Ive been a monk for 3 years AMA

[LordFall]

11 minutes ago, yetineti said:

@LordFall

And if there is no WWIII? Would you have done everything exactly the same?

I structured my life for tangible impact, creative freedom, and status. I’m literally producing a live music showcase across the country tonight that kicks off in 20 minutes from my laptop.

My goal over the next few years is scaling that footprint across North America and Europe. If no catastrophe happens to disrupt those plans, fantastic—it just leaves more room for pure creation and fun.

So let’s cross our fingers and hope that our deeply enlightened and wise world leaders steer the ship in the right direction. To me it looks like there is trouble in the horizon for the next decade or so but I'm not a geopolitical expert. 

[yetineti]

17 minutes ago, LordFall said:

I structured my life for tangible impact, creative freedom, and status. I’m literally producing a live music showcase across the country tonight that kicks off in 20 minutes from my laptop.

My goal over the next few years is scaling that footprint across North America and Europe. If no catastrophe happens to disrupt those plans, fantastic—it just leaves more room for pure creation and fun.

So let’s cross our fingers and hope that our deeply enlightened and wise world leaders steer the ship in the right direction. To me it looks like there is trouble in the horizon for the next decade or so but I'm not a geopolitical expert. 

@LordFall

Is that a yes or no?

 

[LordFall]

2 hours ago, yetineti said:

@LordFall

Is that a yes or no?

 

I mean obviously yes. I don't understand the nature of your questioning, it seems like my points are pretty self-explanatory. You seem to imply that putting in the effort to become a powerful human is not worth it. I think that's a bad way to look at life and leaves you open to, well, uncertainty first of all, but really much worse than that. The certainty that others more powerful than you will control your life and use you to their benefit.

The only way to prevent that is putting in the work to become financially and socially independent. To go back to my line of questioning to @Cathal, he chooses to place himself under the protection of his monastery which is I assume funded by the country that he's in or I guess the fundraising arm of the organization he's under in which I assume he's not involved. 

I personally would feel quite uncomfortable with that arrangement which is why I was curious how he looks at it. 

Edited 20 hours ago by LordFall

[MuadDib]

@Cathal

What branch of Buddhism is your monastery?
Are you familiar with other branches of Buddhism?
What form(s) of meditation do you practice?
Do other monks have different practices?
Have you attained any refined states of concentration?
and ... how are you accessing the forum? Do you have a mobile phone, or some kind of computer at the monastery?

I have more questions but I think that's enough for now.
 

[yetineti]

15 hours ago, LordFall said:

I mean obviously yes. I don't understand the nature of your questioning, it seems like my points are pretty self-explanatory. You seem to imply that putting in the effort to become a powerful human is not worth it. I think that's a bad way to look at life and leaves you open to, well, uncertainty first of all, but really much worse than that. The certainty that others more powerful than you will control your life and use you to their benefit.

The only way to prevent that is putting in the work to become financially and socially independent. To go back to my line of questioning to @Cathal, he chooses to place himself under the protection of his monastery which is I assume funded by the country that he's in or I guess the fundraising arm of the organization he's under in which I assume he's not involved. 

I personally would feel quite uncomfortable with that arrangement which is why I was curious how he looks at it. 

The point was: if you were going to do the same things regardless, the framing of ‘saving the world’ just seems like you’re trying to play power games or imply low value in others.

When in reality, you’ve just admitted it wouldn’t matter. Yet you imply to others that this is a duty and a requirement not to be ‘low-value.’

Which can make it seem like you’re trying to make what you do sound more important than it is.

Don’t get me wrong. It is important.

Edited 4 hours ago by yetineti

[LordFall]

Let's be intellectually honest here. My main point was being in a position to offer value to others.

You tried to bait me into sounding delusional and admitting I have a messiah complex. Which I don't particularly but I still played into your point because I do believe that being competent at solving your own and others problem is key to life especially as a man.

If my impact scales to a worldwide level and even beyond to the point that I can help mankind as a whole then once again, it would be my pleasure to try my best help us get to our next stage of evolution. 

[yetineti]

@LordFall

I never mentioned a Messiah complex, you did.

My point is: you were once again putting others down to make your own points. Which you just had to do again by starting your message with the assumption I am being dishonest and conflating that with baiting, while accusing me of that as well.

Try making points that are standalone, instead of depending on others not to fight back.

Edited 3 hours ago by yetineti

[LordFall]

You literally talked about 'saving the world' and playing power games—semantics aside, the implication was obvious.

Save the rest of your psychoanalysis for Sunday. Let’s see how your standalone points hold up live on air.

[Breakingthewall]

@Cathal you sound very clear, without nonsense, congratulations.

About mysticism, have you achieved states of total openness? What's called enlightenment, the complete dissolution of the boundary between you and the totality, which gradually erases the psyche and replaces it with the living flow of reality.

Well, that's just my definition , could you explain what is enlightenment according with those monks? 

Is the monastery environment conducive to open states? One might say that order, the constant company of people, closes you off. But perhaps that's not the case.

Edited 3 hours ago by Breakingthewall

[Breakingthewall]

19 hours ago, LordFall said:

To me it looks like there is trouble in the horizon for the next decade or so but I'm not a geopolitical expert

I don't think so, because everyone is seeing that big conflicts are impossible nowadays. The cost is too high, the benefits too low.

And over all, the powers nowadays are more a marriage than enemies. They need each other, divorce is impossible, even the love is let's say, not very clear, the dependence is absolute 

[Cathal]

13 hours ago, MuadDib said:

@Cathal @MuadDib

Hi friend thank you for the questions;

Quote

What branch of Buddhism is your monastery?

Theravada Buddhism, in Thailand is the main branch, under that are two main "orders": Mahanikaya and Dhammayut, Dhammayut is just basically supposed to be stricter. Mine is Mahanikaya

Are you familiar with other branches of Buddhism?

Honestly not really i never looked into it thay much, i really fell in love with the original suttas of the Buddha so found Theravada suitable. Time to time ill read Mahayana stuff but dont really no the source or origin at all. Also, it was originally the letting go: pathway of surrender book by David R Hawkins that led me to finding Dhamma

What form(s) of meditation do you practice?

Mainly anapanasati, getting the mind calm and then entertaining on a theme to contemplate to undsrstsnd how to fade defilements and also i still do my kriya yoga practices

Do other monks have different practices?

Yes sometimes, most monks in Thailand do anapanasati as far as i can tell
Have you attained any refined states of concentration?

It happens yes but not at my will, my mind is still scattered and more about taming it to be satisfied to such conditions im in requires my effort

and ... how are you accessing the forum? Do you have a mobile phone, or some kind of computer at the monastery?

Yes i have a mobile phone and internet.

I have more questions but I think that's enough for now.

Thank you!
 

@MuadDib

Edited 40 minutes ago by Cathal
Wrong@

[Cathal]

@Breakingthewall My personal experience with those very mystical profound nondual states was through psychedelics, in meditation has been many various states but nothing close to usr of DMT, it was levels of blissfulness and at ease states free from suffering and the attachment to the body. Sometimes of course very strange things happens in meditation.

My way i see enlightenment, is the process of entertaining the stream according to the Buddha and the various stages of "confidence" one has through truly understanding how suffering arises and ceases. So, with defilements, the fading away and cessation of defilements, one can think of enlightenment as "lighting up the load." So theres really nothing to attain, or gainin that context, its just a total let go. Anytime you let go of a defiling thought, youre lighting that load right there in the moment, the heavy load of selfishness. It could be a thought of desiring enlightenment, and being satisfied with the here and now, thats good enough, and doing that moment by moment, until theres really nothing left but reality and basically continually developing that confidence i mentioned until theres no falling back. That moment one would be an arahant, or a fully purified being free from all the troubles of the defilements (greed , hatred delusions) and considered fully awakened

 

[LordFall]

@Breakingthewall 

That mutual dependence is real, but history shows economic entanglement doesn't make major conflict impossible, it just raises the stakes. Europe in 1914 was more financially integrated than ever before, and everyone thought the cost was too high right up until the spark caught.

Globalized supply chains create fragility just as easily as they create deterrence. When domestic pressure, demographic decline, or resource bottlenecks squeeze powers too hard, rational cost-benefit calculations tend to break down fast. Let's hope the system holds, but betting everything on perpetual rational stability has historically been a risky gamble.