valaquenta62

What lead to your current comprehesion of the Noble 8 fold path? When I ask this question, I think of my understanding of the 4 Noble Truths how it's changed over time. I believe I was first introduced to it via a "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Buddhism.." book, which didn't teach me anything wrong, although I might now describe my understanding as more intimate. Different, yet not different and that understanding continues to deepen with the aid of teachers like Thanissaro Bhikkhu. For me, my learning has yet to stop on any given topic after the point that I've...comprehended it, or grasped it, you know? My first FULL understanding is never wrong in retrospect, but it does expand as I expose myself to additional teachers or meditations or readings.

So, yes, I wanted to ask if everyone, or anyone, has a place that they've plateaued in regards to your understanding of the Noble 8 Fold Path. Perhaps it was a book you read, or a Dharma talk that you listened to. Perhaps the words of your own teacher.





While I'm here, I just want to add what a pleasure it's been to be a member of this community. The participation of this group warms me. Having said that, now this post will get no response LOL

No expectations.....

Title: Minerva's Gift (Work in Progress)
Author: Little House in the Woods
Rating: T
Summary: Cloud is sent back in time to change things for Sephiroth and his friends after Genesis makes a wish.
Link to Chapter 1 on fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5059009/1/Minervas_Gift
Link to Chapter 12 on Fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5059009/12/Minervas_Gift

I will not say anything which is desired and pleasant but unhelpful.
I will carefully choose a time to say anything which is helpful but undesired and unwanted.

Part of a series of admonishments from Gautama Siddhartha

I think it is appropriate to say this here.

I have noticed a practice of some Buddhists to become so focused on perfectness that they forget there are many paths to elevated states of consciousness. There are many right paths. There are many reflections of the four noble truths of suffering and freedom from samsara and dhuka. The most important part of learning is earnest effort. And within that is remembering the basics at all times. The four truths. ~ Also to remember the steps to enact positivity: right thoughts (through clarity), right words (through mindful use of clarity), right actions (one must follow through with their words acting within the laws of karma), and eventually right emotions (bliss and joy are temporary expressions of comparative happiness to dhuka - suffering).

I am a lay practitioner. These basic thoughts are continuously at work. They have helped me to progress from being absorbed by others' suffering. I have used this basic teaching common to all paths of Buddhism to carry me out of a lot of samsara and cyclical sufferings. Now as I seek a basis and grounding for my personal journey I see there are many who believe they have achieved a great deal, but have forgotten the basics of right words. Something which is a skill most difficult to always employ, but that leads to karmic results. If one is ambivalent to the suffering of others and simply poses words for consumption, are they healing words? Are they helpful words? Compassion was the Buddha's reason for teaching his gift to us. I think we ought to consider "is it wanted, needed and helpful?"

I think as practioners and seekers of dharma we want need and are helped to take it back to basics at all times in order that we stay on track.

Since becoming liaison to our dharma center, I've been dealing with the students directly. Last weekend a new student came in and we had a brief interview. At first I thought he was one of those new age white kids who culturally misappropriated Native American culture, as he was wearing a wolf tee-shirt and wished to be called "Running Dragon Wind". But, after talking further, it seems to be much worse: he's a furry.

I don't know much about furries other than they all have sex in animal costumes and think themselves animal souls misplaced in human vessels. This is samsara that I'm not advanced enough to handle, so I'll leave him to Chichi Rinpoche. I'm thinking a few dharma talks on the suffering of the animal realms and the preciousness of human rebirth will snap him out of it. Otherwise, when he dies and passes into bardo, he's going to be sucked into conception by the first pair of "yiffing" foxes he comes across. These furry imprints are dangerous.

He also wants a Yamantaka initiation, and while that is a bit too advanced, I think he's making that decision solely on a thangka he likely mistook as furry porn.

Title: Chiaroscuro (Ch. 6)
Genre(s): General/Romance
Rating: Rated: T
Summary: Black, white and everything in between. A collection of Reno x Tifa
x Cloud ficlets and drabbles.

URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5033391/6/

+ Enjoy!
+ Comments are love! ^_^
+ Please credit totallygay81.
+ Screencaps by herdivineshadow @ cap_it
+ WARNING: Mild adult content and one kinda NSFW icon. lol



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 Not exactly sure if this is allowed, but I figured I'd make a post...

The Genesis Awards, which began as a fanfiction awards for Final Fantasy VII fiction that's a step above the rest, is now accepting nominations for FFX fic as well. I'm an admin over there (You can find me under the penname Sai) and I am quite discouraged that there is so little VII fic nominated so far.

The Genesis Awards has specific criteria for nominated fic. After our nominations close for the year (December 31) our Preliminary Readers will go through and ascertain that the fics that are nominated adhere to the grammatical standards of either Great Britain or the United States. After they finish the Preliminary Reading, we will release our official list of nominees for the 2009-2010 awards season and our judges will begin the process of picking winners. Judges grade based on things like voice, dialog, correct punctuation and spelling, plot, coherence, consistency, originality, et cetera.

If you know of any good FFVII or FFX fic (X-2 is go, as well) that deserves an award, please go check out the Genesis Awards. You can visit our website at www.genesisawards.net, or nominate on the forums, located at http://genesisawards.net/forums/

We could also use volunteers for Preliminary Readers or Judges, but mostly, we just want more fic.

Mods, feel free to remove this if this is against the rules.

[001-013] trainspotting
[014-042] atonement
[043-058] schindler's list
[059-068] true blood

preview:
   


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Yesterday I went to a dharma day inspired by the Satipatthana Sutra at London Buddhist Centre. It was a really great day, rich inspiration for practice. The previous day i listened to this reading of the Sutra from this page (second one down - also with links to three alternative translations from different scholars) several times. It is really lovely to listen to, and I am listening to it again now. 'New technology' is hardly news, and technology for recording and listening to the human voice has been around for a while, but this access we have now to dharma and meditations is absolutely unparalleled, and I continue to be struck by the astounding implications - you can have world reknowned teachers talking to you in your own home, and if you want to hear the talk again, you can! This is a mutation on the contemplative life which simply could not have existed at all before the last very few years. Of course, this also means there is an active world wide sangha, again, at a previously unimaginable level. We live in very particular times.
All the better to apprehend the very simplicity of teachings. Here, in the Satipatthana Sutra we are assured that with 'bare knowledge and repeated mindfulness' we have enough material to take our practice all the way.

Digham va assasanto digham assasamiti pajanati digham va passasanto digham passasamiti pajanati: = "He, thinking, 'I breathe in long,' understands when he is breathing in long; or thinking, 'I breathe out long,' he understands when he is breathing out long.

Our day was a mixture of talks and practices, I won't attempt to document it all, but there were two things beyond the Sutra itself (yes, still listening to it!) that are particularly in my mind to write about. Ratnachuda led us in an unusual version of Metta Bhavana. In the FWBO we learn and practice Metta Bhavana alternately with mindfulness of breathing from the beginning, it is not seen as either an optional or an advanced meditation, but one to be engaged in from day one (or day two!) Usually we are reminded that we chould choose for our difficult person someone we have a minor irritation with. Being foolish, I had taken a bit of a detour for the past year or so and had chosen to use someone very difficult for me, and had reached a point where it really wasn't Metta i was practicing, but a kind of harmful masochistic clinging. One day recently I simply couldn't engage with it at all. I had reached an impasse. I thought of 'only' doing myself, and then I thought of just taking the instruction to use an easier person more seriously. I am not sure why I had dismissed the idea of working just with myself so quickly, and I am indebted to Ratnacuda for leading the meditation in this way otherwise I might never have experienced it. He suggested thinking of the part of yourself that you find easiest as your easy person, and working through to a part of yourself that you are less happy with as your difficult person. I found it really productive and healing, and I would certainly use it again. What was I doing using someone I find so harmful in my meditation? What does it say about the Metta I have been offering myself?
The whole day went in to the evening, with Mitra ceremonies and a Puja, but I was never going to last that long, and I was really tired (I have fibromyalgia and get very tired) and I was just thinking of going home when Dhammarati arrived. Because of my illness there are lots of order members who I don't know because I rarely go to LBC in the evenings. So, even though I spend a lot of time there, there are still plenty of people I don't know. I have to admit now, that I do not remember the name of the order member I was talking to when he arrived, but they knew each other and she introduced us, and he shook my hand. His presence was of an order that I thought, ok, let me just stay for this one last talk. And I am very glad I did. He talked very plainly about the Sutra, and about practice. Very insightfully. And he brought the day together in it's conceptual simplicity; everything you need to know to practice, you probably already know. You just need to do it deeper.

Title: The Isolation of Tifa Lockhart (Ch. 2)
Genre(s): Suspense/Angst
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tifa Lockhart x Reno
Rating: PG-13
Summary: An ancient curse sealed within a necklace forces Tifa to confront her long-hidden demons. Unexpectedly, Reno is dragged along for the ride.

Read Here

Robert Thurman defines the Individual Vehicle of Buddhism as that which seeks transcendence from the imprisonment of cyclic life. To begin this path, he describes how one must realize their own precious human embodiment.

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII.
Rating: G
Summary: Tifa-centric drabble. She is watching Cloud as he reminisces.
Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns these guys.

Just A Taste

Further to my meditative practice...

It is important to consider why we meditate and what the meditation forms into. Buddhist thoughts on the subject are quite definite on what mediation's goals are. The practice of meditation alone is simply a tool, but the use of it is a purposeful growth and expansion of the mind. One can't simply vacate thoughts and then suddenly become enlightened! Blissful oblivion might be attractive, but it is a mind construct. A natural physical high. Transcendental mediation can lead to joyful bliss, but that is not the right goal. (according to the Pali Canon)

Meditation leads up in stages to the ultimate goal of being able to achieve right concentration

the first meditative absorption:
detachment from unwholesome thoughts, accompanied by sustained thoughts, applied thought, joy and blissful awareness.

the second meditative state:
using sustained thoughts and concentration on the world at hand and present, finds inner tranquility, the consciousness of the world around replaces the need to focus on the specific applied thoughts. This state is content, joyful and blissful.

the third state:
detached from joy - finding equanimity (the state of neither joy or stress) This state is blissful, equanimity and mindfulness of the world at hand.

the fourth state:
in order to give up suffering truly we must also abandon it's opposite. We let go of bliss. Sustained mindfulness of the world and ourselves. Pure equanimity.

Right concentration.


These words are derived from Pali Canon readings. 65-68 and wikipedia entries on the subject of right mindfulness.

Give me equanimity or give me bliss and suffering.

This should show that the feeling of joyful abandon is not at all the highest state of mediation. While pleasurable it is "samsara" still. The state of being a slave to worldly needs and desires - the desire for pleasure, not pain. While bliss is definitely preferable to suffering it is not equanimity yet. it is as unbalanced as suffering. It is the other side of the same door. It is useless to push on the door - eventually bliss will fade and suffering will return.

Knowing that all things pass, good and bad, positive and negative, we seek balance and equanimity in order to solve our problems. Not seeking bliss. Seeking answers. Seeking right thoughts from right concentration on the issues at ahand. Attained through careful practice to vacate the ego - to vacate the bliss and the suffering from the issues. To then, ask our most balanced and rational person inside, "What shall I say, think, and do?"

One must not allow a whirlwind of unapplied thoughts to sway back and forth inside their mind. One must step into meditation with purpose. Mindful action. Doing nothing is as much an action as doing something. Especially when it done with purpose. Take the states of meditation through to conclusion and small enlightenments will surely arrive. I have experienced clarity of intention and action through carrying out right concentration as described this way.

I hope this path makes some sense. Not theoretical, but practical and useful ways to use meditation to achieve clarity.

J

Negative emotions mean step back.
Positive emotions mean step forward.

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

Tao Te Ching

The book Honest Signals by MIT professor Sandy Pentland is a very brief introduction to the language of our unconscious, emotional mind with it's "body language" and voice tone/speed/volume, as contrasted with the language of the conscious, rational mind of specific words. The research is fascinating (though the book itself is pretty dull) and helps clarify how decisions are made, in groups of humans and in groups of brain cells. It turns out that the conscious mind is really crappy at making complex decisions, because it filters out too many of the details needed for a full analysis. So, sort of surprisingly, that means that nearly all of our most important decisions are made with the unconscious mind, which stores ALL of the data that we need:

So then how does all this evidence help us make better decisions? What the evidence and model suggest is that for complex problems, the best decision-making strategy is to focus on information discovery and then let your unconscious mind "recognize" the best alternative.

[*snip* stuff about talking to people to collect enough opinions/facts]

And, finally, let the problems roll around in your mind without conscious deliberation. Don't look for a logical explanations of every factor but instead seek that "aha" movement where you recognize a real fit between your current problem and previous experience. An informed unconscious, especially one supported by the experiences of a network of interested individuals, is the most powerful decision making tool you have.

In other words, when you have some conflict in your self about what to do because of sadness, anger, fear, stress, etc., take some time to step back, open your mind and let all the emotions and thoughts and facts wander around inside your self as compassionately as possible, and wait peacefully for the negative stuff to leave, and the positive emotions and thoughts and intentions to appear.

In my own experience, those positive things will be accompanied by a sudden joyful energy that propels one to get started right away on that right action and right speech and right livelihood. Of course, I'm not always completely successful at carrying out my ideas, but usually I can manage at least something that improves someone's life, somewhere. :-)

In more Buddhist terms:

Meditate on negative thoughts.
Act on positive ones.

Compassion begins with respecting your own honest signals about when it's time to slow down, take a break, and give yourself time to process it all. Peace begins within, then spreads outwards!

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+ WARNING: Some blood, implied drug use and adult language.



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here

Well, actually there are lots of them there. I saw one wearing a blue vest and walking the aisles, offering sage advice on benevolent paints and proper fastening systems. However these are not the ones I was referring to.

I was meaning the garden statue varieties. Such as these:
Garden Buddha Statues

We have been looking for an affordable Garden Buddha, and these resin ones were very good. I may repaint mine, but I wanted to install and outside shrine area.

Here is the one we found, sitting there amidst the plastic frogs and gnomes, (who also have Buddha Nature)

Is it proper to meditate naked? This has been bothering me quite a bit this morning. It just seems really immodest and indecent.