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Willpower?

LincLinc Site ownerDetroit Moderator
edited May 2008 in Arts & Writings
The irony of willpower is that it requires willpower to develop more of the same. The most obvious case in point is that meditation is an exercise of ... Continue reading

Comments

  • KnitwitchKnitwitch
    edited April 2008
    OK - so I accept that I have the willpower of a dead gnat.

    Hey, that's better - now I have accepted that, I feel good. Who needs willpower anyway :lol:
  • KuboKubo
    edited April 2008
    It's amazing how much effort (or willpower) it takes to just sit. It takes more effort to sit and focus on the breath than it does to ride a bike or go for a run.
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited April 2008
    Knitwitch wrote: »
    OK - so I accept that I have the willpower of a dead gnat.

    Hey, that's better - now I have accepted that, I feel good. Who needs willpower anyway :lol:


    Actually dead gnats meditate really well. At least they can sit still for long periods of time (until they rot away or something eats them).

    Palzang
  • KnitwitchKnitwitch
    edited April 2008
    :lol:Yes I know Pali - it is because I have no willpower that I am able to sit .... once down, it is too much effort to get up!
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited April 2008
    I actually meditate very little. I know I should do more, I recognise the benefits, and I'm not proud of the fact that certainly, in my opinion, I am not as diligent or dedicated as i should be.
    When I do meditate, it's for around five or ten minutes, and I find is uttely blissful.

    What a jerk!:crazy::rolleyesc

    I know what you mean about Will, Matt!
  • FreshBreezeFreshBreeze
    edited May 2008
    I consider myself to be very lucky in that my suffering (or the wish to be free from it) has provided me with the perfect motivation and through this motivation comes my will to power! I never knew I was so strong willed when I wanted something! I used to meditate because I thought I had do to get better; now I do it because I want to and because I would like to realise emptiness in this life time so I can help others.

    Fat chance.:lol:
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited May 2008
    Fresh Breeze wrote: »
    I consider myself to be very lucky in that my suffering (or the wish to be free from it) has provided me with the perfect motivation and through this motivation comes my will to power! I never knew I was so strong willed when I wanted something! I used to meditate because I thought I had do to get better; now I do it because I want to and because I would like to realise emptiness in this life time so I can help others.

    Fat chance.:lol:

    I think you've hit on something really important,FB, and I'm not sure it's about willpower, a grossly overrated faculty imo.

    Human beings are mainly water and, like water, tend to take the line of least resistance. The trick is to set up just such a line to our desired outcome. For example, if I want to get fit for our local half-marathon to raise money for a favourite charity, this outcome is persuasive enough to get me out of bed to train - on fine days. If I have managed to do this enough while enthusiasm lasts, a wet, windy day will still present me with the choice between getting up for a morning run, or turning over and going back to sleep. A persuasive outcome and some good runs in memory will enable me to channel my energy into getting and running.

    This is, of course, because that is where my attention is fixed. "Energy follows attention."

    Of course, we can always try willpower but it never worked for me. Habit has been far more useful. Only then can I congratulate myself on the apparent strength of my will! LOL
  • FreshBreezeFreshBreeze
    edited May 2008
    I see what you mean; meditation is now part of my life in that it is a "habit". It is part of my routine to meditate early in the morning and early in the evening. Sometimes I do miss a session but I figure this is really important now so maybe it is my perception of meditation as a good thing (which ultimately I think it is). There is of course the "reward" factor still present.

    I never feel bliss, I never have any magical experiences as such, it is what it is but it is something I do because I can see the benefits. My motivation is high and even when I think I would rather read or watch television; I just ignore those thoughts and do it anyway.

    I have been sitting for nine months now and can't believe I still feel so motivated (I nomally lose interest in things fast and look for the next great thing); I just know this is "working" and it is absolutely no effort at all. I like it and it is teaching me so much about how things really are, plus there isn't anything else out there; it's all in my mind to start with.

    You know when you have this strong instinct that something is right? Well this is the "rightest" thing I have ever encountered and I hope it benefits others as it does me!
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