Search found 128 matches

by mandala
Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:50 pm
Forum: Dharma Stories
Topic: Marriage – a Dhamma point of view
Replies: 77
Views: 21911

Re: Marriage – a Dhamma point of view

I choose to live on my own and have very few friends, not out of fear of relationships or social inadequacy, but because I prefer to spend my time alone in order to have the opportunity to do the things that I consider interesting and important, but have never appealed to friends or partners in the...
by mandala
Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:50 pm
Forum: Ethical Conduct
Topic: Kids & precepts
Replies: 22
Views: 6263

Re: Kids & precepts

Don't worry, your friend is wrong - It's not a minimum of 5 vows. People can choose to only take the first 3 - no killing,stealing,lying - if they're not confident they can keep the other 2.
I think you're right, your daughter's too young to mention the booze & sex.

Good job, you!

:smile:
by mandala
Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:05 pm
Forum: Prayers and Aspirations
Topic: How to handle people with anger issues?
Replies: 73
Views: 17045

Re: How to handle people with anger issues?

Have you noticed how the men address this thread and us women? I totally agree with the guys saying you cannot change another person. But you can help your mate with their confusion and they can help you. Being helpful, caring, patient and not controlling opens up a whole new world of relationships...
by mandala
Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:24 pm
Forum: Prayers and Aspirations
Topic: How to handle people with anger issues?
Replies: 73
Views: 17045

Re: How to handle people with anger issues?

Good lord. Instead of trying to diagnose your wife's 'problem', how about just trying to be kind & gentle & understanding to her when she's not her usual happy self?

:smile:
by mandala
Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:08 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Does software pirating break the second precept?
Replies: 105
Views: 19090

Re: Does software pirating break the second precept?

Stealing is taking something that is not freely given. If the software were freely given, you wouldn't need to 'pirate' it. It seems pretty clear to me that no matter how one tries to trivialize or justify this kind of theft (and no matter how many of your friends are doing it), it's still an illeg...
by mandala
Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:51 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Selling the dharma
Replies: 117
Views: 23184

Re: Selling the dharma

From an event management perspective, I understand that very large dharma gatherings (eg, Dalai Lama at an entertainment centre) can be a costly affair when you're looking at venue hire, power, stagehands, technicians, audio/staging/lighting/AV gear hire, security, catering, licensing etc... however...
by mandala
Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:24 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Does software pirating break the second precept?
Replies: 105
Views: 19090

Re: Does software pirating break the second precept?

Stealing is taking something that is not freely given. If the software were freely given, you wouldn't need to 'pirate' it. It seems pretty clear to me that no matter how one tries to trivialize or justify this kind of theft (and no matter how many of your friends are doing it), it's still an illega...
by mandala
Tue Dec 03, 2013 4:07 pm
Forum: Dharma Stories
Topic: Do You Still Get Angry?
Replies: 74
Views: 36045

Re: Do You Still Get Angry?

Well - yes! Maybe not so much as previously, but still...and my family always says 'not very Buddhist of you' whenever I do, which makes it even more annoying. My family do that too.. yes, it's very annoying :tongue: Oh, I still get angry but not so much in the 'instantly erupting volcano' kind of ...
by mandala
Tue Dec 03, 2013 3:57 pm
Forum: Dharma Stories
Topic: Marriage – a Dhamma point of view
Replies: 77
Views: 21911

Re: Marriage – a Dhamma point of view

Marriage forms an integral part of our lives. You lost me with the first sentence.Not everyone bases their lives around getting married and producing children. Of course, if you have that commitment then your life (and your dharma practice) necessarily revolves around those relationships. However, ...
by mandala
Thu Nov 28, 2013 3:49 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Ethics in the Teacher-Student Relationship
Replies: 11
Views: 3811

Re: Ethics in the Teacher-Student Relationship

I can imagine the damage caused could make it very difficult to maintain conviction in the Dharma, not to mention the guts it may take in the first place to actually extricate oneself from an unethical teacher. It can be quite difficult. Often, the teacher already has psychological control over the...
by mandala
Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:43 am
Forum: Wellness, Diet and Fitness
Topic: my mental health and mindfulness
Replies: 7
Views: 2436

Re: my mental health and mindfulness

Hi Ella, I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through. I also suffer from depression & earlier this year saw a psychologist who does mindfulness therapy ("ACT" - acceptance & commitment therapy) & found it helpful. In that state of mind, I'd stopped meditating & couldn...
by mandala
Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:15 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: When Right Speech seems to give bad fruits
Replies: 23
Views: 4525

Re: When Right Speech seems to give bad fruits

So, I try to cool down my colleagues, explain to them that the X person is not like they say or person Y did something because he/she must to, etc. I try honestly to apply Right Speech as a way to join people together, to creat friendship. But my colleagues are so clouded that they are start thinki...
by mandala
Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:57 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: The lamas who give Tibetan Buddhism a bad name
Replies: 59
Views: 20301

Re: The lamas who give Tibetan Buddhism a bad name

I think the key point from the OP's article is: He [HH Dalai Lama] also cautions against rushing into commitment to a lama. "In Tibet", he says, "it could take 12 years before a lama-disciple relationship was established." He points out that it is a big responsibility and should ...
by mandala
Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:35 am
Forum: Wellness, Diet and Fitness
Topic: Backyard Gardening
Replies: 292
Views: 85574

Re: Home grown

Today I got home from work at about lunch time & my wife had prepared an omelette. The eggs were from our backyard & so was the silver beet. She also used some capsicum & chilli, that I can't take the credit for. After lunch I spent some time feeding & watering the animals & the...
by mandala
Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:14 am
Forum: Wellness, Diet and Fitness
Topic: Backyard Gardening
Replies: 292
Views: 85574

Re: Backyard Gardening

Ahh, what a glorious garden! Gardening has saved my sanity - there's really something to be said for getting your hands in the dirt and being connected to the food you eat. I'm an avid seed-saver and grow only heirloom (old traditional) varieties of herbs, veggies & flowers. I dream of being abl...
by mandala
Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:05 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Icelanders and their elves.
Replies: 16
Views: 3304

Re: Icelanders and their elves.

I guess they don't understand the no-elf teaching yet. :( That's almost as bad as the time I put a bowl of cheese puffs on the altar at meditation night. Someone asked me what they were doing there, and I said oh, they're just bodhicheetos." :applause: too funny.. i'm going to have to steal th...
by mandala
Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:38 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Malas - what do you think?
Replies: 42
Views: 12174

Re: Malas - what do you think?

I think the most important thing is that you like it, whatever you choose is something you have an affinity for. I feel like a bit of a jerk saying I have a silver mala these days. I didn't seek it out, but found one in a dharma shop & liked it, it's very tactile & weighty. Previously I felt...
by mandala
Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:19 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Legalized Marijuana - will you smoke it?
Replies: 121
Views: 20418

Re: Legalized Marijuana - will you smoke it?

:tongue:

They don't call it 'dope' for nothing...
by mandala
Wed Nov 06, 2013 3:34 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Is spiritual progress worth it?
Replies: 35
Views: 5898

Re: Is spiritual progress worth it?

logank9 wrote:If it is the end all be all to highest happiness why isn't everyone spiritually improving themselves all the time?
because it's HARD WORK! Most of us on the planet gravitate towards chasing happiness in ways that actually cause us suffering... and don't even realise we're suffering... doh..

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