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I've been practicing it and it seems to work well.

It seems that I can explain this in terms of nash equilibrium. I tend to see it that all of us are already physically able to achieve much and paying attention to some topic will subconsciously allow us to manifest what we want.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_attraction_(New_Thought)

Buddhism teaches that there are laws that govern human nature. There are laws of living objects. There are laws of karma.

Is the law of attraction one such law?

By the way, I tend to see Buddhism as a way to understand life instead of as a religion. I am not Buddhist but I see that there is some truth in what Buddha taught. So that's my background.

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I think there is no conflict between law of attraction and buddhism. But as per my understanding what buddha says is as long as you need something you will be born (and in the process you may get it). So there you go law of attraction. But in the process you will get lot more happenings (bad and good things) just being in the sansara. Therefor buddhism says get away from the sansara and to stop that the way is go in the opposite direction of law of attraction. Don't desire or reject anything and then there is no need for another birth and you are done.

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The Law of Attraction seems to take certain Buddhist teachings out of context in order to make worldly life more comfortable.

In Buddhism, especially in Mahayana and Vajrayana, there are teachings on illusory or dream-like nature of our everyday experiences. Everything that happens to us takes place essentially in our mind as outside of the mind there are no appearances. The idea is that if we master our mind, we master everything. But it doesn't mean that once we master the mind we can create our reality as we wish. Rather, we will understand the emptiness of all phenomena and thus will get rid of our attachments and aversions towards things around us.

The Law of Attraction seems to advocate that by the power of your mind (thoughts) one can attract things what will make you happy. And this statement already goes against what Buddhism teaches. Instead of learning that all things are essentially empty, one uses thoughts to attract one thing and repulse the other. So in essence one creates even more desires, attachments and aversions which sadly, are seeds for future sufferings.

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Law of attraction seems to create and stimulate attachments, people crave for things and think about them constantly, concentrating the mind on different desires, in that sense I think it is hard to mix it with Buddhism, because in Buddhism we try to let go of attachments instead of trying to fulfill the desires.

In Buddhism you learn that you don't put an end to a desire by having what you want, instead it will create an even stronger desire as everything is unsatisfactory (Dukkha), the way to liberation is by letting it go, seeing things as they really are, be grateful for what you have, for that you need to cultivate wisdom and work on the mind.

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My understanding of the Law of Attraction is that it is a way to affect what happens to you by thinking about what you want to have happen. If you want to receive money; you think about receiving money.

In Buddhism, the goal is to understand reality as it is. Understanding reality as it is, involves accepting reality as it is. Manipulating circumstances to provide material benefits for oneself would not really be a part of this. The teachings of the Buddha would guide one to giving up many desires rather than chasing after them; as I understand it.

One thing in Buddhism that might be similar is when some Buddhists take a vow to become a Boddhisatta/Boddhisatva. This vow sets their mind and intentions upon becoming a future Buddha . But my understanding of the Law of Attraction is that it is more in the here and now while a vow to become a future Buddha might have to be kept for many, many lifetimes to come to fruition.

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    Also, when you do good deeds, you can wish for it to help you attain Nibbana soon. That way the good deed becomes a Paramita.
    – Sankha Kulathantille
    Aug 3 '14 at 19:00
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See the links dependent origination more particularly: With Contact as condition, Feeling arises With Feeling as condition, Craving arises With Craving as condition, Clinging arises

So attraction happens when you get a feeling to which you analyze and give an evaluation as good and bad followed by clinging to it. At the sub conscious level this is happening millions and millions of times. When a meditator develops the insight knowledge of Arising and Passing Away you get a glimpse of how fast this is happening through it may not be a clear or full understanding. (At full understanding you have taken the a dip into one of the stages of sainthood.)

Based on the extent of clinging fabrication starts. This is not perfect but but some of your expectations can materialize. But most often not exactly as you expect it to be. Also note only a few materialize.

Also this aspect is covered in Adhitthana and Chitta Niyama (5 Niyama on Wikipedia). Having a strong mental desire for an out come can influence the possible outcome through the process of conditioning / fabrication.

But it is not advised to have strong desire for a particular outcome as this might lead to covetousness which is a bad Karma. See Kammapatha.

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  • Ah Chitta Niyama. That's what I've been wondering about. Is there something in Chitta Niyama that says that what we want we get
    – user4951
    Aug 9 '14 at 19:34
  • The thins that effect or sensory experience (what we like or dislike) is influenced by the Niyama. So if you have strong metal desire for a outcome it can indeed happen.
    – Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
    Aug 10 '14 at 3:33

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