BUDHISM

[ThinkAnarchy]

I flirted with Taoism in my teens. I know it isn't the same as Buddhism, but if memory serves, there are some philosophical similarities. I only looked into Taoism after reading Chuang Tzu's Butterfly story. I found it fascinating, but the other teachings never resonated with me.

[Ali]

 If you go around being sweet and helpful, most people will take to you and treat you well in return. 

That might be how it is in Denver.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

[Crow]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

[Amicale]

 If you go around being sweet and helpful, most people will take to you and treat you well in return. 

That might be how it is in Denver.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

I've been told online and offline, more than a few times, that I 'seem too nice to be real'. I don't know what that's supposed to mean, since ANY of us are sometimes nice and sometimes not... but I guess they mean most people just must not act very nice, most of the time. The thing is, they're probably right, when it comes to me. Looking back on my life, I can say with certainty that I haven't always been nice, and that like anyone else, I've messed up. If karma is true and we do get what we give out, then I can expect to be in for a rough time, in some ways.  In other ways, though, I try my best to be nice, and I hope that people will be nice, back. I try to be realistic and try to see people not as entirely "good" or "bad" but just as human, capable of being nice and not nice to others.

I'm not sure what I think about karma. I think it's generally true that if you try to be decent most of the time, people who care about you will try to be decent back. It seems to be a human instinct, to want to be liked, and to want to get along with others. In the long run, it helps society move along smoothly.

Buddhism itself is pretty neat, though. A lot of very interesting ideas, generally peaceful. When it comes to religions or philosophies, Buddhism and Taoism are among my favourites.

[Ali]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

Actually, now that you mention it, we recently had some coworkers come in to Denver from London, and the one thing they all commented on is how friendly people here are.  One guy said (like it was simply amazing) "A guy even talked to me in the lift!"  So I guess they must be grumps in London...  Here, it is customary to smile and say hello when you cross paths with someone.

[Siz]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

Agreed. You'd catch it too if you lived here.

We've all just spent the day exercising our democratic right to elect our Mayor.
I've no doubt the result will give us all the ammunition we need to grump well into next year...

[werewolf]

value in it's approach to life

yes according to buddhism each life has a value it self.

[Sweetdeath]

value in it's approach to life

yes according to buddhism each life has a value it self.

Too bad i dont  think every life is valuble.
Sorry, but i squished a bug on my lapel today.

Buddhism is an interesting concept, but karma makes little sense

It doesnt explain murder, rape, child molestation,  human trafficking.
Sorry, no. And i definitely dont believe in the "another life/reborn" concept.

[Tank]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

Actually, now that you mention it, we recently had some coworkers come in to Denver from London, and the one thing they all commented on is how friendly people here are.  One guy said (like it was simply amazing) "A guy even talked to me in the lift!"  So I guess they must be grumps in London...  Here, it is customary to smile and say hello when you cross paths with someone.

Londoners are insular in the same way that all people are who live in big cities generally are. If one said 'Hi!' to everybody you met in a day you'd do nothing else. Chicago is a bit London 'ish while Boston is more chatty.

[Ali]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

Actually, now that you mention it, we recently had some coworkers come in to Denver from London, and the one thing they all commented on is how friendly people here are.  One guy said (like it was simply amazing) "A guy even talked to me in the lift!"  So I guess they must be grumps in London...  Here, it is customary to smile and say hello when you cross paths with someone.

Londoners are insular in the same way that all people are who live in big cities generally are. If one said 'Hi!' to everybody you met in a day you'd do nothing else. Chicago is a bit London 'ish while Boston is more chatty.

In fairness though, Denver isn't a small town.  Certainly, it's no London, but it's still a major metropolitan area.  Metro Denver has almost 3 million people.  And yet we still manage to smile at each other....

[Tank]

Buddhism is a religion, and has many supernatural components and can also be totally mental. I like elements of Buddhism though and the original teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, even though I don't necessarily believe or agree with them.

Is that not true elsewhere?  I don't think I've ever been anywhere where smiles weren't rewarded with smiles.

In London, they are grump sods (generally).

Actually, now that you mention it, we recently had some coworkers come in to Denver from London, and the one thing they all commented on is how friendly people here are.  One guy said (like it was simply amazing) "A guy even talked to me in the lift!"  So I guess they must be grumps in London...  Here, it is customary to smile and say hello when you cross paths with someone.

Londoners are insular in the same way that all people are who live in big cities generally are. If one said 'Hi!' to everybody you met in a day you'd do nothing else. Chicago is a bit London 'ish while Boston is more chatty.

In fairness though, Denver isn't a small town.  Certainly, it's no London, but it's still a major metropolitan area.  Metro Denver has almost 3 million people.  And yet we still manage to smile at each other....

It's the altitude then. It makes you all a bit light headed   

[Crow]

Londoners are insular in the same way that all people are who live in big cities generally are. If one said 'Hi!' to everybody you met in a day you'd do nothing else. Chicago is a bit London 'ish while Boston is more chatty.

I think its more to do with the mob mentality and needing to over use common politeness that you just start to exude a grumpiness. Normally if a person walks into me out of politeness I will say sorry and in 99% outside of London the politeness is returned, but after saying it about 10 times in the short commute from point A to point B without anyone saying it back you start to stop saying it yourself. Even if you are just going on a relaxed wonder around the city, nearly everywhere you go there are loads of people rushing as if their life depended on getting to where they are going and that in reaction to this people in general walk much quicker than they usually would. The other week when I went I found I was getting stressed out for no reason at all, it was only when I realised I was unintentionally rushing everywhere that I started to enjoy myself and observe what was around me.

[Ali]

Londoners are insular in the same way that all people are who live in big cities generally are. If one said 'Hi!' to everybody you met in a day you'd do nothing else. Chicago is a bit London 'ish while Boston is more chatty.

I think its more to do with the mob mentality and needing to over use common politeness that you just start to exude a grumpiness. Normally if a person walks into me out of politeness I will say sorry and in 99% outside of London the politeness is returned, but after saying it about 10 times in the short commute from point A to point B without anyone saying it back you start to stop saying it yourself. Even if you are just going on a relaxed wonder around the city, nearly everywhere you go there are loads of people rushing as if their life depended on getting to where they are going and that in reaction to this people in general walk much quicker than they usually would. The other week when I went I found I was getting stressed out for no reason at all, it was only when I realised I was unintentionally rushing everywhere that I started to enjoy myself and observe what was around me.

This is a good point.  I spend most of my time in the 'burbs, which are much more spread out than what I imagine London to be (and Americans are infamous for not being walkers anyway) so I'm not usually bouncing off of people when I walk, which means that I'm usually ambling along at a leisurely pace, as are the people that I cross paths with.  Easy to smile and say hello (as a matter of fact, kind of weird not to) when you are the only two people on a stretch of sidewalk.

[rickrocks]

Before the conversation drifts, let me throw in my two cents on Buddhism...

How soon the conversation degenerates into "I believe this" and "(blah)-ists are generally thus and such". Forget your generalizations and personal variations. There is no basis for belief in anything (sigh, I know that's just my version). Matter of fact, when you start "believing in" things, you step onto a very slippery slope. "Well then how do you explain the nature of our existence?" Why does every question need an ultimate answer? Just let it lie in the dirt and rot. No humans need be present to interpret the sound when trees fall in the forest. Maybe someday someone will develop an instrument or technology or method which will unearth the rotten remnants of your existence, and they will try to explain it in their terms. Oh they may quantify your remains, but of course they will miss what you construed as the meaning of your having been here, until they expire and rot and someone comes along and digs their dirt up and so on. Or you may end up nourishing a tree. The intergalactic superhighway is going to cut through everyone's yard sooner or later. But I digress.

My brother was an atheist until he turned Buddhist. (note spelling) I was mortified. He said it's perfect for atheists because you don't have to believe anything, you just have to do the practice. Well, the practice was as close to religious ritual as I've ever seen, clanging gongs and lighting incense and chanting til blue in the mouth. But there's no dissuading big brother. He swore his chanting had a positive effect on my life. Nope. Can't go there, bro. I mean, I love you too, but...

I have heard of evidence that participating in a religious practice such as chanting and praying and meditating and the lot has some beneficial effect on a person. I have also seen the effects of "what goes around comes around". To me the more accurate saying is "word gets around". As in "don't associate with this person, because he's not overly ____" (fill in the blank) Karma? Spare me. I have never seen a shred of evidence revealing any supernatural basis for anything, no spiritual side of life, no eternity to be shared with my brethren (and sistren), etc. And even if there was such a magical thing, I would hardly be prone to believe *in* it. What a useless thing to do, to sort among competing cloudy concepts, like balloons which bounce off one another until they pop in higher altitudes, and accept and reject one or the other, like creating one's personal jigsaw puzzle.

Now fishing, there's a suitable activity for homo sapiens!

Please don't mind me. I'm just blowing steam, like a Yellowstone geyser. What were we talkin' about? Oh yeah, my ideas were about to implode...

Pop quiz: what do balloons, jigsaw puzzles, and geysers have in common?

[En_Route]

Before the conversation drifts, let me throw in my two cents on Buddhism...

How soon the conversation degenerates into "I believe this" and "(blah)-ists are generally thus and such". Forget your generalizations and personal variations. There is no basis for belief in anything (sigh, I know that's just my version). Matter of fact, when you start "believing in" things, you step onto a very slippery slope. "Well then how do you explain the nature of our existence?" Why does every question need an ultimate answer? Just let it lie in the dirt and rot. No humans need be present to interpret the sound when trees fall in the forest. Maybe someday someone will develop an instrument or technology or method which will unearth the rotten remnants of your existence, and they will try to explain it in their terms. Oh they may quantify your remains, but of course they will miss what you construed as the meaning of your having been here, until they expire and rot and someone comes along and digs their dirt up and so on. Or you may end up nourishing a tree. The intergalactic superhighway is going to cut through everyone's yard sooner or later. But I digress.

My brother was an atheist until he turned Buddhist. (note spelling) I was mortified. He said it's perfect for atheists because you don't have to believe anything, you just have to do the practice. Well, the practice was as close to religious ritual as I've ever seen, clanging gongs and lighting incense and chanting til blue in the mouth. But there's no dissuading big brother. He swore his chanting had a positive effect on my life. Nope. Can't go there, bro. I mean, I love you too, but...

I have heard of evidence that participating in a religious practice such as chanting and praying and meditating and the lot has some beneficial effect on a person. I have also seen the effects of "what goes around comes around". To me the more accurate saying is "word gets around". As in "don't associate with this person, because he's not overly ____" (fill in the blank) Karma? Spare me. I have never seen a shred of evidence revealing any supernatural basis for anything, no spiritual side of life, no eternity to be shared with my brethren (and sistren), etc. And even if there was such a magical thing, I would hardly be prone to believe *in* it. What a useless thing to do, to sort among competing cloudy concepts, like balloons which bounce off one another until they pop in higher altitudes, and accept and reject one or the other, like creating one's personal jigsaw puzzle.

Now fishing, there's a suitable activity for homo sapiens!

Please don't mind me. I'm just blowing steam, like a Yellowstone geyser. What were we talkin' about? Oh yeah, my ideas were about to implode...

Pop quiz: what do balloons, jigsaw puzzles, and geysers have in common?

The benefits of meditation and other aspects of Buddhist practice seem to have been validated by neuroscience and the secular elements have been integrated into many forms of cognitive behavioural therapy whose beneficial effects on mental health are on the record. Buddhism is not theist and the concept of karma can be discarded without in any way invalidating its central insights.