Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

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Eharp
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Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Eharp »

Hello Dhamma Wheel community.

I just joined the forum today. I've been a meditator in one form or another for 51 years, starting when i was 17. Our high school had a "spirituality day when people from different faiths, including Hare Krisnas, came to school to lecture us on their beliefs. A group of Transcendental meditators came as well and I paid my $25 (at the time) and learned how to do TM.

I did TM throughout my 20's but was exposed to, what I now call Pop Zen, that was very prevalent in the 70's, listening to Alan Watts on the radio each week and meeting and studying John Cage and his work. In my late 30's, the movie Groundhog Day came out and for some reason, it seemed to me to be a metaphor for Buddhism: repeating your life over and over until you got it right. I bought the book Three Pillars of Zen and began sitting Zazen, mostly on my own but also through groups affiliated with Zen Mountain Monastery. About this time I also got interested in Christian meditation as practiced by The Desert Fathers and the Book of Unknowing. For 10 years I sat Zen and even had a weekly zazen group at the local Episcopal church. I had some amazing experiences sitting Zazen, but eventually grew distrustful of the Zen community, at least in America, and realized that after 10 years, I had zero idea what the Buddha actually taught.

That led me to Theravada Buddhism, the suttas, the Pali canon, mostly through the writings of Thanissaro Bhikkhu. I began writing Ajahn Geoff and practiced breath meditation as taught by Ajahn Lee. I've been doing that for about 10 years or so.

Lately I've been re-inspired by the Ajahn Martin and have recently begun practicing Buddho as taught by him.

At 68 and retired, now, after a very interesting life and raising kids who are now on their own, I find I have the time to devote all my time to practice, reading the Suttas, and listening to dhamma talks, in addition to my responsibilities as a husband and father. My daily meditation is currently three hours, but I hope to double that over the course of the next few months.

Happy to be here. At 68, I don't have the time some of you have so I'm pretty focused on my practice. Death stares me in the face daily so that helps to cut through a lot of nonsense that might have plagued me earlier in life.

I look forward to the discussion.
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DNS
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by DNS »

Welcome to DW!



Thanks for sharing that interesting background information. I had some similar experiences, starting with Theravada, then going to Zen and Vajrayana centers and eventually coming back to Theravada.
User13866
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by User13866 »

Eharp wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:42 am after a very interesting life
Sometimes i have interesting dreams but when i wake up there is nothing to show for it and nobody cares. As i think about it, my whole life is like this...
SarathW
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by SarathW »

:goodpost:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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robertk
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by robertk »

User13866 wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:37 am
Eharp wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:42 am after a very interesting life
Sometimes i have interesting dreams but when i wake up there is nothing to show for it and nobody cares. As i think about it, my whole life is like this...
:sage:
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Sam Vara
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Sam Vara »

Hello Eharp, and welcome to Dhamma Wheel. :anjali:
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Ceisiwr »

Welcome :smile:
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Alex123
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Alex123 »

Congratulations, Eharp!

Wow, you meditated longer than I've lived!
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mikenz66
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by mikenz66 »

Welcome EHarp!



:heart:
Mike
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bodom
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by bodom »

Welcome!

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
bpallister
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by bpallister »

Welcome! :hello:
asahi
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by asahi »

Eharp wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:42 am ......
Sukhi hotu :

Wow a man of Determination !
This song is for you .


No bashing No gossiping
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Aloka
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Aloka »

Welcome!


:anjali:

.
Bundokji
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by Bundokji »

Welcome :anjali:
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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rekoW
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Re: Been meditating for 51 years. Greetings!

Post by rekoW »

DID You reach the Buddha heaven in 51 years ?
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