Getting off your Cushion
Carlita
Bastian please! Save us!United States Veteran
How to practice Buddhism beyond the cushion, the chanting, and the like.
I was reading the Eight-Fold Path:
"An, what, monks, is right speech? Abstinence from fale speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter. That's my 2016 goal. I don't have much problem with false speech, it's just hard to tell the truth when people think you're lying. The second and third are easy. Just idle chatter, I have problems with. It's like I'm "not there" (well, I'm not: brain surgery) but something I think I can control, I just don't know how. Meditation helps with serenity for that moment but when I get off my cushion, it's like my brain just clicks all what I learned away. Every five to ten minutes I'm "rebooting".
What methods have you used "off your cushion" that helped you in your practice with whatever sutra or teaching you focus on?
If it's personal, do you have advice especially from the suttras that may give insight on how the Buddha practiced off his cushion?
I read the Lotus Sutra, and it talks heavily about expident means. I have always told myself that I can help people by "speaking in their language". Whether it be talking about my faith through their faith (like the father telling the children there are toys outsdie since they didn't get a hint there was fire), or however means to share the Buddha's teachings.
I love to talk; but, I rather act instead. I get too tired sometimes.
Comments
Getting off your cushion?
Are you tired of getting off the cushion the same ol way year after year?
Bowing here, followed by a pirouette, and just doing it all again.
Perhaps , like Lobster, you are wondering how best to manage that meditative transition from a static posture into activity?
Well wait for inspiration no longer.
Introducing new Ninja forms that say "no to complacency" in your Zendo.
Start ending your formal meditation with simple forward roll, followed by an immediate backwards roll back to your starting point again.
With a little finesse, and a very straight face, you've done both bows and the rest of your seat mates in your Sangha are now probably much more alert than when they started.
Oh and definitely tell us how it all worked out.
Hi Carlita and welcome to NB.
What kind of important things does your brain 'just clicks' away all that you learned in meditation? It's been my understanding that meditation doesn't solve, but lets us get clearer on what is going on. In a way, I'm glad I took to mindfulness practicing better than I took to meditation - but am presently doing that, too - in my own unique ways.
I'd like to know more of what you mean by the last line "I love to talk; but, I rather act instead. I get too tired sometimes." Maybe give an example or two?
Sure.. I tend to type essays for posts. I type to fast before I realize I have typos and my replies are fifty pages long.
The first question, I have Epilepsy/Seizure disorder and had surgery. So, I don't know if it's that that causes me to have short attention spans (the "clicks") or if it's just I have to practice on concentrating (probably both). Either way, I think it's something I can decrease to at least function properly.
For example, have you ever went in your kitchen or where you cook and say, "okay, I'm going to fix cheeseburgers, french fries, with chilly. Then you take your ingedients out, and after you put it on the counter than something "clicks" in your head like you memory just went out like a light and you put the beef in the cabinant, the french fries in the stove, and the chilly in the refridg. You still have cooking on your mind but you are wondering how you going to cook without having the stove on. Then you cut the stove on, smell something burning (the french fries), open up the refridg "thinking it's warming up" and then it hits you like a truck. The fries! You rush to the fries, leave the refridg open, get everything out before burning yourself, turn the stove off, and "click!" all is safe... you walk out of the kitchen with the light still on, stove open, and you go to the computer as if nothing happened. Then you stop and say "wait, wasn't I hungry? I should fix me something to eat."
If I don't go slower than usual, I make the same mistake. I just dramatized this one but once in a blue moon it gets this far. If I can do concentration and mindfulness, that would help a lot with the inner stuff. Then going out my door and interacting with people, I do the same thing. I can't back up what I say and it takes forever to explain it; so, mindfulness would help with that and patience.
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I love to talk but I rather act.
I was reading the sutras on right speech and it talks about Idle talk, or talking with no meaning. Rambling. Sometimes I do that. Talk without a specific purpose or complain about stuff. It's normal for many people; in my personal view, it harms my spiritual outlook, so I'm trying to cut down on it if not completely all the way. It takes a lot of concentration as above, patience, and a lot of listening.
I rather act-apply the Buddha's teachings of mindfulness, concentration, etc as an action... say when he talks about different forms of giving, etc. I'm sure there is no "Buddha-police" that says you should only be mindful THIS way. I'm not too much into routine and like to be free of when I practice something. On the other hand, I can't learn without constsant practice.
So, I'm just flopping ideas in my head while learning. I get physically tired from over thinking and will go back to school soon. I was told that studying as a teenager is completely different than studying as an adult. I have to take that into consideration (as an adult) on how I will study.
You took mindfulness classes?
How is that different than meditation? (When it comes to what you think)
That was a great dramatization, Carlita. In short, I call it getting flustered. I have some medical issues that contribute to my sometimes chaotic thinking and indecision.
I suspect that like a lot of people, we get 'tired' from thinking because it's more an anxiety and worrying type of thinking that wears us down.
No, didn't take mindfulness classes, just read about it. Mindfulness is simply paying attention to what's going on right here and right now, but because we often have too many other ideas, worries, on our minds, we are almost never in the here and now. I started off by listening to the sounds around me, whatever they may be.
That makes sense, I was reading about meditation for people with ADD. One of the things it says was every five or ten seconds focus on another point in front of you. So, I'd focus on say one of the boddhisattvas on the Gohonzon, then another, then another. It's hard to sit and chant for long period of time.
As for mindfulness or awareness, how do you interact or talk with others and concentrate on how you react at the same time as understanding what they are saying?
Most of the time I look "out of it" cause I don't know how to focus and talk at the same time. (which makes walking and talking nearly impossible, lol)
I think idleness might be on the octave of giving presence. Just enough presence and not too much or too little. Or not 'filling space' with chatter.
Can you rephrase? I dont understand.
I am not sure I can explain it. Giving presence would be sharing company. But not to the extent that you are just filling space. Sometimes by letting space be we let something bubble up that we don't expect.
If you can not understand one thing. You can focus on one thing. One thing at a time.
I'm pretty elementary when it comes to understanding things. Takes a lot of time and patience. Gets tiresome. That's life.
That's pretty funny. Mindfulness is what we used to do when we were young. We just forgot because life becomes too busy as a grown-up so we are always finding ourselves distracted by too much stuff going on. If one practices being mindful while they're alone, it becomes easier when we're with other people. Life is more relaxed. You have to be practical.
Trying. Trying. My neurologist says she wants me to see a nereopsychiatrist and see if what I experience emotionally has something to do with neurological causes.
I dont know about other countries, but American doctors make things worse than they are especially when you know your own body.
Wow, a neuropsychiatrist....every time I turn around, I hear about some new specialist doctor type. With my own experience with doctors, they could listen a little better to their patients.
lol. yeah. When I saw her first, I thought I was seeing a neurologist. She's an epileptologist. (Someone who specialize in peopel with Epilepsy)
Gets better all the time.
Right speech. Less waffle/idle gossip. More silence.
Waffle? breakfast food?
'waffle' is also a euphemism for blah-blah talk....
Welcome to da house, @Carlita. Nice to meet you.
Thanks! and learned something new.
Oh it's great! we never stop learning! Even stuff we were confident we knew, gets refreshed when discussions put asects of it, in a new light.
Consider yourself a thousand-petalled Lotus... slowly unfurling, petal by petal, as a new bit of information unfolds your flower....
That's beautiful and very poetic. (Can tell; poet's ear
)
That's a good way to look at things, new information unfolds your flower. I'm sure you picture yourself as a Lotus. By the way, do you follow a school of Buddhism?
You might find it helpful to do some simple breathing meditation, which can have a calming effect on the mind.
Welcome to the forum!
Thank you! More reason to not sleep.
You will sleep better with a calmer mind.
Have you tried relaxation exercises?
Meditation or not, a few deep slow breathe in and out does help calm you down.
Take a slow, deep breathe - hold it for a few seconds - slowly exhale.
Repeat.
I occasionally do that in the car in our 'friendly' SoCal traffic to quiet my green/blue/orange eyed monster.
I'd get off the cushion except I think I ate it for dinner one evening...Quite tasty with Tabasco sauce.
Welcome to the forum.
Peace to all
When someone is talking or fussing with you, how do you do that without being rude? I try to hold a finger up to say wait a minute but I get flustered.
Um, you do have to be centered - mindfulness can take you there - I know what a challenge that must be, but you meet them where they are and just look directly at them - smile with love - talk to them if they seem to need to talk to you for a while. This just came to my brain to say to you - don't know if it will strike a chord with you or not.
Thank you. Actually, was in the middle of meditation when your message popped up. Glad I checked it. It is hard. I try to use a singing bell app that goes off evert ten min to remind me. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
I will keep that in mind (all of you)
Cheerios!
Sorry, I did not mean to offend. You take your practice seriously, as I do mine. I did not mean to disparage your practice in any way. While our methods of practice are not the same (and I really do not use a cushion), I do apologize for upsetting you.
Once again, welcome to the forum
Peace to you
Try to use everything as a point of meditation.
SHIFT the focus.
Life happens around us, it doesn't stop simply because it's an inconvenience; we have to continue existing with everything we live with.
So?
Someone is talking or fussing with you, just momentarily breathe in, breathe out and think "focus", or "listen", or "patience", or "attention", or "calm...."
Make listening, being patient, being attentive, being calm - PART of your 'Meditation'.
BE there.
Fully.
Hmm. Thank you. Listening, being patient, being attentive, being calm as part of my meditation. I keep getting stuck with meditation=cushion time.
Hey guys, question.
How would you define different means of meditation? I keep assocating meditation with siting and concentrating on breathe. Are there sutras that share different forms of meditation?
You need to read Thich Naht Hahn's books "Peace is Every Step" and "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment!" Both books describe several ways you can meditate, including while washing up, sweeping the floor, going shopping...
Meditation has been described as "Bringing the Mind Home".
In other words, centering yourself, and being WITH the moment, being... well, just 'being'... without devoting too much time, if any, to the constant bable that is our throught-process.
Calming it down, reining it in...
Not stopping. Thinking doesn't stop. But you monitor the thoughts, let them arise, and leave, unhindered....
Learning how to find answers ...
http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/fl/What-Is-Meditation.htm
from my meditation faqs
http://yinyana.tumblr.com/day/2014/11/06
The breath is a very popular meditation object, though there are different ways of using it, many variations. There are also object-less meditations. With eyes open you can rest your gaze or look at coloured discs and suchlike ( kasina practice ). Then there are all sorts of visualisation practices. And chanting. And contemplation.
You can also do walking meditation, which some people tie in with the breath.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation
Yes, I think that refraining from cleverly worded malicious and harsh speech would be a good pursuit. Too bad that more Buddhists don't do it!
@Carlita, in ref to your finger wag: Oh!
Sometimes we iz very very slow...
Peace to you
Yeah. I made "right speech" my 2016 goal. I keep fliping if I should focus on something else; but, I really need to work on my idle talk. I think I got theothers covered.
Have cushion will travel...I never leave home without mine...
On a more serious note...I'm on the cushion all the time, physically when I sit and mentally when I'm not sitting... Mindfulness is the safety cushion that can soften the blows of Samsara