HitchWithMe Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Okay Folks Here's the deal. I have attended a couple Buddhist meditation sessions and found it really helpful. I have always had anxiety and a bit of a racing mind...the focus on breathing and the cleansing from thoughts is really helpful. I've read most of Sam Harris' book Waking Up and I feel like I may start integrating meditative practice. I want to start this process with an open mind which is still fully capable of being thoughtfully critical...as Harris says - with my bullshit meter still on high alert. Has anyone done this? What has been good / bad / challenging / refreshing?? Is there a line where the Buddhist practice crosses over into religion? Any thoughts or suggested reading material would be great! Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astreja Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 There are a lot of Buddhist sects, some very religious and some not really religious at all. As a very rough guide, the groups that use silent meditation (sitting, standing, walking) as their primary focus -- for example, Zen -- will tend to be okay. If you end up chanting something without understanding it, or going cross-eyed staring at a mandala, or bowing down to bodhisattva statues, that particular group is probably closer to a religion than a philosophy. (I've found that most of the Mahayana branch has a decidedly religious flavour.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voice Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Okay Folks Here's the deal. I have attended a couple Buddhist meditation sessions and found it really helpful. I have always had anxiety and a bit of a racing mind...the focus on breathing and the cleansing from thoughts is really helpful. I've read most of Sam Harris' book Waking Up and I feel like I may start integrating meditative practice. I want to start this process with an open mind which is still fully capable of being thoughtfully critical...as Harris says - with my bullshit meter still on high alert. Has anyone done this? What has been good / bad / challenging / refreshing?? Is there a line where the Buddhist practice crosses over into religion? Any thoughts or suggested reading material would be great! Thanks!! I only met one buddhist person who had a religious slant. She wasn't obnoxious or offensive or abusive like a christian, but she held that she'd been "enlightened" much the way a christian claims to be born again. I really can't say for sure, but it didn't seem to me at the time she'd had more than a glimpse of enlightenment as defined through original buddhist expression. Maybe what she actually experienced was something inspiring through buddhist ideas, something to give her a new perspective and encouragement. So with that I'd say just be careful not to take it too far, not to delude yourself. Be mindful of reality. Keep in touch with it. If things clear up and settle down for you through meditation then keep doing what you're doing and enjoy. Astreja said some realistic things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Personally, I would be very careful in dealing with anyone who claimed to be enlightened, whether Buddhist or not. That claim carries more bullshit than any amount of deism... I'm no expert on buddhism, but from what I understand of the basic ideas they are perfectly reconcilable with a philosophical, irreligious outlook. So, it's up to you what you make of it. Just be careful as to what sort of group (if any) you ally yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted July 31, 2016 Super Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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