Atheism since 2020.
Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
281–290 of 966 posts
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#282100% atheism. Was raised some kind of protestant I forget which one, and derived tremendous spiritual and psychological relief when I realized all of that was absolute nonsense at the age of 9. I knew I was gay at the time and wouldn't come out until I was 18 or so, but my life just got a lot easier when I removed religion completely. I also recall discovering increased moral agency -- as a Christian I had been taugh…
+100% ... well, straight here ... but I was 7 when I realised that religion was not only bullshit but actually dangerous as it represents a way for people to justify reprehensible acts by putting the importance of pandering to the alleged whims of a "supreme" being above any rational standard of decency and morality.
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#283I suppose I can say I practice these: throughout every day I deliberately consider whether I am closer to truth in all matters; reaching for truth scientifically on all the grand questions (what is life, why anything exists, etc). Being a non-believer helped a lot while I was undergoing chemotherapy a few years ago. I felt peace in the knowledge that cancer was nothing personal (where there is life, there is cancer).
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#284Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which system of Chi Kung(if you don't mind) ?
Shaolin Wahnam - been at it for about 17 years now. :) We don't have a syllabus for Chi Kung but here's a list of some of the groups of exercises taught and some brief theory as to their uses: https://shaolin.org/general-2/five-animal-play/play09.html I mostly stick with 4, 11 and 12 on that list - find the more advanced things still a bit overwhelming for more than occasional practice. Happy to provide more detail i…
I have a few questions but you don't have your email in your hn and profile. :-)
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#285[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#286Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#287I am not religious at all and I've thought of myself as tolerant of religion (they all have some very good teachings, after all). But lately organised religion has been bothering me a lot. It is just so obviously a form of controlling people: you have to believe this and that and also hand over some cash and vote for such and such. I can't get around the fact that this still goes on so blatantly in this day and age.
> you have to believe this and that and also hand over some cash and vote for such and such.
My feeling is this is an Americanism. Here in the UK I've been to church events in the past - usually stuff linked to school events (harvest, nativity etc), or weddings/funerals, and been in a few old cathedrals which have a donation box, but the stuff I see on US TV shows like the Simpsons -- collection plate passing, advertising, televangelism, etc all seems very different and far more obviously "con artistry"
There is some cult that does some low-key advertising in the UK (occasional posters on bus stops in London) over the last decade or so, the alpha church or something, which is mildly concerning, but the general course of religion, from what I can tell it's just a place some people go and have a chat and a sing-song, no different to the pub really.
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#28820 Minutes of Meditation which either takes the form of Transcedantal Meditation or Self enquiry as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi.
The goal is to initially, quiet the mind, and then realise that there is only Brahman and that there is no such entity called 'Mind'.
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#289Not sure if this counts, but I truly believe that very few people are actually evil. It’s something that is always in the back of my mind when dealing with troublesome individuals. People aren’t bad or trying to get you, they just have different world views, different perspective or just on a different path. It helps prevent conflict and helps me meet others with the kindness they deserve. Except that one developer w…
Me too. I think that people are on a spectrum of estrangement from love, and beyond a certain threshold we can't help but see them as "actually evil."
Re: Ask HN: What is your spiritual practice?
#290Christianity started out for me as a fear-based "obey the rules or die" approach to life but over the last few years it has been moving towards a "I love God & love what is good" theme. These days everyone labels emotions like fear/shame/guilt as "toxic", but I think they have their uses, in the same way fear keeps us from simply walking off a cliff.
Spiritual practice is best when dynamic over disciplined like any relationship, but find that Bible reading / reflection before bed seems to let things marinate over night, and also talking w/ God and simply telling him what I need throughout the day (peace, self-control, etc) is a fruitful practice.
Even if I wasn't a Christian I would still hold an unshakeable belief that this universe has a Creator. It's just far too wonderful of an engineering marvel to say that there isn't a Grand Engineer behind it all. I think that's part of the joy of living, we get to discover the Creator through his creation.