What does religious moderation consist of?

[NAOS]

If you've never been tugged on in Thailand you've got to try it at least once.

Believe me, if you go, you'll get tugged to your hearts content. And cheap.

I'm glad you guys took advantage of the set up.

 

[The Midnight]

I spent two years doing zen mediation. Buddhism and I broke up.

What was the reason may I ask, or is that too personal?


There is a pretty vast difference in the way Theravada and Mahayana teaches Buddhism BTW.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Never been. Never felt tugged there either. But, who knows.

What was the reason may I ask, or is that too personal?


There is a pretty vast difference in the way Theravada and Mahayana teaches Buddhism BTW.

Does one of them allow killing of bugs and stuff?

 

[The Midnight]

Does one of them allow killing of bugs and stuff?

Dunno much about Zen, NAOS is probably best to answer that....


But in Theravada, the very first precepts (a set of rules designed to help you on a path to become Enlightened) prevents you from killing of any kind.

 

[Miggs]

Are you a Buddhist and if so, are you one of the 2-3%?

Can I get an answer to this question, Kinkkk?

 

[The Midnight]

Can I get an answer to this question, Kinkkk?

I was a Buddhist when I was young (as all Thais are), but weren't one of the 2-3%.


However, I have had a chance to read a bit more into it on my trip 2 months ago and I do now understand the core teaching.

 

[NAOS]

What was the reason may I ask, or is that too personal?


There is a pretty vast difference in the way Theravada and Mahayana teaches Buddhism BTW.

I'm as aware of the differences among Buddhisms as I am the differences among Christianities.

In a nutshell, on the one hand, I don't like the emphasis on zeroing out, if that makes sense. On the other, I don't like the general suspicion of sensation along with the hierarchy of sensations that are deemed noble. The Sudden Enlightenment crowd has a few good points, but traffic in too many aggravating cliches; the long-course folks I know have a weird relationship with pedagogy and lack levity, in general.

The meditation was good for me for a while. The dead spots in the pedagogy were good for my critical mind, and provided a good break away from Buddhism... which is more than you can say for most religious/spiritual experiences.

 

[The Midnight]

I'm as aware of the differences among Buddhisms as I am the differences among Christianities.

In a nutshell, on the one hand, I don't like the emphasis on zeroing out, if that makes sense. On the other, I don't like the general suspicion of sensation along with the hierarchy of sensations that are deemed noble. The Sudden Enlightenment crowd has a few good points, but traffic in too many aggravating cliches; the long-course folks I know have a weird relationship with pedagogy and lack levity, in general.

The meditation was good for me for a while. The dead spots in the pedagogy were good for my critical mind, and provided a good break away from Buddhism... which is more than you can say for most religious/spiritual experiences.

Not sure what you mean by this, but as far as I know all sensations are ever-changing, causes suffering, and without self... therefore we should not be attached to them, etc, etc...


So in my understanding they're all in the same group.

 

[NAOS]

Not sure what you mean by this, but as far as I know all sensations are ever-changing, causes suffering, and without self... therefore we should not be attached to them, etc, etc...


So in my understanding they're all in the same group.

What do you mean you don't know? lol, you just said it. You just named sensation as the cause of suffering. That's a miserable (literally) reduction. There's some wisdom in the attachment part, and plenty to recommend in some Buddhist ideas, but their takes on suffering are yucky. Suffering is fine, if somebody has the freedom to assign it meaning. Sensation is also the cause of joy. Listening to Buddhists prattle on about "self" makes my ears bleed... at this point, at least.

The hierarchy of noble sensations are the ways an initiate is led to enlightenment. There's always this ascetic program. Asceticism isn't everybody's path to insight. Stillness has a limit. Contentedness with less has a limit. When either or both are set up as an ideal model, I just lol.

 

[Miggs]

NAOS, you seem like the type who wouldn't be close to their mother or father. Am I wrong?

Just a gut feeling. Not an insult at all.

 

[NAOS]

NAOS, you seem like the type who wouldn't be close to their mother or father. Am I wrong?

Just a gut feeling. Not an insult at all.

lol. you working off Freud's Pocketbook right now?

I'm a securely attached person. That's why I'm not clinging to a faith.

 

[Miggs]

lol. you working off Freud's Pocketbook right now?

I'm a securely attached person. That's why I'm not clinging to a faith.

So I was correct then.

 

[NAOS]

So I was correct then.

you're wrong. I was raised by a single mom and we've always been super tight. No issues. No rebellion from her. Etc.

You should know enough about yourself to know your quick takes on others are mostly flailing errors. They're funny, though. So stick with humor.

 

[Hekate]

I think I am getting more apathetic towards religion, the more I grow older.

 

[Miggs]

you're wrong. I was raised by a single mom and we've always been super tight. No issues. No rebellion from her. Etc.

You should know enough about yourself to know your quick takes on others are mostly flailing errors. They're funny, though. So stick with humor.

See, this is what others say about you. The constant need to insult. TBH, I don't give a ****. But it's more than just a little unbecoming.

 

[The Midnight]

What do you mean you don't know? lol, you just said it. You just named sensation as the cause of suffering. That's a miserable (literally) reduction. There's some wisdom in the attachment part, and plenty to be recommended in some Buddhist ideas, but their takes on suffering are yucky. Suffering is fine, if somebody has the freedom to assign it meaning. Sensation is also the cause of joy. Listening to Buddhists prattle on about "self" makes my ears bleed... at this point, at least.

The hierarchy of noble sensations are the ways an initiate is led to enlightenment. There's always this ascetic program. Asceticism isn't everybody's path to insight. Stillness has a limit. Contentedness with less has a limit. When either or both are set up as an ideal model, I just lol.

Well in Buddhism Joy itself leads to suffering because it is impermanent, causes suffering and is non-self (cannot last forever, cannot be relied upon, the absence of it leads to suffering).

 

[NAOS]

See, this is what others say about you. The constant need to insult. TBH, I don't give a ****. But it's more than just a little unbecoming.

Now your soft and sensitive? Seems convenient.

There's nothing wrong in what I've said about you. There's even a compliment.

TBH, I thought you must be joking bringing in some bad-relationship-with-Mommy-or-Daddy ********. It's pretty clear now that you weren't. That's also funny, btw.

 

[NAOS]

Well in Buddhism Joy itself leads to suffering because it is impermanent, causes suffering and is non-self (the absence of it leads to suffering).

that's either obvious or dumb.

But with a lot of Buddhists, there's such focus on it that the joy takes a hit. That's too bad.

 

[Miggs]

Now your soft and sensitive? Seems convenient.

There's nothing wrong in what I've said about you. There's even a compliment.

TBH, I thought you must be joking bringing in some bad-relationship-with-Mommy-or-Daddy ********. It's pretty clear now that you weren't. That's also funny, btw.

Have it your way dude.

 

[The Midnight]

that's either obvious or dumb.

But with a lot of Buddhists, there's such focus on it that the joy takes a hit. That's too bad.

Well according to the teaching, there is Ultimate Joy, it exists when you are Enlightened and can be 'joyful' without being attached to it, harmed by it, etc, etc.