What are you practising for?

[Haribol]

A lot of people here on daobums, myself included, do spiritual practises. But I have to ask... what are you practicing for? 

 

Ill answer for my self first, as is polite. Well, I dont really practise, but I am supposed to. By that I mean, I have been told/adviced to do certain practises by quite a lot of people. Some of them, truth be told, strike me as truly illuminated beings. I also has experimental evidence that the process does indeed work (for me). However, I am also very "obsternasig," in lack of a good sounding english word. So I let google translate that very funny sounding word, and it chose "cheesy nosed." So I dont really practise regulary. Hope that make sense. 

 

(the main practise of my cult is chanting the mahamantra)
(also obstinate is the correct translation it seems, but ill let cheesy nose stay)

Edited Tuesday at 09:16 AM by Haribol

[Tommy]

I do not believe myself to be religious by any measure. Grew up with religious instructions. Learnt about Jesus and somewhat of the Bible. But, have distanced myself from actual church. Got exposed to Buddhism or rather Zen Buddhism. Liked it cause it said to actually try it for yourself. So, practised sitting meditation on and off from young teen to retirement. I do not believe it has made much difference in my understanding of the world around me. But, learning about Buddhism has shaped my  way of looking at life. So, guess that I practise so I can become a better person. And yes, there are days that I wish that I was not trying to become a better person. Stuff happens.

Edited Tuesday at 11:42 AM by Tommy

[Haribol]

50 minutes ago, Tommy said:

I do not believe myself to be religious by any measure. Grew up with religious instructions. Learnt about Jesus and somewhat of the Bible. But, have distanced myself from actual church. Got exposed to Buddhism or rather Zen Buddhism. Liked it cause it said to actually try it for yourself. So, practised sitting meditation on and off from young teen to retirement. I do not believe it has made much difference in my understanding of the world around me. But, learning about Buddhism has shaped my  way of looking at life. So, guess that I practise so I can become a better person. And yes, there are days that I wish that I was not trying to become a better person. Stuff happens.

Judging by the humility, honesty and philosophy of that comment, I’m tempted to say it has been a great success

[oak]

To find some balance and sanity in this crazy world we live in.

[Cobie]

 

12 hours ago, Haribol said:

... what are you practicing for? I’ll answer for my self first …

 

I cannot find the answer in the rest of your post. 
 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:09 PM by Cobie

[Cobie]

I practice to become one with God.

[oak]

14 hours ago, oak said:

To find some balance and sanity in this crazy world we live in.

Note:

I won't let my ambition to be bigger than that.

[Haribol]

14 hours ago, Cobie said:

 

 

I cannot find the answer in the rest of your post. 
 

 

I can’t either 

 

 

[Cobie]

 

59 minutes ago, oak said:

I won't let my ambition to be bigger than that.

 

I never had any ambition, I went with the flow and found what I found.

 

 

[oak]

1 hour ago, Cobie said:

 

 

I never had any ambition, I went with the flow and found what I found.

 

 

 

That is it!

[Haribol]

My ambition is to be a heavenly cow. 

[stirling]

I am no longer practicing, but actualizing enlightenment. One can actualize enlightenment by dropping all contrived thoughts, ideas, and practices. From the viewpoint of awareness it can be seen that all appearances in consciousness, including the "self", thoughts, and other worldly phenomena arise and  When you practice in this way even the walled-in concept of enlightenment drops away. 

 

Quote

To study the way of enlightenment is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind, as well as the bodies and minds of others, drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly. - Dogen, Actualizing the Fundamental Point

 

 

Quote

We need less practicing and more actualizing! - Robert Thurman (in a conversational exchange we once had)

 

[Haribol]

«If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha» 

[Cobie]

@Nintendao 

Guanyin 觀音 (guan1 yin1) = 觀 陰  (guan1 yin1) female outlook on life. 

 

氣 功 (qi4 gong1) = 導 引 (dao3 yin3) = 道 陰 (dao4 yin1) the female way. 

There is some evidence old Chinese did not use tones. 

 

Spoiler

Tagging you as the only one on the forum, I think, that might find this fun to read. 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Cobie

[Cobie]

Oops ^ wrong thread, sorry.

 

 

[steve]

Someone asked me this question about a year ago and, without thinking much about it, what came out was... 

I am practicing for my death. 

It sort of surprised me, and them as well. 

 

My practice has become mostly informal, meaning not just on the cushion but in my day to day life, as often and consistently as possible.  It's wonderful to sit in a quite, comfortable room and practice but if my practice is not there for me when I am challenged and stressed, when I am suffering; if it is not enriching my life, and the lives of those around me in the moment, making me more kind, flexible, resilient, resourceful, creative... what is the point? (that is a rhetorical question, I am only speaking for myself - everyone has their own path and objectives).

 

So my point is that I continue to practice so that I can be supported to show up fully in my life and to be able to access and bring all available resources to any and every given situation to the best of my ability.

 

Death is likely to present the biggest challenge in my life.

How to let go of everything I have, everything and everyone I've known, and everything that I am?

And how to do it without too much suffering for myself and for those around me?

Of course, it's nice to say things like - I am God, I am the universe, I am the non-local awareness, Buddha, the Nature of Mind.

I am birthless, deathless... I have no fear of death.

But they are all words... the test comes when there is extreme pain, illness, when the body and mind are close to the end and loved ones are waiting and suffering.

What will it be like then?

 

I watched my father die not too long ago and there was so much pain, so much fear.

It was excruciating for him and those around him in the last few days.

 

Wouldn't it be interesting to navigate that with some peace, some confidence, some equanimity and directly experience that transition and what lies beyond with as much clarity as possible? 

Rather than be heavily drugged and hooked up to all sorts of high tech garbage?

I think so...  at the moment.

And of course, circumstances may change my mind when it's my turn.

Time will tell!

 

In the tradition I follow, it's said that we should be able to bring all life's experiences onto the path. 

Life itself becomes the practice.

So for me, at this moment, practice really has no endpoint, I guess I can say I am practicing to live and to die. 

 

 

 

[dwai]

I practice because I can, and it helps keep the mirror of my mind clean from the proverbial red dust of this world. 

[justjoseph]

Enlightenment, the end of the spiritual path. I also want to live a skilful life that helps make the lives of others easier as opposed to being a burden. 

[ChiDragon]

I practice for good health by improving my respiratory system to breathe better. It is only good for health other than longevity. However, longevity might come with the package. I rather die on my feet than lying in bed with trauma.  

[Nungali]

10 hours ago, Haribol said:

My ambition is to be a heavenly cow. 

 

.....  I probably should not make the obvious joke there  .... 

 

My answer is 

 

Different practices  are done to achieve different ends - question was too general .

[Nungali]

6 hours ago, Haribol said:

«If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha» 

 

Wow ... you have really become 'Hinduised'  ! 

 

 

[Nungali]

2 hours ago, steve said:

Someone asked me this question about a year ago and, without thinking much about it, what came out was... 

I am practicing for my death. 

It sort of surprised me, and them as well. 

 

My practice has become mostly informal, meaning not just on the cushion but in my day to day life, as often and consistently as possible.  It's wonderful to sit in a quite, comfortable room and practice but if my practice is not there for me when I am challenged and stressed, when I am suffering; if it is not enriching my life, and the lives of those around me in the moment, making me more kind, flexible, resilient, resourceful, creative... what is the point? (that is a rhetorical question, I am only speaking for myself - everyone has their own path and objectives).

 

So my point is that I continue to practice so that I can be supported to show up fully in my life and to be able to access and bring all available resources to any and every given situation to the best of my ability.

 

Death is likely to present the biggest challenge in my life.

How to let go of everything I have, everything and everyone I've known, and everything that I am?

And how to do it without too much suffering for myself and for those around me?

Of course, it's nice to say things like - I am God, I am the universe, I am the non-local awareness, Buddha, the Nature of Mind.

I am birthless, deathless... I have no fear of death.

But they are all words... the test comes when there is extreme pain, illness, when the body and mind are close to the end and loved ones are waiting and suffering.

What will it be like then?

 

Is not that fear of pre death or moment of death suffering  ?   NO, I do not want that either , however there is another type of death ... sudden !  I have had 'escape' from that at least 3 times .... and it changes you ..... deeply!  Which is what the death rebirth experience in initiation is trying to achieve -  nothing like the real experience though .

 

I remember once lying in the middle of the road , unable to move , the motorcycle is nearby on its side  .  I am at the blind part coming out of an S bend ... a notorious and dangerous one . Any moment a car  or a log truck could come around that corner and I am going to ground up  along with the motorcycle under what ever vehicle comes next .   I distinctly remember looking across the field nearby to the escarpment and rain forest in the distance and thinking ; ''Well, this is good place to die  , at least I have had a great life .''

 

That really surprised me .  After a while I started to get a tingling in my legs and arms .... my back was not broken , just numbed . My legs gradually started to move a bit .  A stomach slid over to the motorcycle ( a light weight trail bike )  managed to somehow pull it  and myself off the road into a ditch ... and then a truck came around the corner and drove right through where I was lying . 

 

Then there was the accident where the  experienced police (in such matters )  insisted   I could not have been a driver  and took me to the car , pointed out the crushed cab  and asked why I removed the body and where I hid it . I could offer no explanation . Thank goodness a witness came forward  and affirmed my story .

 

And then another one , again, where instead of dying  I  ended up  with a  28y yo GF with three little kids .  never had a family .... that must have been on the cards  .... no death for you yet !  You have not done the 'father stuff'   ! 

 

Who is in running this show  ?        

 

 

Quote

 

I watched my father die not too long ago and there was so much pain, so much fear.

It was excruciating for him and those around him in the last few days.
 

 

Yes, I have seen that too . MY father and all the family , strongly Christian .... the fear was tangible ! 

 

 

Quote

 

 

Wouldn't it be interesting to navigate that with some peace, some confidence, some equanimity and directly experience that transition and what lies beyond with as much clarity as possible? 

Rather than be heavily drugged and hooked up to all sorts of high tech garbage?

I think so...  at the moment.

 

Exactly !  And that is the decision we came to ( me and my specialist )  ... ''Off the record ... ''' as he said . 

 

'' It seems to me you are not the type of person  to want to fill yourself up on medications that will not make you feel good  and really only extend your life at the end of it in a nursing home  .... you seem like the type that will just .... 'take care of the end  yourself ' .

 

I agreed and asked how long I might have ?  Difficult to say ;  it can flare up  and  come out of the blue and be very quick end or maybe you got another 20 years .   Sounds good to me  ....   that was around 20 years ago . 

 

The weird thing is ;   what I thought was the flare up was not , that was the incident when I got  really bad side effects ( which ended up not being  from the condition but something else  and when I got better ) and I  got into that relationship with the woman and children ..... but here is the weird thing ;   she wanted me to marry her , I scoffed as I thought I was much too old . She eventually went off and married some other older guy ... and it tuned out he had the same condition as me and a year later he got the flare up and died  !  

- who is running this  'show ' ?  

 

 

Quote

And of course, circumstances may change my mind when it's my turn.

Time will tell!

 

Indeed ! 

 

Quote

 

In the tradition I follow, it's said that we should be able to bring all life's experiences onto the path. 

Life itself becomes the practice.

So for me, at this moment, practice really has no endpoint, I guess I can say I am practicing to live and to die. 

 

 

 

 

I spent some time practicing for my death , after a while I realized  my life is practice for what comes after death .

Edited 4 hours ago by Nungali