Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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convivium
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by convivium »

depends which monastery or retreat you go to.
Just keep breathing in and out like this. Don't be interested in anything else. It doesn't matter even if someone is standing on their head with their ass in the air. Don't pay it any attention. Just stay with the in-breath and the out-breath. Concentrate your awareness on the breath. Just keep doing it. http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Just_Do_It_1_2.php
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Dan74
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by Dan74 »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

:redherring:

This ad-hominem red herring that those who aren't interested in brothelizing the Dhamma (and Vinaya) are somehow dour-faced, is wearing a bit thin now.

:focus:

Metta,
Retro. :)
That was meant to be a joke, retro... Sorry, my bad. I even tried to put a smiley at the end of it, but...

:toilet:
_/|\_
SamKR
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by SamKR »

tiltbillings wrote:So, when teaching, no funny stories, and no lightness in one's personal interactions?
polarbuddha101 wrote:I wouldn't go that far, the Buddha was known to poke fun and use wit himself on occasion.
Funny stories and wit maybe useful if they help to make listeners understand Dhamma and arouse wholesome states of mind.
But I am not sure about how far a Dhamma-teacher should go about using them. I believe a good teacher knows how to use them appropriately.
manas wrote:...
I agree, manas.
Dan74 wrote: ... dour faces ...
No one is advocating dour face but bright and serene face.
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

polarbuddha101 wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:So, when teaching, no funny stories, and no lightness in one's personal interactions?
I wouldn't go that far, the Buddha was known to poke fun and use wit himself on occasion.

Edit: However, the Buddha used his wit to teach dhamma not just for the sake of being funny.
Sure, and he used poking fun to great effect.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

Dan74 wrote:
retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

:redherring:

This ad-hominem red herring that those who aren't interested in brothelizing the Dhamma (and Vinaya) are somehow dour-faced, is wearing a bit thin now.

:focus:

Metta,
Retro. :)
That was meant to be a joke, retro... Sorry, my bad. I even tried to put a smiley at the end of it, but...

:toilet:
It was a good and plainly obvious joke; humor can be touchy thing, obviously.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
Aloka wrote:Sorry but I'm a bit confused, Bhikkhu Pesala. If I'm having fun playing with and talking in silly girlie voices to a friend's dog, is that childish or child - like ?
Pay attention to your own mental states when playing with your friend's dog. You will then know whether you're being childish or just innocent and child-like.
Bhante, so, if it is not an another's judgment that really matters, which we can then probably ignore if the humor is not really directed at anyone, it is one's own judgment that really matters whether or not what we post in the lounge, for example, is being childish or childlike, which is a distinction that Benedictine nuns that taught me in grade school used to harp upon.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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retrofuturist
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
tiltbillings wrote:It was a good and plainly obvious joke; humor can be touchy thing, obviously.
... and here we go again.

:redherring:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,
tiltbillings wrote:It was a good and plainly obvious joke; humor can be touchy thing, obviously.
... and here we go again.

:redherring:

Metta,
Retro. :)
I was just making an observation, and you now make my point that that humor can, indeed, be a touchy thing and very individual. That is simply a matter of fact which is neither good nor bad. As for the "red herring":


Image
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

SamKR wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:So, when teaching, no funny stories, and no lightness in one's personal interactions?
polarbuddha101 wrote:I wouldn't go that far, the Buddha was known to poke fun and use wit himself on occasion.
Funny stories and wit maybe useful if they help to make listeners understand Dhamma and arouse wholesome states of mind.
But I am not sure about how far a Dhamma-teacher should go about using them. I believe a good teacher knows how to use them appropriately.
There are tons of recordings by tons of different Dhamma teachers out there, among all of that I am sure you can find teachers who do use humor rather well. I am not talking about doing stand-up comic routines, but I am talking about seeing that life can be an occasion for lightness of spirit.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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retrofuturist
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

:redherring: = "Red herring is an English-language idiom that commonly refers to a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the actual issue. It is also a literary device employed by writers that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction." (Wikipedia)

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

:redherring: = "Red herring is an English-language idiom that commonly refers to a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the actual issue. It is also a literary device employed by writers that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction." (Wikipedia)

Metta,
Retro. :)
Well, that is definition, and it certainly looks that you are not using it correctly.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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retrofuturist
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Yes I am.

A false premise is being established that those who aren't interested in brothelizing the Dhamma (and Vinaya) are somehow dour-faced puritans, incapable of "fun" (i.e. false conclusion)... and this is distracting from the question of whether it is possible for practising Buddhists to have fun, because it is inferring logical arguments that have unsound and unjustified assumptions.... thus obfuscating genuine attempts to address the question (i.e. detracts from the actual issue).

:geek:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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tiltbillings
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by tiltbillings »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

Yes I am.

A false premise is being established that those who aren't interested in brothelizing the Dhamma (and Vinaya) are somehow dour-faced puritans, incapable of "fun" (i.e. false conclusion
Yes, well, Dan's post, in my opinion, was not saying that at all. He was, I would say, just poking fun at the idea of "dour-faced." He was not saying that anyone was such, but then you'll have to ask him what his intent was.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Cittasanto
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by Cittasanto »

tiltbillings wrote:
retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

Yes I am.

A false premise is being established that those who aren't interested in brothelizing the Dhamma (and Vinaya) are somehow dour-faced puritans, incapable of "fun" (i.e. false conclusion
Yes, well, Dan's post, in my opinion, was not saying that at all. He was, I would say, just poking fun at the idea of "dour-faced." He was not saying that anyone was such, but then you'll have to ask him what his intent was.
And SamKR's post wasn't saying what you thought either. But that didn't stop you taking it as implying lack of humour. And neither was anyone who had this applied to them in the other topic yet you and others thought it appropriate
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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Dan74
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Re: Is it possible for practising Buddhists to have fun?

Post by Dan74 »

My intent was just to have fun, possibly of the silly kind (I was never too good as discerning the demarcation line). Even my kids sometimes tell me to stop being silly, so, I guess I am...

As for "brothelizing" (great word!), I think implying that people who disagree with you are "brothelizing the Dhamma", is possible less than charitable. After all we are Dhamma brothers, aren't we, or perhaps Brothelizing Brothers, or Bothersome Brothelizing Brothers? Just call us, BBB, for short!
_/|\_
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