Law / Opening Kebab shop or Malaysian restaurant in Poland? [71]

I'd go with the Malaysian food, but: do they put sugar over their spaghetti?

Food / European cuisine student need help with good polish dish [13]

Pierogi are pierogi, they are a kind of ravioli I guess, but much better tasting. Here is the pic pierogifactory.com

You could also try bigos bigosbar.com/home.htm

Also, take a look here: https://polishforums.com/food/bigos-recipe-1227/2/

Food / the best cure for hangover-the polish way ;) [76]

How about kapusniak? Cabbage soup was suggested as hangover cure by Aristotle. I would not take any pills (ibuprofen, tylenol): mixed with alcohol they are damaging to your liver, I"m sure you want to be able to get drunk when you are fifty one day, right?

Work / I want to live in Poland with my future wife (need job suggestions) [14]

proofreading, translations (with some helpo from your wife), sales to english speaking clients,

USA, Canada / Good Polish/American Restaurants in Chicago area [90]

Just last week I was in Chicago and found this polish deli called Andy's, somewhere _ ok, here is the site andysdeli.com/shop/contact_us.php wouldn't suggest to eat there (as it is just deli), but to take out as much as you can: everything they cook there is just delicious, I bought so much food couldn't fit it in my trunk, well, it's going to feel good to open the fridge for another 3-4 weeks.

Work / telemarketing jobs in Poland [4]

It is a hard, not satisfying job.

Law / Poland's Home Improvement Market? [14]

Rightm, they all went to London.

Law / Poland's Home Improvement Market? [14]

well, so what is your reason for starting up a business, just to have something to do?

Real Estate / I have just recently bought a house in Poland... [20]

Interesting story, thanks for sharing.

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Sure, there are some buddhists in Poland. Although more of them just "practice" it, than really believe the principles. I'd say it is much easier to do the "eastern exercise", than to really convert (if at all possible for somebody from the "western culture", you know, Greece, Bible, enlightement and modern science all together).

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Hi Muzyka,

I meant that they do practice zen or yoga as a breathing/physical exercise or try to meditate etc without really understanding or believing the "hard core" buddhist truths. I mean in general it is very hard to change your "western ways of thinking" to "eastern paths", especially the ego thing.

Travel / Polish National Tourist Board [8]

Right, this video is really bad.

Also, check out this guy
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2004660444612581114&q=alun+hill

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Well, I don't. Should I try? I would have a problem to get motivated: because, if I tried in order to get healthier for example, than it would fall under the western thinking (egocentric taking care of myself): how would I be able to practice knowing the motives at the same time (is there a contradiction? is contradiction even valid in eastern thinking?): see, this is how it works, I mean, it doesn't work/make sense for us, "western guys".

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Right, Muzyka, I don't even get to the "trendy" things etc, just simply stating that the western mind cannot overcome its "western-ness" (cannot overcome these "confusions" which it is constantly producing itself).

So, although it seems you are suggesting that proper learning and practicing may be able to do just that, I'd rather say that these "confusions" are structurally impossible to overcome. In other words: "western meditation" is always going to be a different thing than the eastern one, because, I tend to think, there is more into this than just a repeatable technique.

So, because of the context (inside the mind and outside in the cultural environment) meditation is changing its sense/essence depending on who practice it (westerner or easterner).

Language / How do u guys learn polish? [20]

I used to live with a guy for Hong Kong, who was using hyypia's method, it was working for him, but than again, I had to repeat every word few times before he could pronounce it (and write it down in his private pronounciation code: that looked really funny).

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Nope, haven't heard about Vipassana thing. I'm really not very interested in the eastern tradition. But I'm interested as how deep can you really get into that, isn't there like a line, where us westerners have to stop, which we simply cannot cross because of who we are and how we are?

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

well, I didn't mean just the lifestyle, sure, the values are very important, but I'm also thinking about the logic: is our western logic valid in eastern thinking?

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

you are right, it is kind of general, but just as an example: the western logic is based on the law of non-contradiction (so is my thinking, dreams, plans, actions etc), than I remeber reading this Suzuki guy (and it was 10 years ago, so I had to look this following sentence up) writing about the eastern way of enlightenment: "which is at once above and in the process of reasoning. This is a contradiction, formally considered, but in truth, this contradiction is itself made possible because of Prajna"

I'm simply lost when somebody is "talking contradiction", in this example: is driving to Chiacago the same as already being there?

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

well, I don't think context would matter a lot here, it was just an illustration of letting contradiction play a role in the teaching.

as far as the sense of "no longer wanting things to be different from how they are": if it is a momentary event (illuminatio, orgasm, being lightly drunk before falling to sleep) than I guess it makes sense, but as a permanent state it does remind me - if you will, please - cows slowly chewing their grass somewhere by the rural road in eastern Poland.

seriously: what is life without wanting, acting (changing the order of things), achieving, growing, celebrating, communicating (making a difference as far as the others are concerned)?

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Hi Puzzler, these statements are based on my experience/conversations with a lot of people more or less involved with "polish buddhism". They are admitting that the "practical side" of it is for everybody, but the "mind conversion" is very hard, if at all possible (so it is not mine assumption, just a conclusion of quite a few disscussions). Sure, if you go on the internet you are not likely to find people saying "I practice zen, but I'm not really a buddhist", we were talking with Muzyka on a little deeper level here. Ten people driving to Chicago can be in the same "driving mood", but their believes, values, plans etc is what makes them truly different.

I guess we can all agree that practicing, using buddhist technics does not make one a buddhist automatically, right?(unless this is again "western way" of seeing things, and it does not fit here)

EDIT: Re your [sic] comment next to word yoga: yes, it works the same way with practicing yoga without really paying attention to the Hindu philosophy, treating yoga as just a set of exercises without tinking of it as something "self-liberating".

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]

Sure I'm interested, just need to sleep sometimes :)

We are getting into something here: so, what is "me" or "I" or whatever we may call it without these cravings/aversions? Seems like we'd loose our identities without the attachment to values that motivate us (even if it's just money for example) and we'd have to stop acting. Seems like you are presenting some kind of contemplative rather than active life.

That would be another difference between east and west: we've been told to "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]


Yes, Muzyka, that is what I think about my identity: it is made up of these desires/awersions, and things attached to them, since one always desires/pushes away something (values, emotions, states, people, material things etc). And I agree, the problem is the "work of time", so the interested question you are trying to answer is how to deal with the vanishing. The acceptance seems like a good way, but how should we react, let's say, when there is a war? Should we be accepting it too, as just a neutral event?

Hola, Panie Puzzler, they'd say in Poland.

Since I'm a newbie here, I'm not sure what are the rules about dealing with comments like yours. I will answer it, but please, in the future, save your time: with this attitude (and manners, which you seem to care about), calling people "little, lying arrogant pricks" you simply don't deserve any answers.

I'm also not sure what are you trying to say in your comment, besides talking about me?
It looks like you are missing the point of this discussion: I've never said there was no "advanced buddhists" in Poland, or that I was in any way a specialist in this matter. Even a list of 1000 names of 'advanced buddhists' from Poland don't prove me wrong, since I simply wasn't talking about them.

The 'deeper level' you are asking about is just what you are missing here: we didn't talk with Muzyka about people who are declaring they are buddhists, we were discussing the possibility of real conversion for somebody brought up as a "westerner". And I was stating quite obvious thing that it is not easy.

Suggested reading (patronizing not intended, blame my poor english or your oversensitiveness, also, I don't believe this discussion is in any way overintelectualized(?):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

if you know polish you can take a look at this as a fresh illustration of my opinions (this is an article from one of the biggest polish portals, talking about yoga as something better than "prozac, viagra, amphetamine": same attitude to buddhism I was trying to present and criticize here)

serwisy.gazeta.pl/logo/1,66913,3951710.html

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]


At least one thing you got right. This is exactly what I've meant.

Muzyka, where is elsewhere? Emotions? If it is not an intellectual understanding, can we really talk about it?

Life / Are there any Polish buddhists? [43]


Right, Muzyka, this is exactly what makes these conversions so problematic. The 'western mind' always calculates what is better etc, and doesn't just jump into something unless it is 'worth it'. These can work in very scary ways (as in Pascal's gambit or Kalama Sutra). And all the calculations are just more or less complicated reasonings, 'mind-understandings'. And the western way is 'the harder you try, the closer you get'. So, it seems to me, any westerner has to have a target, something he wants to achieve via 'eastern ways' that comes from his western self. Therefore he is treating eastern practice as a 'set of exercises', just some means to his western ends.

Would you say than, that even starting with western end in mind, proper practice can make him a Buddhist along the way?

News / Michnik in NYT and IHT [14]

I was suprised with the 'complaining' tone of this article. I mean, I'd expect criticism, but not whining, like it actually sounded.

News / Michnik in NYT and IHT [14]

sorry Miranda, not available for free anymore. I should have it somewhere in my sent email,
will try to find it for you.

News / Michnik in NYT and IHT [14]

is it allowed?

News / Michnik in NYT and IHT [14]

I mean the whole piece, I don't have a link since NYT requires payment to read it. no google cache neither.

select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0714F63E540C768EDDAA 0894DF404482

News / Michnik in NYT and IHT [14]

sure. how do you think, is there anything to talk about in this one?