Can dharma alone make life worth living?

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LastLegend
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Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by LastLegend »

Nilasarasvati wrote:
Practice doesn't take the lows away, but it gave everything in my life, especially the lows, profound meaning. Worth.
What you means by the lows? Like poverty?
It’s eye blinking.
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Nilasarasvati
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Location: Trāyastriṃśa. Just kidding. What a cool sanksrit word, huh?

Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by Nilasarasvati »

I mean depression.
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LastLegend
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Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by LastLegend »

Why not? I thought the point of practice to change our conditions including the mental condition.
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muni
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Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by muni »

Depression is mind overwhelmed. Like lost in the huge waves of the ocean, one can try to remain clear and calm, not conditioned by the waves while being completely absorbed in the stream of powerful waves. Then mindfulness or awareness is very difficult.
Such can need some good help in order to restart practice regarding thoughts, emotions. The best is of course to try to prevent such overwhelming state, beying aware of mind/thoughts/emotions and 'before' mind/thoughts can run in overwhelming entanglement and so hide by its clouds peaceful awareness. I think this need more attention and care, while it is a recognition of suffering as well. Very important and can be a basis for genuine practice.

Actually this is indeed a good example how dharma is worthful. :namaste:
M.G.
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Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by M.G. »

Can dharma alone make life worth living?

That's a really good question. For a majority of people I'd say; probably not. And if you think you're in the minority for whom dharma alone can make life worth living, I'd advise considering the monastic life.

Having struggled with depression and lousy career luck, I am grateful to have a fulfilling spiritual practice, one which has enriched my life by making me, well, a tiny bit less me. That's done wonders for my negativity (haven't had a depressive attack in years) and mental tranquility, and I believe those are the kinds of results any Buddhist practitioner could reach and exceed. (And very many have gone far, far beyond me.) That said, spiritual practice doesn't in and of itself usually secure income, or ensure happy romantic love; at a worldly level it will at most dissolve some of the neuroses that might interfere with reaching those ends. And, in all honesty, very few, if any, burn through all of their emotional conditioning through practice, though observing the process unfold itself becomes a reward and one which adds a special savor to life.

Thrasymachus, you seem like an intelligent person and talented writer and I sincerely hope you find a lifepath where you can use your talents to their fullest.

All my best.
muni
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Re: Can dharma alone make life worth living?

Post by muni »

I take two sentences from first post: "I realized also in my state, that most the time people wear brave masks".
"I feel like a creature from another planet that does not belonged here".

looks like you throw a light on the protecting masks of the suffering constructed world.
Then, worth, I should say definitely, of course as long as we make no masks by dharma as well but see through ideation and habits (clinging to these phenomena as real and for ever truths) and so on, which we have to protect so much.

From me-thought a whole world arises they say.

Interesting sentences. Thank you Thrasymachus. :namaste:
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