Friday, April 27, 2012
Project Update(s)
I thought I would just pop in for a quick second and post a picture of a sewing project I'm working on. I got the pattern and the material last year, but never got around to it. It's actually my first piece of clothing I've ever worked on while using a pattern. As of today this was the status (also-it sadly has taken me a month to get here...lots of mistakes, lol):
Also, I want to announce that I have a new project that I've been working on for the past couple of months. I'm super excited about it. I'll be debuting it within the next couple of months or so. I want to post more content before I officially launch it. Get excited!!!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Book Review: The Life of Milarepa
I was assigned (and actually read) this book in a Buddhist class that I took during college. My take on it this time around in comparison to the first time I read it is completely different.
The first time I read this book I thought Milarepa was amazing and the story of his life was simply incredible (some of it quite literally). I thought he was truly the pinnacle of what it meant to be a Buddhist. I mean he meditated consecutively for years of his life in hidden caves in Tibet, starving himself physically, but spiritually feasting off of the enlightening teachings of the Dharma. His death was a spectacle of sorts. The dakinis (Budhhist gods/goddesses) honored him and greeted him as he entered the heavenly realm and all was great. He seemed to truly be the saint that they made him out to be.
This time not so much. As I read the book, I realized how full of himself he was. Milarepa definitely came off extremely arrogant and at times elitist. Furthermore, his drive to meditate and realize the dharma teaching was a result of fear and penance for the evil deeds he had done in his youth. Ultimately, he didn’t want to get sent to purgatory, so out of that fear, he attained “enlightenment”. I find this discouraging because I have been taught that while one may not necessarily dissolve all of one’s fears, one can come to realize them and recognize when they are affecting our decisions, and yes, at times dissolve them. I don’t think Milarepa ever really did this which made me question his level of enlightenment. I suppose as I write this I have to realize that I shouldn’t really be one to judge considering I don’t have any real experience in the matter.
I think another thing that strikes me about this story (as it does the story of the Buddha) is his method of attaining enlightenment. He essentially runs from his life and what he did in order to find himself. I just feel as though if one is going to find enlightenment is it really through running from your life? To me, that’s not being mindful or compassionate at all. However, I do realize that this book is based off of the Tibetan beliefs, which are strongly rooted in the idea that enlightenment can only be attained through isolation and meditation. It is more the Western Buddhism that concentrates on mindfulness in everyday life. Furthermore, this story is dated through hundreds of years and techniques and ideas on how to practice Buddhism has changed since then.
Note- Milarepa’s evil deeds consisted of casting hailstorms and destroying crops in his home village so that his aunt and uncle, who treated him and his mom poorly, would starve. In so doing this, he also made the rest of the town starve.
I think this story is OK to read. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is just coming into Buddhism because I think it is a little difficult to absorb. I mean, I found it to be a difficult (and dull) read at times, particularly in the lengthy introduction, and I have been practicing Buddhism for three years now (not like that is any sort of indication as to my level of knowledge). However, I think it is an OK read for someone who is a little more advanced into the practice, perhaps as an inspiration, but more of a history lesson and to give some background and context.
The first time I read this book I thought Milarepa was amazing and the story of his life was simply incredible (some of it quite literally). I thought he was truly the pinnacle of what it meant to be a Buddhist. I mean he meditated consecutively for years of his life in hidden caves in Tibet, starving himself physically, but spiritually feasting off of the enlightening teachings of the Dharma. His death was a spectacle of sorts. The dakinis (Budhhist gods/goddesses) honored him and greeted him as he entered the heavenly realm and all was great. He seemed to truly be the saint that they made him out to be.
This time not so much. As I read the book, I realized how full of himself he was. Milarepa definitely came off extremely arrogant and at times elitist. Furthermore, his drive to meditate and realize the dharma teaching was a result of fear and penance for the evil deeds he had done in his youth. Ultimately, he didn’t want to get sent to purgatory, so out of that fear, he attained “enlightenment”. I find this discouraging because I have been taught that while one may not necessarily dissolve all of one’s fears, one can come to realize them and recognize when they are affecting our decisions, and yes, at times dissolve them. I don’t think Milarepa ever really did this which made me question his level of enlightenment. I suppose as I write this I have to realize that I shouldn’t really be one to judge considering I don’t have any real experience in the matter.
I think another thing that strikes me about this story (as it does the story of the Buddha) is his method of attaining enlightenment. He essentially runs from his life and what he did in order to find himself. I just feel as though if one is going to find enlightenment is it really through running from your life? To me, that’s not being mindful or compassionate at all. However, I do realize that this book is based off of the Tibetan beliefs, which are strongly rooted in the idea that enlightenment can only be attained through isolation and meditation. It is more the Western Buddhism that concentrates on mindfulness in everyday life. Furthermore, this story is dated through hundreds of years and techniques and ideas on how to practice Buddhism has changed since then.
Note- Milarepa’s evil deeds consisted of casting hailstorms and destroying crops in his home village so that his aunt and uncle, who treated him and his mom poorly, would starve. In so doing this, he also made the rest of the town starve.
I think this story is OK to read. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is just coming into Buddhism because I think it is a little difficult to absorb. I mean, I found it to be a difficult (and dull) read at times, particularly in the lengthy introduction, and I have been practicing Buddhism for three years now (not like that is any sort of indication as to my level of knowledge). However, I think it is an OK read for someone who is a little more advanced into the practice, perhaps as an inspiration, but more of a history lesson and to give some background and context.
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