"Why Meditate" Question

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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Anagarika
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Re: "Why Meditate" Question

Post by Anagarika »

I always hear that you shouldn't aspire to attain anything/have goals with meditation, as they'll ultimately hold you back in your meditation.
My understanding of what the Buddha taught when he admonished his monks to go, and meditate; go do jhana, was that there is a necessity for the practice of meditation with the goal of concentration and the cultivation of insight. Meditation does have a goal, and it requires skill and effort, but not the kind of goal that causes one to try to squeeze insights from the mind like blood from a stone. The idea is to cultivate the ability to settle the mind, to calm and center focus the mind and then to contemporaneously cultivate insight into the workings of the mind. With this Right Effort, Concentration and MIndfulness, we develop the fertile ground for the comprehension of impermanence, not-self and dukkha/sukkah...leading to release from dukkha and attachment to unskillful ideas.

What I am expressing above is what I have gathered from the teaching of wise Theravada teachers. I have sat in years past with some Zen sanghas where there is much emphasis on "just sitting" and sitting with no goal. Some sitting in these sesshins complain that they sit for hours staring at a wall...for nothing. "That's it" claims the Roshi. "Do nothing. No goals!" This kind of practice may approximate samatha calming meditation, but it is not consistent with the samatha/vipassana practices, nor does it seem to me remotely consistent with the type of meditation that the Buddha encouraged in the Suttas.
SarathW
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Re: "Why Meditate" Question

Post by SarathW »

Utube video: Why meditate - Four kind of happiness by Ayya Khema.

:meditate:

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 0276,d.aGc
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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greenthumb
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Location: Oregon, West Coast USA

Re: "Why Meditate" Question

Post by greenthumb »

I started meditating because my mind was not well disciplined and I saw at my first Vipassana retreat I was causing a lot of suffering for myself and those around me from constant thoughtless reactions to data that I liked and didn't like. I wanted to be a better mother, level headed and thoughtful, that was the main reason why I started practice and become a Buddhist. Also the Buddhist virtues and a well laid out path were given, something I sorely missed in my education and upbringing. It's been several years since I started meditating and study. I can honestly say I found what I needed to live and good life and be a good person and so much more. Meditation didn't bring me peace, but that's my conditioning. I saw I had a lot of work to do cleaning up my life and sorting through what I needed and didn't need in this life to walk the Eightfold Path. Meditation gave me the discipline and a few powerful insights to face what I needed to do to move on and let go of the past and accept responsibility for me life. Cleaning house is never very peaceful from my experience. I truly believe each person is different regarding their conditioning, they need a teacher to help them sort through what kind of meditation and teachings they need. From what I've seen over the years the virtues coupled with meditation suited to my conditioning really helped smooth out the path and bring wonderful friends to help one out.

This is your practice and I hope my input will not confuse you, this is a very personal experience.
Form is like a glob of foam; feeling, a bubble; perception, a mirage; fabrications, a banana tree; consciousness, a magic trick this has been taught by the Kinsman of the Sun. Phena Sutta: Foam
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