When the Buddha was asked "What have you gained from meditation?"
His reply was "Nothing! However, let me tell you what I have lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age and Death."
Its the truth. Please consider giving meditation a try. A lot of us who sit in front of the computer screen everyday and we really need this, as well as to get some sun once and a while.
1 Minute Mediation by: @steemit-health
Mediation can help you handle stress daily by: @doitvoluntarily
Staying calm: Mindfulness by: @nicnas
Staying calm: Meditation by: @nicnas
If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows them like a never-departing shadow.
Found in the Dhammapada Scriptures.
There are two main approaches to explain the pure mind. The first being that of the western scientists and the second being that of Buddhism. The latter is twenty-five centuries of study and teachings in a Buddhism philosophical debate and experiential validation. This inst anything new, but have you considered that by clearing your mind of hate, anger, greed and negativity and increasing your compassion, love, respect and positive thoughts you could enter a state of unending happiness.
Read a way more in depth and enlightening talk about
What is the Mind? By His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Cambridge, MA USA HERE
Quotes We Can Live, and Blog, By:
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world…” Karaniya Metta Sutta
“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.” Karaniya Metta Sutta
“Speak only endearing speech, speech that is welcomed. Speech, when it brings no evil to others, is a pleasant thing.” Sutta Nipata
“Whatever has the nature of arising has the nature of ceasing.” The Buddha (Kimsuka Sutta)
“Give, even if you only have a little.” Dhammapada verse 224
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NAMASTE ( BOW ) and Thank you for reading, @nicnas
Great post, keep it up dear brother :))
Thanks :)
I haven't read a lot but picked at it. My favorite is the LAMRIM. Thanks for reading and checking out my post. It means a lot that people get something from it. I would love for you to give any feedback you can on my posts. Thanks
Question about meditation. Is it necessary to do a lotus or even like and indian seat position. Is there a difference if one is just sitting vs lotus position?
I found a good article on this subject. I sit with my legs parallel with a large pillow under my butt keeping the pressure off my legs/knees and keeping me sitting straight.
Meditation Posture
Some people swear by it but really its about keeping your back straight and BEING COMFORTABLE. Try using a pillow or something to make your self comfortable. I have bad knees so I have had to use a chair at some points. It is still amazing.
Thank you same here. I guess i over did the lotus position 1 time that i could not walk, felt like i sprained my ankle. And another question is there a difference if keeping back straight with leaning in a straight wall or like leaning on a chair vs not leaning at anything at all?
I think the meditation has noting to with the body itself. It is about getting close to yourself, scanning and watching the own thoughts, slow them down (different techniques) and finally get thought free!! Your focus is on mind and body is secondary.
Very true, but sometimes you get so deep that you get distracted with either pain in the knees, or your back is curving as if almost falling asleep. I think positioning in a very comfortable position thats keeps your body upright makes more progress, like that feeling of being between dreaming but mindful and awake. otherwise lying down is just the same as sleeping. But there is no right way or wrong way, the main goal is to connect to source!🙏🏼
Absolutely true @errymil, most comfortable position keeping body upright! Thanks for adding up your valuable thoughts in the discussion :))
O with pleasure. We all learn from each other.
Yea, you should keep it straight without a wall or chair back. On a chair you should sit toward the front of the chair. I have found this hard to do a few times though. The idea is that if you sit straight you help the breathing and connection within the body. If you sit with the right posture your supposed to balance perfectly and not need support. This is difficult to accomplish though
Thank you so much! I will try to improve my meditation more, everydays a learning process.
Me too bud. I need to step up and meditate more my self.
Just sharing part of the great heart of wisdom sutra which I learned from my meditation teacher which is very important in practicing Buddhism. "When the bohisatta avalokitesvara was practicing deeply the perfection of wisdom (prajna-paramita), he investigated and perceived that the five aggregates (skandhas) to be empty (insubstantial) And crossed over all suffering"
YES. I used to recite the heart sutra for hours with a group that i helped teach. Brings back memories. Ill need to do a practice on it. Thank you for you enlightening comment.
👍 does your teachers teach u jhana and vipasana meditation? If u do this two kind of mediation and contemplate on these lines, it will help u understand the heart sutra better 😁
These are very deep. I believe they originated in India. Its been a long while since I have studied them in particular but Vipassana, insight meditation, and Jhana are very deep. If i understand correctly Vipassana is understanding cause and effect of our thinking, kind of like mindfulness, and Jhana is very deep in that it is a mediation of emptiness, or "state of perfect equanimity and awareness ." I believe they are sometimes referred to together as Vipassana Jhana. Sometimes Jhana translates as directly "meditation" no?
I just read some of your other post on meditation. And some of it is already knocking on the doors of Jhana and vipassana meditation. I'll try to share it on your other post when I get home. Now at work so can't steem too much 😁 Anyway I'll be going on a 2 weeks mediation retreat in June in Myanmar and hope to gain more insight on the path to enlightenment 😇
we were talking about that retreat on another thread. Its exciting. I have done at home retreats but nothing so extreme. It is a goal of mine though. Remember to bring back your experiences.
Opps sorry too many threats to read can't keep track of them haha. On the part of Jhana, it is concentration mediation (Samatha). You can enter the 1st stage Jhana from the breath meditation when your mind is claim and quiet, the 2nd stage, 3rd stage and 4th stage Jhana can be achieved by further relaxing and claiming the mind down deeper but when you reach the 4th stage, your mind will want to separate from the body. If you let your mind raise, you will see the state of mind and mater.
Vipassana or Insight Meditation is the silencing of the mind and allowing your mind to raise to Samadi. Once the mind reaches samadi, the mediator should contemplate on the three universal characteristics of existence (Ti-lakkhana) which are impermanent (Anicca), unsatisfactory nature (Dukkha) and Insubstantial (Anatta). After understanding the Ti-Lakkhana then you can form the seed of empty nature (Sunnata) and be on the path of Arahantship. If you are interested you can read the four foundation of mindfulness Sutta (Mahasatipatthana Sutta)
Thank you for this insight. I haven't studied the specifics of Jhana and Vipassana in a while.
Very good. I also read dhammapada and its very enlighting I must say.
Outstanding post! ☆☆☆☆☆😎
Really appreciate that. Five Stars WOOT!!!! Hopefully out of 5. And a smiley face, it couldn't be any better of a complement. Thank you for coming over and checking out my post. Means a lot.
upped :)
Wow very nice :)
I really appreciate that, thanks.