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FAQ: How Do I
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07-20-2004, 03:15 AM |
#1 |
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Rin Daemoko is Offline:
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Sha'hariath
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FAQ: How Do I Meditate?
Rin:Meditation is one of
those techniques that you will probably use all of
your natural life. In fact, you've probably meditated
without even realizing it! Meditation is the art of
concentration.
Concentrate on
one thing, and let everything else fall away.
Breathing, sitting, standing, walking; an issue, an
idea, an image ... you can meditate on anything.
You can find a
lot of Meditation techniques here from
Buddhanet which will give you the Buddhist approach
to meditation. You do not have to be a Buddhist to
meditate, I should point out.
We who live in
the Western Culture have been swept up in a very
fast-paced world. Recently there has been a
counter- movement to this cult of speed. Slowing down
through relaxation and meditation.
~Here is a basic
method~
Sit or lie down
in a relaxed position. Begin breathing naturally.
You'll probably find your chest rising and falling.
Instead, try to shift this to your stomach. Let your
stomach rise and fall; this is how you used to
breath when you were very young. It is very
natural.
Focus on the
breathing. The sensation of in and out. When you
exhale, feel the breath dissolve, and notice how
your immediate instinct afterwards is to inhale. Do
not force your breath. Relax.
Smile.
Be aware of your
breath. Thoughts will rise up in your mind. Do not
push them down, just let them float by. They are
thoughts, that is all. Regard them as a bubble on a
swiftly-flowing river. Let them go. Return to your
breathing.
Don't do anything
else. Just let go. Just for a
moment.
~~~~
MoonShadow:I find
meditation to be very relaxing and calming.
Thanks for the
tips!
~~~~
SeaGoddess: The tips you
give Rin are beautifully put.
~~~~
Paulo:
Hey,
When I first
learned Meditation thru Rosicrucian, I didn't learned
much on how it was properly
done.
I thought that I
had to follow all those deep breathing exercises taught
by AMORC, and I know
meditation.
Then I learned
the proper meditation, the scientific way through "SILVA
METHOD or SILVA MIND CONTROL" by Jose Silva. The
SIlVA techniques made or taught me how to goto the
"ALPHA LEVEL" which is the Best way to
MEditate.
Becoz it
synchronized your Right Brain & Left Brain into
one. And everyday, I have used the SILVA techniques
to either relax myself or visually do my prayers,
protection mantra's and do Positive Creative
Visualization.
~~~~
Caedo: Another point of
view is Osho's He believes meditation as not the art
of concentrating on something but on un-focusing or
de-focusing from everything. The idea is that since
we're born we've been taught how to concentrate our
attention. This conditioning is not wrong, but it should
be voluntarily activated. Meditation is the ability to
drop it.
This cannot be achieved by trying
to do something but doing nothing. Trying to do nothing
he deems an impossible task for a beginner, because to
try is to make an effort and meditation is not about
effort but about doing nothing (no, vegging in front of
the TV is not meditating... I thought that too
).
One of the
methods is chaotic meditation. In this method, you
basically saturate your concentration by breathing
erratically, moving and dancing and tiring yourself
physically and only when you can saturate your own
concentration and tense yourself to the limit your own
body will relax. That point in which Osho calls "the
jump" is the actual meditation. The previous exercises
are just tricks for your body and mind to be fooled into
the last stage. It's very interesting. Some people
will draw parallels to the state of gnosis, but I think
it's worth looking into. ~~~~
buddha: you can find good
meditations ondiamond way buddhism
also if you
like...
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo:
Meditation can be broken down into either object
oriented or formless meditations. Both look to achieve
the same end result regarding the direct perception of
emptiness. It should be noted that holotropic type
meditation can be extremely dangerous when not performed
under the guidance of a qualified
instructor.
Here are my core
meditation links for
beginners:
http://www.dogensangha.org.uk/IBPZ.html
http://www.dogensangha.org/video.htm
http://www.dhamma.org/
http://www.vri.dhamma.org/index.html
The only two
books one needs to understand
meditation:
Mindfulness in
Plain English by Henepola
Gunaratana
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...6702318-2410447
The Heart of
Buddhist Meditation by Nyanaponika, N. Thera
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...6702318-2410447
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo:Daily
Practices - courtesy of the Asian Classics
Institute
It is recommended
that those seeking a complete Buddhist path pursue both
intellectual studies and meditation practice. Neither
meditation nor intellectual studies alone is enough to
become spiritually advanced; each complements and
balances the other. After learning the intellectual
concepts, one must practice them regularly, both in
meditation and in daily life.
Each of these
daily practices consists of audio instructions, along
with supporting written materials. Formal Study Course
3: Applied Meditation thoroughly describes all aspects
of meditation and should be studied as a foundation for
the daily practices offered
here.
Ten different
daily practices are presented here, and represent the
classics of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. By studying,
meditating upon, and putting these topics into practice
in daily life you can develop a great spiritual range
and capacity.
We would like to
emphasize that, although recordings and written
materials can be extremely helpful, it is essential for
serious Buddhist practitioners to meet and study
directly with a qualified Teacher who can give the
necessary guidance and personal instructions of the
lineage.
http://www.world-view.org/aci/onlin...epractices.html
~~~~
Sud Ram: I would
recommend browsing through the different meditations on
this link:
http://www.osho.com/Main.cfm?Area=M...anguage=English
I believe that
meditation starts with the breaking of mind patterns and
that the best way to start this process is through body
movements and active
meditations.
Zazen and
vipassana are good when you already have some practise
of the above, otherwise they may be very
discouraging.
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo:I've seen
a couple of posts concerning Osho and would like to
point out to any new members to do your own research
concerning this controversial person and use your own
judgement. Personally, I think he's a cult leader and
left behind an organization that is slowly dwindling. I
know there are other members that disagree with me, but
like I said, do your own research and come to your own
conclusion.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/osho.htm
http://www.rickross.com/groups/rajneesh.html
~~~~
Sud Ram: I was talking
about the active meditations here and not about Osho
mr.gordo.
Plus if you ask
people to do their own research and post only negative
links about the subject it does seem somewhat biased
no?
Also all the
accusations seem kind of unfounded, I could also say
that Jesus smoked pot and nobody could prove or disprove
me or that Sai Baba is gay and rapes young boys (like
some sites accuse him). Osho was a provocateur and that
was his way.
The only proper
research on so called "cult" leaders is to actually meet
them for yourself. Reading diffamation and slander is
only a filtered view of a wounded
ego.
Anyway...
~~~~
Son of mr.
gordo:
http://www.osho.com/ http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/osho.htm
http://www.rickross.com/groups/rajneesh.html
http://www.sathyasai.org/
http://www.rickross.com/groups/saibaba.html
Now, let's keep
this topic on meditation. If you wish to pursue this
topic any futher, you can post on this thread which
deals with false teachers:
http://www.occultforums.com/showthread.php?t=3704
~~~~
Orko: Buddhism is not the
basis of all meditations as is the mainstream belief
generaly speaking buddhist meditations are based on the
idealogy of buddhism. there are a wide variety of
meditations of various results. From the ability to
perceive the varitey of subtle energies that exist. to
forms of projection/injection to different realities
dont hinder your concept of meditation to the main
stream google of such things. The first question would
be what is the intentions of why you are meditating.
Before answering and understanding that question one
cant really give advice to a specific form. Some
individuals arent able to perform various "no-seed"
meditations while others lack the psychogogic ability
required for complex perceptional forms. So first id ask
is what is the goal you wish to accomplish then from
there i could give more concise
advice.
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo:
Orko,
I don't know who
you're directing your post at, but I'll tell you I know
there are other forms of meditation. I've been taught
taoist and hindu meditations as well. They are both
outstanding forms of meditation. However, meditations
that are obscure or arcane should be done under the
guidance of a qualified teacher.....and qualified
teachers are far and few
between.
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo: Basic
Formless Meditation
Instructions
The prime focus
of this particular meditation technique is space and the
awareness that expands out into space, dissolves and
re-emerges from that space. It is important to be
comfortable and relaxed, neither tense nor sleepy. Do
not force either your body or your mind, this process is
natural not a torture.
There are three
aspects to the formless meditation: body or physical
posture, speech (breath), and
mind:
~BODY~
Take a
comfortable, alert, relaxed position.
Sit cross-legged on a cushion, or kneel on a
meditation stool, or use a chair if that is most
comfortable. Choose a cushion or chair that suits you.
Relax your shoulders, but stay upright enough
to feel yourself breathing easily and fully.
Your head and back should fall gently as if
hanging by a thread from the sky, your backbone like a
loose-strung string of pearls, your head resting lightly
on the top, as if the chin were floating on the surface
of the ocean.
Rest your hands
on your thighs, palms down, leaving your body open and
relaxed. Leave your eyes neither shut nor fully
open, allowing them to rest on the floor 3 or 4 feet
ahead of you.
If you really
start to hurt, stay with it long enough to get the
flavour of what is going on, then move gently to a more
comfortable position.
~SPEECH (
BREATH )~
Follow the
natural pattern of your breath-do not try to change it
at all. Let the mind rest on the rhythm of the breath
and gradually let go into space in a natural way.
Focus on a sense of well-being and space, an
opening out to whatever experience arises, giving it
space, letting it be, resting in that vast space of
awareness.
As you breathe
out, let go into the sensation of space, vastness and
openness. There is movement associated with the
outbreath and then a still, relaxed melting into space.
Let the inbreath look after itself.
Notice the rhythm of rest and focus. The ebb
and flow of the practice is the alternation of the sense
of movement of the outbreath or of the insight into
space, with the sense of peace between the outbreaths.
To begin with, it is a good discipline to
keep making yourself return to the rhythm of the
outbreath. . . . this gives some sort of discipline to
keep your mind from simply following its usual tracks.
If you get tense, or feel short of breath,
just tell yourself to stop meditating for a few moments.
You don’t need to get up or change position.
~MIND~
Feel confidence
in the natural Openness, Clarity and Sensitivity of your
being.
Open to the sense
of the vastness of your true nature.
Rest in the feeling of your absolute right to
be here, now, doing this.
Don’t try to stop
thinking, you won’t do it and it is not what this is
about.
Welcome whatever
comes -- thoughts, feelings, emotions, comfortable or
not -- as guests. See them, taste their flavour, then
let them pass on as you return to the outbreath. If the
idea arises that they are interruptions to your
meditation, just see that as another guest, and let it
go.
[Taken from the
book "Openness Clarity Sensitivity" by Rigdzin
Shikpo]
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo: Basic
Meditation
Dr.
C. George Boeree
The most basic
form of meditation involves attending to one's breath.
Begin by sitting in a simple chair, keeping
your back erect if you can. The more traditional
postures are the lotus position, sitting on a pillow
with each foot upon the opposite thigh, and variations
such as the half lotus (one foot on the opposite thigh,
the other out in front of the opposite knee). This is
difficult for many people. Some people kneel, sitting
back on their legs or on a pillow between their legs.
Many use a meditation bench: kneel, then place a little
bench beneath your behind. But meditation is also done
while standing, slowly walking, lying on the floor, or
even in a recliner!
Traditionally,
the hands are placed loosely, palms up, one on top of
the other, and with the thumbs lightly touching. This is
called the cosmic mudra, one of a large number of
symbolic hand positions. You may prefer to lay them flat
on your thighs, or any other way that you find
comfortable.
Your head should
be upright, but not rigid. The eyes may be closed, or
focussed on a spot on the ground a couple of feet ahead
of you, or looking down at your hands. If you find
yourself getting sleepy, keep your eyes open!
Beginning meditators are often asked to count
their breath, on the exhale, up to ten. Then you begin
back at one. If you loose track, simply go back to one.
Your breath should be slow and regular, but not forced
or artificially controlled. Just breathe naturally and
count.
A few weeks
later, you may forego the counting and try to simply
follow your breath. Concentrate on it entering you and
exiting you. Best is to be aware as fully as possible of
the entire process of breathing, but most people focus
on one aspect or another: the sensation of coolness
followed by warmth at the nostrils, or the rise and fall
of the diaphragm. Many meditators suggest imagining the
air entering and exiting a small hole an inch or two
below your navel. Keeping your mind lower on the body
tends to lead to deeper meditation. If you are sleepy,
then focus higher, such as at the nostrils.
You will inevitably find yourself distracted
by sounds around you and thoughts within. The way to
handle them is to acknowledge them, but do not attach
yourself to them. Do not get involved with them. Just
let them be, let them go, and focus again on the breath.
At first, it might be wise to scratch when you itch and
wiggle when you get uncomfortable. Later, you will find
that the same scant attention that you use for thoughts
and sounds will work with physical feelings as well.
A more advanced form of meditation is
shikantaza, or emptiness meditation. Here, you don't
follow anything at all. There is no concentration --
only quiet mindfulness. You hold your mind as if you
were ready for things to happen, but don't allow your
mind to become attached to anything. Things -- sounds,
smells, aches, thoughts, images -- just drift in and
out, like clouds in a light breeze. This is my own
favorite.
Many people have
a hard time with their thoughts. We are so used to our
hyperactive minds, that we barely notice the fact that
they are usually roaring with activity. So, when we
first sit and meditate, we are caught off guard by all
the activity. So some people need to use a little
imagination to help them meditate. For example, instead
of counting or following your breath, you might prefer
to imagine a peaceful scene, perhaps floating in a warm
lagoon, until the noise of your mind quiets down.
Meditate for fifteen minutes a day, perhaps
early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes
up, or late at night when everything has quieted down.
If that's too much, do it once a week if you like. If
you want, do more. Don't get frustrated. And don't get
competitive, either. Don't start looking forward to some
grand explosion of enlightenment. If you have great
thoughts, fine. Write them down, if you like. Then go
back to breathing. If you feel powerful emotions,
wonderful. Then go back to breathing. The breathing is
enlightenment.
~~~~
spiritangel: Thankyou for
the tips! I'm still trying to master this fine
art.....one day!! *L*
~~~~
AyinSol: There are as many
ways to meditate as there are people. I've found that in
practice, meditation can be as simple as breathing or in
many cases or complex as is the case with the
eastern/Buddhist sadhanas. Many of the links above
provide very good sources but there's another one that
I'd like to mention. Whether or not you like him or
dislike his works I've found that the exercises
mentioned in Paulo Coehlo's book The Pilgrimage to be
very uplifting and with proper mindset incredibly
beneficial - and it's a good read in
general.
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo: J.
Krishnamurti on Meditation "Meditation is
the dying to the known."
~Meditations~ "Meditation is
destruction; it's a danger to those who wish to lead a
superficial life and a life of fancy and myth."
Krishnamurti's Notebook, p.82
"Meditation has
no beginning and no end; in it there's no achievement
and no failure, no gathering and no renunciation; it is
a movement without finality and so beyond and above time
and space..."
Krishnamurti's
Notebook, p.88
"...Meditation is
the movement that destroys the observer, the
experiencer; it's a movement that is beyond all symbol,
thought and feeling..."
Krishnamurti's
Notebook, p.91
"Meditation is
danger for it destroys everything, nothing whatsoever is
left, not even a whisper of desire, and in this vast,
unfathomable emptiness there is creation and love."
Krishnamurti's Notebook, p.110
"Meditation is
the understanding of the totality of life in which every
form of fragmentation has ceased..."
Freedom From the Known, p.115
"Meditation
demands an astonishingly alert mind; meditation is the
understanding of the totality of life in which every
form of fragmentation has ceased. Meditation is not
control of thought, for when thought is controlled it
breeds conflict in the mind, but when you understand the
structure and origin of thought...then thought will not
interfere. That very understanding of the structure of
thinking is its own discipline which is meditation.
Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of
every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but
just to watch it and move with it. In that watching you
begin to understand the whole movement of thought and
feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence.
Silence put together by thought is
stagnation, is dead, but the silence that comes when
thought has understood its own beginning, the nature of
itself, understood how all thought is never free but
always old – this silence is meditation in which the
meditator is entirely absent, for the mind has emptied
itself of the past. ...To understand this movement of
thought and feeling there can be no condemnation in
observing it..."
Freedom From the
Known, p.115
"When you sit
down to meditate, you fix your mind on a word, on an
image, or on a picture but the mind wanders all over the
place. There is a constant interruption of other ideas,
other thoughts, other emotions and you try to push them
away; you spend your time battling with your thoughts.
This is the process you call meditation. That is you are
trying to concentrate on something in which you are not
interested and your thoughts keep on multiplying,
increasing, interrupting, so you spend your energy in
exclusion, in warding off, pushing away; if you can
concentrate on your chosen thought, on a particular
object, you think you have at last succeeded in
meditation. Surely that is not meditation, is it?
Meditation is not an exclusive process - exclusive in
the sense of warding off, building resistance against
encroaching ideas. ...So what is meditation? Surely
meditation is understanding...How can there be
understanding if there is exclusion?...In understanding
there is peace, there is freedom; that which you
understand, from that you are liberated."
The First and Last Freedom, p.218
"A man who is
fully aware is meditating; he does not pray, because he
does not want anything."
The First and
Last Freedom, p.221
"Many who seek
quietness of mind withdraw from active life to a
village, to a monastery, to the mountains, or they
withdraw into ideas, enclose themselves in a belief or
avoid people who give them trouble. Such isolation is
not stillness of mind. The enclosure of the mind in an
idea or the avoidance of people who make life
complicated does not bring about stillness of mind.
Stillness of mind comes only when there is no process of
isolation through accumulation but complete
understanding of the whole process of relationship...
In that stillness, there is no formulation, there is
no idea, there is no memory; that stillness is a state
of creation that can be experienced only when there is a
complete understanding of the whole process of the 'me.'
Otherwise, stillness has no meaning. Only in that
stillness, which is not a result, is the eternal
discovered, which is beyond time."
The First and Last Freedom, p.278-279
"It is not the
silence cultivated by thought. It is the silence of
intelligence, silence of supreme intelligence. In that
silence comes that which are not touched by thought, by
endeavor, by effort. It is the way of intelligence which
is the way of compassion. Then that which is sacred is
everlasting. That is meditation. Such a life is
religious life. In that there is great beauty."
Unkown source
"Do you know what
practicing every day does to your brain? Your brain
becomes dull, mechanical, it is tortured, making effort
to achieve some silence, some state of experience. That
is not meditation. That is just another form of
achievement like a politician becoming a minister."
Unkown source
"Now to live
without measurement, to be totally, completely, free of
all measurement, is part of meditation. Not that 'I am
practicing this, I will achieve something in a years
time.' That is measurement which is the very nature of
one’s egotistic activity. Meditation is the ending of
measurement, the ending of comparison completely."
Unkown source
"You can sit on
the banks of the river Ganga or some place and do all
kinds of tricks with yourself. That is not meditation.
Meditation is something that is of daily life..."
Unkown source
~~~~
Son of mr. gordo: this free
e-book online is in my opinion the best book on starting
to learn and practice formless meditation in the
tradition of vipassana.
Mindfulness In
Plain English By Ven. Henepola
Gunaratana
http://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/Archive/G/Gunaratana/MindfulnessIPE/
~~~~
__________________
actual post count:
1190
Last edited by Son of mr. gordo : Yesterday at 03:36 AM. Reason: changed font size
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07-20-2004, 10:14 PM |
#2 |
Moderator
Son of mr.
gordo is Offline:
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: samsara
Posts: 480 |
The link has a reference to a very powerful book on
Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) based
Samatha-Vipassana. "The Anapanasati Sutta: A Practical Guide
to Mindfulness of Breathing and Tranquil Wisdom
Meditation" [The Full book/94 pages ] (Right Click
and Save As) The author speaks about the
meditation:
Quote:
At
this time, I had the opportunity to meet many Sri
Lankan monks and, after long conversations with
them, I realized that many of the writings I had
been studying in Burma were actually commentaries
on the Pali texts, rather than the original texts
themselves. The monks said that , upon close
examination, some of the ideas conveyed in these
commentaries are somewhat different from those
contained in the original suttas. Surprisingly,
one monk even suggested that I disregard the
commentaries and go straight to the Pali texts for
the best teachings. Another teacher showed me how
to meditate as described in the suttas—a method
remarkably different from the forms I had
learned.
As I continued meditating on my
own, I discovered that my meditation was deeper
and progressed faster than ever before.
| Son
of mr. gordo
__________________  Do not believe in anything merely on
the authority of your teachers and elders. But after
observation and analysis, when you find that anything
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and
benefit of one and all then accept it and live up to it
- Kalama Sutta |
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