How should I start my meditation practice?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Gami47
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How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by Gami47 »

:namaste:
SarathW
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Re: How do I start my meditation practice?

Post by SarathW »

Observing five precepts is the starting point.
If you can't at least make an effort by accepting the gratification, drawbacks, and escape of the breaking five precepts.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
sakyan
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by sakyan »

Dhamma.com (website as well as youtube channel) . The teachings are from Ven Ajahn Pramote. The website has a option to change language to English and youtube videos are largely in thai but has a good number of videos in playlists with English subtitles and English dubbed.

Ven Ajahn Pramote has very good meditation instructions for beginners as well as advanced practioners
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SDC
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by SDC »

Generosity, precepts, sense restraint
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

Just sit down somewhere quiet and listen to a guided meditation on YouTube or whatever. That's a simple start. Do that for one week each day, and ask again.
justindesilva
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by justindesilva »

JamesTheGiant wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:58 am Just sit down somewhere quiet and listen to a guided meditation on YouTube or whatever. That's a simple start. Do that for one week each day, and ask again.
The 1st & 2,nd verses of dammapada says that mind precedes all good and bad actions of all . Hence to know and identify our own mind in actions of word or deed we got to identify our mind . Normally our mind tries to control our actions in deed and word . Our mind naturally is subjected to our emotions and is said to be like a wild buffalo But by tying this buffalo like mind the mind can be controlled , Meditation comes in here to observe what are own immediate mind here .
The easiest and closest tool we have for meditation is breathing Thereby by observing breathing we learn to control breath , First the inhaling snd exhaling can be observed and then learn controlling it
This is ana pana sati Sati is the mind and the mind is observed and trained , While the best posture is lotus like , one can do it in any posture to begin with
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mjaviem
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by mjaviem »

Start a new life, the life of the contemplatives. Start a spiritual life. Desist from the unwholesome and develop the wholesome.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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Ceisiwr
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by Ceisiwr »

Gami47 wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 1:44 am:namaste:
In simple terms, from the Vibhaṅga
The Book of Analysis

12. Analysis of Jhāna

1. Analysis According to the Discourses
Herein a bhikkhu dwells restrained and controlled by the fundamental precepts, endowed with (proper) behaviour and a (suitable) alms resort, seeing peril in (his) slightest faults, observing (the precepts) he trains himself in the precepts, guarded as to the doors of the controlling faculties (of the senses), in food knowing the right amount, in the first watch of the night and in the last watch of the night practising the practice of vigilance, with intense effort and penetration practising the practice of development of enlightenment states; he, in approaching and in departing, acts with awareness; in looking ahead and in looking around he acts with awareness; in bending and in stretching he acts with awareness; in bearing the outer robe, the alms-bowl and the under robe, he acts with awareness; in eating, in drinking, in chewing, in tasting, he acts with awareness; in obeying the calls of nature he acts with awareness; in walking, in standing, in sitting, in sleeping, in waking, in talking, in being silent, he acts with awareness; he approaches a secluded abode, a forest, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a wadi, a hill cave, a cemetery, a remote forest, a desolate place, a heap of straw, (an abode) having little noise, having little tumult, free from the atmosphere of humans, secret from men, suitable for retirement; he, having gone to a forest or having gone to the foot of a tree or having gone to an empty place, sits folding (the legs) crosswise, holding the body erect, setting up mindfulness in front (of him); he, abandoning covetousness (for anything) in the world dwells with consciousness freed from covetousness; he cleanses his consciousness of covetousness. Abandoning illwill and antipathy he dwells having consciousness without illwill, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he cleanses his consciousness of illwill | and antipathy. Abandoning sloth and torpor he dwells freed from sloth and torpor, having bright perception, mindful and aware; he cleanses his consciousness of sloth and torpor. Abandoning distraction and remorse he dwells without distraction having internally quiet consciousness; he cleanses his consciousness of distraction and remorse. Abandoning doubt, doubt overcome, he dwells without uncertainty as to good states; he cleanses his consciousness of doubt. Abandoning these five hindrances (that are) mental corruptions and attenuation of wisdom, he, aloof from sense pleasures, aloof from bad states, attains and dwells in the first jhāna accompanied by initial application, accompanied by sustained application, with zest and pleasure born of detachment...
https://suttacentral.net/vb12/en/thitti ... ight=false

For more detail, follow the link.
“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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mjaviem
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by mjaviem »

Ceisiwr wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:28 pm In simple terms, from...
This is all but simple. Our friend SDC put it simple, for example.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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SDC
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by SDC »

mjaviem wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:01 pm
Ceisiwr wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:28 pm In simple terms, from...
This is all but simple. Our friend SDC put it simple, for example.
In C’s defense, I was giving an extreme abbreviation of suttas such as AN 4.12, which have similar content to Vb 12.
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
befriend
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by befriend »

doing some brahma viharas before meditation is good to keep negative thoughts at bay.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
bpallister
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by bpallister »

Silently
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Mahabrahma
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Re: How should I start my meditation practice?

Post by Mahabrahma »

Focus on the inward and outward breath. Maybe throw in a Buddhist Mantra you know. It is possible to enter Nibbana by just focusing on the breath as Samadhi (Trance) follows.
That sage who has perfect insight,
at the summit of spiritual perfection:
that’s who I call a brahmin.

-Dhammapada.
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