On Happiness

[Blaggard]

But why should any other person´s life story be less important and less valuable than that of Siddharta ?

Everybody learns from mistakes every day. Or refuses to learn and suffers.

I just cannot see why Siddharta should be special in any way. Has he inspired you in any way ?

And that is of course the whole point, it is trying to explain to people that all life and all experience is valuable whether you are Siddhartha or The Buddha, there is in that work a sort of noble truth in itself that everyone can ascend to a better place if only they would be open to philosophy that is dated around 4-600BC.

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā) 1. Right view 9. Superior right knowledge
2. Right intention 10. Superior right liberation
Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla) 3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Concentration (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi) 6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

and the four noble truths:


The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness[a])
The truth of the origin of dukkha
The truth of the cessation of dukkha
The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha

I am probably sounding like I am proselytising Buddhism now, but as you know I am a devout atheist, so I just like the practicality of trying to free yourself from the chains that bind, by enlightened self examination. I in no way think everyone should sit down meditate forever and become Buddhists with a view of removing yourself from the wheel of fate, or karma, but meh couldn't hurt. The Buddhists at least seem not to go to war over whose god has the largest cock.

[duszek]

Siddharta lived long ago, in a world that I am not familiar with, I cannot relate to him.
"Right life" is an empty phrase. What is right is the question that everybody tries to answer for himself every day.

What Blaggard has to say today as his personal insight about life in general is much more interesting to me.

[Blaggard]

Siddharta lived long ago, in a world that I am not familiar with, I cannot relate to him.
"Right life" is an empty phrase. What is right is the question that everybody tries to answer for himself every day.

What Blaggard has to say today as his personal insight about life in general is much more interesting to me.

Well that is quite a compliment, but I am not saying I have right life or even anything like a Buddhist Nirvana, or enlightenment or even anything approaching it, let alone know what is right, just that I like the idea.

Siddhartha lived at a time no one is familiar with but I do think the philosophy is still apposite none the less...

[duszek]

Do you expect enlightenment to improve your life ? And make you more happy ?

I heard of many people who struggled for enlightenment and ended up badly. Bagwan, Woodstock, and more.

[duszek]

Is not shaking to local pop songs a sort of meditation too ?

You can get into a trance, you think about the message expressed by the song, identify with it in your particular phase of life and then move on to the next one.

Is the lotus position good from the orthopedic point of view ?

Dancing seems much more health enhancing to me.

[Blaggard]

No I don't expect enlightenment nor do I expect it to improve my life, but I do like to learn about other philosophies, as I think it gives me a good general perspective with which to develop my own. I take a more plural approach to thought, only so that I have a more plural approach to myself and life in general. If it is a wrong approach so be it but it is mine...

[duszek]

My best yoga experience so far has been my teacher Wolfgang. Anything he said made sense to me. What a pity he died some time ago. I commemorate him on the 5 th of each month, that is also today as it happens.

People who say that they are enlightened sound usually suspicious to me.

[Blaggard]

My best yoga experience so far has been my teacher Wolfgang. Anything he said made sense to me. What a pity he died some time ago. I commemorate him on the 5 th of each month, that is also today as it happens.

People who say that they are enlightened sound usually suspicious to me.

You are suspicious of the Dalai Lama, I think he would take that as a complement.

[duszek]

I have never heard Dalai Lama say that he was enlightened. What I know about him from hear-say is that he is rather modest.

It was the gurus that I have come across in my life, offering a sat-sang or a course, who sounded suspicious.