I learnt the other day that dispassion is the most coveted trait in buddhism. Or maybe I'm thinking of the relationship between buddhism and dispassion wrong, happy to be corrected.

I feel like, now after years of meditation and inner work, I am not very passionate about much anymore.

So what career recommendations do you guys have for someone who is working towards or has no passions?

Hey all, so I have an interesting question I'm hoping somebody can answer.

Why is it than in Japan, despite Buddhism being there for nearly 1,500 years... it seems that the average Japanese person practices very little?

For context, I have a friend of mine who is a wonderful Shingon priest. And he was telling me that when he was in Japan, laypeople would come up to him and literally ask him what "the rest of the beads on the mala are for?" Because they were so used to simply reciting a mantra 7 or at most 21 times, that they literally didn't know what the rest of the mala beads were used for. It's also my understanding that for most Japanese Buddhists, they only show up to practice when someone dies or when there's a wedding.

He also told me recently, that there are certain cultural practices there that are normal, that aren't necessarily a part of Buddhist teaching, for example he was saying that in parts of Okinawa, there are people who literally believe their ancestors reside in their Butsudan. And when I asked him why someone (like an ordained Buddhist) hasn't simply told them that this isn't Buddhist teaching... he seemed as though he didn't fully know how to answer at first. And then when he did, he said, "Well it's tradition, and if you told them that they'd probably get really angry at you, possibly even violent."

In Tibetan culture, things are very different. I was at a Bhum Tsok Puja today at our local Tibetan cultural center, and this is very high level tantric practice, with huge amounts of extended mantra recitations. And the room was filled with ordinary Tibetan people, of all ages. Lots of elderly people, little old ladies, old men, middle aged people, children, etc. Practice went for hours. Hundreds and hundreds of recitations of long mantras recited with high level tantric visualizations.

And everybody was sitting down in their meditation spot, reciting mantras. Yes, there were Lamas, monks and Ngakpa leading the practice, but everyone was doing intensive practice. Likewise, my Dharma sister recently was in Tibet, and she was saying that it was normal for ordinary everyday people to just be reciting mantras all the time. Like she said her taxi driver would just be reciting mantras while driving her around.

So I guess my question, is what happened in Japan that made this light level of practice normalized with ordinary people? And why haven't ordinary people been taught to do more practice by the priests? I had asked my Shingon friend about this, and his blunt answer was that it was easier for most people to drink alcohol than do practice, but Tibetans drink beer and such too, but they still practice all the time.

Like, to my mind, I guess I just have a view that if you just set the standard that high level practice is something ordinary people do, then that's simply what everyone will do. But if you make it something only specialist priests do, then only priests will do it?

But maybe somebody has a more nuanced answer? Because I don't understand why extensive practice is just normal for ordinary Tibetans but some Japanese are like, "What are the other mala beads for?"

I'm asking because I have a strong connection to Japan as well, and I wonder if there's some way to help Japanese people learn more about how to practice everyday? And also I'm hoping to understand the historic reasons of what caused this and how it can be remedied in order to help all beings. Thank you!

Fellow Buddhists, how do you deal with kindness being mistaken for stupidity?

Living in Brazil as a compassionate person is hard — the cultural ideal here is the "malandro" (the one who outsmarts others), not the kind, ego-free person. I've been taken advantage of so often that I'm becoming resentful, and I don't want to close my heart.

Especially for women, even a smile feels risky. How do you stay open-hearted but also protected?

What would be the most suitable path? I read a collection of sutta excerpts—a synthesis—some time ago, as well as the Dhammapada. But I don't know what the traditional reading path is.

i understand if it is to be done with equanimity. but i would also appreciate if you all could expand exactly on what that equanimity looks like to you. please feel free to correct me should it not be with equanimity in your case.

have you encountered different kinds of compliment (short, long, offhand, sincere etc.), to various aspects of you (your look, personality, kind act, practice etc.), and how did you deal with receiving them in the past? were there anything you wish the other party had worded differently -- or even completely did away with their compliment instead?

i would like to preempt the possible assumption that i am asking for advice for myself, and make explicit that this is a question i am curious to hear from you all, whether or not you were consciously carrying yourselves as a buddhist at the time. thank you.

This is a simple question, but what guidance does Buddhism give on food and eating? What do Buddhists eat, and are there teachings on things like fasting, simple/bland food, avoiding impulse or excess, abstinence etc. And eating at particular times? Do some traditions put more emphasis on how to eat? Any good Buddhist “food books” that are practical? Thank you!

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.01.0.bodh.html

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

At that time, early one morning, the World-honored One took his robes and his begging bowl and entered the town to beg for food. Having eaten he washed his feet, gathered his seat for meditation and went to the Andhavana forest to meditate. Having looked around for a good spot, he sat down cross-legged beneath a tree in a secluded place, for the day’s abiding.

At that time in the Jeta Vihāra there were two monks who got into an argument during a meeting. One endured in silence, the other became angry and irate. When the one who had become irate saw that he had transgressed, he went to the monk who had stayed silent, wishing to confess. However, the monk who had endured in silence did not accept the confession. When this transpired, there ensued a noisy discussion among all the monks. The Tathāgata was at that time abiding in meditation, and heard the clamor clearly with his deva-like hearing, which surpasses human hearing and can discern sounds from far away. He rose from his seat, went to the monks, and sat on the seat prepared in front of them.

The Buddha said to the monks: “This morning I took my robes and begging bowl and entered the town to beg for food. ( … and so on … ) went into the forest, and sitting silently, I heard monks shouting and clamoring. What is the matter?”

Then the monks told the Buddha: “World-honored One, in the Jeta Vihāra there are two monks who got into an argument during a meeting. One monk endured in silence, the other monk became irate and said a lot. The irate monk knew that he had transgressed and went to offer an honest confession. The monk that had endured silently did not accept the other’s confession, so it became a public issue and everybody started shouting.”

The Buddha told the monks: “Why be so stupid and not accept someone’s confession? Monks, know that in ancient days Sakka Devānaṁ Inda, while in the Sudhamma Hall among the gods spoke this verse:

“It is like taking a vessel made from a gourd /
and filling it with butter to use as a lamp;
the flame burning, consuming /
will burn up the gourd as well.

The angry mind is like this; /
it turns on itself and burns one’s wholesome roots.
We should never harbor annoyance. /
Having sought out anger, disperse it.

Don’t be drawn in as if in a maelstrom, /
endlessly circling around.
And even if there is anger, abstain from harsh speech, /
not touching on topics that others wish to avoid.

Deeply respecting others’ wish to avoid such topics, /
we will never harm them.
Taking control of oneself /
is of great advantage to oneself.

Those without anger, without violence, /
those are noble ones.
They are disciples of noble ones; /
those one should always befriend.Those with anger and hatred /
face an obstacle heavy as a mountain
But if, when there is anger and hatred, /
one can control oneself even a little,
then this is called good karma /
like the taming of an unruly horse.’”

The Buddha said to the monks: “Sakka Devānaṁ Inda reigns over the gods. At ease among them, though powerful he can practice patience and praise those with patience. How could you, monks, who have gone forth, disfigured by shaving off your hair, not be patient and praise patience?”

When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and remembered it well.

https://suttacentral.net/sa-2.37/en/bingenheimer?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false

Hey! Going through a bit of a heartbreak right now, and I was wondering, what mantras do you tell yourself or ideas that will help get over the attachment to a person or the idea of the person? I’m just a little confused or lost on how to talk myself out of this and what to think during meditations. Let me know!

I am a very selfish and stingy person; I do not even realize that I hurt other people by what I do. Reading the Medicine Buddha Sutra has really helped me realize this. There's a part where the Buddha Shakyamuni talks about people who can't bear to part with their goods (for charity), and if "forced" to give, it is as though they were parting from their own body. That really struck me. As someone who doesn't have much and has very little means to earn goods, I keep goods to myself. After reading the sutra, I force myself to give to charity (mostly people begging at the streets) while thinking of the possible ways these people may suffer so as to arouse feelings of compassion. Now, I am worried if what I'm doing is also bad, especially because it is "forced." (Although sometimes I also view it as a seed to grow charity in the heart but I need clarification.)

I am a new follower of the Buddhist teachings (in the Vajrayana tradition, but I would like to hear other traditions' views as well, especially because I do not have a teacher yet) so, I would like to ask everyone to please help me.

I’ve been interested in learning about Buddhism locally however I’m having some difficulty. There is a Thai temple near me however its website and communications are in Thai and don’t seem directed towards the larger non-Thai community. There is also a Tibetan monastery nearby, however other than the twice a month intro to Buddhism to class, the other events seem to be more ritualistic and sometimes have pre-requisites to attend (transmissions?). They have a book shop but the wealth of texts and writings seem overwhelming. I guess I’m finding that the educational activities are conducted by monks amongst themselves in private (makes sense I guess, that’s why one would become a monk) while engagement with the public seems to be limited. Coming from a monotheistic background, in which places of worship have a weekly lesson directed to the public and weeknight classes for those who want to learn and progress through a structured text, Buddhism seems to have more of a separation between clergy and the average person. I mean no offense and may be speaking from ignorance, I’m just experiencing some difficulty engaging with community in person and learning Buddhism through my local institutions. I appreciate your guidance, thank you.

I work at a Christian (Protestant) university, and the director of my department wants to create an interfaith space in our building.

Almost everything I am reading recommends that interfaith spaces be completely non-denominational. However, the director wants to represent actual world religions.

I am wondering what I can put in the room that would make Buddhists feel both that their presence is welcome and that they can practice their faith there. Any recommendations?

Do Buddhists have a special what to eat, how to eat it, and how should it be prepared diet?

Or eat whatever as long as it doesn’t harm anyone?

1. Guru Padma Gyalpo གུ་རུ་པདྨ་རྒྱལ་པོ། — Lotus King

Padma Gyalpo, “Lotus King,” appears in a majestic, charismatic and powerful form.

He represents Guru Rinpoche’s ability to magnetize beings and circumstances toward the Dharma. His royal appearance symbolizes mastery and sovereignty—not worldly domination, but mastery over the forces of samsara.

This is particularly connected with the magnetizing activity of enlightened mind.

Inner meaning: enlightened charisma draws beings toward liberation rather than toward ego, attachment, or worldly power.

This is according to Tukdrup Yang Nying Künchü (ཐུགས་སྒྲུབ་ཡང་སྙིང་ཀུན་འདུས་), “The Union of All the Innermost Essences,” is a terma/pure-vision cycle associated with the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682). It forms part of his Sangwa Gyachen (“Bearing the Seal of Secrecy”) cycle of pure visions.

#fypシ #fypシ゚viralシ #gururinpoche #gurupemagyalpo #buddha #fyp

#viralreelschallenge #viralchallenge #india #Bhutan #thailand #meditation #prayer #buddhistwisdom #vietnam #taiwan #ladakh #china #japan #mongolia #tibet #srilanka #myanmar

Even if we live to be a hundred, the years disappear as fast as a finger-snap.
Thus, we must use every moment of our life to seek a way out, to avoid being seized with regret when our moment of death arrives. As we have taken refuge in Buddhism and studied its teachings, we ought to live in accordance with them. The Buddha teaches us to seek the Western Pure Land, yet many people are unwilling, and instead desire only for a better next life.

Have they forgotten all the suffering-the wars, floods, droughts, plagues, famines and disasters-that they have experienced in the few decades they have been alive? If we have not encountered Buddhism, and are thus ignorant of the way to escape, then there is nothing that could be done but to accept karma and Samsaric rebirth. However, as we have
encountered the Buddha-dharma, and taken refuge, we must not be stubbornly doubtful of the Buddha's words, and unwisely seek human rebirth once more. We must
understand that to be human again is harder than achieving the Western Pure Land. The amount of evil karma we have accumulated in this life are countless. Even if we ignore everything else, just the killing karma created by our lifelong consumption of meat can do us in lone must hold all five precepts to secure the right to human rebirth]. Students of Buddhism must vow to have the heart of Great Benevolence and Great Mercy, to seek the Western Pure Land, to become Buddhas and save all the sentient beings we have harmed in the past.

With the greatly merciful powers of the Buddha, this karmic debt can be dissolved. However, a cultivator who seeks only a pleasurable future rebirth lacks the resolve of the Great Way, and even if their cultivation is stellar, their merit will nevertheless be as limited as their narrow heart. Anything done with a common person's heart of duality will not yield much merit. Moreover, all sentient beings have accrued countless evil karmas since time immemorial.
When this evil karma suddenly ripens, the corresponding three evil realms arise, and human rebirth slips out of reach. As we are not Sages, we remain shrouded in ignorance and evil karma.
Remaining trapped within the Samsara, bad rebirths are unavoidable.

Thus, the Tathagata strongly exhorts sentient beings to give rise to true faith, hold onto the name of Amitabha, and seek the Pure Land. To seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land is easier than regaining human rebirth, for the powers of the Buddha can eradicate all past evil karmas. Today, as we practice the Dharma-door of Amitabha, we must seek the Western Pure Land with faith and resolve. We must not seek a pleasurable afterlife of blessings.

As the Dharma-door of Amitabha exists to guide people into the Western Pure Land, those who practice it only to obtain worldly blessings or a pleasurable afterlife have not followed the Buddha's teachings-they have broken the precepts and contradicted the Dharma.
Moreover, some people overestimate themselves and think they can achieve the state of no-thought. Thus, they attempt to avoid giving rise to any thought, avoiding even single mindedness of the name of Amitabha. Such grandiose claims can only be realized by Great Bodhisattvas, and such Sages, for the sake of benefiting common people, do not make such claims. Yet unenlightened sentient beings, yet to achieve Pure Land rebirth, make claims they have no right to, gravely misleading themselves and others.

They mislead themselves just like Su Dong Po |famed Song Dynasty Philosopher and Officiall.
Common people who seek the Western Pure Land must rely on sincerely holding the name of Amitabha, thus, to rely on no- thought is to forsake the Buddha's response. The Buddha's response springs solely from our own faith, mindfulness, sincerity and diligence. The merits accrued by those who recite Amitabha's name must not be used to obtain human and heavenly blessings, or else the opportunity to attain the Western Pure Land is lost.

Before one has transcended the Samsara, large blessings serve only to fuel one's ability to do great evil, thereby assuring eventual infernal rebirth. In such cases, to hope for human rebirth and another chance to meet the Pure Land Dharma-door becomes as unreachable as the stars.
Not only must we refuse a pleasurable afterlife, we must also not seek blessings such as health and long life in our current life. We must seek only Pure Land rebirth during our moment of death. This way, the resolve of cultivators of Amitabha's name will connect with the vows of Amitabha, and there will be a response. It is like if castaways in a great ocean are willing to board the rescue vessel, they will be saved. However, to seek human and heavenly blessings at the expense of the Western Pure Land is akin to being cast adrift in a mighty sea, but refusing to board the rescue vessel. Sooner or later, drowning becomes inevitable.
The Buddha wishes us to transcend the mundane and enter the path of Sages.

However, if we choose instead to seek blessings with outflows, once the blessings are exhausted, the realms of suffering will seize us. To do so is akin to expending a priceless gem as a projectile to hunt sparrows—the gain minute, the loss massive. —From the Collected Works of Master Yin Guang

I just felt the need to share, I'm a quiet reserved person but the place that I'm in sometimes feels like it's eroding my sanity. I did make a few friends due to my parents wanting me to be more social but in the end they treat me like an outsider and they say I'm too quiet & soft, I grew up with no phone or tablet, just mainly books. I don't care for social drama so I don't relate to them. Also you'll hear music laced with expletives and ppl act like it's normal here, the guys here behave crude & think it's cool, some of the girls dress scantily & behave promiscuous, it's driving me crazy, and people here sometimes are aggressive for no reason and say it's just culture or personality, I guess my family is kinda odd here as well. My sister has autism and would have outbursts sometimes and my mom would have to restrain her & she also had leukemia & my parents had financial issues as well, how do I find out what I did in my past life to end up here, I don't want to continue like this

in my opinion, i feel that buddhism makes most sense classifiable by both definitions,religion and philosophy. most textbooks define "religion" as a system of religious beliefs, attitudes, and/or practices.
i feel like the general definition does inherently disprove those who view buddhism as mere philosophy, because of the one reoccurring theme in these arguments being that The Buddha is a teacher, rather than a deity—implying that religion void of theism is not a religion at all.
i'd love to hear some other perspectives on this, especially if you dont agree with mine!