Husseinisdoingfine

Genuinely WTF is 'Transgender for Everybody' ? According to Trump, this is what the Democrats want.

Sincere question for experienced meditators and people who have done more than three retreats in their lives: Do you recommend fasting during meditation retreats? If so, for how long? My retreat is 8 days. Do you recommend bringing instant coffee? I like to start my day with a nice cup of joe. What about caffeinated tea? Such as black tea.

Don't be such a downer, this is spiritual work. Even Leo has done this. https://www.actualized.org/insights/hawaii-retreat-intro https://www.actualized.org/insights/solo-retreat https://www.actualized.org/insights/solo-retreat-notes-feb-2019 https://www.actualized.org/insights/hawaii-solo-retreat-feb-2018-videos

I last week went to dinner with my extended family, who are from Lebanon. Everything went well, I was talking to them about career, a new girlfriend from Europe and all that, and I overall had a nice time. But I created quite a bit of drama when I casually mentioned that I was going to Buddhist meditation retreats. I've posted about this on the forum, but back in May I did a 5-day meditation retreat with two monks from Taiwan, and I loved it. As part of my spiritual growth, I go back to the meditation center every Sunday, I read authentic translations of the Buddha's discourses, and I have a new retreat for eight days planned in late December. So I mentioned this stuff just casually, and my Aunty raised her voice and said, No! No! You can't do that! There were two elder women sitting to the right and left of my Aunty, and they started telling me, ' Hussein, you are Muslim! ' I tried going to my younger woman cousin to talk about what happened, and she didn't take my side at all, and instead was trying to tell me that Islam was peace and to not go back to that place anymore. My Aunt wants me to cancel my meditation retreat, and to delete the pictures I have of the retreat from my phone, because one of the pictures includes a photo I did with a Monk, we were standing, smiling with our arms over each other shoulders while someone else took the picture. A day later I called my Aunt to thank her for inviting me for thanksgiving. I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to mention religion. We talked a bit and she said how much my elder cousin loved having me. But then during the end of the conversation she said that I was to promise her that I wasn't going to go back to that place [the Buddhist meditation center and temple]. She then said that her and my elder cousin were going to "set me right" [on the right path]. My Dad called me and apparently my Uncle called him to complain, 'why is your son not a Muslim'. My elder cousin is married and has kids, but I think during his youth he went to a special college or school where they taught him deen and fiqh (both concepts from Islam). My Aunt and elder cousin both have my phone number and they're going to try to coordinate with each other to bring me to the Mosque. Before I drove home, they gave me a prayer mat (for salah). Should I go? Just to be polite. Because they loved having me.

LOL This is one of the funniest things I've read on this site so far. "Who needs formal academic education when you have Wikipedia ?" -- Leo Gura

Making Umrah or Hajj pilgrimage. My relatives are currently in Mecca doing this.

Street wear and following fashion trends. Sneaker head culture Any sub culture of any kind.

First retreat:

This video is conformity.

@Joseph Maynor YOU'RE BACK?

Massive update on family situation. My uncle called me to tell me that he, my other uncle, Dad, and Aunty were all very disappointed in me for "worshipping cows". He was telling me that his kids were leaving tomorrow for Saudi Arabia for Umrah, and he was again insisting that I cancel my upcoming retreat. And the day before that, I spoke with my Aunty on the phone who was telling me that she didn't want me to go on this path. She said that Buddhism was wrong because they don't have a God and worship cows. She was telling me to read the Quran and show up with my elder cousin for Friday prayers. I'm supposed to meet with the family next Friday to the Mosque for Friday prayers. I explained to my uncle why I was doing these meditation retreats. That back in May I was experience an immense amount of anxiety and that I went to the retreat to take care of myself, and I loved it. My Dad calls me and apparently my Uncle told him that I told my uncle that I was depressed and suicidal. The words depressed and suicidal never left my mouth, but thats how my Uncle twisted it.

Yes, this. One-hundred percent a thousand times this.

I wrote this thread, I think this is a pretty good example of conformity.

Hello fellow Lebanese.

I want to go because I love my family but I’m worried that they’re going to try to convert me and are not going to be open minded to Eastern spirituality. I tried opening their minds by introducing Buddhist scripture and (New Age) spiritual books but they shut me down and told me to read the Quran instead. By the way, I am not a Buddhist and most of the literature I read is not Buddhist. But it’s like, they don’t know anything about Eastern religion, Actualized.org, and the New Age. Have never bothered to read any books, talk to any spiritual leaders, or visit any temples. but… They know that it’s wrong, so they don’t have to study it.

Skip to 6:38

We are talking about a socialism success story and proof that it works.

T H A N K Y O U

Yugoslavia was the ideal example of Socialism as it had a unique emphasis on workers' self management. See this paper below: https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdf/10.1257/jep.5.4.187 And this video: If socialism simply doesn't work, then how do you explain this?

Tea is delicious! I'm currently drinking a DavidsTea 'Buddha's Blend'. Good job British.

I disagree. I think Tito in Yugoslavia provided a better alternative.

Of course it is. But I was pointing out that this is only popular with kids on the internet who have no appreciation for the boring technical aspects of government and are just trying to find an edgy club to join. This is the political equivalent of gothic kids in high school who are super into Friedrich Nietzsche and nihilism but are not actually serious about philosophy.

I completely disagree. I drink coffee for no other reason than I love it.

Cigarettes really are pure conformity. No one would smoke unless there was a decades long marketing campaign and it was baked into the culture.