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Malas while meditating

LookingformywayLookingformyway
edited April 2012 in Meditation
I am curious, is holding, reciting mantra's and fingering male beads advisable while meditating?

i know the obvious question is no as it is distracting you, but if helps keep you focused, and stops your mind wandering do you think it "can be done"?

Kind of like, using the repetitive mantra, and fingering beads as an aid to help put you in a meditation state?

Comments

  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited April 2012
    the point of samadhi is to concentrate.

    you can concentrate on the sensation of the breath on your nostril,
    - on a spot on the wall in front of you
    - the sensation of the beads in your hand
    - a sound
    - sensation in your feet when walking meditation
    - on "just being"
    - a sound or word that you repeat
    - a picture that you imagine
    - etc...

    doesn't really matter.

    what matter is you find something that work well for you,
    i personally believe that trying many different objects is good at the beginning for beginners, it help to get a better idea of what concentration meditation is.

    perhaps when you develop decent concentration, you could use a "quiet" object of meditation as oppose to a dynamic one (like the sensation on the feet when walking) in order to get deeper practice.
  • LookingformywayLookingformyway
    Thanks Pat :)
  • ArthurbodhiArthurbodhi Mars Veteran
    Oh that! Mala beads. A read fingering male beards for a while, that was weird. :)

    Anyways I agree with pat.

    Blessings.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    There are many different types of meditation. The one most start out with is focusing on the breath, this helps develop concentration. Its important because the better the concentration the better the tool you have for other types of meditation.

    Meditating on a mantra and using a mala is fine. When I do it I will generally same some mantras for a bit then stop and focus on the stillness and any feelings that arise, when that starts to fade or my mind drifts, usually only several seconds, I then start up with the recitation again. Rinse and repeat.
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
    I am curious, is holding, reciting mantra's and fingering male beads advisable while meditating?

    i know the obvious question is no as it is distracting you, but if helps keep you focused, and stops your mind wandering do you think it "can be done"?

    Kind of like, using the repetitive mantra, and fingering beads as an aid to help put you in a meditation state?
    Of course "it can be done." Many laypeople and of course monks do it on a regular basis.
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    edited April 2012
    Meditating on a mantra and using a mala is fine. When I do it I will generally same some mantras for a bit then stop and focus on the stillness [...]
    Precisely what I do. One circuit around the mala with a mantra, then just settle into stillness. The mala, for me, is a great tool to help me reach that still point.
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