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I was raised as a Buddhist too, but by western convert parents who were students of Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche. I didn't start practicing regularly until a year ago (I turn 30 this year) but always felt as though being raised Buddhist strongly shaped who I am today. Because my parents are Vajrayana students and were pretty dedicated when I was a kid, I saw them doing a lot of the more esoteric practices but they couldn't really talk to me about most of them, beyond "we're doing some visualizations". I did learn to sit from an early age and having a solid foundation in basic sitting practice I think has really helped me with some of the more subtle techniques that my teacher has me working on at the moment. I can't imagine Buddhism not being part f my every day life- even when I wasn't sitting every day my perspective always seemed pretty different to other people because of the way I was raised.
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May 10, 2013 02:36
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Quantumfate posted:This is such good advice and warms the cockles of my heart, same with plus infinity. This is the kind of stuff that's good to see. Plus Infinity, do you still practice? Also, sorry shnooks, you mentioned wanting to be in the OP, but all you said about what you practiced was that you were doing vipassana. Yep, I sit every morning and am part of a small Shambhala sangha. I'm taking it slow as my parents are pretty hardcore (my mother has been on semi retreat alone on the side of a Welsh mountain for 10 years) and I'm not sure that's the life for me. But I am enjoying daily practice and as it was just said, Buddhism isn't going anywhere and it's not a race to acquire all knowledge immediately. I think it's best to figure out where it fits for me personally and go from there. My boyfriend (he1ixx) has been supportive and enthusiastic and has been enjoying reading about this more than me, so he helps too! We've just been learning some new meditation techniques from our teacher that have totally changed my assumptions and experience with meditation which is also pretty great.
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May 10, 2013 12:34
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Incarnate Dao posted:Infinity I hope you don't mind me chiming in: Yep, this is correct, except I'm a woman 
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May 10, 2013 14:41
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Tonsured posted:Is there a palpable difference, in your experience, between meditating in isolation versus a group/community setting. Yes! Absolutely! Most of the really great experiences that I've had with meditation have been during day-long or extended sessions with a group. It gets me "in the zone" a lot more easily and is very motivating.
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May 10, 2013 20:47
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The-Mole posted:Using sanskrit terms for stuff when anyone who is not, uh, unusually familiar with sanskrit is going to feel confused or left out. I agree with you and I grew up with Buddhism! I don't know what any of the Sanskrit words are and you don't NEED to know them all to have a fulfilling practice. Some people love getting academic about Buddhism - it lends itself very well to that. My dad was one of those people. But it is also possible to be very simple about it. I think this thread probably has room for those who like to debate in a more scholarly way while also being there for those of us who are not! At least I hope so!
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May 11, 2013 13:22
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I was raised as a Shambhala buddhist; both my parents were students of Trungpa's. Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche is dead- his son is now the head of Shambhala. He is more traditionally Tibetan and less crazy-wisdom than his dad. Some of that is good, some is bad, depending on your outlook. Shambhala in general seems a lot more tame than it was in the 70's (as everything is, for the most part). I have never gotten any cult vibes (or pressure to join) from any Shambhala person I have ever met (which has been a lot). For reference, I'm an aging punk anarchist type, so I'm pretty critical of crazy woo-woo stuff. There are certainly crazy people in Shambhala, as in any Western Buddhist group really, so your milage may vary depending on where you live. It's also Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism, so there is certainly some pretty out-there stuff once you stick around for a while, but that's all part of the practice/ not really real/ visualizations/ etc. I can guarantee you though, that if you go to a Shambhala group you can get basic, no-pressure, non-religious meditation instruction and decide how you feel from there. Edit to say that I'm currently part of the Shambhala group near me, and while I think there is some bureaucratic nonsense going on with the international group, it's all the same kind of bureaucratic nonsense you get with any large organization that relies on donations only and has centers all over the world. The people in my group are really lovely, the senior teacher is sharp and intellectual and no-nonsense and incredibly logical, and I've gotten a lot out of being part of the community. Plus_Infinity fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Jun 28, 2013 |
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Jun 28, 2013 21:12
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Count Freebasie posted:Just attended my first sangha at a Tibetan center, and I have to say, it was pretty interesting. The Lama Losang Samten, Rinpoche who is the head of the center is away on retreat in Tibet, so a student/teacher was leading the sangha (he's been practicing 37 years and started out Zen). This wasn't in PA was it? I went to a chenrezig retreat yesterday with that group but left at lunch. It was my first time there too. They were nice but I think I like the shambhala sangha more.
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Jul 21, 2013 18:22
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Count Freebasie posted:Yup; Philly on Spring Garden. Oh cool! I live out in Delaware county so I don't get into the city much. They had a one day retreat on Saturday ten minutes from my house so I went to that. I don't really go to the Philadelphia shambhala center- we have a little shambhala group in West Chester which just started out this year. The teacher we have, Jay Lippman, has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism for almost 40 years and was actually the teacher of Jeff, the main guy at Chenrezig in Philly. He is sooo awesome. Totally no nonsense and logical and down to earth and he knows so much. If you have a car and feel like coming out to West Chester some time, you are always welcome. It may be a good balance for you between zen and the chenrezig guys. PM me if you're interested. I've heard mixed things about the Philly shambhala center. Some people i know loooove it and some aren't big fans of some of the teachers there. I don't really have any first hand knowledge but you may want to check it out too. Shambhala in general is pretty laid back but there is an actual curriculum unlike the chenrezig people and no outright deity worship or woo-woo. I feel like shambhala personally hits a good balance for me between strict and hippy dippy.
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Jul 21, 2013 22:40
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Razage posted:I didn't mean to say that I don't enjoy meditation because I really do and I am seeing that I'm becoming a much more kind and gentler person because of it. I plan on doing as you guys suggest and keep on returning my attention in meditation. He meant which city I think! It won't be too weird, don't worry. Some people in this thread have gone to Shambhala centers and met some really hippy dippy people who were into crystal healing and the like, but that is a result of Shambhala being open to anyone who's curious and not that it's actually teaching that kind of stuff. It's also going to be in pretty much any Buddhist group in some parts of the country. I have been in Shambhala my whole life and gone to lots of different Shambhala centers and everyone I've personally met has been wonderful.
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Aug 28, 2013 13:00
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