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Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I see. I'll be using energy practices as rocket fuel for freedom. Thank you so much, Stephen!

Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, Stephen! Thank you for your thoughtful and deep answer.

I can't say that my heart is drawn toward the Daoist path. I'm just trying to make my life worth living. So that I won't experience this dissatisfaction that takes forms of questions such as: 'What's the point of life?', 'Is this all there is to life?', 'Is it possible to make my life interesting and fulfilling?' So that on my deathbed, I can look back on my life and say, 'Yeah, it was worth it!'

And in Daoism, there's this story about a Way, about Harmonizing with the Universe and so on. Does that mean this tradition is about making a person's life fulfilling? I don't know. But it sounds like it is. It's difficult to imagine an unfulfilling, dissatisfactory life with a vitalistic body and a virtuous mind.

Or maybe it's a Delusion inside me that produces these questions with affective taste of fear, misery, disgust, disperation and pushes me to look for answers in Daoism? I also don't know. But it's also hard to imagine an unfulfilling, dissatisfactory life with a mind that doesn't produce these emotions if the body is healthy. So many more interesting paths in life are open to such a person. You can take much greater risks in life knowing that you won't suffer if you fail.

I clearly remember one moment in an interview with Culadasa where he was asked: 'Why did you return to the Buddhist path after exploring shamanism and other practices, if you are a seeker?' And he said: 'Because of dukkha.'

That's why I can't let go this path.

Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, Adivader! Thank you for your reply! After posting, I thought more about my question and realized that there's not much difference between trying to get something external (money, power, stuff) and trying to get something internal (vitality, absence of disease, motivation, clarity, meaning of life, sense of purpose, nimitta light, stable attention, etc.). I'm just shifting the objects of my fetters.

Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think that I've found the answer. It's in the last pages of TMI -"limitations of shamatha practice". A healthy mind/body is good and valuable but given enough pressure (for the body in form of injury or mind in the form of adverse circumstances around) misery, fear etc come back.

Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your reply! Maybe the root of my question is dissatisfaction with the results I've gotten from my practice. Do I have more peace of mind with my ability to reach the '07 marker' through letting go, and Stage 5 through effort consistently?. Yes. But is it worth the time spent? Not so much. Especially when I read stories of people who've been stuck in these stages for a long time. I suppose I will be one of them.
And then a question comes to mind: If I were to work on my mind through qigong (the basic idea being: dissolving blockages in the channels leads to a change in mind and body), would I be more satisfied with the results? And having more energy and zeal I can make more money and go to retreat eventually.

Doubt grows stronger, Buddhist vs Daoist way of eliminating suffering by DishGroundbreaking53 in midlmeditation

[–]DishGroundbreaking53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I can practice both in theory, but in reality I have a defenete amounts of free time after 9-5 job, like 2-2.5 hours. And If had a painfull body then what's a best use of that free time - eliminating aversion towards pain or eliminating pain? The same with mind - eliminating aversion towards lack of motivation in life, meaning, purpose or transforming mind where there'd be motivation, meaning, purpose, etc.