Don't be "a Buddhist" -be yourself!

[Aloka]

The 2nd Kalu Rinpoche



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klfxvvQqEdA

[Jessie797]

Thank Aloka for sharing this video with us. In my opinion, learning Buddhism is to understand and practice the essence of the sutra, not just mimic Buddha's behavior. Every rule has its cause, significance and benefits. If practicing them without understanding, we can't do it properly and get any benefit as well. Therefore, the host in the video might mean don't be a Buddhist superficially. Be yourself is the foundation to be a good Buddhist.

As far as I'm concerned, Buddhism let us to be the best ourselves:)

[Little Steps]

Just which "self" are you suggesting we be?

[Jessie797]

Hi, Little Steps.

Sorry for my poor English expression. What I mean is that Buddhism helps us to dig out and boost our good qualities such as courage, generosity, compassion and etc and eliminate the bad side.

Best regards
Jessie

[Zen Free]

Just which "self" are you suggesting we be?

Hi little steps,

Very interesting question that gets to the root of the dilemma, and which I have very rarely seen mentioned!

Is it your emotional self talking, or your true self?
Is spiritual enlightenment just about 'understanding' this concept?
Is 'spiritual liberation' about disconnecting from the emotional mind?

Maybe Too simple by half for most people! :lol:

[Aloka]

Very interesting question that gets to the root of the dilemma, and which I have very rarely seen mentioned!

Is it your emotional self talking, or your true self?
Is spiritual enlightenment just about 'understanding' this concept?
Is 'spiritual liberation' about disconnecting from the emotional mind?

Maybe Too simple by half for most people! :lol:

Little Steps wrote #3 ten months ago - and I think this is all irrelevant to the message Kalu Rinpoche is conveying in the video.

Basically he's just telling his students to relax and be at ease and not try to be somebody that they think they should be. "Just be happy, just be relaxed, don't be so Buddhist!"


:topic:

[Wangmo]

Thank you for deconstructing and simplifying for us Aloka.

Ultimately Buddhist practice is about discovering who we really are. Finding out our true nature. And often we can't see it because it's so close...

About This Mind... From a Taste of Freedom by Ajahn Chah - Thai Forest Traditions

"About this mind... In truth there is nothing really wrong with it. It is intrinsically pure. Within itself it's already peaceful. That the mind is not peaceful these days is because it follows moods. The real mind doesn't have anything to it, it is simply (an aspect of) Nature. It becomes peaceful or agitated because moods deceive it. The untrained mind is ignorant. Sense impressions come and trick it into happiness, suffering, gladness and sorrow, but the mind's true nature is none of those things. That gladness or sadness is not the mind, but only a mood coming to deceive us. The untrained mind gets lost and follows these things, it forgets itself. Then we think that it is we who are upset or at ease or whatever.

But really this mind of ours is already unmoving and peaceful... really peaceful! Just like a leaf which is still as long as no wind blows. If a wind comes up the leaf flutters. The fluttering is due to the wind — the "fluttering" is due to those sense impressions; the mind follows them. If it doesn't follow them, it doesn't "flutter." If we know fully the true nature of sense impressions we will be unmoved.

Our practice is simply to see the Original Mind. So we must train the mind to know those sense impressions, and not get lost in them. To make it peaceful. Just this is the aim of the practice."

[Aloka]

I think these comments from Ajahn Sumedho in his book "Don't Take Your Life Personally" could be relevant to "Just be happy, just be relaxed, don't be so Buddhist!" in the Kalu Rinpoche video #1.



I was listening to a recording recently of a woman teaching relaxation. She said she could not use the word 'relaxation' now because people try to relax, so she uses soft, gentle tones of voice instead'. . soothing. . . soothing. . .' This is an expedient method. Words and techniques are meant to help us. They are not like commands or things that we obsess ourselves with. Any kind of meditation technique, or even the language that we use, is not to taken as a commandment to relax. 'RELAX!' in terms of stress reduction would not help very much.

What does 'relaxation' mean to you? I can't tell you that, but it is the ability to let go of the obsessive tendencies of feeling we have to do something, it is the ability to let go and let life be. 'I've got to get something I don't have; I've got to get rid of the things that I shouldn't have!' These are subconscious influences, as Geshe Tashi was saying last night. They are underlying influences which are so deep that we don't even notice them.

That is why the word relax' can turn into another thing we have to do. 'He says I have to relax! I should be able to relax, but I can't! What's wrong with me?' This is where 'just allowing things to be the way they are' comes in, simply allowing tension to be. Even if you are stressed out at this moment, let it be the way it is.

Let whatever mental states you are in - even your compulsive tendencies, your obsessive tendencies - be what they are rather than seeing them as 'there's something wrong with me! There's something I have to get rid of!' Allow even the bad habits, the bad thoughts, tensions, pain, sadness, loneliness or whatever, to be at this moment; allow the sense of letting go and let life be what it is.

http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductExtract.asp?PID=22287



:hands:

[Mikei777]

thanks for the words from ajahn sumedho .. " Let whatever mental states you are in - even your compulsive tendencies, your obsessive tendencies - be what they are rather than seeing them as 'there's something wrong with me! There's something I have to get rid of!' Allow even the bad habits, the bad thoughts, tensions, pain, sadness, loneliness or whatever, to be at this moment; allow the sense of letting go and let life be what it is."

I was feeling sad and depressed the other night........I just let the feeling (s)be even though it was a difficult set of emotions to let pass through -- as is pain ..I have rarely seen this explained in such a simple way as above

once a buddhist said to me .."well youre not supposed to feel sad and depressed if youre meditated for a few years..this person had spent half a lifetime meditating as buddhist and it made me feel i somehow I needed to " focus more" when i meditated and i started repress i think a lot of feelings .... I;m beginning now to wonder what she might have meant and whether it was really good advice..?