Aaron

Guilt and shame exist in every culture, how it is directed is the only thing that changes. This notion that Buddhism needs to be watered down or that Westerners are not capable of understanding the premises of Eastern Religion is nothing more than racism and bigotry at its finest. If a teaching is founded upon truth, then anyone who hears it can know it and understand it. Aaron

Hello Fatguyslim, First I like your nick, second for twenty some-odd years I practiced meditation much as you did (and I still do), stilling the mind and not forcing anything, but allowing things to occur, to rise and fall, for the silence of the mind to come, not out of force of will, but of its own cause. It took years for me to achieve this consistently, but I was able to. For me the best meditation is when there is only emptiness, no thought, no emotion, nothing but the absence of everything. I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about. It is when you are in the absence of everything that you fully understand what everything really is, our connection to each other, that there is no separation at all, that everything is just "It". Again, excellent question. Now if you ask what I achieved in this meditation, I achieved nothing except I understood that I am still what I am, only my perception of reality has changed. Aaron

At one time it wasn't enough Vaj, but after twenty years of meditation and many realizations, it became enough. I'm sure, in time, when you reach a state of awareness, it will be too. May your mind and heart be opened. Aaron

Hello Vaj, A couple things you are wrong about... first my attachment to "God". I really don't believe in God per se, I believe in a universal state of being, which is very different. I call it God because it's easier than trying to describe it as such. Second, I don't discount experiences because I haven't experienced them, that would be ignorant. What I say is that I don't necessarily believe it to be true unless someone provides me with proof. Third I would consider myself a Buddhist more than a Taoist, at least a Zen Buddhist, so believing that I dislike Buddhism is silly, rather I dislike absolutes. Another thing to keep in mind is that you may have a misleading understanding of detachment. Detachment does not mean that you have no affection or feelings for something, but rather that you understand the impermanent nature of that thing and are not dependent upon it. Hence the Buddha can enjoy baseball or see the inherent beauty in a flower (or the ugliness of a pile of crap) and still be detached. As far as Buddhism goes, I don't hold anything in Buddhism to be holy or sacred, it's just text and words, nothing more. I have read many sutras and take them with a grain of salt. Do I believe in Hells and Heavens and that mankind has lived for millions of years? No, but only because I believe that science has adequately explained why these things aren't so. Do I believe in Dependent Origination, yes and no. I believe in a common origin of all things and that all things are intimately connected, but I don't think DO necessarily is the end all meet all on the topic. See what I do in my own practice is examine something before I agree with it. You can tell me Babe Ruth was the best baseball player that ever lived, but I don't necessarily believe that, I'll only agree that statistically he appears to be, the reason why is that I don't know if he was or wasn't. In the same way you can tell me that there is a specific way of determining who is a Buddha and I won't believe it necessarily, because I understand that Buddha was a man and as a man was fallible. This notion that prophets were perfect is crazy to me. No man is more or less perfect than any other, so why is it okay to doubt Joe Schmoe or even a professor of religion, but not Buddha (or Jesus, Lao Tzu, and Zoroaster)? Blind faith is the one aspect of religion that causes the most harm. Whether it's faith in the soul and the inherent purity or impurity of it, or the belief in the divinity of words set down on pages, one must examine things for what they actually are, rather than accept them to be facts merely because someone has told them that they are. For me, this means that Buddha may not have been a Buddha at all, he may have just been a very good con-man. I don't know either way, but what I do know is that when I sit in meditation I begin to get closer to where I need to be. I can sit and be content. For me that sometimes is enough. Aaron

Hell Vaj, I'm glad you'v studied the examples, perhaps once you actually understand them you can share that understanding with us? As far as not being Buddhas, are you the arbiter of Buddhahood? Is the Dali Lama? I'm trying to figure out who chooses, since in my own mind only a Buddha would actually know they were a Buddha. So perhaps no one can say, "he is a buddha" or "she is not a Buddha" except for that very person? And because that person is human there is a chance they may be mistaken. I know you'll come along and tell me the exact method for determining who is a Buddha, whether it is by an astrological reading, a birthmark, the aura, or whatever else, and all I can say is it doesn't matter, because in the end it is merely an observation and because it is an observation, it can be in error. So this is what I propose, rather than debate about which religion is more enlightened than which, or whose saints are better and more wise, perhaps we should just admit that anything we decide can and may be wrong. The other observation Vaj, is that you are undoubtedly, in my mind, attached to Buddhism. When someone asked the Dali Lama what the best religion was, he said, "The one that gets you closer to God". But you've answered over and over that it is Buddhism. I'd think about that. Aaron

Hello Wynn, Hmm... you seem to be mistaken about a few things. First truth only exists within an active mind, in no-mind there is no truth, there is nothing but what is. The paradox that exists is that one cannot experience no-mind, without first experiencing mind. One must be able to think to not think, otherwise there is no thought to begin with, nor no-thought, because the very existence of no-thought depends on the existence of thought. I thank you for granting me permission to read whatever I care to, it was very compassionate of you. Also, you might be interested in learning that the only way one can express one's practice to another is by communicating with them, that requires language and hence the need for words. If you can find another way, then please share, perhaps you're alluding to telepathy or some kind of mental communication that transcends the use of words or thought? If so could you please tell us... oh wait it transcends words and thought so I suppose you can't. Oh well. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) Aaron Aaron

I like this. It reminds me of a prayer I used to say daily at AA Meetings... "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, amen." Now I must say, when I first started to go to meetings I hated this prayer, because I thought it was exclusive, that it was denominational, it wasn't until someone explained the core meaning of it that I began to understand the simple beauty of it. Have reverence for your higher power, Do your higher power's will, ask only for those things you need, do not ask for forgiveness if you cannot forgive, ask for guidance, and remember what the eternal really is. Aaron

Hello Mewtwo, I think you're still where you were at the beginning. This isn't meant to be derogatory, but rather you are as close now to where you should be as you will ever be, so keep doing what you're doing and let the cards fall where they fall, but don't be afraid to draw a card, just be aware of what you've drawn so far. Aaron

I guess my point is that Buddhahood isn't exclusive to Buddhism, that all paths have the potential to lead someone to enlightenment, because the experience of enlightenment, in the end, transcends words and thoughts and instead is founded upon the fundamentals of experience. I think that trying to single one person out as being the most, or clearest, or best is silly, because there really is no way to compare them, at least without actually knowing these people and even then it's all based on our judgement, which can be flawed. I think that we should also remember that there isn't any more evidence to support the existence of Buddha as a real person, than there is Christ or Lao Tzu. In fact of the ancient prophets, Zoroaster and Mohammed are perhaps the most credible, in regards to there actually being texts that existed during the time that they lived that refers to them. This tells me that I should always take whatever these prophets are said to have said with a grain of salt, not dismissing what they say, but also realizing that it very well could have been attributed to them in order to add credence. I'm not saying this to argue or disparage Buddha, Lao Tzu, or Christ, but rather to point out that faith plays a large part in one's practice, especially when it comes to religion. Again, my point is that people can become enlightened regardless of religious belief and if this is true then it seems to me to be evidence that enlightenment does not reside within the words of prophets, but within the hearts of men. Aaron

Amen to that. To quote an ancient sage, "Free your mind and the rest will follow." Aaron

Hello Wynn, Well said, but I think Bodhidharma actually said what you've said first, so perhaps you should think of some other way to express your point, rather than rely on the words of an old dead master? My point really is that there is nothing original. Even if you think what you're thinking is original, it isn't. So lets just be content to admit that some of these old dead masters actually had something worthwhile to offer us, rather than berate others for lacking originality, since really, originality is a fantasy. Aaron

I agree with you Gerard, well said. And I also think we should focus on ourselves, but I don't think it's necessarily wrong to discuss things with others or bring up ideas, how else are we supposed to learn and get a fuller understanding of our own experience? I do get your point though, which is I think, don't worry *so much* about the rest... Happy Fourth, Aaron

Hello Awake, I think the first thing you need to do is realize that you can only do what you can do. Don't worry about the past, nor the future, all you have is right now. This is the easy way to do this, when you find you are worrying about something ask yourself these questions- Is there anything I can do about this right now? Is this something I need to do right now? Is this something that really demands my attention? If you answered yes to all of these, then you should probably do something about it, if no, then don't worry about it. The problem with worrying is that it has to do with fear and control. Most people that have a large degree of worry and fear in their lives also have control issues and when things seem to be outside of their control they worry. Understanding that you will never really have control over anything in your life, that everything that happens, happens randomly, can help to alleviate your problems. Now if you are someone who has control issues, hearing that the future is beyond your absolute control may be terrifying, but the trick is to understand that it is only by giving up control that you actually are able to have control over your future. By saying I give myself over to "God", "Buddha", "Fate", or whatever you believe is in control of your future, you are allowing yourself to begin to behave in harmony with that higher power. By working in harmony with a higher power you are allowing it to work through you, rather than you trying to work it, which never works. Anyways, that's my take on it. Ultimately it's up to you to make a change, but what I've learned over and over again is that people rarely change unless they suffer enough to cause them to make a change. If you have suffered enough then you will most likely seek a way to ease your suffering, if not then it might take awhile longer. Just keep in mind that nothing is the end but the end, so the best thing to do is trudge along until then, but try to remember that ultimately changing is up to you and until you make that decision yourself, nothing anyone else says will really make a difference. Aaron

Hello Ed, A man is judged by his works, but he isn't his works. In regards to identity, if you have questions about your own, then write down what you believe you are. The identity is not a weight or burden, but rather our way of understanding our place in the world around us. There is also evidence that our sense of identity effects our ability to interact with others. I know this sounds corny, but the best cure for poor self-identity is self affirmations. When you get up in the morning, look in a mirror and tell yourself something positive about you. "I am a kind person" or "I am smart". This helps remind us of our actual qualities. In regards to the identity being a burden, the ego is a burden, our identity is merely an illusion. Aaron

I was wondering what other people thought about having a section devoted for Buddhist Discussion like the Taoist Discussion section. Just a thought. Aaron edit- I want to clarify my question... I'm actually asking if other people think it would be nice to have a section devoted to Buddhist discussions and topics? I didn't mean that Buddhism should be restricted to a specific section, nor did I intend to infer that. Aaron

Hello Thuscomesone, There's no such thing as wisdom, nor is there ignorance or doubt. The enlightened person is not wise, rather he is aware. Once you are aware you cannot become unaware. If a donkey does not want to follow you, do not struggle with it, instead tempt it with a carrot or leave it be. Aaron

Hello Thuscomeone, All realizations are permanent and impermanent. Thought is real, even though you cannot physically touch it, yet all things come from emptiness, thus thought is impermanent as well. Saying one is either, doesn't answer your question, nor does asking the question actually lead to any deep insight, it just asks a question that in the end has no answer, except the experience itself. Aaron

Hello Xabir, The fact that you are arguing so strongly to prove your point seems to me to indicate that you are attached to your argument. That's the point I think that Thus was trying to make. You may say you don't care for either, but if that's true, then why bother to argue about it, just say what you mean and let it go. Hold nothing as holy and nothing can be profane. If you do not have anything of value, then nothing can be stolen. Sometimes you need to remind yourself of this on a daily basis. And yes reminding yourself of this is attaching to it, until you no longer need to remind yourself and it is just as natural as breathing. Aaron

Don't worry about how much you know. The Tao Teh Ching warns that knowledge is the stumbling block to true awareness. Empty your cup and allow yourself to be filled, daily, then you can truly begin to learn. Aaron

I haven't had any experience with them, so I can't make a recommendation, but I did find this website, perhaps it can help you make a more informed decision. http://www.taoist.org/content/standard.asp Aaron Also, this is the website devoted to their American branches- http://usa.taoist.org/

Hello folks, I want to make it clear that I wasn't advocating that we restrict Buddhist conversation or ideas to a specific section of the forum, but rather have a section devoted to Buddhism where I could feel more comfortable posting topics on Zen. Since the Taoist Discussion, in my own view, is predominantly meant to be a discussion about Taoism with a bit of Buddhist influence thrown in, I don't necessarily feel that posting a strictly Buddhist topic is appropriate, even if it isn't against the posting guidelines. I'm not saying others shouldn't, I just feel it would be nice to have a section devoted to the topic, especially since many of us here are interested in the topic of Buddhism. So my question was actually, do you think it would be nice to have a section devoted to Buddhist discussions and topics? Aaron Perhaps it could be along the lines of the tao teh ching subforum where we discussed certain concepts and texts found within Buddhism?

Yes, that's why I later added that we are and are not Nirvana. Very astute observation. Aaron

Hello Nihro, I'm not sure why I haven't mentioned it before, but if you're interested in Zen, you might want to visit Zen Forum International. They have some great reference material there on Zen. As far as teachers go, I would suggest reading up on Taoism and Buddhism before you go looking for a teacher. Most will expect some kind of compensation (and rightfully so), so decide if it's for you first and then spend your hard earned money. Aaron

Hello Lucky, I think what you meant to say is that there have been plenty of points you believe were valid that you believe he should consider. Unless you actually do know what he knows and if so, GET OUT OF MY HEAD... aaaahhhhh.... Just kidding. Aaron