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Since this is a basic question, but one we can always return to!
Jerbear
Veteran
Since one can liken the search for wisdom as a "journey", is there any thing one should be searching for while meditating? Though, everything I've read says "no", the working class mindset that I've carried all of my life says "What is the reason? Why are we doing this? Should I expect results?" I bring this up as I was that kid who had a million questions about the world and life and wanted answers instead of "Because I said so". With meditating, one can say "We are practicing to attain enlightentment" and many other "reasons". Why should we meditate? As a healthcare provider, they are finding medical reasons for it, but then there is more to it seems. Any and all thoughts welcome.
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Comments
Good question Jer. If you meditate, you will "find" but you need to be aware of what it is you are looking at and it's very simple.
You won't be finding something you don't have, like acquiring some mystical state from Buddha, rather you will become aware of how you have "become" and what forces drive you and where their release lies (liberation).
It's more a journey of discovery.
Palzang
I know the text book answers, but wanting it to be more of an internal understanding. I'm just doing the meditation for today right now. I'm going to be having more time since I'm applying for disability to get some money coming in. Not that I'm going to quit looking for work, but I'm not going to make it some life and death struggle. I have a book I'm reading called "Buddhism: Tools for Living" which tries to use Buddhist teachings as tools one can use for their every day life. Since I tend to be much more hands on, I hope this is helpful. Just trying to take things one day at a time, since I get ahead of myself and end up falling and wondering what happened.
WE HAVE to meditate. We have to empty our cups, we have to still the waters.....
imagine that at birth u had a sound in ur ear....eventually you wouldn't hear it because it's always on....... under that sound are the real sounds u should (or want to) be listening to...but you have no idea any sound exists... hmmm, HMMM? you see where im going with it...?
-unless ur somekinda super genius INSTA-buddha-
Hi Jer,
In my experience they didn't help. You do right to try to apply it to what you are actually experiencing, rather than what some book tells you that you should be experiencing.
TheFound's right. It's about tuning in to what's actually there, not some imagined floating paradise.
Hmm - that makes perfect sense to me ......... but then I was rubbish at those pictures anyway!
As they say in 12 step groups, if you want a cake like your friend made, you must follow the directions. If you follow your own, and cut corners and leave things out, you may get a cake but it might taste really bad. As one who is good with abstract thinking, I know it is more of a mental playground exercise and acheives nothing. The way I learned to meditate was by counting each breath to start from 1-10 with the inhalation, then the exhalation and then letting the counting go always gently guiding oneself back to the breathing when necessary. I am seriously trying to leave out what any book says and following my own experience and talking to others and find out what has worked for them. My mind goes way to fast for many people to keep up in normal conversation. My domestic partner will say "I'm not with you there, what are you talking about?" Monkey mind way too much here. So thanks for the reminder that one's thinking can pile up like a garbage dump no matter what the original content meant.