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Meditation, mindfullness ....then ?
RArmstrong15283
New
in Meditation
Hiya
I'm new to Buddhism and I've been reading some introductionry material.
I get a bit puzzled when when I read about different types of meditation, contemplating and mindfulness etc..
I've been practicing mindfulness but I'm wondering if there is a next step where potentially I could meditate in a different way rather than mindfulness. Not that I'm in a hurry to do this I'm finding mindfulness hugely beneficial.
I hope this makes some sense.
Thanks in advance Ritchie.
0
Comments
Well, it's one thing being mindful, and another applying effort toward penetrating all experiences as being "empty", like the stuff of dreams. The greater clarity you develop, the less power mind-stuff will have.
Meditation and mindfulness... then?
More meditation and mindfulness.
Enough homework for several lifetimes!
Then?
There is a then?
Guys we have been lied to? :buck: .
and now back to the now . . .
what is mindfulness? what is it? is it ordinary? what does it feel like? does it leave something needful outside of mindfulness to do?
Mindfulness is the first factor of the 7 factors of enlightenment.
There is no .... then?
and
is the 7th factor in Noble Eightfold Path
but
first of all we have to get the 1st factor in Noble Eightfold Path which is Noble Right View
with Noble Right View only we can practice Noble Mindfulness
So
First is First
Try to get the Noble Right View
for that meditation, mindfulness and investigating the learned Buddha's Teaching (contemplating Dhamma) is necessary
It depends on what your goal is, but in general, I'd say that it's always good to practice mindfulness, even if you move on to other kinds of meditation. Mindfulness is something we should ideally try to cultivate all the time, not just on the cushion. As for the next step, there are two general routes you can take, although both are connected. One is to focus on developing states of meditative absorption and the other is to develop insight.
For some of the Buddha's teachings on meditation, I suggest checking out MN 118 (mindfulness of breathing), DN 22 (the four foundations of mindfulness), and MN 121 (the use of emptiness as a mode of perception in meditation). Also, this meditation guide might be helpful.
I practice mindfulness (general) as well as Samatha/Concentration.
It's focussing on one point only, for me it's the sensation of the breath around the entry to the nostrils.
This helps calm and sharpen your mind. Every time is a unique experience. This complements mindfulness.
I also practice Vipassana which us feeling sensations on your body.
You can practice listening meditation, also movement meditations.
Try them out, find what works for you. All forms are good. Just not everybody relates in the same way.
Kind regards chris
Hi @RArmstrong15283 - not sure if you're familiar with the Lamrim (gradual path to enlightenment) in the Tibetan tradition but the link below has some great meditations to mix things up a bit. I too get a little bored in just focusing on the breath!
Enjoy.
http://thubtenchodron.org/2001/01/gradual-path-instructions/
Thanks everyone for your help it's much appreciated.
I'll have a good look at the links which have been suggested.
Regards
Ritchie