I barely started my blogs on Soul Cast not too long ago and I feel that I've found an extremely comfortable niche on the internet. I love reading about what others want to say and it's an elating experience to respond to their posts and have them respond back to my comments. It's all rather enlightening and it really helps one to open their minds. I can only hope that the other people on Soul Cast can get a rich experience, similar to what I'm feeling. ^__^ Now that that happy news is out, on to Buddhism!
Lately, I've been studying Buddhism. I am attracted to Buddhism because it is not a traditional Western form of thought. It's something I HAVEN'T grown up with, nor is it something the majority of the society I live in endorses as their truth (in the way they endorse Christianity as their truth). The Buddha was so unconcerned with questions of metaphysics. I also like the idea that the whole idea behind it, is to lessen suffering (known as dukkah). I think we all know what suffering is like. I can just imagine someone coming across my blog and telling me that some people suffer more than others. Yes, I realize this, but the fact is, people suffer and no matter on what level, it still hurts. If you see a little child fall on the ground and scrape their knee, they're going to feel pain and cry. Another child might fall on the ground and break their leg and of course they will feel pain and cry, but does this lessen the pain of the other child? Hardly. Pain is pain. We all suffer. To be able and lessen suffering seems like a good thing. One can argue that we NEED to suffer in order to appreciate things. That may be so, but must we suffer all of our lives? Is that really necessary?
The Buddhism I'm studying is early Buddhism. All the stuff that was taught before the Buddha died (afterwards, Buddhism split into different sects. Also when it went to America, it changed again).
The Buddha says, "By oneself alone is evil done, by oneself alone is evil avoided and by oneself alone is one saved. Salvation and damnation depend on oneself--no one can save another."
I wonder if the Buddha was an atheist? So far in my readings, it certainly seems so. Maybe he was a Deist. Oh well, I guess it's just one of those mysteries... anyway, the core of Buddhism are The Four Nobel Truths which are about dukkha and how to end it and how to reach Nirvana. I wonder if this truly possible? I would love to try but honestly, I don't want to be unconcerned with metaphysics. I LIKE thinking about the Ultimate Nature of Reality and I like to ponder the questions of others and also to ponder upon answers given. I really love not knowing certain things. I find that to be in the dark in certain matters means that there is still many things for me to learn. I am still very young, in a sense life has just begun for me. There are many things out there that I can't wait to be a part of.
Now, back here on Earth, I've been reading short stories by Bram Stoker. His stories are so well written and truly grim. There was one story that I read, however, that did have a happy ending of sorts. It's called "The Spectre of Doom" and is about a city who is overrun by a populace that would be termed as "sinful". There is one little girl who is orphan who one day sees a giant coming towards the city. She tries to warn everyone, they laugh at her and are blind to the figure. Only she can see it. It turns out the giant named "Plague" who comes and "cleans out" the city. It is clearly stated near the ending, "Innocence and devotion save the city." This means the innocence and devotion of one little girl saves many people from the plague. Is it just me or does this have slightly religious undertones to it? I wonder if it was meant that way? I wonder where my copy of "Dracula" went? Hm. Next on my reading list is "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I already know what it's about and the main events that occur, but I have actually never read it and I think it's a shame. I have a huge crush on Oscar Wilde. He was brilliant, witty, handsome, and homosexual. Therefore, he and I could never be, but I can still dream. Oh and he's deceased. That's a huge deciding factor on my relationship with him. It seems all the men I fall for are either deceased, gay or out of my reach. Perhaps some day it won't always be as such.
It's nearly 3 a.m. and this blog is getting much too long. I should get some work done.
AnonymousVoice posted on Jun 06, 2006
| views: 435
Comments
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anonymous said on Jun 06, 2006....
r u a gurl or a strait guy? -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 06, 2006....
How, may I ask, did you even consider me as possibly a straight male? And just in case it's not obvious to you, I am female. -
anonymous said on Jun 06, 2006....
nvm about the guy thing. u wanna go out? u sound hot. -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 06, 2006....
Well, thank you for the compliment, but for one thing, I don't even know who you are. You might as well be some crazy rapist who will chop me to pieces when you're done. Or you may be some lonely guy who can only make love with his hands. There are other options, but suffice it to say I do not simply up and go out with someone whose identity is unknown to me. Another thing is you don't much about me. Perhaps we live in different parts of the world. Please don't comment me again with comments related to the ones you've already posted. Thank you. -
hotaka said on Jun 06, 2006....
Bravo for mentioning that people all experience suffering and pain and that one person's pain is not necessarily greater than another's. I have often watched small kids scream about something trivial and thought, just you wait, things get much tougher. One of my young students will scream and cry a river of tears if someone takes the toy she was just looking for (happened today). I'd like to tell her that it happens to me all the time when I go shopping, especially for shoes. Why don't they ever have my size in the shoes I want? Live with it, kid. But yeah, kids who fall down and scrape their knees cry. It's normal. And adults whose families die tragically in an apartment fire also cry. Life includes physical pain and emotional pain as much as it includes joy and pleasure. A student of mine (adult this time) was talking about the Buddhist belief in reincarnation. He said ever 500 years a soul is reborn on earth. While I think Buddhism is full of great stuff like what you mentioned above, I have to wonder what it is about religions being so obsessed with human numbers. The mathematics of the universe operates by its own system of numbers regardless of what humans take to be significant. Why 500 years? Who can prove this anyway? Finally, I got to know about your blog from reading your comments on Stupid Genius's blog. I guessed you were female right away and also think you left some of the clearest and most intelligent comments out of everyone. Well done! -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....
Ah, so you are a teacher? What is it that you teach? I realize I just might figure this out when I go and read your blog. And this particular student you had who said every 500 years a soul is reborn, do you know which sect of Buddhism he followed? Or was at least, reciting? From my studies thus far, I've learned that in Early Buddhism there was no soul. Only a process that goes on. I'm still in the midst of grasping the concept. As for numbers in religion, I assume that people like to find meaning in everything. I don't know the history of numerology or anything related to the significance of numbers, but you can bet it's on my list of information to collect. Again, your compliments turn my cheeks odd shades of pink and red. They are gladly accepted, however. :) May I ask how you guessed I was female right away? -
underdogtoo said on Jun 07, 2006....
Suffering and the alleviation of it is the cornerstone of buddhism. In fact, one of the greatest sacrifices a Bodhisattva can make is to postpone entering Nirvana in order to save sentient beings. A Bodhisattva is a human being who is in his last rebirth or reincarnation if you will before he mergers into the Void. There is no God in Buddhism as we know it since to characterize God in human terms is to limit Him or the Principle of Godhood. Hence, the term Void, or Nothingness, to characterize it as something which cannot be described but only experienced. -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....
If you're so inclined, please tell me more about a Bodhisattva. Anything you know would be happily accepted. "...something which cannot be described but only experienced." The Greek philosopher Epicurus (oh I how I love him) said the same thing of death. -
underdogtoo said on Jun 07, 2006....
a wise man once said, 'a yogi is a practical man. He eats the mango and tastes its sweetness while intellectuals argue and discuss the color and the smell and the texture of the skin. When they are done with their lengthy discussion the turn to find the mango gone." a Bodhisattva is also a yogi. -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....
At this current moment, I feel like one of the intellectuals. Thank you for the wonderful quote and since I've read a bit about yogis (is that the right plural?), I understand Bodhisattva a little better. More for my studies, thank you so much :) -
underdogtoo said on Jun 07, 2006....
Of the many Buddhists, Gautama was the greatest. Bodhidharma, the great Bodhisattva that brought Buddhism to China and taught the martial arts that we now know as Shaolin Kung Fu is also a personal favorite of mine. But the one that I really like iz Jetsun Milarepa, disciple of Marpa the Translator. His is a truly amazing, inspiring story. -
AnonymousVoice said on Jun 07, 2006....
I must read up on him, then. -
underdogtoo said on Jun 07, 2006....
:)
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