Saturday, July 24, 2010

Taking suggestions


Here's an idea. I am asking all of you – my readers, both loyal and occasional – to offer up some ideas for me to write about in this blog. Make your suggestion by leaving a comment. React with a comment to someone else’s suggestion by either concurring with the suggestion, or adding another dimension to it.

It’s not that I am without ideas. Rather, I’m just interested in what the rest of you have been pondering, what the rest of you have been dealing with, or what interests you whether it’s from a gay perspective or just from the level of what others think about the Dhamma and how that is manifested in his or her practice. Or my practice, for that matter.

This, of course, carries some risk. I am not a monk, nor a recognized teacher. I’m just a middle-aged gay man trying to find my way through this dukkha-filled world filled. How I respond to any suggestion, what I end up writing in a post may turn out to be absolutely unskillful. But I’m fairly certain should that be the case, someone will be sure to point that out.

This won’t divert me from writing future posts that I have already established a path toward covering, such as each item within the Noble Eightfold Path – with a gay twist, of course.

So be bold, be daring. But also be empathetic, compassionate and act with equanimity.

13 comments:

  1. I have one...since you are a Theravada guy, how do you feel about the way you see Zen folks and Tibetan folks talking about their practice, but more importantly the difference in personalities that you see.

    Or you could just talk about how much the BLACKHAWKS didn't deserve the cup this year!

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  2. here are a few fire starters topics for you.

    -fear of death

    - rejection

    - men and crying

    - socially engaged action from a Buddhist perspective

    Enjoy!

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  3. @Kyle, haha, I'm right with you on the Blackhawks because I am REDWINGS fan!

    @both Kyle and Nathan: very good suggestions. But Kyle's suggestion I think would put me in a very dangerous position in that I might appear judgmental.

    Keep the ideas coming! React to them as well.

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  4. here are two things (and maybe they're kind of related). one is why are some people so senstive to feedback (good or bad), almost to the point of being dysfunctional? and the second is why are behaviours learnt in childhood as defence mechanism agaisnt certain 'threats' still remain when the threats themselves are gone

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  5. Very interesting suggestions Ricercar. Could you elaborate just a little on the second one, about things we learn in childhood for defense mechanisms that persist into adulthood? That sounds very interesting.

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  6. This sounds like a variation of a high school project I once had but here goes. Where do you see yourself five years from now and what obstacles on your path to liberation have you overcome? How do you propose to get there? I enjoy your BLOG, we all get writers' block from time to time.

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  7. I would like to know different things. I would like to know:
    * What it looks like out your window from the place where you write your blog
    * Can you describe the experience when you really knew that Buddhism was for you?
    * Do you have a sense of who you were in a past life?
    * If you could live in any city of the world, where would it be?

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  8. What impact has your practice had on your sense of identity?

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  9. Wow, these are all very good ideas, many of which I would have never considered had they not been suggested. Some sort of fit within some ideas I've already been working on.

    Thanks everyone! Any more ideas out there?

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  10. A favorite suggestion is from bookbird - Can you describe the experience when you really knew that Buddhism was for you?

    Since I'm just getting there myself, comments in the past by buddhist leaders about gays and sex were a turn off.

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  11. Hi, it's because you are NOT A MONK, that I'd like to request if you can talk about this: Buddhism and motivation.
    I am afraid what I heard and other people's opinion about Buddhism do not seem to be very great in term of giving motivation to live our everyday life.
    Yes there are what they call viriya or what, but mostly I heard about attaining Nibbana... not the daily life like how to get promotion, how to be committed to exercise more, how to be ambitious (is it even allowed..).

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  12. Hi Terasi, you bring up some really good topics and you can be sure I will be covering them in the near future.

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