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Thomas168ParticipantI had a teacher when I was young. Taught to sit in lotus position. Older now and can only get into half lotus position. And still, I have pain after sitting too long. Important points were to sit up with a straight back. Close the eyes. Watch the breath. When having thoughts to let it go. Do not chase or follow the thoughts. Watch the breath come in. Watch the breath go out. When one becomes aware of being with a thought to bring the attention back to watching the breath come in and go out. Not trying to stop thoughts but to let it go.
If you want to learn more then you can go on YouTube to search for meditation. There are many techniques or methods. The one I describe is just one of them. There is another which is to repeat the same words over and over. To concentrate on those words only. Then, there is the koan which is a preponderance of a question which has no answer. To find an answer. But, just a warning. Meditation is not letting the mind wander for that is daydreaming. Day dreams are desires and wants made into images.
After much practice, one pointed concentration can bring on a state of concentration in which there is stillness or emptiness. When you can achieve this stillness, you can be at the point of being tipped over to experience the truth of your nature. But, as I said, I am still working on myself for many years.
Thomas168ParticipantI am sorry. I tend to obsess over the littlest things. When I see that they do make a difference in my life, I wrap myself in it. Water filter, getting into see the doctor, watching the economy faltering, it gets to me. Oh yeah, the economy. I almost forgot. All the CEOs are selling their stocks and liquidating. Owners or Microsoft, facebook, Amazon are all selling huge amounts of their person stock for cash. When the rich are selling their stock, all the while touting that AI will make huge advancements, it is a sign that no one knows how to monetize AI. The national debt of 38 trillion dollars. The Global cash currency is moving to BRICS. No more US dollars as reserve currency for other nations. Once they start to sell, the US will go straight into a severe depression. This is on a timeline of about 36 months. Sorry, you see how I get. My mind get wrapped up in this crazy stuff.
Thomas168ParticipantHow does one reach Nirvana? I do not know. I am still on my own journey to try to understand the truth of my nature. But, basically, I spend time each day in meditation. It is a method of gaining concentration while letting the mind disassociate from the awareness. It is a dropping of the mind. And one sits in an alert awareness. The mind is always moving. Jumping from one idea to the next thought. When combined with our consciousness, it becomes our identity. Everything one has thought is what one believes one is. This identity makes one believe one is separate. So, meditation allows for the awareness to sit in stillness/emptiness. Experiencing the stillness, one can feel the emptiness in all things and then realize one’s true nature. That we are not all separate but come from the same source. Of course this is only what I have learned so far. And I could very well be wrong. However, the people I meet along the way also seem to have similar ideas though not exactly the same.
Thomas168ParticipantPlease note that if you say that I will burn and the ashes won’t even know I was here then fine. Threats of heaven and hell are for those who believe that there is a life hereafter. The one constant in this universe is that everything changes over time. The only things that doesn’t change are the things that do not experience time like photons. Massless, ghost like particles.
Thomas168ParticipantJames said, “You learned your birth, birth took place. you learned your body, counrty, family, religion, ethnics, then they all took place.”
From that sentence, I conclude you are saying that one is separate from the body. You learn your birth, you learn your body. Sounds like being separate from the body to learn of it. Where as I believe that one does not become aware until the body exist and the mind grows into the body. If the mind was separate from the body then alcohol would have no effect on the state of mind. But, it does. So, you are not separate from your body. You can not find anything inside of you that is other than this body. Though parts of you may be discard such as an appendix. One can not discard the brain. It holds the thoughts and memories of the person. Take it out and throw it away and the person no longer lives. What is left after your body dies? Only what was there before your birth. And that is where you shall return.
If you believe in God and his angels and prophets then you long to belong to a group of believers who have faith that God does exist. Whether God exist or not is immaterial when it comes to watching your enemies kill your loved ones. If God exist then why would he allow for the horrors that have gone on during the World Wars? No, God is for those who have faith and trust in God. Those who would endure the bitterness of life in the belief there is something after this life. IDK, And I do not judge. But, I am a practical man.
Thomas168ParticipantAA is alcohol anonymous. An organization for the recovery of the lives of people who were addicted to alcohol. They set rules to live by. I believe there are 12 steps. They are
1.acceptance,
2.hope,
3.faith,
4.courage,
5.honesty,
6.patience,
7.humility,
8.willingness,
9.brotherly love,
10.integrity,
11.self-discipline,
12.serviceOf course, those are just words that represent the rules.
And in some places the rules are more spiritual. Like acceptance of God and opening oneself to God’s love.For Buddhist, the story starts with the Four Noble Truths (about suffering).
The fourth noble truth is the path to escape suffering.
That path is called the eightfold path.
Eightfold path are the rules by which one lives.
A sort of fake it til you make it to Nirvana.
The path is laid with time spent sitting in meditation
And time spent with a teacher along with the sangha (the group of people one associates with along the eightfold path).
The general rules of life to reach Nirvana is called the Dharma.Mostly, I think that humans are a social species.
So, it becomes necessary to find like minded people and help each other along the way.Thomas168ParticipantOnce there was a monastery had very strict rules. After a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak. However there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were allowed to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, a monk went to the head monk. “It has been ten years,” said the head monk. “What are the two words you would like to speak?” “Bed… hard…” said the monk. “I see,” replied the head monk. Ten years later, the monk went to the head monk. “It has been ten more years,” said the head monk. “What are the two words you would like to speak?” “Food… stinks…” said the monk. “I see,” replied the head monk. Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, “What are your two words now, after these ten years?” “I… quit!” said the monk. “Well, I can see why,” replied the head monk. “All you ever do is complain.”
Thomas168ParticipantI moved into my house here in 2011 and it was only 2024 that I put in a water filter. Now after seeing how dark and dirty the filter gets after a month of use (only takes a few days to see a difference), I wish I had done this a long time ago. It is not an expensive filter. Bought off Amazon for less than fifty dollars and that includes the housing and a filter. I am cheap. Guess I should have done the reverse osmosis but they are expensive and so are the filters. Anyway feel better I got a filter.
Thomas168ParticipantOh, thought of something.
Alessa, do not feed tap water direct from the tap to the baby. Sorry, just worried about the quality of tap water in your area. Me, I boil water in a tea kettle and then drink from that all day. I have put a whole house filter in that filters the water down to 5 microns. Not sure if that is good enough but it does remove a lot of the sediment. Iron rust mostly. Anyway, be safe. Wishing you a wonderful year coming up.Thomas168ParticipantWell, got to say it is nice to see you back again. Hope you are in good spirits. Hope all is well with your family. That is one way of looking at the world. It exist when you are born. But, I think it existed before that and will exist long after I am gone.
Thomas168ParticipantRoberta,
That is a great idea. When helping others, it is tough to feel depressed.
Volunteering keeps one busy and when being around others, it helps one feel connected.Thomas168ParticipantI think that is one of the twelve step in AA. Accept the things one can not change and to change those things that one can. I forgot the rest of the steps.
Thomas168ParticipantDear Anita,
Sorry. It is not nightmarish as much as the norm. I too wish it was better but it is the reality we live in. Have a healthy, happy and safe year.
January 19, 2026 at 11:14 am in reply to: Iām gonna use a Portable DVD Player instead of using streaming services. #454325Thomas168ParticipantSorry, that is a very long opening post. So I will just go by the title of the thread. Use a DVD player instead of streaming service. Not sure of the intent. Are you angry with the streaming services? Is there a grudge or something? It is quite okay to do whatever you want. And you don’t have to justify it with anyone. Just wanted to know if there was anything connected with this decision? Is it monetary?
History of rental stores versus streaming service shows that streaming is more popular. So, it makes me ask why go with DVD? You like to make a collection. I did something similar when I was laid off. I spent money on CDs that had movies on them. Ended up with a big selection. But, it just sits there and collects dusts. Watched them once and that was it.
There are services such as Tubi. They have actual TV stations. Sports and news and variety shows.
Aleesa, love Red Dwarf. Sci-fi about an evolved cat and a human goof ball and an uptight hologram. Later on a robot is added to the mix.
Thomas168ParticipantAdvice?? The only thing I can think of is to actually talk with him. Spell it out. Tell him how much you care about him as a friend. Reminder him of all the times you were there to help him. Then tell him about your own needs. Ask him to seek therapy or find someone who can help him in the way he really needs. You being there is more like a co-dependent. Are you assisting him in staying this way instead of getting better? Over time, he has got to change and get better cause you can not be there forever. Being honest and caring with your words. Make sure he understands that this type of relationship can not last forever this way. It has to change and become better. It has to allow for you to grow and have a life just like he must change and grow and have a life.
Yeah, please don’t take my advice cause I do not give good advice. I see things differently.
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