World-weary...,need to get out of this charade

[VinnieK]

About 20 yrs ago I started having spiritual leanings.

Not particular to Buddhism but it has had a strong influence in my world view.

As the years drag on, the discomfort with the world intensifies.

In my late 50s now and really have to make decisions

The problem is that  I'm a free spirit and don't want to be pigeon-holed in this or another religion.

So, life in a wat will be very limiting for me.

I'm thinking to go it alone..

A shack in the countryside where I will live a monk-like existence.

I have been scouting for such a place for 2 years now but without success.

Any ideas from you guys?

Do some of you feel the same?

Thanks.

 

[xylophone]

I can identify with your feelings, and although I'm not religious in any way, shape or form (any religion or Buddhism) I do have a measure of discomfort with what's happening in the world.

 

I am also a free spirit having worked in many places around the world, including the Sahara desert, Biafra and a frozen Norway, and preferring my own company as a rule.

 

To get to the point, about 10 years ago I decided I needed to get out of this place and find some peace of mind, so I went to Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and it is a small island, much like paradise, and I stayed in a friends bungalow, which was empty, and I had the place to myself, plus endless sandy beaches and crystal clear water, and just exploring the emptiness enabled me to clear my senses and see things differently.

 

I read a couple of books, which is something I hadn't done in years, and I just wandered around the place and it was very therapeutic, so that when I returned here, I saw things from a different perspective. Locking myself away on a "desert island" was great for me, and I have to admit that many times in the past I've often thought of getting a "shack in the countryside" and living off the land and fending for myself, but have never really done it.

 

If you could do that for a few months to see how you fared, then you could get a good idea of what it's like and if it's the life you would like to lead – – perhaps ask a few friends who have friends and family who live up north (for example) whereupon you could build a shack, or even put an old shipping container on their land in which to live for a while.

 

If you don't do it now, you will probably never do it, so if you are thinking about it, it's the right time.

[rockyysdt]

Hi Vinnie.

 

Apart from escaping, what do you want to achieve?

[bignok]

On 11/15/2022 at 7:29 PM, xylophone said:

I can identify with your feelings, and although I'm not religious in any way, shape or form (any religion or Buddhism) I do have a measure of discomfort with what's happening in the world.

 

I am also a free spirit having worked in many places around the world, including the Sahara desert, Biafra and a frozen Norway, and preferring my own company as a rule.

 

To get to the point, about 10 years ago I decided I needed to get out of this place and find some peace of mind, so I went to Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and it is a small island, much like paradise, and I stayed in a friends bungalow, which was empty, and I had the place to myself, plus endless sandy beaches and crystal clear water, and just exploring the emptiness enabled me to clear my senses and see things differently.

 

I read a couple of books, which is something I hadn't done in years, and I just wandered around the place and it was very therapeutic, so that when I returned here, I saw things from a different perspective. Locking myself away on a "desert island" was great for me, and I have to admit that many times in the past I've often thought of getting a "shack in the countryside" and living off the land and fending for myself, but have never really done it.

 

If you could do that for a few months to see how you fared, then you could get a good idea of what it's like and if it's the life you would like to lead – – perhaps ask a few friends who have friends and family who live up north (for example) whereupon you could build a shack, or even put an old shipping container on their land in which to live for a while.

 

If you don't do it now, you will probably never do it, so if you are thinking about it, it's the right time.

Me too. I want to live in a village. Love buddhism though.

[VinnieK]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Me too. I want to live in a village. Love buddhism though.

I live in a village ????

I need to be further out but impossible to find isolated houses for rent.

[bignok]

15 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

I live in a village ????

I need to be further out but impossible to find isolated houses for rent.

You need food. If too isolated nothing there.

[rockyysdt]

On 11/15/2022 at 7:34 PM, VinnieK said:

About 20 yrs ago I started having spiritual leanings.

Not particular to Buddhism but it has had a strong influence in my world view.

As the years drag on, the discomfort with the world intensifies.

In my late 50s now and really have to make decisions

The problem is that  I'm a free spirit and don't want to be pigeon-holed in this or another religion.

So, life in a wat will be very limiting for me.

I'm thinking to go it alone..

A shack in the countryside where I will live a monk-like existence.

I have been scouting for such a place for 2 years now but without success.

Any ideas from you guys?

Do some of you feel the same?

Thanks.

 

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.