Meditation

PremaSagar

I've been lazy when it comes to meditation as of late and haven't been studying up on my Buddhism lately. Usually it's thoughts of "Why should I meditate ?","Focusing on the breath will do nothing but put you to sleep", or "Why not study or watch a film ?". It's these thoughts like these that make me inactive and I end up never meditating. But then I think back on the Buddha and on people like Nichiren and I remember that unless I get myself to work on meditating how will I transcend samsara ? How will I break overcome suffering once and for all unless I get myself to work ?. So I'm getting ready to meditate starting tonight for at least five or ten minutes. Should I expect anything when focusing on the breath after a while ? A sudden epiphany that turns me into an arhat ? What is it that I should be waiting for ? Or should I stop expecting things and just enjoy following the breath and monitoring the body ?

Much metta, PremaSagar
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

how

There are just too many meditations to list. Many use some attention on the breath to touch into a larger body/mind awareness than just our thoughts. Within that range is meditation on the breath which can be numbered, visualized, circulated with or against the natural body energy direction flows, or have attention directed on any one part of the breath cycle and on and on. The focus on the breath can be the entirety of a practise or just an anchoring point.

Has one type of Buddhism interested you more than others? Are there Buddhist centres in your area to investigate?
Your last sentence makes the most sense to start with but finding a teacher sure helps answer the questions specific to the practise you settle on.

PremaSagar

Has one type of Buddhism interested you more than others? Are there Buddhist centres in your area to investigate?
Your last sentence makes the most sense to start with but finding a teacher sure helps answer the questions specific to the practise you settle on.

I seem to lean towards Theravada and Nichiren Buddhism. I draw what wisdom I can from whatever tradition I happen to be reading up on. And nope no Buddhist centres in my area.

Sabre

Don't expect too much. Get familiar with your mind a bit. See how it works. Be content with it, be kind to it, don't force it in any direction. From this contentment peace can grow. Once this peace starts showing, it's the thing that'll keep you meditating and you will have an answer to the 'why' question.

Have fun!
Sabre

seeker242

Should I expect anything when focusing on the breath after a while ? A sudden epiphany that turns me into an arhat ? Or should I stop expecting things and just enjoy following the breath and monitoring the body ?

Well, if you are sitting there expecting things AND following the breath, then you really aren't just following the breath. You are essentially doing 2 things instead of the one thing that you are supposed to be doing, which is just following the breath. The way I look at it, you don't have to go and get these things that meditation is supposed to bring. The breath will bring these things to you, by itself. So the only thing you have to do is focus on the breath and everything else will happen by itself naturally.

What is it that I should be waiting for ?

I would say the next breath.

Cloud

Let's see... I think I'll move this thread called "Meditation" to the "Meditation" category...

driedleaf

After a while, you can try and notice if your awareness of the breath has increased, then the body, and then your surroundings. As far as I know, awareness of these things do increase after much practice.

DairyLama

PremaSagar said:

Or should I stop expecting things and just enjoy following the breath and monitoring the body ?

That's a good approach - look on it as a process of discovery and see what happens. If you can make meditation part of your daily routine that will probably be helpful.

DairyLama

Let's see... I think I'll move this thread called "Meditation" to the "Meditation" category...

I can tell you're a very experienced moderator.