Buddhism the Next Big Trend...?
Honestly there is so much shit going on in the world RN - I shouldn't need to convince you, just switch on the news and you shall see - wars abroad and race hate at home - and so much of it heightened by sheer confusion.....
I think that more and more people are just saying to themselves 'I've just had enough of this' how the hell do I get outa here.
But in reality there is nowhere to go.
Then there's AI that is making me think this way - AI can do a lot of our jobs better, such that we become and apendenge of the technology and have to settle for being good at 'prompting' - one has to wonder how one is ever going to find work satisfying ever again.
And it's no use NOT using AI, then you just feel silly because you're working twice as hard as the company next door who is using it.
And again, so much uncertainty with AI, so much lack of control, so much capacity for people to just at some point be exhausted with it all.
I guess that's the key word that's summing up the experience of modern life - exhaustion because there is just TOO MUCH GOING ON...
And more and more people asking 'how can I just get some fucking peace'
Well there is an answer in Buddhism IMO, it addresses on a personal level many of the frustrations of modern life, offers and antidote.
That is to those of us who are not in the front line of the shit, those of us who have enough to get by, which is most of us btw....
I've sort of got out of touch with Buddhism of late, but I think I need to revisit it, that noble eighfold path is worth a look, so many tools in that Buddhist toolbox for dealing with the pressures of modern life, more than coping, just going beyond it all and learning to just detach.
I can just see Buddhism becoming pretty big going forwards, I might have to have a look at companies seeking to capitalise on the whole break-free spirituality vibe, it could be massive and a tidy little earner.
Or maybe I just need to go full retard and become a Guru...?
🙂
Now I need to watch that clip... again!
I don't really do religion, but if it can help you find inner peace without wanting to attack those who believe in different imaginary friends then that could be good. Of course someone will always cash in if they can.
I always enjoyed reading and listening to the teachings of Buddhism. Like with every other spiritual path or religion, there are little things that I feel differently. I found more counsel in stoicism, though my good friend and somewhat teacher said that there are many synergies between the two.
And then again, I found many worthy teachings in my religion of upbringing, Lutheran Protestantism, too. Much common grounds among many. Perennialism would be something to study. One day.
Buddhism is declining badly you know, most of my family who held Buddhism, have converted to Christian or go full humanism either as Agnostic or Atheist
Finding inner peace is a mission of any religion. And any religion contains tons of anti-scientific beliefs. The advantage of Buddhism is that some Buddhists teachers openly say: if some ideas from our scriptures don't match the reason and science, we are ready to abandon these ideas. None of other religions has this flexibility. Moreover, the atheistic core of Buddhism matches feelings of Christians who can't believe in god anymore but still need spirituality. Buddhism is based on faith too, but it doesn't require believing in samsara, karma, nirvana, non-existence of the soul, etc. You have a right to doubt. You can practice Buddhism just to feel better.
Most people won't probably follow any formal type of Buddhism but rather practice its components and components of its "cousin", Hinduism - New Age stuff.
However, moral wellness doesn't help to answer the main question: why is it worth living and what is worth fighting. Without these answers, Buddhism will die off with its European followers.
Now, we are at the point when most people, believing in science, consider humans a sort of biological filth killing mother-nature. This attitude will disappear at some point, as the century-long paradigm "human is the king of nature" ended. We'll find an answer and self-respect as a species, will mix it with Buddhism-like wisdom... and hopefully will find the civilizational balance.