Buddhist solution to anxiety

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No_Mind
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Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by No_Mind »

Is there a way that Buddhism and Buddhist meditation can help us with anxiety?

Example -

John is 50. John's wife has heart ailment. He needs to spend $150,000 out of pocket which he does not have. John takes a loan against his mortgaged house (I believe that is called a second mortgage) but worries about not being able to contribute enough towards kid's college fund since he will be paying of lot of debt. He is also worried what will happen if he is one day laid off or there is a recession like in 2008 etc.

John is anxious and worries a lot.

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"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
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No_Mind
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by No_Mind »

I have never been able to watch past first ten minutes of this video .. though I have tried a dozen times.

Ajahn Sona says .. there are no anxious thoughts but you feel anxiety while you are thinking thoughts (I may have misunderstood him) .. what does it mean?



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"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
paul
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by paul »

Reduction in anxiety is proportional to developing non-attachment. That involves understanding in practice that samsara is dukkha and taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. The dhamma is a universal law and anxiety is the inevitable consequence of not following it; it's a signal from the body and mind of not being on the path.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by No_Mind »

paul wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:53 am Reduction in anxiety is proportional to developing non-attachment. That means understanding that samsara is dukkha and taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, in practice. The dhamma is a universal law and anxiety is the inevitable consequence of not following it; it's a signal from the body and mind of not being on the path.
Quite so.

But you cannot ask John to be non-attached to his precarious financial condition. He will act out of stimuli arising from his life and that stimuli will produce in him worry/anxiety/sadness/fear/anger.

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"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by binocular »

No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:16 amBut you cannot ask John to be non-attached to his precarious financial condition. He will act out of stimuli arising from his life and that stimuli will produce in him worry/anxiety/sadness/fear/anger.
It's not possible to solve other people's personal problems.
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No_Mind
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by No_Mind »

binocular wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:33 am
No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:16 amBut you cannot ask John to be non-attached to his precarious financial condition. He will act out of stimuli arising from his life and that stimuli will produce in him worry/anxiety/sadness/fear/anger.
It's not possible to solve other people's personal problems.
You misunderstand my query.

If John was a Catholic and went to a padre the padre would ask him to pray.

If John was a Musilm and went to an Imam or maulvi the Imam/maulvi would ask him to pray.

If John was a Buddhist .. what should John do ..

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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by binocular »

No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:43 amYou misunderstand my query.
I'm addressing the mode of your query.
If John was a Catholic and went to a padre the padre would ask him to pray.
If John was a Musilm and went to an Imam or maulvi the Imam/maulvi would ask him to pray.

If John was a Buddhist .. what should John do ..
Go talk to a monk, for example. And stop externalizing his personal problems.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by robertk »

1. If the thinking about problem x doesn't arise will there be the accompanying anxiety (no ).
2. Can you stop thinking ( no).

Ohhhh.



but 2 is demonstrating the anattaness of thinking. It is not your/my thinking. It is just thinking.
See that and thinking becomes like the weather- sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy - nothing to be too perturbed about.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

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robertk wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:09 am but 2 is demonstrating the anattaness of thinking. It is not your/my thinking. It is just thinking.
I would be really glad if you can expand that a bit or provide me a sutta or article or commentary of some sort to understand it better.

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"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by Spiny Norman »

No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:28 am Is there a way that Buddhism and Buddhist meditation can help us with anxiety?
I have found that mindfulness is important, recognising these states when they arise, also seeing that they are transient and conditional.

Generally I have also found that developing tranquillity and insight is helpful. Tranquillity has a settling and calming effect on the mind, while insight helps in understanding the causes and consequences of anxiety. There are different types of anxiety of course.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by befriend »

I used to have paralyzing anxiety the more good things I did mentally verbally and physically this decreases your anxiety good karma decreases bad karma.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by Sam Vara »

Dinsdale wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 2:26 pm
No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:28 am Is there a way that Buddhism and Buddhist meditation can help us with anxiety?
I have found that mindfulness is important, recognising these states when they arise, also seeing that they are transient and conditional.

Generally I have also found that developing tranquillity and insight is helpful. Tranquillity has a settling and calming effect on the mind, while insight helps in understanding the causes and consequences of anxiety. There are different types of anxiety of course.
Good point. Most of the responses so far have focused upon "seeing through" the conditions, and regarding them in a different way. But in addition to this, John should try anapanasati. Not only might he become calmer, but a level of tranquillity might be required for him to even address these states without reacting badly.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by robertk »

No_Mind wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:55 am
robertk wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:09 am but 2 is demonstrating the anattaness of thinking. It is not your/my thinking. It is just thinking.
I would be really glad if you can expand that a bit or provide me a sutta or article or commentary of some sort to understand it better.

:namaste:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .nymo.html
"Bhikkhus, consciousness is not self. Were consciousness self, then this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.' And since consciousness is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus
And it repeats for all khandhas. Thinking comes with feeling and consciousness and sanna and sankhara and none of it is under anyone's control: Fortunately- due to the Buddha - this can become clear and the usual (mis)perception ( vipallasa) can be gradually uprooted . So the more the completely uncontrollable and conditioned and not-self nature of thinking (and other elements) becomes apparent the more ones view is aligned with the real nature of the "world" -I.e. anicca, dukkha and Anatta.
And this brings with it all kinds of benefits here and now - the lessening of anxiety is one. But more importantly the 37 bodhipakkiyadhammas are also developing...
The path is starting to coalesce .
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by binocular »

robertk wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:09 am 1. If the thinking about problem x doesn't arise will there be the accompanying anxiety (no ).
2. Can you stop thinking ( no).

Ohhhh.
but 2 is demonstrating the anattaness of thinking. It is not your/my thinking. It is just thinking.
See that and thinking becomes like the weather- sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy - nothing to be too perturbed about.
If an ordinary person not trained in virtue takes this approach, they end up in a state of anomie, a nihilist, confused, disturbed. Or else, become very good at pretending that all is well when it in fact isn't.
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Re: Buddhist solution to anxiety

Post by binocular »

Sam Vara wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 2:45 pmGood point. Most of the responses so far have focused upon "seeing through" the conditions, and regarding them in a different way. But in addition to this, John should try anapanasati. Not only might he become calmer, but a level of tranquillity might be required for him to even address these states without reacting badly.
And before that, John should train in virtue.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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