repose
lobster
Crusty Veteran
Recently I was amazed by people telling me what meditation is. Something called 'deep meditation' can result in an anger outburst, even a physical attack? Que? 🤪 Another explanation was 'blocking thoughts' ... Que x 2? 🤦🏼♂️
How about 'repose'? In other words allowing the mind to wander, in past, future, worries, daily grindings until the physical repose exhausts the minds chatter. Then we have repose and are meditating ... That is how I was taught. Repose, settling, returning to stillness.
What poses as meditation in your experience?
“The zazen I speak of is not learning meditation. It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss. . . . Traps and snares can never reach it.” Fukanzazengi , Eihei Dogen.
https://davidguy.org/2019/12/20/repose-and-bliss1-my-ass/
Comments
What one resists persists....so just relax let go and enjoy the slideshow
But I don't have time to wait for the mind to settle....gotta get up, check the news feeds, get the kids to school, get to work etc.
What to do?
Tee Hee.
@Bunks I feel the quick fix need ... This is the value of 'right concentration/focus' which is more enforced repose ...
We have many examples of mind filling/occupying techniques. My current favourite is mantra. However what about:
Breath counting, prostrations, walking meditation, led meditations, yoga or tai chi.
or ... tantric visualisations, metta bhavna.
Perhaps an unsettled/occupied mind that we are unperturbed by
is a form of repose ... 🥳😳💗
Thanks @lobster! Sound advice....
@Shoshin mentions something similar here @Bunks but it is not so easy for some of us to enjoy a hijacked slideshow.
This in a sense is why skilful means are required. Personally I like 'counter irritants' to trick engage monkey mind.
Something like running is too fierce for me, that suits some. I developed some martial moves from seated and kneeling that literally burns up the unrelaxed. I use gardening at a fast pace (beyond pottering) @federica has mentioned knitting. Crafts are used in Sufi work based meditation ...
So many possibilities ...even for drunkards ...
I’ve heard of people who have these kind of intense reactions to sitting meditation — presumeably something in the mind feels threatened, and that is why anger. But personally meditation has never triggered this kind of response in me, so I’ve not had the opportunity to observe it firsthand.
But even just taking up walking meditation might be a good way forward. Movement of the body has a good way of soothing the mind, like knitting, although mantra meditation does much the same. You have to ask though, is soothing the mind going to allow you to work through these tricky deep-seated blockages?
Osho often recommended his dynamic meditation, which combined jumping, wild dance and quiet sitting afterwards, as a way to provide catharsis.