Does Buddhism entail mindfullness to absolutely everything?

Question

The more I think about Buddhism, the more "little things" stand out. For example:

A good question to ask oneself is "where will this lead me. in other words, am i perpetuating delusion or am i on the path towards freedom?"

When making a decision, one should ask that question. After all, karma dictates action and consequence. One should be mindful of the consequence of their actions.

So when it comes down to little things- like buying a candy bar comes to mind. It would seem that one buying a candy bar would be perpetuating desire and greed, which are, among other feelings, the cause of suffering. But, obviously, it seems a little tedious to break down every day tasks into huge karmic questions.

So where is the middle ground? Of course it depends on how serious a person wants to get about Buddhism, but where have other people settled on this topic?

I was thinking- maybe learning what the choice would be once, and integrating that (so basically, you think once about the topic and then apply it- instead of just a candy bar, you decide that all things unnecessary just lead to desire... so next time a similar situation comes up you have already make your decision.

I know it's long, and probably slightly confusing... but I'd like to know how others Buddhists settled this, or if anyone has studied Buddhism- what would your conclusion be?

Answer 1

denying the candy bar is moderation; candy bar is luxury-- sense gratification and eating one candy a week is ok so we can eat but eating candy everyday can spoil teeth and make you fat- this is common sense so discretion must be used...this discretion is the good question.. denying the food that is nutritional and necessary would be harmful and stupid so this is the excess that should be avoided

all this discretion necessary until realization later .."the one who enjoys luxuries or sleeps on the road if he knows the truth only he is the real enjoy er and none other" a famous saying

As Shari Krishna says- "yog is not for those who sleep , eat , work too much or too little..they dont attain it"... "they should act discreetly too and do everything as per rules" -- this is exactly what Budhdha meant by moderation

Answer 2

nope

Answer 3

This is a great question!

Sadly, for lazy folks like me, Buddhism doesn't provide any recipe for how to deal with all of life's many little decisions. Even the "middle way" isn't very useful -- just a nice-sounding idea until we gain some insight into it.

Much of the work of Buddhism -- the *action* of Buddhism -- is to observe closely the workings of our mind.

Meditation practice is the tool for this and, through regular meditation, we become familiar with mind's function. We get to see (over and over) where we get stuck, what our habits are, and how impulses arise in certain ways.

As we reveal our mind to ourselves (sounds contradictory, doesn't it), an interesting thing happens -- our impulses, habits, and desires begin to loose some of their "juice." Their tight control over our actions begins to diminish.

This is the first fruit of meditation -- we become liberated from our unconscious intentions.

When this happens, we can see the truth of any situation, perceive our relationship to that situation, and finally, see how best to function in that situation.

In the "candy bar" situation, the candy bar is just a hunk of calories, flavors, and miscellaneous chemicals. It's not good, not bad. When we see the candy bar as "not good, not bad," then we can *use* the candy bar to benefit this world.

Perhaps, as we see our relationship to the situation clearly, we see a little boy who's having a bad day. Perhaps some candy would help him, but the generous act of offering him candy might help him more. If we could see this relationship clearly, then we could buy the candy and make the offering. He tastes it...ahhh! Great Joy!

And you become a boy's bodhisattva.

And that's the second fruit of meditation -- we become liberated to use any situation to help all beings.

This is true enlightenment. This is our human job.

Answer 4

Star -  I wanna hear the answers

ED: As you are getting no answers, I'll give it a crack.

I'd say the point of Buddhism is getting to a point of understanding where you no longer desire the candy bar in the first place. Until you reach that point you will be perpetrating delusion by not having the candybar because you will create suffering in your self by denial.

Ultimately it is not the denial of physical bodywhich is the point of Buddhism, but the enlightenment of the mind to the point where the 'pleasuring' the physical body is no longer fulfilling, as the mind is operating on a higher level.

And until you reach that point my friend go and get your candy bar, as long as its not produced via child labour from some impoverished nation. I really don't think this will seriously impact your karma.

Answer 5

Somehow all questions of desire always come down to candy bars or cupcakes.  :)

Here's the thing.  You need to be mindful of why you are buying the candy bar and the karmic consequences.  Is it a tasty treat that you could just as easily walk away from or do you HAVE to have it?  Are you healthy or are you diabetic or obese?  Will this candy bar contribute to future suffering, or simply be a tasty treat?

It's always about common sense and the middle way.

Edited to add:  It's about practice and theory.  As you learn more and meditate more, your practice will naturally change.