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Buddha and Mind

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Re: Buddha and Mind

#41

Post by meristohm »

beebmam wrote: post #20
Falandafa2021 wrote: post #8

Meditation is about quieting ones mind to ultimate stillness. This is where the ego disolves which is not exactly in alignment with the culturally dominant materialism that we find surrounding us (i.e. the quest for money power and status) all things that rely on an inflated ego. Using meditation to improve in moving up in society is like using wood logs to put out a fire.

Stereotyping is extremely rude. How would you like it if someone stereotyped whatever regions that you are part of? You are certainly aware that even within your own set of cultures, there's a wide diversity of opinions on what people want in life. Let's stop making these kinds of silly generalizations. Within the United States there is a vast, vast diversity of opinion on basically any idea. I'm sure its similar vir…

“Western” is the dominant paradigm for many (some in China might disagree? That empire is maybe just having a cat-nap), so taking the piss out of Western society seems a fine thing, especially since much of the climate trouble we’re in is due to Western ways of thinking and doing (this is largely the culture I was raised in).

Much like it’s not really a thing to be racist against those who identify as White; they’re in power and might be expected to have the wherewithal to take it without getting defensive.

Another more palatable example might be “roasting” celebrities; would it be okay to pick on in such a way those far lower on the economic ladder as they struggle to meet their basic needs in the face of generational stress and trauma?

Re: Buddha and Mind

#42

Post by Falandafa2021 »

PraetorianGourd wrote: post #13
Falandafa2021 wrote: post #8

Meditation is about quieting ones mind to ultimate stillness. This is where the ego disolves which is not exactly in alignment with the culturally dominant materialism that we find surrounding us (i.e. the quest for money power and status) all things that rely on an inflated ego. Using meditation to improve in moving up in society is like using wood logs to put out a fire.

I wouldn’t distill an entire region of the globe down to wanting money, power and status. Nor would I say that wanting those things, especially money, requires an inflated ego. The stereotype of the noble destitute is overplayed. Wanting to be able to provide for my family and have financial security can be noble as well. It’s how one accomplishes those things that can be unethical. Perhaps mindfulness helps someone…

You are right it is not just the western culture was mainly using the stereotype to prove a point specifically that moving up in a materialistic society is antithetical to what true meditation and spiritual practice aims at which is beyond the material world.

Re: Buddha and Mind

#43

Post by chana_masala »

pmoriarty wrote: post #29
chana_masala wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kind of riffing off of that, I think that there would be less atheists in America if more of them were exposed to Hinduism.

...and many more Buddhists if more were exposed to Buddhism. The interesting part about these religions is that unlike two other prominent major religions (Christianity and Islam), they rarely prostelytize or seek converts. If they were as gung-ho about trying to spread their religion as Christianity has, for example, there'd probably be a lot more Hindus and Buddhists. Incidentally, belief in a god is not absolutely…

There is a split in Hindu schools of thought - some do not consider atheism as a valid Hindu path, i.e. that nastika is not part of Hinduism and that the three requirements for any Hindu sect are 1. belief in one supreme God that is immanent and transcendent, 2. belief in reincarnation, 3. belief in karma. Nastika schools like Jain, Buddhism and some Hindu sects believe 2 and 3 but not 1.

Re: Buddha and Mind

#44

Post by pmoriarty »

Falandafa2021 wrote: post #37
pmoriarty wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Meditation is about quieting ones mind to ultimate stillness." There are probably hundreds of different techniques of meditation, in many different traditions, and with different aims. For some, like in many types of Christian meditation, the purpose can be to deepen one's relationship with God. Quieting the mind or stillness might be part of a way to get there, but not the ultimate aim. Even in Buddhism, there are,…

> For some, like in many types of Christian meditation, the purpose can be to deepen one's relationship with God. Quieting the mind or stillness might be part of a way to get there, but not the ultimate aim. A true Buddhist would argue that divinity is within a truly quiet mind. See my username for one such practice

Who gets to decide who's a "true Buddhist" and who's not, and what relevance does that have to Christian meditation?

Re: Buddha and Mind

#45

Post by chana_masala »

swayvil wrote: post #27
chana_masala wrote: post #3

This is kind of unrelated but whenever discussions on meditation come up here, especially recently ones that have mentioned the dangers around it, I am reminded that my lineage stresses that meditation should not be undertaken until one has sufficient preparation with simpler practices, such as karma yoga (service orientated worship). The perspective is that if you start these practices before "calming down" (like be…

I dunno man. Awareness is already this big powertool that we are all using all the time. Casually, sloppily, intensely, obsessively, recklessly. But not really very intelligently. (like what's an engineer but a man who uses his awareness like a hammer, beating riddles into submission?) Learning to use your awareness intelligently strikes me as close to an unalloyed good thing. Meditation can do that.

I don't disagree that it's good to use awareness intelligently, but you don't even need meditation for that, according to Hindu thought much of that can be achieved through other yogas, namely karma yoga. Meditation is much more than learning to use your awareness intelligently. There are many types of meditation, too.

Re: Buddha and Mind

#46

Post by dang »

berniemadoff69 wrote: post #34

nothing zen about animated sticky headers that make the page jump around when you scroll down. a giant "Information on NEH and COVID-19:" banner that takes up 1/4 of the screen and won't go away. why is this acceptable?

"Please don't complain about website formatting, back-button breakage, and similar annoyances. They're too common to be interesting. Exception: when the author is present. Then friendly feedback might be helpful."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Buddha and Mind

#47

Post by ridaj »

lethologica wrote: post #11
chana_masala wrote: post #3

This is kind of unrelated but whenever discussions on meditation come up here, especially recently ones that have mentioned the dangers around it, I am reminded that my lineage stresses that meditation should not be undertaken until one has sufficient preparation with simpler practices, such as karma yoga (service orientated worship). The perspective is that if you start these practices before "calming down" (like be…

Could you please elaborate more on the dangers of meditation?

Some pointers here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xaq8g/meditating-can-lead-y...

Re: Buddha and Mind

#48

Post by Barrin92 »

Think the article is right in its diagnosis of mindfulness. Jack Dorsey going on a meditation retreat so he can go back and be even more productive at building the things that send everyone to meditation retreats has always been kind of funny to me.

The trend to turn spiritual practices into some sort of self-help healthcare to me is honestly just abysmal. In many ways it is worse than just not doing them at all.

C.S. Lewis once said that one can believe that Jesus is the son of god or a charlatan, but nothing in between. If you reject spirituality at least you acknowledge to take it seriously on its own terms, if you commit to it that's fine as well, but when you profane religious practices by turning them into some kind of corporate new-age productivity exercise in my mind it's about the worst of all worlds.

Re: Buddha and Mind

#49

Post by swayvil »

chana_masala wrote: post #45
swayvil wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno man. Awareness is already this big powertool that we are all using all the time. Casually, sloppily, intensely, obsessively, recklessly. But not really very intelligently. (like what's an engineer but a man who uses his awareness like a hammer, beating riddles into submission?) Learning to use your awareness intelligently strikes me as close to an unalloyed good thing. Meditation can do that.

I don't disagree that it's good to use awareness intelligently, but you don't even need meditation for that, according to Hindu thought much of that can be achieved through other yogas, namely karma yoga. Meditation is much more than learning to use your awareness intelligently. There are many types of meditation, too.

I know of only 2 meditation techniques. Samatha and Vipassana. (Aka Concentration and Growing. Aka meditation with a seed and meditation without a seed).

I have never heard of a meditation technique that was not simply a variation on those 2. But if you have one then I am all ears.

Also, ya, you could say that meditation touches some other stuff than just "getting intelligent with your awareness". Sure.

And as far as other ways of getting intelligent with your awareness are concerned. Ya sure, I can imagine such existing.

Also. Ya. Meditation can lead to much crazy. But that's a good education :)

Re: Buddha and Mind

#50

Post by carrolldunham »

Check out the miserable fate of "Culadasa" (author of the Mind Illuminated) if you want to see what kind of Midas touch situation can come of meditation without the companion practise of virtue, particularly restraint. e: (Midas because the guy claimed to be so "enlightened" and "living in the moment" that he lost the ability to worry about say, other people's feelings, right and wrong, causing harm etc. Acted then in ways that caused his disgrace he is now isolated, leaving his very-much-extant sensual longings starved.)
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