Mantra Meditation

DinoBot

Hi,

I used to meditate a long time ago when I was younger. I thought I understood what stress was then

Anyhow, the method I used was a Mantra. Is this good ? Are there better methods.

Im hoping to get back into it (..............soon, maybe, if I find the time)

Asiaprod

DinoBot wrote:

Anyhow, the method I used was a Mantra. Is this good ? Are there better methods.

Im hoping to get back into it (..............soon, maybe, if I find the time)

I have been so lazy and let my input here slip a lot.
This is a good question. As I see it, there are two basic types of meditation. The following are my definitions and are not written in stone.

Type 1 Sazen type where the focus is set within and is driven by contemplation. One seeks to clear ones mind and be open to what transpires. The search is for inner understanding and realization as a means to enlightenment.
The ultimate form of this type is probably the Zen practice.

2. Aural or assist type where the vibrations set up by the human voice are used as an aid to move one to a different level of consciousness. One seeks to connect with the universe or Natural Law. The focus here is outward, not inward, and one seeks to make a harmonious connection with ones environment on a day-to-day basis.
The ultimate form of this type is probably Tibetan or the newer Japanese practices.

I practice no 2. For me the purpose of meditation is to help me connect on a daily basis with life. However, what I have found, is that I can very easily slip from no 2 into no 1, but not the other way around. I think one has to try both to find out what really works best for the individual.

DinoBot

Asiaprod wrote:

2. Aural or assist type where the vibrations set up by the human voice are used as an aid to move one to a different level of consciousness. One seeks to connect with the universe or Natural Law. The focus here is outward, not inward, and one seeks to make a harmonious connection with ones environment on a day-to-day basis.
The ultimate form of this type is probably Tibetan or the newer Japanese practices.

.

The technique I learned was using a mantra but it was only done silently. Is this as effective ? Does it matter what the mantra means (because I dont have a meaning for it)

Then on a general question, how long should you meditate for ?

Asiaprod

DinoBot wrote:

The technique I learned was using a mantra but it was only done silently. Is this as effective ? Does it matter what the mantra means (because I dont have a meaning for it)

Can't answer that one as I have never tried it that way. I would personaly think that if it was silent one would be focusing on the mantra with your mind and that could well preocupy the mind to the extent that it was not open to other more subtle thing happening . It would not be my approach, but that does not mean it is wrong.

Then on a general question, how long should you meditate for ?

For as long as you find it comfortable. I do know that to force oneself to do something as if it were a penance is not a healthy or productive place to be in.
When it hurts, stop.

hairyheretic

Any tips for the Sazen method? I've been trying to meditate lately, but find it hard to keep my mind still for any length of time. I expect it becomes easier with practice, but if anyone can suggest something to help get me going in the right direction, t'would be much appreciated.

I do zazen. You sit and breathe. That's basically it
Count to 10 then back down again - one breath is 1, next breath is 2, etc. If your mind wanders, patiently start counting again and draw your mind back to it. Takes time but don't get impatient and do stick at it.

scojones

bluewolf wrote:

I do zazen. You sit and breathe. That's basically it
Count to 10 then back down again - one breath is 1, next breath is 2, etc. If your mind wanders, patiently start counting again and draw your mind back to it. Takes time but don't get impatient and do stick at it.

This is good advice. I've been practicing zazen for a few years now. You have to remember that posture is also very important, as is breathing. With practice you won't have to count anymore, and you should just concentrate on the breathing alone and not counting them. After more practice you should be able to slow your breathing down alot, and that's when zazen starts to really work.

Asiaprod

Here is a lecture and a lesson on meditation that I posted many months ago. I will see if we can get a sticky opened for meditation tips. Please enjoy, meditation is very difficult to get the hang off, but once you have done it it is with you for life and will serve you well no matter what faith, creed or system you follow,

Letting the Mind Settle
A beginner's mind is often compared to a big waterfall with thoughts tumbling down like rushing water, but there's no need to get upset or frustrated. Through regular practice it will gradually settle, become as gentle as a quiet river, and finally as deep and peaceful as an ocean without waves.
We shouldn't get impatient or angry if our mind keeps wandering and we have to bring it back every second. Anyway, mind cannot be subdued by anger; it can only be tamed with love and kindness. We should not, in the name of meditation, punish or upset ourselves. We should treat our mind the way a very tolerant and loving mother would treat her naughty child. The child has so much energy that it jumps and messes around all the time and tries to run out of the room. The mother doesn't get upset or angry, she doesn't beat it up. She lets it play, but within the confines of one room. Slowly, the naughty child will use up all his or her energy and come to rest. We should also allow our mind to jump anywhere it wants to jump, but watch it constantly and bring it back every time, a million times if necessary. We should not be judgmental, get impatient, discouraged or angry, otherwise our meditation will become very tense, difficult and painful. We give total space to our mind and let it wear out its own energy.
If we experience the big waterfall and cannot control our mind, some breathing exercises might be quite good.Breathing is part of us. If you are a beginner you can close your eyes and use mental counting. With each in and out breath you count one. You count up to five, then start from the beginning again. We completely engage our mental activity in the breathing without thinking about anything else.
As we are now really trying to discipline our mind, it may react and reject it. If we try hard, we will become very tense and start complaining about headaches. Headaches come because we are getting too uptight. Mind has been able to do whatever it wanted for so long and now we are telling it to stay here quietly, so it gets angry.
If you start to get uptight while counting, stop counting and instead discuss with your mind: OK, now, I'm asking you nothing, so you have no good reason to complain. We can discuss like this because we are talking all the time in our head in much the same way, and we really have to find ways and means to make our mind understand why we are doing what we are doing.
Sometimes people want a lot of information and, accordingly, Lamas give them a lot of information, but I think this may create obstacles. If people asked less, I would give them less information and they would have a simple meditation. This would be the best. As far as Mahamudra is concerned, the great Indian Master Tilopa put it very simply: Don't speak, don't think, don't meditate! So simple! I am following this tradition but find myself giving students a hundred different methods! Students meditate and then come to me, Lama Yeshe, this breathing technique is not working for me, it's giving me a hard time. I then explain to them how to focus on an object. Then they look at it and it gets strange, changing form and colour.
If we become very rigid in our meditation or put too much effort into it, we will get these kinds of hallucinations. When this happens, we should stop focusing on the object and just relax. We should apply effort very gently. So, when this happens, they come to me again and say Lama Yeshe, this is driving me crazy, please give me another method. And I give them something else.
This is why we live in a world of abundant methods - because there are abundant needs and wants. People keep asking me for different methods and I keep giving them what they ask for, because that's the only way we can have some communication going on, but in the end, the same people complain, I don't like Tibetan Buddhism because it is so complicated. Why do we have to do all this? But I never asked them to do all this. I always taught them how to be simple. I told them from the very beginning that it must be simple.
So, to start with, make no complications, just sit at ease, completely relaxed physically and mentally. Do not engage in past or future, do not even count your breathing. Just do nothing


Simple guide on how to meditate.
Meditation is usfull for anyone, and you do not need to be a Buddhist to enjoy its benefits. It is a great way to relax, and a great way to help the mind find solutions to any problem. ?Please enjoy a little braek from the stress of everyday life.??Basic Meditation ?The most basic form of meditation involves attending to one's breath. ?Begin by sitting in a simple chair, keeping your back erect if you can. The more traditional postures are the lotus position, sitting on a pillow with each foot upon the opposite thigh, and variations such as the half lotus (one foot on the opposite thigh, the other out in front of the opposite knee). This is difficult for many people. Some people kneel, sitting back on their legs or on a pillow between their legs. Many use a meditation bench: kneel, then place a little bench beneath your behind. But meditation is also done while standing, slowly walking, lying on the floor, or even in a recliner! ?Traditionally, the hands are placed loosely, palms up, one on top of the other, and with the thumbs lightly touching. This is called the cosmic mudra, one of a large number of symbolic hand positions. You may prefer to lay them flat on your thighs, or any other way that you find comfortable. ?Your head should be upright, but not rigid. The eyes may be closed, or focussed on a spot on the ground a couple of feet ahead of you, or looking down at your hands. If you find yourself getting sleepy, keep your eyes open! ?Beginning meditators are often asked to count their breath, on the exhale, up to ten. Then you begin back at one. If you loose track, simply go back to one. Your breath should be slow and regular, but not forced or artificially controlled. Just breathe naturally and count. ?A few weeks later, you may forego the counting and try to simply follow your breath. Concentrate on it entering you and exiting you. Best is to be aware as fully as possible of the entire process of breathing, but most people focus on one aspect or another: the sensation of coolness followed by warmth at the nostrils, or the rise and fall of the diaphragm. Many meditators suggest imagining the air entering and exiting a small hole an inch or two below your navel. Keeping your mind lower on the body tends to lead to deeper meditation. If you are sleepy, then focus higher, such as at the nostrils. ?You will inevitably find yourself distracted by sounds around you and thoughts within. The way to handle them is to acknowledge them, but do not attach yourself to them. Do not get involved with them. Just let them be, let them go, and focus again on the breath. At first, it might be wise to scratch when you itch and wiggle when you get uncomfortable. Later, you will find that the same scant attention that you use for thoughts and sounds will work with physical feelings as well. ?A more advanced form of meditation is shikantaza, or emptiness meditation. Here, you don't follow anything at all. There is no concentration -- only quiet mindfulness. You hold your mind as if you were ready for things to happen, but don't allow your mind to become attached to anything. Things -- sounds, smells, aches, thoughts, images -- just drift in and out, like clouds in a light breeze. This is my own favorite. ?Many people have a hard time with their thoughts. We are so used to our hyperactive minds, that we barely notice the fact that they are usually roaring with activity. So, when we first sit and meditate, we are caught off guard by all the activity. So some people need to use a little imagination to help them meditate. For example, instead of counting or following your breath, you might prefer to imagine a peaceful scene, perhaps floating in a warm lagoon, until the noise of your mind quiets down. ?Meditate for fifteen minutes a day, perhaps early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up, or late at night when everything has quieted down. If that's too much, do it once a week if you like. If you want, do more. Don't get frustrated. And don't get competitive, either. Don't start looking forward to some grand explosion of enlightenment. If you have great thoughts, fine. Write them down, if you like. Then go back to breathing. If you feel powerful emotions, wonderful. Then go back to breathing. The breathing is enlightenment.

Doctor Dee

I think that meditation for any length of time at all involves pain on and off. Physical pain often comes as your mind tries to find something to fix on, a distraction. Often when you look at the pain in a detached way you find that the pain dissolves.

But, you;re right Asiaprod, if your meditation session has got to the stage where its just pain, stop, whether its for a break or until your next session.

IN any event, the more you practice, the longer your sessions become, time permitting. You may very quickly find yourself imagining how great it would be to have a whole weekend when you could just meditate and read Dharma books from morning til evening......

DrD