Need advice on my meditation experience

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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manas
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Need advice on my meditation experience

Post by manas »

Digity wrote:Today my meditation was very muddled, but at least this time I didn't get upset about it afterwards. However, I also don't want to become complacent in my meditation and just turn it into a session of zoning out for a while. I think you need to strike a balance between not striving too much but at the same time not getting complacent...similar to the lute string analogy the Buddha used. Today things felt a bit too lax, which isn't good.
Hi Digity

your post reminded me of something. That, of course we want to bring forth a non-muddled mind as much as possible, but when it is muddled - and trust me I've been there heaps of times - there's an interesting thing going on - the fact that you can perceive that it's actually 'muddled'! There is still something in the mind that has enough mindfulness to know how un-mindful it is, if you get my meaning. Sometimes - not all the time, but sometimes - when I try to kind of seek out and locate that knowing, look at it as it were, by focussing on the knowing, more of the knowing 'takes over' as it were, and some of the muddle-headedness is dispelled. Anyway, I experiment like this a bit, and sometimes I learn something from it.

Up, down, happy, sad, clear, muddled...states of mind are really impermanent, they change way faster than our bodies, actually...like cloud-shadows moving across a landscape...

_/I\_
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
Digity
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:13 am

Re: Need advice on my meditation experience

Post by Digity »

I've decided to start following the instructions in Bhikkhu Buddhadasa - Mindfulness with Breathing: http://what-buddha-taught.net/Books3/Bh ... athing.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I focused on the long breath as described in section two. However, I close my eyes when I meditate even though it's suggested that the eyes stay open. Anyway, I focused on the entire breath throughout the body and started to feel concentrated. After a while I started to lose some feeling and perception of the body. I think this is a good sign...makes me think my concentration is developing.
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LonesomeYogurt
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Location: America

Re: Need advice on my meditation experience

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

Digity wrote:I've decided to start following the instructions in Bhikkhu Buddhadasa - Mindfulness with Breathing: http://what-buddha-taught.net/Books3/Bh ... athing.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I focused on the long breath as described in section two. However, I close my eyes when I meditate even though it's suggested that the eyes stay open. Anyway, I focused on the entire breath throughout the body and started to feel concentrated. After a while I started to lose some feeling and perception of the body. I think this is a good sign...makes me think my concentration is developing.
Honestly, despite being a follower of Buddhadasa as well, I've never understood his whole thing about keeping the eyes open either. So I wouldn't worry about that at all. Good to see things are working out though!
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
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Aloka
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Re: Need advice on my meditation experience

Post by Aloka »

LonesomeYogurt wrote:
Honestly, despite being a follower of Buddhadasa as well, I've never understood his whole thing about keeping the eyes open either. So I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Keeping the eyes open is also a Tibetan Buddhist practice. Although I now consider myself a Theravadin, I still keep my eyes open when meditating because for me it is definately preferable to do that.

"Different strokes for different folks" as the saying goes !

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