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Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

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Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#81

Post by Estragon »

heed wrote: post #50
Estragon wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That description of meditation uses terms which cause a lot of confusion. Focusing on anything leads to problems. Dismissing thoughts leads to repression and unconscious expression of the thoughts. The way my teacher puts it is "rest in the experience of breathing." That means fostering awareness of every aspect of experience: the physical, the emotional and the mental. As for "effective," if you practice with any ho…

>...but better, in the long run, than ignorance. How so?

Are you kidding? If you want to see the negative consequences of ignorance, just look at the trajectory of the US over the last decade. All the new problems the US faces today were anticipated by astute Cassandras.

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#82

Post by jk »

StacyC wrote: post #44
Tawheed wrote: post #15

I learned Transcendental Meditation about a year ago, and it has had a seriously profound effect on my life.

Can you elaborate on the practical effects TM has had on your life? I've begun a meditation practice in the past year and I'm finding that I am much more patient and present with circumstances and people, and rarely have moments of anger or negativity any more.

I have been practicing TM regularly for 38 years. This practice has given me a pervasive perspective on life. I know just a moment away is bliss. This sense of certain security is constantly in my awareness.

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#83

Post by jk »

StacyC wrote: post #44
Tawheed wrote: post #15

I learned Transcendental Meditation about a year ago, and it has had a seriously profound effect on my life.

Can you elaborate on the practical effects TM has had on your life? I've begun a meditation practice in the past year and I'm finding that I am much more patient and present with circumstances and people, and rarely have moments of anger or negativity any more.

I have been practicing TM regularly for 38 years. This practice has given me a pervasive perspective on life. I know just a moment away is bliss. This sense of certain security is constantly in my awareness.

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#84

Post by michael_dorfman »

markbao wrote: post #11

| For the study, participants were taught to meditate by focusing on the sensation of their breathing, acknowledging and dismissing any stray thoughts that popped into their heads. For those who do practice meditation, what are other techniques that are effective to you?

Do you mean other meditation techniques? Or other techniques, outside of meditation?

I can't speak to the non-Buddhist traditions, but within Buddhism, there are literally hundreds of different meditation techniques beyond the technique described above.

There's a lot of breath-based techniques, but there are also a lot of techniques that use other objects of meditation. Personally, I find walking meditation to be quite effective, for a change of pace.

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#85

Post by cianestro »

justsee wrote: post #69
cianestro wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I highly suggest "The Tibetan Book of The Dead" and "The Power of Silence." Try to find the TBOTD version translated by W.Y. Evans-Wentz if you're not one for happy meal, watered-down philosophy. Take these texts with a grain of salt at first only because they will be thoroughly alien to your mind; once absorbed use wisely. "...that which clingth not no fall can come. Where no fall cometh, there is rest, and where re…

I had a great experience with a very simple practice called Vipassana. I wrote about it straight after doing a 10-day course of meditation - 9 days of no speaking was an event in itself: http://weblog.squareapple.net/archives/2004/11/26/art_of_liv... A book I've really appreciated on the practice is called "The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation" - http://www.amazon.com/Art-Living-Vipassana-Meditation/dp/006... Both…

Your problem is that you thought understanding could guide you in meditation. It can't. But it's still necessary for advanced techniques. Anything worthwhile takes time and discipline--don't give up. Real meditation isn't a weekend retreat. Sorry yuppies. :(

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#86

Post by kalmar »

brihas wrote: post #2

Check out Vipassana meditation: http://www.dhamma.org . They offer 10-day residential courses for no charge at centres worldwide.

Be aware that there are some reports of these Goenka retreats being cult-like and involving some aspects of brain-washing. Additionally they may force a particular style and experience of meditation.

http://melissamaples.com/how-not-to-do-a-goenka-vipassana-re...

http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/criticism/goenka.htm

(I do not wish to start an argument, I am just pointing this out so that readers might be better informed. I have considered going, and did some research online looking for accounts of the experience. I am not decided yet, but time-wise it is not possible for me at the moment.)

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#87

Post by akaalias »

I started daily zazen meditation about 6 weeks ago, having tried it on and off before. The effects are subtle but powerful, providing me with patience and a hightened state of relaxed alertness. Combined with Yoga ever other day, it feels great!

If anyone is interested, I built this webapp for myself to keep track of my progress. My meditation training can be found at http://stepset.com/habits/efac7b8e-6446-11df-ab99-7f306a906e...

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#88

Post by andrewbadera »

michael_dorfman wrote: post #78
tome wrote: post #71

I once went to a lecture given by a psychoanalyst who was also a Buddhist. His main point was that Buddhism and analysis were very similar means of self-introspection. Does anyone here have a perspective on both to share?

Well, oddly enough, I'm midway through an M.A. in Buddhist Studies, and did my undergraduate thesis on psychoanalysis, so, yes, I have a perspective. I'd argue that the differences between the disciplines outweighs the superficial similarities. If one is so inclined, one can definitely make lists of similarities, and can stretch the interpretation of the doctrines of one field to fit the other, but what would be the…

The point from the Dalai Lama's perspective? To defend his culture in the face of modern science.

The point from the perspective of the rest of us? Analogies and recognizing analogous forms are a good way to expand one's mind. Gaining respect for introspection as well perhaps. What's the point of asking what's the point, except to come off sounding like a conceited ass? (And I'll be the first to admit here, it takes one to know one.)

Re: Meditation Becomes Beneficial Surprisingly Fast

#89

Post by michael_dorfman »

andrewbadera wrote: post #88
michael_dorfman wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, oddly enough, I'm midway through an M.A. in Buddhist Studies, and did my undergraduate thesis on psychoanalysis, so, yes, I have a perspective. I'd argue that the differences between the disciplines outweighs the superficial similarities. If one is so inclined, one can definitely make lists of similarities, and can stretch the interpretation of the doctrines of one field to fit the other, but what would be the…

The point from the Dalai Lama's perspective? To defend his culture in the face of modern science. The point from the perspective of the rest of us? Analogies and recognizing analogous forms are a good way to expand one's mind. Gaining respect for introspection as well perhaps. What's the point of asking what's the point, except to come off sounding like a conceited ass? (And I'll be the first to admit here, it takes…

I think you're trivializing a whole list of things here.

The Dalai Lama may think that he is defending his culture in the face of modern science, but reducing Buddhism to a branch of psychoanalysis is not an effective way to do so in the long run.

By the same token, reducing psychoanalysis to a modern manifestation of Buddhism isn't doing psychoanalysis any favors, either.

In cross-disciplinary studies, it's important to resist the urge to reduce the strange to the familiar, as it is only in doing so that one is able to fully appreciate the richness of the traditions being compared.

In other words: analogies are useful, when starting out, to help one get a vague impression of a new territory, but (unconsciously) clinging to these analogies serves only to mask one from actually expanding one's mind.

Asking "what's the point?" may have the unintended side-effect of making me sound like a conceited ass, but the intention was more philosophical.

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