tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2091479631621288656.post6357539626221306238..comments2008-07-04T11:45:26.982-07:00Marie Drennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03935544884606178084noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2091479631621288656.post-77463084797128860222008-07-04T11:45:00.000-07:002008-07-04T11:45:00.000-07:002008-07-04T11:45:00.000-07:00hey marie, this is a pretty old topic but I happened by and thought I would leave a little something for ya...<BR/>The precepts are really just tools, they aren't commandments or rules that you MUST follow and if you don't then you will never realize enlightenment. They are not like that...<BR/>The point of buddhism is to realize your self nature. To do this these precepts are fashioned to point out this self nature to you. It is really easy to think of the precepts as rules rather than a mirror for your mind. <BR/>So if you are caught up with music, entertainment, dancing and movies or plays, it subjects your mind to potential desire or cravings that it was not currently obsessed with. <BR/>This means that since you have not realized your self nature, then you are caught up in becoming and wanting which propels the cycle of pleasure and suffering.<BR/>If you try to resist or abandon dancing, singing, entertainment, music and movies thinking they are bad or evil or what ever, then instead of solving the problem of suffering you are making another form of suffering for yourself.<BR/>Dancing, singing, ect. are not bad or evil or unbuddhist, despite what might be said about following the precepts or breaking the precepts. In all actuality there is no such thing as bad, evil nor breaking of precepts for a being that has understood it's nature.Krumplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00124937337127901660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2091479631621288656.post-88006845101826783352008-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:002008-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:002008-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:00Hi Carin -- I have not really tried to do any of the "scheduled" Uposatha days, though I try to set days for refraining from every instance of a particular impulse, like oversleeping/eating, procrastinating, or grotesque mime. (What kind of person can really go a whole day without grotesque mime, though?) <BR/><BR/>I like the idea of Sabbath a lot, partly because it's predictable and frequent; I think I'd do better if I weren't leaving it up to my own scheduling whims. I guess that's part of the point -- it isn't about what I feel like doing and when! <BR/><BR/>How do you observe the Sabbath?Marie Drennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03935544884606178084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2091479631621288656.post-48554806229643565272008-03-15T09:12:00.000-07:002008-03-15T09:12:00.000-07:002008-03-15T09:12:00.000-07:00In this post you mention considering committing to regular practice of Uposatha days, and wondering how that might impact the rhythm of your life. Have you attempted this practice since you wrote this? If so, what has your experience been? I'm curious, as I'm just beginning to "play" with the notion of Sabbath in my tradition (Christian). Thanks!carinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10939524554469198684noreply@blogger.com