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Meditate and all else falls into place?

CollectiveCollective
edited November 2009 in Meditation
So, all I have to do is meditate for at least 30 minutes a day, focusing on the breath, coming back to the breath, always coming back to the breath, and my life will see change?

The 'scales' will drop from the eyes so to speak, I'll become more attuned spiritually, I'll lose all fear and negativity? I'll awaken? Simply through focus meditation?

(I posted this on another site)

Comments

  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    edited October 2009
    No. This article will give you some idea of where the practice leads.
  • CollectiveCollective
    edited October 2009
    Ok thank you
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited October 2009
    Your life will change when you change it. Meditation will just improve your willpower, patience, and concentration, which usually leads to you making better choices. :)
  • BhanteLuckyBhanteLucky Alternative lifestyle person in the South Island of New Zealand New Zealand Veteran
    edited October 2009
    It's an Eight-fold path, and meditation is one of the eight. So, no.
    But meditation is often AMAZING and good. As well as BORING and difficult.
  • ownerof1000oddsocksownerof1000oddsocks Veteran
    edited October 2009
    When I time my meditation I'm often waiting for it to be over.

    When I try to get into it and not worry about how long I've been going the quality is better and i get into a state of mind where I could not be more comfortable.

    Once there it's a very easy state of mind to stay in. Haven't tried for too long but that's the impression I get.
  • kayakaya
    edited October 2009
    Thanks for that Ownerof1000oddsocks. Interesting insight.
  • ownerof1000oddsocksownerof1000oddsocks Veteran
    edited October 2009
    Kaya, a zen teacher I used to speak with mentioned that it's the consistency that matters more than the quality, but he also noted that my meditation must be working, since he could tell a difference in my conduct. I certainly find it has a lasting effect, even sometimes when I slack off a bit.

    Anyway, thought I would share... let us know how it goes with you!
  • kayakaya
    edited October 2009
    ownerof1000oddsocks wrote: »
    Kaya, a zen teacher I used to speak with mentioned that it's the consistency that matters more than the quality, but he also noted that my meditation must be working, since he could tell a difference in my conduct. I certainly find it has a lasting effect, even sometimes when I slack off a bit.

    Anyway, thought I would share... let us know how it goes with you!

    Thanks again Owner,
    gassho
    kaya
  • DobeDobeMuDobeDobeMu
    edited November 2009
    Movement has a quality of mindfulness to it, can have. And to sit quietly around others who make "noise" sound, provokes listening. Eventually, the more listening we do, the more can be heard, without saying, without need, without going anywhere but here.
  • MaxHMaxH
    edited November 2009
    Collective wrote: »
    So, all I have to do is meditate for at least 30 minutes a day, focusing on the breath, coming back to the breath, always coming back to the breath, and my life will see change?

    The 'scales' will drop from the eyes so to speak, I'll become more attuned spiritually, I'll lose all fear and negativity? I'll awaken? Simply through focus meditation?

    (I posted this on another site)

    All lives change constantly regardless of meditation practice. The key is to take notice.
  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Collective wrote: »
    So, all I have to do is meditate for at least 30 minutes a day, focusing on the breath, coming back to the breath, always coming back to the breath, and my life will see change?

    The 'scales' will drop from the eyes so to speak, I'll become more attuned spiritually, I'll lose all fear and negativity? I'll awaken? Simply through focus meditation?

    (I posted this on another site)

    Meditation helps you release yourself from unproductive discursive thoughts. It will also reveal to you the points of anxiety you tend to overlook throughout all aspects of your life. So, you will actually have to face pretty much all your fears. This can be quite difficult and can sometimes make you think that you have regressed when you are really just uncovered the roots of some of your long buried issues.

    Additionally, if you have a lot of unresolved affairs of day to day life, you may find it difficult to achieve any good level of concentration during meditation. Meditation is not a replacement for taking care of your life, though it certainly can be a useful tool in achieving that end.

    best wishes
    _/\_
  • CollectiveCollective
    edited November 2009
    not1not2 wrote: »
    Meditation helps you release yourself from unproductive discursive thoughts. It will also reveal to you the points of anxiety you tend to overlook throughout all aspects of your life. So, you will actually have to face pretty much all your fears. This can be quite difficult and can sometimes make you think that you have regressed when you are really just uncovered the roots of some of your long buried issues.

    best wishes
    _/\_
    Excellent and very relevant for me.

    Since meditating I've become more anxious about my mortality and future death. It's an underlying sense of dread. I try to reason and face it head on, saying things like, 'everyone dies', 'it's mererly my turn', 'I go before people not instead of people', 'death is peace' and so on.

    I think about, sometimes meditate on it, all about the notself, that there's no individual me and all that.

    I don't know, if I'm making progress it's slow. Having no teacher for miles around it's difficult
  • BennyLectorBennyLector
    edited November 2009
    I'm fairly new to meditation but i'm forcing myself to do it everyday. I'm starting to see the benefits. I do feel calmer and my anxiety (Which i suffer from) is coming less frequently.
  • BarraBarra soto zennie wandering in a cloud in beautiful, bucolic Victoria BC, on the wacky left coast of Canada Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Collective wrote: »

    Since meditating I've become more anxious about my mortality and future death. It's an underlying sense of dread. I try to reason and face it head on, saying things like, 'everyone dies', 'it's mererly my turn', 'I go before people not instead of people', 'death is peace' and so on.

    When I started meditating and observing my thoughts I realized that most of the thoughts I was having either had to do with the past or the future. So when I was having a "re-run" of something that happened the day before, I'd just say to myself - "been there, don't need to go over that again". For the thoughts about the future - i.e. what I was going to make for dinner, or anxiety about something scheduled the next day, I'd say to myself - "I can deal with that later. These 20 minutes are for meditating, and I can think about the future later". In your situation, your mind keeps going to the future, in terms of how your life is going to end. Try to tell yourself that you don't have a lot of control over the circumstances around your death, and keep trying to stay in the present.

    With regard thoughts about my own death, I've asked myself if my death were to happen now, would I be ready to go. And more and more, the answer is yes. The more I've focused on living a scrupulous life, using the precepts as a guide for my thoughts and actions, I've realized that without necessarily intending to, I've started to live a more virtuous life and my interactions with others are in a good state and I have no unfinished business.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited November 2009
    Collective, I think "slow progress" is the only progress when it comes to meditation. Patience and perseverance are the only way about it.

    Personally, I don't meditate on anything so I can't compare notes on anxiety levels going up. I'm never anything but relaxed after an average sit.
  • BennyLectorBennyLector
    edited November 2009
    Suzuki Roshi in 'zen mind begginers mind' states that we should never seek progress in meditation. People who seek will find no progress, while people who just 'sit' will.
  • CollectiveCollective
    edited November 2009
    I don't really meditate on death, it just pre-occupies me most of the time. Always has, why am I so terrified by it?
  • TheFoundTheFound
    edited November 2009
    lol collective...why are YOU so terrified of death?
    I am too...

    why? ask urself what is death?

    my answer was death is when you are FORCED to lose your lifes work up to that point..and your body that you've been in and all the people and things that you love

    also wtf will happen after that...I am me...I don't want that to stop I barely understand it..I'm afraid of possible pain, coldness, non-existence..

    that's why I want to die before I die...to realize I am not me. I don't have anything or anyone to lose and I am beyond the ice cold grip of death..death will only touch you if you let it. what happens after is probably rebirth ...like where were you 200 years ago? wasn't that bad right.? you might have been in oblivion...but..you are here now.. and if you go back to that place you were 200 years ago, isn't that really just coming home from a trip??
  • CollectiveCollective
    edited November 2009
    If you believe in rebirth, If I did, it wouldn't be half as bad I guess. But I don't. Ironically and paradoxically I believe in God and a resurrection, but still it persists
  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Collective wrote: »
    I don't really meditate on death, it just pre-occupies me most of the time. Always has, why am I so terrified by it?

    What is death? What is life?

    Here's a koan I particularly like on the subject:
    http://hardcorezen.blogspot.com/2006/09/case-29-from-shinji-shobogenzo-book.html

    I particularly like John Tarrant Roshi's take on this koan from his book "Bring Me the Rhinocerous." Unfortunately, I could not find the excerpt in question. Perhaps I will search some more later.

    Best wishes
    _/\_

    *edit*
    Actually just found it. The chapter in the book preview starts on page 61. http://books.google.com/books?id=ulQbWVyb3IoC&lpg=PA69&ots=taPEUImhtk&dq=alive%20or%20dead%20bring%20me%20the%20rhinocerous&pg=PA61#v=onepage&q=&f=false
  • CollectiveCollective
    edited November 2009
    Thank you
  • ThoughtOfThoughtThoughtOfThought
    edited November 2009
    Collective wrote: »
    So, all I have to do is meditate for at least 30 minutes a day, focusing on the breath, coming back to the breath, always coming back to the breath, and my life will see change?

    The 'scales' will drop from the eyes so to speak, I'll become more attuned spiritually, I'll lose all fear and negativity? I'll awaken? Simply through focus meditation?

    (I posted this on another site)

    Pretty much. Do just that, and you will become enlightened.
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