Bill W

I really like this thanks. The only thing I don't buy into is that we need to be in an intimate relationship but I guess it depends on your definition of intimate. I think we benefit from some kind of social connection on a deeper level than superficial, that's for sure. Is it essential though? Not sure...

@ardacigin Great post. Really helpful. Thanks for taking the time.

This is a great topic. Many people including me will offer up some advice here and probably tomorrow not even follow our own advice. That's how difficult I think it can be to achieve what you are asking. This is what I call TOP 1% stuff. If you can do this all the time you'd be in the Top 1% of advanced people on Earth. If you can do it most of the time you'd be in the Top 10%. It is the ultimate forgiveness and humility although I'm not suggesting we become a doormat and allow ourselves to be abused. It is the letting go of self importance. The letting go of pride. The letting go of having to be correct. Top 1% and Top 10% stuff. Humility is a quiet declaration of strength. Can't remember who said that. What helps me is that I try (and often fail with this) to consider another persons hostile or unreasonable actions to be a statement of their own inner turmoil. They are showing me how sick they are. My challenge is to rise above it, not take it personally and not get sucked into it. They offer me their selfishness and I politely decline. That's me on a good day though lol. I forgot who said this one as well... what do you want? Peace of mind, or conflict?

I'm going to highlight my favourite parts of this book, what these favourite parts mean to me, and how I try to assimilate them into my recovery and spiritual growth. Just to give you some context with the way I have done this.... I'm new to spirituality teachings and terminology. Half of the posts on this forum I can't pretend to fully understand. I hit rock bottom 7 months ago, multiple mental health difficulties, multiple addictions. I'm now 7 months clean in terms of alcohol and sleeping pills. I'm deeply involved with Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-step approach but consider myself open to virtually anything on my journey. I'm full of contradictions probably, and this will likely be very obvious if I bite the bullet and start a journal on this forum. I got this book early in my recovery (so about 6 months ago). I'd never heard of Osho and was beginning to get really curious about Buddhism, so the book appealed......I loved OSHO's style. Not on the fence. Tells you straight. I can't even begin to do this book justice here.... Game-changer for me. Chapter 1 Osho writes that Buddha, unlike Jesus was a rationalist and that even Einstein would not be able to find a flaw in Buddha's reasoning. This appeals to me because I am trying to be more pragmatic with my recovery and development. I get obsessed easily and am regularly a complete slave to my emotions. I'm currently torn about the value of prayer in my recovery and development. I think the way I have been "praying" is probably more of a "speaking out loud" type of meditation? I am unsure if to pray means you are telling yourself that what you’re saying or asking for is definitely going somewhere and being "received" by something... God? A Higher Power? If I "pray", me personally, I am not at all convinced yet that it is being received by anything, or anyone other than myself. There is a bit in Chapter 1 that I find empowering. Osho argues that Buddha's position on prayer is that it's pointless because there is "no help coming". That, if you discover you have lost your way, it is your responsibility and no one else's, to help you find your way back. Osho seems to put forward that Buddha would consider prayer an insult, and part of an avoidance to not take personal responsibility. He goes onto make a strong argument formeditation, and that meditation provides everything and prayer provides nothing. A bit in chapter one that literally made me LOL when I read it, was Osho stating that Buddha said that just because you feel a need, reality has no necessity to fulfil it. How true! Chapter 2 Osho highlights some of the core teachings of Buddha around clinging and attachments. He writes that anytime you call something "mine" you are falling into stupidity! I liked Osho's term of "you are trying to hold a river in your arms". Part of Chapter 2 which sumarises so much of the whole book for me is Osho referring to the "law". If you don't follow the law, you will be unhappy. He says the whole question is one of discipline and not prayer. Understand the law if you want to be happy. He also writes some powerful things about desire and the pitfalls of desire. Going back to the pragmatic feel of the book, Osho argues there is no "sin" or condemnation in Buddhist terminology. If you make a mistake, simply correct the error. I like this interpretation.Basically, follow THE LAW!!!! F*** with The Law and The Law f****s with you! Chapter 3 Possibly the best chapter for me in the whole book. It's about mindfulness and dealing with anger. Buddha, of course, teaches detachments from thoughts and feelings. Osho words it beautifully when he advises us to be like a "watcher" on the hills, remaining "aloof", as if you were totally out of the situation (a situation that would ordinarily give rise to anger). There is emphasis on forgiveness, but it would appear not so much from a moral or ethical stance, but from a practical stance. Anger and resentment is stupid, doesn't work, and goes against The Law! Osho writes that Buddha taught that we should be aware and mindful of our feelings, but not get obsessed with them, and not to be obsessive about anything. Osho says that Buddha taught that the energy of anger is the same energy as compassion and love and that we need to respect the energy of anger and transform it into compassion and love. The energy needs to go somewhere, so we need to work on creating a path for this energy, moving it from negative energy to positive energy. Chapter 4 Lots of good stuff about ego in this chapter. Osho argues that most people, instead of trying to become wise, simply do their best to denounce the wise due to the threat to the ego....... (he is wise, and I am not wise). Chapter 4 highlights that The Law is actually Dhamma and that Dhamma has nothing to do with any "God". Buddha is against the idea of a God because believing in God is to move away from taking 100% personal responsibility for your life and your problems. Chapter 6 Osho discusses 20 things Buddha taught are difficult to attain but well worth trying to attain. There are more brilliant tips for dealing with difficult people! My favourite is when Osho writes that Buddha taught to take advantage of any situation when someone attempts to insult you. Buddha saw this as a great opportunity for us to become less mechanical and more conscious. That it is a beautiful chance to grow. This has really helped me personally to think of things in this light. What I mean is, that rather acting on animal instinct due to a perceived injustice, I can try to be immediately aware of the opportunity to rise above it. Practice, practice, practice I think! Chapter 8 There is a lovely section where Osho makes reference to the Bible..... 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'. Osho argues Jesus is speaking the truth here, and that Jesus is giving the same message Buddha did. Meekness is actually powerful. Osho actually goes to great lengths here, giving examples of what meekness really means and why it's a great character trait to strive for. This chapter for me is all about humility and how to obtain it. Chapter 14 I think this chapter is more powerful to me now than it was at the time I originally read it. I am somewhat belatedly realising that in my recovery and development there is a lot less to acquire than I thought, but a hell of a lot more to get rid of than I imagined. Osho argues that Buddha differs to many religions in that we are actually possessing too many things which are not needed, whereas religion generally teaches that we are lacking. One of my favourite snippets of this chapter is when Osho writes that one of Buddha's most basic teachings is to "surrender to reality". This is huge for me. So true! Chapter 16 Powerful stuff about staying in the present. Like the rest of the book, practical references to why this is important and how to do it. Chapter 17 This is about Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. Osho gives examples of how to achieve what Buddha had in mind for us.

I like the sound of this. Best wishes. Will read your updates.

Impossible to implement, but I wish this forum had some kind of screening process for new threads. Take this one, this very issue has been discussed and discussed in recent times to be blunt (sorry OP). There could perhaps be an auto-lock facility where threads complaining about locked threads automatically get locked as soon as the original poster hits "submit" or whatever it is. That way they don't have to wait for a mod to lock it, it gets locked straight off the bat. Everyone wins, even the original poster wins as he can use it as a free lesson and learning curve. Threads get locked because they require locking. Just say that to yourself as a mantra and your life will get better I promise.

This is click bait. I thought I was stumbling into a deeply philosophical debate on the meaning of death. Or I thought Shin that you were annoyed that many of us are still watching porn and touching ourselves and that the forum was now "dead" to you. Joking!

EDIT: I chose this section because I believe my thread relates to self-actualization rather than mental illness but I understand if it is moved to a different section. I am not suggesting all emotional difficulties or symptoms of mental ill-health can be completely overcome by this, but I have developed a list of three questions to ask myself when my peace of mind has been disturbed. This could range from minor annoyance and irritation to overwhelming anger or anxiety. I have not really used these questions around issues of low mood or depression. I got this idea from a mixture of Osho, Don Miguel Ruiz, Albert Ellis and Alcoholics Anonymous. Osho refers to following "the law" in his book The Buddha Said. Osho writes that when we feel like shit it is because we have gone against the law and we need to reflect on how we have gone against the law. He says don't be in conflict with the law if you want to be happy. I think he leaves it somewhat open to debate as to what "the law" is, but in this book he is being very practical. I think he makes suggestions to what the law is but doesn't dogmatically tell you what the law is. He is obviously not talking about the Police or legal issues when he says "the law". For me, if you develop "the law" for yourself, it relies on as much self-honesty as you can muster. My law below relates to my character defects, because when my character defects are in play, it fucks me up, and can fuck others up. It hinders my growth. Osho also says "God is not a person, it is a law". I can expand on some of this if asked, but don't want to write chapter & verse to begin with when it boils down to three main questions for me. So, if I am upset or otherwise agitated I come back to these three questions. Every time, at least one of them applies to my upset, and my upset is a warning sign that I have gone against the law. 1. Am I sure? 2. Have I taken something personally? 3. Are my demands out of touch with reality?

Anyone else want to contribute to this?

Just one final bump here, in case it helps anyone. Happy to expand on this, especially point 3 Are my demands out of touch with reality?

Suggestions to consider --> Letting Go method (David R Hawkins) --> Take a look at some Albert Ellis stuff on YouTube and if you like him, check out some of his books Basically, the harder you work on your limiting beliefs and associated behaviours, the better chance you have.

One book I like and it's not a spiritual book, more of a good old fashioned self-help book is Overcoming Depression One Step At A Time by Michael E Addis and Christopher R Martell. I think it depends somewhat on how your particular depression manifests itself.

Masturbation can be very beneficial if you don't have a girlfriend. As can porn. Just try to do it in moderation, that's all. Before I met my girlfriend I limited myself to masturbation and porn every 2nd night. I only spent a few minutes each time. Job done.

Ignorance is no defence lol

So you are going for thread lock status plus risking the ban hammer. You will get 3 warning points. 1 for each girl in the poll lol

Get in! I managed to vote before this thread gets locked.

Yes exactly. People who like to gossip find it important to keep gossiping.

This thread has survived 5 hrs. Has flown under the radar.

I just wanted to bump my review. This book is just packed full of wisdom. Great read.

Okay so like modelling? Looking for a role model kind of thing? I understand.

Have you ever thought of doing one of those YouTube entrepreneur adverts? The one's that you can't wait for the "Skip" button to activate. You might make a killing! You can advertise the perfect method lol. Do you work in sales? Good post. Keeps it simple. Back to basics. Totally agree it's worth practicing this.

Love it. Reverse empathy. You are well developed in this area of your development.

And if they do, then what? What does it matter? I'm not being awkward with you, I am genuinely wondering what it will serve if we do or do not establish that they do?

Thanks Pluto. That means my post would have made it before the lock. I am grateful.

I read the whole thing. I feel like this sometimes. Thankfully not too often and perhaps not to the severity of how you experience this. Your post reminds me a bit of "perspective" when you describe that people seemingly don't give a shit. What I mean by that is that sometimes I get a powerful dose of perspective that my life is pretty good compared to many others. I think of rape, torture, mutilation etc. The perspective is super powerful but then I quickly lose the perspective and then can feel agitated and aggrieved at something so petty it beggars belief. I get stuck in my own world. In my own head and forget the wide world and bigger picture. The serenity prayer is something I use when trying to keep perspective.