Have you explored japanese buddhism?

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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Gleinile
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Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by Gleinile »

My name is John. Maybe eight months ago now, I consciously chose to take The Path to Nirvana. I have always felt called, but, have been for most of my 26 years, distracted. Now that I am actively seeking peace, contentment, and unconditional love, I am faced with many, many difficulties.

I work in an english language school of a big company in Japan. Mostly, I like teaching the students - we have fun trying to get to grips with learning language - but sometimes, I just end up feeling empty, and I loose my patience. The daily routine seems futile. My co-workers are very negitive, and any attempts to express positivity are countered with cynicism, which is very hard for me to deal with.
Huseng
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Re: Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by Huseng »

Where in Japan are you?
Yudron
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Re: Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by Yudron »

Gleinile wrote:My name is John. Maybe eight months ago now, I consciously chose to take The Path to Nirvana. I have always felt called, but, have been for most of my 26 years, distracted. Now that I am actively seeking peace, contentment, and unconditional love, I am faced with many, many difficulties.

I work in an english language school of a big company in Japan. Mostly, I like teaching the students - we have fun trying to get to grips with learning language - but sometimes, I just end up feeling empty, and I loose my patience. The daily routine seems futile. My co-workers are very negitive, and any attempts to express positivity are countered with cynicism, which is very hard for me to deal with.
Welcome! Have you sought out the support of other sincere Buddhists?
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kirtu
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Re: Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by kirtu »

Gleinile wrote:My name is John. Maybe eight months ago now, I consciously chose to take The Path to Nirvana. I have always felt called, but, have been for most of my 26 years, distracted. Now that I am actively seeking peace, contentment, and unconditional love, I am faced with many, many difficulties.
Well, are you seeking Nirvana and peace and contentment or do you want to attain enlightenment? They are different goals actually. Just keep that in mind as this may evolve over time.

Either way, we have to become determined to reach these goals as they will not happen by themselves. Many people have he idea that even "mystical" experiences are sufficient to attain the goals of peace/contentment or enlightenment. They are not.
I work in an english language school of a big company in Japan.
Really? I would like to do that myself so please PM me if you feel comfortable. I would like to ask some questions.
Mostly, I like teaching the students - we have fun trying to get to grips with learning language - but sometimes, I just end up feeling empty, and I loose my patience.
The Mahayana scholar/yogi Shantideva said that patience was the best austerity. Patience is very difficult but it may help to recognize that humans are really extremely confused and stressed.
The daily routine seems futile. My co-workers are very negitive, and any attempts to express positivity are countered with cynicism, which is very hard for me to deal with.
Cynicism is a chronic mental state in our world. It's a coping mechanism but is also one of the ways people propagate suffering in their environment.

I have never been to Japan but grew up partly in Hawaii and was exposed to Buddhism directly there. Buddhism at that time in Hawaii was Japanese Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism.

Some people here have lived in Japan like Huseng. You are in a wonderful place although a place very much beset with it's own problematic history and present day struggles.

There are many ways to start studying Buddhism. One way would just be to visit temples and see how things unfold. Of course in Japan there are several traditions such as Pure Land, Zen , Tendai (the mother school of Japanese Buddhism), and Shingon (a form of Japanese Vajrayana). Each of these have smaller traditions. However it has always been my experience that visiting temples and seeing Buddha statutes in itself is a positive experience and is a kind of practice (formally it's a kind of pilgrimage). You could also start reading some sutras.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
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Konchog1
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Re: Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by Konchog1 »

kirtu wrote:One way would just be to visit temples and see how things unfold. Of course in Japan there are several traditions such as Pure Land, Zen , Tendai (the mother school of Japanese Buddhism), and Shingon (a form of Japanese Vajrayana). Each of these have smaller traditions. However it has always been my experience that visiting temples and seeing Buddha statutes in itself is a positive experience and is a kind of practice (formally it's a kind of pilgrimage). You could also start reading some sutras.
If Gleinile has two months of free time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikoku_Pilgrimage" target="_blank
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Have you explored japanese buddhism?

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Well, Buddhism isn't a pill..it won't work like one exactly. Part of stuff "working" is once you can let go of the desire for a better life, a better world whatever. Sounds crazy I know, but wanting the world to be better to satisfy us is a total waste of time, to Paraphrase the Buddha, we wouldn't be satisfied with it even if t rained gold coins. Everyone I know who has embraced Buddhism from this viewpoint eventually drops it, because the point of the journey is not to make your life better, that's like taking medicine to get high..sounds harsh I know but IME it's true.

Again I don't mean to sound harsh, i've suffered from depression most of my life and I know that futile feeling..the thing is, wanting it to be better for you over and over and over again jut leads back to the same place. Every time you think "if it was just like this everything would be ok"..it will never be ok, and that is the reason to embrace Buddhism, that's recognition of the First Noble Truth.

My advice, find someone lonely who could use some company and go be company for them, make someone some food or something. It's not hard to do little stuff usually, and it will make you feel infinitely better than worrying about how to make your own life better will. Since it sounds like work has some bad connotations, maybe you can just do something like this with a friend?
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
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