Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

what is also good to think while meditating,i like to thing about mountains,or how im going to achieve something in this meaningless life.

Can someone gives me some tips what to think while meditating

your not supposed to be thinking about anything while meditating unless your practicing some kind of samatha meditation.

Thinking will be even very subtle always present, just do not follow it, and let it go again. Observe the process if you are aware that you are thinking.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

thanks for the replays

Sometimes I inwardly recite a reflection on a specific theme, such as metta would be the Karaniya Metta Sutta, or may I abide in well being...
or even the Buddhas advise to rahula on the elements when I have a bout of anger...
There are also quotes I use from teachers.

these are useful to help reflect upon the teaching and internalise these tools for when they are needed.

but I quite like the image you use, would be useful if feeling trapped in a city or an environment to help set the troubles aside for a session.
although be cautious as to how you use that.

In meditation, the first step is to clear the mind and to purify and let the fog settle like sediment settles in a clouded pond. It takes time and, if you "think" then the sediment clouds the pond again just like it would if you move around in the water. Keep still and clear all thoughts.

Once the fog is cleared and the "pond" is clear, I.E. the mind is clear, then you move onto "thinking" about a single one thing that you want to understand and/or develop. For instance in Metta meditation you develop loving-kindness and there are many steps of what to think about and how to go about doing that in general practice.

Buddha wrote:what is also good to think while meditating,i like to thing about mountains,or how im going to achieve something in this meaningless life.

Can someone gives me some tips what to think while meditating

"breath"

or, "lovingness."

Or simply, "focus."

What am I thinking while meditating?

All sorts of things, but the thoughts arise spontaneously, and naturally dissipate.

Hi Buddha,

lately I have been experimenting with 'internal self-guided meditation'. Instead of trying to let go of all thinking straight away, i use it, especially early on in the sitting. Alot of the thinking consists of relevant lines from the suttas (for example, the anapanasati section of the satipatthana sutta), as well as quotes from respected teachers & guides. But if the mind begins to calm down, I then can let go of thinking more and more, moving towards 'silent witnessing'. But that is a longer-term project for me.

manas

Think about being in the present moment in this "Meaningless life"

Preferably, not at all. Thinking sucks.

Usually nothing at all

So what is the benefit? Because, by way of the simile of the infant, it seems that lack of thinking as meditative attainment means infants are masterful meditators, and that putting them in a box would maintain their mastery. But this is absurd; so, of what benefit is this lack of thought, mentioned by so many?

Even the first jhana has thought...

daverupa wrote:So what is the benefit? Because, by way of the simile of the infant, it seems that lack of thinking as meditative attainment means infants are masterful meditators, and that putting them in a box would maintain their mastery. But this is absurd; so, of what benefit is this lack of thought, mentioned by so many?

Even the first jhana has thought...

The suttas do talk about the benefits of cutting off distractive thinking and stilling thought.

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 01#p180640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#dhp-349" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;