Meditation: Everything is fucked. Maybe. Maybe not. |
- Everything is fucked. Maybe. Maybe not.
- Meditation feels like clearing the cache of you brain.
- Something deep within me is changing.
- Meditation changed my life
- Who am I?
- Alan Watts Video Lecture 4K ~ The Most Important Lesson in Life ( While Shooting Arrows - RARE )
- Meditation and Grief
- Meditation stops us from personifying our thoughts and giving them human characteristics.
- The scariest experience I had while meditating
- what do you suppose would happen if i regularly sat down and, instead of focusing on breath or my senses, just let my mind run without forcing it to speak until it was quiet?
- Why Meditation is so special
- I am everything and nothing at the same time
- Attention: I'm 20 & have no source of income
- Christmas has always been a very challenging time for me, but this is the time to try to use the skills of mindfulness, equanimity, and self-compassion that I have been gradually developing in this practice.
- I felt something strange
- Why the need to meditate and realise the self?
- There was a brief period of time where i was attempting to meditate
- Looking for a long-term vipassana place
- How To Measure Happiness Accurately
- How does cannabis influence your personal practice?
- in 5 years of seeking truth I anchored nonduality
- Improving consciousness
- I love this take on getting tired of/not wanting to practice
- Meditation on the couch
| Everything is fucked. Maybe. Maybe not. Posted: 25 Dec 2020 01:01 PM PST Excerpt From Mark Manson's "Everything Is F*cked - A Book About Hope" that, i believe, addresses the concept of meditation very well. "Which brings me back to Thich Quang Duc setting himself on fire and then just sitting there like a boss. Most modern Westerners know ofmeditation as a relaxation technique. You put on some yoga pants and sit in a warm, cushy room for ten minutes and close your eyes and listen to some soothing voice on your phone telling you that you're okay, everything's okay, everything's going to be fucking great, just follow your heart, blah, blah, blah. But actual Buddhist meditation is far more intense than simply de-stressing oneself with fancy apps. Rigorous meditation involves sitting quietly and mercilessly observing yourself. Every thought, every judgment, every inclination, every minute fidget and flake of emotion and trace of assumption that passes before your mind's eye is ideally captured, acknowledged, and then released back into the void. And worst of all, there's no end to it.People always lament that they're "not good" at meditation. There is no getting good. That's the whole point. You are supposed to suck at it. Just accept the suckage. Embrace the suckage. Love the suckage. When one meditates for long periods of time, all sorts of wacky shit comes up: strange fantasies and decades-old regrets and odd sexual urges and unbearable boredom and often crushing feelings of isolation and loneliness. And these things, too, must simply be observed, acknowledged, and then let go. They, too, shall pass. Meditation is, at its core, a practice of antifragility: training your mind to observe and sustain the never-ending ebb and flow of pain and not to let the "self" get sucked away by its riptide. This is why everyone is so bad at something seemingly so simple. After all, you just sit on a pillow and close your eyes. How hard can it be? Why is it so difficult to summon the courage to sit down and do it and then stay there? It should be easy, yet everyone seems to be terrible at getting themselves to do it. Most people avoid meditation the same way a kid avoids doing home work. It's because they know what meditation really is: it's confronting your pain, it's observing the interiors of your mind and heart, in all their horror and glory. I usually tapout after meditating for around an hour, and the most I ever did was a two-day silent retreat. By the end of that, my mind was practically screaming for me to let it go outside and play. That length of sustained contemplation is a strange experience: a mix of agonizing boredom dotted with the horrifying realization that any control you thought you had over your own mind was merely a useful illusion. Throw in a dash of uncomfortable emotions and memories (may be a childhood trauma or two), and shit can get pretty raw. Now imagine doing that all day, every day, for sixty years. Imagine the steely focus and intense resolve of your inner flashlight. Imagine your pain threshold. Imagine your antifragility. What's so remarkable about Thich Quang Duc is not that he chose to set himself on fire in political protest (although that is pretty damn remarkable). What's remarkable is the manner in which he did it: Motionless. Equanimous. At peace. The Buddha said that suffering is like being shot by two arrows. The first arrow is the physical pain— it's the metal piercing the skin, the force colliding into the body. The second arrow is the mental pain, the meaning and emotion we attach to the being struck, the narratives that we spin in our minds about whether we deserved or didn't deserve what happened. In many cases, our mental pain is far worse than any physical pain. In most cases, it lasts far longer. Through the practice of meditation, the Buddha said that if we could train ourselves to be struck only by the first arrow, we could essentially render ourselves invincible to any mental or emotional pain. That, with enough practiced focus, with enough antifragility, the passing sensation of an insult or an object piercing our skin, or gallons of gasoline aflame over our body, would possess the same fleeting feeling as a fly buzzing across ourface. That while pain is inevitable, suffering is always a choice." [link] [comments] |
| Meditation feels like clearing the cache of you brain. Posted: 26 Dec 2020 12:52 AM PST |
| Something deep within me is changing. Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:40 PM PST So I've been meditating maybe a little over two months using Sam Harris's Waking Up app. For the record. all the other times I tried meditating it was without an app or just by myself. I highly recommend using an app or at least using some sort of guided meditation when you sit. Something is changing. I don't know what it is, I've had one glimpse of non-duality but that's not really what it is. I always thought I was this sad, lonely, unhappy person, when in reality, I was just believing the thoughts that absolutely roamed my mind. I mean, it is pretty indescribable when you lay in bed and watch thoughts. Before, some thoughts would kill me inside to believe while in bed. Now, it's like I'm seeing one thought and know where the whole story is going - where the train leads to. There are actual full blown characters. voices, actors, scenes and false scenarios that act our each and every little detail in my mind. The confident self, the unhappy, miserable self, the intelligent, hard-working self. They all exist on a paradigm that continually plays scenes and have scripts of what to say, how to say it and how to really drive it home. But this is all theater, I mean holy shit to actually see the screen that the projector is playing this movie on is surreal. Something deep has snapped inside me and I am a little nervous as to where this is going.. then again, that's just another thought to be observed in awareness. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:12 PM PST Before December 7th I was a different person then I am now. I was a pothead who was struggling to quit for years. All I would ever do is smoke cannabis and play games. I had too much anxiety and was too unmotivated thanks to cannabis to live a social life. All I did was wake up, smoke, play games, ignore my friends, get angry at everything and spend ludicrous amounts of money on fast food and things I did not need. I've been trying to quit for four years but a very close friend of mine, who regrettably has too much influence on my life continued to motivate me back into smoking cannabis. But, meditation changed all of that I started meditating on November 28th but still smoked until the 7th. Since November 28th, I have been meditating every day between 30 minutes to an hour each day. I began with guided meditation videos and eventually bought Sam Harris' waking up app on the 12th. Since the 12th, I have logged via the app 645 minutes of meditation. And things have changed drastically. I gained new interests. For the first time since grade 4, I started reading outside of school. Last Friday, I could not read past 3 pages without being lost. But since yesterday, I have read 80 pages in my new book called "a guide to the good life" by William B Irvine. And before yesterday as well, I finished the book Waking up by Sam Harris. This has been a monumental change for me, and I am so proud. I never thought I could have the focus or concentration to read like this before. I found a new interest in life that betters my brain, my knowledge and more. But that's not all. Since December 7th I have been working out every single day. When I'm too sore, I do at least 30 minutes of cardio. I have never practiced a fitness lifestyle for this long. So this is another monumental achievement which I am so proud of. Again, that's not all. I spend more time with my family, I help them more then I have, and I have grown closer to them. I have also picked up drawing, and for the past three days I have drew one picture a day, as an exercise to supplement the benefits of meditation, reading and working out. Again, that's not all. For a week now, I have been eating fruits every single day. I stopped eating out and I am eating so much more healthy then before. Besides this, I have cultivated an uncanny ability to really pay attention to my friends and family. I now notice more about the things they say, and the meaning behind what they say more so then they even are aware of. I love it. Meditation has put me into a path of truly bettering myself, and I am so happy. I abstain from alcohol and cannabis now because I do not want to go back. I'm not trying to be an ascetic though, but I'm better off without them. And this New Years, will be the first one where I am sober since 14. Meditation has changed my life. It has allowed me to do the things that truly matter to me. Thank you for reading this :) much peace and love to you [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 06:27 AM PST What am I? I've been meditating for 3 years only to look at my thoughts and realize I'm not that. I am the awareness. But what is that. They say be yourself, but how do you be yourself when you don't even know who you are. The things that I think I am are just thoughts. Idek if this is the place to post this. Edit: am I god? Collective conscious? Nothing? Everything? I love you all and Merry Christmas. Thank you for such insightful replies. [link] [comments] |
| Alan Watts Video Lecture 4K ~ The Most Important Lesson in Life ( While Shooting Arrows - RARE ) Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:55 AM PST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29uhJZ1xwUs A rare live video of Alan Watts giving a lecture, while shooting arrows. Talking about "the most important lesson in life". I love this one. Such a personality and such an energy [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 06:25 AM PST I've been an off and on meditator the past 20 years, always feeling more grounded when I do. In the past month, I've committed to sitting for 10 minutes first thing in the morning (which becomes longer, often). I start in a somewhat uncomfortable pose, consciously, to feel that there is discomfort in life, and it is possible to sit with it. I find refuge in breath, in letting go of thoughts about discomfort, and thoughts generally. I change my pose after some time, and am grateful that I was able to experience discomfort and not immediately try to escape it. I can stay longer in my initial pose, but I am not dogmatic; when I feel it is time to change poses, I do. I discover I am starting to develop a sense of being greater than whatever it is I am feeling. Today, repeating this process, tears started running down my face. I realized I am greater than the pain of losing my husband a year and a half ago. I was not prepared for this revelation... which felt more like an embodied sensation. I noted that part of me doesn't want to be greater than that pain, yet there I was sitting with this realization. And before long, my tears dried, and I felt I had a new sense of myself as more expansive than I knew before sitting. I thought of this community and all we learn from being quiet. [link] [comments] |
| Meditation stops us from personifying our thoughts and giving them human characteristics. Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:26 PM PST On a fundamental basis, thoughts are of abstract quality. They aren't necessarily truth or fact. The mere chatter of an inner monologue, if you will, is intangible hence how we sometimes get in our own heads too much which can ultimately lead to over-thinking and over-analyzing - cerebral reaction. When we experience trauma and grief, however, thoughts begin to manifest themselves in a personal nature (pain and suffering) which in turn allows them to wreak havoc within our conscious mind and consequently damage our psyche in the form of mental anguish and emotional torment - visceral reaction. From a metaphorical standpoint, thoughts are now represented in human form which is inherently flawed in its natural essence despite the principles and core values, for instance, of mankind. At least, that's my interpretation of it. Side note: control the manner in which you respond to your emotions in any given space to facilitate growth and freedom within this contextual framework - perception. Words have power and you have a voice (literally and figuratively speaking) to use accordingly, but meditation grounds us in the present moment amidst the ebb and flow of our thoughts whereby mindfulness during a certain time span has the ability to shift our internal war into a more positive narrative, thus stopping the chaotic spiral of toxic negativity and enabling us to feel a sense of order within our whole body in the process. Anyone else feel a similar way? All thoughts appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| The scariest experience I had while meditating Posted: 25 Dec 2020 06:35 PM PST So, today I had the scariest experience of my life while meditating. I'm not sure what to make of this. Let me preface this saying that I do not have a history of psychosis, mental disorders, or anything like that. Also, I never went into a meditative state before, never meditated, per se, although I practice for quite some time. Anyway, I've been into yoga for quite some time, and today I was to be alone for some time and decided to meditate. After some breathing exercises I started to relax and noticed something was different. I felt like I could "let go" of some stuff. Say, for example, my worries and preoccupations. Like, immediately. So I did, I let go. Then, I felt like there was more to let go. My attention, and I did. I could not hear anything else and was just "inside". I kept feeling like I was going deeper, and there was always something more to let go. My identity. Then came fear of letting go of my identity. And I noticed I was able to relieve myself of that fear as well, and I went higher. Everything was black, and I started to notice where I was going. If I kept letting go there would be nothing else to hang on to. And I did that. I chose to let go of everything. Then thoughts of actually dying came to mind... And I noticed I was able to choose to die at that time. I could let go of life as well. And I did. Then, intense fear. Like, dying fear. I had, once, a panic attack, and it felt like I would die. Thar was nothing compared to this. I had no thoughts, could feel nothing else, was no longer in my room, there was just one step left. To die. And the fear of choosing that. I chose to die. And then I only had the fear of dying left. The last thing to let go. It felt real. Like I've been there for hours and only had this, nothing else. And for a second, I chose to let go and accept death. Then I regretted it. And tried with all my might to return. And I did. I was still sitting under the lotus position, but my heart was beating extremely fast. It was horrible. It felt like I was on the brink of death. For the next 30 minutes I had to actively control myself. I felt like I was really close to dying. Like I almost killed myself by thought alone, and was easy to do so. Like I felt I could easily give up everything and really die. And if I was not careful, I could just let go of everything in an instant, like I did before, and really die. I was really in fear for my life. I felt like I lost everything, but did so consciously, and it was easy, way too easy. It felt amazing at first, but the second I noticed there was no reason to not be able to let go of everything, I saw no point in stopping, at first it was curiosity to see if I was able to do so. But then, when I saw that i was really letting go, every step came with fear, that I was able to let go as well and forget it. The first step was as easy as the last one. I'm not sure if everything was just on my mind or not. I felt like "life was going to end soon" before, and this time I was much more certain. I'm still certain that I almost died phisically and I'm sure that I died for a second in my mind. For a second I was nothing, I managed to let go of everything. Could not find anything on the web to relate. Chose to share it here. It was ellucidating, but I'm not sure what to do with this knowledge. Post edit: I also considered calling someone, because I was really in fear of dying. I felt like it was super easy and possible for it to happen. The last thing I remember before changing my mind was something along the lines of "so this is what is like to die. I have nothing." and then "I should go back." 1 and that's when I made an effort to wake up. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 11:35 PM PST i feel like i have a comprehensively satisfactory conceptual relationship with reality, with no more learning necessary, and the only thing i have left to do is embody that understanding in my daily life. for me, that means to practice moments of stillness. i think thoughtful, active, and analytical engagement is good when it's called for, but without skill in being still, there's too much of a drive to "go" when sometimes no "going" is necessary. basically, i'd like to break the habit of rushing forward. i want to be like water: it can rampage as a river, or rage as a storm, but only in its own course. the natural state of water is stillness so for the past couple of days, i've tried to just "sit there", as described in my title. i don't focus or return to the breath. i just try to encourage stillness. my inner world is like a beautiful and loving relationship, a dialogue with myself, appreciating an active engagement with the world around me. but i would like to appreciate quiet stillness with myself as well. my hope is that, as i sit there without stimulating myself, i'll run out of things to say, and just enjoy the quiet i find it easier to do while lying down, but i'd like to do this while seated too. the two other common postures are standing and walking. for me, walking is the domain of contemplation, and i'm fine with keeping it that way. not sure what to make of standing, although i'm usually eating or using my phone when i am. trying to do less of the latter. my hope is my body will always be well in whatever i'm doing does your experience in meditation give you any insight into my situation and goals? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 09:10 PM PST Meditation is special because it doesn't belong to any one religion or philosophy. It can't be boxed in by any one way of thinking. Instead, it opens many paths! I propose that this subreddit be a hub for all sorts of paths and new ways of thinking. It's purpose to improve our perspective of life. So please, share the boundless knowledge that exists today and even the new ideas. But try not to hijack this shared space with dogmatic notions, I think we owe it to ourselves to keep our minds open and our curiosity equally boundless. [link] [comments] |
| I am everything and nothing at the same time Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:37 PM PST If meditation and marijuana have taught me one thing, it's to trust my inner intuition and "God". Since we are all one (God) we our ego says this thing is a lamp or this is a table. Identity births separation of this Oneness of God. I trust it 100%. Even if I am dying right now in this moment. I trust everything will be ok. This Dark Night of the Soul thing is pretty damn interesting if you ask me (there is no me "turtlebork" doesnt exist). [link] [comments] |
| Attention: I'm 20 & have no source of income Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:41 PM PST My confidence has taken a hit after seeing these young folks earning very early in their life, I feel inspired actually but then sometimes think why couldn't I find a stable income yet. To be honest, i have done a few business in the past which have paid off well, but currently stuck at a place not knowing what should be done next. No idea on what should I make as my source of income. This is not a specific questions, was feeling low so just put it out there and I'm open to suggestions and ideas from you all smart and helpful people. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 07:01 AM PST I went through some stressful stuff around Christmas as a kid, and I have never liked Christmas as an adult. In fact, it's my least favorite day of the year. Other members of my family also seem to get very stressed out on Christmas, for their own reasons. But I was noticing yesterday that I could use some of the skills I have been working on in my meditation practice to try to be in a better place. I can try to think about what the crashing-inward, sorrowful feeling I sometimes have at Christmas actually consists of, as a physical matter, and whether I can simply sit with it rather than telling myself a story about it. I can be kind and gentle toward myself and, mentally at least, I can give loving-kindness to the child I used to be. And I can regard this time with equanimity, and not get too worked up about it one way or the other, and try to remain present and available. Good luck to anybody else out there who finds Christmas difficult or painful. Now is a good time to draw on what you have been learning in the practice of meditation. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 11:29 PM PST I've been practicing mindfulness meditation for the past 6 months. A few longer sessions ago I experienced something odd for a bit. In the guided meditation I've done, they always say to watch your thoughts like you're watching cars drove by on the road. I never really felt this but I always kept in mind. So some time into this session, I felt something change. I felt truly disconnected from my thoughts for a brief period of time. I felt like an outside observer just noticing what's going on without any attachment. It wasn't total bliss though. There was the awareness that this is different and new and that brought some feeling of discomfort but I let it be. After the session I felt odd. I felt lighter than usual, but there was that memory of the discomfort I felt there too. It was strange and I didn't totally enjoy it but it felt right at the same time. It's hard to put into words. Is this a normal thing or did I have a momentary break in my psyche? [link] [comments] |
| Why the need to meditate and realise the self? Posted: 26 Dec 2020 01:10 AM PST What you love/adore/strive for and attain
And you are left alone. One day this body leaves you too. That's why it's important to be solo at times. Take time to understand yourself. Know the real you. The real you is for forever. Much love and peace to you [link] [comments] |
| There was a brief period of time where i was attempting to meditate Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:53 PM PST Then after a couple of unsuccessful tries i eventually stopped because i thought that i will never learn how. [link] [comments] |
| Looking for a long-term vipassana place Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:28 PM PST Looking for any recommendations on a place where pure practice is the daily routine and longer term stay is possible. [link] [comments] |
| How To Measure Happiness Accurately Posted: 25 Dec 2020 05:08 PM PST What do you think is the most precise method to measure your happiness level, or more generally, your mood, without using a brain scan? Is there any better method than a self-assessment questionnaire? [link] [comments] |
| How does cannabis influence your personal practice? Posted: 25 Dec 2020 07:04 PM PST There was 4-5 weeks awhile back where I was meditating ten minutes every day, and would feel fairly present and positive in the midst of my sessions, along with directly after. I was smoking about twice a week. I've recently upped my cannabis intake to almost every night, and have noticed meditation sessions don't bring as much as they used to. Prior, they would accentuate how short negative emotion lasts and show me I can calm myself down when feeling sad or frustrated. Though now, I tend to notice myself drifting off more consistently, with significantly less time spent in those states where we notice ourselves "open" or "aware". How has cannabis effected your personal practice? Does it add to the experience/benefits for you? Is it easier or harder? [link] [comments] |
| in 5 years of seeking truth I anchored nonduality Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:33 PM PST I am now teaching The Direct Path with a clear, synthetic transmission, and you may find it insightful at whatever stage of seeking you're at: https://bit.ly/TheDirectPath2 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:45 PM PST Do you ever feel like you're watching your surroundings/people but not fully conscious. Like I can bring myself down to hyper focus for short periods of time couple seconds and then it goes back to a state of being unfocused. Any tips on how to improve this? I tried opening my eyes and watching my surroundings and saying something like "I am actually here" but it's super slow progress and I'm hitting a bit of a roadblock [link] [comments] |
| I love this take on getting tired of/not wanting to practice Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:10 PM PST "When you are tired of sitting, or when you are disgusted with your practice, you should recognize this as a warning signal. You become discouraged with your practice when your practice has been idealistic. You have some gaining idea in your practice, and it is not pure enough. It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become dis- couraged with it. So you should be grateful that you have a sign or warning signal to show you the weak point in your practice. At that time, forgetting all about your mistake and renewing your way, you can resume your original practice. This is a very important point." Zen Mind Begginer's Mind by Shunryū Suzuki [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2020 08:27 AM PST I recently switched from sitting on my floor with a yoga mat to sitting on the couch, and it was the best decision of my practice. I used to start feeling upper back pain around the 5 minute mark when meditating on the floor. I for some reason felt the need to fight through the pain to have a "complete" session. Now that I meditate comfortably on the couch I am able to go for 10-15 minutes with ease and I emerge feeling rejuvenated! good luck in finding which posture is most comfortable for you! [link] [comments] |
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