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Dr.Caligari posted:Is this for just anyone? I thought Dzogchen was an advanced practice that you needed a guru's permission to take part of. Aren't you also suppose to be done (or close to it ) with Ngondro practices before getting into this. This whole thing is a super hot topic right now on for example DharmaWheel, where some guys are way up in arms about needing to physically be there, and other guys saying "nah, you can do it via live webcast." Generally, I've been told my by teacher that the empowerments and so on do come from the deities, but it is the power of the visualization that drives the transmission, not the physical ritual substance. Straight up he mentioned while giving an empowerment that Westerners tend to be strong visualizers and good at that, and so the physical ritual substances are less important (though still you should do it "right" if you can). That said, I think I only discussed the "online empowerment" thing with him once, and he was pretty dismissive of it. Garchen Rinpoche, one of the high lamas of the Drikung lineage, has given empowerments online before, via webcast, and said that this is acceptable, beneficial, and "works" if the reason one is watching it is genuinely being unable to attend. He has a lot of compassion and understanding for people having to adjust practice, as he did much of his practices while in Chinese prison, doing practice through visualization while laying in bed at night. Others argue that this is simply not possible, because there's no way for him to form the mental intent and projection to transmit the empowerment. As for Dzogchen being high teachings, generally, yes, but there is a precedent since Gampopa for giving initiations like that to large crowds, even thousands of people, with the idea being that if people "don't get it," and most won't, then it probably won't actively hurt them much if at all, and it won't generate a samaya with those people because they won't have received it properly (transmission requires both the right teacher and the right student), but occasionally it will plant a seed to ensure that the practice can develop in the future, and rarely there will be a student in the crowd who just spontaneously gets it based on prior life's attainments. While Gampopa's transmissions are oral transmissions along the Kagyu line, this is in theory even easier with the heart transmission of the Nyingmapas (generally known for Dzogchen practices) but I am again not sure how a heart transmission works without an intimate relation between the teacher and student. Often, the actual moment of realization in Tibetan practices comes through intimate moments with the Guru, who will say turning words or give the pointing out instruction to certain students. Dzogchen itself also isn't a particular practice as such but rather a class of practices, like Mahamudra. Achieving Dzogchen is the same as achieving Mahamudra and is close to total enlightenment, really a huge accomplishment of liberation. In Tibetan it means "the great perfection" or "the great completion." But it also comprises a family of teachings. Based on those links, it sounds like he'll be giving a pointing out instruction with the idea that it will stick for some people and plant a seed in others. It's not as intimate as I generally think of, but Dzogchen is all about reliance on the guru, so if you have reliance and strong devotion, it doesn't strike me as impossible. At any rate, it's worth watching regardless I should think. I only have one part of a Dzogchen practice, but it's extremely powerful, if a little wrathful. I no longer maintain it regularly on account of my working on my Ngondro, and my root lama not being a Dzogchen guy. Dzogchen is very "hip" in Tibetan Buddhism right now because it's very powerful, even many traditionally Mahamudra-practicing Kagyupa are practicing Dzogchen now from the enclave teachings in their own traditions (Yangzab, for example, within Drikung Kayu). So yeah, if you're interested, definitely check it out.
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Feb 22, 2016 00:46
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I visited a local Buddhist monastery today, on my way home from work. It was interesting, and I have learned a lot, however it seems they have few resources available in English. It is a small place, with one monk who is the Abbott, however I feel I have exhausted all reading resources I could get online, and I have been getting very confused, which probably means I am getting into concepts I am not ready for. I maintain a degree of uncertainty and doubt, but at the same time want to see where looking into Buddhism leads me. This is the first belief I have ever encountered that seems to make sense. Even different sense that atheism. (Hard to describe, like it doesn't make more sense, just different sense. Like it has meaning where atheism would not) The ?staff? there (I don't know what to call them, I am sorry if this is offensive) assisted me in the basic etiquette around the Buddha statue and were very helpful when I asked questions. They assisted me to meditate for the first time- I am unsurprisingly very bad at keeping concentration- and invited me back if I would like to know more to a class held on Sundays right before the chanting. I am curious enough at this point I will likely attend. There is so much I still don't understand, and so much I am unsure about. I don't know what is superstition and what is a true enlightened activity the Buddha may or may not have taught that I just don't know enough about- and to an extent I am figuring- what does it matter? If the believers in Buddhism have a truth that can help to reduce suffering and improve lives, maybe superstitions that help people to give meaning to each passing day are not that bad. Can anyone tell me- what is a chanting? What is involved? I know the monk will be there. I was told that I should keep respectful distance from him. I am not sure if I am getting in over my head here, and it's all a bit chaotic for me right now.
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Feb 22, 2016 07:15
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My teacher will sometimes open the public meditation by saying something like "When the Buddha was giving teachings, He would appear to people far away like he was very close to them, and they could hear Him even though they might be 100's of miles away. " *Points to webcam, taps mic* "Me too!" However, while he will broadcast the public meditations and classes, he does not broadcast retreats and events with transmission, and really the webcasts are ways for students of his to maintain contact with him over distance. My understanding of Dzogchen is too incomplete to comment, except say that in Nyingma it is emphasized that the student-teacher relationship is very important and possibly even "enough," so it makes sense that this could be a way to reach those who may be ready. Sialia, what kind of monastery was it? There are a lot of different styles of Buddhism, and the chanting would be different depending.
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Feb 22, 2016 15:32
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Sialia posted:
Based on my very limited knowledge, this sounds like a Theraveda temple of maybe a Vietnamese or Cambodian flavor. We have such a temple in Columbus, and my friend tried attending it before the Karma Kagyu temple where we met. He told me that is was awkward going to it. The monk declined to talk to him due to the language barrier, which seemed to be a problem as a new comer (despite it being in the middle of Ohio). Don't take any of this as derogatory, it just seems that from my limited knowledge, SE Theraveda temples are more difficult to walk into and start studiying, as opposed to the Kagyu schools or Shambala
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Feb 22, 2016 18:45
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Shambhala has some very good intro level meditation classes.
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Feb 22, 2016 19:12
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The place I visited is a Thai Theravada monastary. I was there at a time no one else was, so I was speaking to them completely alone, meaning I didn't really get much of an impression of the group as a whole. I essentially have little other choice for a place to attend on a regular basis for the next year, as I am going to be quite overloaded in my work schedule and this one is conveniently located. I will only have about an hour a night there after work, with no other time in my week that I would be able to set aside. If I were to find somewhere else, I would only spend that whole hour driving there and back, perhaps stopping long enough to reach the front door. I have been told to keep my distance from the monk, which I gather means he is unlikely to speak me. One thing that was additionally worrying was that a woman told me this, and clearly implied that we should keep further distance because we are women. I am not sure whether to take this as a warning sign- if someone can elaborate on the reason? This is a place I am very glad I visited, but am likewise unsure about. There are small doubts, but I am going to give it a shot, as I'll not really be able to visit anywhere else apart from very special occasions, anytime soon, and were I to take on Buddhism as a way of life, I would want a sangha (Is that what I call it?) that I can regularly attend. I can see a lot of cultural differences, but having slept on it, I have decided to give it a good go, and if they do have cultural practices I don't agree with, I know these guys have shown me a lot of good too. I mean, hell, even as I was nervously walking up the drive there was someone else driving away who was smiling and waving at me- I'd not even got there yet really, and never met that person. They have been good and welcoming people to me, and dealt with a few stupid questions. However it does seem I am going to have to learn to recognise words I have never heard before spoken very quickly in a Thai accent. I don't mean anything against them, and usually I am very good at understanding a range of accents, but I barely understood the 'Buddha, Dharma Sangha' when she said them all in a row, I must have looked like a total idiot staring at her for a few seconds. I am not used to the words used in Buddhism. Anyway she gave me some contact details, so I can always email her questions. What does everyone think of my experience there? Do you think I am making a mistake? I figured that surely it can't hurt to give them a chance.
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Feb 22, 2016 19:38
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What are your other close(-ish) centers? Are you off Sundays and could maybe go to one of the farther away temples on that day? I'm not persuading you one way or another, but it sounds like you might want to try out a few different 'flavors' before you choose. There are a few reasons why they would tell you not to go near the monk. Monastics, particularly Theravada monks, have many more precepts than lay people. 227 for monks and 311 for nuns matter of fact. I do not know know these rules, but you can read them here. The reason may lie in those rules somewhere, or he may have been engaged in an exercise where he should not be bothered. I imagine one of our Theravada members (Prickley Pete) would be able to answer your questions much better than myself.
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Feb 23, 2016 00:20
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There are rules in the vinaya governing how monks interact with women. There should be male members of the sangha present when it happens, which is probably what she was getting at. I'm phone posting so I don't have a lot of info handy. Is this a Thai center? Edit: just read your post more clearly, sorry. If they are welcoming I would certainly try to stick it out. People Stew fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Feb 23, 2016 |
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Feb 23, 2016 00:46
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I am currently working 5 days, including the weekend, and studying 2 days. Going too far is just not possible, though I finish work early enough to make the Sunday classes at this place. Thank you for putting my mind at ease somewhat about the monk. I understand that historically men and women were separated int he monasteries, I assume to prevent unproductive distractions, so I will go in prepared for something like this. I think I will follow Pete's advise and try to stick it out- after all I don't NEED the monk to teach me, basically anyone knows more about Buddhism than I do- and by the time I come to need more, if this whole thing takes, I may be able to seek another Sangha if this one is not fitting- but, Prickly Pete, or anyone else, if you have any advise to offer, I'd love to hear. I'm thankful for all the help and advise everyone is giving to me here. Thank you 
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Feb 23, 2016 06:38
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Sialia posted:Thank you for putting my mind at ease somewhat about the monk. I understand that historically men and women were separated int he monasteries, I assume to prevent unproductive distractions, so I will go in prepared for something like this. E.g. there is a rule against a monk and a woman being alone in a room, but it's first and foremost because of the way it can look; it's very damaging to people's faith if the monks who are supposed to be celibate, are misbehaving, or it even just seems like they are misbehaving. In Thailand, it's mostly women who come to the temples. So most times, it is women or groups of women who are talking to the monks - but it's always in a context where it's clear that there's no funny business going on, where it's clear that no one is misbehaving. So the point is to - out of respect - not put the monks in awkward positions. It's not a 'women are bad' thing. From what I've heard in Thailand it's not uncommon that if you have 200 people in the temple, typically 190 of them will be women. Also, you're asked to dress modestly, but that is basically just out of compassion for all the people who are being celibate. In my experience, Thai practitioners are super enthusiastic about westerners coming to their temples and learning Buddhism, and they're really forgiving about not knowing what to do. You'll likely to have a good time, IMO :-)
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Feb 23, 2016 09:46
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Rhymenoceros posted:You'll likely to have a good time, IMO :-) One concept I have been struggling with is: if Mahayana believe that one should achieve enlightenment but then continue on to be reborn in order to help others become enlightened, why did the Buddha not do this also?
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Feb 23, 2016 12:09
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You will find perceived sexist things but they are not really sexist as such. For example I translated a text in Tibetan that is a wealth summoning ceremony, one of the things one asks for is "good and obedient wives." But that's not Buddhism, that's 14th century Tibetan culture. It also asks for fertile sheep and quick and fast horses and probably good and peaceful husbands iirc. There's another text I've worked on that mentions repeatedly that "there are no women in Dewachen" but this is more about the general idea that being a woman is an inferior birth from inferior karma. That however is notably a way way different statement than "women are inferior." Women having an inferior birth is pretty obvious because women are born into a disadvantaged position, not because there's something inferior about women. But the Buddha never played those games much. This is the dude who rejected the caste system. Buddhism really isn't into sexism. We're all in this samsara together.
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Feb 23, 2016 13:06
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Sialia posted:This is good to hear, I was a little worried for a while but from literally everything I read sexism is not a concept that meshes at all with any form of Buddhism. He did for a few thousand lives. alternapost * Ahnold voice* "Ah'll be bock"
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Feb 23, 2016 19:49
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Dr.Caligari posted:Is this for just anyone? I thought Dzogchen was an advanced practice that you needed a guru's permission to take part of. Aren't you also suppose to be done (or close to it ) with Ngondro practices before getting into this. To follow up on this, the way Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche explains it himself is that a transmission is something that happens completely outside of time and space, so being in the same physical location as the teacher is not necessary in order to receive transmission. Also, in Vajrayana, the guru is the ultimate authority. If you read in a book that you're supposed to do a certain practice a certain way, but your guru tells you something slightly different, you should always go with the latter. Likewise, with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, if you're a student of his, and you trust him, then you can trust that you can work with the transmission by just simply receiving it through webcast. But if you're not a student of his, then it doesn't matter either way. You don't attend the webcast, and you don't need to do anything. The way to start studying with Rinpoche is to simply attend a webcast transmission. No need to ask for permission from him first, he makes these public and open to anyone on purpose. For what it's worth, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and many of his sons was/are famous for also giving pointing out instructions to anyone who asks or comes for a retreat. Personally, I'd highly highly recommend anyone and everyone attend the webcasts. He also always gives transmission during his retreats (which are also usually webcast) so if you missed Sunday, there will be dozens of more opportunities throughout the year to make the connection. He's getting old, and might not be with us for as long as we'd hope, and to make the connection could only be beneficial. In regards to Dzogchen itself, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche teaches Dzogchen as its own path and vehicle, with its own preliminaries. The tantric ngondro (prostrations/vajrasattva/etc.) is not necessary to receive the webcast transmission and begin working with the practices and teachings he offers. reversefungi fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Feb 23, 2016 |
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Feb 23, 2016 20:34
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Sialia posted:The place I visited is a Thai Theravada monastary. I was there at a time no one else was, so I was speaking to them completely alone, meaning I didn't really get much of an impression of the group as a whole. I don't have any experience with Thai monasteries/temples personally, but I understand from third person experience that they are usually really traditional, so it might be a little challenging at first to cross the cultural divide and start making sense of the practices and terminology and what not. This means there's a bit of a learning curve. Same goes with most Tibetan traditions. I'd recommend you keep going if you feel the inspiration, and I'd encourage you to feel free in displaying as much confusion and lack of knowledge about all the forms and traditions as possible. If it's a sangha that's worth your time, you're giving them a precious opportunity to practice compassion and allowing them to share their knowledge with you. Can you think of a time, say maybe when you were working at a job for over a year, and someone new came to the office and they looked totally lost? Maybe they asked you some questions and you shared something about what you knew, and they felt really grateful that you could help them get their initial footing? I'm willing to bet that, if you've had this kind of experience, it was probably a positive one for both you and the other person. Perhaps thinking about your first times visiting this monastery in a similar light might help you ease into the culture and forms. Also, what other sanghas/communities are available in your area? I have a feeling you would connect well with Thich Nhat Hanh's communities. He has many sanghas all over the world, and they are usually very accessible for most of us Westerners who might not necessarily know the difference between bodhicitta and a bodhi tree!
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Feb 23, 2016 20:44
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I've been reading a book on Depersonalization and it has me contemplating how no self fits with my experience. I don't know yet.
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Feb 23, 2016 21:10
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Who's reading the book?
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Feb 23, 2016 21:17
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Thanks, Dark wind. I tuned on the podcast and turned it off, both because I hadn't seen you post then and thought it was beyond me, and I am kind of in a slump with my practice. I will bookmark that page though and try to attend more. At this point, and in my location, attending an online 'class' is much more feasible than irl
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Feb 23, 2016 22:16
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The Dark Wind posted:Also, what other sanghas/communities are available in your area? I have a feeling you would connect well with Thich Nhat Hanh's communities. He has many sanghas all over the world, and they are usually very accessible for most of us Westerners who might not necessarily know the difference between bodhicitta and a bodhi tree! Confused westerner though I may be there is little else in my area I able to reach regularly. I work 5 days a week and study 2. I really don't have any time on my hands right now and my relationship with my fiancé and spending time with him will come before any spiritual curiosity- not because he asks it of me but because I want it that way. I do however finish work an hour before him, allowing me to visit someplace very close and meditate a while before going home to ensure dinner is on the table for his arrival. The exception being that on Sunday they hold a class that is perfectly timed after I finish work and which is followed by chanting- I will likely just be late Sunday, but only by about 20 mins.
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Feb 23, 2016 22:45
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Paramemetic posted:You will find perceived sexist things but they are not really sexist as such. For example I translated a text in Tibetan that is a wealth summoning ceremony, one of the things one asks for is "good and obedient wives." But that's not Buddhism, that's 14th century Tibetan culture. It also asks for fertile sheep and quick and fast horses and probably good and peaceful husbands iirc. This has the meaning, essentially, that we should just want the best for everyone regardless. Though women these days don't endure nearly as many struggles as they did back then, the human rebirth seems far too rare and precious to waste- this seems to be the motive behind the teachings. Of course it would have been the morals of the time that, if society says you must be a good house wife you should not upset the status quo, as in the end your occupation in one lifetime out of billions is not nearly as relevant in the long run as achieving enlightenment. If you don't do your wifely duties you will be so distracted by the consequences you'll not be able to practise nearly as much to further your progress or achieve said enlightenment. This is not to say I think that today's women should be like this, I am just trying to put myself in the mindset of the time. Do you think it accurate?
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Feb 23, 2016 23:24
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Dr.Caligari posted:Thanks, Dark wind. I tuned on the podcast and turned it off, both because I hadn't seen you post then and thought it was beyond me, and I am kind of in a slump with my practice. I will bookmark that page though and try to attend more. At this point, and in my location, attending an online 'class' is much more feasible than irl Definitely make the connection next chance if you can. From a Tibetan point of view, you only come across an opportunity or a practice if you have the merit for it. So in a sense, if you have the opportunity to open up the webcast and follow along the next time he does a transmission, then by all means try to follow along, and don't worry too much about whether "you're ready" or if it's "beyond you." According to Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Dzogchen isn't a peak that you reach after climbing a mountain for decades, and is its own self-contained vehicle that can bring a beginner from zero meditation experience to complete realization. Although, he doesn't hand-hold so if you start tuning into the webcasts, it might be challenging at first as he will throw around a lot of terms that might be unfamiliar at first, but with practice and study they'll come. It's truly a wonderful opportunity that he teaches so much online, that is the main way his students connect to him unless they can actually go to a retreat physically. His schedule is usually hosted on The Melong but it's a little unclear to me from briefly glancing at that link when will be the next open webcast-ed retreat. Either way, I'd recommend you pick up "The Crystal and the Way of Light" and start reading through that if you can, it'll give you an extremely helpful foundation in the chance that you are seriously interested in his teachings and decide to explore them further.
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Feb 23, 2016 23:32
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Paramemetic posted:You will find perceived sexist things but they are not really sexist as such. For example I translated a text in Tibetan that is a wealth summoning ceremony, one of the things one asks for is "good and obedient wives." But that's not Buddhism, that's 14th century Tibetan culture. It also asks for fertile sheep and quick and fast horses and probably good and peaceful husbands iirc. Wrong. It took Ananda twisting the Buddha's arm to get householders and women allowed into their own Sanghas at all. And each time he conceded, he also stated that it would weaken the Buddhadharma by, idk, 700 or a 1000 years..
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Feb 23, 2016 23:39
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Mr. Mambold posted:Wrong. It took Ananda twisting the Buddha's arm to get householders and women allowed into their own Sanghas at all. And each time he conceded, he also stated that it would weaken the Buddhadharma by, idk, 700 or a 1000 years.. Thought his mother got involved in that at some point, too? There are apologetics to make for it. If my post came across as trying to ignore this I apologize. In Modern Tibetan practice there is not a full Bikshuni vow any longer in any of the traditions, but I believe the Karmapa is working to bring fully ordained nuns back into the equation through the Thai traditions? And His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa is definitely into empowering women, what with his kung fu nuns.
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Feb 24, 2016 00:47
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Paramemetic posted:Thought his mother got involved in that at some point, too? There are apologetics to make for it. If my post came across as trying to ignore this I apologize. These are a lot of strange words, do you have an elaboration for someone completely unfamiliar with them?
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Feb 24, 2016 00:49
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Sialia posted:These are a lot of strange words, do you have an elaboration for someone completely unfamiliar with them? Names, mostly. And some misspellings. A bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained nun. In the monastic order, there are novitiate and full ordinations. I'm really not great with the Sanskrit names for them, but the fully ordained nun is a bhikṣuṇī. I believe a fully ordained monk is a bhikṣu. The Tibetan tradition maintains novitiate and full ordinations for monks, but lost the full ordination for nuns centuries ago. As such, all Tibetan nuns, no matter how accomplished or how educated or how long they have been nuns, carry only the novitiate vows. The reason for this is you need 3 or 4 fully ordained nuns to confer a full ordination - there are no fully ordained nuns, so there can be no full ordinations. Monastic vows include not giving full ordination to nuns because of reasons pertaining to lineages I assume. There is currently an initiative by a few important heads of lineages to correct this. HH the Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. HH the Gyalwang Drukpa is the head of the Drukpa lineage. These are just two of the very influential leaders of various Tibetan lineages and traditions. Last I read, HH the Karmapa is trying to get some fully ordained nuns from outside the Tibetan tradition to fully ordain some of his order's nuns. HH Drukpa is very much an 'activity' driven Lama, and has a group of nuns that are trained in kung fu to do demonstrations of female empowerment, who also helped a lot with the relief work immediately following the Nepali earthquakes. The bottom line is that while there is a sexist undercurrent within Tibetan Buddhism, it isn't really part of Buddhism, it's generally part of society, and is subject to change. HH the Dalai Lama is very keen on changing this, and has talked a lot about the necessity for Tibetans to abandon old institutions that are somewhat sexist. But things are getting better generally, in my opinion, and there are many advanced practitioners who are women that are now being recognized. Tibetan Buddhism also has a lot of elements in support of women. Generally women are considered wiser and having a greater capacity for compassion. There is also a lot of veneration of mothers, generally, and Tara is especially an important female figure in Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. My lineage also is unique in that it has a female Dharma protector (deity that is practiced to protect the lineage and practitioners). But I can't speak to the Thai Theravada tradition, my education on Theravada is very limited and I suspect the reasons for the keeping distance from the monk and such have been touched on nicely by some better educated people than myself. Paramemetic fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Feb 24, 2016 |
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Feb 24, 2016 01:36
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If you are interested in some things going on with women nuns in Tibetan Buddhism, I'd suggest watching Blessings: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet. I think the film focuses a little too much on the westerners that are visiting, but it's still pretty informative.
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Feb 24, 2016 01:42
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Paramemetic posted:Thought his mother got involved in that at some point, too? There are apologetics to make for it. If my post came across as trying to ignore this I apologize. Nah, your heart was in the right place, and so was his. According to legend, his mother died 7 or 10 days after giving birth. Not saying bad Buddha, bad Buddha, but sometimes even a Buddha needs a nudge in the right direction, lol. Hell, it took the gods impersonating sick and dead people to get him out of the palace. We forget- actually, can't even imagine in this day and age what it was like in that day and age.
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Feb 24, 2016 01:48
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Paramemetic posted:But I can't speak to the Thai Theravada tradition, my education on Theravada is very limited and I suspect the reasons for the keeping distance from the monk and such have been touched on nicely by some better educated people than myself. I am very new to all This and so not closing my mind off to any approach just because the first place I visited is a specific denomination. I am happy to learn about anything.
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Feb 24, 2016 03:01
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Mr. Mambold posted:Nah, your heart was in the right place, and so was his. According to legend, his mother died 7 or 10 days after giving birth. Not saying bad Buddha, bad Buddha, but sometimes even a Buddha needs a nudge in the right direction, lol.
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Feb 24, 2016 03:04
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I've got a book recommendation for the thread in general and particularly for the newcomers - recently finished The Mind Illuminated and found it really fantastic as a very accessible technical manual for meditation practice, particularly for a beginner. Very clear instructions and exercises, specific criteria for mastery and progress through clearly delineated stages of skill. A minimum of tradition-specific practice and terminology. Still covers important concepts like the three characteristics, dependent arising, metta and sila practices etc (not always with those exact terms but the practices and reasonings are there) but they are presented less from a religious/cultural direction and more about what they mean for your mind and training, which will be more appealing to some than religious language. I've recently gone back to basics and started over with serious concentration practice, dry-insight progress was stalling as I couldn't (well, not consistently) produce the level of concentration to penetrate the initial appearance of objects of meditation and the book has been immensely helpful in bootstrapping my concentration practice. It also covers insight experiences, though more as something that will inevitably arise in a the course of training rather than as the specific object of any of the exercises, the author states the culmination of the practices of the book in stage 10 is setting the conditions for stream entry and that vipassana/samatha are inextricably intertwined, even though the practical methods lean towards the samatha side it's clearly said that samatha is a ultimately a means to the ends of training the mind to be capable of insight. Definitely worth a read, I'd probably use this as my go-to recommended introductory text over mindfulness in plain english since it's just so specific and clear about what to do, how to do it and what should be happening so it sidesteps the whole anxiety of "am i even doing it right?" when descriptions of progress are left vague. I'm at last at the stage where piti and sukha have begun to arise in some of my sits (and I can clearly discern between them) so just having the positive reinforcement of knowing it's working and having the right language and discernment to compare my practice now to my practice then is incredibly energising and motivating
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Feb 24, 2016 04:11
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The-Mole posted:If you experience an uncontrollable amount of rage or despair coming up when you sit, it would be worth it to talk to a therapist and an experienced teacher (probably in that order). Strong emotions coming up can be a part of the process and can often be worked through, but it's not just a matter of keep sitting. Talk to someone knowledgeable and go from there. Journalling can also be an amazing resource for getting a sense of where strong feelings are coming from. What you're experiencing isn't that uncommon with meditation, but some issues can be worsened by continued meditation and some will resolve over time with continued sitting and a bit of therapy or counseling. Basically sometimes you need to sit more, some times you need to talk to someone. This gets to the heart of the issue. The exercises I've tried with my therapist, with meditation instructors (almost never experts), and from lay publications are all variations of one another. Lie down or sit on a chair, then tense and relax muscles. Sit on the floor or in a chair and perform a visualization exercise on X, Y, or Z. Sit down and focus on your breathing. Sit down and focus on a mantra. Notice where your mind is going and when you have a negative thought just let it go. The methods are always interrupted by intense negative thoughts and feelings, and if there is any guidance for the exercises not working, it's basically "Just keep doing it and it will work". This is a big problem because my therapist is convinced that I must master one of those forms of meditation in order to get better. So we'll wind up in a situation where she'll perform a guided meditation exercise that lasts four to twelve minutes. I'll quiet my mind for a few seconds. Then I'll be bombarded with horrible thoughts or images. Then I'll quite my mind for a few seconds starting the process all over again. This lasts until the exercise comes to a stop. It is an absolutely horrible, miserable time.
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Feb 24, 2016 04:28
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I figured out why I was getting so angry during meditation. I was hungry due to not eating enough food.
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Feb 24, 2016 04:49
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Apologies if this has been discussed before but I'm curious to get the threads general opinion on the Sokkai Gakkai International. I've been practicing Nichiren Buddhism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichiren_Buddhism) with them for a while now and haven't really gotten any outside opinions on it. I do know that the laity and the priesthood had a big falling out in 1990 and I'm a bit weirded out by the devotion to the mentor President Ikeda but the actual practice is quite helpful for me and I've met a few cool people through it too.
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Feb 25, 2016 04:19
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Think I had my first absorption experience last night! What Culadasa refers to as '1st pleasure jhana' and Daniel Ingram calls 'soft jhana' perhaps, who knows, I've tended to find as many terms and definitions for these sort of things as there are teachers. I had piti arising which after a while I took as my object.. which faded.. back to the breath, piti arises again, wait some time for it to stabilise then again made it my object. Stable. Spreading. Stable. Stable. What to do now? I sat with it and just relaxed a bit with the feeling, giving up on expecting it to do anything in particular and almost immediately got carried along with just enough time to experience a moment of Oh! before the piti spread out wide like it was crowding most everything else out of my experience. Nearly immediately bounced out of it and started again, sort of skipping in and out for the rest of the sit, too excited to really stabilise I think. Still some background thoughts, no nimmita, definitely not a luminous/hard jhana but some kind of absorption nonetheless. After I got up I was buzzing with residual piti until I went to bed, even today if I close my eyes or concentrate I can still feel an echo of it. I laughed afterwards because I'd previously thought about how I would actually know the entrance to absorption "You'll just sort of.. fall into it" was the typical instruction, fine but what does that mean I thought? How will I know and not just think 'maybe thats it' and convince myself? Then it happened, and literally it felt just like falling forward into the sensation, simple as that
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Feb 26, 2016 03:45
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An odd problem I am encountering as I have started to meditate at home once or twice now is my little cat comes up and bites the poo poo out of me. He doesn't usually do this for attention no matter how apathetic to his presence I am. In fact he hates most attention and usually acts like an angsty teenage cat who don't need no humans. I think he thinks I am dying. I am going to lock him in another room from now on, but it's pretty odd for him.
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Feb 26, 2016 20:06
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Sialia posted:An odd problem I am encountering as I have started to meditate at home once or twice now is my little cat comes up and bites the poo poo out of me. He doesn't usually do this for attention no matter how apathetic to his presence I am. In fact he hates most attention and usually acts like an angsty teenage cat who don't need no humans. I think he thinks I am dying. He's a demon sent to test your resolve.
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Feb 26, 2016 20:47
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When presented with a demon, you are to simply bow, say thank you, and then continue meditating.
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Feb 26, 2016 21:45
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Mindfulness can be practiced with almost all activities. Does this include watching television and movies?
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Mar 4, 2016 09:32
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Frykte posted:Mindfulness can be practiced with almost all activities. Does this include watching television and movies? Like, it takes mindfulness to practice right speech. When you use mindfulness to avoid saying mean things to other people, that's right mindfulness. But you could also use mindfulness to enhance the meanness of your words, or to commit some crime silently and without leaving evidence behind. That's wrong mindfulness. If you use mindfulness just to indulge in sensuality, then it's wrong mindfulness. Right mindfulness when watching television and movies would be attending to the danger in them; that they cannot ultimately satisfy you or end suffering. Most mindfulness is wrong mindfulness. Including my own.
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Mar 4, 2016 11:16
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How do you tell someone has achieved enlightenment? Is it like 'Oh, hey, by the way guys, I achieved enlightenment the other day' Is there something more to it? I ask because when I went to the temple yesterday someone gave me a photo of a monk who had recently achieved enlightenment and passed away.
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Mar 6, 2016 19:58
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