11–20 of 46 posts
I hate that this might actually be true. I don't want routines or rituals, I just want to do the smart thing at any given second. Empirically, however, that's not what actually happens.
I can recommend Brain Rules and if you don’t want to read the book at least watch the videos as they are so funny.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m not anyone super important but this is how I’ve lived my life. Honestly it feels chaotic. My mind is always running via executive control. In some ways this, I believe, has provided me with a very unique worldview where anything seems possible - any path is within my grasp. I think it has led me to be more (forgive the possible arrogance, it’s not intended as such) intelligent than the average bear. I don’t let m…
Maybe not as pronounced as in your case but I can definitly understand where you’re comming from. What worked for me was trying to understand some martial arts / eastern spirituality, which brought a lot of peace and stability to my mind. I remeber being tald about all the spiritual things that seem bonkers to a western educated mind, but with the idea that - all models are false, some models are useful, I just “trie…
The teaching of Jesus and Buddha are really giving you the exact same advice. Self-sacrifice, honesty, hard work and being decent while you accept all the shit life throws at you and let it pass, because it will, are the ways to live calmly and fully in between the eternal struggle chaos and order.
I personally think the eastern approach was easier to comprehend than the western. Ying and yang are two dragons locked in eternal struggle, one is chaos one is order but within each dragon is a small piece of the other. Let too much of one dragon into your life and you will suffer, and since chaos lives within order (and vice versa) it’s also a fruitless struggle to chose one, because the other will always find a way to creep in.
You’ll find the same essence in the bible and the moral struggle between good and evil and a God who never tells you what he wants, but to me, it was much less clear. Perhaps especially because 90% of religions scholars are assholes and in the west you don’t meet the eastern assholes but you do meet a lot of shitty priests.
I hate that this might actually be true. I don't want routines or rituals, I just want to do the smart thing at any given second. Empirically, however, that's not what actually happens.
> I just want to do the smart thing at any given second. I can recommend Brain Rules and if you don’t want to read the book at least watch the videos as they are so funny.
I’m jealous at Churchill’s 5:00pm nap. I’d be much happier and productive if I could decide my working hours.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m not anyone super important but this is how I’ve lived my life. Honestly it feels chaotic. My mind is always running via executive control. In some ways this, I believe, has provided me with a very unique worldview where anything seems possible - any path is within my grasp. I think it has led me to be more (forgive the possible arrogance, it’s not intended as such) intelligent than the average bear. I don’t let m…
Maybe not as pronounced as in your case but I can definitly understand where you’re comming from. What worked for me was trying to understand some martial arts / eastern spirituality, which brought a lot of peace and stability to my mind. I remeber being tald about all the spiritual things that seem bonkers to a western educated mind, but with the idea that - all models are false, some models are useful, I just “trie…
I’d love to hear more if you have the time to spare.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe not as pronounced as in your case but I can definitly understand where you’re comming from. What worked for me was trying to understand some martial arts / eastern spirituality, which brought a lot of peace and stability to my mind. I remeber being tald about all the spiritual things that seem bonkers to a western educated mind, but with the idea that - all models are false, some models are useful, I just “trie…
I always found it rather interesting how similar Buddhism is to Christian, and how different they are typically taught. The teaching of Jesus and Buddha are really giving you the exact same advice. Self-sacrifice, honesty, hard work and being decent while you accept all the shit life throws at you and let it pass, because it will, are the ways to live calmly and fully in between the eternal struggle chaos and order.…
1. Love God
2. Love other people as much as you love yourself.
You'll find the second one in Buddhism, but not really the first.
That makes rather a lot of difference, because it focuses someone on being grateful for the world, rather than attempting to ignore it.
I’m jealous at Churchill’s 5:00pm nap. I’d be much happier and productive if I could decide my working hours.
Time to start a company?
I think you need to be a special kind of person to have them.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I always found it rather interesting how similar Buddhism is to Christian, and how different they are typically taught. The teaching of Jesus and Buddha are really giving you the exact same advice. Self-sacrifice, honesty, hard work and being decent while you accept all the shit life throws at you and let it pass, because it will, are the ways to live calmly and fully in between the eternal struggle chaos and order.…
Interesting comment. I think if you were to read one of the gospels you'd pretty quickly get instructions on what God wants: 1. Love God 2. Love other people as much as you love yourself. You'll find the second one in Buddhism, but not really the first. That makes rather a lot of difference, because it focuses someone on being grateful for the world, rather than attempting to ignore it.
As there is no dogma in Buddhism, it's really difficult to casually learn what Buddhism is about. Usually people will throw a hundred books at you and say, "Well, that will get you started" (at least in my experience :-) ). However, I think you may have gotten the wrong end of the stick.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Interesting comment. I think if you were to read one of the gospels you'd pretty quickly get instructions on what God wants: 1. Love God 2. Love other people as much as you love yourself. You'll find the second one in Buddhism, but not really the first. That makes rather a lot of difference, because it focuses someone on being grateful for the world, rather than attempting to ignore it.
I'm not a Buddhist, but I think you've got that completely backwards. For example, the 5 moral precepts in Buddhism are refrain from: harming living things, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying or gossip, taking intoxicating substances eg drugs or drink. No mention of god anywhere. As far as I can tell, in many (most? all?) sects of Buddhism there is no god . Buddha is just the first fully enlightened b…
Certain of the Buddhist sects and practices (notably Vajrayāna) throw gods into the mix because they've incorporated local beliefs and culture.