Sunday 25 July 2010

How to cure your Facebook addiction?

So it has been a couple of years now since I wrote about my horrendous addiction to social media. And anyone who has read my blog will know that I am directly involved in this kind of work as I am a web designer. However, recently, I have started working from home as I left full time employment.

It has become abundantly clear that I have a bit of a problem again, as I find my self obsessively checking Facebook, or spending hours and hours connected to it.

I have decided to formulate a plan to cure my self of this incessant addition.

Here is my plan:

Step 1: Give a close friend your user-name and password.
Step 2: Get your friend to login and change your password.
Step 3: Get your friend to write the new password on a bit of paper and put it in an envelope.
Step 4: Have your friend change the email address on your account so you are unable to reset the password.
Step 5: Agree a time scale, of when they will unlock your account. 1 month, 2 months etc

And if you really want to be even more sure you cant get the password out of your friend, ask them to get a close friend to change the password to something else.

Good luck, trying to deal with it.

Please comment if you have this problem or you have ideas on how to stop this addiction.



Sunday 18 July 2010

Nichiren Buddhism is not about simply chanting, and nother more.

Personally I don't think chanting is understanding or insight. People of course are free to practice chanting, but this is not any branch of Buddhism personally that I would associate with and my personal belief is that this is quite literally mind control , and not the original meaning of any aspect of Buddhism. Buddhism is a intellectual study for the development of the mind and spiritual insight, this practice does not fulfill either goal and misrepresents Buddhism.

My response:

Thank you for your honest comment.

I think that if the Buddha was alive today, he would say this... "do not cast judgement on beliefs and practices of others."

Nichiren Buddhism is a practice centred in daily life, there are three tenants for good solid practice.

1. practice/chanting
2. Study
3. Faith

We study the Lotus Sutra and align our lives for the greater good and happiness of others.

Through chanting Nam myoho renge kyo, and using the Gohonzon, we are able to observe our minds and emotions and make better choices and decisions in life.

Chanting is not a magic lantern, and we are quite aware that action is required to make changes in life and the world;

Devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect with the voice, is the meaning of this mantra, but primarily for people who practice Nichiren Buddhism, this is about becoming aware of all your actions, words & thoughts towards other people, your life and the world as a whole.

How do you feel about a Buddhism that forbid women that practised, how do you feel about Buddhism that said that only priests were allowed to practice, this was the case for what Buddhism had become in many parts of the world, and Nichiren Dishonan was a man who quite literally questioned these beliefs, as he felt that they were not true Buddhism.

Shakyamuni Buddah, gave birth this practice for the sole purpose of lifting people out of the three sufferings of life, birth, sickness and death. This practice meets that goal.

There are many paths to wholeness my friend, and you are correct when you say that this is some form of mind control, but I have to correct you and tell you that it is about controlling your OWN mind, not someone else, controlling it for you.

It is about mastering your thoughts, emotions and mind.

The mind is the root of most of our suffering as human beings at master this human mind, which I liken to a wild horse most of the time, is the key to developing strong and unshakable happiness.

My Peace go with you Buddah.

Love and Light
Robbie