Dharma Wheel

I was terrified of death as a child. Nowadays, I still have great anxiety that I might die before I'm ready, or that dying will hurt. I'm not actually as worried about the possibility of an unfortunate rebirth as I am about the process of getting there! It is good I think to have some amount of fear...

I don't think it's "wrong" to want to move out of your parent's house and get a better paying job. It is realistic to say however, that even if you do get a good job and your own house, it still won't be "enough". The nature of Samsara is that anything mundane we strive for is never actually enough ...

Welcome! I hope you continue to find much of interest on these forums.

I suffered from intrusive thoughts frequently for many years, so I do want to second the suggestion to seek psychiatric help if it is possible for you. :heart: Another thing that has helped me with my mental state is recalling the 4 Noble Truths. As grim as it sounds, when I remember that samsara is...

It is important not to jump to conclusions regarding one's experiences. However, Buddhism isn't a materialist worldview and if you treat it as if it is, you will miss a lot it has to offer.

Welcome!

The way I square Buddhist cosmology with conventional cosmology is by believing that Buddhist cosmology is upaya for helping us achieve enlightenment rather than an attempt to describe an illusion-saturated, ever changing Samsaric reality. Modern physics may be just the way the cosmos appears to hu...

I think Shinbutsu Shugo is just fine. I would not have come to the Dharma without it, and I certainly would not be a Buddhist.

Very excellent advice here. Schizophrenia is a condition of the brain. It must be remembered that the brain is a part of the body as much as the leg or the hands. As FiveSkandhas said, you cannot think your way out of a broken leg, and the same can be said for a brain that isn't working as it should...

Ayu wrote: ↑Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:44 am Tsongkhapa Day today.
Light as many candles as possible.

I am constantly holding back on my Dharma practice because I feel I cannot do it "properly," but yesterday I did find a quiet space to offer a small candle.

I've purchased from Exotic India. I can't say I was overwhelmed with the experience, but it wasn't awful either. My orders shipped quickly, but delivery did take a while and tracking was iffy. That was about what I expected however, so it's not a deal breaker to me.

You know, if I'm honest I have to say it was the actual style of the narrative. It's very grounded in historical facts and evidence, but at the same time the author's admiration for his subject clear. I came away with a respect for Tsongkhapa that was much more firmly grounded in reason than if it w...

Congratulations and good luck!

Thupten Jinpa wrote a quite wonderful biography of Tsongkhapa that has been published by Shambhala. It contains a forward by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I found it very inspiring and it actually did move me to persevere in my practice, which was flagging at the time.

I must confess I'm not sure why you feel the need to make these statements. If you are adapting your own unique interpretation of SGI teachings, I'm not sure how you can claim monks in temples aren't following the Dharma?

Hello! Is anyone still here? I am an FPMT student, though I've been separated from the community at my nearest center for a few years now. The pandemic certainly hasn't helped things, though I know I should link up with them online.

Ah! The Goddess of Learning. Much Love to Her :heart: . So Geshe-la explained the meaning of my name as a reference to the "Buddha of Wisdom and the Goddess of Learning" I'd like to believe the goddess of learning referenced is Saraswati/Yangchenma but I am worried I may be lending too much weight ...

Neander, do you think monks sit in temples all day long? In my observation they do other things as well. What tradition do you study, may I ask?

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone. I am glad to be back and hope I can spend more time here.

Link to older thread here: https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=19172 I'm curious about my Refuge name. In my previous thread, I gave an incorrect spelling, which obviously caused problems. The proper transliteration is: *Thupten Tsolha* (Edited to add picture, because I couldn't get the...