Friendships Not associating with fools, Associating with the wise, Honoring those worthy of honor; This is the greatest blessing. In Buddhism, friendship is an extremely important factor, perhaps even more so than you might expect. You speak to them kindly and affectionately, and show concern for their welfare, especially their spiritual welfare. It conjures the picture of a devoted servant or a devotee of a god or a cult. I cannot recommend this classic textbook on the history of Buddhism highly enough. When long friendships with good people along the path of spiritual practice is a central feature of your life, it is almost impossible—just as the Buddha says—for spiritual qualities conducive to awakening not to ripen. “Five things induce release of heart and lasting peace,” the Buddha told him. But we don’t hear so much about friendship. Thus the new western Buddhism would do well to emphasize not only austerity but also other stereotypically masculine virtues such as self-responsibility; the prioritizing of freedom before security, and of truth before friendship; the love of a great, or even a Herculean challenge; fearlessness; and a greater emphasis on the goal of cessation of delusion before the cessation of suffering. Ananda asked the Buddha whether having noble friends and companions wasn’t… They are for one another even more than a person can be for themself. Buddhism has come to the West through books, ideas, art, and meditation practice. These are indeed days to meditate on death and never before have loving-kindness and compassion been more needed, for ourselves, our friends, strangers, our enemies, and our earth. (S.V,2). Perhaps Emerson is a bit too idealistic. Buddhism and Friendship, Subhuti, 2004. There is no atomized, freestanding person. Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual. You can trust your friends to look after your interests more than you can trust yourself, he writes. This is seventy-eighth case of the Blue Cliff Record, a classical compendium of Zen stories: In olden times there were sixteen bodhisattvas. I compose music in my spare time. Can you lend your support to Lion’s Roar at this critical time? Buddhism says that relying on materialism to bring us happiness is a false … All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. The Buddha was the original spiritual friend, exemplifying for us that Enlightenment demands communication. Seeking: Seeking spiritual e-friendship with like minded people. The most famous statement on friendship in Buddhism comes when the Buddha's cousin Ananda is said to have approached the Buddha and remarked "This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie." When Alan went on to become a rabbi we continued our spiritual friendship, founding a Jewish meditation center (that I still direct, in his name and memory) in San Francisco. Interested in Buddhist meditation, in movies, books, and artwork of deep feeling, in classical music. free buddhist audio offers free mp3 downloads of lectures and talks on buddhism and meditation. Buddhism and Friendship, Subhuti, 2004. Buddhism and Friendship offers practical ways for us to cultivate, deepen and extend our friendships, so that they can inspire and shape our spiritual lives. Mostly we think of awakening as an individual affair. John Kelly) In an ancient Buddhist story, the Buddha’s faithful attendant, Ananda, asked about the importance of having wholesome companions. They come to share something more fundamental than their interests and affinities. No matter what their background or personal style, anyone with enough proximity in sincere practice becomes a sangha friend. The schedule provided for bath time, when everyone filed into the bathhouse to take a bath together in the big tub. Seeking: Looking for friends start a spiritual discussion group with or friends to share Spirit with in any of the above ways. Exactly the sort of person you’d avoid at all costs in ordinary life will appear in your sangha. Talk 2 - What is "Spiritual Friendship" and how does it differ from "ordinary friendship"? Life in a sangha is built on teaching, dedicated meditation practice, and a shared commitment to going beyond self-interest and personal need. To be able to practice with good friends for five, ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years is a special joy. We open ourselves to the other person, ready to notice any grudges that we have, or the opinions and obsessions we have about them, as well as the attractions towards them. You will treat them with full respect and affectionate regard, and they will treat you the same way. :) Pins about Spiritual Friendship & The Third Jewel with the goal of learning how to help one another in our Practice and our lives. And I expect the same from them as well. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person. Interestingly, Buddha also gave advice for different types of people that we meet in life. This is completely obvious to the bodhisattvas. People new to Buddhism often take the Dharma to be a purely individual path of spiritual development. Spritual Friendship, Dhamma (Dharma talk) by Ajahn Sucitto, Buddhism, Buddha, Meditation. In spiritual friendship, we can actually be with each other. As is well known, women were and still are not included as equals with men in Asian Buddhism. Saccanama explores the three myths of spiritual life, that of self-development, that of self-surrender, and that of self-discovery. But first: who are “we”? Buddhism for Today J A Portrait of a new Buddhist Movement Dharmachari Subhuti (Ale* Kennedy) 9 Spiritual Friendship an and A: ‘Half of the spiritual life is spiritual friendship, spiritual association, spiritual intimacy V the buddha: ‘Say not so, Ananda, say not so. Buddhism and Friendship offers practical ways for us to cultivate, deepen and extend our friendships, so that they can inspire and shape our spiritual lives. The friendships are not based on discrimination - preferring one person over another - but on good hearts. We need people to talk to and to play with. 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