Random Confession Session- I’m completely obsessed with monks. How they choose to do life fascinates me.
Monks have made the decision to dedicate a portion or all of their life to focus on meditation, doing good (Karma), pushing desires aside, clearing their mind and finding inner peace.
Monk Chat is an opportunity for people to learn about Buddhism and if you’re a curious cat like me, ask 10000 questions. In return the young monks get to earn merit and practice English.
Meet Boworn. Brandon in English.
At 17, he has been a novice monk for 5 years. He joined monkhood for the free education and to learn the art of meditation.
Buddhism-
A personal, spiritual journey towards Enlightenment or Nirvana.
A person or animal born is a reincarnate of someone who did not previously reach Nirvana. They are born into a life where suffering is inevitable.
Karma- “for every action there is a reaction in the opposite direction.”
Suffering on earth is direct correlation with bad karma from a previous life.
Nirvana is a state of lasting, unconditional happiness, peace and complete wisdom and insight. It is an end to suffering while a person is alive and an end to reincarnation.
The four steps to reaching Nirvana are to realize:
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Life is suffering.
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This suffering is caused by the ignorance of the true nature of the universe.
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You can only end this suffering by overcoming ignorance and attachment to earthly things. Desires are combatted and often feelings are suppressed.
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You can overcome ignorance and attachment by following the Noble Eightfold Path.
While Buddhism is focused on the here and now, not the past and certainly not the future, practicing people can find themselves overcome with fear when thinking about the possibility of another life of suffering.
Boworn goes on to talk about what he has been told about Christianity. Good people go to heaven, bad people go to hell. An all too common belief and total misconception. I got the opportunity to speak truth into that and clarify some things. Actually, the Spirit spoke through me.
The truth is, we were all born into sinfulness. We deserve to be punished for that. Because of our sin, we are separated from God. Jesus came to earth, perfect, and died to carry all of our sin, to break us out of bondage; to create a bridge from us sinners to God. But it didn’t end there, three days later he rose again- victorious. Through faith, we are reborn. Not just reborn, but we are a brand new creation! Our past doesn’t define us. With that faith, repentance of sin and personal relationship with Christ, we can rest in the promise of eternal life in heaven. We get to live in complete freedom.
Christianity-
A personal relationship with Christ towards promise of eternal life in Heaven.
A person is re-born as a new creation, past completely clean.
Born into a life of sin- by the grace of God, we have been redeemed.
Through the Holy Spirit our Helper who dwells in us, we have endless access to Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and self control.When we choose to walk in the Spirit.
The Lord gives us the desires of our hearts.
We don’t have to be fearful as we serve a good God who keeps his promises.
His plans are for us, not against.
While suffering will exist, we can rest in the fact that it will be a testimony to just how great our God is.
But, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”
1 Corinthians 2:9
