Nirvana, the absence of pain and suffering, is attainable. We must give up useless material ideals and just live in the moment. Nirvana is not a sort of heaven, but a perfect state of mind.

I have much to meditate on before trying to learn more.

Hah, you should just make a "Four noble truths" thread

or somethin'

weed will get you there sooner........

I dont feel a desire to not feel pain and suffering, in myself. If it wasnt for pain and suffering, conflict and things like that. I would sit on my smoking chair outside and just stair at the sky all day. wich is pretty much the ultimate achievment of a Buddhist

quote:Originally posted by boozehound420:

I would sit on my smoking chair outside and just stair at the sky all day. wich is pretty much the ultimate achievment of a Buddhist

Sign me up.

I've made good progress on living in every single moment, day by day. I've become better at not avoiding things. I think I've gotten better at desiring material goods, but there's still much work to be done.

quote:Originally posted by HandOfZek:

Nirvana is not a sort of heaven, but a perfect state of mind.



I think nirvana is the same as heaven. Just like Jesus is the same as buddah. They're just explained differently.

quote:Originally posted by HandOfZek:

Nirvana, the absence of pain and suffering, is attainable. We must give up useless material ideals and just live in the moment. Nirvana is not a sort of heaven, but a perfect state of mind.

I have much to meditate on before trying to learn more.

I have issues with "must give up", it seems such a negative thought to entertain giving up something, it's like I'm losing out.

quote:The Third Noble Truth: is that Nirvana exists, and that it can exist for you. Nirvana is inconceivable innner peace, the cessation of craving and clinging. It is the end of suffering. Nirvana is liberation, everlasting freedom, fulfillment, and enlightenment itself.

...

The word nirvan etymologically means extinction of thirst and the annhilation of suffering. Buddhist masters teach that within each of us there is always a fire. sometimes this fire is quietly smoldering; other times it is ragin out of control. Thid fore is caiused by the friction of duality rubbing against itself, like two sticks. This friction is generated by me (as subject) wanting other(as object) and the interaction betwee the two. Thi sever present friction that irritates us blazes up into the fires of suffering. When we realise emptiness{of permanent form/s} and perfect oneness with all, the fires of duality go out. When even the embers themselves are cool, when conflicting emotions are no longer burning us - this is nirvana, the end of dissatisfaction and suffering. This is liberation; this is bliss; this is true freedom.

The freedom from craving that Buddha spoke about is an inconceivable inner peace, a sense of at-one-ness and completeness. Yet many people are terrified by this concept because they associate craving with passion. 'What' they say, 'no passion? No passion equals no life! No passion means I might as well be dead!" This is a nihilistic, or extreme, version of what freedom from craving means. The mind that is free from craving is much more abundant and fruitful than such superficial notions might suggest.

...

Desirelessness means lacking nothing.

"Awakening the Buddha within", by Lama Surya Das with {some notes by me http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)}

Apologies for typos, in other words that's not a copy and paste, I typed it out with my own two fingers http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif) Why? and why tell? I need some gaps filled in with the whole enlightenment thing and typing that out helped, particularly the last bit: Desirelessness means lacking nothing. that seems like a real positive thought to hold onto, it's what I like about the Buddha's teachings, they are empowering, they say that I can do it, I don't need priests or rituals or books or gurus...

Peace http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:Originally posted by ---Beany---:

I think nirvana is the same as heaven. Just like Jesus is the same as buddah. They're just explained differently.

Was Jesus, or the character the myth is based on, a Buddha/Enlightened One?

quote:Ancient scrolls reveal that Jesus spent seventeen years in India and Tibet

From age thirteen to age twenty-nine, he was both a student and teacher of Buddhist and Hindu holy men.

The story of his journey from Jerusalem to Benares was recorded by Brahman historians

Today they still know him and love him as St. Issa. Their 'buddha'.

In 1894 Nicolas Notovitch published a book called The Unknown Life of Christ. He was a Russian doctor who journeyed extensively throughout Afghanistan, India, and Tibet. Notovitch journeyed through the lovely passes of Bolan, over the Punjab, down into the arid rocky land of Ladak, and into the majestic Vale of Kashmir of the Himalayas. During one of his jouneys he was visiting Leh, the capital of Ladak, near where the buddhist convent Himis is. He had an accident that resulted in his leg being broken. This gave him the unscheduled opportunity to stay awhile at the Himis convent.

Notovitch learned, while he was there, that there existed ancient records of the life of Jesus Christ. In the course of his visit at the great convent, he located a Tibetan translation of the legend and carefully noted in his carnet de voyage over two hundred verses from the curious document known as "The Life of St. Issa."

http://reluctant-messenger.com/issa.htm



Peace http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

I see now. The point is there is no point, right? We are here so that we can learn to pretend we aren't here. The world is only there so we have something to not care about. We only need things so we can learn to not need anything. Then everything can go away, even our selves. That's why it's all here in the first place. It makes a perfect circle of logic.

quote:He had an accident that resulted in his leg being broken. This gave him the unscheduled opportunity to stay awhile at the Himis convent.

Notovitch learned, while he was there, that there existed ancient records of the life of Jesus Christ.

That is an excellant example of synchronicity. I wanted to point it out, but I'll leave it for another topic.

Viraljimmy, who are you? I'm not being sarcastic. I mean are you a son, a daughter, a student, a teacher, a mailman, a cousin, a garbage man? Are you defined by your job, your family, your friends which title or role defines who you are? An artist, a musician, a dancer? Whatever you choose to call yourself, whatever others call you, is only a part of who you are. Can you define who you are? When you try to define who you are, does that mean you are not anything else other than what you have said you are? No body is trying to pretend they aren't here. But you can't really pin down who it is that you are without ignoring many other things which make you, you. The sense of I that you experience is an aggregate of many things that are physical, emotional, and mental. You are not any one thing.

Caring or compassion is an important tenate of Mahayana Buddhism. You interepreted, "No passion" and "wanting" wrong. quote:to not care" and "to not need".

I don't really have to explain the difference to you do I?

This thread made me wonder upon your dedication to the path.

quote:Originally posted by redzed:

Peace http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

I wouldn't quite label Jesus as being a Fully Enlightened Buddha. If anything, Jesus would be coined a "bodhisattva."



OM MANI PADME HUM http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

I've said this before, but hey.

I like the sound of Buddhism but, I can't get my head around the whole "no desire" thing. I mean if a Buddhists ultimate goal is to not have any desire, then wouldn't that be a desire?

quote:Originally posted by Source:

I like the sound of Buddhism but, I can't get my head around the whole "no desire" thing. I mean if a Buddhists ultimate goal is to not have any desire, then wouldn't that be a desire?

I think they acknowledge this and it's one of if the not THE last desire to let go of.