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another meditation problem
chanratt
Veteran
what does one do when the possibility of meditation is virtually impossible. i have 3 kids and one gets up at 5.30. my wife doesnt go to bed til 11 at night. its not a massive house and all pretty open plan so there is nowhere to go to be alone. i have a basement but the noise from footsteps upstairs sounds like an army marching. i have explored all other possibilities and can meditate at home, but not very often. after my wife goes to bed is too late. im too tired and usually almost fall asleep. and i can get up any earlier that 5.30 as i will get no sleep at all.
what do you people with lots of kids etc do? i was thinking about just driving somewhere in my truck and doing it but i donbt know how successful this will be. i could go outside bu there are so many bugs around right now and all of the sangha centers dont fit my schedule.
what do you people with lots of kids etc do? i was thinking about just driving somewhere in my truck and doing it but i donbt know how successful this will be. i could go outside bu there are so many bugs around right now and all of the sangha centers dont fit my schedule.
0
Comments
You cannot get away from the sounds of feet.
So choose a meditation method that takes obstacles AS path of liberation rather than try to get rid of the obstacles first and then try to liberate once free.
Pema Chodron and Trungpa Rinpoche are popular authors that teach meditation in such a manner. For example the eyes are opened during meditation for that very reason. Although you don't deliberately crane your neck around the room daydreaming. Similarly when you are the sounds you just say 'sounds or thinking about sounds' But you don't get lost forever thinking "oh gosh I wish those sounds would stop I wonder what game they are playing and how can I get them to quiet down?" At that point you just say "thinking about sounds"
Trungpa Rinpoche explains his meditation method in chapter 2 of smile at fear. Pema Chodron explains it in chapter four of when things fall apart.
Every moment of your day is an opportunity to meditate.
Thich Naht Hanh recommends meditation whilst washing up, for example, or doing any household chore..... even walking. Just focus on doing these to the best of your ability - with no mental construct or commentary at all.....
I feel for ya buddy... I only have two ankle biters (one of which woke me at 4:20 this morning, but usually starts the day shortly after 5)
My wife goes to bed around 10:00pm so I usually find 15-30 minutes before I go to bed at 11:00 or later...
Its hard, but like federica said, meditation can happen at anytime of the day... I meditate while sweeping... not vipassana meditation or anything, but the meditation of simple mindfulness... paying attention to the noise the broom makes as it swishes across the floor, the feel of the handle, the movement of dirt on the floor, the sound of the bird outside, the ticking of my kids Lightning MacQueen clock, the whir of the water pump kicking in... That is the essence of Mindfulness, being aware of the reality around us...
I used to listen to music while doing housework but decided that music was an illusion masking the reality of what was actually around me... I couldn't hear the broom swishing, or the bird outside, or the water pump, or the kids clock ticking... my attention was usually off somewhere with the music and I was not paying attention to the dirt, of which I missed some here and there...
I find much peace in the simple act of doing simple housework... As a Caregiver for the intellectually and physically challenged over the last 12 years I also see the lives of those unable to do even these small tasks of which most of us take for granted and abhor doing... I see the anger of a 61 year old man who was struck by a car while crossing the road at the age of 8 who has been in a wheel chair ever since... His anger comes from seeing all that "normal" people can do, day in and day out... He prides himself on the ability to tie his own shoes, to load the dishwasher, to stand for a few seconds to reach into a cupboard for a glass with half the time this leading to him falling and injuring himself...
We take so much for granted and we for some reason wish to fill our time and minds with mind numbing television.. video games... music... alcohol... drugs... etc...
When we become truly mindful, using every sense and mental acuity at our disposal as if tomorrow we might lose it (because we just very well might) one can find the time to meditate whole heartedly not wanting to miss a single moment of the ever present reality that surrounds us.
Mtns
As far as noise is concerned, it's worth knowing that there is no such thing as the wrong condition, to unconditioned awareness, butterflies or bombs, same difference.
Sometimes a rough-and-ready practice is all we have, so slug back a coffee to stave off sleep, sit on the cushion, and let your own reactive chaos flop around all it wants, just sit still
metta
please stop!
You can practice present moment awareness when driving. Not breath meditation.
Meditating on your own death has the same effect... wake up each morning and think... I may die today... live it like its your last (don't go empty your bank account and go party but appreciate it for what it is)... kiss your loved ones good-bye try to leave with love in your hearts... the last any of us would want is our loved ones to have the last memories of us being of anger or some mean thing said...
Back to the OP however... driving is a huge responsibility and ones full attention should be devoted to it while driving... Mindfulness meditation is exactly what one should be doing while driving...
So the noise is the reason why you can not go and sit in the basement for 1/2 hour a day (or whatever your time period/frequency is)?
Metta