Is My Meditation Working?

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[@beebobalula]

One of the things I like about sitting, is that I don't expect mysterious things to happen like being suddenly cured for old age, anxiety, fear, headache, pain in my tooth etc. I just sit. What happens happens, and what doesn't happen doesn't happen. That's it. Very simple, very easy.

[@ChuckBe]

Truth. At 67, a life-long relationship with depression. Most of those years, attempting to mitigate the impact through various, dangerous, extreme chemical interventions, including 15 years of anti depressants. I am, and prefer, being chemical free, not to say that such measures are not someone else’s karma. Depression is how my brain works, and it’s a forever thing. The Buddha’s teachings and zazen provide the most effective path through the ups and downs of my existence.

[@wilhelmmischief8416]

I will add my two cents: I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in my early 30s after my father died. I had seen many doctors in my 20s and got various diagnosis of depression, anxiety and ADHD. I did not show signs of psychosis then, but I think it was clear I was heading there in retrospect. I can say that some people most definitely require medication; I would not argue, however, that overly medicating people is not a thing. From my own experience, I believe that a proper diagnosis and medication along with beginning a daily meditation practice (7 years now) and studying various forms of Buddhism helped me turn my mental health around. When it comes to ending suffering in Buddhism, the only answer is complete non attachment to literally everything. Most people who meditate do not actually want to go that far. I certainly still have my attachments; but when I start to feel down, I notice that I am clinging to an idea of what I think should be or who I think I should be.

[@CaptMang]

A lot of people are caught up in the mental health fad that stems from our economy of self-improvement/self-optimization. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it shines; sometimes I’m laughing, sometimes I’m crying. Zazen is not some psychology strategy. Buddhism as a whole is not as similar to modern psychology as many people think. If people care about their mental health they should forget about the idea of mental health as it exists in both folk psychology and cognitive psychology.

[@G.Mondragon]

As a parent, I have struggled for years with anger and aggression, but I found that sittings Zazen daily has allowed me to slow down and see things clearly. As I began to do so, I discovered the power of the precepts. Following the Three Pure Precepts intimately allowed me to see what it means to “refrain from unwholesome action” - and the karmic power of “do wholesome action.” Zazen and Buddhadharma are “purifying the mind”, they are inseparable. Practicing this way has turned my life around. Dōgen is right. And Zazen works. Just sit.

[@chapstickit]

As a licensed therapist who has worked with prescribers, the general sense in the field is that medications for mood disorders at best will alleviate some of the symptoms, but they dont cure. Also I love using "pain is universal. suffering is optional" :D I've gotten a lot of mileage using it to invite discussions on pain with my clients.

[@HardcoreZen]

That seems like a good way to look at medications.

[@ErikDornes]

Im a psychiatrist, and also a Zen practitioner (only been doing it "for realsies" for around 6 months, though, before it was an on and off situation much like what you described - this time I dont think Im stopping though, call it a gut feeling). I get where people who are critical of antidepressants come from, and Im not a very "medical-minded" psychiatrist, but I have to say that there IS hard science backing them up, and it really is not the case that "just going for a walk" is the same as taking ADs. Im one for advocating against "magic bullet" thinking though (much like you did with Zazen), and warning people against objectifying Science like it's a done deal and not something with a huge number of confounding factors, but I do have to be the devil's advocate sometimes. Regarding Zazen as a cure for all, I guess people often forget that the Buddha only ever talked about doing something to the SECOND arrow, and not to the first... Anyways love your stuff Brad keep doing what you are doing

[@HardcoreZen]

Thanks! I gotta re-read that arrow parable. I only remember there being one. And this is the second time the "second arrow" has come up.

[@TheTomatoHater]

@@HardcoreZen Kinda late, but there are two different parables about arrows. One is about someone getting hit with an arrow and then starting asking irrelevant questions and refusing to get it removed before getting answers to their questions. Another is about getting hit with an arrow and not shooting yourself with a figurative second arrow by wallowing in self-pity and getting worked up about it.

[@HardcoreZen]

Yeah@@TheTomatoHater that's what confused me. I knew the one about the guy asking questions but I had not heard the other. So I couldn't figure out what the "second arrow" meant because there's only one arrow in the parable I knew.

[@ErikDornes]

Cmon Siddhartha get your arrows straight

[@zucchinipants]

Huang Bo said, “Just accord with your conditions and exhaust your old karma and do not create new calamity.” Have you tried not creating new calamity?

[@HardcoreZen]

Every day.

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

​@@HardcoreZen I'm thinking about becoming Christian not because I actually believe it, but because I want to be part of a community. I live in Italy and here people are isolated. Of course there's a Buddhist community, but if I want to go to the temple I need to take the train and travel for more than one hour, but when I come back I cannot see my temple mates because they live far away from me. Therefore I'm thinking of becoming Christian because I want to be part of a community. Even though that means that I see a criminal, a good person, an atheist, a Buddhist, a Hindu as a Satanist. Even if I know that people like Marilyn Manson declare themselves as Satanists but they simply believe in ego. In reality my desire to be Buddhist is great but I want to be part of a community as well, having people with whom I could hang out etc what should I do?

[@HardcoreZen]

@@rafaelecattonar1506 Not all Christians think of people from other religions as evil or Satanists. I don't know how Italy is. Maybe all the churches are Catholic? Catholics seem pretty open to other religions. There are some Catholic priests who practice zazen. Thomas Merton was one. I met a German monk from the Benadictine Order who practiced zazen. I believe the Carmalite order of Catholic nuns do a kind of Catholic style meditation practice. You might be able to find a Christian church that is open to practices like zazen and open to learning from other philosophical traditions like Buddhism.

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

@@HardcoreZen the Christian community that I frequent is an evangelical Christian community. I frequent this church not only because I wanna be part of a community, but also due to the fact that many of them come from Brazil which is my homeland.

[@user-wl8ue8zm1i]

There’s a nice Alan Watts interview on KZbin (Studs Terkel interviews Alan Watts) covering some of the same ideas. Watts answers the normal questions (like your commenters pose) in a clear way and shows how these questions are inappropriate. This interview just clicked for me, and I felt was an excellent summary of Zen.

[@user-gw5rf3vl5x]

Sir, I have pursued zen buddhism intellectually for four decades. I have lacked the discipline to adhere to zazen except for a few sporadic periods during this time but your explanation of the benefits (or the " why") of zazen is wonderful and straightforward. Thank you for sharing.

[@joeg3950]

I feel like this question/concern comes up very often. However, most of the time, people hear what they want to hear instead of taking the time to closely listen what you said. Oh, well. Viva Ziggy!

[@jesseneal5909]

Great video, Brad. Thank you

[@Smoggyrob1]

There's a great Peanuts cartoon of all the kids running past the doghouse barefoot, yelling about how great spring is and how fun running barefoot in the grass is. Snoopy watches them pass and then thinks, "After a few years the excitement wears off."

[@HardcoreZen]

Ha!

[@saralawlor780]

Thank you Brad. So down to earth as usual. If for some reason I miss sitting in the morning, which is very rare, I really do notice it by the end of the day. Something feels ‘off’. Practising zazen for years certainly hasn’t removed suffering but it changes the way I see it. I can avoid being swallowed up by it as much. I like the analogy of a cold. 👍 A monk recently said to me that a thought is no more real than a dream and this helps me when suffering arises and its accompanying thoughts about the situation. 😊

[@goatsplitter]

I've been doing zazen for so many years and it still hasn't cured my migraines and inability to play guitar. It's clearly not working!!!!! (All sarcasm). Thank you for the video. Ps: i love hearing you do more contemporary songs! You're very talented.

[@paulocarvalhorp]

Zazen is not about feel better. People insist on misunderstand that...

[@brookestabler3477]

Yup. You learn the truth.

[@matthewdore4182]

Hey Brad, that Shemp Misfits Walk Among us shirt is awesome, would you happen to have a link to get one you could share. Thanks, Matt

[@Rocky-pc1bj]

I remember those shows for bands. I was fortunate enough in high school to meet the guys from Flickerstick who won Battle on the Run when I was in Denton.

[@Rocky-pc1bj]

Also, I'm not a big advocate for using religion in place of therapy. It can help with minor issues but not full blown clinical depression and things like that. Religion is not designed for those issues per se.

[@mattycreative]

Brad…thank you for this. Greetings from Akron and The Summit FM! Making things ‘a little bit better’ is….sometimes just enough. I like that! Have you had a chance to listen to the ‘From Akron & Beyond’ podcast? Bob Ethington and Nick Nicholis are the hosts. I’m sure they’d love to have you as a guest to talk Zero Defex and Akron music. I can help set this up.

[@HardcoreZen]

I have not heard of that podcast. But I know Bob. Tell them to get in touch. I'll do it. [e-mail]

[@mattycreative]

@@HardcoreZen They're pumped. They will be in touch, Brad. Thnx!

[@benrusher581]

Depression happens for a reason. There are causes (like everything). The old version, that it's out of whack hormones etc is now pretty much been updated with a much more sophisticated perspective of biological, social and psychological interactions. I think there is a practice that has the best chance of reducing or fully healing depression and that's good quality therapy (probably over a long-term period).

[@kieranjohnston7550]

I wonder if the medicine for many ailments is time. As you grow old, many types of suffering take care of themselves, they don’t “grab” like they used to. Age+zazen=perspective.

[@xlmoriarty8921]

I guess sit with it doesn't mean stuck with it? Because some things you don't want to be bordered too long.

[@skrrskrr99]

The real question is how does someone be a practicing Buddhist, keep the precepts, and still be an awful narcissistic douche? Does this actually make people better or are these people just not practicing Buddhism correctly? (Thinking about Joshu Sasaki Roshi, among other teachers, or skilled meditators who seem to practice but still haven’t progressed much as compassionate human beings.)

[@reedrichards8677]

10:30 Can you explain what you mean by this? I thought you were skeptical of the notion of reincarnation. I've tried to reconcile Dogen's declaration that ash does not become firewood with sutra's in the Pali Cannon. Is it possible you and Dogen are saying we are different people throughout this life but once the body is broken up what I call myself will not be transfered to another being? Thank you for any direction.

[@HardcoreZen]

I have a hard time explaining what I think of reincarnation. I keep failing! Here is an old video in which I tried to explain. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZKXdp5oacZ4h8ksi=zSkEq7VXo_NkfuQe

[@kevindole1284]

Suffering is a problematic translatiin if dukkha. I like "anguish" better. To me anguish is defined as a "oh why meeee" kind of feeling. Sounds like you still experience symptoms of depression occasionally but are over the " why me" of it all

[@jefffedorkiw1619]

i think you guys might be what the kids these days would call “geriatric hardcore” 😮

[@ossy43]

In other words, Life is dukka, get over it!!!....😂😂

[@mattrkelly]

in the short term you need results... unfortunately, zen is a more of a long term project 😮

[@bennigan88]

Depression is nothing like a cold. It’s not something that just happens. It has causes, and is a wake up call to change our lives.

[@HardcoreZen]

Maybe it is sometimes. In my case, it's not. Well... except in the sense that it's one of the things that led me to zazen. Which definitely changed my life!

[@Tomas33392]

@@HardcoreZenHow do you know for sure though? Nobody is fully aware of everything that goes on in their minds and bodies. We have thousands of thoughts a day and we are aware of a small percentage of them. Or it might be buried past trauma coming up to the surface and manifesting as depression. You might be right, just offering some food for thought.

[@macdougdoug]

@.8864 I think Brad might mean that his episodes of depression are not caused by events happening around him, not caused by something sad occuring. Buddhism accepts (even teaches) that things appear as they do due to "causes and conditions". Awakening is not about becoming a different person. Its about seeing what being a person is.

[@imja_]

No they're similar, cold has it's causes too and often it is also a wake up call to change something in our lives. Karma is the reason for both.

[@marilynsullivan7549]

Why do you refrain from swearing?

[@ChuckBe]

The algorithm, I think…to answer for Brad 🙄

[@willieluncheonette5843]

there are over 112 different kinds of meditation. Just try one for a few days. If you don't feel something changing in you that simply means that meditation is not for you. Try a different one.

[@Think_Before_you_Speak-bz4bw]

Vipassana + metta is the two which works for me