I haven't been too buddhist lately. I haven't done a lot of the things I used to. I haven't been sitting regularly, I haven't been going to sangha and I haven't been reading a lot of buddhist literature. For a while i considered myself burned out but I realized it isn't that. A little bit ago I started reading about dudeism, which is this religion based around the character the dude in the movie the big lebowski. They draw a lot from buddhism as well as other eastern religions and philosophies. Mostly what it's about and what I think my practice is about mainly these days is a sense of going with the flow and taking it easy.
For me this ethic started in buddhism with the first noble truth of suffering. I now realize that there are going to be ups and downs, strikes and gutters to put it in dudeist terms and the best antidote for all of it is to simply abide and to totally accept everything that happens as part of the totality of this human experience. For example, I just failed a test on karl marx in my social theory class. I was quite hung up about it for a little while but as i've reflected on this, I have realized that wallowing in it isn't going to solve anything. There isn't anything thats going to change what happened so all i can do is move on. I have noticed that when i do sit i notice it is quite beneficial, I don't want it to become a chore though. I've move past this idea of more mediation=quicker enlightenment. For me i am constantly practicing seeing past good and bad and enlightened vs unenlightened and just accepting everything as a part of the cosmic play that is unfolding.
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4 comments:
The Big Lebowski is awesome. "Shut the fuck up Donny! You're WAAYYY out of your element!"
On that I totally agree. On the idea of going with the flow, not so much. Call me an asshole, but I'm of the school of thought that sitting practice will always be something of a chore, and that's ok. It's hard work, but it has to be done, to see myself and reality clearly.
But I think you're also right about everything having ups and downs. My practice has been lacking in the last couple weeks, and I can completely see the consequences of that in my scatter-shot thinking and uneccessarily-drama-filled relationships.
The Dude abides.
Keep up meditation for I met the Dude in LA. He is as messed up as anyone else.
and the real Dude is rellly Buddha. Good luck.
I just re-read my original comment to this post... it was written at 3:56 AM, after I got home after a good bit of drinking. Don't drink and post, kids! lol
Overall I still agree with what I said... a meditation practice is hard, and the discipline is an important part of it.
But I'm just a guy on the Internetz, and your path is different from mine.
I wouldn't go so far as to say you're not too Buddhist lately. It sounds like you're giving some thought to this stuff, and "intention" is important in Buddhism. I also like what you said about working on accepting things more... another big Buddhist issue.
Sounds pretty Buddhist to me, bud. Later.
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