I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

The cultivation of calm or tranquility and the development of concentration
tamdrin
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by tamdrin »

auto wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:03 pm
Pulsar wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:35 am
Brahma viharas are very effective
enlightened one made that method when he was unenlightened bodhisatta. It won't get you to the goal.

It helps quell obstacles. They are indeed very effective.
auto
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by auto »

tamdrin wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:08 pm
auto wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:03 pm
Pulsar wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:35 am
enlightened one made that method when he was unenlightened bodhisatta. It won't get you to the goal.

It helps quell obstacles. They are indeed very effective.
Getting into state of intense pressure is a must, but you guys want to escape it mundane way or otherwords see it as ailment not as an escape
Pulsar
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by Pulsar »

Auto wrote
"enlightened one made that method when he was unenlightened bodhisatta. It won't get you to the goal"
what goal do you mean?
I said it brings serenity. Buddha also said, if practiced and sculpted, to the level of
immeasurable, it is a stepping stool on to the 4th jhana, the 8th factor of supra mundane 8-fold
path, which is Samma samadhi (the 4 jhanas)
Buddha took old wine bottles of Vedas and poured new wine on to those
I agree
with this observation. :candle:
tamdrin
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by tamdrin »

auto wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:11 pm
tamdrin wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:08 pm
auto wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:03 pm

enlightened one made that method when he was unenlightened bodhisatta. It won't get you to the goal.

It helps quell obstacles. They are indeed very effective.
Getting into state of intense pressure is a must, but you guys want to escape it mundane way or otherwords see it as ailment not as an escape

Do you mean when an AJahn with psychic powers puts pressure on his disciples? I don't think that way will work for me with my current condition. Sorry your responses are nonsensical.
auto
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by auto »

tamdrin wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:23 pm
auto wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:11 pm
tamdrin wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:08 pm


It helps quell obstacles. They are indeed very effective.
Getting into state of intense pressure is a must, but you guys want to escape it mundane way or otherwords see it as ailment not as an escape

Do you mean when an AJahn with psychic powers puts pressure on his disciples? I don't think that way will work for me with my current condition. Sorry your responses are nonsensical.
no i don't mean ajahn..what is weird is you propose that idea, speaks volumes of why you think my response is nonsensical to you.
tamdrin
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by tamdrin »

Well.. I have experience of AJahn's putting "pressure" on me. You were vague so I had no idea what you were talking about.


The bottom line is if the brahma viharas are important for YOU then they are. No one can tell you otherwise.
auto
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by auto »

Pulsar wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:15 pm Auto wrote
"enlightened one made that method when he was unenlightened bodhisatta. It won't get you to the goal"
what goal do you mean?
I said it brings serenity. Buddha also said, if practiced and sculpted, to the level of
immeasurable, it is a stepping stool on to the 4th jhana, the 8th factor of supra mundane 8-fold
path, which is Samma samadhi (the 4 jhanas)
Buddha took old wine bottles of Vedas and poured new wine on to those
I agree
with this observation. :candle:
“It’s when a Realized One arises in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed. …
maybe get teachings under realized one what appears in the world.
auto
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by auto »

tamdrin wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:52 pm Well.. I have experience of AJahn's putting "pressure" on me. You were vague so I had no idea what you were talking about.


The bottom line is if the brahma viharas are important for YOU then they are. No one can tell you otherwise.
ok
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .wlsh.html
I declare that the heart's release by loving-kindness has the beautiful for its excellence. This is the attainment of a wise monk who penetrates to no higher release.[5]
..
I declare that the heart's release by compassion has the sphere of infinite space for its excellence. This is the attainment of a wise monk who penetrates to no higher release.
..
I declare that the heart's release by sympathetic joy has the sphere of infinite consciousness for its excellence. This is the attainment of a wise monk who penetrates to no higher release.
..
I declare that the heart's release by equanimity had the sphere of nothingness for its excellence. This is the attainment of a wise monk who penetrates to no higher release."
tamdrin
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by tamdrin »

Jerafreyr wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:37 am
tamdrin wrote: Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:21 pm
I have been meditating for many years although my efforts have not been consistent. I have schizophrenia and am on anti psychotics for that. Would this effect my ability to access samadhi potentially?


Most likely no. Meditate at a particular time in the morning after you wake and before you sleep. Aim for a bare minimum of 20 minutes. Consistency will aid you. You can add more sessions or more time per session but keep a routine.
When I am doing well I enjoy a daily practice and I do find the contemplation of metta for myself and others helpful. I have also been mixed up in many different Buddhist traditions and spent some time pursuing Vajrayana meditations before being influenced by the Thai forest tradition due to living in Thailand for the last five years.

I'm a little discouraged that I haven't had any life changing experiences of peace or bliss in meditation. I feel like at this point I should have experienced more. I am wondering if my mental condition is influencing this, I know it would be hard for anyone to tell. When I meditate I do get frequently distracted and find myself lost in thought so maybe I need to put more effort to maintaining focus on the object. Can anyone give any advice regarding this situation?

Thank you.
The key is to not look for experiences. New experiences means you're adding things to yourself and this is like piling dirt on treasure. Use what you know (whatever meditation strategy you choose) to surrender to the moment. Whatever arises in mind should not be rejected or clung to whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. From this vantage point you can begin to see your karmic patterns dispassionately and thus detach from them by relaxing your entire body and mind. Relaxation is synonymous to letting go.

There are cycles of kleshas where a particular defilement is especially strong and can trick you into becoming negligent. It is crucial that you maintain your routine through this period and break Maras enchantment. Do not look for excitement, it's a trap. When practice is easy, practice giving along with everything else. Don't give something away that you will regret but also don't draw back from intentions of giving. This is Buddhist magic and it's a craft that will accelerate your meditation. Give this time. Bodhi trees don't grow in a day.

Again, don't change yourself or look for something better, relax your bodymind when your karmic patterns arise and let your habits go. It will take time because maybe you are an excitement seeker. Be patient.

THis is really good advice which comes from experience. Thank you, I will try to follow...
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salayatananirodha
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by salayatananirodha »

for you and for anyone suffering health problems http://www.buddha-vacana.org/sutta/angu ... 0-060.html
I host a sutta discussion via Zoom Sundays at 11AM Chicago time — message me if you are interested
tamdrin
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by tamdrin »

I guess complaining to cyber space does work.. Not long after having posted this I found a method of meditation that is working for me and I'm feeling quite a bit better... really interesting.
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mikenz66
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by mikenz66 »

tamdrin wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 11:29 pm I guess complaining to cyber space does work.. Not long after having posted this I found a method of meditation that is working for me and I'm feeling quite a bit better... really interesting.
That's great!

The Net with provide... :sage:

Mike
samsarictravelling
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by samsarictravelling »

tamdrin wrote: Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:21 pm Hello All,


I have been meditating for many years although my efforts have not been consistent. I have schizophrenia and am on anti psychotics for that. Would this effect my ability to access samadhi potentially? When I am doing well I enjoy a daily practice and I do find the contemplation of metta for myself and others helpful. I have also been mixed up in many different Buddhist traditions and spent some time pursuing Vajrayana meditations before being influenced by the Thai forest tradition due to living in Thailand for the last five years.


I'm a little discouraged that I haven't had any life changing experiences of peace or bliss in meditation. I feel like at this point I should have experienced more. I am wondering if my mental condition is influencing this, I know it would be hard for anyone to tell. When I meditate I do get frequently distracted and find myself lost in thought so maybe I need to put more effort to maintaining focus on the object. Can anyone give any advice regarding this situation?

Thank you.
The same advice I originally gave at one place moments ago in this same 'Samatha Bhāvana' section, I would like to repost here:

...Any identification, any possession that is clung to, is what stops us from reaching transcendental reality. Now we can easily see this clinging when we cling to things and people, but we cannot easily see why the five khandhas are called the five clung-to aggregates. That is their name, and they are, in fact, what we cling to most. That is an entire clinging. We don't even stop to consider when we look at our body, and when we look at our mind, or when we look at feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness — vedana, sañña, sankhara, and viññana. We look at this mind-and-body, nama-rupa, and we don't even doubt the fact that this is my feeling, my perception, my memory, my thoughts, and my awareness of my consciousness. And no one starts doubting until they start seeing. And for that seeing we need a fair bit of empty space apart from views and opinions.

...

...That shift I like to compare with a kaleidoscope that children play with. A slight touch and you get a different picture. The whole thing looks quite different with just a slight shift.

Source: 'Meditating on No-Self: A Dhamma Talk (Edited for Bodhi Leaves)' by Sister Khema, © 1994. https://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors ... bl095.html

----------------------------------------------------

"Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vina?"

"Yes, lord."

"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."

"In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attune[2]the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there pick up your theme."

Source: 'Sona Sutta: About Sona'/Anguttara Nikaya 6.55, translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu, © 1997. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

----------------------------------------------------

Please excuse me if I do not reply to any reply of yours or others to this reply post of mine.

From,
Ai
samsarictravelling
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by samsarictravelling »

samsarictravelling wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:07 am The same advice I originally gave at one place moments ago in this same 'Samatha Bhāvana' section, I would like to repost here:
I would rather change that sentence to:

The observations I gave as an answer, for a question by someone else also here in this 'Samatha Bhāvana' section, I repost here:

from,
samsarictravelling

(I could not edit my post, so had to make this change in a new post.)
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Antaradhana
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Re: I'm not satisfied with my meditation.

Post by Antaradhana »

tamdrin wrote: Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:21 pmI have been meditating for many years although my efforts have not been consistent. I have schizophrenia and am on anti psychotics for that. Would this effect my ability to access samadhi potentially? When I am doing well I enjoy a daily practice and I do find the contemplation of metta for myself and others helpful. I have also been mixed up in many different Buddhist traditions and spent some time pursuing Vajrayana meditations before being influenced by the Thai forest tradition due to living in Thailand for the last five years.

I'm a little discouraged that I haven't had any life changing experiences of peace or bliss in meditation. I feel like at this point I should have experienced more. I am wondering if my mental condition is influencing this, I know it would be hard for anyone to tell.
The Canon describes the cases when the disease became an obstacle to achieving serenity and deep concentration. It must be remembered that our sensations are formed through neurotransmitters, such is the structure of bodies in our world. And if there is a failure at the hormonal level, due to illness, or because of the side effects of the medication, this can affect the ability to concentrate, relax, and experience pleasant sensations from serenity.
When I meditate I do get frequently distracted and find myself lost in thought so maybe I need to put more effort to maintaining focus on the object.
But on the other hand, you describe typical problems with meditation, and it is quite possible that your illness and medications taken may not have a serious negative effect on the practice.
Can anyone give any advice regarding this situation?
If you are good at practicing metta, continue it. You can also experiment with other objects: breathing, colored kasinas, elements, parts of the body. And most importantly - do not build expectations, do not anticipate various effects, there is nothing self-valuable in them. The goal of Buddhist meditation is to see tilakhana: anicca, dukkha and anatta in all perceivable phenomena and mental constructions.
All that is subject to arising is subject to termination, all formations are non-permanent. And that which is impermanent is suffering. Regarding what is impermanent and prone to suffering, one cannot say: "This is mine, I am this, this is my self".
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