r/thaiforest

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…Very few of us have heard of them, but they’re the emotions most basic to the Buddhist tradition. Not only did they inspire the young prince in his quest for awakening. Even after he became the Buddha, he advised his followers to cultivate them on a daily basis. In fact, the way he handled these emotions is so distinctive that it may be one of the most important contributions his teachings have to offer to our culture today.

non-self or not self implies there being a theoretical self for us to not be, so what is this theoretical self which we aren't; the self which doesn't exist? Could it be fair to say that there is a self but the self is impermanent, and forever undergoing alteration, so its not called self because of that reason?

Or is the self which we are not; considered the same as a soul?

Assuming I gain a lot of insight in this lifetime, will the following life manifestation be more inclined to learn such things, or will the underlying insight still remain but the person must wait for the inevitable re-discovery?

Can the insight be completely erased at any point in the sequential re-births?

And is any level of insight on cessation of suffering able to help future rebirths more easily find cessation of suffering if at all, or is it only a specific type of insight which will move through multiple lives if at all, like how stream enterers and onwards only have a limited number of rebirths after very specific very deep insights?

Hi everyone. A few years ago I hit a turning point in my practice. I had been dating, but couldn't get "into it" like before. I saw how I and the other person were just running through our scripts, playing out the same old act in order to impress each other and get what we wanted from the other person or hope for relationship. I went on several dates with several men. Nothing was wrong with any of them, I just had lost any spark or interest because I was seeing what we were doing in such a different and more objective kind of way. My own inner mental patterns were the most eye opening. At some point I just gave up because I knew I couldn't force myself to take to romantic relationships anymore.

Well fast forward a few years into where I am now. I've stopped attending to my appearance, and I've also dropped my lifelong habit/obsession with fitness, maintaining a certain weight, and optimizing my health. I know that the motivation for this was coming from wanting external validation from others (and most especially potential romantic partners). That motivation isn't there anymore, and I've yet to be able to find a wholesome way to motivate myself to look after my health.

I see this as possibly a deeper issue, and a reflection on how much I do or don't care about myself, am willing to show up for myself, and build my self esteem without factoring in other people's opinions of me. I'm also aware that I'm going into my older years (I'm 39) and should try to maintain my physical mobility, strength, and zeal so I can have the potential to practice dhamma for a longer time. How can I cultivate wholesome motivation to build a habit of exercise and healthy eating? As it stands now, I'm overweight, unfit, and need to clean up my food choices.