Anhedonia

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plaamook
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13 Jan 2018

Ostermilk wrote:
13 Jan 2018
There's this thing in eastern religions called Dharma that is something to do with finding and living your divine purpose, best of luck with finding that, but from your description, you seem to have a good balance between 'work' and creativity, and never worry about a partner that doesn't understand you, I've found it's far more difficult having a partner that does.

Anyhow it's a great discussion you kicked off here.
Dharma is a sanskrit word that means a few different things depending on how you use it. Sanskrit is funny that way.
It can mean either 'thing' like dharmas (actually dharmin in sanskrit) or it is used to reffer to buddhism in a general sort of way. Buddhadharma or just Dharma in which case it's kind of like our word path but it's still more like saying the buddha's 'thing'. There's also dharmata which is a bit like the true nature of a thing (literally thing-ness) and then my personal fav, Dharmadhatu. Which is something like the infinite interpenetrating reality of everything that's beyond the abuility of conceptual minds to percieve in the usual style because it would literally be like the universe seeing itself, hence the interpenetrating bit. Something like that. Tricky word. It literally means the space of all things or just thing-space.

I mention this as a technical point because if you went and found the Dharma it wouldn't be like a personal thing in terms of finding your way in the world or whatever. It would be like becoming a buddhist.
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Ostermilk
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13 Jan 2018

plaamook wrote:
13 Jan 2018
Ostermilk wrote:
13 Jan 2018
There's this thing in eastern religions called Dharma that is something to do with finding and living your divine purpose, best of luck with finding that, but from your description, you seem to have a good balance between 'work' and creativity, and never worry about a partner that doesn't understand you, I've found it's far more difficult having a partner that does.

Anyhow it's a great discussion you kicked off here.
Dharma is a sanskrit word that means a few different things depending on how you use it. Sanskrit is funny that way.
It can mean either 'thing' like dharmas (actually dharmin in sanskrit) or it is used to reffer to buddhism in a general sort of way. Buddhadharma or just Dharma in which case it's kind of like our word path but it's still more like saying the buddha's 'thing'. There's also dharmata which is a bit like the true nature of a thing (literally thing-ness) and then my personal fav, Dharmadhatu. Which is something like the infinite interpenetrating reality of everything that's beyond the abuility of conceptual minds to percieve in the usual style because it would literally be like the universe seeing itself, hence the interpenetrating bit. Something like that. Tricky word. It literally means the space of all things or just thing-space.

I mention this as a technical point because if you went and found the Dharma it wouldn't be like a personal thing in terms of finding your way in the world or whatever. It would be like becoming a buddhist.
Not just a buddhist but the buddhistest, buddhist you can ever become... :lol:

Yes, good point. I'll clarify my perspective as it was an indonesian guy (therefore of a Muslim flavour, I guess) who'd often tell me to 'go with the flow' in order to find my true vocation. So basically from his standpoint provided you follow that which is the right way (Dharma), following your divine calling if you will, in order to have been of best service to the Universe during your lifetime, which in the case of a Buddhist would certainly mean becoming a Buddhist. In the context he used it though my best understanding was the calling toward the path you'd flourish the most by being on.

So yes, please excuse my 2nd hand, pigeon Sanskrit.

More importantly I was questioning whether such a 'path; exists given that my history would indicate any knowledge I'd have of such a 'path' would come from consantly traversing it as I veer from one side of it and past the other ad infinitum.

Who knows? Maybe we're all just amusing ourselves with our own jigsaw-puzzle type constructs in order that the Universe can keep it self entertained, rather than take look at itself.

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plaamook
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13 Jan 2018

I don't think you 'find' your path so much as you realise you're already on it somehow. And it incorporates everything you do from getting fucked up to the aparent un-fucking yourself. My 2p anyhoo.

Anyway, I'm no expert in sanskrit either but I am a buddhist of some 20+ yrs so I've got some knowledge of the more relevant terms. There are a lot of words in sanskrit that there is no equiv for in other languages so you kinda get pretty familiar with it all. There are usually words for things in chinese or tibetan or japanese for obvious reasons but we don't have ours yet.
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QVprod
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13 Jan 2018

plaamook wrote:
13 Jan 2018
QVprod wrote:
12 Jan 2018
I never said be social, though I think that's important as well just for living in general. It's hard to soul search in front of a computer. Monks are typically surrounded by some type of scenery. They have a lot more to look at than the inside of their living space. Many hermits travel.
Senery is irrelevant and you don't need tinkling water features. You don't need to romantasise it all like Kane from Kung Fu either. One of the most remarkable people I've ever met did a three year meditation retreat in his house. Didn't leave for three years. Friends brought him food.
Was it in front of a computer?

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plaamook
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14 Jan 2018

Possibly. He worked in computer science. So maybe a bit. What it def wasn’t was in front of the internet and social media.
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JNeffLind
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10 Feb 2018

CaliforniaBurrito wrote:
12 Jan 2018


Not to derail my own thread but the reality we have to face now is mankind living in a virtual existence. Can you tell me what the difference is between visiting the Grand Canyon and watching somebody's video log on YouTube? Maybe the difference is the egotistical satisfaction of being able to say that you did it. This blurred line is becoming a very scary reality. We can look at pornography as a prime example of how sitting in front of a computer can meet the needs of an individual while also having a detrimental impact on personal relationships. If you could be strapped down and plugged into The Matrix would you be willing to do so? Soul-searching in front of a computer is not too far out of a concept and we're pretty close to being there.
Hello Mr. Burrito. I think you're pretty on point with most of what you've said in this thread, but I had to take exception to this. For me at least, being at the Grand Canyon was AMAZING. I'd seen pictures and videos (akin to the video blog you referenced) and was pretty sure it'd be just another sight like the grand tetons or painted desert. But the Grand Canyon made me feel small and alive and wanting to grow infinitely.

Anhedonia is a batch man. I know it well. Some might judge me for this, but I'm currently on a cocktail of four different anti-depressants. I still get sad sometimes, but I don't feel exhausted all the time. I don't get sick (and stay sick) for six months at a time. Food doesn't taste like sawdust. I don't ache all over and want to die. I just feel like a human being. I can enjoy shit that is worthy of enjoyment. Not saying medication is right for you (though maybe you've tried it, I had to try upwards of two dozen different combos to find something that worked for me) but depression isn't something that needs to be lived with these days. If you romanticize depression and think you need it for art, then you're probably not really depressed, at least in a hardcore clinical sense. Perhaps you're just a melancholy sort, in which case, be sad and write sad songs. The real thing leaves no room for creativity or self expression though. It's just survival. But if you're somewhere on the spectrum, maybe you should try some meds, and it might make the difference to make enjoying life a bit easier.

If you're one of those idiots (sorry, but I hate these people who don't understand seretonin deficits, etc.) who think all you need is nature or exercise or music or whatever else, then maybe try to cause some physiological shock to your system.

Spend a weekend completely blindfolded. (done this) Try fasting for a few days (I made it ten days once). Walk until you literally collapse. (had a friend waiting to come pick me up. Made it about thirty miles give or take).

I don't know man. You have my sympathy though. You get one life though. Don't be dumb/stubborn about it.

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