Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Some descriptions of what meditation is like really stick in my mind, and I have come up with some myself too, during retreats.
Here are some descriptions from me, what about you?

Meditation is like... trying of find the calm, still eye of the hurricane.

Or once you've found it:
Meditation is like... remaining still and calm at the centre of a vast hurricane. In the eye of the storm.
(access concentration, or momentary concentration.)

This one isn't mine, but I liked it so much:
Meditation is like a chicken sitting on an egg. Doing nothing. Just sitting, keeping that egg warm. I think that might be from Ajahn Amaro, who was also keen on the phrase Dilligent Effortlessness.

Meditation is like... being immersed in a crucible of liquid fire. Because sometimes when I was very new at this meditation stuff, that's what meditation felt like, all the thoughts and emotions and craziness and urges swirling around in my head like a burning mass of agitation. Meditation was the crucible, and the fire was the burning of my mind itself.

SO, what is meditation like for you?

Meditation is like....lying on the beach listening to the waves while feeling the hot sand under you, the sun on your skin, a cool breeze, and without a thought in your head completely imbibed with serenity

hahaha having a circle rainbow and using it as a hoola hoop. see how long i can hold it up, or stay with the breath. getting in the groove with it after some time, eventually i will get really good at staying with the breath or hoola hooping.

Heard some time ago in a recorded talk given by Joseph Goldstein. If I remember correctly, I think it's from a sutta. Paraphrasing: Initially one's mindfulness is precarious, like a sphere resting atop an archway, but once well-established, mindfulness becomes secure; like a sphere resting with stability in the well of an inverted arch.

Meditation is like....sitting on an ant hill.

bodom wrote:Meditation is like....sitting on an ant hill.

A Texas zafu.

...

Goofaholix wrote:

bodom wrote:Meditation is like....sitting on an ant hill.

A Texas zafu.

Ha! And we have those big red fire ants!

Greetings,

Meditation is like watching.

Metta,
Retro.

Meditation is like trying to swim to the surface while chained to an iron ball.

Not meditating is like drowning.

eesh. That doesn't sound very inspiring...

Getting a breath is nice though!

Rahula, develop meditation that is like earth,...
Rahula, develop meditation that is like water,...
Rahula, develop meditation that is like fire,...
Rahula, develop meditation that is like air,...
Rahula, develop meditation that is like space; for when you develop meditation that is like space, arisen agreeable disagreeable contacts will not invade your mind and remain.

-- Maharahulavada Sutta (MN62) trans. Bh Nanamoli and Bh Bodhi

with metta

Ben

Greetings,

Ben wrote:Rahula, develop meditation that is like space; for when you develop meditation that is like space, arisen agreeable disagreeable contacts will not invade your mind and remain. (MN 62)

Metta,
Retro.

when distracted:

Meditation is like trying to listen to a hot girl whisper something important in your ear, but some big drunk guy keeps walking up and yelling, "hey, WTF. stop listening to that chick and come take some shots. don't be lame bro."

meditation is like standing atop a tall grassy hill listening to the cool relaxing breeze blow in your ears, but your big labrador retriever keeps running back to you with a stick and barking till you throw it again. Then you go back to the breeze and then the dog comes back again, etc etc

meditation is like sitting in class trying to pay attention to your teacher, but you keep getting distracted thinking about the awesome party you're going to afterwards, and you have to keep reminding yourself to pay attention to the teacher cause you have a test coming up

when not distracted:

meditation is like being a child staring at an ant hill, at first you just see the little dots running around, but then it's like zooming in with a camera and you realize the vast complexity of the ant colony, that they have a whole society and economy going on in miniature, and it gives you this mind blowing feeling like wooah and you just see ants ceaselessly coming and going, arising out of and disappearing back in to the ant hill, and you start feeling really good throughout your whole body just realizing how neat the anthill is and you feel like you could just sit there forever watching the ants, never blinking or turning your gaze, just totally immersed in the situation