Originally Posted by
samseb5351 
Me too Nightwatch those terms speak to me, there is something real about them, almost like a gentle but firm pragmatism.
You mentioned darker periods, is that like when your consumed by something and you direct your mind to impermanence almost immediately the anxiety you feel "that this will never end" gets a tiny bit less Knowing that things don't last?
Yes about the Religion... I have read somewhere about militant buddhists harming others, it maybe Nepal, may you have heard of that?
I had to deal with death early on in my life - both my parents died when I was a teenager - and I continue to struggle with death, or the end of things that I don't want to end (like relationships). I have a hard time letting go and this grasping and holding on to things bring me a lot of suffering because I want things to be other than they are. This is where Buddhism comes in, because it's through Buddhist ideas that I came to recognize the source of my suffering. Was it a Buddhist quote that says, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional"? Pain is a part of life, but suffering doesn't have to be. And there is a huge difference between them.
The idea of impermanence has had two effects in my life. Early on, impermanence brought me a lot of angst, because it means things I don't want to end,
will end. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my lost youth for instance. But as you touched on, there are times when it brings me hope. When I'm depressed now, I hold on to the idea of impermanence and it makes me feel better, because however horribly I feel in the moment, I know things will change; I don't need to despair and make things worse.
I haven't heard too much about militant Buddhists. From everything I know about Buddhist teachings, it's hard for me to see how someone who follows Buddhist thought could allow themselves to become militant.