"can't meditate"

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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simsapa
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"can't meditate"

Post by simsapa »

A lot of people say "I can't meditate. My mind can't be controlled. Thoughts can't be controlled. I can't focus. I have too much anxiety." I hear this sort of thing a lot.

What are your responses to this?
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confusedlayman
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Re: "can't meditate"

Post by confusedlayman »

Try this

Treat all thoughts are non self and doesnt belong to u... u will become background awareness and have nothing to do with thoughts.. stay in background awareness and 5 hinderance may be eradicated.. only when u jump into thought 5 hinderance come...

Ur background awareness becomes ur kasina
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
simsapa
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Re: "can't meditate"

Post by simsapa »

To be clear, I can actually meditate. At least when I try! I'm asking on behalf of those with a certain mentality.
SarathW
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Re: "can't meditate"

Post by SarathW »

simsapa wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 4:28 am To be clear, I can actually meditate. At least when I try! I'm asking on behalf of those with a certain mentality.
Can you explain your meditative experience?
By the way, I have trouble meditating as my monkey mind run all over the place.
:D
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DooDoot
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Re: "can't meditate"

Post by DooDoot »

SarathW wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 4:35 am By the way, I have trouble meditating as my monkey mind run all over the place.
Cause of monkey mind is the three types of misconduct, as the Buddha taught in AN 10.61
I say, bhikkhus, that ignorance has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for ignorance? It should be said: the five hindrances. The five hindrances, too, I say, have a nutriment; they are not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the five hindrances? It should be said: the three kinds of misconduct. The three kinds of misconduct, too, I say, have a nutriment; they are not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the three kinds of misconduct? It should be said: non-restraint of the sense faculties. Non-restraint of the sense faculties, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for non-restraint of the sense faculties? It should be said: lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension? It should be said: careless attention. Careless attention, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for careless attention? It should be said: lack of faith. Lack of faith, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of faith? It should be said: not hearing the good Dhamma. Not hearing the good Dhamma, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for not hearing the good Dhamma? It should be said: not associating with good persons.

AN 10.61
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salayatananirodha
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Re: "can't meditate"

Post by salayatananirodha »

this is my response
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.001.than.html wrote:I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "What is the purpose of skillful virtues? What is their reward?"

"Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, Ananda, and freedom from remorse as their reward."

"And what is the purpose of freedom from remorse? What is its reward?"

"Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of joy? What is its reward?"

"Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of rapture? What is its reward?"

"Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of serenity? What is its reward?"

"Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of pleasure? What is its reward?"

"Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of concentration? What is its reward?"

"Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they actually are? What is its reward?"

"Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?"

"Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?"

"Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.
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sunnat
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Chachakka sutta - Bodhi translation

Post by sunnat »

established in virtue, concentrated, calmed, aware of anicca...

To be understood:

There is mind
There are mind-objects
Dependent on mind and mind objects, mind consciousness arises and the meeting of the three is mind-contact, with mind-contact as condition there is mind-feeling.

With mind-feeling as condition there is mind-craving.


estabished in virtue, concentrated, calmed, aware of anicca


"If anyone says, ‘Mind is self’, "Mind-objects are self", "Mind-consciousness is self", "mind contsct is self", "Mind-feeling is self", "Mind-craving is self" that is not acceptable. The rise and fall of mind (mind-objects etc)is seen and understood, and since its rise and fall are discerned, it would follow: ‘My self rises and falls’. That is why it is not acceptable for anyone to say, ‘Mind (mind-objects etc) is self’. Thus mind (mind-objects etc) is not self.

estabished in virtue, concentrated, calmed, aware of anicca

Now, bhikkhus, this is the way leading to the origination of identity.* "One regards mind thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’. One regards mind-objects thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’. One regards mind-consciousness thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’. One regards mind-contact thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’. One regards mind-feeling thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’. One regards mind-craving thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’.

established in virtue, concentrated, calmed, aware of anicca

"Now, bhikkhus, this is the way leading to the cessation of identity. "One regards the mind* thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’. One regards mind-objects thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’. One regards mind-consciousness thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’. One regards mind-contact thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’. One regards mind-feeling thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’. One regards mind-craving thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’.

Bhikkhus, that one should here and now make an end of suffering without abandoning the underlying tendency to lust for pleasant mind*-feeling, without abolishing the underlying tendency to aversion towards mind-painful feeling, without extirpating the underlying tendency to ignorance in regard to neither-pleasant-nor-painful mind-feeling, without abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge - this is impossible.

Bhikkhus, that one shall here and now make an end of suffering by abandoning the underlying tendency to lust for pleasant mind-feeling, by abolishing the underlying tendency to aversion for painful mind-feeling, by extirpating the underlying tendency to ignorance in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant mind-feeling, by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge - this is possible.

* similarly with the other five sense bases
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