rockyysdt

Yes, the people are ruled by greed, aversion, and delusion. Most are only in many things for themselves. Even those who assist or ingratiate with others, sometimes it can be for acceptance which is also "something in it for themselves". Even many who embark on Buddhist practice, when you analyze it, they are seeking the reward. Life can be a fine line to traverse.

I do tend to analyze and maybe over analyze. Although it can be a fine line. Part of analyzing is to better evaluate what we eat, select, and choose in our life. Much of what we are exposed to has vested interests in its promotion.

I do tend to analyze and maybe over analyze. Although it can be a fine line. Part of analyzing is to better evaluate what we eat, select, and choose in our life. Much of what we are exposed to has vested interests in its promotion.

I like your philosophy. 👍 Starting with my retirement I've been planning to adopt what you do. Just hope my habits don't get in the way. 🙂

Ian Gawlers works were also in my library. Maybe it was a mistake to take in the words of Analayo's book? I would say they are only words and involved his path. Maybe there are many paths. Who knows, maybe you've already achieved six of those re incarnations already. Maybe your on your last but you are not aware of it.. Yes, there are far too many diversions in our modern life making it extremely difficult to stick to a path. Although it's not the aim, and can become a strong obstacle, the reward of "Piti" can spur you on until your awareness/experience gets you to a point where practice becomes self sustaining. Wiki: Piti is a joyful saṅkhāra (formation) associated with no object, so the practitioner is not attaining it by desire. It is often translated into the English word "rapture" and is distinguished from the longer-lasting meditative "joy" or "happiness" (Pali, Sanskrit: sukha) which is a subtler feeling which arises alongside pīti.

Hi Vincent. It's great to re link again. I admire your healthy lifestyle and attitudes towards life and diet. Yes, breathing is a key and also serves as a focal point for meditating. It goes: During meditation, if you find you are having many thoughts, observe your body. Turn your awareness to any tension you might find in any part of you body. Clench or tighten the tense muscles and relax the muscles involved. Then gently scan your entire body ensuring all tension has eased. Then turn your attention to your breath. Short or no breath - tension. Deeper relaxed rhythmical breath - relaxed body If you find your breath is short or stopped then gently increase your breathing. It should not be stopped or too fast, but rather begin to establish an even relaxed and comfortable breath. Also wholemeal rice is very good. Low GI reduces blood sugar spikes. Consuming diverse rice species is also good.

If we are lucky in our lives to be free of mental & physical issues practice is open to us. From what I've been learning of recent times, is that most peoples western diet (driven by multi national food companies whose sole purpose is to maximise profits and maintain market share) consumed over long periods, can precipitate mental illness as well as many of our physical ailments. When you consider our brain is just another organ, if your diet is poor and ultra processed the physical nature of the brain and its ability to work correctly must be affected and in different ways for each of us. I don't have the references at the moment but a group of mathematicians and physicists who were modelling our universe by dividing time and distance are concluding that we live in a sub set. Combine that with infinity and you're staring at the possibility of something beyond anything we can ever imagine or conceptualize. Some call it religion, but this restricts what we are looking at. Did the Buddha experience that which is beyond? Could it be that which never had a beginning, nor will it ever have an end? I think he did say "that which was never born can never die".

Thanks O S I tip my hat to you. 👍 Your regular and diverse practice is essential, not only for a better life, but also a bedrock for possible further practice, if you choose to and have the resource. I went full on and then crashed into former habits. I'll be starting over with a similar pattern to you and hopefully progress to retreats. Two aims, live a better life, and maybe (big maybe) awaken. Posting here helps me stimulate the mind, meet others on similar paths (an unofficial sangha), and encourage others.

Seafood is very good. I'm told to choose smaller species low in the food chain. Long lived predatory fish high up in the food chain are said to be subject to accumulating heavy metals such as mercury. I wrote a reply to Sheryl's post which describes one of my experiences. Don't know what to think other than to go back to regular core practice. Thanks for the tip. Yoga classes are on the short list 🙂

Thanks Sheryl. It's been a number of years since I've practiced. Fell into the trap of habit and negative self talk. I've just escaped from employment and am currently on the ground floor. I'm currently attending to many issues due to the passing of a parent, but aim to get back on the elevator, habits permitting. On an early retreat I struggled to meditate. I was new at serious (for me) periods of full time practice. I tried everything during my sits but was stuck in endless thought. You can't begin to imagine my thoughts which I could not let go. On the 6th or 7th day I decided to give up and concentrated on posture to the exclusion of trying to meditate. Soon after, without expectation it came. When I eventually became conscious of thought, I slowly opened my eyes to find the other 80 participants had left. I had been sitting there alone without any awareness that I was alone. From when this state came until I became aware of my surroundings I had no recollection of the passage of time nor do I remember experiencing any thoughts as I had previously during my sits. I estimated I would have been in that state for about 90 minutes but it felt like only a few minutes. The way I felt I cannot describe. Colors appeared different and surreal as I slowly came back to ones normal state. As I arose and began slowly to walk towards the dining area to rejoin the others I was experiencing what the Monks had been teaching up everyday. I was immersed in walking meditation. When practicing I was going through the motions. But now, in this state I was connected to the ground, I felt the soft sunlight against my skin, the bush land around me was if everything was one. I could barely hold back tears as I had realised what walking meditation was. All this is in the past. My life (habits and circumstance) since swallowed me up. I'm preparing for another go. If you say that moments of no thought are brief then what I can interpret from this is that there may be thoughts but my concentration dwelt on awareness of presence rather than of thought and so thought melted into the background. I came out of that state once I became aware of thought. One insight I gained from that experience was that "to try to meditate" is doing. That meditation (I'm describing sitting meditation) is not trying but just being. I'll refer to sources, but I'm sure I've read a number of Monks experiences in which states absence of thought are described.

I've only had relatively shallow experiences on retreat, but might measure "deep meditation" on, and not necessarily in this order, length of time where no thought is experienced, periods of consciousness with absence of thought with no perception of time, coming back into consciousness with thought with the feeling that no time had lapsed even though an hour or 2 had passed, the experience of "piti" or deep ecstatic calm (although this is not an aim). I have read of practitioners coming out of meditation with profound insights. I was interested in your sources which confirm your conclusions regarding meat vs fruit/vegetables. In particular the part where meat stays longer on the digestive tract compared to vegetarian diets. If I can ask, are you strictly vegetarian? When you had problems with meat were you strictly eating meat only or was it a general diet involving meat fruit & vegetables?

The "luxury problem" is very perceptive, but I'm thinking, not entirely unique to our time, as during eras of survival the Monkhood would have been the "luxury". I can see your point about not wasting your time. Is what the Buddha offers as profound as many believe, or will years of strict practice only come to a waste of time? What brought you to your conclusion?

It is physical, but the consensus is that the depth and severity can be attributed to a number of factors, one of which maybe atrophy of the brain. Cause of dementia can include diet, alcohol and drug consumption, lack of brain stimulation, lack of physical activity, aging, environmental toxins in our food and air, and others. One area which has had little attention is that blood cholesterol medication, which is freely handed out, finds its way across the blood brain barrier. There, in the brain, it goes to work to reduce cholesterol found in the brain. Cholesterol in the brain is vital for everyday brain function. So much so that our brain contains 10 times more cholesterol compared to any other part of the body, even though it only represents 2% of our body weight. What impact is cholesterol medication having on our brain function? But to get back on topic, does deep meditation result in lower stimulation of the brain due to the suspension of thought and therefore atrophy the brain? Or is awareness resulting from deep meditation profoundly stimulating?

My understanding is that "awareness" can have many levels. At shallow levels, perhaps we can observe our thoughts and resultant behaviors and learn to control these or have the poise to avoid over reacting or making poor decisions. Awareness can all levels can have its benefits. But can the depth one is able to experience awareness be infinite and eventually lead to know things beyond our capability to even comprehend in our current state? Can we eventually gain awareness of that which is permanent & timeless? One attraction to Buddhism over Religion as that the latter offers the promise of benefits after death, but the Buddha offers realization in your life through practice. Not only in this life, but doesn't spell out what one will find! NB: I was interested to learn what you base the belief that "Meat stays in the digestive tract far far longer than vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses, and causes many health problems"?

I wouldn't say stronger, nor weaker, but perhaps revealing. The problem with using words such as religion & belief is that it categorizes that which we are trying to take in or understand. I think I am trying to verbalize what the Buddha discovered and taught. Was he simply teaching people to differentiate between belief and reality and/or did he offer a path to realizing a deeper reality? If there is a deeper reality aren't we wasting time living our lives stuck in greed, aversion, and delusion.

I found Wat Suan Mokkh, a forest retreat near Surat Thani not to be dollar focused. The fee for their monthly 10 day international Meditation Period wouldn't even cover the excellent food made available. I've been there on 4 retreats. There is no money involved except for covering the food. After a number of retreat experiences my friend stayed there for 6 months under the guidance of one of the Farang monks. His stay was for free. The food they ate (once a day) came from alms rounds. He lived in a one person Kuti and gave the lifestyle a go. His teachings revolved around practice, both Mindfulness & Meditation and keeping the body in a routine to facilitate this. Totally agree with you that a healthy lifestyle including avoidance of intoxicants is a good foundation. But what about that which is Unconditioned? What about that which the Buddha realized? The cessation of suffering, the quenching of all bodily desire, and what is this replaced with? Isn't everything else is Ego related? And that which is realized, what effect on the brain does it have?

Hi fellow travelers. I have been on a long path with periods of regular meditation as well as Buddhist retreats where long periods of daily meditation was practiced. Troubled with finding meaning in life I've leaned to the possibility that following the Buddhist teaching (4 Noble Truths & 10 Fold Path) may potentially yield answers. Naturally staying on this path is difficult. I've equated changing ones core habits is akin to escaping the pull of gravity of the event horizon of a black hole. I've also recognized, if one can practice the Buddhas teachings faithfully, then this breakthrough in daily habit, is the key to changing any habit one may have. I recently came across a lecture in which the speaker was talking about the consumption of certain foods which may lead to dementia. Other causes also related to possible dementia included the fact that the brain requires stimulation to remain healthy. As is the case with muscles, starved of stimulation (reduced or no signals), parts of the brain can experience atrophy (shrink in size). We are often taught to regularly engage in mental stimulation such as crosswords, debating, sport, study, and anything which stimulates the brain. Regarding the practice of the Buddha's teachings, my understanding is that there are two core practices which are performed. One is Mindfulness, or being continuously aware of your breath, all your thoughts, feelings, sensations and actions, as well as the external around you during your wakeful day. The other is Sitting Meditation, with mindfulness of breath, thoughts and feelings which can often lead to a conscious state with the absence of thought. The suspension of thought leads one to experience that which is beyond conditioning. This leads me to the point of my post. Are long periods of sitting without thought akin to the absence of mental stimulation which may lead to brain atrophy, or is that which is eventually experienced mind enhancing and therefore stimulating?

These are from the "four immeasurables" Metta (Pali) loving kindness or benevolence (Sanskrit = Maitri) Karuna (Pali & Sanskrit) compassion. The desire to remove hark & suffering. Mudita (Pali & Sanskrit) joyous empathy - to feel another's pain as if it is yours. Upekkha (Pali) equanimity ((Sanskrit = Upeksa) impartial serenity. Unshakeable evenness of mind.

If your love has strings attached, then lack of awareness might have a significant affect on the feelings you experience.

To me, generally love has strings attached. I ioved her until I found her with another man I loved Coke until I learned it is unhealthy to drink. I prefer: Metta (good will) Karuna (compassion) Mudita (Empathetic Joy. These are unconditional.

Not just greed. Many are deluded, & others suffer from aversion. One Example: Many who make offerings, will almost always offer to a Monk, over one who is destitute. The belief is that if you make merit to a Monk, it has greater kharmic value. Greed, as they are seeking to maximise the value of kharma. Aversion, as they fear the results of poor kharma Delusion, as their actions are based on custom rather than reality. One thing that needs to be said. Suffering from Greed, Aversion, & Delusion is universal. Having said that, afflictions can be shaped by culture and tradition.

Well, at one end you have "what the Buddha actually taught", and at the other end "what humans believe it to be". These are not synonymous (antonymous). 1. Belief is not always fact. 2. Humans are affected by Greed, Aversion, & Delusion.

This reminds me of a Roman Pope who was keen to explore meditation. He complained about the chattering bird life in the Vatican Gardens which were disturbing his concentration practice, and had them killed off. Sadly he missed the point. The Buddha came up with Monkhood, at a time when rural life entailed grueling daily routines in order just to survive. We are now in the 21st century. The Monkhood freed adherents from the shackles of the need to provide for themselves, and offered access to teachers. You now have a Government pension, and a plethora of teachings via the www. . What we need to do is practice daily Mindfulness for our entire wakeful day as well as sessions of sitting Meditation. Creating an artificial environment misses the point. We need to work towards achieving silence of mind regardless of our environment. We need to be present in our thoughts, our feelings, our awareness, and our surroundings. You said you are in your fifties. Overcoming habits and/or achieving change is your biggest hurdle and will only worsen with age. It's now down to you to overcome your preconceived ideas, thoughts, and conditioning.

When you post the passport & documents is there a post office box number for the Sydney Embassy or do you post it to their physical address?

Thanks Your information has been invaluable.