The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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Ben
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Ben »

Greetings Sully,
d.sullivan wrote:I thought about keeping a meditation journal of sorts, since I can imagine that being really helpful. I'm hoping that for now this thread will serve that purpose.
Yes, providing members with a venue to journalize their meditation challenges was one of the reasons we set up this thread.
If there is anything else we can do to support your practice, please let me, or one of my colleagues, know.
kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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d.sullivan
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by d.sullivan »

Ben wrote:Greetings Sully,
d.sullivan wrote:I thought about keeping a meditation journal of sorts, since I can imagine that being really helpful. I'm hoping that for now this thread will serve that purpose.
If there is anything else we can do to support your practice, please let me, or one of my colleagues, know.
kind regards

Ben
Thank you kindly! I'll be sure to ask if I need anything :smile:

Day two complete.
Every blade in the field,
Every leaf in the forest,
Lays down its life in its season,
As beautifully as it was taken up.

Thoreau.
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d.sullivan
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by d.sullivan »

d.sullivan wrote: I hereby undertake the challenge of meditating for a half hour every day for the next week.
Challenge met. Given that my one-step-at-a-time method has so far been successful, I think I will continue it and renew my last challenge for this week.

Sully.
Every blade in the field,
Every leaf in the forest,
Lays down its life in its season,
As beautifully as it was taken up.

Thoreau.
Jhana4
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Jhana4 »

+ 1
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
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SeekingTruth
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by SeekingTruth »

I sat for about 15 minutes last night on the bedroom floor practicing watching the breath. My mind seemed more jumpy than usual and my body felt hot and agitated. It seemed like I did not have the necessary mindfullness to stay with the waves of heated agitation and so I ended up getting up and stopping the meditation :( Perhaps I need to wind myself down somewhat before meditation practice, rather than going directly from day2day life straight into eyes closed, trying to concentrate mode?
"Just go into the center of the room, and put one chair in the center. Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." —AJAHN CHAH
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bodom
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by bodom »

SeekingTruth wrote:I sat for about 15 minutes last night on the bedroom floor practicing watching the breath. My mind seemed more jumpy than usual and my body felt hot and agitated. It seemed like I did not have the necessary mindfullness to stay with the waves of heated agitation and so I ended up getting up and stopping the meditation :( Perhaps I need to wind myself down somewhat before meditation practice, rather than going directly from day2day life straight into eyes closed, trying to concentrate mode?
It happens to the best of us, nothing to worry about. If you find you are so restless that you cannot sit, go do walking meditation. You can also try doing walking meditation even before sitting as this can expend some restless energy before going on to the sitting posture. Remember, meditation is not just sitting with your eyes closed but cultivating continuous mindfulness in all postures.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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SeekingTruth
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by SeekingTruth »

bodom wrote:Remember, meditation is not just sitting with your eyes closed but cultivating continuous mindfulness in all postures.
Thank you for the reminder :) I do get a little caught up in thinking that meditation is all about sitting. It's not :)
"Just go into the center of the room, and put one chair in the center. Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." —AJAHN CHAH
David2
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by David2 »

SeekingTruth wrote:
bodom wrote:Remember, meditation is not just sitting with your eyes closed but cultivating continuous mindfulness in all postures.
Thank you for the reminder :) I do get a little caught up in thinking that meditation is all about sitting. It's not :)
That's true of course. But we should not make the mistake and quit our sitting practise because of that. Sitting is the more profound practise. Imo walking is basically for reducing the more superficial agitation of the mind and body which is also quite important at some times, of course. But generally, mindfulness in all postures develops automatically if we do our sitting practise mindfully.
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SeekingTruth
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by SeekingTruth »

Sat again last night, this time in the living room once my wife had retired for the evening. Lit some candles in front of my wooden buddha statue, took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma & Sangha. Observed the 5 precepts and then listened to a guided meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn on watching the breath, followed by another guided meditation involving doing a body scan and then finally I blew the candles out, sat in the dark in utter silence, paying attention to the moment :anjali:
"Just go into the center of the room, and put one chair in the center. Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." —AJAHN CHAH
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SeekingTruth
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by SeekingTruth »

OK, living room floor again last night. Listened to the sound of the meditation bell [Thich Nhat Hanh] for a while as a way of gathering my concentration. Sat watching the breath and then after about ten minutes or so I began to feel agitated once more in my body, a strong almost overwhelming sense of restlessness which I could actually feel. I tried to allow the feeling to just be there and observe it etc, but it was so intense I stopped my meditation and started playing chess online. Inevitably, I could concentrate at that with no effort whatsoever :shrug: Does anyone know why that is or how I might be able to better sit with the restlessness, rather than running from it? :namaste:
Last edited by SeekingTruth on Thu May 26, 2011 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Just go into the center of the room, and put one chair in the center. Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." —AJAHN CHAH
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Ben
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Ben »

You won't conquer your restlessness by giving in to it. You need to learn how to work with the hindrances and use them as an opportunity to develop concentration. Think of them as concentration hurdles. And be kind to yourself and yet exert more energy. Firstly, practce but have no expectations. Practice for the sake of practice. Secondly, No one in recent times became enlightened from meditating within ten minutes. Extend the length of time you can maintain unbroken awareness of the meditation object before lengthening your meditation sessions.
All the best

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
Jhana4
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Jhana4 »

According to the written log I keep, the meditation I just finished marks 6 years of practice without a single day of meditation missed.
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
Reductor
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Reductor »

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!
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dhammadiscipline
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Meditation Journal

Post by dhammadiscipline »

Hey everyone, I'm going to record my practice here and -hopefully- keep myself motivated. Maybe it can help others, too.

:group: :)
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Ben
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Meditation Challenge

Post by Ben »

All the best with your efforts Dhammawill!
I look forward to reading about them.
kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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