Where does my actions on self go ?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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purple planet
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Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by purple planet »

I can see karma in action on others for instance - if i am nice it affects others and they will be nicer later to me i can see how its not excatly what you put is what you get - and how some of it might come later - maybe in a next life ect
i can see how if you improve someone elses life his life is better now and he is less angry = less chance he will blame you for his trobule ect .... and much more examples that i can see how your actions affect your surroundings

but what effect those it have on me ? how come i meditate and put a lot of effort in it and i come back to the start to 0 ? doesnt it have an effect ? how come the actions of for example 3+4=0 ?

my question in short : is there cause and effect in meditation ? if so how can i put so much time and effort in and still no increase in mindfulness where is the cause and effect here ?
santa100
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by santa100 »

In order to make sure one'll make progress with their meditation, it's important that they need to put effort into observing the Five Precepts. Without a good solid foundation in Sila, one could spend lots of time meditate and it still won't give the result one's looking for..
pegembara
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by pegembara »

Too much effort leads to restlessness; too little and there is sloth and torpor. Find just the right effort.
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was your vina in tune & playable?"

"No, lord."

"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was your vina in tune & playable?"

"No, lord."

"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too taut nor too loose, but tuned[1] to be right on pitch, was your vina in tune & playable?"

"Yes, lord."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
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drifting cloud
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by drifting cloud »

purple planet wrote:my question in short : is there cause and effect in meditation ? if so how can i put so much time and effort in and still no increase in mindfulness where is the cause and effect here ?
It's like mastering any other skill; it doesn't just happen over night. You can put "a lot of time and effort" into learning to play the guitar, but that doesn't mean you're a virtuoso. That doesn't mean you aren't improving; but if you expect to become a virtuoso in a matter of months or even years you are deluding yourself and expecting results too quickly, and you are likely to think you haven't "improved" simply because you haven't attained mastery. This doesn't mean there is no "cause and effect", but rather that you are mis-perceiving the dynamics of cause and effect and how they play out over time due to unrealistic expectations.

You should probably talk to a qualified teacher about this, face to face, and see where you are, make sure you are doing the meditation correctly, etc. You should also examine your life and make sure you are living up to the Precepts and the other aspects of the Path "off the cushion".
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drifting cloud
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by drifting cloud »

This might be something worth keeping in mind (hat tip to dhammapal for sharing this in the "Quotable Thanissaro" thread):
Appropriate attention is the most crucial factor in the practice, the approach that looks at all of this as a skill that you’re working on in the hopes of becoming more and more skillful in how you act, more and more skillful in how you evaluate the results of your actions, and how you learn from your mistakes.

When you bring this quality of appropriate attention to the present moment, you’re setting your practice on the proper footing. And then in that context you develop mindfulness. In other words, you try to keep the breath in mind. You try to keep this perspective, the perspective of trying to be skillful in mind. And then you can be alert to what’s actually happening, interpreting it within that framework of what’s skillful and what’s not, the framework of that larger view that helps make sure that you don’t get tied up in how you’re a miserable meditator, or how this is never going to work. You just drop that. Everybody goes through the stage of being a miserable meditator. The good meditators are the ones who don’t stop there. They learn from their mistakes. So keep that perspective in mind.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... alks_3.pdf
From: Appropriate Attention by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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ground
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by ground »

purple planet wrote: if so how can i put so much time and effort in and still no increase in mindfulness where is the cause and effect here ?
Causes/conditions may be: not dealing with "I" and "mine" resulting in wanting/effort in the context of "I" and "mine" resulting in perceiving meditation as a method to attain something "for me" resulting in non-relaxation resulting in getting involved in experiences in the context of "I" and "mine" resulting in not being able to be detached and lack of mindfulness etc. .... not necessarily so but maybe similar :sage:
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tiltbillings
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Re: Where does my actions on self go ?

Post by tiltbillings »

ground wrote:
purple planet wrote: if so how can i put so much time and effort in and still no increase in mindfulness where is the cause and effect here ?
Causes/conditions may be: not dealing with "I" and "mine" resulting in wanting/effort in the context of "I" and "mine" resulting in perceiving meditation as a method to attain something "for me" resulting in non-relaxation resulting in getting involved in experiences in the context of "I" and "mine" resulting in not being able to be detached and lack of mindfulness etc. .... not necessarily so but maybe similar :sage:
He said, giving a new meaning to the word opaque.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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