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  Link From Sila to Samadhi From his experience with many order members, it isn’t just time that lacks to develop samadhi; sila is an essential foundation – and this is true even or especially if we don’t notice anything especially wrong. It is a practice – progressive. Clarified by his reading Know Your Mind and Asanga’s Bodhisattvabhumi, seen to be useful by teaching it. Especially the first 3 +ve mental events: sraddham hri, apatrapya. Sraddha = spontaneous response to spiritual truth. 3 aspects: conviction (cognitive / intellectual), attraction (affective / emotional, bit similar to aesthetic appreciation), decision to move closer to the object (volition) & confidence that this is possible. 3 aspects sometimes called lucid, serene, longing faith respectively. Lack of confidence is often a problem. We often interpret it sympathetically as psychological difficulties, lack of self-esteem etc – but old texts see that same problem as a form of laziness. Laziness al...

Everybody dreams - asleep at night, also everybody daydreams - often a sort of wish-fulfillment - because we find our everyday existence dull drab uninteresting etc - so we try to create a world of our own outside ordinary existence, dream up an ideal world where the miseries of this society don't exist - where everybody is happy.  sometimes unproductive, but sometimes blueprints for a new society Plato dreams his dream of the ideal society in The Republic. The dream or vision of the Book of Revelations with a vision of the New Jerusalem with mythical or archetypal existence Thomas More, Francis Bacon etc even HJ Wells Buddhism too has its day dreams. Its concept of the ideal society is in the vision of the Pure Land from Mahayana especially from Japanese Shin Buddhism - a place where there is no suffering, conflict, death, misunderstanding... where there is no distinction of sex, no toil... nothing to do other than sit on one's lotus at the feet of the Buddha and study Buddhis...

 The Noble 8fold Path: Perfect Action 1. What makes something an ethical issue (as opposed to a matter of personal preference)?  In every moment we might be more open / creative / full of +ve emotions or more tight / reactive / full of -ve emotions, so in a way everything is an ethical issue. 2. “If you do something and it makes you feel good, then that thing is right, at least for you.” What is the problem with this view? Do you fall into this view in particular situations?  Sometimes this is true: sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves and others is to look after ourselves and do things that make us feel happier / more relaxed etc.  But if by giving  in to our craving we are harming our mental states, ourselves or others, then that is a problem.  I used to spend so much of my time doing what I thought others needed from me (family / work etc) that there wasn't any room for me. It's been good in the last few years seeking out things to watch or l...