"What's wrong with me?".... Meditation technique.
Cinorjer
Veteran
Yesterday I dug out my old diary and found an interesting meditation session the Rev Young once conducted way back when that I'm going to try again for a few days. Perhaps you'd also like to give it a whirl.
Instead of sitting and focusing on the central Zen question, "What am I?" he asked that we put that question aside, and instead try asking "What's wrong with me?" for a while. Whatever you are, the motivation for sitting and struggling with the koans or quiet mind is that you're not satisfied with who you are. Before you can fix a problem, you have to be able to say what's gone wrong.
So ask yourself "What's wrong with me?" and do an honest diagnosis. Chew on the question. Approach it from different angles. What about you isn't so perfect right now that you see yourself as flawed? Don't even worry about how to fix it. How to fix it isn't the question. We'll assume the 8-fold path in some way is going to fix it.
You don't even have to share the answer. But, you might have some surprising conclusions at the end of the meditation. According to the diary, I did. It will be interesting to see if I come to the same answer this time around.
"What's wrong with me?" (inhale, exhale)
Comments
I thought you were having a meltdown for a second there.
Heh. It never actually dawned on me that people would think the title meant I was in distress. Made sure to stick it in the meditation section and all. Sorry bout that.
Moderator Note:
To avoid further misunderstanding, I have amended the title to make the situation clearer.
Hope that's ok.
You're awesome. Thanks so much.
Can I try: what's right with me? because i think i can write pages after pages about what's wrong with me - but about the question what's right with me, i may not be able to come up with even a single point in its answer.
- but then what will be the use of answering the question - what's right with me.
@cinorjer -- Good question -- one that cuts through the La-La-Land eyewash that Buddhism can become in anyone's life.
I think you are precisely right to consider the fact that no one would bother with Buddhism if something weren't "wrong." And if something is wrong, part of the solution rests on knowing what it is.... and then being forced to admit that nothing could be wrong without a strong conviction about what is right (how else could anyone critique what was "wrong?").
And if you already know what's "wrong" and what's "right" ... well, how much is that knowledge a guarantor of happiness and peace.
Might as well practice, I guess ... "right" and "wrong" and a couple of bucks will get you a bus ride.
@Cinorjer
What's wrong with me?
Like everyone else,** if** you look closely enough at yourself., absolutely nothing!
Of course trying to define "wrong" will be the interesting task.
For many it will be the supposition that they thought there was something wrong with them,
or how difficult it turns out to be to carry that understanding any distance into daily life against the habits of a lifetime.
LOL! Sure, that comes out to the same thing I guess.
No need to ask me that question OP, what's wrong with me is too much feels
^^^ Indeed. More Buddha name chanting perhaps ...
At what instant did Gautama decided to leave his wife and son?
KOAN
Interesting meditation, I may try it. And welcome Sunya, always nice to see more Dutch people
I live practically around the corner from you.
you reacted quick. Thank you Kerome