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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Meditation

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  #11  
Old 17-02-2015, 04:37 PM
VinceField VinceField is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Serrao
Do you practice meditation as part of your life (integration) or do you practice meditation to reach a certain goal, whereafter meditation is not necessary anymore?

For me, I meditate as part of my living.

Both, although I would remove the "whereafter meditation is not necessary anymore."

I believe that every intentional action that we make has a goal. We desire something, so we act in an attempt to fulfill that desire. We meditate to cultivate a certain state of body and mind, as this is what meditation is, and if one did not desire this, they probably wouldn't bother with meditation in the first place.

So yes, to gain the most from a meditation practice, it should be integrated into one's life, carried into one's daily activities, and also, we desire something from the practice, and this can be considered a goal, although, again, I disagree that one should stop meditating after reaching that goal, if it is even a goal that can be reached. For example, the goal may be to be more peaceful, happier, or to gain more insight. However, we may find that these are things that can always be improved and developed, and we will unlikely reach a point of ultimate achievement in this regard.
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  #12  
Old 17-02-2015, 04:43 PM
Serrao Serrao is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivy
What we find through integrating meditation into our lives is different from meditating with the goal or aim of finding something specific.

I read the above quote as someone speaking about what they found - not speaking about a goal that they set out to find.

In my view, when we set out to find something that we think we want, we will find something we can fit to that pre-determined thought (goal achieved). But when we meditate with no specific goal, then we find what is there.

For me, meditation is mostly about taking the time regularly to take care of my soul and mind.
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  #13  
Old 17-02-2015, 04:53 PM
Serrao Serrao is offline
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I've heard from a Buddhist friend of mine that there are monks in Asia who meditatie 16 hours a day, sleep 4 hours, and the rest of the day is for normal daily activities. Could this be really true? And if it is, it really looks like they are very driven to reach a difficult, but very desireable goal.
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  #14  
Old 17-02-2015, 08:28 PM
Ivy
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I was trying to recall why I began meditating deliberately - I had always been a day-dreamer (meditating without meaning to). But I remember there being a stage when I got a meditation tape (yes a tape lol) because I wanted to begin meditating regularly. I was at home full time, with my son as a baby and so not working anymore. Having become a mother for the first time, it was a life changing experience and I had didn't have any support. I guess subconsciously I knew that I needed something, but I never knew what it was, I was just following intuition.

But I enjoy being in a meditative state, and if my life led me into a monks life, I feel I would happily meditate for 16 hours a day and work for 4. But I would do that because I love being in meditation, not for any purpose, but simply to spend time in that consciousness.
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  #15  
Old 17-02-2015, 11:06 PM
Serrao Serrao is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivy
And if my life led me into a monks life, I feel I would happily meditate for 16 hours a day and work for 4. But I would do that because I love being in meditation, not for any purpose, but simply to spend time in that consciousness.
You surely prefer integration above a goal.
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  #16  
Old 17-02-2015, 11:26 PM
VinceField VinceField is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Serrao
You surely prefer integration above a goal.

Integration would be carrying the fruits of meditation into one's daily life. In other words, taking the concentration, self-awareness, peace, and joy that is cultivated during meditation and giving rise to those states during one's normal activities throughout the day.

It seems to me like Ivy is saying that the purpose of her meditation is simply to be in that state of mediation because she enjoys it. She doesn't have an end goal, but there is purpose.
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  #17  
Old 17-02-2015, 11:41 PM
vitaraq18 vitaraq18 is offline
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I am going to meditate with my 3 mates tomorrow, its a new moon
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  #18  
Old 18-02-2015, 01:12 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VinceField
Both, although I would remove the "whereafter meditation is not necessary anymore."

I believe that every intentional action that we make has a goal. We desire something, so we act in an attempt to fulfill that desire. We meditate to cultivate a certain state of body and mind, as this is what meditation is, and if one did not desire this, they probably wouldn't bother with meditation in the first place.

So yes, to gain the most from a meditation practice, it should be integrated into one's life, carried into one's daily activities, and also, we desire something from the practice, and this can be considered a goal, although, again, I disagree that one should stop meditating after reaching that goal, if it is even a goal that can be reached. For example, the goal may be to be more peaceful, happier, or to gain more insight. However, we may find that these are things that can always be improved and developed, and we will unlikely reach a point of ultimate achievement in this regard.

That's always going to be, I want to do this to change something, unending, desire is the enemy, because the truth is here, and once one ceases trying to get to the future, they can look at this.
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  #19  
Old 18-02-2015, 01:57 AM
VinceField VinceField is offline
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Originally Posted by Gem
That's always going to be, I want to do this to change something, unending, desire is the enemy, because the truth is here already, and once one ceases trying to get to the future, they can look at this.

What is "the truth?"
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  #20  
Old 18-02-2015, 02:15 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VinceField
What is "the truth?"

That this is here just as it is.
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