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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Meditation

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  #11  
Old 06-12-2010, 02:30 AM
002 Cents 002 Cents is offline
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It will be a good start for me. The longest I have meditated up to this point was an hour.

I will have to see how it goes.

Thanks BTW Shantyaikya
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  #12  
Old 20-12-2010, 05:23 PM
002 Cents 002 Cents is offline
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Had a great time at the Retreat. I was a little nervous that I would fall asleep during meditation. Turned out this simply wasn't an issue. It was a very humbling experience to be in the presence of Monks. They have always fascinated me. It was even more amazing to be able to connect with them through open Q&A.

I got the opportunity to ask 2 questions

1. As someone who only a few months ago decided they were going to deviate from what they were taught as a child, to find their own spiritual path. I set out with the idea that the uphill battle was going to be and exterior conflict. As I grow I am finding the real up hill battle is an interior one. And while I have these two distinct elements of conflict, I am finding that the interior has a tendency to transfer over to the exterior and vise versa. What I would like to know is how one can keep this from happening?

2. When did you realize you were Buddhist?

Was a very beautiful experience. I hope to do it again sometime.
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  #13  
Old 21-12-2010, 01:11 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 002 Cents
Had a great time at the Retreat. I was a little nervous that I would fall asleep during meditation. Turned out this simply wasn't an issue. It was a very humbling experience to be in the presence of Monks. They have always fascinated me. It was even more amazing to be able to connect with them through open Q&A.

I got the opportunity to ask 2 questions

1. As someone who only a few months ago decided they were going to deviate from what they were taught as a child, to find their own spiritual path. I set out with the idea that the uphill battle was going to be and exterior conflict. As I grow I am finding the real up hill battle is an interior one. And while I have these two distinct elements of conflict, I am finding that the interior has a tendency to transfer over to the exterior and vise versa. What I would like to know is how one can keep this from happening?

2. When did you realize you were Buddhist?

Was a very beautiful experience. I hope to do it again sometime.

That's wonderful. I'm sure you will do another retreat, perhaps for a longer period.

Since I last posted here I went on retreat which was my third one. It was a vipassana retreat where I studied respirtation and sensations. It is ten days of silence, no talking, and we meditate for like 10 hours a day, and it is a healing practice mostly.

I will go again in late february...

What did the monks answer to your questions?
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  #14  
Old 21-12-2010, 04:37 AM
002 Cents 002 Cents is offline
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I think I would really enjoy a longer retreat... maybe once my kids are High School or Collage age. I think the day longs will have to do till then.

So, I am going to post to the best of my recollection... I really don't trust my memory enough to put it as a quote but I think I got the gist.

To the first question:

Ajahn Yatiko - Sometimes when we make it a conscious decision to take a path away from what we were taught we find that path to be a very lonely one. You will find there are many things that aren't going to work for you and you are just going to have to throw them to the wind. When it comes to determining what to keep and what to throw out, if you are new to Buddhism I would recommend you start with these two tools, truth and goodness.

Ajahn Karunadhammo - To elaborate more on External Conflict and Internal Conflict, sometimes external has to become internal... (I hate to admit this but I don't remember this part cause I realized my jaw was trembling out of the shock that a Monk was talking to me so I was trying to keep the trembling under control) ... To prevent internal from becoming external you really only need to think about what is going to happen as a result of your actions before you act.



And to the Second:

Ajahn Yatiko - His third year of living in a Monastery in Tibet.

Ajahn Karunadhammo - The first time he read of the 5 precepts he realized he had been Buddhist from the very moment he started defining his spirituality some years prior.

I really don't do their stories justice though there was more history there and I just don't remember the names of all the Monks and Nuns they named who had influenced them along the way.
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  #15  
Old 21-12-2010, 06:31 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 002 Cents
I think I would really enjoy a longer retreat... maybe once my kids are High School or Collage age. I think the day longs will have to do till then.

So, I am going to post to the best of my recollection... I really don't trust my memory enough to put it as a quote but I think I got the gist.

To the first question:

Ajahn Yatiko - Sometimes when we make it a conscious decision to take a path away from what we were taught we find that path to be a very lonely one. You will find there are many things that aren't going to work for you and you are just going to have to throw them to the wind. When it comes to determining what to keep and what to throw out, if you are new to Buddhism I would recommend you start with these two tools, truth and goodness.

Ajahn Karunadhammo - To elaborate more on External Conflict and Internal Conflict, sometimes external has to become internal... (I hate to admit this but I don't remember this part cause I realized my jaw was trembling out of the shock that a Monk was talking to me so I was trying to keep the trembling under control) ... To prevent internal from becoming external you really only need to think about what is going to happen as a result of your actions before you act.



And to the Second:

Ajahn Yatiko - His third year of living in a Monastery in Tibet.

Ajahn Karunadhammo - The first time he read of the 5 precepts he realized he had been Buddhist from the very moment he started defining his spirituality some years prior.

I really don't do their stories justice though there was more history there and I just don't remember the names of all the Monks and Nuns they named who had influenced them along the way.

Cool!

I think the most important thing is to continue daily practice of the meditation technique you learned, which theoretically should lead to the direct experience of wisdom, and the learning of wisdom at the intellectual level might be enough to inspire the practice.

Please descrribe the technique they taught.
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  #16  
Old 21-12-2010, 04:03 PM
002 Cents 002 Cents is offline
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This technique, they taught, was one I had learned from my old roomie quite a while ago.

Just to focus on your breathing or the rising and falling of the belly with each breath. To acknowledge thought as it enters the mind and let it go. Not to engage it. Just to bring the attention back to the breaths. To exist in a timeless environment existing in the awareness of the present. If it helps to keep the mind focused, find a word that brings your mind closer to what you are trying to achieve and repeat it over and over in your mind. They used examples like Peace...

We also did a walking meditation. And they spoke of Contemplative meditation and things like meditation while doing dishes. Just finding ways to be in the moment and freeing ourselves from complexities. Seeking simplicity and identifying that boredom arises from a complex mind that seeks complexity for gratification and therefore perceives simple tasks as dull and boring where in fact simplicity is the path to freeing ourselves from suffering.

As I recall.
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  #17  
Old 21-12-2010, 05:09 PM
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Not sure where you are in the world, 002 cents. I take a week's retreat most years at Samyeling Tibetan Buddhist Centre in the Scottish Lowlands. It is more than just a temple complex, it is a community and very peaceful. It is on an old country estate which was gifted sometime back and then everyone took a part of building it up. I actually painted a small bit of the temple !

Have a look http://www.samyeling.org/
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  #18  
Old 21-12-2010, 05:16 PM
002 Cents 002 Cents is offline
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Oh wow! That is stunning. Thanks for sharing that.

I am no where near there though I am in the states.
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  #19  
Old 22-12-2010, 02:30 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by norseman
Not sure where you are in the world, 002 cents. I take a week's retreat most years at Samyeling Tibetan Buddhist Centre in the Scottish Lowlands. It is more than just a temple complex, it is a community and very peaceful. It is on an old country estate which was gifted sometime back and then everyone took a part of building it up. I actually painted a small bit of the temple !

Have a look http://www.samyeling.org/

Cool!

I did vipassana retreats three times... so far... will go back in Feb. I live there for 11 days, am allocated my own room and fed at the mess hall. No computer phone or anything like paper and pen,,, nothing really, just a bed and some clothes. It's funded by donation so easy to do.

I will go there to offer service too, work in the kitchen, do cleaning, gardening or whatever they want.... becuase I tried and tested it and found it effective exersize for healing and helping people.

In that way I become one who gives and receives in equal measure and enjoy being part of the community surrounding that particular school.

Best wishes to y'all.

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