Anyone versed in Buddhism?

[dust-in-the-wind]

I am very familiar with modern day teachers of buddhism plus Eckhart Tolle writings. If anyone else is, does it bring you any comfort at all?

 

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

I'm a Christian, but I studied Buddhism quite a bit in the past, but not modern Buddhist teachings. When reading In the Buddha's Words, one teaching that stood out to me was how we can choose to not allow pain to become suffering - in a way, by dwelling on physical pain and discomfort we are doubling the pain, by making it mental as well as merely physical. But I must say, now that I have a chronic physical illness it seems much less profound than before. But I still think there is lots of value in Buddhism and its teachings...

 

[Corvette90]

I'm a Christian, but I studied Buddhism quite a bit in the past, but not modern Buddhist teachings. When reading In the Buddha's Words, one teaching that stood out to me was how we can choose to not allow pain to become suffering - in a way, by dwelling on physical pain and discomfort we are doubling the pain, by making it mental as well as merely physical. But I must say, now that I have a chronic physical illness it seems much less profound than before. But I still think there is lots of value in Buddhism and its teachings...

have you been a Christian all your life? I'm kind of a babe in Christ.

 

[yellowjester]

now that I have a chronic physical illness it seems much less profound than before

Why do you think that? Buddha put himself through extremely torturous ascetic practices before reaching nirvana; he knows what it's like to experience physical suffering.

There's also monks who set themselves on fire because they simply didn't care about pain anymore.

I think people just underestimate the difficulty of escaping samsaric suffering. This is due to a lot of modern teachers promulgating the idea that you can simply do 'nothing' and become enlightened.

But you said you avoid modern teachers, so I'm very curious to hear your perspective, if you would like to share.

 

[divinemistress36]

"Invite your demons to tea" -Buddha

 

[qualityOV3Rquantity]

Why do you think that? Buddha put himself through extremely torturous ascetic practices before reaching nirvana; he knows what it's like to experience physical suffering.

There's also monks who set themselves on fire because they simply didn't care about pain anymore.

I think people just underestimate the difficulty of escaping samsaric suffering. This is due to a lot of modern teachers promulgating the idea that you can simply do 'nothing' and become enlightened.

But you said you avoid modern teachers, so I'm very curious to hear your perspective, if you would like to share.

Thanks for your reply. I admit there is a lot more to Buddhist teachings than I have studied, and more research would probably answer some of my questions or issues. To clarify, I never avoided modern Buddhist teachers, I just only looked into older Theravada Buddhist texts because I had the idea it is more 'authentic'. I guess it's because of my Protestant Christian background - I wanted to seek a sort of 'sola scriptura' version of Buddhism without what I viewed as more contemporary innovations. But I now understand you really can't compare Buddhism to Christianity in terms of different internal schools/denominations, and it isn't accurate to view Mahayana Buddhism as a 'deviation' or somehow less authentic than Theravada Buddhism.

 

[conflagration]

Buddhism is the reason I am still alive. I've studied many religions, and Buddhism has the most profound insights. But it also has the fewest illusions that provide hope for believers (at least early buddhism).

 

[ToTheEgress]

I'm somewhat familiar with vajrayana. A couple of weeks back I had a very vivid vision of what it would feel like to bleed out, and I found myself chanting "Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum" right before I would pass out.

 

[JesiBel]

For some years I was in contact with Theravada Buddhism. The meditation technique "anapanasati" helped me a lot in bad moments of anxiety.

And the motto that life is suffering is more than palpable.

If you are interested in Theravada Buddhism, I recommend these books that I have read:

- Maha Satipatthana Sutta (Nyanaponika Thera)

- Majjhima Nikaya / Udana / Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta / Jataka / Dhammapada / Anguttara Nikaya / Digha Nikaya (Buddha teachings from Suttapitaka)

- Vipassana (Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield)

- Le moine bouddhiste (Mohan Wijayaratna)

- Being nobody, going nowhere (Ayya Khema)

- La palabra de Buda (Nyanatiloka Mahathera)

- Filosofía budista. La vaciedad universal (Fernando Tola, Carmen Dragonetti)

- La meditación Vipassana (Ramiro Calle)

- Who is myself? (Ayya Khema)

- La meditación budista (Amadeo Solé Leris)

- Mindfulness (Bhante Henepola Gunaratana)

- The noble eightfold path (Bhikku Boddhi)

- La meditación budista. Vipassana y Samatha (Ramiro Calle)