Buddhism?

[arahant]

A number of folks here seem to have at least a leaning towards buddhism. Are any of you practising buddhists, of any stripe? Or for that matter, anyone regularly meditate or sit?

[Nielsio]

I've recently started listening to these Buddhist talks from Australia
http://www.bswa.org/audio/podcast/AjahnBrahm.rss.php
..and I am blown away by it. It's everything I needed to hear.

I was already very knowledgable on the work of Joseph Campbell; who discusses many things from Buddhist thought and symbolism.
http://nielsio.blogspot.com/2007/03/...to-galaxy.html

I haven't strictly meditated, but I know what the effects are, as the trancendental part of it completely resonates with me, due to my mushroom trips and things like this:
http://www.lycaeum.org/books/books/p...nce/tib21.html

This made total sense to me:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...C6FD3C17BA370F


Interestingly, the makers of the documentary 'Zeitgeist' also totally resonate with the Buddhist message. Check the last 5-7 minutes:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...5331&hl=en



I'd also be interested if there are others here.

[RIDGE45]

I took a consciousness class and we investigated the neuroscientific (spelling?) basis of consciousness as well as the buddhist view of consciousness (the self does not exist...which oddly enough neuroscience is starting to show that the "self" is just an illusion created by consciousness). Anyway, part of the class was having to have a regular meditation practice. It is pretty awesome, and it's effects are amazing/really hard to explain.

You should read the book(s):
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse or
Buddha by Karen Armstrong

If you are really interested in learning a bit about buddhism/buddha.
Really interesting.

[gila]

Buddhism is really the only thing that has ever made sense to me from either a philosophical, or religion viewpoint. Although, in its truest sense, it is neither philosophical or religious. Does that make sense? Of course is doesn't, that is the whole point.

I think Buddishm, in one sense, is concerned with the in-between; the space, or the Gap, that exists, or non-exists, between the points of everyday awareness.
It is not different than everyday awareness, nor is it the same. If one can get out of that paradox, and look back toward that paradox, as "that paradox", one will have arrived at a place of both existing, and non-existing, or even a place of awareness of everyday awareness itself.

I would think the only way of achieving (for lack of a better word) this, would be through meditation of some sort; be it walking meditation, overall awareness of breath, zazen, or any number of other meditation "techniques".

Probably the main two reasons that Buddhism makes sense to me, or maybe better, why I like it is 1. It is so peaceful and open, and 2. because it doesn't ask you to have "faith" in it's claims, but rather says to see for yourself.

As for meditation, I have practiced walking meditation (and to a lesser extent, zazen) for years and, personally, I have no doubt about it's outcomes. I guess each person would have to come to that conclusion themselves though.

I do think many other Eastern "religions" have some of the same attributes as Buddhism, including Hindu, Jain, and Taoism. Although I think Buddhism, and even more so Zen, is the highest embodiment of these "ideas".

As for a philosophical discussion into the heart of Buddhism, from the inside of Buddhism itself, the best I have read is "Religion and Nothingness" - Keiji Nishitani

"The Dimond Sutra" - translated and commentaries by Red Pine is a great book delving into the core of Buddhism.

Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh is peaceful, easy, Buddhist reading.