Meditation 24/7

[Bouch]

I got into meditation recently, but all sites and all info I have come across tells me to meditate for like x amount of time a day. But then, I read, that Buddha got enlightened by holding his attention on his breath 24/7. Which he called the Vipassana method. I've tried this very simple and straightforward meditation method, and I had amazing results after a few days only. Now I'm starting to see auras and feel other peoples feelings. Where as meditation in sessions didn't get me anywhere at all except for relaxation and insights. I'm not saying meditation in sessions is pointless, I'm saying that the difference between meditation 24/7 is extremely huge in my experience. I still go into deep meditation during meditation sessions, but I have the feeling that meditation sessions without meditation 24/7 isn't going to make you progress that much spiritually, and that the sessions are only a part of the meditation process.  On top of that it doesn't require any effort at all to hold your attention on your breath 24/7, it only requires mental attention skills. Where as meditating in sessions requires for you to take some time off, which is not always possible in this busy society.

So I'm wondering why people aren't doing the same as Buddha, the master, instead of these meditation sessions? And why isn't anyone promoting the way Buddha got enlightened, and why are people promoting their own versions of meditation, like meditating in sessions?

[pimpoum]

As far as I understand, the whole point of sitting meditation is to train you to be mindful and aware 24/7, like lifting useless weights in a club can train you to lift useful things in the street

[Hazmatac]

Bouch,

Welcome to this forum. Your post really interests me. Can you tell me more about your experiences in meditating all day, if that's what you're doing? Thanks.

Rob

[Flipasso]

I've posted on how to be meditating 24/7 in this forum somewhere..

It isn't that easy to do..

I tried being fully aware of the breath for a whole day, and it got me pretty anxious.. I couldn't deal with it very well!!
I now think that the transition between "average" awareness and full 24/7 meditation is supposed to be more gradual!!

I'll upload an audiobook that talks about mindful living. - here

[Bouch]

Indeed it's not easy at all, I keep forgetting about putting my attention on my breath all the time. As a matter of fact, it's one of the hardest things I have tried, eventho in itself it's the most easiest thing to do. I'll check out that link on mindful living, thanks for posting. Maybe mindful living is a better way to describe this meditation 24/7.

[Matthew]

When sitting long retreats one sees the real depth of penetration that is possible. It is entirely different to daily experience. 30 days of 14 hours a day sitting is my most intense experience of meditation. The profundity of meditation encountered head on in intensive practice is unequalled. Years of daily sitting inserted into a normal daily western routine with work, family and entertainments is unlikely to result in change to the same extent as intensive retreat practice. Not everyone is seeking the same from their practice and we are not in a position to judge others practice.

Matthew

[deanmw]

Hi Bouch,

24/7 meditation sounds to me potentially dangerous for a beginner (although I'm barely a beginner myself). Like most things, I think it's best to build up your practice over time, rather than jump straight into intensive meditation.

Now I'm starting to see auras and feel other peoples feelings. Where as meditation in sessions didn't get me anywhere at all except for relaxation and insights. I'm not saying meditation in sessions is pointless, I'm saying that the difference between meditation 24/7 is extremely huge in my experience.

Do you still feel calm and grounded after such intensive meditation? In the past, when my energy has got "too much", colours and smells have intensified, and everything seems very profound. Synchronicities / co-incidences abound. However for me this has been a borderline (if not actual) psychotic state. And by that I mean I was no longer responding to reality, but rather to my own ideas about what was happening to and around me, which although exciting, was ultimately ungrounded and not rooted in reality.

And why isn't anyone promoting the way Buddha got enlightened, and why are people promoting their own versions of meditation, like meditating in sessions?

I don't know too much about the Buddha, but I believe he had many years of spiritual practice under his belt before his breakthrough into 24/7 enlightened awareness.

I think to remain grounded, you have to work through the blocks in your emotional / energy body, and to develop it, before moving onto such intensive meditation. My own experience is that I am not ready for that kind of trial by fire. For those with no emotional baggage, no blocks in their energy system, 24/7 meditation might be just the ticket. But if I were to try it right now I'd probably end up having a stroke or another psychotic episode as a result of the energies raised.

Jack Kornfield, in his book "A path with heart", describes what happened to an overzealous student of his:-

A student who sat a three-month retreat that I taught was an overzealous young karate student seeking the extremes of spiritual intensity. Rather than follow the instructions, he decided to get enlightened as quickly as possible in his own way. In the middle of the retreat he sat down and vowed to himself not to move for an entire day and night. After the first few hours he began to sit through sensations of fire and intense pain. He sat all afternoon, all night, and all the next morning... As he continued to sit he began to experience all sorts of altered states. When he got up after twenty-four hours, he was filled with explosive energy. He strode into the middle of the dining hall filled with 100 silent retreatants and began to yell and practice his karate maneuvers at triple speed. The whole room was bursting with his energy, and in the silence he could feel the fear that arose in many people around him, who were very sensitive after 2 months of silence. He made sounds with the movements, and his energy appeared to have flooded his third and sixth chakras. Then he said "When I look at each of you, I see behind you a whole trail of bodies showing your past lives." He was living in a very different state of consciousness, which he had attained through pushing his body to such a limit. But he could not sit still or focus for a moment. Instead he was very fearful and agitated, moving in a wild and manic state, as if he had temporarily gone crazy.

Kind regards,
Dean.

[Flipasso]

Wise and prudent advice Dean..
Perhaps it's best not to progress so fast but to progress evenly and safely!

[deanmw]

Thanks FlipAsso.

In the absence of a teacher I think it's better to err on the side of caution and discover your own limits. Perhaps under the guidance of a teacher faster progress may be possible for some students.

Actually I've just had my first private lesson with a (Qigong) teacher. He's given me an arm swinging exercise to try to get my energy moving downwards. It would seem he can feel energy with his hands. He cupped his hand slightly and made subtle movements with his fingers as he held it some distance over my abdomen and declared that yes, I do have a lot of energy down there! I'd seen Qigong teacher Bruce Frantzis in a video doing something similar several inches above his students heads, with similar subtle movements to locate an energy gate there, but I was surprised (amazed actually) that a local teacher would have this ability.

[sindhu]

HI

Meditation is a state of awareness. Now awareness is a tricky matter. People think they know what awareness is, but it is something which is not properly known. You may think that all this may be happening – body movements, sensory perceptions, even thinking; yet you can be absolutely unaware of it.

Meditation is not about doing something; rather it is about doing nothing. Meditation is experiencing emptiness and enjoying it – though this enjoying is a mind-oriented experience. Both joy and sorrow are experienced by the mind – and anything that is experienced by the mind does not include meditation. Whatever we do, is done through and by our mind. And releasing ourselves from the clutches of our mind is called meditation.

Then we are with our true self; having been able to control all the activities of our mind, body and senses. Then meditation becomes an antidote or a prescription for the many ailments that our mind and body undergoes in this stressful life. The transformation that comes from the regular practice of meditation is gradual but sure. The benefits, therefore, from meditation are manifold.
Sharpen Your Attention

To meditate we need to understand two factors: evaluate the intricacies of the mind (how the mind works) and become familiar with awareness. Once we know how a thought is formulated, what triggers thoughts, what are the conditions in which mind is prone to generate thoughts, only then we can take a leap beyond the cobweb of thoughts and experience the ever-flowing bliss. To understand all this, we need to cultivate and nurture attentiveness, alertness, vigilance and have a sharp microscopic vision - as the Buddha said, "Sharpen your vision like a bowman sharpens his arrow".
Understand your Mind

Mind functions on different levels; thoughts are propelled by mind due to certain conditions. We expect certain responses from people, situations, and when they do not happen as we had planned, then the mind gets disturbed. The agitations of the mind result in great turmoil, and this turmoil, this commotion generates several and varied thoughts. We pay great attention to the minutest activities, like the kind of clothes we wear, the fashion we follow, the place to hang out, membership of a particular club, and so on. And we don’t pay heed to an important thing: how does our mind function? How just a thought can bring pain, anguish, jealousy, mistrust, doubt, joy? We are least bothered about our cluttered mind but we ensure that our house is clean. It is futile to clean the outside when your inside is blemished with numerous negativities. So, there is a need to connect to your inner self, which is possible only through meditation.
Mantra meditation]http://www.chopra.com]Mantra meditation
Seduction of spirit]http://www.chopra.com]Seduction of spirit

[Matthew]

Welcome to the forum sindhu,

Matthew