theravada buddhism thread. im a shia muslim but my second religion is theravada buddhism as a side research and personal development path. what is stuff you know that i dont lets make this a general and a discussion thread theravada buddhism general also share insight from abidhamma which seems to be more important to us laypeople or if youre a monk i apologize, than sutta stuff which was kept for monks and needs abidhamma to understood practically. thanks buddhism general.
>>42264108Your thread is about 2 bumps from dying, I'm gonna save it because I'm hoping you have some knowledge and experience and can help me.I'm looking for effective meditation techniques (or energy work techniques), ones that you've personally and successfully used before (anything you've tried that produced supernatural phenomena, especially meditative/energy work techniques).Please state them, then source (book + author + etc), and most importantly, what phenomena/experience did those practices induce that proved to you that they were effective. Also just as important, how long did it take for those phenomena to manifest from training in these practices (e.g. 1 month) + your training rate (e.g. 1 hour per day).Good luck with your thread, hope you get the answers you are seeking, and I'm also hoping you can help me get some answers too.
>>42264108Also, by supernatural phenomena, I guess I need to be specific so that you don't filter stuff out that would be useful. I don't mean just things like "having a vision" or anything like that, I also mean things as simple as experiencing a state of natural and persistent quiet of mind (your mind was silenced for a noticeable duration, no mental chatter, no inner monologue, etc).Or any state of mind or trance state that would be considered "abnormal" from the usual state we all exist in and experience.So don't think that I'm just asking for something surreal, I'm just looking for things that actually work and would help one on the path of gaining more control of their mind, especially with respect to entering altered states (could even be an audio you listened to that affected your brain waves - like binaural beats).Hoping you didn't abandon your thread because it got no responses till I arrived, it would truly be a waste.
>>42264108How can you be both a Muslim and a Buddhist. Even stripping Buddhism down, isn't there a belief in rebirth? I'm guessing you follow the practices of Buddhism dor thr development of character but only believe the Quran's cosmology.
>>42267911>Anapanasati (Mindfulness of Breathing): The foundational practice to calm the body and mind, as detailed in the Anapanasati Sutta>Vipassana (Insight): A method of observing mental and physical phenomena to understand impermanence, suffering, and non-self, which leads to wisdom and liberation. >Jhana (Deep Concentration): While he rejected extreme asceticism, he used refined states of concentration (Jhana) that he remembered from his youth to reach enlightenment. Meditation with expectations of gaining something will be a hindrance to progress. The Chinese traditions is probably the best for energy work.
>>42268266>Meditation with expectations of gaining something will be a hindrance to progress.I'm sorry, but this has always seemed like some self gaslighting nonsense to me, purposefully put forth by the elites to keep normal people satisfied with not getting results, and further gaslighting takes place because the only methods they have access to are fake methods or low quality ones that are barely effective.Every breakthrough I've had has been from me intentionally seeking out a gain (a gain in ability).Doing anything without the intent to gain is counter to the very notion of "action" itself. It's like telling someone to wake up every morning and brush their teeth and bathe, but also telling them that they'll still get cavities and smell bad regardless, but they should still do it and make it part of their routine.It doesn't make sense, it's counter to reality, and this framework always seems to me like something "sinister" put forth to the masses to keep them ignorant and powerless.Unless you are a child you probably have a job, and you'd laugh in your bosses face if they told you to show up without expecting payment. Nobody ever applies this flawed logic of "effort without payment" to any other aspect of their life (it's just self gaslighting).You also did not state the most important factors, what phenomena the practices induced. Without that, it doesn't seem worth the time or effort.If you are indeed OP, then I wasted my time saving this thread, and your thread ironically by it's very nature contradicts what you told me, because the very point of this thread is for you to gain something, the very nature of "actions" themselves are to "gain".>>42264108>share insightAre you not trying to GAIN insight?
>>42268479>Doing anything without the intent to gain is counter to the very notion of "action" itself.Congratulations, you figured out Buddhism. Karma = action. Good/bad karma = action with intention or intended outcome good/bad. Overcoming karma formation = action without expected outcome.It almost as if enlightenment is hard because it's counterintuitive and your ego is always grasping for something to hold on to instead of letting go. You can't force meditation. It's the same principle with manifesting, the mindset of wanting something means you don't have it, scarcity mindset. "I need this, I must have that" reinforcing subconsciously that you don't have it. If you want to develop Chi look to Chinese practices.
>>42268479>I'm sorry, but this has always seemed like some self gaslighting nonsense to meBuddhists are desperate for everyone to believe that mediation is only their way, and only for their reasons.
>>42268909>It almost as if enlightenment is hard"Enlightenment" is hard because there's no such thing, it's a purposefully vague and meaningless term that everybody conveniently gets to define for themselves, and it has no criteria.People like you are why cults were ever even "a thing" (and still are today), because it's easy to manipulate someone with no objective goals and who has no objective criteria for why something should be valued.Charisma should never be enough to get someone to drink poisoned koolaid, but with people like you it's enough.>Karma = action. Good/bad karma = action with intention or intended outcome good/bad. Overcoming karma formation = action without expected outcome.Lastly, once again, it's weird how you don't see the inherent contradiction to what you claim Buddhism is. Why are Buddhists not some secret organization the world never heard about, if it's about action without intention, why are they going out of their way spreading the faith so that they can save others from "Samsara".You are saying words but I don't think you are comprehending them. The very nature of existence is intention, a belief system that seeks to spread itself for the sake of "saving others" is intentional, which would be contradictory based on your definition since the intention is the expected outcome.>You can't force meditationI think the more honest answer is you don't know the methods, and also, doing something with intention is not equal to forcing it (that's your characterization).>It's the same principle with manifestingWhich is nonsense believed by delusional people who have no objective criteria for measuring whether or not they manifested something. Why are 99% of so called "manifesters" poor losers with mediocre lives?Let me guess, they aren't "doing it right"?.Do you notice the trend of all fraudulent systems just relying on it's members gaslighting themselves and believing in it blindly?
Don't Muslims kill people for syncretism.
>>42269030Ok, good luck with your supernal phenomena.
>>42269030>"Enlightenment" is hard because there's no such thing, it's a purposefully vague and meaningless term that everybody conveniently gets to define for themselves, and it has no criteria.Enlightenment has a precise definition that is the same across almost every traditional spiritual doctrine. First Delphic maxim sums it up
>>42269183>Enlightenment has a precise definition that is the same across almost every traditional spiritual doctrine.Which is exactly why you didn't bother to simply state it here...If it's so precise and well known, then just state it, rather than more vagueposting bs.>>42269172>Ok, good luck with your supernal phenomena.I don't need to wish you luck, because it's easy to hit a target that you get to decide the value of. This is why there's some basement dwelling loser with no life who thinks he's enlightened and there's also the actual monk living in a monastery who thinks they are enlightened. But if enlightenment truly had a concrete definition with specific criteria, there wouldn't be so many people that can claim enlightenment so easily.The problem with enlightenment in the modern era is that it's a target everybody can hit, because it's now a "placeholder" term for whatever each individual deems as a "high level of spiritual achievement".I would not be surprised if you already considered yourself enlightened, and nobody can tell you otherwise because it's all subjective at this point anyways.You've essentially "already won" because you literally don't have any strict criteria for what counts as a "loss". One day you are likely just going to wake up and consider yourself to now be enlightened (if you haven't already), and there won't be any real difference between the you now and the you of the future.This is my final bump, I'll allow this pointless thread to die like it originally should have, since like you said, there is no intention or expectation for the thread (since that's what Buddhism is about), which quite literally makes it pointless useless, you wasted your time making this thread if you don't have any expectations for it and you don't want to gain anything from it.
>>42269622You have a big ego and behave like a child. You're a know-it-all and lash out when the answers given doesn't suit you. How are you supposed to learn anything about spiritual matters? Here are the stages of liberation in buddhism.>1. Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna): "One who enters the stream." This person has attained insight into the Buddha's teachings and will not be reborn in any lower realm (hell, animal, or hungry ghost), guaranteeing full enlightenment within seven lifetimes>2. Once-returner (Sakadāgāmi): The practitioner has weakened the bonds of sensual desire and ill will. They will return to the human world only one more time before achieving final awakening. >3. Non-returner (Anāgāmi): They have completely destroyed the lower fetters (sensual desire and ill will) and will not be reborn as a human or in any lower realm; they are reborn in a "Pure Abode" (heavenly realm), where they attain full enlightenment.>4. Arahant (Arahant): A fully enlightened being who has abandoned all ten fetters, including the higher fetters (desire for form/formless existence, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance). This is the final stage, resulting in liberation from all future rebirths
>>42264108If you are serious about theravada, usually you work up to the 9 day silent retreat. I've done 3 day silent retreats, including one with Ajan Sumedho. I did another one with monks in a forest when the layers started peeling back and it was intense, I never made it to the level of mindfullness and focus required for the 9 day retreats. Devotees I knew, practiced for a year to prepare. I also learned some esoteric practices from a forest monk that befriended me. Something like Dao yin. I changed to Chan after a tasted emptiness while meditating with a master and I chase that now but Theravada is probably one of the best spiritual paths for a layperson ever devised imo,
>>42267946>How can you be both a Muslim and a Buddhist.Theravada has places great emphasis on mindfulness(not the ekhart tolle TEMU version ) and meta, these can be practiced by any religion.
>>42269622>Which is exactly why you didn't bother to simply state it here..."First Delphic maxim sums it up"
>>42264108Buddhism and Shia’ism are both retarded. You searched inside found a double dose of retardedness apparently. What a dumb bitch. May Trump bomb Iran back to Zoroastrian times.
>>42264108The problem with buddhism is that the highest level of attainment is self-denial. You could dabble in it and be fine, but if you really get into it, you become sterile. If life is so painful that sterility is your preference, then fair enough, but you could never bring this to society at large. It would make the whole society sterile.
>>42270928Actually, on second thought, even if you brought buddhism to society at large, only a small percent would get invested enough to become sterile, so maybe it wouldn't be that bad.
https://www.youtube.com/@HillsideHermitage
>>42264108Honestly this thread is most interesting to me and better than what those christcucks write. So definitely worth exploring, Buddha had a closer overview of what life is than anyone else.Nonetheless meditation is fucking hard!
>>42270933You say this like it hasn't been tried. It's fine.
Does buddhism hold control over the akashic records?
>>42271311I know it is popular in the east, but I don't know how seriously they take it. Sometimes cultures put their own spin on religions that disregard key theory from its source. I'm only really familiar with Hindu (probably Bactrian) Buddhism.
>>42271984XD
>>42264108a question for anyone that can consistently access the jhanas. how do you do it, anon?
>>42264108What are good books or material to start in theravada buddhism? I am interested in the more spiritual side of this.
>>42272762to access jhanas? why are there so many posts online claiming it then?
>>42264108Is this your third thread today again?
>>42272856Stop actually lying through your teeth you massive attention seeker
>>42273469It is possible, as a beginner easier if you go to like 10 days retreats so that you're not distracted and can focus solely on meditating.
>>42273480More like 4th or 5th.
>>42273531Its a good general so I'm glad more anons are getting interested in Buddhism
>>42273592Buddhists who aren't hypocrites tend to be friendly folks. They also seem to have a genuine interest in helping other people saving their souls.While I don't agree with their methods I must admit they are much less annoying than abrahamics.
>>42273617Exactly, I find them friendly and at least if you don't share their ideas, they tend to keep mostly to themselves.
>>42273617Buddhists are the worst , they dont believe in saving souls , they just care about their personel shit , the only reason you are making a thread and have a tendency to help others is because of your islamic roots
What do you use to practice buddhism, anon? Do you go to a temple, read a book or watch videos to get better at it?>>42273749They do care and that's the bodshivatta's role, to be a link between this life and the next to help followers all around the world. They just aren't annoying faggots trying to shove their ideas down everyone's throats like christcucks.
>>42273749Replying to the wrong dude. I despise everything islam has put forth on this earth and while some Muslims are charitable, most are in the prospect of proselytising or getting brownie heaven points.
>>42267928When talking of supernatural phenomena I'd rather become the avatar or warp reality with my fists. Why are all buddhists so weak?https://youtu.be/iuUUtzUeauA
>>42273516>as a beginner easier if you go to like 10 days retreatsand what is the harder path?
>>42273818Go on a 1 to 20000 days schizo spiral over the nature of reality without drugs or documentation and attain buddhahood unscathed. I hear isolating yourself innawoods or innacave helps.
>>42273818Doing it at home on your own. If you have the time and disciplin then go for it.
What do you do all day, anon?
>>42268266What is the Chinese method like?
>>42274622It doesn't work, Buddhism is a Japanese practice
>>42274622Qigong, neigong, neidan, etc. The basic stuff is something like microcosmic orbit meditation, and maybe ba duan jin. The more advanced stuff could be something like yi jin jing.
>>42274994What does it let you do?
>>42274994In sober terms, it's just another way to de-stress. In slightly more optimistic terms? It's a pathway to longevity. In xtard schizo terms? ***IT MAKES YOU AN IMMORTAL WHO CAN FLY, TELEPORT, SHOOT FIREBALLS OUT OF YOUR ARSE***
>>42276868Sorry. This was meant for >>42276860
>>42276868Is this the famed cultivation?
>>42270928But what is to "become sterile"? Buddhism only aims to stop suffering, but you would still need to do stuff to survive and it qualitatively improves the societies it is applied to such as Japan.There are no useful alternatives around
>>42272255The key is that no one actually takes it seriously except monks. This is also exactly how it worked in Latin Christendom. You can tell people that eternal happiness awaits those who reject the world and deny themselves until you're blue in the face, but the vast majority just won't be inclined to it.
>>42264108Don't talk about Buddhism on /x/Been saying this for a few years on every thread that gets posted. I will admit however that the website does feel like it's changing. It MAY be getting close to time for Buddhism to be spoken on here. But for now, I still don't think we're ready and advise against discussing it here. Other than that, I'm glad for you, Anon. May you have peace and wellness. >>42268266This is not correct. There's a lot of misunderstanding here. AFA energy, we have our own energy cultivation. Where do you think indigenous Chinese got (some) of their stuff? Again, don't talk about Buddhism on./x/ though. >>42269710Technically this is right, but the framing is completely incorrect. >>42269742Don't talk about Buddhism on /x/Glad its working. May you swiftly attain the deathless.
>>42278716Don't talk about Buddhism on /x/I also advise and caution against responding to trolls. Anti-buddhist sentiment gets passed around alot online Because Buddhists are interested in "the good life", whereas the modern character of countries in the west are invested in creating "bad" lives. Vis-a-vis Japan, we did have a lot of good developments there. But we never got to fully settle, so Japan still lacks alot of critical "Buddhist infrastructure". They (the Japanese government) are also ignoring alot of Buddhist magic stuff they're supposed to be doing, that they contracted the Buddhist community specifically on, to stabilize the country. Japan would be 1000000% better if it would just allow Buddhism to fully mature and settle. Would immediately relieve the work tension there.
>>42273761You say that while 'importantly' stating on every single thread you make that you're Muslim
>>42279056You are confusing me with someone else. Perhaps you need to take your meds, anon.>>42272508Practice, meditation and lot of practice.
>>42272508Don't talk about Buddhism on /x/ESPECIALLY DO NOT TALK ABOUT JHANAS. Jhana discussion among westerners has been an absolute nightmare!With that out of the way...if you want to attain jhana you need to consistently practice meditation & to uphold (at minimum) the five precepts. Meditate for an hour. If you don't, the energy of the body-mind won't have time to settle and stabilize. You might be Able to slowly build up to jhana through a war of attrition if you go less than an hour....but you'll be struggling a lot more than you need to. When you're not meditating, take up a (relaxed) mindfulness and enjoy life in a way that serves you with wholesome joy. I recommend going on retreat if you really want them. You can access them at home, but you're again, going to struggle alot more. Especially if you are in the west. Once you attain jhana a singular time, it becomes easy to keep letting go into them.>Inb4 western jhana war nonsense Please do not do this. Don't get involved with people discussing how "deep" or "light" a jhana is. Traditional Buddhists favor a "deep" jhana. But "light" ones have also been used in context to esoteric practice. Lastly, if you attain a state you believe is jhana, DO NOT. TALK. ABOUT IT. Do not CLAIM to have it. This is a karmic MINEFIELD. If you want to check, find a reputable teacher and ask. This will be easy to do once you've taken meditation to this depth. If the teacher is legitimate, they will know.
>>42279122>... to uphold (at minimum) the eight precepts.FTFY.> Don't talk about Buddhism on /x/In what other boards do you think is acceptable? I had some good conversations from time to time in /x/, but I agree with you that is not even a mediocre option.
>>42279208>FTFYFive is fine. Eight WILL help you go faster but not everybody (atleast in West or westernized areas) can uphold the eight in this era. The minimum is the five. If you can do those, you can get jhana. That's the absolute minimum for a lay person who wants to seriously cultivate jhana. Once you get a taste of proper jhana, you'll naturally want to hold the eight though. >In what other boards do you think is acceptable?Honestly? None, yet. I just don't think the website is ready for this sort of discussion. If there were a board proper for it, /x/ would likely be it. Buddhism is full of stuff that /x/ *should* love. What holds us back is that this website is used, modernly, to spread so much anger and negativity, along with absolute psyops. As a community, anons are constantly getting pushed and prodded by people trying to stoke them into extremist, identity based politics. Alot of this ties into attempts to corrupt various religious movements. This is kind of the state for much the English speaking web. That said, I do want to reiterate - something has definitely changed here. I Don't know what, but it DOES feel a lot different on /x/ than its been for a while. It might be that we're getting close to it being the appropriate time for this place to discuss Buddhism. I might even change my mind today about the website & board. It kinda depends on the tone of things. I have a couple markers that help me decide if a community is ready for this sort of discussion.
>>42279043Your disapproving opinions are rather pointless when you're not correcting what's apparently wrong your opinion or otherwise contribute in a constructive manner.
>>42279282Alright, allow me to uno reverse here. What are you critiquing me on? Being frank here, I'm not talking about opinions. People have all kinds of opinions, and it's not my job to manage them at all. I'm strictly speaking about things from a practice standpoint. Now, that said, are you wanting me to elaborate on issues with the west? Or something else? I imagine it would be west, as the other things I mention are more detailed.
