Fearing the Loss of Passion

"A lot of people, when they enter meditation, are kind of afraid, especially artistic people... they're afraid that if they pursue this path, they'll lose all their passion, they'll lose all their desire, they'll lose all their suffering; and then they won't--this is especially true of artists--be able to continue. And that's bullshit. It's not gonna happen.

You might wish you can relieve all your suffering; you're not gonna do it. Nobody's ever succeeded; Buddha himself didn't succeed.

You develop a different kind of relationship to your suffering, and that is important. And that can transform it utterly."

-Brad Warner, founder of Dogen Sangha Los Angeles

I can attest to this. As a practicing Buddhist, I can share,  through firsthand experience, that meditation does not force one to lose passion or a vibrant or dynamic personality. As Brad Warner puts it, "they were able to be the kind of distinct personalities they were because of their practice. Because the practice had allowed them to uncover the reality of what they actually were, beyond what they might have imagined they were."


So what does it mean to "be a Buddhist", if we must use those terms? It's really just about trying to conduct your actions with a moral center, and involves a certain level of mindfulness of one's present experience. That's about it.