I Tried Buddhism For 7 Days (and it helped me find inner peace)

I know nothing about Buddhism, so I learned everything I could about its teachings, then lived it out for a week. It totally exceeded my expectations and made me a happier, more confident person.
Along the way I learned from some of Buddhism’s greatest teachers like The Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. I practiced a bunch of different types of meditations like mindfulness, walking, and loving kindness. I read books, watched lectures, and studied the Buddha’s sutras. And although I’m not enlightened or anything, I grew a ton in the process.
If you’re into meditation or just want to be a happier person, I’d highly recommend learning more about Buddhism.
Recommended resources/learnings:
- The Heart of The Buddha’s Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh
- The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama
- How to Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Waking Up App (made by Sam Harris)
- The Four Buddhist Mantras for Turning Fear into Love (www.themarginalian.org/2020/1...)
Cheers,
Ben
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Quote to ponder:
"The number of people that can handle adversity is far greater than the number of people that can handle prosperity." -Dr. Seevers
#buddhism #meditation

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

i spent a year in a thai monastery, when i had to shave my hair, eyebrows and beard, i was nervous about the beard, so i explained to them that the beard covered a tattoo i was forcefully given when i was kidnapped as a kid (spent 5 years being physically, mentally and sexually abuse and cut daily) when i explained what the tattoo on my lower jaw said, they permitted me to keep the beard (the tattoo is pretty faded but still can be read, it was given by force when i was 8, and it says "child r**e donor" i was sexually assaulted by 3 females, who were the 20 year old daughters of the couple who kidnapped me ) but instead of making me feel guilty about not fully accepting there traditions and beliefs, one of the monks got a strip of the cloth used for there robes and braided my long beard then used the strip of cloth to tie my beard, and he told me that "since i keep my beard to protect others from the horrors i experienced, i have already taken the first steps to finding who i am

[@avyla9]

Wow, this story is incredible. I can’t believe all that you’ve been through and the fact that you went to learn about/practice Buddhism after all the pain you’ve experienced is really inspiring. What that monk did is so touching. Thank you for sharing, it put things in perspective for me about some things going on in my life. I hope you’re doing well❤

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

@@avyla9 yeah, i still have the strip of cloth and tie my beard with it whenever im meditating at home, i have since had the tattoo lasered, and my beard has grown back to its original 2 foot length

[@avyla9]

@@bigfrankfraser1391 That's beautiful that you use the cloth while meditating, and I'm so happy to hear you were able to laser off that tattoo! I bet that felt amazing/healing to do (even if it's also a painful process).. I'm curious, when you were at that Thai monastery for a year were you able to find yourself by the end? Or is finding yourself just a continuous daily effort/practice? It sounds like you've been practicing Buddhism/meditation for a fairly long time.

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

@@avyla9 i lasered the tattoo after i found myself, i had vowed to only remove it once i fully shed my past and started new, and yeah, the monk and i still write letters, and the strip of cloth means more to me than pretty much anything i own, because it was the gesture that caused my body to purge all my past

[@avyla9]

@@bigfrankfraser1391 Wow, congratulations on your triumph over your past, I am so moved by your story.. Sometimes all it takes is one kind gesture to complete change someone's life. It is so heartwarming to hear you guys write letters still as I'm sure it has been awhile since that first meeting.. If it feels right you should write a memoir, I know it could help a lot of people and I would read it. It reminds me of this book I read called "Shattered Silence," different experiences but still big trauma in childhood. When I finishing reading that story it was a pivotal moment for me. You inspired me to read the books about Buddhism that I buy but don't finish and to meditate more. Thank you for being so open and vulnerable..

[@gian4719]

As a Thai born and raised in Thailand with a quite strict Budhism dad (lol) but now living abroad, I got many chances to talk with my foreigner friends around who got a change to study or give Buddhism a try. The idea of reincarnation seems to be first thing hop into their minds when thinking of what buddhism is. And yet, as you mentioned, non of those ideas matter and you are fully 100% free to not believe in it. The core idea still for me is to understand that life is a cycle and the cycle means there are always uptrend and downtrend in our life and the key get away to live with it, be still and know. Live simeple life, live with the present, do good and let thing go ( //Elsa dance). Personally, I look at it as a way of living instead of a religion to believe. The video does remind me some small details of something I might overlook or forget about Buddhism. Thanks for the great content as always Ben!

[@Ben.Stevenson]

I completely agree. Looking at it as a lifestyle can be really helpful in order to see it as a practice and something you can get better at. Well said.

[@faddy5185]

Man I inherently thought you had 100k+ subscribers just based on the production style of this video. It was great!

[@AlexCio]

love it too :)

[@Che_Guna]

Buddha and his teachings helped me to achieve a positive life. ☸️🙏

[@PaytonMyer]

Same im only a week into actively following buddhism and its already started to change me

[@Che_Guna]

@@PaytonMyer peace be with you ☸️🫂

[@NirvanicSunshine]

Reincarnation was part of Christian church doctrine as well until the 400s AD when the early church fathers felt the doctrine of reincarnation afforded people too many lifetimes to cultivate virtues and higher spiritual disciplines. It's still part of Judaism. Excellent, informative, and accurate video.

[@ZacharyJaeger-gf1tu]

I really needed to hear the "and...I love you guys" at the end of the video. it felt very true and very natural. great videos Ben

[@DanielHowardIRE]

Hi Ben, I loved the video. You come across as such a kind and open-minded person. I became Buddhist only recently myself. I was raised Catholic here in Ireland but it never clicked with me. I've started going to a Tibetan Buddhist centre once a week and doing meditation twice a day. Until recently I was so stressed and anxious with things in life which now seem so insignificant. I'd really love to visit Thailand. I've never been to Asia in fact. I've been vegetarian for most of my life and it might seen hard in the beginning but you'd be surprised how your adapt to it. As for reincarnation, well the Buddha told his followers not to believe his word for anything but to question and test his ideas. I hope you could continue with Buddhism anyway.

[@Robert_Hawthorn]

Thank you for giving me such peace after what feels like a wasted day

[@JakobManthei]

Awesome video Ben (as always)! Just watching it calmed be down

[@janiethereader]

This is such a great video! The quality is so good, both the visuals and the content. I watched your Jordan Peterson video first (and loved it) before watching this one, and I loved this one too! Thank you so much!

[@Ben.Stevenson]

Thank you so much! Glad you've enjoyed them.

[@julesgoubert]

Great video, the positive energy you radiate is definilty felt!

[@thegeneral8309]

love your channel bro

[@maijuranrajeswaran7641]

Great video! 💯

[@roselarue783]

love this.

[@chennaipillai]

Why doesnt this video have more views? Love the content :))

[@jeanettepham3530]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@SKTGuru]

Amazing brother.

[@erosv7054]

This was great!! Thanks!

[@YukiiReads]

This is actually a good video! I think you were able to capture the essence of buddhism pretty well! Side note, I personally think that it would be difficult for most beginners to mediate for 40 mins on the first day, starting with 5 mins and increasing gradually would help, but it depends on each person’s ability to focus. Anyway great video and good luck!

[@jamieblack661]

love your channel

[@TindakanOrganization]

Great episode Ben. I truly commend your authentic, genuine energy you exude. It's refreshing to say the least! Hoping you will consider the vegetarian/ vegan component more and incorporate into your life in some capacity as it does optimize being that positive, peaceful force in the world for all. Keep up the great work! 🙏

[@induwarabandaranayake8680]

Welcome brother, seek refuge in the triple gem

[@a_country_boy]

Amazing! ❤️👏👏

[@stimalivingpresent9321]

Good beginning, right path

[@leland4953]

Great video friend

[@robertwilliamson922]

I spent four months in Chiang Mai and the surrounding mountains. Did you go up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep? At Wat Chedi Luang they had regular monk chat. Spent time also in Bangkok and went to many many temples. I ended up going for Refuge in the Triple Gem and took the Five Precepts. We can eat meat…..as long as it has not been specifically killed for us personally. On another trip….did two months in Cambodia. Coming back soon…. I miss that part of the world and I’m going to be 72 this year…and had Quadruple Cardial Bypass Surgery in 2019. Southeast Asia is healthy for me, because I lose a lot of weight there, and feel younger and with more energy. Namo Buddhaya. 🙏🏼 ☸️ 🌴🙂

[@Lifeofstjames]

Great video!

[@Tin-hk2ve]

In Buddhism, it is always taught to do good deeds (Meritorious Action or Kusala Kamma ). But if we do not have a clear understanding of what is good deeds, we may still have some problems. Doing good is a good action, and you should be happy, but sometimes you feel bad. For example, when we want to help someone, we are satisfied when our help is successful and can solve their problems. But we can also feel frustrated when we can't help them or when the help we give them doesn't work out. In this case, it will make you feel bad after doing good deeds. For such problems, we need to learn to distinguish between action (Kamma) and thought (Citta). Good deeds come from good thoughts and should lead to happiness, but the disappointment of something comes from bad thoughts (Akusala Citta), the assertion that things will go according to plan, but on the contrary, it is wrong from what we planned. The Buddha taught us to accept the reality of change: nothing in this world does not change, not even our bodies. When we accept the changes in nature around us, disappointment will not occur in our lives. In general, good deeds come from good thoughts, and they will make you feel good. If you do good and then feel disappointed, that disappointment is not the result of good deeds; it is the consequence of your bad thoughts.

[@prabhanissanka-ik2lk]

We have a specific way of addressing the Buddhist Thero 🙏💐

[@freedomofspeech75]

In my opinion only: based on Buddhism that I understand, You don't need to look outward, For the first step, Just look inward and simplify all your attachments as much as you can.

[@brendanzhang5416]

🎉🎉 keep up the videos

[@flopje976]

Cool video!

[@ryanwalsh7642]

By suffering they mean stress.

[@bristow4784]

I keep stumbling across your channel when I just throw a random thought into the search bar, I thought you were a much bigger channel but I guess we are just like minds. 😅

[@realzooflicks]

Thanks

[@dk_me]

@07:12 I needed to hear that this morning - thanks!

[@toumoreno]

amazing video ! Any tips for start editing like this?

[@Ben.Stevenson]

I learned almost all of my editing through tutorials. KZbin has tutorials for everything you could need, and many of the editing softwares publish their own tutorials too (like Davinci Resolve (which is the software I use) has a great one). The big piece is being consistent, and doing a little bit every day, or a little bit every week, so you can grow over time. It's super helpful to have mini projects to work on too. That might mean publishing to KZbin or TikTok, even if it's not the best, just to force yourself to put out some work. Then just keep at it. Hope that helps.

[@andreamarkovac6149]

How do you finance your trips?

[@ataberdi2064]

Hello dear friend, do not ever get frustrated on the low views and subscribers. Manifest for more, keep your positivity and share your great videos on us. At the end of the day, everybody faces these things in their life, nothing is impossible. YOU CAN ACHIEVE THE GREATEST. BUILD THE SELF-BELIEF. 🤩🙂

[@AlexCio]

it's also important to chant, did you try to chant sometimtes throughout your week?

[@ShiningGalaxy01]

Buddha was a White Aryan Prince of Nepal, he was described having blue eyes, fair skin, and rosie cheeks.

[@szilardvarga9802]

❤️

[@fingerprint5511]

Go to Thailand, the Forest Tradition, northern Thailand, that, is Buddhism 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@pauvelas]

Yeah KZbin algorithm is terrible. In addition, majority of the population is dumb. This is very interesting and well edited video. Nice work!

[@EatMyKos]

Hey Ben thanks for the video it sure was interesting! As a Christian I notice that there are elements in Buddhism that are superficially similar to Christianity but others that are fundamentally different. I think one thing that is hugely different is the concept of suffering. Christian's are taught to embrace suffering like Jesus did in his passion as this grows us spiritually, where as Buddhists will do what they can to let go of desires to avoid suffering at all cost. Also the notion of desire. Christian's are taught to embrace desires (that lead to good works and the benefit of ourselves and others), but Buddhists are taught to suppress desire (in the spiritual sense) to avoid pain and suffering. I think for me the problem lies in the desire to let go of desires, no matter how I look at it, you need to have a desire to let go of your desires - which ultimately means you are still pursuing a desire. Then another thing that gets me is the concept of reincarnation held by Buddhists and Hinduists. The belief is that whatever a person is born into, or born as is the direct result of their efforts in the previous life. If a person did a lot of evil they receive that karma. Therefore when people see others in predominant Buddhist and Hindu nations, they tend to avoid people who are poor or suffering because they are under the impression that they are people who deserve what they got. This is problematic because those people in those situations have no real chance for redemption in their own lives and are not treated as human beings made in the image of God. Having said all this I'm not saying everything about Buddhism is bad, as a Christian I accept the fact that there are commonalities that are beneficial in a lot of religions, again in the superficial sense. This is because I believe that it is logical to believe in one God, the source of truth. It makes sense to me because of evil and deceit in the world that there will be many counterfeit religions claiming to be truth. Usually these counterfeits will have elements of truths but ultimately wrapped up in a half-truth or lie. However diving deep into the teachings show that there are vast differences fundamentally. Some more info here -> catholicexchange.com/catholicism-buddhism-clearing-confusion/ God bless!

[@randomyoutubeviewer2318]

Hi, as a Buddhist and having lived in a Christian household before (during my study abroad year), I find your comment very educational and interesting. I think what is great about knowing about both religions is that we can see how our idea of life is aligned with the ideology that is taught by that religion. During my study abroad year, my host family brought me to many Christian churches and I also see the similarities and some difference between two religions like you do too. At the end of the day, each religion is all about teaching its followers to cherish our lives and become a better person. I do agree with your point of view about reincarnation in Buddhism, and that's what something I have been in conflict with for some years. Even though I do not worship Jesus and Christian God (in Buddhism we also refer to Buddha as God sometimes, so I had to clarify), I believe in his existence and I love the idea that everyone is God's creation. When I learned about it, I felt very seen and very cleansed. I am just 21, and I'm still on the exploring page, so I'm very glad to learn from both religions and everything that I have learned helps me a lot with reflecting within myself and living a full life. Nice to read your comment and learn something new today.

[@EatMyKos]

@@randomyoutubeviewer2318 thanks for sharing your comment. God bless brother and all the best in your journey for truth :)

[@brooksadamson1993]

You can’t eat meat? I might be mistaken but I thought you could because you did not directly kill the animal.

[@kusali11]

Great video just want to address a few points which are probably cultural misconceptions. Buddhism is a science, philosophy, and a religion as the vlogger actually came to find out. So all of it can be taken or some of it. But to maximize on the result it's best to take all of it. But all of it can be proven through logic, then practiced with faith based on reasoning. The vlogger Say's he's meditated for a few years yet says he's new to Buddhism, where do you think most of those techniques found in the west come from? Many people in western cultures teach meditation and yoga without siting their sources, because they don't want to seem like they're teaching Woo. But this perpetuates the notion that the traditions in the east are woo. It's understandable in the beginning to teach as such otherwise people will be put off by it. Finally no need to be vegetarian to be Buddhist, just don't kill. You can think about how that plays out. This is an excellent and fair video, none of my comments are any fault of the vlogger just wanted to add.

[@jozio8029]

My man would achevé instant enlightenment if hé would try it for his whole incarnation instead one week😉

[@wordscapes5690]

We do not believe in reincarnation, we believe in rebirth. Since there is no Self, reincarnation is not possible.

[@heinzwurzer2345]

Tich Nhat Han war kein Buddha bzw. Bodhisattva ... er ist "stehen geblieben" auf halbem Entwicklungswege als die Kraft der Sprache sich bei ihm entwickelte, was auf dem Weg zum Buddha-Zustand eine Falle ist ...

[@keshanasachithra6003]

However if u want to know the reality come to sri lanka

[@pokemondiariessl9938]

Really bn.our monks own Mercedes Benz and eat from 5 star buffets

[@prabhanissanka-ik2lk]

Please don't say "you guys" 😢😢😢

[@jackparsons515]

The irony of everything in Buddhism is that I have become a better Christian than I ever have.

[@Zukaarimoto]

Interesting. How so? I am curious.

[@Vx3313]

You can’t practice Buddhism for a week and expect to get nirvana 😭

[@itsrick17]

Don’t mess with this stuff, it’s demonic, come to Jesus and He will forgive you.

[@WorldChamp12]

Weak comment

[@vinurinethma3787]

🤦🤷???

[@Helen-pd6fd]

If you are follower of Jesus, please refrain from going into any KZbin that relates to other religions. I am a Buddhist, and Buddhists do not say negative things about other religions. Please do not say any negative things about any religion. Thank you.

[@kusali11]

Jesus probably went to India to learn from the Buddhists. There is a gap in his story in the Gospels ...

[@LuFADa]

Buddhism isn't demonic. It's the truth

[@thomasawdffaw123]

Y'all should look into the channel "dougs dharma" if you are now interested in Buddhism also the "secular buddhist" Podcast is very cool

[@itsrick17]

Don’t mess with this stuff, it’s demonic, come to Jesus and He will forgive you.

[@itsrick17]

@Mr. Hazama (Yuki Terumi) The cold hard truth of the Gospel is not Jesus, it’s that we have to repent and puting by our faith in the Gospel to received salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

[@Sayasukaproton]

Kid jesus is not a god😂

[@Jackass17777]

Stupid believe Jesus. He was like us.