Recent Posts

91

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: New in meditation and forum, please help

« Last post by Ricky on November 11, 2019, 09:30:29 AM »

Thanks all for giving feedback.

I know i am doing mistakes thats why it is creating problems.

I can't access any teacher where I live.

So i need to learn it through internnet.

If there is any book available on this forum please provide me link.

Thanks

92

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Learning Vipassana

« Last post by efeatherly1 on November 11, 2019, 07:14:39 AM »

Does learning Vipassana meditation need to be as intensive as a 10-day retreat? I'd like to try this meditation but not via a retreat. If one were to meditate the same number of hours (10-11 hours) between each of the S.N. Goenka Discourses, over a longer number of days while meditating 2-3 hours/day, would this be effective? I've  practiced TM meditation for years and very recently discovered Vipassana. I'm working through Day 7 using the above method. I'd very much appreciate thoughts, suggestions and input.

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Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Forum etiquette and assumption

« Last post by Siddharth on November 10, 2019, 05:07:58 AM »

Hey dhammaseeker,
As Matthew mentioned there were some assumptions which were incorrect in your post.
Anyways I am just posting here with understanding and no judgement for you. We have all been there where a certain train of thought might dominate our posts or actions...
Only love and good wishes for you. Lets chill out (abide by calm) in our lives so that we can really observe and uncodition the bitch of an ego we all have..
Siddharth

94

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Relationships and the Spiritual Path

« Last post by dharma bum on November 10, 2019, 03:56:19 AM »

After attending Goenka retreats, I myself have felt drawn to the idea of doing a lot of retreats and learning Pali and that sort of thing. At one retreat, I met a young man, who had lost his job during a downturn and was now retreat-hopping. He would show up at retreats and they would let him sit even when he hadn't registered. I felt a bit disturbed when I heard him say it - I stopped myself from saying that he ought to use the time to prep for interviewing and stuff. What do I know?! I'm just as stupid as anybody else. Maybe attending a long string of retreats would sort things out in his head. Maybe attending retreats all the time is the right thing to do.

It's just that everybody needs to sort things out themselves.

For instance, Jess, is it possible for you to lessen your workload at uni? Can you simplify your life so it becomes less overwhelming? Can you do something else to bring some degree of calmness? Exercise? shorter commute? 30 minutes extra sleep? Things of a practical nature can sometimes make a big difference.

95

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Forum etiquette and assumption

« Last post by Matthew on November 10, 2019, 01:27:13 AM »

Recently I have come across a lot of posts here which in their essence deal with the ambition of enlightenment/spiritual superiority in a practitioner.
The downsides and dangers of it have been repeatedly mentioned on the forum but the perennial theme that i find is to not discourage beginners by unfolding more of 'reality' than they are prepared to accept without giving up on practice..

I think there shall be a post pinned on the basic reasons that lead a lot into meditation and similar practice and a conservative estimate of what to expect and the often found misconceptions..

This is a good idea, and you describe well some of the regular confusions that arise. Also dhammaseeker posted an interesting similar thread which can be found here.

Being through a lot of that, I find it hard to either suggest meditation to people i know or talk about the issues they are facing..

Meditation can be a simple addition to a healthy life balance. This is fairly basic. Yet it is not the natural goal of Buddhism.

To understand the natural goal of the Buddhist path one needs right understanding: that cutting the roots of desire, aversion and ignorance is how one denies the ego of food.

"Enlightenment" is quite misunderstood it seems. There is clearly an existential difference between a life lead by ego and a life where the roots of ego have been completely cut. And, when you start to see this clear difference, it is a little frightening even, at first.

It really is swimming against the major currents in this world we live in today. Not many are ready to see, fewer ready to swim upstream. We are programmed by family, culture, school and authority systems to fit in, and enlightenment is quite not fitting in - it is being your true selfless self, unadorned by desires for material success, clear of ignorance and aversion. A big clash with our culture, which values the material above all else.

Having said that, grasping for a goal of "enlightenment" is very toxic: it feeds the ego, it builds clinging and attachment - instead of cutting them, and it is based on ignorance.

With love, Siddharth

Much love to you also Dhamma brother.

M

96

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Forum etiquette and assumption

« Last post by Matthew on November 09, 2019, 11:30:52 PM »

I have made a new thread from these posts so that Ricky's topic is not lead away from his questions.

97

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Forum etiquette and assumption

« Last post by Matthew on November 09, 2019, 11:19:33 PM »

...
Anyways, hope the disjoint ideas that i have thrown through my phone reach where i intend them to and something wholesome arises out of it..

With love, Siddharth

I'm a bit confused. Why would you share your ideas on a phone call to Matthew rather then on the forum then advertise the fact that you've done this? It seems like a very weird way of going about things? As if your playing some kind of insecure power game. Very strange. Thank you VERY much for your post. It gives me a very good measure of the kind of people influencing this community - not so noble or skillful in dhamma. CHEERS!

Dear dhammaseeker,

Assumption really is the mother of all frik-ups.

Siddarth did not share ideas with me on a phone call and advertise it here. He shared his thoughts on the forum using his phone to make his post above.

Do you see how your assumption, ignorance and clinging have lead you to utterly false conclusions?

Do you see how these false conclusions have lead you to insult fellow practitioners and community members, thus potentially sowing discord?

Do you see therefore that you do not have "a very good measure of the kind of people influencing this community"?

Do you see that your assumptions, actions and words are therefore "not so noble or skillful in dhamma", actually the very opposite?

Do you see that the only truth in your words is this:

I'm a bit confused.

Kindest regards,

Matthew

98

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Social Media DIY Spiritual Lego-kits

« Last post by Middleway on November 09, 2019, 11:13:28 PM »

Good topic and hope members will chime in.

99

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Forum etiquette and assumption

« Last post by dhammaseeker on November 09, 2019, 10:57:27 PM »

Hey Matthew,
Its heartening to see a post from you.
Recently I have come across a lot of posts here which in their essence deal with the ambition of enlightenment/spiritual superiority in a practitioner.
The downsides and dangers of it have been repeatedly mentioned on the forum but the perennial theme that i find is to not discourage beginners by unfolding more of 'reality' than they are prepared to accept without giving up on practice..

I think there shall be a post pinned on the basic reasons that lead a lot into meditation and similar practice and a conservative estimate of what to expect and the often found misconceptions..

Being through a lot of that, I find it hard to either suggest meditation to people i know or talk about the issues they are facing..

Anyways, hope the disjoint ideas that i have thrown through my phone reach where i intend them to and something wholesome arises out of it..

With love, Siddharth

I'm a bit confused. Why would you share your ideas on a phone call to Matthew rather then on the forum then advertise the fact that you've done this? It seems like a very weird way of going about things? As if your playing some kind of insecure power game. Very strange. Thank you VERY much for your post. It gives me a very good measure of the kind of people influencing this community - not so noble or skillful in dhamma. CHEERS!

100

Meditation, Practice And The Path / Re: Relationships and the Spiritual Path

« Last post by stillpointdancer on November 09, 2019, 11:20:32 AM »

I often think that going into a relationship with a developed meditation practice has fewer problems associated with meditation and a spiritual practice than being in a long term relationship and then taking it up. Of course, we all change all the time, so there's no telling what might happen anyway, whether you are on the path or not.