Lost and Still Searching

A forum for beginners and members of other Buddhist traditions to ask questions about Theravāda (The Way of the Elders). Responses require moderator approval before they are visible in order to double-check alignment to Theravāda orthodoxy.
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Still Searching
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Lost and Still Searching

Post by Still Searching »

I am trying to become awake.
How does one awaken themselves?

I wish to seek enlightenment and achieve nirvana.

I know this won't be easy, but I want to give it a try.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

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Ben
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Ben »

Hi AJ,
Still Searching wrote:I am trying to become awake.
How does one awaken themselves?
By walking on the noble eightfold path!

And check out some of the material here.
kind regards,

Ben
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Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
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Bakmoon
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Bakmoon »

Still Searching wrote:I am trying to become awake.
How does one awaken themselves?

I wish to seek enlightenment and achieve nirvana.

I know this won't be easy, but I want to give it a try.
It's a long road to awakening and you need to be in it for the long haul. It's a full length marathon, not just a short sprint.

If you are serious and want to attain awakening, then you should seek to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. For a detailed description of it, take a look at the Maggavibhanga Sutta SN 45.8 which gives a good description.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you practice meditation? If so, what kind? Meditation is an absolute must on the path to awakening.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
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Still Searching
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Still Searching »

I've been practicing meditation, it's not been going too well though.
I seem to be very distracted.
I try not to focus on anything else and just 1 thing but it doesn't work.
I then get headaches and feel confused.

Maybe I should just get lessons to help practice the meditation because I think I'm doing it wrong.

The meditation I'm doing is the healing one, to remove all negative energy surrounding me.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Bakmoon »

Still Searching wrote:I've been practicing meditation, it's not been going too well though.
I seem to be very distracted.
I try not to focus on anything else and just 1 thing but it doesn't work.
I then get headaches and feel confused.

Maybe I should just get lessons to help practice the meditation because I think I'm doing it wrong.

The meditation I'm doing is the healing one, to remove all negative energy surrounding me.
I'm not quite sure that I know what kind of meditation you are talking about. Getting yourself a teacher sounds like a good idea. Let me list a few of the different meditation traditions in Theravada Buddhism so you can see what kind of selection you have to pick from.

Thai Forest Tradition: This is a very diverse tradition that largely focuses on Anapanasati, a method of meditation based on breathing

Mahasi Sayadaw Tradition: Very popular worldwide these days. It is based on observing the body and mind and noting things as they happen with mental labels.

U Ba Khin/Goenka Tradition: Based on a body scan technique in which one moves one's field of awareness throughout the body.

Pa Auk Sayadaw Tradition: Focuses on several methods of meditation, some of which are focused on developing strong mental focus, and others which are focused on analyzing things and breaking them up into various categories.

You definitely want to start meditating, though. Meditation is a core part of the pathway to awakening. Meditating is even more important than studying the Buddha's teaching, although study is also important.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Cittasanto »

Still Searching wrote:I've been practicing meditation, it's not been going too well though.
I seem to be very distracted.
I try not to focus on anything else and just 1 thing but it doesn't work.
I then get headaches and feel confused.

Maybe I should just get lessons to help practice the meditation because I think I'm doing it wrong.

The meditation I'm doing is the healing one, to remove all negative energy surrounding me.
Hi Still Searching,
what is the heeling one?
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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Still Searching
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Still Searching »

I actually don't know the name of it.
I'm very new to the Buddhist practices and don't know the names of the meditations.
I bought a book by Madonna Gauding called The Meditation Bible and I'm on the page "Healing body, mind and spirit"
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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cooran
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by cooran »

Hello SS,

This is not necessarily buddhist, or Theravada, meditation. Goodreads says about the author:
'With more than 140 techniques and practices drawn from Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, Taoist, Pagan, Jewish, Native American, and mystical traditions. ..... '

You may be better concentrating on the methods taught by the Buddha initially.

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Still Searching
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Still Searching »

I'm still new to it all, I didn't realized Buddhism had specific meditation.
Thank you for bringing it up.
Bakmoon is helping me and explaining all the differences.

So far, I've only learned about basic stuff in Buddhism like the Four Noble Truths, where Buddhism originated and the life of Siddhartha the Buddha.

I still yet need to learn about the Eightfold Paths and meditation.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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LonesomeYogurt
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/Books ... athing.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a primer on meditation from a Buddhist perspective, written by a Thai monk. It may help. Be wary of the resources you'll find out there; a lot of things referred to as "meditation" are not particularly Buddhism. There is much out there that does not conform to, or even contradicts outright, the teaching of the Buddha.
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
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Cittasanto
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Cittasanto »

Still Searching wrote:I actually don't know the name of it.
I'm very new to the Buddhist practices and don't know the names of the meditations.
I bought a book by Madonna Gauding called The Meditation Bible and I'm on the page "Healing body, mind and spirit"
As Cooran noted it is probably not a practice relevant to the Theravada tradition specifically, although once you have developed some skill in an appropriate practice other techniques can be incorporated as a tool.
Still Searching wrote:I'm still new to it all, I didn't realized Buddhism had specific meditation.
Thank you for bringing it up.
Bakmoon is helping me and explaining all the differences.

So far, I've only learned about basic stuff in Buddhism like the Four Noble Truths, where Buddhism originated and the life of Siddhartha the Buddha.

I still yet need to learn about the Eightfold Paths and meditation.
heads up the Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth.

but here is a brilliant book on the Noble Truths
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/4nobltru.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and meditation
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/deathless.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
Digity
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Digity »

Still Searching wrote:I'm still new to it all, I didn't realized Buddhism had specific meditation.
Thank you for bringing it up.
Bakmoon is helping me and explaining all the differences.

So far, I've only learned about basic stuff in Buddhism like the Four Noble Truths, where Buddhism originated and the life of Siddhartha the Buddha.

I still yet need to learn about the Eightfold Paths and meditation.
I recommend you focus on learning the basics of Buddhism and laying a good foundation. For me that meant taking up the five precepts. Once you get a firm grounding then you can start looking into meditation.

I don't know what you mean by using meditation to get rid of "negative energy". Not sure there's any concept like that in Buddhism. Although, breath meditation can be very healing in that it eases the body and mind and negative thoughts can come and go when we're calm....so in a sense it can help dissipate negative energy.
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by Still Searching »

Digity wrote:I don't know what you mean by using meditation to get rid of "negative energy". Not sure there's any concept like that in Buddhism. Although, breath meditation can be very healing in that it eases the body and mind and negative thoughts can come and go when we're calm....so in a sense it can help dissipate negative energy.
I was looking at the wrong meditations, Bakmoon helped me and explained that some meditations are different from others.
I was looking in a book that wasn't to do with Buddhism which I didn't realize but I am a beginner so I am going to make quite a few mistakes on my journey.

I'm going to do some more research and practice the meditation before I begun anything else.
And I'll take your advice as well learn from the Five Precepts.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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drifting cloud
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Re: Lost and Still Searching

Post by drifting cloud »

Here is an audio recording of basic breath meditation instructions from Thanissaro Bhikku:

http://www.audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/300.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That should be enough to get you started, although I also recommend finding a qualified teacher as well.

Access to Insight has a wealth of information on basic concepts and the original teachings of the Buddha:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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