Dalai Lama/Buddhism Zipsfb: I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience to mine...
I have found a lot of comfort in reading books by the Dalai Lama and Buddhism more generally. Sometimes I get into funks and I find if I go read the Dalai Lama I feel instantly better. His message is so kind and compassionate. Once I found him my life was really shown a lot of direction.
I think a good quality of his teachings is that he doesn't target only Buddhists, but people like me who used to be Christian but now consider themselves "spiritual".
Anyone out there? Just curious..
Re: Dalai Lama/Buddhism Topaz: Hey Zip - I also enjoy books on Buddhism. I've been reading a great one now called "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron, who has written a number of very good books on Buddhism (she's a Buddhist nun). When things fall apart is about cultivating the opportunity that difficulties bring us.
I go to a zen buddhist temple a couple of times a week for meditation services. A lot of the people are there are also Jewish, Christian, or agnostic like me. The beauty of the practice, as you pointed out, is its universal appeal. In fact, I wouldn't consider it a religion but more of a set of tools for living. It has added a lot to the quality of my life.
Re: Dalai Lama/Buddhism Zipsfb: I've been considering actually going to a temple. I've only read books so far (quite a few), am think I might also see about Yoga. Right now I am reading, "Many Way to Nirvana" by the Dalai Lama, which has been great. I got it yesterday when I was feeling really anxious and after about 5 minutes I felt a lot better about my situation. I lose sight sometimes and get very selfish, which has never yielded positive results for me.
What are your meditations like? Is it an intimidating environment? I'm really just looking for like minded people who can offer support on better ways to practice and teach me how to go about practicing...
Re: Dalai Lama/Buddhism Topaz: I love meditating. In zen buddhism, you do open-eye meditation, which for me is better than the closed-eye meditation that my tibetan buddhist friends do, because I am a total daydreamer and keeping my eyes open forces me to focus and be present. There was a beginner class at our temple. For me it's like sweeping out all the cobwebs in my mind. You learn to quiet your mind, letting thoughts come and go. In Tibetan buddhism they meditate more on images and teachings [sutras"> , which is also really cool, but I've found it's better for me not to focus on anything. It's pretty low key but very energizing. I let go of a lot of negativity when I meditate.
The atmosphere of the temple is wonderful. Very welcoming and calm. I love the whole aesthetic of buddhist temples in general. When I lived in India, I used to visit a lot of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples, and now I'm thinking of taking a trip to Japan and Korea to visit Buddhist temples.
Re: Dalai Lama/Buddhism Zipsfb: I've looked into it, and the only thing that makes me feel uneasy is the idea of chanting and bowing... do they always do that? Is it weird?
Forgive me for being ignorant, I'm used to kneeling and repeating the Nicene Creed...
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