In the beginning of your practice, what did you focus on?

EvenThird

Hi all,

Besides the basics (4NT, 8FP) what was your main focus in contemplation/study in your early days of practice? Obviously I assume it would be a number of things.. so whatever you want to share for whatever reason will do.

(Like most of my questions, this one is prompted by curiosity)

how

My navel.

misecmisc1

i think it was to find a short-cut to make my mind become still - damn, later my theoretical understanding said that 'i' cannot make my mind to become still.

bookworm

For me learning how to pronounce pali words, I still struggle with it.

lobster

Shingon teachings and focus on the five elements. Early practices involved karate kata done as a form of meditational ritual to develop an understanding of these elemental forces. This developed into more formal sitting with the elements as a focus.

DairyLama

Impermanence...but it didn't last...

seeker242

Just basic breathing meditation. And reading lots of books. The books were nice although not nearly as helpful as just breathing in and out.

cork

Daily routine. And more importantly, simply living my life.

riverflow

"One.... two.... three.... DAMN! lost my concentration again! ok.... one.... two...."

BhikkhuJayasara

In terms of study/contemplation,my main focus then is my main focus now,that being the Pali Suttas, in particular the 4 Nikayas(Digha,Majjhima,Samyutta,Anguttara),

in terms of actual practice, I agree with Cork with regards to setting up a daily routine, it took me a while of struggling but in the end I sort of just naturally fell into my routine as my practice grew and became more of a priority.

It is a gradual practice said the Buddha, and that being said consistency is the key to "getting better" in any practice.

Jainarayan

EvenThird said:

Hi all,

Besides the basics (4NT, 8FP) what was your main focus in contemplation/study in your early days of practice? Obviously I assume it would be a number of things.. so whatever you want to share for whatever reason will do.

(Like most of my questions, this one is prompted by curiosity)

I'm still a beginner, so I guess my focus is learning!

Zero

EvenThird said:

what was your main focus in contemplation/study in your early days of practice?

I'm not sure that my focus has changed as such - I think I've seemingly always been entrenched in what it is to be human.

MaryAnne

I focus on allowing Buddhism to help me enhance my happiness, release anger and resentment, be non-judgmental, and as a follow-up... enhance the lives of the people around me; particularly loved ones and friends, by being a positive & loving part of their lives.

I didn't say it was easy, nor did I say I'm 'perfect'. It is a "practice" after all.

Cinorjer

In the early days of my practice? I guess to be honest, my focus was on what I might say or do to act like and maybe impress my Teacher. Fortunately I had a very patient Teacher who let me work my way through that to being myself.

cork

Jayantha said:

in terms of actual practice, I agree with Cork with regards to setting up a daily routine, it took me a while of struggling but in the end I sort of just naturally fell into my routine as my practice grew and became more of a priority.

It is a gradual practice said the Buddha, and that being said consistency is the key to "getting better" in any practice.

I forget who said it but a master was asked if, in fact, he was certain that this was his last day on Earth, what would he do?

"Make my bed."

I'm going to wash my bowl now.

Chaz

EvenThird said:

Hi all,

Besides the basics (4NT, 8FP) what was your main focus in contemplation/study in your early days of practice?

Meditation. Shamatha for the most part. Two years into that I started doing Tonglen, too.

10 years later and Shamatha is still the focus. Lots and lots and lots of sitting.


As far as the "basics" are concerned - 4NT, N8FP - I didn't get any formal teaching for the better part of a year, maybe more. I studied them enough to know what they said and meant, but all my effort was applied to meditation. Meditation was, for me, "the basics".

Jeffrey

I meditated and read books such as Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of Buddhism, Meditation (something) by Kathleen McDonald, and Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind Beginner Mind, and Bhante Gunaratana's Meditation in Plain English.

EvenThird

Thank you for all your replies! As for myself, I've got a pretty regular meditation practice going for 5 months or so, and have been reading a bit too(Three Principles Paths now, but lots of Thich Nhat Hanh when first starting) and incorporating what I read into my meditation. It's been very helpful to my understanding.

cvalue

Besides 4NT, N8FP, in the beginning, my focus is my monkey mind and it's still my focus now. In order to improve my concentration during meditation, in everyday life, I practice not to get hung up on anything, not to get angry or greedy or emotional, so that when I sit down for meditation, my monkey mind is calmer. Another focus is adapting to my new hours and new habit. I get up 1.5 hours earlier before going to work to meditate, eat big breakfast and prepare lunch. Before that, I used to get up late, go to work and eat out, but I can't do it anymore because I can't find vegetarian food easily where I work. The first 2 months was hard because I must fight with my sleepiness during meditation. But I am used to it now so I don't feel sleepy any more at an earlier hours in the morning. But my monkey mind is still jumping around. I must call it back a lot of times!

David

I've always liked to play with koans and other riddles.

I could find wonder in the most mundane things... Like how our feet are able to leave the ground.

Hamsaka

Disciplining my ADHD monkey mind by watching it 'go by', both in meditation and out. Getting an experience of 'not getting in the car' but instead, watching the cars go by, watching arising and ceasing.

Anatta. I've had suspicions quite aside from the Buddha's teachings for quite some time anyway. What a relief to let that pile of shit go. What a relief to be a pile of shit, and to perceive that 'shit' itself isn't such a bad thing after all. Steaming away

Sitting with what arises, instead of pretending it's not arising, hating or chastising myself when it does arise, or impulsively jumping on it and riding it when it arises.

All that said, my performance rating is fair to middlin'.

Gassho

cork

Zen Mind...ah, the waterfall. Such a perfect concept. I'm a lot less afraid of death now.

Dennis1

For new aspirants Vipassana is the accepted meditation. Meditation on the breathing bridges the gap between volitional and autonomic impulses.

anataman

Myself