AboutAlex Wilding Expertise I have practiced and studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions since the early 1970s, and have a good knowledge of theory, history and of the struggles of trying to practice the teachings, including meditation, while leading a normal, modern life.
I am also available to provide background information for journalists.
Experience I have been a practitioner since the early 1970s; have run a small Buddhist centre in the English Midlands and was vice-president of Kagyu Benchen Ling e.V. in Germany, for whom I managed three large Buddhist summer-camps. More importantly, I maintain a habit of personal practice.
I am the "owner" of the Kagyu list at Yahoo.
Education/Credentials My first degree was an M.A. from Oxford. I later obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for a research thesis in "Initiation in Tibetan Buddhism" from Leicester University. I also have engineering and educational qualifications.
I have a question or two about Buddhism and the challenges of incorporating Buddhist practice into a 'normal', Western life.
I read somewhere on the internet that things like music, sport, dance, theatre, film and other enjoyable recreational activities are unskillful because they are a distraction from spiritual growth.
I can see that yes, listening to music or practising sport or whatever, don't require acts of self-analysis and reflection. HOWEVER, they are extremely enjoyable and bring meaning to my life. It should be mentioned too, perhaps, that the types of music and sport I enjoy are really the least 'aggressive' or 'negative' possible (if music/ sport could even be so): classical / world / folk music, and my preferred sports and running and rock climbing (with, of course, a safety rope) !!
Please tell me that having fun is not unconducive to the spiritual life. I'd be really very very sad to feel like if I want to progress as a person and as a spiritual being, it would be best for me to give up my hobbies and the things I enjoy.
My second question relates to sensual enjoyment. I read in many many Buddhist texts and so on that sensual pleasure (by this I understand enjoyment of any of the five senses, plus sexual pleasure) is not conducive to Buddhist life and enlightenment. However, in many of the meditation guides that I have read, and indeed in many Buddhist stories, I read things advising one to attend to and enjoy what one is eating, for example, or to look at a flower and see the colour, the shape of the petals etc. I enjoy looking at flowers. Sight is a sense. Enjoyment of looking at a flower is therefore sensual enjoyment. Sensual enjoyment is unadvisable. Therefore looking at a flower is unadvisable. This seems a bit strange to me!
Perhaps you could enlighten me a bit about this :-)
I'd really appreciate any answer you have to give. I realise it's time consuming - so thanks very much for volunteering on here and helping people like me with our difficult and long winded questions!!
Best wishes,
Katy
Answer Hi Katy,
I think it might help you to realize that Buddhism is a vast, complex thing - a whole culture, almost. It has many different layers and different approaches within it. And the representatives of one part don't always entirely agree with the representatives of another part!
In the kind of Buddhism I know a little about, the kind of renunciant practice of the pure monk or nun is highly admired and respected. These are the people who renounce distractions like music and dance, perfume, soft beds, sex, chatter and so on in order to purify their minds. But this is not thought of as the only approach. It may be said that this approach is the easiest to understand, but is very hard to do.
Another style of practice puts more emphasis on compassion and generosity as well as, for sure, ethics, meditation, study and so on.
And there is a style that emphasises recognizing all experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, as expressions of the mind's innate wisdom. Allowing them to arise *without grasping or rejection* turns those experiences into the path. This approach may be said to be the most difficult to understand properly - it very easily turns into a sloppy non-practice, but is also said to be one of the quickest ways to reach liberation *once it is properly put into practice*.
Anyway, the thing is that what you have read is not untrue, but is only part of really quite a big and complex picture.
