Meditation is not My Focus

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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8fold
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Meditation is not My Focus

Post by 8fold »

I'm basically looking for reassurance.

There was a short period around a year ago that I meditated once a day. Now, I probably meditate 10 times a month, three quarters of the time in a group setting at a local center. However, I read and think about buddhism a lot, focus for a few moments throughtout the day on "Now" and "being present" and recite favorite inspiring verses to myself often throughout the day.

I feel when the time is right for me, I will focus more effort on meditation. But now, what I'm doing is working for me. My problem is I semi feel like a fraud when I got to the group setting and sit with others who, I assume, meditate more regularly.

Any comments on my "sit"uation? <-----Hey, pretty unique pun there. I like it!

Thanks!
Reductor
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Re: Meditation is not My Focus

Post by Reductor »

Well, 'why' are you not meditating more? When will the time be right for you? What will be your critieria? Perhaps you are procrastinating.

If you feel like a fraud, and don't like it, then don't be a fraud. Or talk with those at the group and see how often they actually meditate, and if they are daily then ask even more about how they do it, what motivates them, what they struggle with, etc.
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Cittasanto
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Re: Meditation is not My Focus

Post by Cittasanto »

8fold wrote:I'm basically looking for reassurance.
I read and think about buddhism a lot, focus for a few moments through out the day on "Now" and "being present" and recite favorite inspiring verses to myself often throughout the day.
if it is working for you great!
not everyone can make the time every single day at the same time to meditate for an hour, it is better to spend 5 mins doing it every hour, than not doing it at all!
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He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
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Laurens
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Re: Meditation is not My Focus

Post by Laurens »

Concentration (i.e: Mindfulness and meditation) is a big section of the eightfold path, whilst you can study Buddhism without it, I would say you can't really practice it so well without some kind of meditation or mindfulness going on.

To benefit from meditation it has to be an ongoing (daily) thing. If you don't practice meditation you should at the very least practice mindfulness as you go about your day.

Reading up on Buddhism is all very well, but words alone won't transform your actions unfortunately.

All the best.
Laurens
"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
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jcsuperstar
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Re: Meditation is not My Focus

Post by jcsuperstar »

don't think that just formal sitting meditation is the only form of meditation. In our daily life whatever we are committed to, our postures could be summarized into four: standing, walking, sitting and sleeping. the Buddha admonished to be mindful on the action done while we are in these postures
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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