as presented in traditional Christianity rather moot.
What the Buddha Taught is a great book for understanding the Buddhist view. I also like chapter 3 of Meido Moore's book The Rinzai Zen Way, titled "Zen and Abrahamic Faiths" for another take on this topic.
There is indeed debate among Buddhists, but Dependent Origination, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Three Marks are difficult to dispute since the Buddha himself taught them.
How one would reconcile these teachings with traditional Christian views of an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing God and all of the individual souls that must be "saved" is quite a puzzle. Perhaps the Quaker view is different.
American Theravada monk Bhikkhu Bodhi is a well read writer and has some of works available for free on this website.
I'd also pick up a book about Therevadan buddhism as its considered the least liberal and closer to the source material (yes, this is arguable). Bodhi has a book on this subject. Rahula's "What The Buddha Taught" I find to be very readable and an easy intro into the life and teachings of Buddha.
Per usual, the wikipedia entry on him is good too.
/atheist who likes to study religion, if you're interested in my criticisms please pm me
What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula is a great book for the newcomer to Buddhism. If you'd like a free PDF version of it, here you go!
If paying shipping doesn't bother you, check out used books on Amazon. Lots of people would rather pass a book along to the next reader than throw it away, and some people sell books just for the tiny profit they can make on Amazon's shipping fee, so there are a lot of used books that go for basically free + shipping. Here are some good deals:
The problem is that primary sources are almost invariably misunderstood or taken in a shallow perspective if one is not also receiving guidance and doing practice. When the teachings are put into perspective through direct experience, which happens through the correct application of effort and activity, then they can gradually be digested. But trying to get it from a book often enough has something of an opposite effect: the mind gets hung up on concepts and less able to perceive truth directly.
If you insist on reading, I implore you to avoid koan collections until you are actually trained in the practice and assigned the work by your teacher. Speculation about koans is the worst of the worst, a common hell-pit of Zen, which we see so often on these very forums. It not only creates a huge block for the one doing the speculating, it muddies the waters for countless others dipping their toes in. Speculation leads to false pride, posturing, and a house of cards that at some point will be torn down.
Two original texts that come to mind as basis for the study of Zen are The Zen Teaching Of Bodhidharma translated by Red Pine, and The Zen Teaching Of Huang Po translated by John Blofeld.
Bodhidharma was the First (Chinese) Patriarch of Zen. His teaching is quite foundational. The teaching of Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch, was quite formative and represented an evolution from Bodhidharma's view, but without commentary it tends to be less accessible than that of the later Master Huang Po. By Huang Po's time, Zen had already evolved a great deal, and had split into factions with their own perspectives, training, and method.
Note that the Huang Po translator, Blofeld, sometimes gets the concept wrong, because he himself hadn't achieved that depth of training and insight. The translation suffers from shallow view at times; but someone experienced in right practice can trace the words back to their original intent and make sense of the translation.
Other primary sources from the Golden Age Of Zen include the aforementioned Hui Neng, Pai Chang, Hui Hai, and Ta Hui. Very evolved teachings can be found with Chinul in Korea and, sometimes considered the peak, Dogen in Japan. Several others along the way left their distinctive mark, such as Hakuin.
To distinguish between the teachings and understand them in a way that is useful for practice and life, first, receiving teaching and making gradual progress in practice are essential; second, understanding the difference between the three types of Zen (Patriarchal/Ancestral, Doctrinal, and Tathagata) would be very helpful. This is where the western-white-people commentators come in, bridging the gap between a view that is by nature beyond words, and the mind of the common person seeking to understand -- including the rigid or naive conceptualization of those who haven't yet made much progress in practice.
Please take to heart that a minute of practice is better than ten hours of reading, and that "one time seeing is better than a thousand times hearing". We shake our heads at those who try to get something beyond words by pursuing words.
Be aware of r/Buddhism as a resource. I recommend avoiding r/zen, which has devolved into a shitty mire of confusion, speculation, and posturing.
With the influence that Goenka has had on shaping some of your views, I would suggest getting a broader understanding of the lay of the Buddhist land, as Goenka teaches one particular strand of Buddhism. For this I can recommend no other than Rupert Gethin's The Foundations of Buddhism.
Not concise, but this book :
The Foundations of Buddhism... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0192892231?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
The best general introductory work is The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin: http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddhism-OPUS-Rupert-Gethin/dp/0192892231 It's very readable and is a thorough introduction to the history, practice, and theory of Buddhism. It's widely recommended as the first book you should read by scholars in the field. Starting with a solid rational and diverse understanding of Buddhism is definitely valuable.
The source: Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche
>The Words of My Perfect Teacher was composed by the great Nyingma master, Patrul Rinpoche. The work is an explanation of the Longchen Nyingtik ngöndro, the preliminary practices from the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings, discovered by Jikmé Lingpa. This famous commentary is a completely faithful written record of the oral teachings Patrul Rinpoche received directly from his teacher, Jikmé Gyalwé Nyugu.
As for Tibetan Buddhism, I remember that Words of My Perfect Teacher says that the number of hell beings compared to pretas is like the stars visible at night compared to stars visible in the day. The same analogy applies for the number of pretas vs. animals, and the number of animals compared to humans.
The Pansu Suttas say the number of sentient beings who get bad rebirths as opposed to good rebirths is like the dirt under your fingernail compared to the size of the planet Earth. That's from the Pali Canon, so it should apply to all traditions.
>Then the Blessed One, picking up a little bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monks, "What do you think, monks? Which is greater: the little bit of dust I have picked up with the tip of my fingernail, or the great earth?"
>"The great earth is far greater, lord. The little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail is next to nothing. It doesn't even count. It's no comparison. It's not even a fraction, this little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail, when compared with the great earth.
>"In the same way, monks, few are the beings who, on passing away from the human realm, are reborn among human beings. Far more are the beings who, on passing away from the human realm, are reborn in hell.
Buddhism isn't about becoming empty of emotion. The heart of the Buddha's teaching is transforming suffering into peace, joy, and liberation. There's even a book!
I really like https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ as a good introductory book.
It's great to go to practice with a group, but even better if possible is to go practice with several groups, to get a feel for the variety of the traditions within Buddhism. You can then pick the one that feels best for you. Also, as your practice evolves, maybe you will start to feel a bit stuck somehow, and you will know about other groups that might help you get unstuck. Really Buddhism is like a vast toolbox or medicine chest. Use what helps you. As you evolve, your practice can and should evolve.
Ci sono diverse scuole buddiste con diverse interpretazioni dei sutra di Buddha e con pratiche diverse: le varie tibetane (più teorici ma anche meditazione), le varie scuole zen (più meditazione e koan), buddismo del s-e asiatico (mix strano), ecc...
Ti consiglio qualche titolo, magari leggili tutti, se leggi in inglese dovresti trovarli facilmente.
Magari inizia da Zen Mind e Joyful Wisdom.
I can identify with many of the replies to this post, so I wanted to share some personal insights that have helped me tremendously with these existential anxieties/depression (although I still struggle with them). Please excuse me if I'm not as well-spoken as others here, but I'm not a native speaker and... even worse, I'm an engineer.
First, you have to realize that this kind of existential anxiety has been recognized as part of the human condition by many philosophers and thinkers from almost the beginning of our recorded history. So, even though it is true that it can be hard to find peers to whom you can talk openly about these problems, and who will understand you from personal experience, this is not true if you count the experiences of the thousands of persons who had exactly the same feelings and have written about them. Of course they all had their own experiences, insights and solutions which may not apply to you, but it would be stupid to think that there is not some valuable wisdom to be gained from these thousands of years of tradition of thinking about these issues.
I don't want to elaborate too long about all the things out there, neither do I want to force my own opinions on others, but here are some personal recommendations:
Peace and good luck y'all.
This is maybe a broad adoption of a lot of concepts with debatable or more nebulous meaning. I had good luck with What the Buddha Taught as a simple introduction to Dharma concepts.
Regarding the cup:
>Scholar Tokusan--who was full of knowledge and opinions about the dharma--came to Ryutan and asked about Zen. At one point Ryutan re-filled his guest's teacup but did not stop pouring when the cup was full. Tea spilled out and ran over the table. "Stop! The cup is full!" said Tokusan.
>"Exactly," said Master Ryutan. "You are like this cup; you are full of ideas. You come and ask for teaching, but your cup is full; I can't put anything in. Before I can teach you, you'll have to empty your cup."
There are two books that illuminate the very core of Buddhism and belong on every Buddhist's shelf imo, they are What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula and In the Buddha's Words by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Here you go.
http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313
I am also a lazy person, but at least I'm lazy and on my PC. ;-)
As others have said, meditation is probably the best way to really "get" Buddhism. But if you're just looking for some good books:
In The Buddha's Words - an anthology of short selections from the Theravada Buddhist canon. This is probably about as close as you can get to the Buddha's actual teachings.
What the Buddha Taught - no fluff, just the core teachings.
When Things Fall Apart - this is a little fluffier than the other two, but an absolute classic and must-read for all, Buddhist or non. The author explains the most complex and difficult to accept parts of the Buddhist worldview in a penetrating, easy-to-grasp way.
Others mentioned Alan Watts, Stephen Bachelor and Brad Warner. Their books might be worth checking out, but keep in mind that each author writes with a more personal and less traditional lean than the ones I mentioned. Not that there's anything wrong with that, obviously, but if you're trying to learn about Buddhism... starting with them would be a little like learning about Catholicism from a Protestant.
edit: Forgot to add links.
What the Buddha Taught by Walhola Rapula is excellent. It is often (and highly) recommended.
Buddhism does have pretty strong currents of Asceticism (not in the self harm sense, so no worries there. The Buddha criticized that stuff a lot) so being able to follow strict rules will be important if you care about taking it seriously, but the rules are not too hard to remember.
​
https://www.zen-buddhism.net/buddhist-principles/eightfold-path.html
​
I think Zen as a tradition focuses the least on rigid scripture, but I could be wrong about that.
​
As for books, I always recommend "What the Buddha Taught" as a good introduction. It's short and to the point.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556991280&sr=8-1
​
It's cheap too.
I would recommend What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula. Whatever you go with, enjoy the journey.
Those aren't books of instruction, ewk. They are popular collections of certain people's enlightenment encounters.
Is Red Pine's translation of Bodhidharma not a direct teaching? Are letters of practice instructions from Foyan, Yuanwu, and Hongzhi not direct teachings? I suppose that Takuan Soho's instructions to Munenori on maintaining no-mind in daily life doesn't count either?
Why is it better for novices to dive deep into stories about Gutei's finger or think about whether the flag moves or not than it is to read directly from Huangpo? Isn't that like asking a baby to chew a piece of meat?
Okay, I will tell you some things about me.
First, I ghosted everyone that knew me as a Blue Pill guy. Now, an inherent part of ghosting is being alone. When most people tell you they are independent, it's fucking bullshit. Emerson wrote a great deal on self-reliance.
Here is an essay by Emerson on the subject of self-reliance. It is both a great introduction to his views and how beautifully he writes.
http://www.emersoncentral.com/selfreliance.htm
Here is a collection of Emerson's essays. Ignore the 1 star review, which is for the Kindle version of the book, but heed it and buy the physical book instead of the Kindle version.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1598530844/
Emerson was friend and mentor to Thoreau, who wrote the following account of his two-year stay in a cabin near Walden Pond. One of Thoreau's goals was self-sufficiency.
http://www.amazon.com/Walden-A-Fully-Annotated-Edition/dp/0300104669
Here is some further reading.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0762415339/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1492777862/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0199291152/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0802150926/
You mention you are going to be a radiographer soon. Now, I have seen said on TRP that some here do not see the point in film, but I fucking love film. Now, there is one film in particular that I think relates to your situation incredibly. That is Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ikiru/
Ikiru is about a Japanese man who, near the end of his life, learns he has a terminal disease. He has, up to that point, wasted his whole life at his government job. Learning of his illness inspires in the main character a will to change, and seeing him undergo that inspires change in those around him. But, and this is another lesson to be learned from the film, we see that the main character's transformation has no lasting effect on those around him. Change has to come from within.
Another film seriously worth watching is Whiplash. I saw it mentioned in this subreddit in passing and am glad I did.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_jQycdQGo
If you want me to elaborate on the things that I didn't, ask. I have a lot more film recommendations, but cannot recommend any more books, as I do not read that much. I don't recommend any music as I would consider most of what I listen to to be blue pill.
There is a wonderful academic analysis of this sutra by Ven. Analayo,: http://www.amazon.com/Satipatthana-The-Direct-Path-Realization/dp/1899579540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332535032&sr=8-1
if you want to study it in depth.
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Zen-Revolution-ewk-ebook/dp/B00D3UQ7II Free but on sale now for less than normal.
literally has your name in the title you liar.
/r/awakened /r/streamentry
The buddhists know a lot about this subject, all religious doctrine aside the visuddhimagga is an in depth study of the mind, the self, and reality that's been written thousands of years ago. In summary, there really is no self. Humans are one of the only living creatures with a sense of self. Keyword sense. You can manipulate your sense of self through meditation by completely getting rid of it, or expanding it to everywhere around you, or back to the bounds of your body. Check out this book as well https://www.amazon.com/End-Your-World-Uncensored-Enlightenment/dp/1591797799
Unfortunately, science is barely catching up with what these guys have discovered and a lot of the terminology used is in another language. So it may come across as woo woo and new agey spiritual stuff but I would take a look at it and see for yourself.
EDIT: Also if you really look at yourself in the mirror for 10 to 15 minutes and try to find out where "you" are localized in space whether you think it's the eyes, the whole body, behind the eyes, or inside the brain, some very strange things will happen. No other species on this planet can tell that what they're seeing in a mirror is themselves.
SCIENCE: https://youtu.be/QeNmydIk8Yo?t=1190
Book blurb from the Amazon listing:
>Buddhism is not Zen.
>Mindfulness is not Zen.
>Zazen meditation is not Zen.
>
>Zen is a name that began with Bodhidharma and includes the Zen Patriarchs of China and the Masters that followed him, such as Huang Po and Joshu and the others in the Mumonkan, and even Tung Shan. They taught no practices, no means and no attainment. As Joshu said, “We are all Patriarchs now that Bodhidharma has come.”
>
>The Zen conversation is characterized by several memes, one of which is the Four Statements of Zen. These memes have largely been abandoned by those who claim to be Zen Buddhists today. Other memes include Negation (no teaching, no attainment, no wisdom), Zen Dialogue or Dharma Combat, Conceptual Thought, and of course Sudden Enlightenment. The Sudden Enlightenment meme is one of the most ignored memes in Zen.
>
>The majority of those claiming to teach Zen Buddhism are preaching the Buddhist religion. They preach a path to inner peace, they preach mindfulness, and they put their faith in a practice called zazen sitting meditation. They claim this is Zen. What Zen Masters taught any of this?
>
>In contrast, even a brief review of the Zen Masters that we all agree are the beginning of the lineage, Huang Po, Joshu, Mumon, these old men teach no sitting meditation, no inner peace, and only a sudden enlightenment that does not rely on any means and cannot be attained through any effort.
>
>This book contrasts the writings of the old Zen Masters with those today who claim to be Zen Buddhists, but are not Zen.
An upvote is an abstract hug of sorts.
On a more serious note, if you are really interested in what I was trying to convey, instead of just for the sake of winning an online argument, then I would recommend reading some zen literature. Huang Po, for example. Just don't visit the subreddit, or they'll drive you mad. They drive anyone mad.
https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Philosophy-Introduction-Mark-Siderits/dp/0872208737/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543567015&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=siderits&dpPl=1&dpID=51fe7cE9THL&ref=plSrch
You might enjoy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Lotus-Journey-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797
It's a conversation between a Buddhist monk and an astrophysicist. Science and spirit.
Oh! In case you're interested, check out The Quantum and the Lotus, by Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan.
"Matthieu Ricard trained as a molecular biologist, working in the lab of a Nobel prize—winning scientist, but when he read some Buddhist philosophy, he became drawn to Buddhism. Eventually he left his life in science to study with Tibetan teachers, and he is now a Buddhist monk and translator for the Dalai Lama, living in the Shechen monastery near Kathmandu in Nepal. Trinh Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in Vietnam but became intrigued by the explosion of discoveries in astronomy during the 1960s. He made his way to the prestigious California Institute of Technology to study with some of the biggest names in the field and is now an acclaimed astrophysicist and specialist on how the galaxies formed.
When Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Thuan met at an academic conference in the summer of 1997, they began discussing the many remarkable connections between the teachings of Buddhism and the findings of recent science."
https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Lotus-Journey-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797
SO MANY!
["Lies my Teacher Told Me"] (http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0743296281) by James Loewen. This is about how the world really works, basically. It's all about history and politics and economics and how world powers interact with each other and their own population. It's incredibly eye-opening and will make you understand why everything is the way it is today! It's also ridiculously fun to read :D
["The Quantum and the Lotus by"] (http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Lotus-Journey-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383171898&sr=1-1&keywords=the+quantum+and+the+lotus) by Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan. This is a super fascinating read! It's actually a transcribed conversation between a Buddhist who became a quantum physicist and a physicist who left science and became a Buddhist! It's this AMAZING look into complicated science and it's explained in such simple terms anyone can understand it. But beyond that, it's this really fascinating glimpse into a world where science and spirituality can co-exist. It's like science explaining spirituality, or spirituality giving a wholesome quality to science. It's just so unique and amazing!
["The Power of Myth"] (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383172215&sr=1-3&keywords=joseph+campbell) by Joseph Campbell. If you can, read EVERYTHING by this guy that you can get your hands on! This book is especially poignant because it's addressing all of the aspects of our modern day society, from religion to gangs to marriage, even education. It is incredibly powerful and eye-opening and explains so much about the way we work as humans and the way the individual interacts with society. Plus, you'll learn a shit ton about mythology that you never knew before! And you'll be looking at mythology from a ridiculously profound perspective that I've never seen anyone else address before.
I can give you more if you tell me what you're interested in learning more about :)
EDIT: Typos.
Hmm yes, the comparison you made is between a collection of discourses from Master Huangbo and a collection of Koans and stories. I can recommend really any more discourse oriented Chan teachings ranging from Master Foyan's "Instant Zen" to the recorded sayings of Master Linji. The Recorded sayings of Master Linji also include some interactions and stories, but also some clear discourses from the Master... the same with the Recorded sayings of Master Zhaozhou, which is mostly interactions and some discourses. Another one that you might find interesting is "Ch’an Master Hui Hai- Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening" or The Letters of Chan Master Dahui Pujue.... but really, reading those discourses and not doing the practice won't be very helpful... hence the 'clear discourses' are rather rare since you should penetrate it yourself directly and not have it chewed out by those old grandmothers
... there are more. These are consequences. Consequences of understanding that "you" don't really exist in any permanent fashion.
Anyway, I don't feel I can adequately do justice to this idea, but I see few answers.
Lots of books on the subject written by far smarter people. I recommend Jack Kornfield, or If your into Zen, read Zen Essence.
Welcome to adulthood: that awkward moment where you realize that you actually know more about the world than your parents (instead of just thinking you do, like most teens).
I feel your pain. My mom, who has never been religious, announced recently that she wants to be a Buddhist. I guess she's reading this book. I'm doing my best to point out to her that the parts of both Christianity and Buddhism which are worth keeping, are universally true, and have nothing to do with the religions themselves.
You should check out Living Buddha Living Christ.
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573225681
Because philosophy didn't make me happy the way I thought it would, so I started looking for other things. I found this obscure book 'Zen and the Art of Postmodern Philosophy — Two Paths of Liberation from the Representational Mode of Thinking.'
That showed me that a whole civilization out there was busy living outside of their thoughts (Zen), while I had been living inside my thoughts in the belief that that was the height of sophistication ('a life of the mind, how classy!')
So I started small, with Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and just slowly read and met more teachers and practiced what seemed to get me out of that 'life of the mind' that I had been stuck in the whole time.
Meditation is amazing. Usually instructions for beginners say that it's best to start by focusing on your breathing. Watching every in and out breath as if it were the most important thing in the world. Since you can watch your body, it can not contain you-the-watcher. You discover, as you already have, that you can watch your thinking mind and again, since you can watch it, it can not contain you. So where and what are you? Some meditation guides, like zen, suggest you keep your eyes a tiny bit open, without focusing on anything, because if you close your eyes, you get drift away from reality and according to zen, the purpose of meditation is to experience pure reality prior to conceptualization. It's important to remain grounded and to avoid abstraction. Watching the breath is a good technique for remaining grounded in reality. Congrats on a great beginning. Check out Shunryo Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. In this book, he calls the thinking mind "small mind" and the observer mind "big Mind". It provides a good starting point but you can read it over and over and get more out of it every time.
“Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” is a book Phil often cites and has give players. I think this is what you’re referring to.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1590308492/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_Fxt7AbVMYNV76
>He told me that he has never felt more calm and happy. [...] He says he is having an insight that no one else can possibly imagine because he says it scares them.
I've experienced just that. He will most likely come out of it. Like kirkirus said, just give him time to sort things out and he'll become more responsive.
Whatever he's thinking about, tell him that he is most likely not alone. Human beings in all cultures have spent months contemplating in isolation, and a lot of them have used psychedelic substances.
I would actually be very interested in hearing what your friend has to say. But well! Let him rest, and make sure to tell him you love him! Best of luck.
---
Also, The End of Your World by Adyashanti may be useful to him, or even to you! And perhaps this television series by Alan Watts for a different cultural context.
These two are good for all levels: A book on the Tao, A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie. For using journaling to support meditation: Quiet Mind, Open Heart. Lots of thought provoking questions, as well as meditation practices.
For people who have practiced a while: The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment. It can really help give direction beyond basics.
Hi Porkgreen,
It sounds like you're having an awakening. Strap in, buckle up, and take some deep breaths, but I can assure you that in the end everything will be just fine.
There are basically three levels on which things begin to restructure themselves such that your whole being is brought more into alignment with the truth of things. And when things are changing on all these levels it can feel quite disorienting. The three levels are the physio-energetic (aka the body, aka traditional kundalini), your external life (job, relationships, etc.), and your internal life (your sense of who and what you are).
When people begin to awaken, there are two main reasons they suffer. First, awakening brings phases of great change which most have a tendency to resist at least initially. Resisting 'What Is' will always bring suffering. Thus it's important to learn to surrender to, and trust in what is happening. You will need to meet your experience as it arises and learn to open to it, however it may reveal itself.
The second main reason people suffer during an awakening is that they feel disoriented as identities and external circumstances begins to change/fall away because they do not have a conceptual framework for understanding what is happening. This is where spiritual teachings can be helpful. A good teacher, even if a personal relationship isn't possible is extremely helpful. I recommend this book, and in general the Non-dual teachings of Adyashanti. He won't steer you wrong.
Weird energetic phenomena (pressure, vibrations, tingling, etc) and visions are normal. The important point here is not to indulge in them too much, and don't believe them (the visions especially). But if they arise, allow them to happen and just witness what is going on without believing or identifying with them.
If you live among close minded people, it may not be necessary to tell them about kundalini. However, act how you feel you should. Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.
some zen
The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind
http://www.amazon.com/The-Zen-Teaching-Huang-Transmission/dp/0802150926
fundies gonna have to find other ways to revolt
Book
The Zen Teaching of Huang-Po
Incense
Shoyeido Illusions premium low smoke incense
Incense Bowl
White Ash (to hold up the incense in the bowl)
Sitting Cushion
Buckwheat Zafu
> correct your sloppy asymptotic learning curve
Half an upvote for feigned erudition. Now if only you could apply the same diligence to actual study.
>the source is Blofeld
the channel is Blofeld, the source is probably http://www.amazon.com/The-Zen-Teaching-Huang-Transmission/dp/0802150926
>you start by sitting in the correct posture, letting go of thoughts and ignoring sensations, casting away both internal and external.
This was the teaching of the Buddhist sect formed in the Song dynasty that claimed Huangbo in their lineage.
But the message of Huangbo and his family is not the same. The message had to be modified in order to make a sect. How do you make a sect out of what the zen characters were pointing at?
I suppose it would be tragic to lose the essence of that old Song period sect. But that is a problem for the Buddhists, not those interested in the zen characters. The zen characters had no stake in these Buddhist sects.
When you see these sermons, outside of the context of a conversation, it is often the work of someone with pious intentions and results in an after the fact prescription like:
>According to the Master, you start by sitting in the correct posture, letting go of thoughts and ignoring sensations, casting away both internal and external. "This alone is liberation." After that you can extend Zen to all other aspects of life
See how it happens? I've done it myself. Trying to roll out the red carpet, trying to accommodate the tourist who walked in hoping to get a snapshot. Making it easy to understand. Upaya! The two paths!
Take another look. This text you refer to was originally compiled by Pei Xiu against Huangpo's wishes. Pei Xiu meant well, but its obvious that the text mischaracterizes Huangpo in more that one instance.
I don't think its possible to come up with a Sunday School version of zen.
I'd suggest you read some Huang Po.
I think you can find a PDF of it online, somewhere.
Given your interest in the topic I think you'd really enjoy this book. He talks about this sort of thing way better than I do.
About six months ago, on a whim, I bought the incredibly powerful and brilliant book The Zen Teachings of Huang Po. I almost always buy my spiritual books 'new,' but decided to buy a used version this time. Picked a random used book seller on Amazon and clicked purchase.
Fast forward to a week later. The book arrives. As I read it, I begin to really resonate with what I'm reading. It makes a ton of sense, it's powerfully stated, a really wonderful translation. And I begin to notice around page 30 some highlights from the person who owned the book before me. Around page 50 or so, I notice that this person uses their highlighter exactly the way I use it: the skinny edge for underlining, the fat edge for highlighting, and the tip for writing in the margins. "Hell yeah, random stranger!", I think.
I keep reading. The book is opening my very soul up. A profound sense of deja-vu begins to take me over. "Wait... wait a second... I've read this book before. I've read this before." I flip forward in the book, my intuition telling me to look for more writing in the margins. I come across something that makes me stop cold. I've not only read this before.. I've read this exact book before! This was my book!
I randomly bought a used version of a book and had a copy sent to me that I had previously owned. Which is strange enough. But the strangest part, imo, is that, even though I undoubtedly read and wrote in this copy, I cannot remember when I owned it, or why I gave it away. I never sell books -- or at least I thought I never did. The case of the boomerang Zen book is one of the strangest, unresolved events that I've ever heard of.
Dogen is difficult. Try:
If you have the patience for it, listening to the current Dalai Lama can be interesting. Here are some recordings of his appearance in Mountain View, CA in 2001 (the "Heart Sutra" mp3 files). The only problem is he speaks slowly and with an accent, so if you have a short attention span or aren't really that interested, it probably isn't for you. You can probably get similar material in book form, but I don't have a reference handy. (edit: duh, the link to [Essence of the Heart Sutra](
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0861713184/ref=lamrimcom) on that page is probably the way to go.)
The interesting thing about the Dalai Lama is that he's totally into accepting and integrating scientific results, and his interpretation of Buddhism reflects that, being more metaphorical in cases where something would obviously be in conflict with reality if taken literally. This doesn't usually appear forced, because much of Buddhism is expressed metaphorically, so it's really those who take it too literally who are probably missing the point a bit.
Re Alan Watts, first of all it's important to note that he focused on Zen Buddhism, which is one of the most distinct branches of Buddhism, quite different from most of the others. Second, you have to keep in mind that he was one of the earliest popularizers of Zen in the West, and as such his personal perspective perhaps had a greater influence on his approach than those who came later, once there was a more established Western Zen tradition. Part of that personal perspective was a somewhat Californian proto-New Age ethic which used Buddhism as a prop for ideas that didn't themselves come from Buddhism, and combined them with Western ideas about psychology and cosmology. The ones you mention, like "we are all one" etc., certainly fit that mold. If you look at the sources in Buddhism for such positions, they are never quite as literal as Watts tends to imply.
For a no-nonsense intro book to Zen, you could try something like Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. It focuses on teaching how and why to do Zen meditation, along with plenty of psychology and philosophy, but very little by way of Watts-style mysticism.
Yeah, but then some days I wonder if I'm such a nihilist that I would never even consider myself a nihilist. A potentially terrifying prospect! What can you do.
If you wanted, Zen Mind Beginner's Mind is a good, quick, accessible read. Basically its about knowing enough to know that you know nothing. I'm not sure how Jehovah's Witnesses feel about cross-pollination, but a lot of Christian sects, particularly those crazy Jesuits, integrate Zen into their practice since, as I've said, it's more of a practice than a belief system. I've even meditated with a Muslim friend, although I'm pretty sure any Imam would have considered that a no-no. I like your style.
Nice, man. I wish for you to persevere in your practice. Just like you I've studied and now practice Zen, Buddhism, and some of the Taoism.
I should look into the set of authors you've written. If you have time look into it, some of the books I found most inspiring in my practice are:
Zen mind, Beginner's Mind
Not always so
The two above are for inspiration and breathtaking take on the spirit of practice, the once below are for the practical and daily aspects of the practice:
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha - Supremely useful!
Mindfulness in Plain English - Of course "Beyond Mindfulness" is equally as impressive, just goes into a greater detail on what to expect, and how to achieve higher jhanas.
This is my first time posting here. I'm going to pledge an hour and a half every day for the next 66 days. I look forward to being a part of this virtual sangha, and I wish you all the best of luck with your practice. I've practiced meditation for a year and a half now, but have only become serious about it for 3 months. I'm currently reading Wisdom Wide and Deep, which is an excellent guide to jhana and vipassana that I recommend to anyone interested in Buddhist meditation.
17th April (1/66): 1 hour anapanasati sitting on a chair in the morning, 30 minutes anapanasati sitting in half-lotus position before bed. It's getting much easier for me to make the full hour and the surge of pleasure following meditation is growing stronger. Both recollection of the object and equanimous experience of thoughts are slowly becoming easier. Uncomfortable sitting posture has always been a hindrance to my meditation, but daily stretching is making half-lotus position easier to remain in. Looking forward to sitting in full lotus position.
An overview of Mahasi style noting:
Part 1,
Part 2, and
Part 3
Wisdom Wide and Deep by Shaila Catherine is very thorough and covers many insight practices.
If you want to understand and experience jhana I would recommend reading Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana.
Thanks for the link. Looks interesting.
There might be a bit of rebuilding concentration, but not much in my experience. The key for Leigh's method is feedback loops. Once the mind has found a pleasant object to focus on, it stops chasing after other sensations, and it allows itself to get absorbed with little effort. This in turn deepens the pleasant sensation which in turn deepens absorption and so on. Leigh's method works.
I don't know enough about Rasmussen and Snyder to say much, but it is possible that they are talking about a deeper level of absorption that can be cultivated...where you stop hearing sounds around you, and the senses are almost or completely withdrawn. This (I think) requires a different approach than Leigh's.
But, the lighter jhanas are enough to get the work done. (some people say you only really need access concentration). If you'd like to hear from a more experienced practitioner about the subtleties we're dancing around here, check out Upasaka Culadasa's retreat on the Jhanas.
edit: And Pa-Auk wrote the foreword to Wisdom Wide and Deep. Which is great. And so I'm remembering that he does emphasize the deeper absorptions.
If you want to find the Oneness and bliss back, you can do it with Jhana meditation. You don't need drugs. Jhana is the Buddhist way of connecting with the One and feeling that bliss. There are two great books about Jhana meditation on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0861715608/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/086171623X/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In addition to 1 hour of meditation a day, you must help the situation with the following:
Do these four things to yourself, and you will see a major change to your being within 15-20 days.
You may consider this trite, and I certainly do not pretend to understand your circumstance or know you as a person, but this book really helped me to understand and connect with my happiness.
http://www.amazon.ca/Shambhala-Sacred-Warrior-Chogyam-Trungpa/dp/0877732647
Either way, I hope that you find some success in the future. Depression is difficult to cope with, but it is doable. The sooner you start working on it, the more of your life you get to take back and enjoy before you die.
I too had a hard childhood, and to cope with it detached myself and was emotionally dead. I deluded myself into thinking I was doing something very Buddhist by doing this. This book certainly helped me 'open up' and realize that the detachment I was practicing was further adding to my neurosis, when Buddhism is supposed to help us deal with it, see through it, work with it. This book really helped me change my views of what I wanted out of my practice, how to deal with emotional and life issues, and gave me a healthy way of viewing my past, present, and future. Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior.
I was once working as a janitor at a psychiatric institution. One of the doctors there and I got along quite well, and he would invite me to sit in on the group meditations. He had numerous copies of the book listed below, and gave one to me. Obviously there are some people who were in there that need medical help, but for the lost, scared, and confused this book seemed to help them immensely. He gave me a copy, and while I don't suffer from chronic depression, it certainly helped me through those 'bad' days. I have recommended and bought the book for every person I know that has talked to me about their depression and everyone who has read it has thanked me. I really like that Kabat-Zinn incorporates western science with eastern philosophy, and that it is very effective in treating people and their issues. Part of the problem with some people learning meditation or mindfulness from Buddhists is their preconceived notion of religion, or what Buddhism is.
A great book for depression in regards to meditation is by a renowned medical doctor, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
Amazon Product Description:
If you’ve ever struggled with depression, take heart. Mindfulness, a simple yet powerful way of paying attention to your most difficult emotions and life experiences, can help you break the cycle of chronic unhappiness once and for all.
In The Mindful Way through Depression, four uniquely qualified experts explain why our usual attempts to “think” our way out of a bad mood or just “snap out of it” lead us deeper into the downward spiral. Through insightful lessons drawn from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy, they demonstrate how to sidestep the mental habits that lead to despair, including rumination and self-blame, so you can face life’s challenges with greater resilience. Jon Kabat-Zinn gently and encouragingly narrates the accompanying CD of guided meditations, making this a complete package for anyone seeking to regain a sense of hope and well-being.
I really think you should read both books, and genuinely believe they will help, as they have helped me and others.
Namaste
I am really into this book right now. Read the description and see if it interests you.
http://www.amazon.com/Shambhala-Sacred-Warrior-Chogyam-Trungpa/dp/0877732647
You might want to look into Shambhala Buddhism. I've read Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior and attended an introductory meditation session at one of their centers, and as far as I can tell, it's entirely secular.
You're sure to find The Book of Five Rings cheaply and/or at a library. I've only read excerpts, but a lot of it, surprizingly, sounded like Uechi to me.
Here's another easy find, written by the father of the author of Turning the Mind into an Ally: Shamballa Warrior
http://www.amazon.com/The-Quantum-Lotus-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797
I was going off memoryl The quantum and the lotus. Also, this is a good read too.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Universe-Single-Atom-Spirituality/dp/0767920813/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0F1EZMS2M1EFEE0YXR46
They are both extremely good reads.
Perhaps I should have said "the way the mind works". True they may not have made direct statements about the biology of the brain, but many sutra's were written about the way the mind functions for sure. As for how it relates to modern science a good start is the book Zen and the Brain by James Austin http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Understanding-Meditation-Consciousness/dp/0262511096. Theres also the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds http://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/ which has some very useful info. Another good example is this book http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Lotus-Journey-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382480784&sr=1-1&keywords=quantum+lotus
may not be the original place he wrote this, but I know I read it in here as well.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Quantum-Lotus-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333420840&sr=8-1
Edit: it's a good read for anyone interested in physics and Buddhism
> I don't think the zen characters expressed any metaphysical views, or conceptual explanations in their teachings. Logic, yes, to expose hypocrisy but not to try to support or clarify Mazu’s position.
> Mazu points. What is pointed at (the moon) is inherently a mystery. Zen is experienced non verbally, non conceptually.
> Zongmi is building conceptual models, truths, a philosophical and metaphysical synthesis, verbal descriptions of reality. This is not what Mazu, Dongshan, or their followers were doing.
So Zongmi was really more of an academic himself, than a zen student.
Academia is not about emulating zen masters (or even students), but about gathering accurate information regarding their history and concepts.
Like academics in other fields, e.g. biology, are not trying to emulate animals either.
Since this seems to be what Zongmi was also trying to do, it makes sense that he would be one of the most important sources.
>Though Zongmi was not character within the zen stories and conversations, you may enjoy reading Foyan, Instant Zen https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Zen-Waking-Up-Present/dp/1556431937 in the sense that Foyan spends a lot of time disabusing Zongmi's followers (not his immediate followers, but the institutional results of Zongm's point of view, which prevailed in Song period Chan Orthodoxy) of which Foyan is critical, and expounds upon.
I've read Foyan already (a year ago or so). I don't remember too much, though.
Maybe I'll reread it when I have time, trying to see how his teaching is actually a reaction to the conceptualized zen of people following
academics Zongmi.
Instant Zen by Foyan and translated by Thomas Cleary is really good. The introduction by the translator is a bit wonky but the body of the book is great.
If you're more Shikantanza inclined Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and Not Always So are pretty good. They're both collections of dharma talks by Shunryu Suzuki.
I personally have a great affection for the book Zen Question it has beautiful illustrations and is in a very simple Q & A format.
> This is actually a thing I've been contemplating since I was a young boy
Your post reminded me of a story from Foyan about someone who lost his body and became enlightened.
From the same book, and as a comment to the story described above, I've been contemplating this:
"Your body is not there, yet not nothing. Its presence is the presence of the body in the mind; so it has never been there. Its nothingness is the absence of the body in the mind; so it has never been nothing.
Do you understand? If you go on to talk of mind, it too is neither something nor nothing; ultimately it is not you."
Foyan calls this the "marrow of Zen".
> Get out the hacksaw and let us have a look.
Hah. No thanks. For now, I prefer to live vicariously through you. :-)
Not OP, but "Zen Essence" is a personal favorite of mine. Pretty accessible and practical: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Essence-Shambhala-Dragon-Editions/dp/1570625883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483999173&sr=8-1&keywords=zen+essence
Also, read the poem Faith In Mind, which is often argued as all one needs to read (plus it's fairly short):
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/buddhism/third_patriarch_zen.html
The jar represents entangling thoughts and calculations/confusions.
Kicking it over is zen.
What is zen? Words can only barely point to it, but here is a start:
https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/wiki/lineagetexts
Or here:
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Essence-Shambhala-Dragon-Editions/dp/1570625883
You could check out the Hsin Hsin Ming, but there are some issues with relying on only a single text. If you treat it as an explanation of your own life, and then bring your own ideas into it, you end up with a modified version of your own ideas, which isn't what Zen talks about.
So, I'd recommend you try and read many different authors that talk about the same thing, in the form of Zen Essence, or just by buying a bunch of different Zen Master books and studying until you see the common theme outside of words.
Here!
I'd guess it's from that same book he mentioned before, http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Essence-Shambhala-Dragon-Editions/dp/1570625883
Huangbo as an intro is LAME
Joshu is full of such lines as "Your mother is ugly", "The girl in pigtails is present", and "Get out of my fucking sunlight."
Don't believe me??
Ask the dishes!Read the sayings of Joshu to find out!Check out Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh.
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573225681
Buddhism and Christianity are actually fairly compatible, Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a comparative piece between Jesus and Buddha, I gave that to my mother to help her cope with me "coming out Buddhist".
I was born into a Buddhist (immediate) family. So, I was always supported in my practice. However, I have extended family who are very Fundamentalist, Conservative Christian. If they were my immediate family, my experience would've been much different. As well, I have many friends who "came out" as Buddhist to their family and had pretty terrible experiences, at first (both as young people living in their families' homes and adults no longer dependent on their parents).
Your parents do not need to know right now about your spiritual pursuits. If they ask you flat out, I'm not a fan of lying. But, there are also ways of wording things to make them less 'painful' for others. Such as, "I'm looking into other paths, just to see what's out there." As opposed to "Mom, Dad, I'm a Buddhist and that's what I want and none of your business!"
I don't think you can always gauge how people will react. I've heard of instances where people thought their parents were going to freak out and instead they were completely supportive, saying that they had done some spiritual searching when they were younger, as well. Then, I've had friends who thought their parents were going to be fine, and instead their parents completely flipped out, destroying Buddhist items (malas, books, etc). I've had extended family members who have disowned me due to my religious and political beliefs, even though I've been nothing but supportive of them. You never know how difficult a lack of control is to another person.
Which is why I suggest waiting until you're more independent (in college, etc) to begin a conversation. However, it's your choice. Just be prepared for any and every possible outcome.
Fortunately, Buddhism seems to do well for you. It seems like you're becoming the person you want to be--more compassionate, empathetic, etc. So, when the conversation does happen, you'll be able to discuss this aspect of it. How you feel it's helped you become a "better" person.
I agree that finding a community of believers would be helpful for your own personal pursuits. With technology these days, that could even be online! Check around your town. There are Buddhists everywhere. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find them. Try a yoga class or coffee shops around a university or college (I know, super stereotypical!).
There are tons of great books out there that bridge the gap between Buddhism and Christianity. For instance, Thich Nhat Hanh's 'Living Buddha, Living Christ'. I have friends who are Christian pastors and teach meditation to their congregation. Two churches in my city (and I live in the midwest) have 'Labyrinths' for walking meditation on their premises. But, I understand that that's definitely not the mainstream or Conservative Christian perspective.
Good luck. Remember that you have plenty of time! Feel free to PM me with any questions or if you want to chat further. We're all on this crazy journey together!
Well first off, figure out your goals and seek out a position that best aligns with them.
Second, and very importantly during the day-to-day work, enough caffeine to kill a small child.
Finally, this book can teach you a lot about getting the most from difficult situations. https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492
There are several popular 'flavors' of Buddhism, but unfortunately I have not read any general overview books covering all of the sects. Most of my generalized knowledge has come from podcasts like Buddhist Geeks and Zencast. Gil Fronsdal and Jack Kornfield are both enjoyable to listen to.
But back to books!
The most accessible Zen book I've read was Nishijima's To Meet The Real Dragon. Other overviews like Alan Watt's What Is Zen and Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind are good but a little obtuse.
And while I can't give it a general recommendation because the writing style isn't for everyone, I really enjoyed Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up.
Of those mentioned, I would go with To Meet the Real Dragon unless you prefer a much more informal style -- then I would pick Hardcore Zen.
Opening the Hand of Thought and Zen Mind, Beginners Mind have both been very helpful to me. Especially the second one, but the first one is a little easier to understand.
In Zen, there's sort-of an oddity. How-tos are often blended with Introductory texts. Both of those books have sections that describe the practice of Zazen more then sufficiently enough to begin.
There's also the r/buddhism and r/zen subreddits, which both have plenty of helpful recommendations and explanations.
Good luck :)
Describe the Four Noble Truths? I sometimes like looking at Wikipedia's simple english version of pages to get good, short overviews of things. I don't think that description of the first step of the Eightfold Path is very good though. The normal english article is better for that one, but other than that it's a good summery.
Many Zen teachers express things differently. They might not go into a lot of detail or focus on lists and texts as much. There are also some differences. For example under Right Action, some Japanese Zen lineages allow monks to marry and have families. In general though all that page will still apply to Zen.
Zen is pretty hard to learn on your own. Koans, which are things you might call spiritual questions, make up a lot of the practice in a lot of Zen, and to practice them you pretty much need to be working with a teacher. I don't know of any good resources that I'd recommend for learning to practice Zen on your own.
If you'd like a good book to learn about Zen from an scholarly point of view this is a good one. It's only going to teach you about Zen, like things you'd learn about the subject if you took a college class. It won't teach you how to practice Zen. If you'd like a book that isn't from an academic point of view this is a nice one, but still, it's not really going to teach you how to practice Zen.
thanks, I will. i have my own reading materials.
An old guy who lived in China has a great answer for this question:
>Meet the ancestral teachers, be familiar with their instruction
Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage - translation by Daniel Leighton
Basically, learn from other people. The Zen teachings are based on the writings of masters going back to the 5th century. However, these writings aren't particularly accessible. Luckily, we are currently living through an explosion of Buddhism in the west and there are many teachers that explain these ancient concepts in a manner that westerners can understand easily.
Here are some recommendations for entry level, western-targeted Zen books:
>Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - Shunryu Suzuki
Suzuki Roshi was one of the earliest Zen masters to immigrate to the United States back in the 1960's. His teachings are very simple and fundamental. He gets at the very heart of Zen in a concise, plain manner. This book is a collection of transcribed Dharma talks he gave in California during the 60's. It is likely the most well known book on Zen in the west. It is short and clearly written, making it one of the best places to start learning about Zen.
> The Miracle of Mindfulness - Tich Nhat Hanh
Tich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen monk. He has been a huge contributor to the spread of Zen in the west. He has established practice centers in France, New York, California, Mississippi, and Germany. This book is a practical guide to bringing Zen practice into your life. He offers a lot of analogies that make you take a step back and think about the way you live your life. Another short and accessible book.
> Inside the Grass Hut - Ben Connelly
Ben was my guitar teacher for many years before he introduced me to Zen. He is a Zen priest in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri, the founding abbot of the Minnesota Zen Mediation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This book is a study of the poem I have linked and quoted above, The Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage by the 8th century Zen master Shitou. It was extremely useful book for me when I was at my darkest point. Ben distills Shitou's somewhat arcane parables into a simple, practical set of recommendations for living a life that will free you of suffering. Ben offers a lot of insight into incorporating Zen practice into a modern lifestyle. Like the other two, it also short and easy to read. This is a great introduction to what a lot of historic Zen writing is like. I think it is a particularly useful book for people struggling with addiction. Ben had some trouble with alcohol himself and I believe he is 10+ years sober.
Those are some great places to start, but you can read all the books you want about Zen and not get the picture if you don't meditate. Meditation is the foundation of Zen and all of Buddhist practice. The great thing about meditation is that you can do it on your own just about anywhere. The Miracle of Mindfulness gives a good description of how to meditate. There are also plenty of free resources available online. There are many ways to meditate and it is best to find one that works for you.
A daily mediation habit is not an easy thing to develop. Similar to abstinence, it takes discipline and commitment. I still struggle with it myself. It is, however, the best way to fully realize the benefits of Zen. Some things that might help with this is to find a Sangha to practice with or download an app like Headspace. Having a community to practice with has been the biggest help in getting me on the zafu. Doing something with other people makes it easier to do, a little bit like how this subreddit works. Headspace is really popular, although I have not used it myself. It can be used to track mediation sessions and work towards mediation goals. The app that I have found useful is MindBell, but really it's just a glorified timer. The last thing I would recommend are the guided meditations by Jon Kabat Zinn. JKZ is a professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has conducted many clinical studies on the benefits of mindfulness in medicine and healthcare. He is a long time practitioner of Zen and has written several books about his work. I haven't read much of his work, but I have utilized his guided meditations extensively. I particularly like this body scan one. Even when I was at my most depressed and couldn't find the strength to get out of bed, I was able to get myself to queue this video up and follow along. There are a lot of other guided meditations floating around the web. I also like this one by Sam Harris that's only 9 minutes.
Zen is not necessarily an easy thing to get involved in. It requires a commitment of time and it is not particularly fun or pleasurable. However, any level of Zen practice will produce concrete rewards. If you have any question, I am always available for answers.
Come join us over at [/r/meditation] (http://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation). It'll keep your reddit browsing a bit more mindful.
As a personal recommendation, a great book, and guide, on a keeping a clear mind is [Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind] (http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492) by Shunryu Suzuki. Being in the present isn't a destination, it's a practice!
When you find yourself thinking too much about the possible futures and mistakes of the past, just breathe in and breathe out, and focus on that. Nothing like some oxygen to remind the mind and body where it is (right here).
Please read this book, it will help you a lot: https://www.amazon.com/End-Your-World-Uncensored-Enlightenment/dp/1591797799. It's basically written for you - you will relate, just like I did.
What I learned from it is what you're experiencing is normal - he says most people lose it before they gain it for good. And even then it's somewhat possible to lose it haha. What he says is it's all part of the process, it's important not to fight it, not to resist it, because the more you fight something the more you get of it.
I don't feel I'm gonna lose it, but I could be wrong and I don't much care either way. I was already pretty happy before it happened through openness and honesty. I had 1.5 years of the worst depression in my life before I learned to be happy. I'm not in a position to give advice (I feel like a newborn), but if I was forced to, I'd say: don't sweat over it, "sweating" is what ego does best, don't give it that power.
As for me, I meditate every day for 20-30 minutes because I find it enjoyable and I like the process of quieting my mind. I am also going to Vipassana in about a month. Mostly I plan to just chill and unfold with the flow. I distinctly feel that the fear of losing it is counter-productive. It's all ego talking.
Here's a book I wish I'd have found when I had my first experience like yours...
​
Enjoy the journey my friend.
Hey, /u/Apiperofhades. I read your /r/AskPhilosophy post so I'll suggest books based on the following:
>I'm more interested in academic historical work on doctrine and practices and so on.
/r/Buddhism's most famous academic (who recently passed away), /u/michael_dorfman, recommended Rupert Gethin's The Foundations of Buddhism and Peter Harvey's An Introduction to Buddhism religiously, "to get a basic understanding of Buddhist doctrine".
Additionally, you may wish to consider chapter 5 of Surendranath Dasgupta's A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1, titled 'Buddhist Philosophy' (all five volumes can be found here on Internet Archive; the first alone here on Project Gutenberg), and chapter 5 (and, perhaps, 9) of Mysore Hiriyanna's Outlines of Indian Philosophy, titled 'Early Buddhism' (and 'Later Buddhistic Schools'). This book can be found here on Internet Archive.
This is one of main websites for Secular Buddhism: http://secularbuddhism.org/new-to-secular-buddhism/
You can also post on the forums or attend the bi-monthly online meditations (Practice Circle).
Also, I got my start in Secular Buddhism by joining Coursera's Buddhism and Modern Psychology class:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-of-meditation/home/welcome
and then reading the recommended text: http://www.amazon.com/The-Foundations-Buddhism-Opus-S/dp/0192892231
Once you understand the basics of Buddhism, it'll be easier to understand Secular Buddhism specifically. You can also read Batchelor's books, but they are kind of... a stream of consciousness account of his own thoughts. It isn't necessarily informative right off the bat, imho.
Anyways, I'm a Director at Secular Buddhist Association and a mentor for the Coursera class, so AMA
> Where do the scriptures originate from that set all of these rules of karma and state that there is reincarnation
From the perspective of historical research, or from the perspective of Buddhists?
From the historical perspective: a small body of discourses given by Siddartha Gautama (the Buddha) remain that have are were very likely from the Buddha. The rest of it we can't guarantee, and a lot of it is known to have been written well after the Buddha's death.
From the perspective of Buddhism/Buddhists, the writings are considered buddhavacana ('word of the Buddha'), even if we now know they were written after-the-fact.
The Buddhist scriptures are massive. Fill a small to medium sized building, massive. Large enough that no one has read everything. The South Asian (Theravada) canon has been made partially available on Access to insight. The Vinaya is the code of conduct for monks and nuns. The Sutta pitaka is the collection of discourses, and the Abidhamma goes deeper into philosophy (and also serves as an aggregate of the Sutta pitaka's teachings).
From the Buddhist perspective of 'right' or 'superior' approach: the Buddha. In the absence of a Buddha, we trust the orders of monks and nuns. In the absence of a Buddha and the absence of monks and nuns, no one. We have to wait in the rounds or rebirth until a new Buddha arrives in our world.
Wikipedia has a very lengthy outline of Buddhism. I would suggest a more structured approach, like Rupert Gethin's "Foundations of Buddhism."
Many books include the story of the historical Buddha as a foundation for subsequent investigative readings. One book that has benefitted me greatly is Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin and it includes a thorough investigation into the life of the historical Buddha. This is one of the best books on Buddhism I have read and I can't recommend it enough. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0192892231/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
...and Jesus was apparently a rather peaceful fellow too, but that didn't stop such horrors as the Crusades.
There is a difference between the origins of a religion and its continuing expression and practice. No religion is free of it. I don't think the attempt to sanitize the image of religion by appeal to its progenitors is at all useful. What is under discussion is religion as practiced, not as imagined.
Found this book - looks like it might be worth a read.
There's the book Buddhist Warfare that goes into this in detail, see also: Buddhist Fury: Religion and Violence in Southern Thailand. Most are familiar with the Samurai tradition and there's Zen at War.
The Dalai Lama, in a previous incarnation, was a real apologist for military conquest. I'd love to goad his current incarnation by bringing up what he said a few hundred years ago on the topic.
Since you are including religion, if you would like your mind completely blow, check out Patrul Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher. I don't know how you would rate it for entertainment value, but the descriptions of the 6 realms of existence are pretty amazing to disturbing and even terrifying. The philosophy is sublime and profound.
The Preciousness of Human Birth is a good reminder for me. Walking and contemplating these ideas makes every step, every breath and every thought I have feel a bit like a miracle. I forget the name of the teachings they gave on retreat, but it was from this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Words-Perfect-Teacher-Translation-Introduction/dp/0300165323
I also find the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva to be very helpful on bad days.
Good luck to you.
This book will teach you the basics and understanding. I very highly recommend it to you.
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1465259878&sr=8-4&keywords=buddhism
Edit: Youll see the name Thich Nhat Hanh often. His reading are, in my opinion, the easiest to understand.
> How do the tathāgatagarbha ideas fit into the Madhyamaka
You'll find a lot of background on this from one of the most popular Buddhist teachers around - Thich Nhat Hanh. In particular refer to his book Zen Keys, and his seminal book The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching. He also goes into quite some depth about Yogacara in his book Understanding the Mind.
I was a big fan of DT Suzuki's writings when I was a beginner. Check out Outline of Mahayana Buddhism. The Kindle version is only $0.99!
Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is also very popular for beginners, but I caveat this by saying that TNH uses a very unique language... his attempt at being poetic and reaching the western audience in a very particular way, so while he transmits a true understanding of the dharma, it can be as difficult a learning curve as it is now to have that translate to broader Mahayana ideas and terminology.
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is probably the best for OP to start with.
Uhm.. it all depends on what you want to write about!
Im sure google would help in your search as well
I really enjoyed The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh. Could be another good one to help introduce you to some things.
If you like that, check out "The heart of Buddha's Teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh. This book really helped me put a lot of thought into my everyday life.
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Thich-Nhat/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300900345&sr=1-1
I've been reading Thich Nhat Hanh's Peaceful Action, Open Heart, which is wonderful, concurrently with A Guide to the Threefold Lotus Sutra, by Nikkyo Niwano, that gives a concise overview of each chapter. It also helps to have an introduction, in the form of a talk or short articles. There's a short chapter in Cultivating the Mind of Love on this Sutra.
I was at a retreat with TNH in the 1990's where he spoke about the Avatamsaka and Lotus Sutras, that's since been issued by Sounds True as The Ultimate Dimension.
Most of the talks were on the foundational practices for entering into the kinds of experiences described in these Sutras, and I found that his framing them in this way actually made them accessible. Remarkable!
These are good places to start.
As Thay said in his commentary, these are not so much works to be studied with the rational part of ourselves as they are to be received as inspired poetry, lived with and enjoyed. Then meaning of these sutras and the truth they speak of can reveal themselves to us gradually.
He says, in the beginning of The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching:
“When we hear a Dharma talk or study a sutra, our only job is to remain open. Usually when we hear or read something new, we just compare it to our own ideas. If it is the same, we accept it and say that it is correct. If it is not, we say it is incorrect. In either case, we learn nothing. If we read or listen with an open mind and an open heart, the rain of the Dharma will penetrate the soil of our consciousness.
“The gentle spring rain permeates the soil of my soul.
A seed has lain deeply in the earth for many years just smiles.
“When reading or listening, don’t work too hard. Be like the earth. When the rain comes, the earth only has to open herself up to the rain. Allow the rain of the Dharma to come in and penetrate the seeds that are buried deep in your consciousness.
“A teacher cannot give you the truth. The truth is already in you. You only need to open yourself - body, mind, and heart - so that his or her teachings will penetrate your own seeds of understanding and enlightenment. If you let the words enter you, the soil and the seeds will do the rest of the work.”
Best wishes to you in your practice.
To attain right view is to really understand by experience (wisdom) the teaching of the four noble truths.
Right resolve/intention, would be that the backbone of your practice and desire to learn more about buddhism etc, is to help ease the suffering of all beings (including yourself).
Right action, speech, livelihood are basically that you behave accordingly with right view and intention. Etc etc.
Honestly i dont like the way of separating each into groups like that. All the eightfold path are completely related and dependent on one another. To have one, you need them all.
Here's a book recommendation. Great thich nhat hanh book, that does a phenomenal job explaining the core teachings.
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692
Quite simply, read this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming/dp/0767903692
There are a lot of different approaches to Buddhism.
Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation is a great introduction.
This is kind of relevant: https://i.imgur.com/DSSOL.jpg
While this may not be everything you're looking for, it should be able to give you an idea of what Buddhism is about.
This is coming from a Buddhist-atheist
Edit: there's also this book on amazon.
Also found this: https://youtu.be/b4r4cgCiZGw
The most informative resources will be through books on the subject, such asthis one by Thich Nhat Hanh that I often reference. sites like tricycle.org and lionsroar.com also have various, more condensed, articles on the subject as well
The Dhammapada was the first book I bought on Buddhism. I carried it around for about 6 months, reading it over and over. It led me to study and practice Buddhism, which has become so dear to me, and life changing. I have read or glanced over the other books, especially enjoying the i Ching, but the Dhammapada was so simple and pure that it really spoke to me. If you chose to pursue more information on Buddhism I'd suggest getting a book like this next.
The most lucid expositions I know of for original buddhism are Walpola Rahula - What the Buddha taught and Paul Williams - Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition.
I read them years ago, but I remember that what I particularly liked about them is that they are pretty clever in clearing common objections that a modern student may have, they don't dumb it down (while still being clear and concise), and they don't avoid the sides of Buddhism that may be scary for people (in other words they won't present Buddhism as a good-vibe, let's just chill out and love everybody style of life, like many books do to cater to wide audiences).
PS I highly don't recommend Lodro Rinzler's book. The content is very far away from the essence and spirit of Buddhism. I'd try and read something by actual, studied monastics.
Personal favorite: http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313
I have no qualifications to answer your question, but I went through the same search as well and was very happy to be guided toward this book by Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught. It's designed to be friendly to a Western newcomer while also laying a very thorough groundwork (also includes well-translated original texts as appendices and points you toward other sources for further reading if you want to dig deeper).
I'm 1/3 through What the Buddha Taught, and it's the best introduction I've (partially) read so far.
Welp, if you go on /r/Buddhism there are tons of resources and plenty of helpful folks there who don't judge and are really just there to help you with receiving teachings (either life advice, centers nearby, clarity of teachings).
>I've had a lot of past trauma, and I'm afraid of what my mind has in store for me if I let it go for just a second. :/
With the right practice these things will heal naturally. I mean if it's not serious and you believe you can overcome it yourself, meditation (when it's taught to you the right way) can help you as much as therapy, because they are the same thing in practice.
I'm not suggesting that you should try to cure, idk, schizophrenia with meditation, but it does alleviate a lot more than you expect.
>The closest Meditation Center is 3 hours away (and has one star fwiw). I have been to one I really liked, that it was still an hour and a half away and very expensive. There are meditation groups in my area, could you give me some keywords to look for?
Depending on the tradition there are many archives on the internet. Most of them are listed on /r/Buddhism and you can just leave a post there if you need advice from someone who lives in the area. I live in Europe, so I'm afraid I can't help.
Typically these are called meditation centers, dharmacenters or Buddhist centers (it really depends on the fantasy of those who run it); I'd actually encourage to also try to maybe just go on a retreat. On retreats you basically take vows that will limit your mundane interactions with the world and you'll spend about a week (10 days are the shortest AFAIK) just meditating and reading. That will give you the basics in the most auspicious way.
>Also, I've been researching Buddhism lately, and I'm quite interested. If you have any books or podcasts to recommend to a newbie, I would really appreciate it. :)
I think, What the Buddha Taught is a great starter book. You can probably get this free somewhere if you look hard enough. After reading the book any question you have can probably be only answer from the standpoint of one tradition, because many things are explained differently and the more popular traditions like Tibetan or Chinese or Japanese Buddhism (Mahayana and Vajrayana schools) also tend to introduce just a lot more concepts that IME has confused lots of people out there. I myself stick to the "orthodox" school, Theravada. It's often looked down upon because "it's bone dry" some might say, but IMO, you don't need more. It explains the basics and foundations clearly and gives you the freedom to find your own way in meditation.
With that being said, I can mostly just speak for my tradition. There are various great teachers out there, like Ajahn Brahm (he is very pleasant, humorous, engaging and carefree about his teachings), Bhikkhu Bodhi (technical, well-spoken, a bit rigid in his ways but he writes eloquent essays about the doctrines), Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu (mostly talks about meditation and its benefits when done regularly; lots of online guided meditations)
Make sure to ask on the sub for some centers and options in the area.
Also, don't be afraid of meditation. You'll realize eventually, that that is the only solid thing you have in this life and that the Buddha's "teachings" are essentially just insights gained from meditation and not some superficial doctrine.
Good luck and I sincerely hope you find happiness.
If you want to learn about Buddhism, check out What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula for a fantastic overview of the teachings. Otherwise if you will have access to the internet check out Access To Insight as it has nearly the entire Tipitaka online, as well as loads of study guides, etc.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell is a really interesting read about comparative mythology and the basic themes of a hero's journey in nearly every story we find.
Faust by Goethe is one of the most incredible books I have ever read from a writing standpoint. I think I heard that part of the reason he wrote it was to show how beautiful of a language German can be, though that may be just a rumor, or I could have fabricated the whole idea. Regardless it truly is beautifully written.
And as others have pointed out, Hermann Hesse is a great author, and my personal favorite. Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, Demian, Narcissus and Goldmund, his Fairy Tails, and the Glass Bead Game/Magister Ludi are all incredible novels. As well as Journey to the East, but I feel like to get the most out of that story, you should read his other stuff first.
And do you know why they're so chill and why it's not the largest religion? Because it's a lot of work.
There's this thing called desire which is the source of all of the suffering in the world. Literally, all of it. Everyone all over feels angry, lonely, jealous and frustrated because of desire. It's also what causes people to kill, steal, and destroy.
Here's an example: In the very simple case, imagine that everyday, after school, you come home at night. Everyday you're so happy because you get to eat this certain tasty pudding (it's really good). Well, imagine that one day you come home and you find that you're all out of pudding. Why? Because your sister/brother/mom/dad ate your pudding. Now how would you feel? Frustrated, right? You feel angry and bitter, "It's my pudding! I eat it every day. They had no right." And why do you feel angry or frustrated? It's because of that desire. Your desire to eat that pudding, and the fact that you can't. It's the dissonance between what you desire reality to be, and what it actually is.
What's the solution here? You let go of your desire. "Oh, no pudding today. I guess I can eat something else." And immediately, the pain and frustration vanish. In the case of the monks and statues, the monks know they are just statues; there is no desire for them to be treated any differently than what they are.
You see, it's not desire that causes the suffering; the cause of suffering is you grasping and hanging on to that desire. The wish for things to be not as they are.
And that is what Buddhism teaches. For some people, it's quite difficult to let go of their desires; we've been condition from birth to believe that they are important and normal to have. Yet, the truth is that we should reduce them as much as possible if we want to live life to its happy fullest.
If you'd like to know more, I highly recommend this easy-to-approach book "Good Question Good Answer," free download at this link: http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/gqga-5ed.pdf. And if you want to see in more depth at what Buddhism gets at, "What the Buddha Taught" is an excellent choice: http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313
Of course, if you have more questions, I'm all ears.
A great primer for the core tenets and historical context is "What The Buddha Taught" by Walpola Pahula. It provides a wonderful explanation of the thought process and is very clearly written; a lot of colleges use it in their comparative religion courses.
I also think that reading the "Dhammapada" is particularly vital. I prefer the Eknath Easwaran translation; I feel like he did an excellent job translating it into modern laguage while retaining the meaning of the text and providing excellent discussions of each sutra without being to neurotically overbearing, like so many religious commentaries can be. He also did excellent versions of the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads if you are interested in broader Indian spirituality.
I would strongly recommend the book "What The Buddha Taught" as a introduction to Buddhism. Its heavily cited, lays out the basic concepts and principals, and gives a overview of the idea for beginners. http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451708006&sr=1-1&keywords=what+the+buddha+taught
If anyone's interested about learning about Buddhism What the Buddha Taught is a fantastic book that really explains the religion.
That said, Thai Buddhism has some very strong Hindu influences and has some interesting qualities like animism that aren't found in a lot of other practicing Buddhist countries .
Ha, there is certainly an argument for that! I've been reading Buddhist books lately, you might find that linked one an interesting read. The Buddha said that free will is an illusion because all karmic actions are influenced by dukkha (loosely, suffering) - an enlightened one acts without karma/influence because they act from knowledge of Reality instead of the common constructed assumptions about reality.
I'm not sure I would consider myself a buddhist quite yet, but I was drawn to the teachings and this subreddit after getting into meditation and mindfulness to supplement my own anxiety treatment. I was suffering from pretty crippling panic attacks. I did therapy and medication (of the non-intoxicating variety and which I have been able to significantly reduce).
I would recommend that if your anxiety is interfering with your life, consider therapy to augment your practice. Having someone who is trained to ask the right questions is immensely helpful.
In addition, as others have said, read deeply and consider all the teachings. Following the 8 fold path and the precepts will ensure that you have fewer causes for anxiety, and that you are aware of the arising of any new anxiety.
My main book recommendation. What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802130313/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6t-3DbMJW7BM1
I think the best introduction to Buddhism and its tenets is "What The Buddha Taught" by Dr. Walpola Rahula.
I also HIGHLY recommend reading What The Buddha Taught
What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802130313/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_e4p-AbZBBBCC0
This book is a common target of that small clique of pudgalavadins and Buddhist Self-advocates that inhabit the dark underbelly of Amazon.com reviews.
i recommend huang po.
Sounds eerily similar to Not Zen
I can't help but love you
I finally read "Not Zen" btw ... let me say that it is brilliant.
It's not often that I find a tether but some part of the book caused me to realize that I hadn't fully let go of a certain conceptualization of "the thing." I can't remember what part of the book it was (or even, actually, what the particular conception was), but it made it clear that I was still holding on to this one little nugget and then it was like this clearing sensation as I let it go.
It was something along the lines of accepting that one literally cannot (figuratively) see it or perceive it. It's a sort of "negative space" in perception. I mean, I "understood" that before, and I "saw" it ... but that was the problem.
Sure enough, listening to Hunagbo, reading the Mumonkan, and even thinking back about that convo we had about the hurricane (if you remember) ... things make so much more sense.
Sort of like wiping a film off the glass.
So anyway, thanks again.
And this post is hilarious lmao, even if I specifically call it out here, there are still going to be tons of trolls who bite. They just can't help it!
As for Ronin, I'm still optimistic. I view it like a horse race: I've given my money to the bookie, now all that's left to do is to watch the ponies run :P
If you're interested in the practice as it was done in early Buddhism, check out this reading list:.
Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization by Bhikkhu Analayo.
A Swift Pair of Messengers by Bhikkhu Sujato.
Right Mindfulness: Memory & Ardency on the Buddhist Path by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
Those are the best 3 to start with...what you're going to want to look for is early Theravada Buddhist practice which is called Satipattana. Analayos book is generally considered the best, but all 3 are excellent, especially Thanissaros book which is free. All 3 have correspondencing audio lectures which I'll post if you want. You can also contact me via Pm anytime. Hope that helps!
I'd recommend the Satipatthana Sutta with translation and commentary from Analayo, along with commentary in text and audio by Joseph Goldstein.
Since you have been practicing Theravada, I'd recommend this seminal book on the Satipatthana Sutta, the sutta upon which (along with the Anapanasati Sutta), Vipassana is based.
Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization manages to be scholarly without being dry. It's a really great in-depth look at this Sutta. It is extensively footnoted as well and gives a lot of great leaping-off points for further exploration.
I applaud you at your patience. You're not attacking, and appearing to stay very calm in your writings.
> I feel like you are not really addressing what I am talking about, and what you are saying doesn't help me understand this subject any better. So, let me give an example. You're living in village and group of men are outside wielding weapons. You know who they are, and you know that their plan is to kill, rape, and kidnap everyone they can (very common historical event). Let's say you have someway to stop this from happening, but it involves fighting. Do you fight, or do you just allow them to come in and commit atrocities to the ones you love?
This is what the Dali Lama did with Tibet. He allowed them to come in, and commit atrocities to the ones he loved. 1.2 million Tibetans, one-fifth of the country's population, died as a result of China's attack; many more languished in prisons and labor camps; and more than 6000 monasteries, temples and other cultural and historic buildings were destroyed and their contents pillaged. The Dali Lama knew that violence wasn't the answer. God doesn't attack others, he only loves them. Jesus doesn't see attack, EVER, he only sees cries for love. It's the Ego that sees attack, loss, death, suffering, sacrifice. NONE of these things are attributes of God. You're either walking towards the light, or keeping yourself in the dark.
The root issue is that you don't realize you are God himself, dreaming all of this. That IS the root issue which I was trying to address. Of course God's dreams would be "this real". God can pretend to do anything he wants to, including, being you. He isn't really you, he is God, he's only pretending to be a "you" in illusion.
When you go to the movies, you forget yourself. You get lost in the movie, the darkness of the theater. You don't sit there saying "I am me, I am me, I am me" the whole time you watch the movie. The whole point is that you get lost in it. This is what God is doing. He's given himself amnesia, forgetting himself, so that he can be fully immersed in his own illusion, his own movie. He wrote the whole script, he plays every part. Since you are him, it's really you that are doing all of this. Making the entire universe, playing every part, every person, every animal, every rock.
You list common historical events, and scenarios, but these things are likely not happening to YOU personally. Someone else in this thread said the same, you have to look in the 2 foot space around you. The ego plays tricks on you. If you see all of this as illusion, and you've personally never starved to death, was murdered, or killed, then how do you know it's not all a trick just to make yourself scared? I don't even mean your friend was killed, or your mother was attacked physically. I mean, have YOU been stabbed with a knife? You personally? Was it your DIRECT experience? What if it's all a trick, and the "really bad things" don't really exist, it's all a show of trick and light? Can you prove otherwise? If you did suffer some in your life, was it not just thoughts you were experiencing? "This is bad...(more thoughts) this is so bad...". This goes DEEP. You can't prove there is actually someone "else" inside any person you see. Sure, the "forms" act like they are alive, they are dancing around and showing what appears to be emotion, but because you CAN NOT experience the inside of another form you see, another BODY, you can't prove that there is anything going on in there. It could be shells of people walking around. It COULD all be a light projection from YOUR own mind. You create the world you WANT TO SEE. Perception is not real.
The ego will have GREAT resistance to this. It's likely saying that this is all crazy talk. That's it's job. If you see beyond the veil, it will burn up your entire world. Jed Mckenna wrote a great book about this here: http://www.reddit.com/r/enlightenment/top/
When your world does end, you can read Adyashanti's wonderfully helpful book here. Titled: The End of Your World
> Besides, if ACIM teaches that it is all an illusion and there is no punishment from sin, why not protect the innocent from torture and abuse?
Because there is no one else out there, it's only you. There is no one to protect. If someone did come into your house, and attack YOU personally, it would be you only doing it to yourself. It's up to you how you want to handle yourself. You can love yourself, or you can attack yourself back. What happens physically is meaningless, because illusions don't have meaning (Lesson 1). How you choose to see a situation, as LOVE or MURDER is up to you. God always chooses Love without question, the Ego always chooses Murder without question.
> I'm very passionate about my spiritual and intellectual journey, but I worry that aspects of ACIM negate critical thought.
God does not need thought. God is infinite. Thought is limiting. We use thoughts to POINT beyond illusion and that's about it at best. Thought itself is what created this whole mess to begin with. Critical thinking IS the Ego. We want to move to the infinite intelligence that's beyond Thought. The place where thoughts come FROM. You seem to think that you pick your thoughts. You absolutely do not. You do not go into a library of billions of thoughts, and say "I want THAT one next". You merely sit there and one appears. Then another thought appears, then another. It's the ego that possesses us and says "I am these thoughts". You are none of them. At best you can say you are the awareness in which thoughts appear. This Eckhart Tolle video which is his book The Power Of Now, explains this excellently.
From ACIM Workbook Lesson 10: http://acimsearch.org/workbook-for-students/wb-010/
> “My thoughts do not mean anything.”
> This idea applies to all the thoughts of which you are aware, or become aware in the practice periods. The reason the idea is applicable to all of them is that they are not your real thoughts. We have made this distinction before, and will again.You have no basis for comparison as yet. When you do, you will have no doubt that what you once believed were your thoughts did not mean anything.
If you really want to wake up, and aren't just playing games with yourself, do the workbook lessons, and ask the holy spirit for help (for real, out loud, even if you feel silly).
Finally, thank you Brother, (or Sister) for your genuine questions and well written responses. I can only learn as I teach for they happen simultaneously. I'm grateful for this interaction.
Adyashanti - The End of Your World
https://www.amazon.com/End-Your-World-Uncensored-Enlightenment/dp/1591797799
Master ewk wrote a book for us: http://www.amazon.com/Not-Zen-A-Revolution-ebook/dp/B00D3UQ7II - I recommend you to study it before you make further comments on /r/zen ... to be one of the ewks, study Not Zen first and what Zen Masters didn't teach.
To be part of the Zen Revolution, that is the first step.
Second step: buy need a lot of tea, stock up. Drink tea.
Third step: Quit your job or find a job that allows you to be on Reddit. Also leave your girlfriend and/or family. No need to shave your head or robes. That is religion, not Zen. Your bowl is your keyboard. Your robe is your PJ. Your mala is your Internet connection.
Do you consider yourself as someone who studies Zen?
https://www.amazon.ca/Not-Zen-Revolution-ewk-ebook/dp/B00D3UQ7II
Why are you selling a book?
Or just trying to sell your own religion. https://www.amazon.com/Not-Zen-Revolution-ewk-ebook/dp/B00D3UQ7II
Heh. You'll hear that People's History is biased. His intention was to give fuel for a socialist revolution. That's true. What's more important to learn is that everything is biased. The dream of an unbiased media is that. Even when trying to be objective with facts, there's still the question of which facts to use, which leads to subjectivity and bias. In the end, there is no such thing as objective truth (that's a fun rabbit hole to follow)
So in this case "Yes and," those fuckers are still beholden to shareholders, boards, public opinion, etc. Not only does everyone answer to someone, the ironic truth is that the more power you have, the more people you must answer to.
The Zen Teaching of Huang Po is short and very straightforward unlike some Zen books. It has been the single most important book I've read without a doubt.
I've read a couple books by Shunryu Suzuki and found them very helpful. "Zen Mind Beginners Mind" is a book I read and reread many times, each time getting a bit more out of it.
I honestly don't know anything about Seung Sahn or Sawaki or other contemporary teachers. My teacher was Joshu Sasaki Roshi.
When I first started looking into Zen, I was a bit paranoid. Having been raised by very strict atheists who put down all things religions or spiritual, I wanted to be sure I was on the right track of authentic Zen and not in danger of ending up in a cult.
I decided very early on that reading books that have been tested by centuries of time was the safest and so I avoided most modern authors for the first 2 years.
If you enjoy ancient literature, I highly recommend reading a couple of the old sutras. They are often easier to read than some modern shit and they are AMAZING considering how long ago they were written.
My favorites so far as the Surangama Sutra and the Lankavatara Sutra.
I bought an audiobook from Audible; turns out they're full of shit about everything and my players weren't supported, so I torrented the mp3. Bought the e-book off of Amazon I think. Can't remember specifically but it's available online if you look around a bit.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditation/dp/0834800799
Google Books: http://books.google.co.za/books/about/Zen_Mind_Beginner_s_Mind.html?id=syLKN1q19NgC&redir_esc=y
Honestly a lot Eastern religions are non-theist, like Buddhism or Taoism (I realize they certainly have mystic elements). But I would recommend checking out those religions. Here's a good book on Zen: http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditation/dp/0834800799
Depends what you mean by questioning your religion and heck what your religion is currently.
I don't know about a fire kasina, but using a mind-based kasina achieved the same outcome. I used the instructions listed in Wisdom Wide and Deep.
This could be an arising and passing away experience. I would read Dan Ingram's material. Jhana would not create what you described:
http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/MCTB%204.%20The%20Arising%20and%20Passing%20Away?p_r_p_185834411_title=MCTB%204.%20The%20Arising%20and%20Passing%20Away
If you are serious about Jhana I would reccomend taking advice from Pa Auk Sayadaw or one of his students who has written a good:
Sayadaw's Work
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/know-see.pdf
Student's Work (pretty accessible)
http://www.jhanasadvice.com/
http://www.amazon.ca/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X
http://www.amazon.ca/Wisdom-Wide-Deep-Practical-Mastering/dp/086171623X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334854265&sr=1-1
My meditation teacher knows Leigh Brasington, and I have been fully absorbed in Jhana before, there is very little perception of the outside when you are fully absorbed. Leigh's work is great and I have never obtained full absorption with it though, it's directly contrary to the Sayadaw's work because full absorption needs full concentration on the object, that's the only time I obtained full absorption. Focusing on a factor such as Piti can allow you to build that jhana factor, but it's argued by the above authors that is can not constitute full concentration.
Like you, I am hit and miss with the Jhana factors and absorption and entering is not mastered, so I hear you, however this anecdotally what I know and have experienced.
Have you read these, and if not, how do you justify making such claims in light of the fact that you've just never bothered to look hard enough?
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction by Mark Siderits http://www.amazon.com/dp/0872208737/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_8b57tb17XYZRE
Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings by William Edelglass et al. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0195328175/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Yc57tb0QAVD3Y
> It proves that the respected philosophical institutions don't consider it to be worth thinking about in terms of philosophical practice
No, it doesn't! That's just an inference that the absence supports. The other inferences include, but are not limited to: there is no student interest, there is no professor interest, there is no knowledgeable professor, there is not enough money, there is not enough space, there is not enough time, Buddhism isn't interesting as a philosophy, the topic can be already be covered in another class, etc... All of those are inferences that are supported by Buddhism not being taught in the philosophy department, but we haven't proven any of them just by showing that it's not taught in the philosophy department.
>It proves that the respected philosophical institutions don't consider it to be worth thinking about in terms of philosophical practice
You mean kind of like the book that was given good praise on Ashgate and was reviewed in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy. Pleaes note that this particular philosopher has given lectures at least through Columbia University. This just shows his credibility, if he was really a hack, as you've asserted, I doubt he'd have been invited to speak about philosophy at all.
>Only you say this.
Obviously it's a complex system otherwise people wouldn't say that it's a philosophy and a religion. If it were simple, it would have a single classification, but it's not. It can, and does, exist in two realms at once. Philosophy and religion.
>Yes, you do
No, I don't. I'm not making a specific claim to a specific area of philosophy. I'm not saying Buddhism is Kant's views. I'm saying that the broad label of "philosophy" encompasses Buddhism. Buddhism is a sub-sub-category of philosophy.
>Which?
It was called Justice. 3rd time I've told you that by the way.
>Academia is hard and most can't do it, many go to law school
Academia isn't as hard to do as you suggest. Only about 2% of the population teach Whereas, .36% become lawyers. Sorry, I was just slightly offended that you inferred it was harder to teach than to become a lawyer.
>Enough that I can point at a few of them and say
And out of the 150 (guessing) professors that teach at Cornell, how many people do you think went to class with them and aren't teaching?
>His name just never really comes up.
So, now you've shrunk the field even further. Now you're arguing that because he isn't one of the legendary philosophers he can't be worth anything. How many philosophers in our time do you think will become legendary? How many philosophers do you think have existed throughout history that no one will ever know of? Do you only respect people if they are legends? How many legends have you sat in class with? You've taken your list of reliable experts for a crazy ride during this argument. You started with professors, then you took it down to professors who teach at respectable institutions, now you've taken it down to legendary masters of the topic. Well, you've got me. I don't think I can find any legendary masters of philosophy who have talked about Buddhism as a philosophy. Cool thing is, that still doesn't mean it's not a philosophy.
>Enough that I could easily do a google search for historians who are involved in history, academia, or teaching.
Okay, but that still doesn't prove your point. Only a small percentage of people go on to teach. A smaller percentage will be lucky enough to teach at a prestigious school, but that doesn't automatically mean that all the others are hacks.
>Isaiah Berlin, Edward de Bono, Alain LeRoy Locke, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, John Finnis, PF Strawson, and probably others.
And how many people do you think they went to class with that we will never know about?
I think I've finally figured out why you are having such a hard time grasping what I'm getting at. When I say Buddhism is a philosophy, you automatically think I'm saying that philosophers study epistimology, logic, aesthetics, metaphysics, and buddhism. Which is definitely not the case. The difference here and we can use the dictionary definition for illustration is that to you, metaphysics and the lot ARE the "ideas" you study regarding truth, knowledge, and life. Buddhism is not one of those ideas and so it cannot fit within your concept of philosophy. However, I am referring to Buddhism as "a particular set of ideas about truth, knowledge, and life." In this way Buddhism is definitely a philosophy because it is a particular set of ideas about those things. In these ways, Buddhism is a philosphy and it is not a philosophy. It all depends on what interpretation we are using. I don't think that when people say philosophy they mean something other than philosophy, I think they mean a different definition of philosophy. It's still philosophy, but it's not The Philosophies. This is how I'd break it down from here. We have Philosophy. Within Philosophy are the Ideas of Philosophy and then Philosophies. In this way we have our categories: Philosophy (Fruit) > Ideas of Philosophy (Apples) and Philosophies (Oranges). Buddhism is a philosophy, but it's not a philosophy in the same way that metaphysics is a philosophy. This is the only way I see that makes sense and ties together our conflicting views, the facts, and the evidence.
I don't think it's really clear what you want. You could make a book describing the similarities between anything and Buddhism. My impression is that your project is making this particular comparison because it's interested in tacitly bolstering a certain metaphysics that you think both Buddhism and science point to, and that it's resting on the assumption that science is giving us access to reality as it is. For example in the thread you mention
> I'd consider scientific methodologies for empirical observation guided by reason to be a Western parallel to Buddhist principles for seeing through to the genuine non-conceptual, non-illusory reality.
That's a very common view in scientific materialist circles, for example, but it isn't actually established what the relationship between science and truth is. That seems to be overlooked by most scientific materialists (though not by philosophers of science). Metaphysical assumptions are being made, but in this materialist worldview they're often not addressed, supported, or even recognized. A lot of the times it's just asserted that a metaphysical assumption is truth in a way that glosses over the fact that it's a metaphysical assumption. So in other words, science is sort of being held up as a firm foundation of a worldview, but what science is itself is overlooked. Philosophy of science isn't addressed. I think I see that omission in that quote. If science is helping us see non-illusory reality then the metaphysical assumption is made that science is a means of finding truth, not just a means of finding better models to make predictions.
Also with that quote, I don't know how science could be non-conceptual. Non-conceptual, at least in the Buddhist sense, means direct experience and not making models. So to my mind metaphysical philosophies (like scientific materialism) that interpret scientific models as reality itself are actually trying to build conceptions of reality.
Of course Buddhism contains some conceptions of reality too. Just to mention some differences in these conceptions: Scientific materialism assumes that there is substance at the foundation of reality or the root of perception. The closest you get to that idea in Buddhism AFAIK is in the Abhidharma, where one attempt was made to systematize what was inferred to be Buddha's idea of reality, and where the result was the notion of Dharmas, which you could say are atoms of experience. They aren't atoms in the scientific sense, but in the sense that they are essential aspects of experience that can't be broken down into sub-aspects. So for example there's a dharma earth which is a component of all perceptions that include aspects of solidity. That's all pretty much Theravadan thought. If you get into Zen there's the Yogacarin idea that everything is projections of mind, and that even dharmas are empty of substance or self-existence. Then there's Madhyamaka thought which breaks everything including mind down to no substance or essence.
Anyway Buddhism generally describes experience and sometimes describes certain conceptions of reality, but all so that we can move in the direction of seeing through conceptions. Science lets us make conceptual models that help us make predictions, and you might say it's independent of Buddhism, but scientific materialism is different from science. It's a metaphysical philosophy or worldview that revolves around bolstering a certain conception of reality as reality itself, so you might say it's in conflict with the goal of Buddhism in that respect.
So I think what would serve you best is to gain some clarity by taking some time examining some of the issue's underlying philosophy first, and Nagel's book is one that deals specifically with some issues that you seem to be overlooking in this comparison, if my impression is right. And the fact that you don't agree with the descriptions of a prominent philosopher's ideas is the best reason to read it and see why he's arguing for them. :) Also something that might be helpful is to look at some of the philosophy in Buddhism. Buddhism as Philosophy is a really nice introductory book covering a a range of what you'll find.
This book http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-as-Philosophy-An-Introduction/dp/0872208737 is awesome as a survey of the theoretical aspects of Buddhist doctrine
What about this one? I haven't read it.
> just read the wiki on the "Mūlamadhyamakakārikā", which seems pretty enlightening; though am a hardcore philosophical-theorist
I just looked over the wiki page and it seems pretty esoteric. The MMK is pretty hard-nosed philosophy when you get down to it. If that approach interests you, you might like Buddhism as Philosophy as a short, more down-to-earth overview of this, along with a bunch more topics from the tradition. The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way seems to be recommended a lot around here if you're at all interested in diving into a translation/commentary.
> Thank you for your thoughtful replies.
Sure thing.
Mark Siderits, Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction, Hackett Pub Co Inc., 2007. Amazon link
 
One of fine books which deals with the subject from philosophical point of view (accessible introductory book for any reasonably educated lay reader).
http://www.amazon.com/Shambhala-Sacred-Warrior-Chogyam-Trungpa/dp/0877732647
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400080797/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427589476&sr=8-1&keywords=quantum+and+the+lotus&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41Vkky1nICL&ref=plSrch
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
You might try this book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1400080797/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427589476&sr=8-1&keywords=quantum+and+the+lotus&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41Vkky1nICL&ref=plSrch
Here is the mobile version of your link
Have you ever read Zen Letters? Yuanwu has a couple chapters talking about the Tao not the wacky worship cult.
I wouldn't say those in recent times who study the Way do not try hard, but often they just memorize Zen stories and try to pass judgment on the ancient and modern Zen masters, picking and choosing among words and phrases, creating complicated rationalizations and learning stale slogans. When will they every be done with this? If you study Zen like this, all you will get is a collection of worn-out antiques and curios.
When you "seek the source and investigate the fundamental" in this fashion, after all you are just climbing up the pole of your own intellect and imagination. If you don't encounter an adept, if you don't have indomitable will yourself, if you have never stepped back into yourself and worked on your spirit, if you have not cast off all your former and subsequent knowledge and views of surpassing wonder, if you have not directly gotten free of all this and comprehended the causal conditions of the fundamental great matter-then that is why you are still only halfway there and are falling behind and cannot distinguish or understand clearly. If you just go on like this, then even if you struggle diligently all your life, you still won't see the fundamental source even in a dream.
This is why the man of old said: "Enlightenment is apart from verbal explanations-there has never been any attainer."
Deshan said: "Our school has no verbal expressions and not a single thing or teaching to give people."
Zhaozhou said: "I don't like to hear the word buddha."
Look at how, in verbally disavowing verbal explanations, they had already scattered dirt and messed people up. If you go on looking for mysteries and marvels in the Zen masters' blows and shouts and facial gestures and glaring looks and physical movements, you will fall even further into the wild foxes' den.
All that is important in this school is that enlightenment be clear and thorough, like the silver mountain and the iron wall, towering up solitary and steep, many miles high. Since this realization is as sudden as sparks and lightening, whether or not you try to figure it out, you immediately fall nto a pit. That is why since time immemorial the adepts have guarded this one revelation, and all arrived together at the same realization.
Here there is nowhere for you to take hold. Once you can clear up your mind and you are able to abandon all entanglements, and you are cultivating practice relying on an enlightened spiritual friend, it would be really too bad if you weren't patient enough to get to the level where the countless difficulties cannot get near you, and to lay down your body and your mind there and investigate till you penetrate through all the way.
Over thousands of lifetimes and hundreds of aeons up until now, has there ever been any discontinuity in the fundamental reality or not? Since there has been no discontinuity, what birth and death and going and coming is there for you to be in doubt about? Obviously there things belong to the province of causal conditions and have absolutely no connection to the fundamental matter.
My teacher Wuzu often said, "I have been here for five decades, and I have seen thousands and thousands of Zen followers come up to the corner of my meditation seat. They were all just seeking to become buddhas and to expound Buddhism. I have never seen a single genuine wearer of the patched robe."
How true this is! As we observe the present time, even those who expound Buddhism are hard to find, much less any genuine people. The age is in decline and the sages are further and further distant. In the whole great land of China, the lineage of Buddha is dying out right before our very eyes, We may find one person of half a person who is putting the Dharma into practice, but we would not dare to expect them to be like the great exemplars of enlightenment, the "dragons and elephants" of yore.
Nevertheless, if you simply know the procedures and aims of practical application of the Dharma and carry on correctly from beginning to end, you are already producing a lotus from within the fire.
You must put aside all the conditioning that entangles you. Then you will be able to perceive the inner content of the great enlightenment that has comedown since ancient times. Be at rest wherever you are, and carry on the secret, closely continuous, intimate-level practice. The devas will have no road to strew flowers on, and demons and outsiders will not be able to find your tracks. This is what it means to truly leave home and thoroughly understand oneself.
If, after you have reached this level, circumstances arise as the result of merit that lead you to come forth and extend a hand to communicate enlightenment to others, this would not be inappropriate. As Buddha said, "Just acquiesce in the truth, you surely won't be deceived." But even for me to speak this way is another case of a man from bandit-land seeing off a thief.
Source
Links:
Zen Letters 1
Zen Letters 2
Zen Letters 3
Zen Letters 4
Zen Letters 5
Zen Letters 6
Zen Letters 7
Zen Letters 8
Zen Letters 9
Zen Letters 10
Zen Letters 11
Zen Letters 12
Zen Letters 14
Zen Letters 15
Zen Letters 24
Zen Letters 46
 
 
look, joshu spent is life working on zen, who are you with your ignorant jumped up opinions and suburban life!
 
wasting your time here reinforcing your idiocies
 
you need to read his life
 
you can't see the sense of what I am saying can you ! ? :o(
 
 
One of the best texts is the sayings of Joshu:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Recorded-Sayings-Master-Joshu/dp/157062870X
I have some of the sayings in a lecture here:
http://ericgerlach.com/asianphilosophy6/
No, you are not destined to eternal suffering. All religions hold some parts of the Truth, some more than others. It is not an easy path to walk, but its a rewarding one. I've even heard of people talk of how Christ's sacrifice paid for our bad karma--not that I think that myself, but its out there.
Check out the Unitarian Universalist Association. They may be able to help you. Its the best place I can think of short of a university campus that will have people who know what they're talking about from many different outlooks.
This book might be of help as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573225681
I know there's a UUA Church in Dublin, but I dont know about one of your side of the border. There are Unitarian/Universalist Christian Churches in NI, but no UUA ones I can think of. Maybe they can help you as well. Its gets confusing, but if you can find a UUA church I think it'll help you a lot. Mine has both Buddhist and Christian groups on Church grounds.
>Besides, saying the majority is right simply because they're the majority is another logical fallacy, the argumentum ad populum.
you forgot the part where i said "with reason"
>Probably Westerners who are habituated to think well of Jesus but have never actually read the Gospels.
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573225681
Jesus had plenty of teachings that parralled with buddha. He hung out with the sinners and tax collectors and protected some of them from being stoned.
>Translation: Closed minded = Doesn't agree with me.
you dont have to agree with me, i learn plenty from others who have different views than me. But i dont want you to preach lies to others who may be uninformed and fill them with false truths or false perceptions on truth.
I highly recommend the book Living Buddha Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
Very interesting exploration of the similarities between Jesus’s and Buddha’s teachings. Help others and alleviate suffering being central teachings of both.
It's sad really that one cannot be open minded enough to other religions. I think a lot of it is her perception that she's not allowed, that you're not allowed to "cheat" on GOD. There was a book I saw once at Barnes and nobles, that compared Buddhism to many Christian traits, but I forget the name. But, maybe you can buy this book http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573225681 and show her that you're not really trying to cheat on Christ but expand your spiritual being.
One of my ex's went with me to the temple, but never went inside because she was Catholic. Me on the other hand, would always go with her to church and do the whole sermon(I put up with sitting up sitting down constantly, when I goto the temple, I light an in scent and I'm done). I even went as far as got communion. (they said stand up and grab some wine and bread so I went with it lol). It was really hurtful for me too.
edit: ah duh someone already suggested the book above.
Try "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki I think for most westerners, Zen Buddhism is more accessible.
Not sure what "meditate on your anxiety" exactly means, but that sounds the exact opposite of what meditation is about. It is not about pscyhoanalysis, or ruminating on things too much. Be aware, let things come and go, exist in the now, don't try to grasp or attain anything by meditation, just let it happen and let it be.
I found dharma from zazen practitioners really helpful in how it articulates ideas about meditation. I would really recommend Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
This is the last place you'll find any sort of helpful information on zen. Ewk and a few other ideologs have pretty much hijacked the forum. /r/zendo is good, but its not nearly as active. You're not wrong for assuming zen can be peaceful and elegant, its what you want it to be. A lot of what you see here is westerners confusing zen with nihilism. If I were to mention the Two Truths Doctrine here, many wouldn't really know what I was talking about. Things like this getting over looked is why you seen so much arguing here. Its mostly due to lack of understanding of buddhist doctrine by westerners that are new to the religion.
With that said, Suzuki Roshi's Zen Mind Beginner's Mind was a great starting point for myself. If you want tot just download it for free, Heres a link to the pdf. Also this website gives rough details into soto zen practice and forms. http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp
Last book, this isn't zen, but Zen is considered Mahayana Buddhism and shares many of the same teaching as Tibetan Buddhsim. The Dalai Lama give a wonder discourse of some of the core beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism. Essential Teachings Dalai Lama
I started around when I was your age, and that was along time ago :) Hope you find what you are looking for. Good luck!
disclaimer: ewk please don't reply to my comment. thank you.
From my perspective the numbers are a nice thing to do if your mind tends to wander constantly.
Once you have a little space in your mind and there are moments with no distractions just pure presence, shifting to zen meditation or another breath based meditation would be a natural progression.
Here are the two best books on meditation I have ever used.
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492/
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Action-Yourself-Meditation-Awareness/dp/1611803535
I am sure you can find them free online too.
Alan Watts - Still the Mind
Shunryu Suzuki - Zen, Beginner's Mind
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
Couldn't find the book, but did find the author in case someone was wanting to check him out.
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1322798259&sr=8-4
I see a therapist when I know something isn't right, but I am unsure what. Sometimes having someone to ask the right questions (with no vested interest) helps me come to realizations I wouldn't have otherwise.
I was terrified of going at first, but I am so happy I did! If you want to go but are scared, feel free to ask me questions.
I also enjoy guided journals. Right now I am doing one called "Design The Life You Love"
Zen/Buddhism/mindfulness books help me when I am stuck in my head, feeling as though my existence has no meaning. This book is the first one I read along those lines, and here is a popular Buddhist author whose books I find easy, relatable, and enjoyable to read. If you enjoy challenging books, there are plenty of those too - here is a hugely popular one.
Lastly, is there anyone close to you who you trust with this concern? Could you share your observations with this person, ask if they have noticed it as well, and ask what suggestions they might have?
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
I recommend reading Carl Jung and either DT Suzuki or S. Suzuki.
Most of what you’ll find elsewhere are just bullshit artist Gurus looking manipulate their power over you for self-aggrandizing purposes.
It’s been my experience that “occult” should be understood more from a psychological/numinous point of view rather than a supernatural. That is, personal experience that you are the source of, rather than someone else, person, thing or diety, which most lays claim as being the source of what your experience may be. Thus disempowering/stunting your path for development.
The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691006768/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_naI0Cb30YZNGJ
Psychology and Religion: West and East (The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 11) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691097720/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9hI0CbHSVC6E5
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802130550/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AiI0CbSSEKFGX
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice https://www.amazon.com/dp/1590308492/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6iI0CbMYD0STX
I haven't read Mindfulness in Plain English either, but I've heard good things. I found Zen Meditation in Plain English by Buksbazen to be a helpful intro. For more inspiration than instruction, I liked Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Suzuki.
Oh wow. As to specific books. Hmm. That's sort of all over the place but each one had something to offer. The ones I remember are:
Books on my list to read:
I have also dabbled in the study of Zen and a few types of Buddhism, Tao, other Eastern Religions and philosophies as well as some Western religions, ho'oponopono, mindfulness and reiki.
Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle have some good techniques for separating yourself from your ego.
Here are a few books that opened my mind to questioning reality, and a few books that I've read to help me understand this shift in consciousness I've been going through.
I highly suggest, whenever you're going for a long drive or walk out in the park, taking out your phone and searching "Adyashanti" in the YouTube search bar. There are tons of profound talks by him, all on this subject. He has changed my life and opened my mind hugely. Enjoy!
You might be interested in reading Adyashanti's The End of Your World. He addresses this pretty directly
The foundations of buddhism by Rupert Gethin is a good start. I think it provides a very solid ground to build upon, as it provides historical information on the development of buddhism, aswell as doctrinal information on both theravada and mahayana. It's basic, or rather, it's written for beginners, but it still contains a lot of very good information. It has very good reviews on amazon too (link), so many people evidently like the book.
I just got and have been reading Foundations of Buddhism recently and have found it a pretty good read for the topic. I looked a lot into what Buddhist books are well reviewed as an introduction and selected that one.
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddhism-OPUS-Rupert-Gethin/dp/0192892231
many chapters in that book trace the spread of buddhist texts from india into asia. perhaps you can find something there.
Here is a short summary of the four noble truths from the Saṃyutta Nikāya of the Pali cannon, as quoted in The Foundations of Buddhism by Buddhist scholar Rupert Gethin.
>This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, dying is suffering, sorrow, grief, pain, unhappiness, and unease are suffering; being united with what is not liked is suffering, separation from what is liked is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.
>This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: the thirst for repeated existence which, associated with delight and greed, delights in this and that, namely the thirst for the objects of sense desire, the thirst for existence, and the thirst for non-existence.
>This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: the complete fading away and cessation of this very thirst its abandoning, relinquishing, releasing, letting go.
>This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: the noble eightfold path, namely right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
>The point in my response was that I interpreted you to say that elimination of craving was not part of the path to reduce suffering, when it clearly is, as is evident if you read any introductory text on Buddhism, and I provided a quote from the Pali cannon to illustrate this.
>But now it seems to have morphed into a quibble over how to summarize the third noble truth.
If something has morphed its your argument and its because you morphed it. When I originally joined this thread this is the comment I responded to:
>I am asking about the second Noble truth. I am asking concretely, how one reduces/eliminates thirst in the context of meditation...
>It's as if I asked about how exactly to do step 4 of a recipe, to mix flour and butter together, and you responded with, follow the recipe. I'm asking specifically about one of the steps in the recipe.
This is you stating emphatically that you are talking about the Second Noble Truth.
I replied:
>The First Noble Truth is all life is suffering.
>The Second Noble Truth is suffering is caused by desire.
>The Third Noble Truth is there can be an end to suffering.
>The Fourth Noble Truth is that the end to suffering is in following the Eightfold Path.
>I know you've seen people here say that if you eliminate all desire you can end suffering, and maybe you've seen a website or even a book that says as much, and if you want to believe that too that's perfectly fine.
>>I am asking concretely, how one reduces/eliminates thirst in the context of meditation...
>You can't make a Turkey with salt. You can't extinguish desire with meditation. It takes more than that, but that can help.
To which you replied:
>The third Noble truth is more specific than you note
>>nirodha (cessation, ending) of this dukkha can be attained by eliminating all "craving, desire, and attachment";[7][8]
This is you mentioning the Third Noble Truth for the first time. I don't know why you brought up the Third Noble Truth. I think you're confused and I'm not here to "quibble", or to flex my ego, or to expose anyone so I simply wished you good luck.
You then replied with:
>Here is a short summary of the four noble truths from the Saṃyutta Nikāya of the Pali cannon, as quoted in The Foundations of Buddhism by Buddhist scholar Rupert Gethin.
>>This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, dying is suffering, sorrow, grief, pain, unhappiness, and unease are suffering; being united with what is not liked is suffering, separation from what is liked is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.
>>This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: the thirst for repeated existence which, associated with delight and greed, delights in this and that, namely the thirst for the objects of sense desire, the thirst for existence, and the thirst for non-existence.
>>This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: the complete fading away and cessation of this very thirst its abandoning, relinquishing, releasing, letting go.
>>This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: the noble eightfold path, namely right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
I don't know why you chose to share this translation, or how it advances your point. But I noticed that it is a workable translation so I replied:
>The second noble truth here doesn't look anything like what you described before. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
I thought that this would gently point out that you had switched from the Second Noble Truth to the Third Noble Truth, and I was trying to point out that even in the translation you quoted The Second Noble Truth is not how you described it here:
>I am asking about the second Noble truth. I am asking concretely, how one reduces/eliminates thirst in the context of meditation...
>It's as if I asked about how exactly to do step 4 of a recipe, to mix flour and butter together, and you responded with, follow the recipe. I'm asking specifically about one of the steps in the recipe.
But as a response you say:
>That's because I was describing the third noble truth not the second. And the previous quote is in agreement with this quote from the Pali cannon. "Thirst" here is equivalent to craving.
>>I know you've seen people here say that if you eliminate all desire you can end suffering, and maybe you've seen a website or even a book that says as much, and if you want to believe that too that's perfectly fine.
>I am responding to this comment of yours, given that it is not something said only by "people" or found in a "website"/"book", but the pali cannon itself.
I am not quibbling over how to summarize the Third Noble Truth. You are insisting that you have always been talking about the Third Noble Truth, and you have not. You also seem to be saying that your point is that The Third Noble Truth implies or describes some action, which it does not.
So I reply:
>The third noble truth says only that there can be an end to suffering.
>You need to look at the discussion and really think about what you've said. I think you're confused. I know you are.
Suggesting some of my suspicions and encouraging you to review the discussion which I've detailed above.
And now this last reply from you:
>The point in my response was that I interpreted you to say that elimination of craving was not part of the path to reduce suffering, when it clearly is, as is evident if you read any introductory text on Buddhism, and I provided a quote from the Pali cannon to illustrate this.
>But now it seems to have morphed into a quibble over how to summarize the third noble truth.
>>This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: the complete fading away and cessation of this very thirst its abandoning, relinquishing, releasing, letting go.
>Sure you can summarize the third noble truth by saying that there is an end to suffering, but it is only gets at half point, as is evident above, that end can occur by removing the cause of suffering, namely thirst: "...the cessation of suffering:[is achieved by]...complete...cessation of...thirst [craving/strong desire]".
>The noble truths as stated are just short descriptions of a general structure to the diagnosis of the state of things from a Buddhist perspective. The truths are expanded in great detail, in basically every element of Buddhism.
Do you recall the story of the Buddha before he reached Enlightenment? He had become frustrated in his practice and decided that he would sit beneath a tree and do nothing but meditate until he reached Enlightenment. He was not able to reach Enlightenment in this way and you will not either. This is something I am absolutely sure of. Elimination of desire is part of the path, but it is not the whole or primary focus, and in the context of meditation it's not something to focus on in the way that you mean it. Nor is it suggested in any introductory text of Buddhism. You have misunderstood your reading.
I am not quibbling over how to summarize the Third Noble Truth. It does not say what you think it says, or mean what you think it means. I am trying to have a discussion and address your questions.
>Sure you can summarize the third noble truth by saying that there is an end to suffering, but it is only gets at half point, as is evident above, that end can occur by removing the cause of suffering, namely thirst: "...the cessation of suffering:[is achieved by]...complete...cessation of...thirst [craving/strong desire]".
Bracketing in words you think should be there is not helping you understand. Let me be clear:
The way to end suffering is by following the Eightfold Path. Meditation is a part of that path and being mindful of desire is a part of that path. Meditation on ending desire will not, in and of itself, bring you to Enlightenment.
http://the-eye.eu/public/Books/Buddhism/Oxford%20University%20Press%20Buddhist%20Warfare%20%282010%29.pdf <== pdf
https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-Michael-Jerryson/dp/0195394844 <== amazon book
Cont'd
Now moving forward, the crusades will not take place. Certainly not as they did in OTL. Remember, the rationale behind the Crusades was that good Christian pilgrims were blocked from Jerusalem because of the Muslim conquests. This falls flat because even if the Arabs conquer Jerusalem, it wouldn't be much of a holy site. Even under the possibilities (however remote) that Jesus and Muhammed are both considered bodhisattvas or high lamas and both had their meditative experiences in Jerusalem, the High Priest in Rome wouldn't have a theological basis to call for an invasion of the Levant. Holy warring simply doesn't exist in Buddhism.
But don't be discouraged! Historians now tend to agree that the crusades were wars over economic control of the western terminus of the Silk Road (Constantinople and the Levant, specifically) than wars of religion. There won't be any grand Vatican councils to declare war against the infidel, but gradually we'll begin to see wars from the merchant republics of Italy and the Empires and Kingdoms of Europe over control of this delicate region. The result will eventually be a region divided by history and a patchwork of Buddhist states. My guess is that it will be just as contentious as our world's Middle East with conflict driven more by race and ethnicity than religion (since the vast majority will be Buddhist).
That said, eventually the New World transmission will take place Buddhist conquistadors will scour the Americas from Newfoundland to Tierra del Fuego. It's way too removed from our POD to be able to determine exactly how the New World would be divided or how bloody the conquest would be. Personally, I'd like to think that Buddhist missionaries would seek to civilize the indigenous tribes before the conquistadors sweep in with swords and the excuses of, "We're not monks." This, after all, tends to be the pattern of Buddhist transmission: the kingdoms and tribes that survived slaughter tended to adopt Buddhism from the missionaries and then when the conquerors came, the newly Buddhist kings would throw up their hands and say, "Would you kill fellow sangha members?"
So say the Aztecs and Inca still exist by the time the Buddhists show up, I'd like to imagine that missionaries - Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana - would approach the natives and try to convert them. After all the Tibetans practiced human sacrifice before the second transmission of Buddhism. Maybe Buddhist Cortez will approach Mexico and find out that he can't slaughter willy nilly without incurring the wrath of High Lamas and teachers. Unfortunately, disease doesn't know religion and plagues will still wipe out huge swaths of the Native American tribes.
Buddhist monasteries (and I'd like to think this is a result of their decentralized nature) have supported learning especially in proto-sciences so I'd also like to imagine that missionaries would traverse the Americas seeking to stem the tide of smallpox and typhoid. In this world, perhaps the slaughter and plague would both be decreased by at least a quarter, maybe as much as half.
Where it would get really interesting would be if/when Buddhist Europeans would finally cross the Pacific and meet China and India. The cultural shock would be reduced quite a bit if ships sailed into Hangzhou with an altar room dedicated to the Buddha. Or if the ship's chaplain was able to discuss the Dhammapada with the Son of Heaven's court priests.
The timeline here gets absurdly fuzzy by the Alternate Colombian Exchange. After all, the butterfly effect demands that different dynasties will rise and fall in China, perhaps even the Mongols may be spurred on by a full European conquest, distorting these not-crusades and perhaps giving alt-China time to catch up and explore the New World well before the Europeans. So we're reaching really dark territory but here's my assessment: Roman Europe converting to Buddhism presents a (very) strong probability that Scandinavia and Arabia will also convert to Buddhism (albeit their own flavor). With Arabia being converted to Buddhism, even if they destroy Persia and pour into India as the Arabs did IOTL, then they won't destroy the Buddhist temples and monasteries of North India. This means that Buddhism will remain a major religion of India and possibly (though not certainly) not spread to Tibet. Tibet - somewhat ironically - may convert to Chinese Ch'an Buddhism and not Indian Vajrayana Buddhism as it did IOTL. So with Buddhists spreading from Ireland to Japan, it will no doubt be THE largest and most influential religion in the world regardless of who gets to the New World first, European or Chinese (or Indian?).
I'm not stupid enough to believe that a Buddhist world is a pacifist one. But I'd like to imagine it would be at least somewhat less violent as holy warring is not typically a facet of Buddhist warfare (though textual justification after the fact certainly is). That said, things are somewhat easier when you can travel from Rome to Nanjing and always be among fellow worshippers. If you're more interested in a timeline like this, check out "Buddhist Warfare." You can compare Christian and Muslim warfare with Buddhist ones. No one declared a holy war for Bodh Gaya or Oddiyana even though both were taken over by the Muslims, though the Christians certainly did for Jerusalem. Buddhist history hasn't always been peaceful, but it is nice when a cardinal declaration of your religion is not to harm others.
Good article.
Sri Lanka and Thailand are both Theravada Buddhist countries with de facto modern states, standing militaries and devout Buddhist armed service members. In Sri Lanka this is a genuine issue that military members in an official capacity wrestle with when entering combat zones where Muslim terrorists are killing Buddhists. Most monks there seem to acknowledge that lethal force will be inevitable and therefore sermons given to soldiers emphasize putting soldiers in the right state of mind so that when lethal force is applied they take less of a "karma hit". But it's expected they'll take one nonetheless. The soldiers do this reluctantly rather than sacrificially. And the monks never encourage violence, only right states of mind or survival. There are a few monks that directly advocate using lethal force, but they are the minority. So in a way I would say Sir Lanka is an example of the second option, but most soldiers are following this path reluctantly.
In Thailand the situation is a bit different. Southern Thailand has had monasteries militarized for about thirty years. In some cases temples are actually bases for military. There are also de facto ordained military monks who gone through service and then entered monkhood who walk around with concealed pistols and have assault rifles under their bed. Thailand seems to of embraced the first option.
Both the above situations are covered in the book Buddhist Warfare by Michael Jerryson.
On an another note there are archaic sources, which most Buddhists will probably discount that do support limited warfare. One example is the Ārya-Satyakaparivarta Mahayana sutra. Lethal force isn't endorsed lightly but they do say when all other non-violent options are exhausted, then go ahead and fight violence with violence, but in the least violent way possible. e.g. don't pursue your enemy beyond your borders or relish violence.
I have no objections to your clarifications about karma and determinism.
I didn't read the book, just read the description of it on Amazon which said:
>Buddhist Warfare demonstrates that the discourse on religion and violence, usually applied to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, can no longer exclude Buddhist traditions. The book examines Buddhist military action in Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and shows that even the most unlikely and allegedly pacifist religious traditions are susceptible to the violent tendencies of man. http://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-Michael-Jerryson/dp/0195394844(italics mine)
The italicized part seemed to placing the onus on Buddhism itself rather than a clear corruption of the teachings. I would re-write it to say: "shows that even the most unlikely and clearly pacifist religious teachings are susceptible to the violent tendencies of man." But I didn't read the book, so I'll take your word that it is a fair treatment of the subject.
>That doesn't mean monks, novices, nuns, or lay Buddhists have never killed others in the name of religion or religious indignation.
I'm not sure where you said this, but I have a small point to make about it. I would say this actually provides another clear distinction between Buddhism and other religions. If a monk or nun killed, for any reason, it would only be once, because the instant they do it they are disrobed for life. Even if they tell someone else to kill and the killing occurs, they are no longer a monk or nun. Most other religions don't have such clear consequences with regard to violence.
I do think there are reasonable arguments one can make that support Buddhism's peaceful reputation. First, statistically, do self-identified Buddhists, per capita, throughout history, engage in warfare less often than Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, whatever? I don't know the answer, but it's certainly possible. How reliable are arguments like this? How do you separate other cultural factors and influences from the equation? People will be arguing over comparisons like this forever.
Second, and more importantly, is Buddhist doctrine peaceful, or more peaceful? Since in the Buddha's recorded teachings in the Pali Canon, there is not one instance of the Buddha justifying intentional killing under any circumstances, you could say it is much more clearly peaceful than the scriptures of other religions which have many unambiguous passages about God telling one tribe to kill others, and all sorts of ambiguous passages that can be easily interpreted to justify killing. Fortunately the Buddha was supremely careful in his speech.
For further reading, there's "BUddhist Warfare" and "Zen at War", one discusses the long history of BUddhism, while the latter focuses on Japanese Zen.
https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-Michael-Jerryson/dp/0195394844/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=M7295Z1SV0KBKF1YX16Z
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-War-Brian-Daizen-Victoria/dp/0742539261/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1504935818&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=buddhism+at+war
There is a great book about this very topic called "Buddhist Warfare". I highly recommend reading it. There is a story in there about two Tibetan groups who hated each other so much that one built their monastery higher up a mountain from the other so they could roll boulders down on the other group.
As another commenter has pointed out, the situation in Myanmar is a great example of violence in the name of Buddhism. The teachings of the Buddha are that we are all products of prior causes and conditions. As Thich Nhat Hanh once pointed out, "if I had been born in the village of the pirate and raised in the same conditions as he was, there is a great likelihood that I would become a pirate."
Overall, the core values of Buddhism do not condone violence (one of the five precepts is not to kill/cause to be killed - thus, valuing all life as sacred). Not condoning violence does not mean not having compassion for those who perpetrate it, though. Remember, even Angulimala became an arahant.
The Words of My Perfect Teacher is a great book on the preliminary practices in the Nyingma tradition. The preliminaries aren't much different from tradition to tradition, so it's pretty applicable regardless of the school. This book will give you a crystal clear idea of what your practice would be like for the first X,XXX hours of practice if you happen to begin a Vajrayana practice.
If you're keen on Dzogchen, you could also check out The Crystal and the Way of Light.
I appreciate you responding to me and taking me up on a debate. I can tell that you really put time and effort into thinking about these particular issues and thats great.
I think in order to get the whole gist of buddhism you should try to look it through the view of someone else who claims to know about buddhism https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=A88VX0WPXS0XGDAPBRNF this book is great for plenty of reasons, goes throughout the history of how we know what we know and what that means.
I would say that your view of karma is correct in a sense, however its not the whole idea. To be honest I think a lot of the things in Buddhism can get lost without proper practice. That reading on the idea of emptiness and reading on the idea of no-self can be disconcerting and misunderstood. The only way to fully grasp these ideas is to practice. By practicing the ideas taught through meditation we can fully understand and embrace the teachings.
In terms of reincarnation I believe reincarnation to be true (maybe not in the same sense that you believe), and true we cannot scientifically test this to be true. But I do believe I have a intellectually rational view on the subject.
I think if you are interested in Buddhist philosophy you should try meditation and "buddhist like practice", its scientifically proven that meditation does great things and you can even approach the meditation from a secular point of view.
If you need any resources let me know. I would also not mind continuing this discussion if you are inclined to do so.
I'm not sure that this is a forum that specializes in issues of this nature, though we may be able to provide support in related areas of subject matter. I would assume that many of us have been in the business of confronting and dealing with our various pains, sufferings, and other shadows in the dark night of the soul.
History and myth are ripe with tales beings of ambiguous or crossed genders. They have played an important part of many traditions as symbols and sacred figures representing alchemical principles and equanimity of the soul, an androgyny that forms a balanced human being comprised of both masculine and feminine principles.
It is my opinion that if you face this conflict within you earnestly and seek to understand it that you will begin to unravel the knot of your pain and come to a better understanding of what is going on within you. Learn self-reflection and seek to understand yourself. Helpful tools include meditation and consumption of as much relevant literature on any related subjects.
Possible starting points:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphroditus
http://chemicalmarriage.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/the-great-hermaphrodite-explained/
http://pathofsoul.org/2013/03/09/carl-jung-the-hermaphrodite-creative-union-of-opposites/
For a compassionate guide to practicing self-reflection and meditation I cannot recommend a better starting point than The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh. I would make the case to you that it will help you do the real hard work of refining yourself as a human being. And if you do decide to delve further into occult practice and study, a good foundation in meditation, mindfulness, and present moment awareness can be invaluable, particularly on chemognostic psychedelic voyages into other realms of reality.
I apologize if this is not the sort of thing that you are looking for. Magic and occult practice isn't necessarily about quick fixes and easy solutions. But I can almost guarantee that if you work at it sincerely it will be transformative of who you are in unexpected and most often beneficial ways. Good luck and feel free to message if there is anything I can do to further assist you.
Thanks for your response Shuun. I've been exposed to these by this book (get the audio if you can as Ben Kingsley's read is wonderful). https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692
Ty has done a lovely job updating the precepts for modern living too including things like how what you eat effects the climate of the world and how sensory entertainment effects right mind.
Anyhow, I am definitely putting these into practice daily, it's definitely a process which is why I was meant to find the word Kenshō.
In the chan tradition, they have what are known as an Upāsaka a lay person who abides by the precepts without need for ordaining or staying within the temple. This is definitely the middle path I'm taking.
Came here to suggest this book. It is sitting on my shelf right now.
Link to the Amazon Store
>"If you and Mom sit here and take his shit, then that's on you guys. It's not my fault if you don't want to stand up to him."
this is a good sentiment because you'd just be enabling his bs. Eventually they will enable him or get tired of it.
>I can't dye my hair, get piercings, or get tattoos which to me are all things that are beautiful. Plus being overweight. I don't even want to try to lose weight because I feel like I still won't be beautiful and like I'm never going to be able to be myself and love myself.
You seem really concerned with your outward image and it seems like a lot of energy is spent worrying about this. If you feel so negatively about it, then you should do what you can to improve it instead of doing nothing. This is a big problem for you that you have the power to fix, SO FIX IT. less shit on your plate, know what I mean? And you don't have to have a strict regiment of working out and stuff. Just change your diet, go walking, and the fat will fall off. Use myfitnesspal to log your calories too. also don't weigh yourself all the time.
It seems like youre stuck in a depression and it sucks but in order for things to be different, YOU have to be different. It will seem pointless at times, but work towards the change you want to happen. You say that you believe your image limits your income and you generally don't feel happy about it? Diet and exercise is a good place to start.(I lost almost 40lbs when I became a vegan last november. I never go to the gym, but if you do this make sure you are eating for nutrition too)
As for work, look into retail sales merchandiser positions if you have a car. Most have super flexible schedules.
You may not have anyone that understands, but that's okay because you have yourself. While corny, true happiness comes from within. Those that cant find it in within themselves waste time and energy constantly searching for the next thing to provide them pleasure in things that are impermanent. this is a good book
Understanding yourself and taking wisdom from where you can is paramount, for the applications derived from both are innumerable
This might be just what you need right now. It can't hurt to try.
Hmm, good question. I can't claim to have read a lot of Thay's work (because as you said, there's quite a bit), but my hunch based on what I have read is that where you should start depends on your current knowledge of Buddhism.
Thay seems to write two types of books: a "general audience" type book that draws on Buddhism, but only to the extent that the teachings can be practiced by anyone regardless of their background. The Miracle of Mindfulness might be an example of this, or his "one-word-title books" as I call them: Power, Savor, Fear, etc.
The other type of book he writes seems to be intended for readers who either are already Buddhist or interested in going more deeply into Buddhist teachings. To know where to start with these works, a lot depends on how familiar you already are with the Buddha's teachings. I can tell you the order I read them, which seemed to work quite well:
Started with: The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: This is Thay's overview of the core teachings of Buddhism. I see this book like this: if Buddhism was a country, this would be a map of it. It shows you all the major points of interest, and the roads connecting all of them together. After reading this, you'll have a good grasp of what the different pieces of Buddhism are and how they work together to help you toward awakening/enlightenment.
But if you've never read anything about Buddhism at all before, I'm personally not sure if this is a good first book as it's not exactly a light read. Don't get me wrong: it's written with Thay's usual elegance and clarity, but it's packed with a lot of stuff (in the best sense). I was already somewhat familiar with the basics of Buddhism, so for me it was easy to build on that; but for someone brand new, I think the "general audience" books would still be a better start.
After that first book: In the first book itself, Thay recommends three sutras every serious practitioner should study regularly: the Bhaddekaratta Sutra, the Anapatasati Sutra, and the Satipatthana Sutra. Thankfully, Thay has translated and written commentaries on all three sutras and my links go to his books on these sutras.
Not much more I can share given that I'm about halfway through Thay's book on the Anapanasati Sutra. What I can say is that I can see why he says these are sutras to be studied throughout your life. They have some really powerful teachings that I have no doubt will take me years to grasp and practice properly.
Hope that helps. I'm sure others have read far more of Thay's work than I have, and can either correct my attempt here or give better recommendations.
>what does the Buddha mean when he references his teachings simply as a raft meant to cross a river in Chapter 6[1] ?
This is actually a very deep simile, rich with many layers of meaning. I've sat here for a while and typed out several explanations, then deleted them realizing none of them captures all the levels of what the Buddha was saying here. That would be an entire essay, really.
The essence of it is that the Buddha did not want people to get caught up in his words, thinking that by analyzing his words they would attain enlightenment. He had to use words because that was the primary way he could communicate the Dhamma, but what he was teaching is beyond words.
This connects to your second question, because later in the Diamond Sutra the Buddha said:
>Subhuti, as to speaking truth, no truth can be spoken.
A clue to understanding this is given by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh when he wrote in The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (emphasis mine): "Right View is the absence of all views."
So when you ask, "Here is my view now, is it valid?" The answer is most likely "No."
The Buddha taught purely out of compassion. He didn't teach because we lacked something, or he needed to "save" us, or any of that. He sat for days after his enlightenment deciding what to do, because he realized that there was nothing to do. And that is why he says there is no teaching, and that to consider the teaching as having an existence is false.
You are therefore right to connect no-self with the non-existence of the teaching as well. The teaching of no-self, anatta, is something also deep and requiring a good teacher to go through with you. I am definitely not a master or teacher of that caliber, so all I can do is recommend this video on non-self that might help you understand it.
Yea sure! it was this book. I bought the audio version on itunes https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692
All you need is Love!
Speaking of love, how about this one?
I like this book by Thich Nhat Hanh and this one by Charlotte Joko Beck.
Googling "Buddhism" will provide you with a treasure trove. The about.com Buddhism page isn't bad.
Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is a really wonderful primer I discovered recently. My own introduction was the free podcast by Gil Fronsdal. He's a terrific speaker and communicates from an easy Western perspective.
Ah, so the real problem here is that you don't know anything about Buddhism and its function as a religion. Here is a good introductory book about it written by one of its best-educated scholars. And while we're at it, you may be interested in this well-known atheist's views about the difference between faith and meditation.
What you are going through is actually pretty typical given your age and environment.
Something similar happened to me. I grew up in a liberal Catholic home and then when I became a teenager I started to think it was all non-sense. Then I studied Buddhism, and after that Hinduism because both of these religions allowed me to find spiritual meaning without the question of the existence or non-existence of God. This went on for the majority of my adult life, and I considered myself agnostic the whole time. Then a couple of years ago I started having experiences within Islam. Now, I do believe in God, and it's something that's important to me (I haven't quite converted to Islam - there's a major rule I don't think I can follow) and I work on. So don't let it stress you - in the long it'll help you discovered a lot of cool and meaningful things.
But to answer you question directly check out the book Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit. It's a good balance between Eastern and Western spirituality. And if you want to study Buddhism on its own I highly recommend What the Buddha Taught - it's probably the best primer on Buddhism that I've ever read.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GAyymh5-Tlmv8TtLlDEAsJ3CfpIioU7u/view?usp=sharing
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Conspiracy against the human race - Thomas Ligotti.
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As for buddhism, I recommend the book ( https://www.amazon.ca/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313 ) What the Buddha Taught, as well as this guide: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/beyondcoping/index.html
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The primary thing about Buddhism, the core of Buddhist philosophy, is the Three Mark's of Existence:
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Impermanence: All things are subject to change, falling and arising based on interdependent conditions.
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Non-self: As a result of impermanence and the interdependent nature of existence, there is no essential element in existence. Nothing exists in and of itself, but always in relation to something else. This doctrine primarily counters the common belief in the 'soul', that there is some fundamental part of us that grants us autonomy and meaning or connects us to the greater world but in a very 'meaningful' way.
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Dukkha: As a result of the two above structures, life is unsatisfying, stressful, conditional, not worth clinging to. Aka, suffering. Bad things permeate existence, good things bring grief through their impermenance, we are constantly subject to the conditions of change and life and have no essential self, and are therefore constantly pulled and pushed by desire and aversion, a metaphysical rat race.
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All else follows from these three, and the beauty of this truth is it applies to all worlds. Regardless if god(s) existed, regardless if soul(s) existed, regardless of the success of progress, socialism, technology, etc, life would always be defined by these three traits for all sentients.
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The noble path described by buddhism is summed up by this truth 'All conditional phenomenon is not worth clinging to'. Everything else is attempting to achieve this dispassion/detachment in a skillful, healthy way. While the actual phenomenon of ego-death/nirvana is more a neurological trick than a definite end goal, the path still leads to peace and acceptance, although in a pessimistic way that the modern woo version of buddhism does not allow the public to realize.
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The primary means of achieving non-clinging, according to early buddhist teachings, is, for material things, to become disenchanted with objects, which is to say, to realize their insignificance and why they are worth neither pursuit nor fear or anger. One does this by deconstructing things, which is why buddism meshes really well with post modernism and science, as it shares reductionist methodology and pursuits to achieve an objective view of life.
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For emotional matters, one counters negative emotions through critical evaluation and countering the fire of anger by dousing it with compassion, and positive emotions through the deconstruction method pointed out above.
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The primary method, of course, is mediation and the active watching of these petty emotions and phenomenon naturally passing away, realizing that you do not need to be a slave to them and do not need them to be content. (Easier said than done, patience is).
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Ethical training, I believe, is important for Buddhism due to a) seeking to let go of egotistical attachments and things that could harm your training and b) because if nirvana is achieved, you essentially kill a primary high mental function and your personality will largely be set in stone, which is why it's not uncommon for enlightened people to actually be quite egotistical despite their charisma and childishness, if they are not buddhists/trained properly (such as osha, who possessed an odd aura in person despite being a materialistic twat).
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But overall, you'll find alot of Buddhist's attempts to argue for disenchantment from the world to be rooted in archiac views of the world, full of superstition, aka karma and rebirth etc. The key is replacing the old practices of corpse watching and hell realm contemplation with modern practices of nihilism, hence why pessimism/nihilism like the book above complemented buddhism well, at least for detaching from positive things. Negative things will require compassion contemplation and the kind of reductionist materialism seen in sociology (It's not his fault he became a pedophile, he was born/made to be that way!) and realization that negative emotions harm you rather than serve you. Take of that what you will.
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E: Be warned that looking into Buddhist history and topics outside the primary study of suffering will result in findings of superstition and the same kind of corruption, misogny, homophobia, status quo complacency, etc, that plagues all institutional faiths. Ignore the parts you dislike, although with careful consideration, and take the core truths that help.
I got there slowly over time but I found this book on my father's bookshelf and it got me thinking differently. It's not a self-help book, more of a concise summary of this guy's philosophy but it's not difficult to read:
https://www.amazon.ca/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313
That said, different approaches work for different people. Finding a good yoga teacher (one that actually guides you through a meditation every class) can be really motivating... for others mindfulness therapy is a good option.
What it really takes is for you to demonstrate to yourself that you can change your mood and thought patterns if you need to, and then to be curious about how far you can take it.
A simple way to demonstrate this to yourself is to find a quiet place, get comfortable, and try to focus on something in the present moment (an object, your breath, a sound, etc...). You will lose focus, but that's exactly what you want. When you lose focus, just respectfully bring your attention back to your object.
By doing this you are getting better at two things: your ability to control where your attention is, and your ability to observe where your attention is. That last one is key. It elevates you above your thoughts to the level of a passive observer. That was the most life-changing tool for me. From this place, you can choose which thoughts to grab onto and which ones to let fly by. You learn to let the bad ones fly past you and let go of seemingly good thoughts that make you act badly when you entertain them. This place is my center... where i go to when i feel unbalanced.
It's important to make sure you have lots of time available, or you will get distracted by obligations. If you don't have any free time then that's probably the first thing you need to change if you want to grow in this way.
Sorry for the stream of thought, but i figured it might be helpful :)
Hey. As mentioned before, there are some different traditions so depending on your flavor of choice, there can be some minor differences. I tend to come from a Theravada approach. For me, the best intro book to Buddhism was "What the Buddha Taught" by W. Rahula (https://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313). For an online resource, my go to is Access to Insight: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Hope those help.
Peace,
-Dave
http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313
http://www.amazon.com/The-Closing-Muslim-Mind-Intellectual-ebook/dp/B00JBRUKZS
http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Hebrew-Scripture-Yoram-Hazony/dp/0521176670
Heyo! A little late to the thread, but I have two sources I like to point people to as an introduction to Buddhism and the Buddha himself—they're both secondary: one being a book, the other a documentary.
The book: an introduction to Buddhism, What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula. It was written, primarily, for a western audience unfamiliar with the teachings of Buddha and perceived it as part of "the other." A great starting point (was mine)!
The documentary: it is available on Netflix or on the PBS website, The Buddha by filmmaker David Grubin. It's a great informative and introductory documentary detailing the life of Buddha and his most basic teachings. The narration is wonderfully done and the visuals are titillating.
I hope these help!
I'm waiting on a book called "What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada" and a black Timex watch.
"It is that which you see before you. Begin to reason about it and you at once fall into error." Zen Master Huang Po, from this superb book
thank you again for your replies; very well articulated, very helpful to me
I would like to ask you for your favorite resources on how to enhance mindfulness/awareness.
Mine are E Tolle's The Power Of Now and Stillness Speaks.
I listened to Alan Watts Out Of Your Mind and Do You Do It or Does It Do You?: How to Let the Universe Meditate You, and read his The Way Of Zen. I liked the book very much, did not enjoy much the audios. I went right back to listening to E Tolle audiobooks, mainly his TPON.
Also, I am reading the The Zen Teaching of Huang Po
What about you? What do you definitely think I should listen to or read?
I read this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Zen-Teaching-Huang-Po-Transmission-Mind/dp/0802150926/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474053415&amp;sr=8-1-fkmr2&amp;keywords=zen+teachings+of+huang+bo
>I get that the story paints that picture, but the moral of the story is not very Buddhist to me.
What these and a great many other sources such as this illustrate is that Buddhism isn't necessarily pacifist by nature. Throughout its history it has had its own very Buddhist ways of coming to grips with violence. If the story doesn't sound very Buddhist, then perhaps the problem isn't with the story but with your ideas about what Buddhism "is" or rather what you believe Buddhism "should be."
I would suggest reading a few zen books. Be careful, because some of the words are supposed to be vice grips that trap you, but you will read things that cause you to wonder, thus growing your mind, and zen is not about the religious aspects of Buddhism so much as the tangible, concrete, here-and-now perceptions of deeper and deeper wisdom. I can give you . . . four recommendations of zen books that I really enjoyed.
Zen Bridge
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Don't Be A Jerk
The Zen Teaching of Huang Po
See /r/Buddhism's suggested reading list. I can personally (and highly) recommend Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind as well as Buddhism Without Beliefs.
It's a core zen thing, they talk about always being the student. Dan Abramov is a very accomplished developer who has had a massively large impact on the development world so im not sure why this makes you guys so upset if he wants to emphasize always being a beginner.
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditation/dp/1590308492
> Master ewk wrote a book for us: http://www.amazon.com/Not-Zen-A-Revolution-ebook/dp/B00D3UQ7II - I recommend you to study it before you make further comments on /r/zen ... to be one of the ewks, study Not Zen and what Zen Masters didn't teach.
Zen Masters didn't teach this. There are no "ewks" How to study a green sound sleeping?