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Hi fellow Buddhists!

As you might have already learned, the Dharma has often been accused of being nihilistic.

It is even mentioned in the Lankavatara Sutra, that philosophers which don't understand the teaching of the Buddha would accuse those who follow the Way of the Buddhas of being nihilists.

How would you answer to such an accusation?

How would you prove that emptiness is not empty?

And if emptiness is not empty, then why call it emptiness?

I've been practicing for awhile. I've done day-longs, but I've never done a multi-day, residential retreat. The time and opportunity hadn't presented itself. Recently I decided to give it a try. It's a popular retreat so I had to sign up a few months in advance. I was wondering, is there anyone who has experience and would like to share anything about it? 

Hello. I've been studying Buddhism on and off for many years. I've had problems sticking with self-study because I've had no one to discuss my thoughts with. I'm the only Buddhist among my friends and family and the nearest Buddhist group is 45 minutes away. I was glad to find this community!

I recently picked up The Lotus Sutra translated by Gene Reeves. I must admit to a fair amount of trepidation. The Introduction alone is pretty dense. Has anyone else studied The Lotus Sutra? If so, can you recommend any companion materials that might help focus my study?

I've also begun reading How to See Yourself As You Really Are by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a far more approachable book!

I struggle with meditation. I am fidgety and easily distracted. I can't seem to quiet my mind; thoughts are always spinning. Does anybody else have these problems? How do you overcome them?

Nice to meet you!

--Monnnie

Meditation = observation, attention, and function of consciousness. If we activate the consciousness through the use of the surveillance (meditation), the "observing consciousness" gradually occupy a dominant place in our psyche, and the "thinking mind" relegated to a secondary place ...

In this lies the secret of the ancient techniques of self-development and liberation of the unconscious of our own minds.

To develop mindfulness as a function of consciousness, only a little to sit and meditate. We need to use a huge arsenal of tools for mental and physical arousal and activation of Consciousness.

For example, meditation, standing in an awkward position does not allow us to sleep, constant irritation all the time leads our attention to the body, prevents lost in thought ... So in meditation posture while standing very popular in yoga and qigong.

And after such an exercise is very useful to remove unnecessary stress and meditate in a more comfortable position.

For example, you can sit and watch your breath.

Meditation - very real magic. But to succeed, it is recommended to engage in a complex, ancient, powerful, wise system.

In my opinion, for the European mind, a very suitable system Wu Chan Zhong Qigong. Especially, I like this system,

that there is no guru, a system for the sober, intelligent, independent people.

First, I became involved in the system Wu Chan Zhong Qigong, to restore health and peace of mind. But now I'm interested to go on to work on is: I read once in a book that if a person's health and peace of more freedom, then he is a slave. Freedom - what is it? And from what this freedom?

I think that's really free is the man who became his own master, who was freed from the unconscious and the orders of his own psyche. Meditation leads to a sort of freedom.

I've been studying Zen with a teacher for a year or so and am unable to continue going to the class meetings b/c of work. I'm stuck on my first koan and quite frankly it's been irritating as hell.

My question - since can't get with my teacher, and in zen progress is dependent on the student teacher relationship is changing schools / styles advisable? If so, vipassana, dzogchen?

Thanks in advance.

Dear friends. I started self-identifying as Buddhist and started practicing Zen earlier this year. I've decided to commit the majority of my effort outside of my own personal job to helping the Gateless Gate Zen Center in Gainesville, FL.

In Florida, 65% of individuals, once incarcerated, return to prison. The Gateless Gate Zen Center residency program has housed and supported about fifteen ex-offenders over the years and has had only two of those return to prison. What we do really makes a difference. In 2012 we will have the opportunity to house four youthful ex-offenders, but only if we don't get shut down due to lack of funds.

Here is how you can contribute:

• Donate to our fundraising campaign or pass on this link to your friends and family via email or Facebook.
• "Like" the Gateless Gate Zen Center Facebook page.
• Add the Gateless Gate Zen Center Google+ page.

Please contact me at jkndrkn AT gmail DOT com with any questions. Feel free to contact the center directly via their contact page.

Yours in the Dharma,

John David Eriksen

(Cross-posted to buddhists buddhistgroup)

What are your best or most profound meditation stories? 

This is a question just for fun and the kind of thing I would talk about with like-minded friends in person over tea. 

This could be external experiences like the time you stood under the waterfall in China or sat at the top of the Andes or dipped your toes in the Ganges or internal things like the time you figured out mu or grasped the true meaning of dual arising.

I am looking for peace within myself. I was born and raised as a Free Will Baptist and I have very strong beliefs in Christianity so I am not looking to "replace" my God. What I am looking at (at the suggestion of my therapist) is peace thru meditation. I have been reading up on Buddist principles and it is a no-brainer for me. Buddism is where I belong. What I am asking is what do you suggest for reading for a begining meditator?

The world is a place where pain and suffering exist.
We will be hurt, we will die.
So says the First on this list.

We want everything, and are hurt when they go,
Attachment is the reason for the pain,
The Second is a truth you should know.

Hope is everywhere, just look within,
See this in yourself,
The Third is where enlightenment begins.

The one who is happy through all of this,
Has followed the Eight-fold Path,
And the Fourth truth this is.

Hi there.

I write a blog called Daily Lamrim where I give an account of my daily meditations. Please take a look at http://dailylamrim.com/2011/11/14/a-friend-to-the-world/, 

Best wishes

Vide x

When you ask for recommendations for further exploring Buddhism, be as specific as you can about what you're looking for.

What will be most interesting to you really depends on what you're looking for at the time. Buddhism isn't just one thing, it's a whole culture of different things. It's a philosophy, it's a religion (collection of instructive myths), it's a political force, it's a set of practical practices for scientifically exploring the inner self, and it's a cultural tradition.

I personally find the philosophy the most interesting. The idea that suffering is caused by intellectual and emotional attachments to things in a black vs. white sense ("X is good" "I should do Y") is very powerful and worth thinking about (meditating on). Clinging to unrealistic beliefs and expectations does indeed seem to cause pretty much every mental problem we humans have. Learning to be more aware of reality, both one's inner reality and the external reality, though exploration, does seem to alleviate suffering very effectively.

If you are interested in the philosophy of Buddhism too, perhaps the best things I can recommend are:

• An Open Heart book by the Dalai Lama

• Loving What Is book by Byron Katie (offering a more modern, practical, Socratic approach to the same philosophy offered by Buddhism)

• the story of Angulimala, a murderer who the Buddha loved enough to cure

• Alan Watts! Any of his lectures (available on audio) will give you tons of great stuff to think about.


(Also, as a side note, the previous post had comments screened. Please keep all posts open to all (unlocked and unscreened) so that everyone has the same rights to read and share information. Thanks!

My parents always taught me to believe in whatever i want and they would support it. I am growing very fond of Buddhism. I want to practice it and learn all about it. Is there any books you recommend or anything? I am really considering being Buddhist because from what i read it goes fully with my logic and what i believe. I don't plan to be a monk or anything but would like to get more serious about Buddhism and meditation.