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Considering that the whole story revolves around the fact that using one is super-addictive and makes you CRAZY, no.
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Sometimes, maybe, contextually?
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In The Dharma Bums, Kerouac quotes Gary Snyder talking about a poem he had recently translated. The poem contains the line "now they have all gone to the yellow springs" and Gary Snyder then explained how "the yellow springs" is a metaphor for death. That sense of impermanence struck me, and I wanted to use it in my work.
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Well, I did at one point really get into botany, but I must confess that I always found trees more interesting than herbaceous plants. So I really don't have any great resources to pass along.
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At one point in my life I seriously considered changing my name to Tenzin. I wrote half an essay about it, but ended up deciding that I would keep the name of my birth;
as it is, at some level, my identity. -
Babylon 5. Come on.
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People will still be born, still pay taxes, still fall in love, and still die.
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I like Werewolves, but I like them in their more original incarnation, where the word "were" in the name is etymologically related to the modern "wear" and the transformation between human and animal is related to the trappings of civilization (clothing), as opposed to the rotation of celestial bodies.
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I don't watch TV, really. I used to be addicted to 24, but I broke that last season.
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We typically see the world in terms of contrasts, so to a certain extent, yes you do need to know what it feels like to be sad to appreciate the state of being happy.
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I don't really know, to be honest. I'm vaguely familiar with research into this line of inquiry, but I don't have any personal experience to speak from.
I would suggest looking into Medicine Buddha (Bhaisaijyaguru) practices. -
I think that belief is important to me and a very helpful thing, but from the perspective of those religions actually doing the practices is probably more important.
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I wonder, and I'm vaguely interested to know with whom I'm having a conversation, but I don't really fixate on it.
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I drink a TON of water. Literally, the first thing I do when I come home is pour myself a glass of water, which I keep around me all day. By having this next to me, the instant I feel thirsty, I can reward that urge with a sip of something unilaterally good for me. I've found that less abstract means result in me putting off getting something to drink until I am really really thirsty, at which point I go for what is tasty (I.E. soda), rather than what I should drink. If water is present and can provide that immediate reward, then I tend to go for it more, which is probably better for me. I have noticed that I just generally feel "healthier" if I drink more water, though I submit that this may be due to external factors.
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Alright, multiple answers GOGOGOGOGO
1. Do you enjoy meditation?
Frankly, not really. I'm really really really bad at it. I try to do sitting meditation (Shamatha) from time to time, but have never been able to make a concerted effort of it. In terms of successful efforts, mantra meditation has always been my "thing" and I tend to focus on that to the exclusion of other practices.
2. How long do you do it a day?
Well, I don't really keep up a daily meditation schedule and attempts to instigate one haven't really worked out for me. H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama suggests that several periods of meditation scattered throughout the day are better than one big block. Specifically he suggests 2-3 15-30 minute periods of Shamatha meditation as being a good start for a beginner.
3. Does it make you feel less stressed and calmer?
In general, yes. Though, I will admit that practicing with other people is a tremendous boon to my practice. When I meditate with other people, the social pressure to not get up and start working on that poem I just thought of or that painting I want to try or that topic I meant to research is much stronger, and that helps me.
Direct answer, yes, I do feel less stressed after meditation. In one of the more heated online communities in which I participate I try to spend a few minutes meditating and separated from my thoughts before I post them. I find that makes my contributions much more constructive.
4. Have I heard of Sahaja Meditation and what do I think of it.
Nope, never heard of this. Based on what Wikipedia has to say I feel that it is a middle ground betwixt Tantric Buddhism and Taoism. If that it is the case, and I am certainly not educated enough on the topic to say that it is, then I strongly recommend finding a teacher you trust to instruct you.
Hopefully this is helpful.
Please ask more questions about Dharma. I don't get much stimulation in that direction anymore and would love to participate in more discussions.
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Ryan Murphy
Muncie, IN
Ryan Murphy’s Bio
The madman bum and angel beat in Time, unknown, yet putting down here what might be left to say in time come after death.
