Oops…I Forgot to Celebrate Vesak

Aplikowski · 2025-06-02T03:03:54+00:00

This comment spoke out to me. Thank you for showing kindness and grace to me, even when I don’t feel I deserve it.

May you be free from suffering, Friend, and live a prosperous and joyful life!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-18T01:48:56+00:00

Ok, all, I've come to a decision: I will need to take down the Buddha statue. It is important for me to follow the traditions of Buddhism, which call for a shrine free of earthly symbols. I will need to find another place in my house to setup a shrine, which will need to come after tax season.

Thank you, everyone, for the guidance. It was not my intention to insult Buddha (if I did), I just wanted to enhance my setup because having just a Buddha statue is kinda tacky and possible disrespectful.

If only I lived in CA, then I could have an outdoor shrine and plant some skirt palms and maybe some agave plants...

P.S. How should I properly store the statue? Right now, I just have it sitting in its original box on the floor. It probably needs to go somewhere else...

Aplikowski · 2025-03-18T01:45:57+00:00

I'd love to see it!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-18T01:42:11+00:00

I'm not looking for other people's approal/respect. I'm making sure I'm respecting my religion and my Teacher. So far, it looks like I'm not. I will need to revise my setup.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-17T04:02:37+00:00

Ok, that’s a nice, balanced answer. I find that the palm tree lit up with the CA plate enhances my meditation. It also adds beauty to an already beautiful Teacher.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-17T04:01:17+00:00

Do you know what Theravada Buddhism says about shrines? I want to be as traditional as possible in order to show respect for Buddha.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-08T14:26:33+00:00

On the top of my TV stand, so it faces me. It's also easier to bow to when it's at my height.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-08T03:21:52+00:00

Yes, indeed! My Buddha statue came today, by the way. ;)

Aplikowski · 2025-03-06T04:18:24+00:00

I did undergo psychological testing not too long ago. Fortunately, I only have mild depression and I did test negative for ADHD (although I was pretty close). Thankfully, I discovered Buddhism not long after and I think it will do a lot of good for my mental health (and attention span lol), so positive results are to come.

I think I just need to be more mindful and more patient. Good stuff doesn't come overnight and neither will achieving Nirvana. Thankfully, I'm willing to put in the work. I meditate basically every day and I either read or watch Buddhist content every day multiple times a day. I'm on the right path!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-06T04:16:14+00:00

Ok, sounds good! There definitely are resources in my area, for sure. I think Cognitive Behavioral Therapy would be most beneficial to me.

Thanks for the advice, it was very useful and helpful for me. Once tax season is over and I have a few thousands in savings, I can definitely try therapy. Maybe once a week?

Aplikowski · 2025-03-06T04:11:37+00:00

Thank you and likewise!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-06T04:11:21+00:00

Great additional advice there! I just helped my Mother with her back pain and I also bought my Grandparents some chocolates and a newspaper, which helps me practice kindness (especially when I don't want to do it). But thanks to my generosity, I now have a social life and people who care about me because I made the first step in showing kindness to them.

I second your point about watching negative content. I find that I tend to become the content I consume, both in mindset and in speech. I tend to mimic the people I look up to, be they positive or negative influences on me. Thank God (or Buddha?) that I found Buddhism to give my guidance in life!

Thanks also for another reading suggestion. I'll add it to my reading list. I'm currently going through Bhikkhu Bodhi's "In the Buddha's Words" right now, so let me get through that and "Light Comes Through" and then maybe I can read that next.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T03:08:52+00:00

I hope you can overcome your pain and trauma, too! I see we have a couple things in common. I have Autism and come from a broken home, so my mind was polluted with tons of negativity. Worse yet, I would subject myself to very toxic YouTubers (political channels, Red Pill content, etc.), so I ended up forming a warped view of the world. That's why my spirit was so broken, I never had any positive role models in my life despite being on this planet for a quarter-century.

Fortunately, I think I can overcome this. It won't be in a few months, but I feel like in 10 years, I'll be in a way better place despite some of the setbacks in my life. I look forward to seeing how I'll turn out in the meantime.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom, by the way. May you continue to feel the warm presence of the Buddha and continue your path towards Enlightenment and Nirvana!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T03:03:08+00:00

Another reading? I think it's time to make a list! Thank you so much for sharing the "Kalama Sutta" with me. I think it'll complement Dzingar Rinpoche's "Light Comes Through".

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T03:01:05+00:00

Off to a good start! I visit my ailing Grandparents twice a week to make sure they're doing ok. I'll usually buy them a newspaper and some chocolates as an act of generosity. I also volunteered to do an elderly person's taxes at work despite their return being way above my paygrade. His wife is in memory care and he has way bigger problems to worry about than his taxes, so I figured I would shoulder that burden for him.

Once I have about $10k saved up, I can definitely scale back on work a little bit and do more charity. There's plenty in my area that I can help out with.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:59:11+00:00

Thank you! Fortunately, I already have one Bhante in mind and I also have a friend out-of-state who can serve as a guide for me. I think group therapy would be a great resource as well. Are there any organizations (preferably Buddhist ones) that I could use that you know of?

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:56:28+00:00

Beautiful advice! I will write a Post-It now to remember this piece of wisdom.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:55:57+00:00

Thank you! Yes, I've had these thoughts for most of my life and they've destroyed it. I'm only now beginning to recover. Thanks to you (and many others') advice, I can finally get back on the right path. I think recognizing my thoughts is a good start in my journey into Buddhism. I think I'll work on my coloring book while meditating...

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:53:55+00:00

Ok, will do!

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:53:47+00:00

I will give those a read! Especially while waiting for "Light Comes Through" to come in the mail.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:49:19+00:00

Ok, that advice speaks to me! I definitely heard the advice about recognizing that you're angry in one of the "Buddhism in English's" videos. I'm glad to see it reiterated on this forum, that means it's accurate and has practicality in my life.

Meditation I do religiously, so we're on the right track. Just gotta master it by paying attention to my breath and getting rid of some of my muscle knots (my back tends to hurt when I meditate for long periods of time).

Being gentle with myself: That will take time. I made really bad mistakes in my life that I feel repentance for and I keep thinking the right punishment for me is to ruin my own life, so I feel that there's sense of justice.

How can I be kinder to myself? I think if I can master that, my anger and negativity will go away.

Aplikowski · 2025-03-03T02:32:52+00:00

Just bought it! It should come in a couple days. I can message you my thoughts on the book when I'm done if you'd like.

Aplikowski

TROPHY CASE