I need some guidance

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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Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:49 am
Location: kanamaluka

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Ben »

Collective wrote:I'll stick with Samatha. Will at awaken me?
No, on its own it won't. But the benefit of practicing samatha can't be overlooked. It will assist you in your progress towards liberation. Saya Thetgyi, a teacher within the tradition that I practice, was said to have practiced the samatha variant of anapana-sati for seven years before moving on to vipassana. So, my advice to you Collective is to 1. keep on going and 2. Refine the other aspects of the path. Ensure you are maintaining your sila as sila conditions one's progress in developing samadhi (via samatha).
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.”
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Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
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Dhammabodhi
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Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 12:25 pm
Location: New Delhi, India

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Dhammabodhi »

Hi Collective,

You might find this link useful. Also check out Bhikkhu Pesala's nice article on Samatha and Vipassana.

Metta :anjali:
Dhammabodhi
"Take rest, take rest."-S.N.Goenka
Laurens
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Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:56 pm

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Laurens »

Another worthwhile thing to remember is that your aim is to keep mindfulness at all times, not just on the cushion. At the end of your meditation session just take a second to acknowledge how you feel, often you will feel calm and peaceful, don't then rush up and throw that all down the tube, what you should do is try to maintain that calm peaceful awareness for as long as possible into your daily buisiness. Get up slowly and mindfully, and try to sustain that clear peaceful awareness.
"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Jack
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:54 pm

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Jack »

There are some excellent vipassana guided meditations on the web that you can download. For instance, see:

http://www.dharmaseed.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.audiodharma.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Going on a retreat even though it is not located close to you would be beneficial.

jack
Sanghamitta
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Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:21 am
Location: By the River Thames near London.

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Sanghamitta »

Of course we dont know how you are fixed for transport and so on. But Wales is a very small country. :smile:

:namaste:
The going for refuge is the door of entrance to the teachings of the Buddha.

Bhikku Bodhi.
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Collective
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:12 am

Re: I need some guidance

Post by Collective »

Thank you all very much for the advice, it's all great stuff, and taken on board.

Thanks again :)
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