What is your Meditation technique?

[Shamz]

Hello,
We all know the importance of meditation and what part it plays in our lives.
I just want to know from different people their style/techniques of meditation. I know that what works for one may not work for others, but I am just trying to get an idea about different ways or how people invent their own ways to meditate ?
1-2 lines from everyone are welcome. I am sure it will surely benefit lots of us esp someone new to meditation.

thanks

[Flasky]

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?27331-Meditation-help-for-dummies...

Check out that thread! I had sort of the same question and got heaps of response there...When you have time give it a read you might find something inspiring for you :)

[cloud9]

Thank you Shamz for posting this question as it's something I was going to ask too, perhaps to Anchor or Sepia. If somebody wants to answer this, I would like to ask:
Once you get to a estate where you are free of thoughts, what is it next?
Should one stay in that estate as long as I one is able to?
Should one visualize something?
Also, I find that I can, pretty easy, get to a estate with no thoughts or at least very few far and in between but I don't know if this is the only thing I need to do.
What is the purpose of mantras?
If one have a mantra, should one repeat this mantra for as long as the meditation lasts? Just at the beginning?

I'm sorry for so many questions but I've been thinking about starting a thread on this.

[gooty64]

Sometimes in a warm bubble bath.
Also, I heard someone call it a dynamic meditation-whereby you can meditate while you do the dishes, laundry, gardening etc. Just pay attention while you are doing these activities by using your senses and witnessing your actions almost like in slow-motion.

[Tenzin]

For ANY meditation subject: to first establish a completely relaxed state before everything else.

Visualization is ideal for anything that deals with this 'matrix'. Protection, success, whatever.

To get out of the matrix, stop thinking and go as deep into calm as possible. Let go of body, and mind.

[cloud9]

Perhaps my confusion comes from ignorance. After a while in meditation, let's say 25 or 30 minutes with a quiet mind, I just start thinking that it's time to open my eyes and I do so (very slowly), but I always think that I didn't do much. Many people have talked about wonderful experiences.... how do they do it?
I just started 2 weeks ago so...

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Tenzin,
I think I know what you mean... one day the silence was so great that I thought I was in a empty space, no sounds at all and I didn't feel my body either, but this is it? I mean this is the goal of meditation, to get to that state?

[Tenzin]

Great achievement, cloud9! Please go even deeper! Great wisdom awaits you! :)

[Tony]

Dear Shaz,
To start there is watching the breath meditation, simply resting in that awareness, that is called Shamata with support. Thoughts will arise, just let them come to pass. this is your time to relax and be at peace. gradually you will notice just the nowness, rest in that. This is called Shamata without support.

the point of meditation is to free oneself of fixated concepts. we are not these thoughts, gradually we become aware of a perceiver aware of these thoughts. Then we come to mere perception.....then we arrive at pure perception. Your true nature!

All the best
Tony

[Mark]

I use simple Shamatha meditation, which is a technique I learned from my time at the Shambhala center in Washington DC. It is what Tony mentioned above as simple 'watching the breath' exercise, with a few modifications. You do watch the breath, but you also do it with your eyes open. There are no particular mudras or mantras. Bless. :neo:

[Allura]

I usually use a hemi-sync cd from the Monroe Institute, lay down on my bed, do some progressive relaxation and just quiet my mind (sometimes repeating a mantra). Otherwise I will use a guided meditation, also from the Monroe Institute...their cds are expensive but SO worth it! I love their hemi-sync technology!!

[cloud9]

One of my questions: Is it the goal to get to that silent estate, right? If so, is it not a contradiction to use music or sounds? As there's no silence anymore...

[Whiskey_Mystic]

Some of us believe in two basic forms of meditation. Yin and Yang. Yin meditation is what most people are famiilar with. Count your breaths. Get in the gap. Empty your mind. Yang meditation is active, rather than passive. It is the state in which one can "reprogram the matrix". If you are intentionally using meditation to reach high states of awareness, conduct energetic alchemy, or interface with non-physical entities, then you are approaching Yang meditation. That's not to say that anyone doing these things is practicing meditation as there are many ways to approach all of them. I've found that these techniques are not widely taught, although Tonglen practice in certain Buddhist schools definitely would qualify.

One very focused mind I know can meditate during almost any activity. I can't. I have to quiet my body first. I can't even do the walking meditation myself.

[Unified Serenity]

First of all, I find it important to get a good 30 minutes of uninterupted time which means no tv, phone calls, or kids wanting something. So, turn off anything that would interfer with this time. It's also very good to pick the same time for daily meditation. Be mindful of your body. If you are tense do a simple exercise starting at the head and tighten various sections of the face, then do the shoulder/peck area, arms, torso, buttocks, legs, toes, then whole body. Inhale deeply through the nose, tighten the area, and hold that for say the count of 7 and exhale through the mouth as you relax those muscles. Work all the way through your body. Once that is finished, you can reset your sympathetic system by doing 4,7,8 breathing. Inhale through the nose to the count of 4 a full chest inhale, hold it for the count of 7, then exhale through the mouth to the count of 8. Do it a minimum of 4 times and a maximum of 8 times. After that, you can do 4 fold breathing which is breathing in through the nose to the count of 4, hold for 4, exhale through mouth for 4, and wait for 4, then start again. You should be in a state of feeling your body as very heavy and at the same time feel like you are floating.

Now, you can do this either laying down or sitting with feet flat on the floor. One technique I have often used is to visualilze at the beginning as you are centering that there are energetic roots going down to the earth from your body or feet if sitting down. As you inhale you feel your body taking in energy and it flowing all the way down into the earth, and on exhale push it down. Once centered for a few minutes as you inhale visualize that energy now coming up those roots, flowing through you and exhale it to come out of the top of your head flowing out around you back to the earth, and sense a loop now. Just Inhale and draw that energy up your body, hold it and let it fill you, and then flow out again from the top of your head, and back down.

You can keep it going just like that for 20 minutes or you can add to the meditation. If you are dealing with a physical problem, feel this energy as a healing source of life and as you inhale you feel that energy going to that area, and see the pain or illness leave upon exhale. If it's an emotional pain, on exhale you release it out to be cleansed. There are a lot of things to do once you are accustomed to centering. I'll stop here and if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to share what I can. If you have a really bad problem of what I call the babbler (constant worrisome thoughts that don't stop) not shutting up when you try to meditate, you can try a worry bead exercise. When you do something repetitious while focusing on a breathing technique it shuts up the babbler. This is how the Catholic rosary works, Arab beads, and a few other things. Basically doing anything mundane while focusing on breathing techniques will shut the babbler up.

[Anchor]

My experience is that consistent and regular daily meditation at approximately the same time(s) every day seems to work the best. For me early in the morning is best, when there is close to no chance of being disturbed and the least likelihood of falling asleep.

I love these threads, they are kind of an FAQ, and each time they come up, we get new and better answers!

[eg: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?3779-Meditating-simply ]

[Bright Garlick]

First. Drop the word technique. Second. Feel everything.

:rolleyes:

[ponda]

Here's a book that details various different meditation techniques from 12 modern Buddhist masters from South East Asia.It's called Living Dharma and was put together by a guy called Jack Kornfield.

http://bks5.books.google.com/books?id=XDoqAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1


Living dharma: teachings of twelve Buddhist masters

In this book (previously published under the title Living Buddhist Masters), Jack Kornfield presents the heart of Buddhist practice as taught by twelve highly respected masters from Southeast Asia, Here, renowned teachers such as Mahasi Sayadaw, U Ba Khin, Mohnyin Sayadaw, and Achaan Maha Boowa describe a rich variety of meditation techniques—practices that can lead to the dissolution of a limited sense of self, an awakening of insight, compassion for all beings, and the realization of Nirvana. In other chapters, Achaan Chaa, Achaan Buddhadasa, and Sunlun Sayadaw offer practices clarifying the essential attitude that will allow each person to discover the truth of the Buddha's teaching here and now—the living Dharma. The book also provides an introduction to the basic tenets of Buddhism and a look at the Buddhist tradition as taught in Burma, Thailand, and Laos.

You can read it online for free here: http://books.google.com/books?id=8InEkEp5FtEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Hughe]

I do meditate whenever I have desire of meditation. For serious meditation, I have the lotus seat and breath till I get bored.
For light meditation, I lay on the bed complete naked and relax before going to sleep.
I watch how my thought or emotion flows inside mind sometimes.

[DawnOfANewEra]

Thank you everyone for sharing. I used to have trouble falling asleep, my thoughts would just race. Now when I feel that happening, I focus on the thought 'sleep' over and over. I also like to imagine all the crazy energy in my brain slowly draining from the top of my skull into my throat, then I breathe it deeply into my lungs and release it when I breathe out. This really calms me and I've been doing it for awhile to ready my mind for a usually incredibly intense dream state.

Recently, I have been studying UFO contactee Billy Meier and the peace meditation. You can read more about it here: http://www.theyfly.com/salome/salome.htm. It also has a recording of the peace meditation, spoken in an ancient Lyrian language. I just love the sound of the chant and imagining inhabitants all over the universe praying for peace together is about the most inspirational thought one can have, in my opinion. Hope this helps someone out there :flypig:

[joedjemal]

Cloud9, yes that's it well done on getting it so fast took me years but now I just switch it off and carry on with what i'm doing. Meditating while gardening is good.

As for the experiences, wait and keep it up.

It won't be long berore you start seeing things. Don't think about what you see just experience it it may start as washes of grey light that turns into pure colours. Then you'll encounter a tunnel, go down it.

[Carmody]

Reduce all extraneous input. Music without vocals helps. Avoid engagement of the ego function though the channels available. I just found this, (example):

http://n5md.bandcamp.com/track/subtractivelad-the-deep-and-lovely-quiet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_6Pp_JKwmk

[noxon medem]

For ANY meditation subject: to first establish a completely relaxed state before everything else.

Visualization is ideal for anything that deals with this 'matrix'. Protection, success, whatever.

To get out of the matrix, stop thinking and go as deep into calm as possible. Let go of body, and mind.

Thank you , Tenzin .
For this and other posts .

I would like to expand on this thought by adding the word : Practical ( or, Practise )
Doing something that helps you into just being .
Something physical or practical .
There are unnumerous different ways to the same end .

One of the most meditativelycharged days I have had lately ,
was when a friend and me decided to go out in the
neighbourhood , and follow a river (or stream)
Physicaly , in the surrounding landscape .

I can not show you images , cause we decided to
not bring a camera , just to experience, and remember .

I will try to give a short description .

We started by a water half an hour walk down the valley .
( here are also mountains around )
The river run down the steap valley from close to the house ,
where three rivers join , and many streams follow .

We started where the river enter the water , and spendt the next
three and a half hours following the river back up the valley ,
trying to walk , and climb , in it , as much as possible .
Jumping from rock to rock or wading if that was best possibility .

Slow and easy with many stops and some detours .
(there are magic mushrooms growing on the field close by)

After some mile and an hour the body was in tune and mind at ease.
And sharpend . It is a challenge to climb a river free of accident .

Just being there , going with the flow , or rather against it ..
Up through the terrain , the river being the road , or a path .

After two hours we found a magnificent space by a small waterfall .
Nature had put a fallen tree in a perfect position for a bench .
Some small fish (trout) was swimming in the pond by the shower .

We enjoyed some time of sitting there , still . Being .
Meditating , I guess it could be called .
(in the mind)

- so ,
Doing .
Also .

:fish2:

[mahalall]

Observe the reactional sensational with equanimity for all is in a flux of impermanence-Anicca!

Vipassana. S.N Goenka,

Metta

http://www.dhamma.org/

[Someoneson1]

Great post ... In few lines I sit in a comfy place and roll my eyes up and over from left to right with my breath. I find it's helps me centre quickly.

Example: I have used this medi to remember who I am or if I am having a bad day and need to know where I went wrong with my day or just tO energize. I have had great visions leading my to fuller knowledge and or simple correction to help me with my day.

The oldest forms of meditation are breathing and walking.

[DNA]

Some of us believe in two basic forms of meditation. Yin and Yang. Yin meditation is what most people are famiilar with. Count your breaths. Get in the gap. Empty your mind. Yang meditation is active, rather than passive. It is the state in which one can "reprogram the matrix". If you are intentionally using meditation to reach high states of awareness, conduct energetic alchemy, or interface with non-physical entities, then you are approaching Yang meditation. That's not to say that anyone doing these things is practicing meditation as there are many ways to approach all of them. I've found that these techniques are not widely taught, although Tonglen practice in certain Buddhist schools definitely would qualify.

One very focused mind I know can meditate during almost any activity. I can't. I have to quiet my body first. I can't even do the walking meditation myself.

I really like how you break it down into two different kinds yin and yang Whisky.
I have never thought of it like that before.

I didn't know it, but when I was 15-16 I was doing the yang meditation.
I was doing the stretches from my martial arts class and using the poses that force your breathing to deepen and letting my consciousness be one with the pain of the stretch.
I enhanced this meditation with the inhalation of burnt herb and had profound results.
The depth and power of the meditation was amazing.

I did another Yang meditation without knowing it. I incorporated the heavy arms walking meditation from the Castaneda books called "the gate of power". In the meditation the swinging of your arms through your aura with a heavy hand feel to them causes them to swish through your energy field and circulate the energy properly. While doing this you can actually feel your fingers moving through your energy and the sensation is like that of a thick liquid.

Say what you will about Castaneda's literary device he uses to impart practical methods, the methods work.
His open eye meditaitons for shadow gazing and pebble gazing have rounded out my meditations into a Yin style now.

[TelosianEmbrace]

I went through an intense meditation over a few months and lost a few stone in weight. At one stage I went without food or water for thee days. I consciously initiated an OBE. I wanted enlightenment, bottom line!:peace:
I used the candle meditation mainly, which simply entails watching a candle flame while being conscious of thoughts. Also meditation on a picture of Jesus. I was able to watch the thoughts, let them pass. Then my conscious awareness expanded to almost encompass the point of origin of the thoughts, but not quite. I got to the point where I realised sitting down for meditation was superfluous- I was watching my thoughts all the time! Then, well, I still had to pay the rent. And folks were worried.
Meditation is the means to quiet the mind, and in this day and age, not an end in itself, as I had made it. Be gentle with yourselves.

[Whiskey_Mystic]

Some of us believe in two basic forms of meditation. Yin and Yang. Yin meditation is what most people are famiilar with. Count your breaths. Get in the gap. Empty your mind. Yang meditation is active, rather than passive. It is the state in which one can "reprogram the matrix". If you are intentionally using meditation to reach high states of awareness, conduct energetic alchemy, or interface with non-physical entities, then you are approaching Yang meditation. That's not to say that anyone doing these things is practicing meditation as there are many ways to approach all of them. I've found that these techniques are not widely taught, although Tonglen practice in certain Buddhist schools definitely would qualify.

One very focused mind I know can meditate during almost any activity. I can't. I have to quiet my body first. I can't even do the walking meditation myself.

I really like how you break it down into two different kinds yin and yang Whisky.
I have never thought of it like that before.

I didn't know it, but when I was 15-16 I was doing the yang meditation.
I was doing the stretches from my martial arts class and using the poses that force your breathing to deepen and letting my consciousness be one with the pain of the stretch.
I enhanced this meditation with the inhalation of burnt herb and had profound results.
The depth and power of the meditation was amazing.

I did another Yang meditation without knowing it. I incorporated the heavy arms walking meditation from the Castaneda books called "the gate of power". In the meditation the swinging of your arms through your aura with a heavy hand feel to them causes them to swish through your energy field and circulate the energy properly. While doing this you can actually feel your fingers moving through your energy and the sensation is like that of a thick liquid.

Say what you will about Castaneda's literary device he uses to impart practical methods, the methods work.
His open eye meditaitons for shadow gazing and pebble gazing have rounded out my meditations into a Yin style now.

This sounds similar to forms found in wu style tai chi and chi gung. I have never read Castaneda, but this makes me curious.

[shijo]

hi thanks for the thread,my meditation every morning and evening is to sit in front of the great mandala and recite two chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and then invoke the mystic law of Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo until the heart feels content.This Law has been called the the teacher of all Buddhas past present and future, and is extremely beneficial,continuance is the key.Regards Shijo

[DarMar]

I tried several methods of meditation in past, but keeping me calm and counting breaths seems doesn't much works for me.
With time i noticed that i can cut off myself from this reality whenever i want to, if somebody is talking to me im able to switch in middle of conversation without any problems.
So places or noises are not so much issue to me.
For me it is not question to be calm or focused as much as why i do that. Mostly is to download information from other matrices or visualise idea or creation.
Refilling energy is also not an issue because if well learned one can do any job without loosing energy but actually replenish it while doing something.

Also i noticed as i turn off im unable to percept things that i receive in that moment so some kind of recording, than after listening works for me. Mostly through music.
Its kinda im channeling answers without my mind and perception involved into it.
Sometimes i do that by myself and sometimes with my friends.
There are situations for example when few of us go to our jam place and play music. While doing that all of us shuts down all this-world senses, and connecting our souls to produce results.
Music that we play are one piece songs lasting from 1-2 hours it is music with all kinda styles in it and few messages in it, after that only what is left to listen to it to get the message :)
Never felt tired after playing and always have that feeling that we could do it for hours more.

It's not orthodox type of meditation, but ... Soul and body after that is calm, energy refreshed and sometimes we get good answers for questions we had and happiness is always there.
So i would tell that's one type of countless ways to do it :)

[Ammit]

Beer, more beer then comatose.

[Solphilos]

Hello,
I know that what works for one may not work for others, but I am just trying to get an idea about different ways or how people invent their own ways to meditate ?


Hi, it is no great chore to develop your own techniques once one has a firm grasp on what meditation really is. I say this because despite the fact that so many people think they know what meditation entails, the overt simplicity of it has been terribly misconstrued over the years, being obscured by religious doctrinalia and ethical sentimentalism.

I think that the Hindu author Patanjali stated it best when he defined meditation as "the hindering of the modifications of the thinking principle."

The point really is that simple, the one fundamental essential beyond all dogma and morality; to stop thinking.

All meditation techniques, prayers, mantras, etc., are simply tools that allow for the development of the power to slow the stream of thought and learn to stop it at will.
Asana and posture are intended to situate the body in such a way that no messages of bodily disturbance are sent to the brain.

A metaphor:
Think of a lake(the mind) into which five glaciers move (the five senses). Ice, the manifold impressions and thoughts, is constantly breaking off of the glaciers and troubling the waters. Once the glaciers stop, the lake becomes still and calm, once again able to reflect the unbroken image of the Sun above.

Once the thinking principle is under conscious control, we can then produce a tranquility in which the 'higher self' can pierce through.

The mind at any one time consists of two things: the Object and the Subject, or the Non-Ego and the Ego. Many techniques of meditation involve focusing upon an image or idea. You would be the Subject, and the Object would obviously be the image or idea of focus. After an extreme effort of contemplation upon an Object, should one be successful, the Object and the Subject will become blended in a mystical marriage, a unification of opposites. At this point both Subject and Object are transcended, and the Ego vanishes as one enters a state where space and time and thought are abolished.

[leavesoftrees]

You do not meditate, you are meditated

you could try meditating on that

[HelenOsborn]

Hello, I just found this thread. I like the Eckhart Tolle approach to meditation. Mainly cause it doesn't use imagery or the mind, it just concentrates on what you feel as a being in a body.

This is from “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle: pages 92 – 94

To become conscious of Being, you need to reclaim consciousness from the mind. This is one of the most essential tasks on your spiritual journey. It will free vast amounts of consciousness that previously had been trapped in useless and compulsive thinking. A very effective way of doing this is simply to take the focus of your attention away from thinking and direct it into the body, where Being can be felt in the first instance as the invisible energy field that gives life to what you perceive as the physical body.

Connecting with the inner body

Please try it now. You may find it helpful to close your eyes for this practice. Later on, when “being in the body” has become natural and easy, this will no longer be necessary. Direct your attention into the body. Feel it from within. Is it alive? Is there life in your hands, arms, legs, and feet – in your abdomen, your chest? Can you feel the subtle energy field that pervades the entire body and gives vibrant life to every organ and every cell? Can you feel it simultaneously in all parts of the body as a single field of energy? Keep focusing on the feeling of your inner body for a few moments. Do not start to think about it. Feel it. The more attention you give it, the clearer and stronger this feeling will become. It will feel as if every cell is becoming more alive, and if you have a strong visual sense, you may get an image of your body becoming luminous. Although such an image can help you temporarily, pay more attention to the feeling than to any image that may arise. An image, no matter how beautiful or powerful, is already defined in form, so there is less scope for penetrating more deeply.

The feeling of your inner body is formless, limitless, and unfathomable. You can always go into it more deeply. If you cannot feel very much at this stage, pay attention to whatever you can feel. Perhaps there is just a slight tingling in your hands or feet. That’s good enough for the moment. Just focus on the feeling. Your body is coming alive. Later, we will practice some more. Please open your eyes now, but keep some attention in the inner energy field of the body even as you look around the room. The inner body lies at the threshold between your form identity and your essence identity, your true nature. Never lose touch with it.

[Ammit]

I was earlier kidding ofcourse.

Meditation to me was, feeling an entire feeling of happiness and tuanquitility. sadly, i am unable to do it now, but, if you can feel the rush as you pass tree tops above lakes then you are close.x

[shadowstalker]

What is your Meditation technique?

What ever works at the time , i am all over the board with this stuff as all can work at one point or another.

[Tony]

I am at an airport and reading this post - I am actually in the middle of writing a beginners' meditation article now. In the meantime, I just thought I'd send this, in advance of the full article...call it enthusiasm!

Meditation.

This post is meant to illustrate the methods of meditation from beginners to advanced: where you are will depend on the amount of practice you put in (and not what you think you know!). It is all about practice – not theory!

I generally try to be non sectarian, but this post is from the Buddhist perspective -Tibetan Buddhism. Most methods of meditation start off generally the same, but as we progress, there are subtle differences. This is meant to give you a firm foundation. The meditation that suits you will depend on your temperament. There is also the path of non-meditation for the “town yogi”.

First, a short preamble, as the water has been slightly mudded. This is really an alternative media forum, so meditation is not its main purpose, but it is still very important! The understanding of consciousness and beyond is what it is all about. I am not a teacher, just a student who wishes to share information which is not easy to access. Remember - this is just information. Your practice will turn it into knowledge, and then we can discuss wisdom!

This need not be a long journey, but it has to be precise.
When you get to wisdom, then you can start your journey, with very little support.
I would ask those who have meditated already to be mindful of beginners, and not to confuse them with...here I have to apologise...their own version! We can always happily debate on another thread.

Although I have been meditating for many years, I am still a beginner – and there is much merit in going back to the beginning. It keeps one's feet on the ground...if you see pictures of Buddha, he always has one hand touching the earth. I have just attended two retreats – the first was for beginners and the second for advanced students...and several of us learnt much from the beginners' course. Why? Because along one's spiritual journey, one sometimes misses out on certain steps, due to time and place. Also, a phrase may be explained in a slightly different way - and suddenly it makes sense..ah ha!

The point of meditation is to become familiar with one's absolute true nature.
There are lots of sidetracks and 'in' words, such as kundalini, chakras, vajrayana, channels, winds, essence...they are all to get you to realise your true nature.
Once that is seen, or pointed out, the toys are not needed.
“Once it is seen” refers to the long path, and “pointed out” is the short path.
The first refers to Vipassana and the latter to Dzogchen/ Mahamudra.
However, they both start out with Shamata...sorry about the funny words - they will be explained!

From what is being said on the forum, it appears that some of you know a bit about meditation, while some do not. Do not accept or reject what is being said. Put away pride and leave a legacy for those who follow.

As stated before, there are different methods and systems of meditation which we can discuss on another post. In Buddhism, there are already quite enough differences to cause confusion!

Chapter 1

Why to meditate?
We are confused about our true existence.
We create and maintain this confusion about ourselves, and, as we learn from the alternative media, there are powers who are utilising our self-cherishing. The Sanskrit word for this confusion is 'Samsara'. What is being done to us we could call 'super confusion' or 'Super Samara'. Here I will have to deviate from orthodox Buddhism, as Buddhists do not yet, in general, recognise 'Super Samara'. So our minds are full of concepts and fixations about who and what we are.

Most of our lives, we believe we are our thoughts. Are they our thoughts?
If our thoughts are not us, then who are we?
We have also been taught to believe things are real, and to be sought after.
Also, our self identity must be maintained , which means conforming.
So we are in the area of mind control, by others, and by ourselves.

Here we need to address nihilism and eternalism, the two extremes.
Nihilism means nothingness (which could lead to depression, with the idea of everything being pointless.
Eternalism means we are a fixed entity/identity (with no possibility of change).
Buddhism is in the middle - I'm not saying it's better, just more spacious!

There is much distraction in this world and in the mind. It keeps us busy!
Sometimes we find ourselves in a vacant state, which can be mistaken for meditation.
At every stage of our path of changing perception, there is ego's deception...it's all about me!Unfortunately we also have to deal with an outside deception - let's call them demons (in sanskrit they are called Mara, and they feed off our negative energy, and hate our positive energy).
So we have a very useful antidote...pure, lucid emptiness! And we have more fun!!!

Chapter 2

Bum on cushion.
As long as you are relaxed and your back is straight, you can sit on a chair or cushion. Laying down is possible but one tends to go to sleep. Sitting straight helps with natural breathing and keeps your mind alert.
Hands on lap or thighs, eyes slightly open, or open.
If there are many thoughts, just lower the gaze.
If you are feeling sleepy, raise the gaze.
Nothing forced.

The senses are wide open.
Here we may have to make a distinction between paths. Shamata meditation uses the breath as a focus. Merely noticing the inhalation and exhalation, thoughts will come - just return to watching the breath. The thoughts may seem to get worse. They are not - you are just noticing more! The point here is that it is your time to relax, rest and be at peace. The body is still, and gradually the mind becomes still...but aware! You can go back to thinking later. This is called Shamata with support.

Now the distinction has to be made, and this may cause confusion.
You have a choice of the path of the sutras or of the tantras.
The sutras start with Shamata then go on to Vipassana (insight meditation).
It is like sharpening a knife on a wet stone - gradually you wear the stone and the knife away until nothing is left.
Others may describe it differently, but that is as far as I can go on that subject.What I will be describing is more towards the tantric path.

Chapter3

Whether the tantric path is suitable for you will depend on your temperament, on how you relate to life.
It utilises intense intelligence, intense compassion and intense emotions.
It is not at all scary! I am sure you have heard lots of rumours and fuddled ideas about it, but it deals directly with the nature of mind and compassion.

Actually, I spent twenty years solely practising in order to follow the vajrayana path, only to find that it is a back-up plan, for directly seeing the nature of mind. I say 'back-up' a little too lightly, as compassion and devotion - or deep appreciation for and understanding of the teaching - is of utmost importance. I'll leave it there for the moment, and will come back to that, but please do not make assumptions, unless you are a practitioner. One has to know precisely what one is talking about, or one is talking from ignorance...

Even in tantra, there are two ways to view meditation.
One is to find the view (empty essence) through the meditation - that is starting at the beginning of the book and going to the end.
The other is for the view (empty essence) to be pointed out, and then the meditation is merely the continuity of the view.
Wouldn't it be nice if life were simple! It is, when you become more familiar with the process.
The essence is so simple that it goes unnoticed, so we need a few more words.

So, back to Shamata meditation.
Once we are more or less comfortable with watching the breath, we come to Shamata without support. This is simply noticing that at the end and beginning of each breath, there is a gap - or we notice a gap between thoughts.
In that gap we rest naturally.
There is a still 'nowness' present, and the senses are wide open.
With the senses wide open and the sense of nowness, one can take the meditation into daily life. One experiences moments of spaciousness.

Shamata with and without support is still at a conceptual level, but it's a start. It is creating a firm foundation. It is good to notice the difference between the two, as sometimes we have to return to Shamata with support when thoughts are rampant!

Chapter 4

Moving out of concepts.
Dwelling in the now, or in stillness, is conceptual.
It is dealing with 'me' dwelling in 'nowness'.
This is still duality, but there is an awareness or consciousness, so that is good.
There is a perceiver, and that which is perceived.
At this moment, panic may be setting in...“Er, so where am I?”
You are here, in full glory, but concepts cannot see that.
You are beyond consciousness.

Here we must talk about consciousness.
All sentient beings are aware or conscious. This is natural.
Even a slug is aware, though it may have a short memory! But it is not aware or conscious of its true nature.
Humans are unique in this, though all sentient beings have a potential awakened nature (Buddha nature). Humans can realise their full potential. This precious human life is a rare as a blind turtle coming to the surface of a ocean once every hundred years and putting its head through a ring!

There are two truths - one is relative truth and the other, absolute truth.
The trick is to work with then in union, so as not to become extreme as mentioned before (nihilism and eternalism).
Consciousness is relative truth, and Emptiness is absolute truth.
Emptiness means pure and untainted, so pure perception!

This is where we come to another tricky issue.
People are going around thinking that they have pure perception now.
If you truly had pure perception, you would be a Buddha, and would have transversed the ten Bhumis of the Bodhisattvas.
We get glimpses of it, but the enlightened state is prolonged day and night.
Sorry to say this, but anything to do with 'me' and 'I' is still standing at the bottom of the ladder in a puddle of concepts! Still, it not all bad news - you can only go up!!! And you are not alone.

Chapter 5

Consciousness.
There are eight consciousnesses.
Five are the consciousness of the senses.
There are three of mind: the sixth is perception, the seventh is judgement, the eighth is the storehouse of thoughts.
In normal life, the interaction between the 6th 7th and 8th happens very quickly. How concepts are collected is due to the pressure from those around us and our own clinging, and the subliminal!

An example: we see something = 6th consciousness. It immediately goes to the 7th consciousness, which looks into the 8th consciousness to identify what it sees, so that the 7th consciousness can then judge whether it is good or bad. And so we go round in circles, maintaining the concepts held in the storehouse of the 8th (and therefore, karma).

We get into a pattern of behaviour. We program ourselves.
Meditation is about de-programming ourselves.
The closer we look, the more fascinating it is!
There is also something more about the 8th consciousness which is close to the empty essence, but that will need more explanation...

To be continued...and expanded upon...

Kind regards
Tony

[sshenry]

Meditation is (at its most fundamental) all about training your mind to let go of its attachment to the ebb and flow of your thoughts so that you can see what IS as opposed to what you expect (or have been conditioned) to see. Some people do this by counting breaths to avoid thought (most common starter method) others by sitting quietly focusing on letting go of the thoughts as they arise; still more by focusing on one object or passage; some by focusing on an action like walking or gardening or cooking. Some people only ever get (and never try to obtain) more than the first 'mind' of meditation in which you step back and observe your thoughts; some fall into deep, trancelike states complete with shifts in consciousness. Some start with breathing meditation and then move on from there; changing styles and practices as need be; others apply the same techniques for a lifetime.

I've been practicing meditation for 15 years and I've found my practicing changing as the years pass; adapting to my needs. It's almost instinctual sometime. Though I learned with traditional breathing meditation and practiced Zen methods for years, but if something feels right, as if its time, then it gets added in regardless of what 'tradition' it originated in :)

[Dawn]

I have done a lot of mediation, and in many ways. I believe that anything you are attracted to is worth your while... also, as you sit things will suddenly occur to you. Listen to these 'sudden suggestions' they are likely to be exactly what you need in the moment. I never understood about chanting until I ran into this article while I was reading a site about sungazing (yet one more way to meditate). It appears chanting can awaken the pineal and harmonize it with the pituitary. ENJOY:

Endocrine Secretions During Sungazing

by Wayne Purdin

In the last issue of The Sun Gazette, the article “Imbibe Sunshine for a Natural High” examined how sungazing and sunbathing cause the secretion of “feel good” hormones serotonin beta-endorphins, and dopamine. This article will examine how the pineal and other endocrine glands secrete other hormones during sungazing, which create not just a high, but greater energy, longevity and experiences of samadhi or higher consciousness.

There’s more to the pineal gland than what meets the eye, or, I should say, optic nerve. The effect of sunlight on the pineal is something that needs to be researched more. It is already one of the most researched glands of the body. Scientists know that bright light stimulates the production of seratonin and melatonin in the pineal, but there are other neurochemicals produced by the pineal that have more profound effects than just the mood, sleep, reproductive and body temperature effects of serotonin and melatonin.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, including Dr. George C. Brenard, a leading authority on the pineal gland, observed sun yogi HRM for 130 days in 2002. They found that his pineal exhibited growth and reactivation. The average size of the pineal is 6×6 mm, but in HRM’s case it was 8×11 mm.

Scientists refer to the pineal gland as the “atrophied third eye.” Indeed, it, along with the pituitary, is the third eye chakra or energy center, but they’re just dormant, not atrophied. According to Max Heindel’s Rosicrucian writings, in the distant past, man was in touch with the inner worlds through an activated pineal and pitutary gland. Considered the most powerful and highest source of ethereal energy available to humans, the third eye has always been important in initiating psychic powers (e.g. clairvoyance and seeing auras).

To activate the ‘third eye’ and perceive higher dimensions, the pineal and the pituitary must vibrate in unison, which is achieved through meditation or sungazing. When a correct relationship is established between the personality, operating through the pituitary, and the soul, operating through the pineal, a magnetic field is created. The pineal can generate its own magnetic field because it contains magnetite. This field can interact with the earth’s magnetic field. The solar wind at dawn, charging the earth’s magnetic field, stimulates the pineal gland. This is why the period between 4 and 6 am is the best time to meditate and why sunrise is the best time to sungaze. At these times, the pineal stimulates the pituary to secrete Human Growth Hormone. That’s why sungazers experience rapid nail and hair growth, restoration of hair color, and general rejuvenation. Cleopatra used to place a magnet on her forehead to stimulate the pituitary to restore her youth and good looks. She didn’t know she already had a magnet in her head. Also at dawn, the negative and positive forces interact and become strong enough to create a “light in the head” while meditating.

This light has been seen by mystics, initiates, prophets and shamans throughout the ages, and they refer to it as the experience of God or of a universal intelligence. Many cultures and mystics have induced this experience through the use of hallucinogenic substances, such as soma, mushrooms, Mescalin, and LSD. However, these experiences tend to be short-lived and require repeated usage to re-live the experience. Most mystics agree that natural methods, such as intense meditation, visualization, deep-breathing, chanting and sungazing combined with physical purification are the best way to induce third eye activation and can have life-transforming effects.

Drugs and certain yogic techniques can force the pineal open prematurely before the mind is ready for psychic powers, and this can lead to psychosis. Sungazing, if done correctly, gradually awakens the pineal, along with the pituitary so that the person is not shocked by experiences of higher consciousness, and these experiences are not colored by negative images in the mind.

The use of mantras and chanting can also gradually awaken the pineal because it sits above the mouth suspended in the third ventricle, a chamber filled with cerebrospinal fluid, what some esotericists have called “the grail.” Its location above the mouth in a fluid chamber makes the pineal gland quite uniquely positioned to respond to sonic vibrations. Manly P. Hall, in The Opening of the Third Eye stated that the pineal gland “vibrating at a very high rate of speed, is the actual cause of true spiritual illumination.” The pineal governs energy level. Thus, the more it is stimulated, the higher a person’s energy level. Monks at a monastery in France were told by a new abbot to stop chanting. The found that they no longer were able to get up before dawn to work in the fields after only a few hours of sleep. When chanting was restored, so was their energy. You can find chanting and singing practices in many cultures that activate the third eye. Take, for example, this quote from The Dialogues of Kabir, “In the center between the two eyes is the seat of eternal music, the music of the spheres. One who practices this sound principle gains entry into this kingdom.”

And a more recent teaching from Sri Chinmoy states that “There are quite a few mantras that also help in opening the third eye. The Gayatri Mantra, for example, helps in opening the third eye, for it invokes the infinite knowledge, wisdom and light.” Sun yogis usually recite the Gayatri mantra while sungazing. The last line of this mantra can be translated as “May it [the sun] activate the brain.” Jonathan Goldman in Tantra of Sound wrote that “Sound can act like a psychoactive substance, altering and enhancing consciousness.” Perhaps this is because certain sounds can stimulate the production of psychoactive substances in the pineal.



Here is a UTube post of the Gayatri Mantra if you'd care to listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnamSM3Z3s

[mahalall]

What ever your meditation path is, please remember the enormous benefits that come to you, your surroundings and all by closing your session with Metta (pali term: for selfless love and good will). Effortlessly expand out loving kindness. (except any negativity that may have arisen during the session and put it to one side before sharing metta, (this could be an opportunity to seek pardon)
Smile on

[Ernie Nemeth]

Since I spend a lot of time on buses and trains, my favorite type of meditation has become:

transit meditation!

Besides the deeper, normal, yoga then relaxation technique - followed by deep meditation and merkhaba construction

[Anchor]

Thanks for posting the Gayatri. Its one I do. I did it today when waiting for the lift to come :)

[Tony]

The main thing I forgot to add was about the emotions! Because of the ideas we hold about ourselves and the world we live in, we get upset when this cannot be maintained. So the negative emotions arise and take control of the mind....that's why we meditate!

Tony

[ktlight]

In observing yourself, your emotions, do not justify any of it. Then you will see it and be over it.

I trust this supports what you said above in post 41, pie'n'eal.

[Elle]

A sun gazer here :D

[Unified Serenity]

Just thought I'd share one of my favorites:

2j2BxkCSmiQ

[WhiteFeather]

KISS, Keep it simple. I lay down in a comfortable position upright. Breathe 3 seconds in, hold for 3 seconds let it out for 3 seconds, hold again and repeat. I fold my hands over my chest. And play a soothing Youtube video. Usually Nature sounds, solfeggios frequency's or just a basic native american indian flute piece. Heres some of my Favs. Enjoy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzYCndaT8bs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHAlkdCViyo&feature=channel_video_title

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm_SxGey9_M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZrBRQn6K0A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwtJ9EOF-M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg3W11G4In0&feature=related

[selinam]

These are great WhiteFeather! Thanks so much :)

[WhiteFeather]

These are great WhiteFeather! Thanks so much :)

Your most welcome my friend.