It doesn't surprise me. I had quit videogames before as I didn't see any benefit in them and decided to dedicate my time to more practical things.
Later I realised, not having any outlet to release my pent up emotions, I was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate and get on with my personal studies.
A good game to get myself away from such nonsense helped put me back in my game - I mean the real life kinda' game!
I also found there is much one can learn from videogames - and they are in many ways superior in this to television or books because you are not only learning, but experiencing at the same time. You learn to apply what you learn as you are learning it - an important skill to work on.
Besides that, Buddhist teachings are a great inspiration to me.
Buddhist Leader Defends Video Games!
Re: Buddhist Leader Defends Video Games!
As JT mentioned, let's not forget that he's a Zen Buddhist and it shouldn't be thought that his comment was meant to apply inherently to every individual. The Zen Buddhist, through zazen and meditation, has taught himself to focus on the present (the "now") by being mindful. Consistent meditation teaches him this and a dedicated Zen follower will learn to encompass this mindfulness in every activity.
We can't expect the average person to internalize playing a video game the same way a devoted Zen Buddhist would. But that doesn't mean that the average person can't learn to do so, nor does it make the monk's statement any less meaningful. We get out of video games what we intend to get out of them, whether it's conscious or not. Perhaps instead of focusing on the harm that certain hobbies can cause and attempting to censor those hobbies, we should instead be trying to teach our children to be more mindful of everything around them and how it affects them.
We can't expect the average person to internalize playing a video game the same way a devoted Zen Buddhist would. But that doesn't mean that the average person can't learn to do so, nor does it make the monk's statement any less meaningful. We get out of video games what we intend to get out of them, whether it's conscious or not. Perhaps instead of focusing on the harm that certain hobbies can cause and attempting to censor those hobbies, we should instead be trying to teach our children to be more mindful of everything around them and how it affects them.