What are you thinking while meditating?

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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Buddha
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What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Buddha »

what is also good to think while meditating,i like to thing about mountains,or how im going to achieve something in this meaningless life.

Can someone gives me some tips what to think while meditating
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without
befriend
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by befriend »

your not supposed to be thinking about anything while meditating unless your practicing some kind of samatha meditation.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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hanzze_
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by hanzze_ »

Thinking will be even very subtle always present, just do not follow it, and let it go again. Observe the process if you are aware that you are thinking.
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marc108
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by marc108 »

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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Buddha
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Buddha »

thanks for the replays
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Cittasanto
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Cittasanto »

Sometimes I inwardly recite a reflection on a specific theme, such as metta would be the Karaniya Metta Sutta, or may I abide in well being...
or even the Buddhas advise to rahula on the elements when I have a bout of anger...
There are also quotes I use from teachers.

these are useful to help reflect upon the teaching and internalise these tools for when they are needed.

but I quite like the image you use, would be useful if feeling trapped in a city or an environment to help set the troubles aside for a session.
although be cautious as to how you use that.
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Eccedustin
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Eccedustin »

In meditation, the first step is to clear the mind and to purify and let the fog settle like sediment settles in a clouded pond. It takes time and, if you "think" then the sediment clouds the pond again just like it would if you move around in the water. Keep still and clear all thoughts.

Once the fog is cleared and the "pond" is clear, I.E. the mind is clear, then you move onto "thinking" about a single one thing that you want to understand and/or develop. For instance in Metta meditation you develop loving-kindness and there are many steps of what to think about and how to go about doing that in general practice.
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Son »

Buddha wrote:what is also good to think while meditating,i like to thing about mountains,or how im going to achieve something in this meaningless life.

Can someone gives me some tips what to think while meditating
"breath"

or, "lovingness."

Or simply, "focus."
A seed sleeps in soil.
It's cold and alone, hopeless.
Until it blooms above.
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by dharmagoat »

What am I thinking while meditating?

All sorts of things, but the thoughts arise spontaneously, and naturally dissipate.
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manas
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by manas »

Hi Buddha,

lately I have been experimenting with 'internal self-guided meditation'. Instead of trying to let go of all thinking straight away, i use it, especially early on in the sitting. Alot of the thinking consists of relevant lines from the suttas (for example, the anapanasati section of the satipatthana sutta), as well as quotes from respected teachers & guides. But if the mind begins to calm down, I then can let go of thinking more and more, moving towards 'silent witnessing'. But that is a longer-term project for me.

manas :anjali:
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by greggorious »

Think about being in the present moment in this "Meaningless life"
"The original heart/mind shines like pure, clear water with the sweetest taste. But if the heart is pure, is our practice over? No, we must not cling even to this purity. We must go beyond all duality, all concepts, all bad, all good, all pure, all impure. We must go beyond self and nonself, beyond birth and death. When we see with the eye of wisdom, we know that the true Buddha is timeless, unborn, unrelated to any body, any history, any image. Buddha is the ground of all being, the realization of the truth of the unmoving mind.” Ajahn Chah
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reflection
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by reflection »

Preferably, not at all. Thinking sucks.

:anjali:
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Wesley1982
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by Wesley1982 »

Usually nothing at all
daverupa
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by daverupa »

So what is the benefit? Because, by way of the simile of the infant, it seems that lack of thinking as meditative attainment means infants are masterful meditators, and that putting them in a box would maintain their mastery. But this is absurd; so, of what benefit is this lack of thought, mentioned by so many?

Even the first jhana has thought...
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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kirk5a
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Re: What are you thinking while meditating?

Post by kirk5a »

daverupa wrote:So what is the benefit? Because, by way of the simile of the infant, it seems that lack of thinking as meditative attainment means infants are masterful meditators, and that putting them in a box would maintain their mastery. But this is absurd; so, of what benefit is this lack of thought, mentioned by so many?

Even the first jhana has thought...
The suttas do talk about the benefits of cutting off distractive thinking and stilling thought.

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 01#p180640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#dhp-349" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"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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