The Karmapa Lama, one of Buddhism’s top leaders, has stated that not only does he play violent video games, he also thinks they are as effective as meditation in freeing the mind of worldly passions.
He also professes a liking for hiphop, though is too coy to name specific artists…
The current Karmapa Lama, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, leads a major school of Buddhism, the Karma Kagyu school, and occupies an especially delicate diplomatic position as he is the only major Buddhist leader to receive recognition from China (whose control he escaped from), India (where he resides now) and the Tibetan people.
However, he is a young man of 24, and as such has picked up rather more of global contemporary culture than any of his forebears.
He explains in an interview:
Moving to other issues, I believe you like to listen to hip-hop on your ipod. Who are your favourite artistes?
I can’t think of any specific artistes right now, I basically listen to what ever comes my way, whatever sounds appealing. It’s important for me to stick to my traditional forms of art because I am a Tibetan Buddhist teacher wearing these robes. It’s important for me to maintain my cultural affiliations.
But from time to time I do enjoy listening to hip-hop because it has a very modern sound to it and even though I’m a Tibetan teacher representing these ancient teachings, I’m also a global citizen in the 21st century. Hip-hop perhaps is one way of me being a 21st-century person.
Is that why you play war games on your play station because many might say it’s inappropriate for a Buddhist monk dedicated to peace to play war games?
Well, I view video games as something of an emotional therapy, a mundane level of emotional therapy for me. We all have emotions whether we’re Buddhist practitioners or not, all of us have emotions, happy emotions, sad emotions, displeased emotions and we need to figure out a way to deal with them when they arise.
So, for me sometimes it can be a relief, a kind of decompression to just play some video games. If I’m having some negative thoughts or negative feelings, video games are one way in which I can release that energy in the context of the illusion of the game. I feel better afterwards.
The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling. For me, that’s very skilful because when I do that I don’t have to go and hit anyone over the head.
But shouldn’t meditation take care of that?
No, video games are just a skilful method.
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I'm turning to Buddhism nao~ Uguuuu~ :3
Time to stop worshipping the Moongod and turn to Buddhism.
Any Haruhiist out there changing religions?
^Count me out.
^Loser!!
Modern religious men is FTW
He just might be right.
Just don't go the wrong direction.
I will always worship schoolgirls.
The world is ending..
;_;
The world is mine.
The World Ends With You
Ok that was lame...
World is Hatsune Miku's actually
ZA WARUDO
I did not lol
The World is Not Enough.
You mean Allah?
I think he means the bunny making mochi
i think u mean Allan
My friend are a boy & girl twins. His name is Allen & her name is Ellen.
Now you know why and where Diablo 3 got their inspiration to have Monk as their new class for the third installation franchise! ... except w/o any hip-hop sensation tho.
Buddhist chants will now require an electric guitar solo as well an electronic beat to attract more children to the ways of Buddha.
lol nice....thats really nice
It's sad because that's what Christians do now.
^ I think he meant that as sarcasm to Christians
but i luv christian bands! like Skillet FTW!
You can't trick me demon
But i know you wanted to~
Buddhism gets cooler all the time... ^_^
Indeed :3 Screw innerside moral!! As long as we aren't violating real people, it's pretty much okay to be bad in the inside.
But religion isn't supposed to be convenient IMO
Buddhism is for the young people.
I agree,Schrobby. :D
The only reasonable religion
Well, it's like a lot of other religions in the first place. Only difference they don't go "BLASPHEMY TO (insert god here)!" and dont pester other people to become a buddhist.
They use reverse psychology.
Christian: "Christ compels you!"
You: "No he doesn't.."
Buddhist: "The world is a beautiful place. But you don't have to belive me."
You: "Ok I believe you. Sign me up!"
You missed the point. One of the main tenets of Buddhism, and in fact, part of the 3 Noble Truths is "Life is suffering." The whole point about Buddhism is that life is major suckage, and how to make it less sucky as well as how to cope with the sucky parts.
Comment by KamiOkurimono
24-09-2009 03:07 # !
The only reasonable religion
^ THIS I AGREE WITH
Buddhists can also be narrow minded and dogmatic just like any other group of people, religious or otherwise.
I think it's just plain annoying that people always act like Buddhism automatically grants people greater "cosmic knowledge" and wisdom. People raised Buddhist treat their beliefs as a religion, not a philosophy, and all have the same faults as any Christian, Muslim, Atheist, etc and YES, they do promote their beliefs like ANY organization (atheists included).
I really wish people would stop looking towards pop culture for their views and opinions on the world, and I do indeed live in an area with a good number of Buddhist temples, but in a lower class neighborhood (no Hollywood white Buddhists here).
Oh, and go vidya games.
Saying that people raised Buddhist take the religion as a religion and not a philosophy is also narrow-minded of you.
Believe what you want but I myself was raised a Buddhist and I don't go around telling people to convert themselves to my religion/philosophy. I find the thought of that appalling really but I digress. I will agree however that there are Buddhists that take the religion too seriously and act on the same level as a Christian/Catholic/etc. fundamentalist.
In defence of people being raised religious, I have friends that are Christians that strongly believe in their faith, while not having been raised Christian. One of them was also raised Buddhist as a matter of fact. So don't go spouting shit about people raised religious are as worse as fundamentalists of their religion.
Also what does pop culture have anything to do with this?
It really depends on HOW they are raised. If they are raised by fanatical parents and only exposed to fanatical materials, they are going to grow up fanatical as well. There are many shades of 'religious', and those raised under these different shades will end up behaving kinda differently.
LOL
Nice
maybe he wears hiphop too. ;)
lol wouldn't that be funny seeing a Buddhist wearing gangster clothes and talking ghetto lmao!
"yo nigga, iz tyum to meditate while we procreate nugguh.
common misconception. hip hop is not about gangsters, its not about cars, jewelry nor bitches.
hiphop is all about politics. the music genre you are reffering to, and probably this monk aswell, is rap. rap is a mainstream genre whilst hip hop is not.
faggot, rap music is any music with rap in it.
Hip Hop is miantsream
I'd be curious to know what console his play station is.
2 to 1 on ps2
hmmm, isnt it contradictory? If he is trying to free his mind of worldy possessions, why the hell does he have an ipod and a playstation? That is totally against buddhism
Eh, he's a pretty cool guy (no, I'm not going for THAT joke). At least we can safely say he's a gamer who believes that "Crime + Video Games = BULLSHIT!"
Buddhism isn't about relinquishing one's worldly possessions. Even Siddhartha became a complete ascetic, practicing self-mortification and completely throwing away everything he owned, only to realize that moderation is the key, not going to either extreme. A Buddhist monk's lifestyle does contain a level of asceticism, but it's okay to spend leisure time with your hobbies and eat good food - as long as you keep it in check. Children growing up in monasteries can be seen playing soccer in the courtyard and such. You'd never see that if they were true ascetics.
Buddhism isn't puritanical as a religion in the slightest. If you had to sum up the religion, it's basically that life sucks, and there's a way of finding balance in mind, body and spirit that can help you overcome that.
you're probably right about that, but that mostly applies to Mahayana(sp?) group. The southern school of Buddhism, Theravada, is a more stricter form of Buddhism. And you usually won't see Theravadan young monks playing soccer.
lol, unlike catholics...they are told to free themselves from all material things....
now its really
Buddhism > Catholicism
it looks that way
In Buddhism, you are encouraged to severe all attachments to worldly and petty desires. In fact, most of the waking hours of a monk is devoted just for that.
I think you just made me into a Buddhist with that explination. 0_0;