Contemplative March 2018

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
Post Reply
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

:anjali:

It is still two weeks to go but If we get to live till March,

I think it would be good to keep 8 precepts and meditate more than usual.

We can have this thread to help eachother become willing and to get back on the path if straying away.
Dhp Verse 172. The Diligent Illumine The World

Whoso was heedless formerly
but later lives with heedfulness
illuminates the world
as moon when free of clouds.
We are helping eachother to think and understand the Dhamma so i think it is only right that we encourage eachother to make an Exertion :clap:
"Exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth, Bharadvaja. If one didn't make an exertion, one wouldn't finally attain the truth. Because one makes an exertion, one finally attains the truth. Therefore, exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth."

"But what quality is most helpful for exertion? We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for exertion."

"Contemplating is most helpful for exertion, Bharadvaja. If one didn't contemplate, one wouldn't make an exertion. Because one contemplates, one makes an exertion. Therefore, contemplating is most helpful for exertion."

"But what quality is most helpful for contemplating?..."

"Being willing... If one weren't willing, one wouldn't contemplate..."

"But what quality is most helpful for being willing?..."

"Desire... If desire didn't arise, one wouldn't be willing..."

"But what quality is most helpful for desire?..."

"Coming to an agreement through pondering dhammas... If one didn't come to an agreement through pondering dhammas, desire wouldn't arise..."

"But what quality is most helpful for coming to an agreement through pondering dhammas?..."

"Penetrating the meaning... If one didn't penetrate the meaning, one wouldn't come to an agreement through pondering dhammas..."

"But what quality is most helpful for penetrating the meaning?..."

"Remembering the Dhamma... If one didn't remember the Dhamma, one wouldn't penetrate the meaning..."

"But what quality is most helpful for remembering the Dhamma?... "

"Hearing the Dhamma... If one didn't hear the Dhamma, one wouldn't remember the Dhamma..."
Time to reap the fruits :smile:
Much though he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that heedless man is like a cowherd who only counts the cows of others—he does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.

Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world—he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.
Sign up, below :twothumbsup:
Last edited by User1249x on Fri Feb 23, 2018 1:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
JohnK
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:06 pm
Location: Tetons, Wyoming, USA

Re: Contemplative Month: March 2018

Post by JohnK »

User1249x wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:31 pm :anjali:
Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world—he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.
Citation for that?
Thanks!
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative Month: March 2018

Post by User1249x »

JohnK wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:39 pm
Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world—he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.
Citation for that?
Dhammapada Chapter 1, Verse 20
Last edited by User1249x on Fri Feb 23, 2018 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Pseudobabble
Posts: 938
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:11 am
Location: London

Re: Contemplative Month: March 2018

Post by Pseudobabble »

I'm in.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19

'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative Month: March 2018

Post by User1249x »

Pseudobabble wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2018 4:11 pmI'm in.
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu :heart:
I want to see what gains i can get from contemplating the body as organs and the six elements for a month.
Documenting like before and after self-evaluation. I think it will be a interesting.
Glad u made the resolves :thumbsup:

i a lot recomend checking out documentaries Faces of Death from the 70s. I had to apply Sati not to be revolted a lot and it goes on for hours, way too graphic but deep. It is a freeroll for Perception of Death and Body contemplation if Satipatthanas are practised while watching and one remains attentive, vigilant and practices right reflection in regards to what is seen and various states and perceptions that arise while watching.

Faces of Death
Faces of Death 2
Faces of Death 3
Faces of Death 4
Last edited by User1249x on Fri Feb 23, 2018 1:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative Month: March 2018

Post by User1249x »

less than 6 days to start and 2 people :popcorn:

any plans for the training Pseudobabble?

was a good thread here on death meditation recently
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=31293
rgb1
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 1:42 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by rgb1 »

I will parttake as well. :anjali:
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

rgb1 wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:57 am I will parttake as well. :anjali:
Thank you, that is great

:anjali:
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

It is almost time and I feel freakishly good and motivated in general.

I will abstain from posting mere comments on the forum to uphold the 4th precept.

Leave you with a couple short Sutta on the power of Metta and a video where they remove the skin from a male corpse and play with the tendons and the muscles.
SN 20.5
Satti Sutta: The Spear

Staying at Savatthi. "Monks, suppose there were a sharp-bladed spear, and a man were to come along saying, 'With my hand or fist I will bend back this sharp-bladed spear, fold it in two, and roll it up.' What do you think? Would that man be able with his hand or fist to bend back that sharp-bladed spear, fold it in two, and roll it up?"

"No, lord. Why is that? Because a sharp-bladed spear isn't easy to bend back, fold in two, or roll up. The man would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation."

"In the same way, monks, when a monk's awareness-release through good-will is cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken, any non-human being who would think of possessing that monk's mind would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation.

"Thus you should train yourselves: 'Our awareness-release through good-will will be cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken. That's how you should train yourselves."
AN 11.16
BJT calls this the Mettanisamsa Sutta; Thai, Burmese, and PTS call it Metta Sutta.
Metta (Mettanisamsa) Sutta: Good Will

"Monks, for one whose awareness-release through good will is cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken, eleven benefits can be expected. Which eleven?

"One sleeps easily, wakes easily, dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to human beings, dear to non-human beings. The devas protect one. Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one. One's mind gains concentration quickly. One's complexion is bright. One dies unconfused and — if penetrating no higher — is headed for the Brahma worlds.

"These are the eleven benefits that can be expected for one whose awareness-release through good will is cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken."
May all be well
:anjali:
User avatar
Alīno
Posts: 701
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:24 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by Alīno »

Good iniciative my friend ! :anjali:

My discipline ans self restrainment is already enought good, but i will strive a little bit more untill tomorow ! :)
Ajahn Nanadassano (before ordaining) : Venerable Ajahn, what is the bigest error that buddhist do in their practice?
Ajahn Jayasaro : They stop practicing ...
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

Nwad wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:58 pm My discipline ans self restrainment is already enought good
Sadhu :sage: :clap:
Nwad wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:58 pm Good iniciative my friend ! :anjali:
Thank you for encouragements
Nwad wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:58 pm i will strive a little bit more untill tomorow ! :)
I guess/hope that you mean "after tomorrow" ?
Last edited by User1249x on Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

Are you bearing with it guys?

I am ok so far and pretty happy with it.

Also meditation is getting better, i don't time it but today i woke up and sat for some hours. Also this metta method is pretty good it seems;
http://seeingthroughthenet.net/wp-conte ... _Heart.pdf

What i am doing so far for meditation is;
Maranasati 1, Maranasati 2, Metta (DoH), 32 Body parts, Reflecting on the Uposatha observance and Satipatthana in all postures.
I do it back to back sometimes and study/forum when not meditating or doing other things.

My plan is to just let it snowball by itself and it seems to be working. I do as much as i can, 3minutes or 3 hours i can't be arsed timing it anymore because i don't think it helps much. However i would like to time in a 3h walking followed by 3 hours sitting Satipatthana before this month is over, well 5+5 or more would be better but i think that might be too optimistic.

No lights or visions yet, no absorbtion of any kind but it is still awesome and i feel good about striving.

Found this older post;
User156079 wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:18 am My advice is to additionally contemplate vulnerability of the body while doing the bodypart contemplation to better understand mortality of conventional reality, this will result in compassion, countering anger and probably makes it easier to reach absorbtion.

You can do this in several ways, imagine aging of the bodyparts ie "When i get old the skin will get wrinckled/ hair fall out, turn grey/ teeth falling out and rot. Another thing is imagining disease, sores, broken bones, ie when you contemplate blood you can imagine having serious infection, think back to times where you have been sick, think about how bones can break etc.

When contemplating the bodyparts, one should focus on them in/on ones own body, imagining body as skeleton, bones, etc..

Other things you could do is to think of the body as a house, consisting of Space, Water, Earth, Air and Fire elements. So Space Inside, enclosed by "walls" made of the other elements (Read: MN 28, 62, 140, 119) . There are many other things you could do like defining elements, elaborating on vulnerability, thinking of creatures living on skin, bones, sinews, comparing elements inside to elements outside etc.
Will brush up on it

Also feel very priviledged to have the opportunity to train full time as i see fit.

Had minor breaches regarding food, ate a bit too late on day 1 and drank meaty juice on day 2 because i got the wrong kind.

In couple weeks i will move out to the forest and i think that will help me in defeating myself a lot.

Got pissed off with some forum members, Abusive speech on my part. Instead of meditating. wp Mara, wp.
Adjustment i will make is restrict posting to TT and the viewtopic.php?f=19&t=31296
There are some people i will talk to in other threads but that is because i know they are worth talking to.

cba getting angry
Metta ftw
Last edited by User1249x on Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

I got couple good tips;

1. Standing instead of sitting when on PC is great for balancing postures, thus avoiding back problems and it is conducive to meditation.
2. When doing walking meditation one should be careful not to strain the knees when turning. How i was doing is to turn 90 degrees at a time thus making a 180 turn in 4 steps, now i turn 180 in 12 steps now and it is a lot better for me.

I used to think that i had knee pain because of sitting but it seems like it was actually the walking meditation and the turning part in particular that was the issue.

Also im moving out soon to live in the forest for a while and will keep going on them precepts in April. Got 400 wh battery w AC output, 100w solar panels, a laptop, a tent and a sleeping bag. I think i will get a heated blanket too in case i get sick. A bad thing is that i wont be able to stand while on computer in the tent i guess. I can post pics if people are interested. Still thinking what to do for food, i guess stored food is the way to go.

I plan on going to look for a spot to test out the tent tomorrow and bring the rest of the gear if it works out, my lease ends after this month so i should have time to prepare what is lacking still.
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Contemplative March 2018

Post by User1249x »

Been keeping 9 factored Uposatha and apart from some nasty dreams and lusting once it has been easy.

I will continue into the next month.

I am considering making a new thread for 5 precepts and 30 minutes a day total meditation so that more people can join.
Post Reply