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Does anyone get bored?
Jeffrey
Veteran
For a long time I had a sense of something wrong like a dull sense. Now I take more medicines and it is like that bad feeling is morphing into boredom. But it is a kind of boredom where it is hard to get started on something rewarding. Like all the habits from when I just plain felt awful are still with me in not looking for something valuable to do.
On the other hand I am doing good dharma practice but I usually go slow in books so I can think about what I am reading for awhile.
So anyone else feel similar to me or even a different permutation on boredom?
3
Comments
It's a blend of pain in my feeling of my body and more coming forth as boredom.
@Jeffrey
Ask your teacher about aridity in a practice.
Simple boredom is usually just not being willing to look at something closely enough but there are some long term stages in many meditative practices when a sense of ennui arises, stays and only the faith in your practice or a teacher allows one to eventually persevere beyond it.
Nice vocabulary but they are right on. (aridity and ennui)! Thanks, @how.
@how advice excellent as usual. Boredom can be experienced in a variety of exciting/different ways. Boredom is a very specific form of 'stillness'. The most realised people can be extremely 'boring'. However the agitated, gibbering, mindless mad monkeys (yes Mr Cushion my claw is up) are eventually seen as . . . boring reflections of ourself . . .
. . . and now back to the superficial attractions of [insert preferences] . . .
Buddha-full and a nice slushy drink!! This ^^^ is definitely the good life to be sure
We haz plan for those blue Buddhas . . . ?
Boredom are like brackets of silence in-between the din of our illusion of an eventful reality. It's the pause the mind takes between the chatter to really ponder "Is this it?" or "Now what?"
Silence has its own special voice. Listen to what it has to say.
This boredom can be an ideal moment to take stock of your life, of your practice, of how far you've come to integrating both.
Boredom is actually an opportunity to not think about boredom, but just breathing in and out, then time passes eventually and it was like boredom was never here.
Wel said @namarupa . . . I can not meditate because:
etc
Strap yourself in and continue anyway . . .
When experiencing boredom it's a good time for me to ask - who is bored?....
I was driving into work this morning feeling a bit down...I asked - who is unhappy? ...it put some space into things. I realized I was tired. In this moment I am tired...
When bored, meditate! It's never a dull moment watching my mind play. Some of the most random things pop up.
I wasn't going to mediate a second time today, then I heard a quote from the Buddha to meditate with the urgency that your hair is on fire.
I then mediated, thanks Buddha
I suspect the meds are a significant contributory factor to how you are feeling, but if they are helping you overcome more difficult things, and you are prepared to continue with them, then it might be worth considering a change in scenery (a little excursion, a change in practice, or just doing something you haven't experienced before, but have wondered what it might be like, e.g. bungee jumping, or riding a quad bike - ok a little extreme, but you get what I mean), or something else that brings a little excitement or surprise might be enough to steer you out of the doldrums.
Boredom arises, and can be overcome. You've just got to find what works for you @Jeffrey. When I get bored of practicing in a certain way, I change it, add a little twist, or exercise or just stop practicing for a while. You don't have to go hammer and tongs at it all the time, you've got your life to live, and that can be an inspirational thing.
Hope the boredom gets bored and replaces itself with joy, or ecstasy soon.
metta