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Post 1812, Day 40 of 2017
- 2,232 days since I started this blog -
- 2,232 days since I started this blog -
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| From Reverend Ken's Birthday Bash and Survivor's Ball: "Starry Night" |
I have recently seen a bit of Buddhist-philosophy outreach on my part positively influence a few friends.
Namely, they've responded positively, and made changes, where, in the past, they had been defensive about any ideas I offered up from that direction.
To be sure, their resistance to these ideas is fine. Buddhism, which I insist on thinking of not as a religion but a philosophy, is not doctrinaire. It does not require you to believe or have faith in anything. It does not say this is what you should do, think, or say. Instead, it says, this is the truth, but don't take 'our' word for it. Check it out. See if it is the truth, then see if it works for you. On that basis, my friends have made some changes in their lives.
Both have suffered, one with loss and anger issues, the other with illness and depression; and their suffering will continue, surely, but diminished a bit, with less influence and more feelings of happiness both have reduced their pain.
The key was that both read some books I gave them. Books by Buddhists, but, in fact, more about the teachings, less about the Buddhism itself, in the tradition of the Dalai Lama's statement, "Do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."
I just read an article, and forwarded it to them, that has summed up the reasons I identify as a Buddhist. The article shows how the 1st Noble Truth, that life is suffering, explains much of what we see and how we understand what is happening. It also has this great line: "The significance of the Buddhist teaching lies in the fact that it isn’t doctrinal. It’s not an attempt to tell us how things should be, it’s more a way of bringing our attention to the way things are." (The First Truth, by Ajahn Sumedho posted by Buddhism Now)
Another thing that happened recently is that both of my friends (who have never met each other or lived in the same state, as far as I know - they're not even Facebook friends) separately and apropos of nothing in both cases, told me, 'I can see how this will benefit me, and by extension, benefit others.' Wow! Again: separately, within days of each other - and without any sort of prompting on my part.
I'm grateful to them - as only a witness can be.
Namely, they've responded positively, and made changes, where, in the past, they had been defensive about any ideas I offered up from that direction.
To be sure, their resistance to these ideas is fine. Buddhism, which I insist on thinking of not as a religion but a philosophy, is not doctrinaire. It does not require you to believe or have faith in anything. It does not say this is what you should do, think, or say. Instead, it says, this is the truth, but don't take 'our' word for it. Check it out. See if it is the truth, then see if it works for you. On that basis, my friends have made some changes in their lives.
Both have suffered, one with loss and anger issues, the other with illness and depression; and their suffering will continue, surely, but diminished a bit, with less influence and more feelings of happiness both have reduced their pain.
The key was that both read some books I gave them. Books by Buddhists, but, in fact, more about the teachings, less about the Buddhism itself, in the tradition of the Dalai Lama's statement, "Do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."
I just read an article, and forwarded it to them, that has summed up the reasons I identify as a Buddhist. The article shows how the 1st Noble Truth, that life is suffering, explains much of what we see and how we understand what is happening. It also has this great line: "The significance of the Buddhist teaching lies in the fact that it isn’t doctrinal. It’s not an attempt to tell us how things should be, it’s more a way of bringing our attention to the way things are." (The First Truth, by Ajahn Sumedho posted by Buddhism Now)
Another thing that happened recently is that both of my friends (who have never met each other or lived in the same state, as far as I know - they're not even Facebook friends) separately and apropos of nothing in both cases, told me, 'I can see how this will benefit me, and by extension, benefit others.' Wow! Again: separately, within days of each other - and without any sort of prompting on my part.
I'm grateful to them - as only a witness can be.
Food and Diet
Today's Weight: 203.4 lbs.
Previous Weight (2/9/17): 203.8 lbs.
Net Loss/Gain: - 0.4 lbs.
Diet Comment
That's better, but maybe it's just the new scale I got. Oh, yeah, did I mention I got a new scale? Reads to the 10th, puts my weight and body fat estimate on my phone. Yeah, techology.
Food Log
Breakfast
5:15pm, at CoreLife Eatery:
Lunch
Dinner
12:05am: Pepperoni, kimchee, carrots with home-made mayonnaise and a Quest bar.
5:15pm, at CoreLife Eatery:
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| Tuna poke salad with: Kale, cabbage, quinoa, cucumber, carrots, scallions, ginger,edamame, avocado, tuna poke, sesame seeds, almonds and miso-sesame dressing. Not shown: A cup of chicken bone broth. |
8:10pm: Vegetarian chili from CoreLife, which was a freebie sample. It was quite delicious, but I fear it contained quite a few off-plan ingredients, of which corn was the most obvious. Also, carrots with home-made mayonnaise and a Quest bar.
Dinner
12:05am: Pepperoni, kimchee, carrots with home-made mayonnaise and a Quest bar.
Liquid Intake
Espressos: 1; Coffee: 0 oz.; Tea: 0 oz.; Water: 60+ oz.
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