Maddie

This has been a surprisingly helpful and informative thread so far. Thank you!

I feel like this is the fastest satisfactory answer to a question I've ever experienced on a thread lol.

Suffering really is an inadequate translation. This reminds me one time when I was in college I was telling a friend a little bit about Buddhism and she's like well what's the point of Buddhism? And I said it's to end suffering. And she's like I don't suffer! And then went on to tell me how stressed she was about her day. 🫠

No lol

No you misunderstand. I'm tired of debating you so I'm going to stop. My suffering has ended. 😇

No lol

The third noble truth: there is an end to suffering 😌

This could be the case but it's not something the Buddha taught. The end of incarnation is just the end of incarnation, the Buddha did not say what happens after the death of an enlightened being even though he was asked many times. To assume the next step is extinction is simply a conclusion you came to. I've been addressing some of your questions, and now I have one of my own. Your tone in discussing Buddhism seems at the very least agitated and what I want to know is why? If you dislike Buddhism for what ever reason why not just ignore it rather than get upset over a topic that you don't even think is correct?

What I have found over the years of speaking to various people about Buddhism is that what triggers people about Buddhism more than any other thing is attachment. The suggestion of non-attachment to someone that is very attached is an aversive statement, ie. the addict is separated from his addiction.

Suffering is why I'm a Buddhist Pain is why I'm an acupuncturist.

Maybe this will help.

The Buddha didn't answer questions all the time lol But seriously if you don't like Buddhism, you're under no obligation to practice it. :-)

The goal is to eliminate the cat's suffering

Physical incarnation is not the cause of suffering, desire is the cause of suffering and incarnation.

The goal of Buddhism is the elimination of suffering. Attachment dislikes non-attachment.

Don't confuse no more incarnations with annihilation.

You have different ideas than me?

Birth isn't the enemy. Suffering is the enemy. Desire causes us to be born into a new body. Being born into a new body leads to suffering. If there was no more human race the issue of desire and suffering wouldn't be resolved we would just find different bodies to reincarnate into. The important thing is to realize what the actual problem is.

To focus on the infant is to miss the point. Perpetuation of samsara is the point. Birth is how samsara is perpetuated.

Birth is considered suffering because it perpetuates our existence in samsara.

The Buddha said that birth is suffering. 😉

Where did you get that from? There's pain, and there's suffering. They are not the same. Mindfulness helps one to realize this. The Buddha taught how to end suffering.

To let go of what is causing it which is attachment and desire. We let go by seeing it as it actually is. We see it as it actually is with mindfulness.

When ever I have done LDT breathing I feel it in the womb area which is below the navel.

I thought I would go through some of these points one by one because they reflect both the common misunderstandings of Buddhism by non-Buddhists and Buddhists as well. 1. In regards to direct healing I have found nothing to be more direct or effective than mindfulness. The Buddha called it the "direct way". Nothing dissolves emotions faster or more effectively then being mindful of them in my experience. 2. If one wants to "appear" to be something rather than actually be that thing, then of course suppression is going to happen, but this is not what the Buddha taught. The Buddha taught to see things as they actually are aka mindfulness which is the opposite of suppression. 3. I am not sure what a "dark retreat" is but no Buddhist is required to go on a retreat for three years, or two years, or one year if they don't want to. 4. Yes "metta" is awesome! 5. Buddhism has often been accused of being "negative" because the first noble truth states that "in life there is suffering". It is important to remember the third noble truth that "there is an end to suffering". The four noble truths are patterned after a doctor. The first noble truth is the diagnosis, there is suffering in life. If one went to a doctor and she said "your diagnosis is cancer" while it is bad news, this does not make the doctor a bad doctor. Rather it would make her an effective one. 6. That being said the point of Buddhism is to enjoy life and be happy.