Mixing It Up

ThailandTom

So I was wondering if people mix their meditation up in one session. Technically you can do what the hell you want, but is it common for buddhists to say take 15-20 minutes to focus the mind on the breath for instance, then move onto metta meditation or insightful meditation in the same session?

unsui

Right now what I do is start with breath meditation for about 10-15 minutes then do mantra meditation, which usually takes about 20-25 minutes after that. If I'm particularly busy that day I may shorten the time involved.

I find the breath meditation calms the mind and helps me be more focused when doing the mantra meditation. However, I'm curious to see if switching that order might be of benefit; I may give it a try sometime.

ThailandTom

I have never chanted or recited a mantra, or prayed for that matter. I am curious but I would not know where to start really lol..

unsui

These were the starting points I used when I wanted to learn more about mantra meditation:

http://www.wildmind.org/mantras

http://www.khandro.net/practice_mala.htm

Jeffrey

I usually just try to let go of the past. And relax. Take a deep breath (not mindful of the breath but just to relax). Sometimes I do a body scan. Sometimes I try to remember my heart. That I am touched by life and not just thoughts.

Then I TRY to follow my instructions. On the in breath 25% of awareness is on breath 50% is drifting and 25% on thoughts. Then on the outbreath I let go into the spaciosness of the experience. Let it be.

TheJourney

I have started to do this. Can't see what the problem would be with it.

username_5

ThailandTom wrote: »

So I was wondering if people mix their meditation up in one session.

Sure, lots of people do this. Well, I assume lots of people do this because lots of teachers teach this. Most folks are introduced to meditation via the focus on the breath meditation. This is a mind/thought calming process that is very powerful and as a result it is taught in pretty much every tradition.

Once the mind has calmed however, it can be put to nearly any use. Some will move into a metta meditation, some will pray, some will chant, some will go into a meditation on death, impermanence, whatever.

The only problem I see with 'mixing it up' is if mixing it up is essentially an excuse to not calm and focus the mind at all by hopping and skipping from one thing to the next. Personally I find calming my mind a scary thing because as soon as the useless chatter quiets I am left alone with who I really am and sometimes I find that uncomfortable. Your mileage may vary.

DaltheJigsaw

username_5 wrote: »

Sure, lots of people do this. Well, I assume lots of people do this because lots of teachers teach this. Most folks are introduced to meditation via the focus on the breath meditation. This is a mind/thought calming process that is very powerful and as a result it is taught in pretty much every tradition.

Once the mind has calmed however, it can be put to nearly any use. Some will move into a metta meditation, some will pray, some will chant, some will go into a meditation on death, impermanence, whatever.

The only problem I see with 'mixing it up' is if mixing it up is essentially an excuse to not calm and focus the mind at all by hopping and skipping from one thing to the next. Personally I find calming my mind a scary thing because as soon as the useless chatter quiets I am left alone with who I really am and sometimes I find that uncomfortable. Your mileage may vary.

I am scared as well.
How does one get over this fact?
Insight meditation?
If so, how?

[DeletedUser]

Any meditations on regaining supreme focus require teacher guidance lest Pureland Buddhism - as there is this extremely refine mara that might emerge from within - The Surangama sutra.
Shakyamuni Buddha Speaks on The Fifty Mara Demon States of the Five Skandhas Affecting Practitioners.
http://www.meditationexpert.com/zen-buddhism-tao/z_surangama_sutra_demon_states_summary.htm

TheJourney

You think you shouldn't attempt to gain focus and the like without a teacher?

TheDoctorDonna

From what I have heard from the Lama's and other members of my Sangha, It is pretty commen to mix up Meditation practices.

I always start off with some basic Shamatia meditation before moving on to Insight meditation. In that way I can help to relax my body and mind to gain the full benifit of the meditation practice

[DeletedUser]

According to sutra, exegesis, pureland's patriarch and dharma masters

From the intent of the Dharmakaya Buddha Amitabha he gathered the pure light energy of all the Buddhas' lands of the ten directions, and developed sentient beings' intrinsic 48 Vows. These merits of pure light energy are expediently encapsulated into sentient beings' intrinsic' name of Amitabha. Since it is sentient beings' intrinsical nature, it serves as sentient beings' teacher naturally, lest sentient beings not having faith and vow to its intrinsic land of ultimate bliss. Nevertheless, any methods of practice, so long as having faith, vow of pureland and thereupon, all merits and blessing sowed be dedicated to all living beings and pureland, it will fruition blissfully during last breath.

http://www.4ui.com/eart/248eart1.htm