dakobah

Yes thank you for your time responding with such a thoughtful reply. I realize that Samsara will find me in or outside of a monastery, but I feel that at least my life would be organized around a purpose, instead of what it is now which is mostly being a wage slave and contributing very little 2 the well-being of others through my work. But you're right, there's no way to know what a monastic life would be like without trying it out.

Regarding watering down Buddhism, I stand by my previous statement. The problem with trying to shoehorn Buddhism into our culture by oversimplifying it is that the economy turns it into a commodity and a way of being a better employee. It's presented as a relaxation too, so people get addicted to bliss, which is something that is warned about a thousand times by all sorts of Buddhists throughout history. Heavily marketing it around Compassion and love is a dual vision, it becomes this great thick white cloud illusion that stands in the way of itself. Dharma is supposed to be challenging, if buddhism wasn't challenging and just tells us what we want to hear, it wouldn't be a spiritual path. The right application is like a poison that is medicinal, like how a vaccine or anti-venom works.

I guess I trust that people will rise to the occasion if its presented honestly and fully. With all the challenging and complex concepts included, because those seem to be the real antidotes.

Anyway, thank you for your wisdom, I greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for doing this AMA! I'm a Vajrayana practicioner, and I've seriously considered becoming a monk over the years, it's usually when I'm frustrated and get the feeling that no matter what I do, society has a vested interest in chasing Samsaric delusions of wordly wealth, power and prestige. Our value system is 100 percent antithetical to what the Buddha taught, so I figure why not turn your back on something so life-destroying. But then I think to myself, I should stay and make worldly secular life a part of my practice, I.e. If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere. But then I see alot of modern Buddhism being watered down to appeal to western beginners, so that it fits non-threateningly in our consumer culture, becoming perverted in the process and turned into things like; meditation as a relaxation technique, an overemphasis on love and light, bordering on New Age foofy stuff.

So, how did you do it? How do you do it? how do you square your practicing the Dharma with everyday life? Really and truly being "no one" in a world that worships the individual seems a bit futile to me. And what made you take off your robes?

Again, I hope I'm not too late. And thank you so much for what you do with this life. Invaluable