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Why meditate?
lobster
Crusty Veteran
The stillness of the Buddhist endeavour is also the end result and method of mystical systems for example:
Be still and know I am God
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Be_Still/be_still.html
In silence rather than our noise is found the relationship to our real being. In essence this being has no hold, no qualities, no intellectual, emotional or other residing. The Real Self is empty.
Emptiness is form and form is emptiness, we Mahayanists might blather.
Perhaps the realization of the obscurations, defiling bs, the insecurities, fears, opinions etc. becomes clearer?
That is why I sit still with Mr Cushion. What is your reasonable excuse?
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The self is a mirror which reflects reality, but doesn't get stained by the images appearing within. Heard that somewhere hehe.
It helps calm down the mind and body and be more present in the now.
Is the only thing that I do as I follow this path to the best of my ability, that I am certain of. Instead of trying to behave and think correctly which creates even more reason to meditate - like so:
Is this really Right View? I think so. But my understanding is so minimal! Man, I wish I could see clearer...
Cause...I have nothing better to do!
Because I can't punch people out via the network at work? :P
major cushion envy
Because a few years ago, my new years resolution was to bring more peace into our family, and that is what dropped in my lap. It's worked, so I've stuck with it.
On a serious note - I meditate to keep me rooted in the present here and now. And not to waste the time I have left.
In metta
I formal meditate to develop concentration.I believe I might benefit from longer sessions.
I practice for the benefit of beings - that they may achieve the two genuine kayas arising from merit and wisdom.
It just feels like the right thing to do. Another way to bring quality to your life that is different from wordly achievements.
I am sorry but I am confused by this.
If you are in meditation instead of using the time are you not wasting it in not doing something you have placed importance on? Where are you at if you are not in the here and now? The past, the future, a fantasy?
@Grayman, meditations effect on the mind is one of the things we take into the next world. (according to a Buddhist 'dude' I heard recently)
I have a book entitled, "Don't just do something; sit there" - seemed like sound advice.
your mind is more powerful than all the world's computers
your mind is the basis of the cosmos.. it does the work of the whole entire universe, bringing everything into being. and through nothing short of a miraculous blessing we can share our experiences and pathways. we can learn! truly, we are much closer together than we think.
the deepest questions have only answers that must be experienced.
in truth, meditation can be useful in any discipline, if you are a biologist or a gardener, it will bring clarity, focus, and creativity to your motions and work.
for the greatest human feat imaginable, to wake oneself and others from the stupor of cyclic patterned bondage, one must rely on only the very best tools and methods. Dharma is such a toolkit.
meditation because we are each a world unto ourselves, and her supreme blossoming must arise from within.
be your best self
that is the best way to help the world
change yourself not for another,
change yourself for yourself!
and by being your very best self
all the butterflies
will come dance
true sitting can mean that in this very inhalation, there is understood continuity with all that was and all that will be
true sitting can mean that every song is your favorite
relax your grip
tune to Great Awakening (of all)
turn your awareness to that which persists beyond fleeting sensory impressions
and breathe with the whole mindbody.
self mastery.
not like i know anything.. but it's not just sitting to me. it is tuning and learning the finest most sophisticated instrument in the whole world. it is the master archer's bow, the swordsmith's sword.. the mind(and body) .. your bondage or your release. your perfect prison or your divine abode.
through effort, practice, and love (the awe-inspiring kind) it's easy to see what's true..
may all beings have ears to hear the dharma
and hearts flexible and vulnerable enough to truly delve deeply into what it means to be a being.
it's so good! i could write all day on integrating relax'd mind with life.. but go sit for like 15 and see how you feel
once you let go of all the words
@ Grayman
Not to put words in anothers mouth but I thought dhammachick was saying that....
With mindfulness, one enters into an intimate relationship with times journey where the homage paid to each evolving nano second slows down our experience of it's fleeting nature.
With a lack of mindfulness, ones awareness of time is largely snoozed through so the vibrancy of life's experience is occasional, dissociative and mostly observed as a passing blur.
Slowing time and savoring the satisfaction of life. That is good enough reason to meditate for me.
Indeed @how that's what I meant.
@Grayman -you said
No, I'm LIVING IN THE PRESENT. I heard a good description of being mindful that was discussed in Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. When you are mindful, you know when you are sitting, you know when you are eating and you know when you are walking etc. That's the whole crux of mindful meditation - to be present in that moment. How can I be wasting it when I'm focused on it?
I am finding this thread very inspirational! Thank you people......
Because it clears my head and grounds me completely in the present moment, the only moment where I can actually make the good things in my life happen.
I am practicing being mindful and ever slow slowly this practice makes itself known when I am off the cushion. So this my practice, continual practice.
I think stopping in this way puts one back in touch with life, one takes this moment to see life as it is, wisdom grows and the heart opens.
Why meditate? Good question - because although we think we are empty, we are full to brimming. it is a revelation to sit with yourself and see how the externl and the internal are reflections of one another, and you are the mirror. Reflecting on how one is a reflection of the other gives natural insight into how you can be both the universal and the individual simultaneously, which results in the conscious transformation necessary to experience both together in equanimity, and achieve the state that reveals the wisdom of the buddha. But trying too hard leads you astray, and not focussing leads to misdirection. A bit like this.
So I like to sit on the cushion to meditate...
Indeed.
Sometimes we need that reassurance/faith/refuge that serenity, peace and equanimity is possible, happens and is the most worthwhile unfolding we can aspire to, participate in and move towards.
How wonderful.
Engage
Capt Picard
Thanks @lobster, don't mind if I sit here too.
@lobster - can I get that in yellow? XD
Something called 'brain plasticity'
You can train your mind to become a happier
and kinder person.
Neural plasticity- you can teach an old dog new tricks! lol! Bob
Because it does me good. Without it, I would be a nervous wreck and trust me, you would both know it and resent me for it, too.
And rightly so....
Why meditate? To see for yourself that the above is true.
Your thoughts may be garbage.
Mine are gilded garbage!
Including this one!
We have to have a certain amount of thought after hearing a teaching to integrate the teaching. To do anything we have to think to a certain extent. So does this mean there are good and bad thoughts?
What you think?
Relatively-yes-but that's my opinion.lol! Absolutely - no....