Writing a booklet on meditation...need your help!

GuyC

Hello Everyone,

In another thread I decided it might be a good idea to write a booklet on meditation for beginners, then (if the admins/mods think it's a good idea and if they like the content) it can be posted on this site...well, I have decided to follow through with that threat!

If you could answer the following questions (as briefly or as detailed as you like) for inclusion (possibly after editing) it would be greatly appreciated:

1) What is meditation to you?

2) Why do you meditate?

3) How do you meditate?

4) In your opinion, what are the key ingredients of meditation?

5) When is the best time to meditate? Should we schedule it or "wing it"?

6) Where is the best place for meditation? Do we need a quiet environment or will anywhere do?

7) What are some practical tips for making meditation part of our "daily life"?

Also...Are you happy for me to use your username in the booklet or would you prefer the info to be (extra) anonymous?

Thanks in advance for your input, I look forward to reading your responses.

Metta,

Guy

Cloud

There are all sorts of different kinds of meditations. Are you writing a booklet on all of them, or just one? If it's for beginners it shouldn't be confusing or have too much info...

GuyC

Hi Cloud,

There are all sorts of different kinds of meditations. Are you writing a booklet on all of them, or just one? If it's for beginners it shouldn't be confusing or have too much info...

I tried to keep my questions to the basics (i.e. what, why, when, where, how). I am aware that I will probably get lots of different kinds of responses, so what I intend to do is look for a general consensus among these questions, presenting only the majority view. I will make a disclaimer at the start that this is exactly what I am doing and make a note that the majority is not necessarily "right"and that beginners should try various methods for themselves and see what works and what does not based on the principle of whether it leads to an increase in wholesome states or not (and I will quote some of the Kalama Sutta to back this up).

If an issue seems to be divided roughly 50:50 (e.g. on Question 6 if roughly half say you can meditate anywhere and half say you need a quiet environment) then I will say that the issue is split 50:50 (at least on this forum) and that they should try both and see for themselves what the differences are in their experience.

Metta,

Guy

hermitwin

Any effort to develop the mind is meditation. bavana.
You do physical exercise to have a healthier body.
you do meditation for the mind.

hermitwin

I prefer a set time & place.

hermitwin

A great tip I got from a teacher was you cant separate the body from the mind.
You can use a still body(no movement) to still the mind.

GuyC

Thanks for your input Hermitwin.

fivebells

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I think it would be a good idea to write the introduction of such a booklet first, explaining what the book offers that other books such as Mindfulness In Plain English don't. Then it'll be clear why you're writing the book and the advantages it'll bring.

compassionate_warrior

Do we get co-authorship? Or are you paying us for our expertise?

fivebells

I think I should be first author, actually.

Cloud

1) What is meditation to you?
2) Why do you meditate?
3) How do you meditate?
4) In your opinion, what are the key ingredients of meditation?
5) When is the best time to meditate? Should we schedule it or "wing it"?
6) Where is the best place for meditation? Do we need a quiet environment or will anywhere do?
7) What are some practical tips for making meditation part of our "daily life"?

Also...Are you happy for me to use your username in the booklet or would you prefer the info to be (extra) anonymous?

1) Being mindful of all mental phenomena; mind and mind-objects.
2) To see how the mind works, how all things that arise also pass away, that all thoughts etc. arise due to causation and are not-self, to calm and focus the mind for insight.
3) Samatha-Vipassana, first calming the mind through observation of the breath and then observing all mental activity (using the breath as an "anchor").
4) Calm, mindfulness and concentration.
5) Individual preference. A set schedule can get interrupted, but at the same time you want to have a routine so you actually benefit from the practice (like exercising).
6) Quiet is helpful, you basically want the least amount of disturbances possible (if possible).
7) Don't make it more difficult than it has to be, or place special requirements on it that distance it from daily life! If you happen to be sitting in a chair, you could just stay in the chair and meditate for a few minutes if you have the time. It doesn't have to be a special time, sitting in a special "style" (like full lotus). If you feel like meditating, do it!

Vincenzi

will you be focusing on anapanasati?

GuyC

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I think it would be a good idea to write the introduction of such a booklet first, explaining what the book offers that other books such as Mindfulness In Plain English don't. Then it'll be clear why you're writing the book and the advantages it'll bring.

Great advice, thanks.

GuyC

Do we get co-authorship? Or are you paying us for our expertise?

I will mention all the people of this thread in a "special thanks" section at the beginning (unless they specifically mention they do not want to be included). Your pay is good kamma!

GuyC

I think I should be first author, actually.

If you would seriously like to take over the project or partner the project with me then please PM me and we can discuss it.

GuyC

1) Being mindful of all mental phenomena; mind and mind-objects.
...

Thank you very much Cloud.

GuyC

Hi Vincenzi,

will you be focusing on anapanasati?

Good question. I just decided 15 minutes ago that it would be a good idea to write two books:

The first one will be primarily based on the feedback I receive in this thread.

The second will be a bit more ambitious in that I will try to introduce a wide-range of different interpretations of both the Anapanasati Sutta and the Maha-Satipatthana Sutta. The emphasis here will be to offer a menu of different ideas so that the reader can taste a few different interpretations and see what works for them.

Metta,

Guy

Barra

My advice is - just keep doing it. Every day. Especially when you don't want to.

For example - last week was really busy and stressful for me. I was on a roll and not even stopping to breathe properly. In the mornings, instead of sitting, I'd roll out of bed and check my emails first thing(looking for more stress inducing material - and succeeding!) All the time I was saying to myself "I really should sit". And I even had time to do the sitting!!

So I ended up with a queasy stomach - probably stress induced. What an idiot. I knew what to do and I don't do it. In fact, I should probably go sit right now, but its just after midnight and I think I'll go to bed. Maybe instead of reading a murder mystery, though, I'll read some passages from Beginners' Mind......

GuyC

Hi Barra,

My advice is - just keep doing it. Every day. Especially when you don't want to.

Great advice, thanks!

For example - last week was really busy and stressful for me. I was on a roll and not even stopping to breathe properly. In the mornings, instead of sitting, I'd roll out of bed and check my emails first thing(looking for more stress inducing material - and succeeding!) All the time I was saying to myself "I really should sit". And I even had time to do the sitting!!

So I ended up with a queasy stomach - probably stress induced. What an idiot. I knew what to do and I don't do it. In fact, I should probably go sit right now, but its just after midnight and I think I'll go to bed. Maybe instead of reading a murder mystery, though, I'll read some passages from Beginners' Mind......

I found your example quite funny because I can relate to what you say. It is a good question to ask (maybe not for beginners because hopefully their initial enthusiasm for "something new" will keep them going for a while) for intermediates: Why is it that I know I will benefit from meditation but don't follow through?

I have my own ideas about what the reason is, but I am curious to hear what you think.

Metta,

Guy

Barra

Anyway, so after posting that, I went to bed and then rolled out and meditated. Did the whole "setting up" bit - lit a candle, lit incense, turned the electric light off. I hadn't realized before how important that ritual can be to getting settled. I also found that meditating late at night can feel waaay different than doing it first thing in the morning. Can be a bit creepy sometimes. I think its the night spirits that are loose and flying around looking for somebody to bug. Or maybe its just my mind looking for something to do..... ;-)

GuyC

Hi Barra,

I also found that meditating late at night can feel waaay different than doing it first thing in the morning. Can be a bit creepy sometimes. I think its the night spirits that are loose and flying around looking for somebody to bug. Or maybe its just my mind looking for something to do..... ;-)

One of my favourite TV shows is called "Paranormal State". The host of the show says that paranormal activity tends to be most prevalent around about 3:00AM - he calls it "dead time".

But, yeah...could easily be the mind.

Metta,

Guy