spirtual guidance
windfall
Explorer
Hi, folks
In my late earlier part of my life I had studied but gave it up. Shortly after my 25th year I was laying in my bunk meditating on the rain outside. During which I had felt something growing on my forehead and instantly thought about someone whom wouldn't like that. In the days later I tried keeping myself pure and even got rid of my tractor in hopes of carrying on a simpler less hindered life. Now being over 10 years later I still ask what happened and because of back problems and being forced to sit still am experiencing more of our nature and how it is reflected around us. Now I know important it is to meditate and as I get older how to fit it into my existence. Not really sure why things happen but I am sure I have exhausted my Karma
Comments
No, you haven't.
I hope your tractor is OK.
Don't get how the poor tractor was any hindrance to a simple life, but there is always a way to make meditation fit into your existence.
Your whole day can be a meditative experience.
Don't worry the tractor went to a better home. The fact is this event happened to me and I don't under stand why?
What do you know about meditation? What do you think it is for? How might it be important or useful to you?
@windfall What "event"? If you're talking about this thing you said, we're going to need a lot more detail about it: "Shortly after my 25th year I was laying in my bunk meditating on the rain outside. During which I had felt something growing on my forehead and instantly thought about someone whom wouldn't like that."
There are all sorts of experiences people can have when they're meditating. It would be a huge mistake to confuse an experience had during meditation with enlightenment, and that seems to be what you're saying by being "sure" you've exhausted your karma.
enlightenment no, understanding yes. Meditation is a tool that I very rarely use. This event marked the first time I was so confused that I raptured and as a result experienced this. The most recent rapture resulted in the understanding of age, death, and rebirth. ( knowing the person I love has helped me overcome negative thoughts and conclude that chains do not always come with a mate and child).
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Then you should use it a lot more often.
Only fools think that once a page is read, it cannot be revisited.
The Buddha meditated his whole life. it is part of his eightfold path.
I recommend you begin meditation. again.
And as @lobster asked, "What do you know about meditation? What do you think it is for?"
And how you meditate is also the question.
Yes, indeed, how you meditate is important. Stop going back to that experience 25 years ago, it no longer exists; see what's happening now!
Can you accept that you'll never know what happened, other than something caused you to make some changes in your life back then? Dwelling on it will get you nowhere. I don't know that person back then to know what motivated him, what he might have been going through, etc, and you're not that same person today. I doubt it was only that one experience lying there listening to the rain that caused you to make these changes.
As @anataman pointed out, the problem right now is dwelling on it instead of dealing with whatever your current situation might be.
Karma isn't something like a bag of tokens that you work off. Every action you take in every moment is karma, because actions have consequences. The karma of giving your tractor away is that someone else has a tractor to use and you don't. The karma of you not having a tractor might be your back suffers. And so it goes.
Once upon a time in Zen practice, I had an experience that blew my socks off.
I asked my teacher about it.
"Forget about it," he said.
He was right.
Thank you so much. For telling me the obvious along with again bringing me back to the tradition. Sitting still has taught me about the grand migration and why meditation was created, because of that I have a new found respect for the teachings. In time I guess I will learn to deal with the butterflies in my stomach and the lack of any understanding of what happened. I guess that just not being eaten by insects for one day was beauty enough. Thank you again
This is the middle way you have kindly agreed to share with us. I would suggest its teachings move us into an increasing mid point between unskilful extremes of behaviour and experiencing.
We hope (well I do at least) that you will share that obvious balance and tradition as it arises . . ,
Thank you sir. Funny I grew up perse seining and lobster fishing as a kid. In fact when I left school at 18 I thought I was going to commercial fish for the rest of my life. Stupid kid. Many truths my friend, thanks for sharing life.
I have come to terms with growing a lotas for her. Take care
Trungpa Rinpoche had a teaching of 'shunyata poison' of those who have a nyam or makyo and then stop meditating.
A feeling in your head is just a feeling in your head.
OOps posted wrong comment in wrong thread - deleted!