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

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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James the Giant
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Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by James the Giant »

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?
Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.
SN 9.11
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Kamran
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Kamran »

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 :)
befriend
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by befriend »

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. :)
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Goofaholix
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Goofaholix »

Meditation is like real life... only slower.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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Goofaholix
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Goofaholix »

Meditation is like real life... only you're there watching it happen, rather than somewhere else.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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rowboat
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by rowboat »

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.
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
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bodom
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by bodom »

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

:tongue:

: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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Goofaholix
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Goofaholix »

bodom wrote:Meditation is like....sitting on an ant hill.
A Texas zafu.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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manas
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by manas »

...
Last edited by manas on Wed May 23, 2012 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
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bodom
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by bodom »

Goofaholix wrote:
bodom wrote:Meditation is like....sitting on an ant hill.
A Texas zafu.
Ha! And we have those big red fire ants!

: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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retrofuturist
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Meditation is like watching.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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kirk5a
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by kirk5a »

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! :D
Last edited by kirk5a on Tue May 22, 2012 2:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
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Ben
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Ben »

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
“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

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retrofuturist
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by retrofuturist »

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)
:twothumbsup:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Polar Bear
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Re: Meditation is like... (put your similie here)

Post by Polar Bear »

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
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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