GrapePUNCH
Member
HI all
HI all
I am yet another soul who has found faith in the truth.
I've been a part timr student of philosophy with my dad for a long time. I have read quite a few books on eastern philosophy and shared many disscussions. Bog's story about the dog and the king comes from the end of the book called the baghavad gita. Not the short chapter version but an old 2000 page english copy from the 60/s that I got at a hindu place in seattle. this was a really great story of kings and magicians and monks from possibly as long ago as 8000 years.Some people might be very familiar with the gita story of arjuna's enlightenment with krishna which occurs in a split second during the great battle of good verses evil that is so beautifully told. Many books have been written on just that small part of the story. but arjuna had brothers and one was older and the most just and he was the king of Bogs tale. Many many great adventures in their families lives were told in this one of the great hindu epics of old.
IM not huge on chanting as much as im into mantra's
my manrta is this: the GAYATRI (hindu) ..."We meditate on the glory of that being who has produced this universe; may he enlighten our minds."
Part of raja-yoga and can be found in the complete works of Swami Vivekenanda. This mantra repeated mentally is a great source of comfort to me. the length of the sentence keeps me focused as repeating this verse can be hard to do at first. But, thats the point. through mental affort I am able to meditate and in the process free myself from many of the endless thought bubbles which float up from the mind. when i meditate and a thought bubble comes up (such as get a pizza) I pop it. by realizing that its just a mental distraction or desire I pop it and it doesnt plague me for a while. then when im done meditating I know if i want the pizza or not. not just endlesss mental debating.
I am rambling a bit
I have found through my own studies that one book is not always as good a translation as another book and that each person might not get things from a book thats services many others. Knowing this helps us keep our books at a distance.. I want to be buddhist not just have buddhist books.
the kalama suta says things about this.
it goes something like this. : dont believe what people tell you is truth dont buy into people saying its a certain book or a certain way of being. but instead find within yourself that which is true just and wholesome, and when you do embrace it and hold it high in your heart because it is your truth
heres a short tale of enlightenment:
the buddha was teaching his monks
outside the mentally hadicapped guy was sweeping and cleaning up after all the monks. everyone was respectful of him especially the buddha but some monks liked that he was descriminated against, they felt better than him. now the guy would do his duties and then sit under the window and hear the masters lessons. One day he heard a very simple teaching that had brought many monks into enlightenment before and it worked for him. He was overjoyed and humbled. he rarely understood a lot of the teachings due to their complexity but he got this one just as many had before. he was enlightened and this meant he should be respected for it someday he might be a teacher. so of course the monks wanted to prove he hadn't got it so they brought him to the buddha and it was so obvious to him that the man was enlightened that the monks were ashamed of their being wrong and conceited. They learned much that day towards their own enlightenment. the buddha used the situation as a catalyst to the other monks minds to say (look its not that you guys arent smart....It's that you all think too much to see the truth right in front of you.)
I should read this thread more carefully before I go on too much but I just wanted to let my ranting out lol...
peace and happines to all
HI all
I am yet another soul who has found faith in the truth.
I've been a part timr student of philosophy with my dad for a long time. I have read quite a few books on eastern philosophy and shared many disscussions. Bog's story about the dog and the king comes from the end of the book called the baghavad gita. Not the short chapter version but an old 2000 page english copy from the 60/s that I got at a hindu place in seattle. this was a really great story of kings and magicians and monks from possibly as long ago as 8000 years.Some people might be very familiar with the gita story of arjuna's enlightenment with krishna which occurs in a split second during the great battle of good verses evil that is so beautifully told. Many books have been written on just that small part of the story. but arjuna had brothers and one was older and the most just and he was the king of Bogs tale. Many many great adventures in their families lives were told in this one of the great hindu epics of old.
IM not huge on chanting as much as im into mantra's
my manrta is this: the GAYATRI (hindu) ..."We meditate on the glory of that being who has produced this universe; may he enlighten our minds."
Part of raja-yoga and can be found in the complete works of Swami Vivekenanda. This mantra repeated mentally is a great source of comfort to me. the length of the sentence keeps me focused as repeating this verse can be hard to do at first. But, thats the point. through mental affort I am able to meditate and in the process free myself from many of the endless thought bubbles which float up from the mind. when i meditate and a thought bubble comes up (such as get a pizza) I pop it. by realizing that its just a mental distraction or desire I pop it and it doesnt plague me for a while. then when im done meditating I know if i want the pizza or not. not just endlesss mental debating.
I am rambling a bit
I have found through my own studies that one book is not always as good a translation as another book and that each person might not get things from a book thats services many others. Knowing this helps us keep our books at a distance.. I want to be buddhist not just have buddhist books.
the kalama suta says things about this.
it goes something like this. : dont believe what people tell you is truth dont buy into people saying its a certain book or a certain way of being. but instead find within yourself that which is true just and wholesome, and when you do embrace it and hold it high in your heart because it is your truth
heres a short tale of enlightenment:
the buddha was teaching his monks
outside the mentally hadicapped guy was sweeping and cleaning up after all the monks. everyone was respectful of him especially the buddha but some monks liked that he was descriminated against, they felt better than him. now the guy would do his duties and then sit under the window and hear the masters lessons. One day he heard a very simple teaching that had brought many monks into enlightenment before and it worked for him. He was overjoyed and humbled. he rarely understood a lot of the teachings due to their complexity but he got this one just as many had before. he was enlightened and this meant he should be respected for it someday he might be a teacher. so of course the monks wanted to prove he hadn't got it so they brought him to the buddha and it was so obvious to him that the man was enlightened that the monks were ashamed of their being wrong and conceited. They learned much that day towards their own enlightenment. the buddha used the situation as a catalyst to the other monks minds to say (look its not that you guys arent smart....It's that you all think too much to see the truth right in front of you.)
I should read this thread more carefully before I go on too much but I just wanted to let my ranting out lol...
peace and happines to all