Dhamma
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 380
Simple mindfulness of breathing mediation has helped me dramatically. I just started 3 years ago and meditate near daily. I agree that using the techniques in everyday activities is important. They call it a practice for a reason I guess! I've found that many of the concepts used in therapy seem to be very close to Buddhist philosophy. Being a do it yourself person, I choose learning about and practicing the Buddhist techniques a great approach for me. I'm a podcast person and learn a lot from Audio Dharma and Metta Hour.
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
equanimity, n. - (Oxford) Latin aequanimitas, < aequanimis having an even mind, < aequus even + animus mind.
The quality of having an even mind.
Fairness of judgement, impartiality, equity.
Evenness of mind or temper; the quality or condition of being undisturbed by elation, depression, or agitating emotion; unruffledness.
Equanimity is absolutely essential for success in cleaning out the impurities of the mind.
If I am craving the pleasant sensations I multiply the store of cravings. I become more miserable.
If I have aversion to unpleasant sensations I multiply the store of hate. I become more miserable.
I crave things that aren't there. I multiply the ignorance.
I hate the things that are there. I multiply the ignorance.
I hate this breath and crave for that breath. ... I cannot meditate.
Practice equanimity. Every breath coming in, note just that : a breath is coming in. Every breath going out, note just that : a breath is going out. The mind wanders, just note: the mind has wandered, bring awareness back to the breath.
In this way the mind is sharpened. Without equanimity it cannot happen.
With this equanimity it is possible to be aware of the sensations arising on the mind and body. Don't react.
Easy to say : Don't react. It takes practice. Practice paying attention to any unpleasant sensation EQUALLY to any pleasant sensation or neutral sensation. At the moment there is a big pain in my middle. now let me see what the sensation is in my legs. Aha, not so painful. Ok. Don't linger in pleasant sensations. Don't turn away from unpleasant sensations. Give all sensations equal importance, or unimportance. In this way the great stores of impurities inside are free to pass away. Not by craving for them to be gone and not by pushing them away not by craving for more good sensations not by mourning their passing. That only multiplies them. All sensations, pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, are observed equanimously. This does not multiply them. Instead they do what naturally comes, they rise up and pass away. What is left is a deep abiding happiness.
May All Beings be Happy.
The quality of having an even mind.
Fairness of judgement, impartiality, equity.
Evenness of mind or temper; the quality or condition of being undisturbed by elation, depression, or agitating emotion; unruffledness.
Equanimity is absolutely essential for success in cleaning out the impurities of the mind.
If I am craving the pleasant sensations I multiply the store of cravings. I become more miserable.
If I have aversion to unpleasant sensations I multiply the store of hate. I become more miserable.
I crave things that aren't there. I multiply the ignorance.
I hate the things that are there. I multiply the ignorance.
I hate this breath and crave for that breath. ... I cannot meditate.
Practice equanimity. Every breath coming in, note just that : a breath is coming in. Every breath going out, note just that : a breath is going out. The mind wanders, just note: the mind has wandered, bring awareness back to the breath.
In this way the mind is sharpened. Without equanimity it cannot happen.
With this equanimity it is possible to be aware of the sensations arising on the mind and body. Don't react.
Easy to say : Don't react. It takes practice. Practice paying attention to any unpleasant sensation EQUALLY to any pleasant sensation or neutral sensation. At the moment there is a big pain in my middle. now let me see what the sensation is in my legs. Aha, not so painful. Ok. Don't linger in pleasant sensations. Don't turn away from unpleasant sensations. Give all sensations equal importance, or unimportance. In this way the great stores of impurities inside are free to pass away. Not by craving for them to be gone and not by pushing them away not by craving for more good sensations not by mourning their passing. That only multiplies them. All sensations, pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, are observed equanimously. This does not multiply them. Instead they do what naturally comes, they rise up and pass away. What is left is a deep abiding happiness.
May All Beings be Happy.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Australia
Posts: 46
Enjoyable reading Grymt,
I hadn't heard Goenkas voice since my last 10 day vipassana almost 2 years ago, brings back some memories.
Anapanasati is my favorite style of meditation and all I really practice at home, (perhaps will throw in some metta & yogic pranayama here and there). Anapanasati took me to some places I could never have imagined ... then I started drinking and drugging again and blew my nervous system, but I am ready to embrace the meditation lifestyle again & quietly optimistic to what it may bring or perhaps more to the point what it may allow me to not bring!
I hadn't heard Goenkas voice since my last 10 day vipassana almost 2 years ago, brings back some memories.
Anapanasati is my favorite style of meditation and all I really practice at home, (perhaps will throw in some metta & yogic pranayama here and there). Anapanasati took me to some places I could never have imagined ... then I started drinking and drugging again and blew my nervous system, but I am ready to embrace the meditation lifestyle again & quietly optimistic to what it may bring or perhaps more to the point what it may allow me to not bring!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: MD
Posts: 658
I've found vipasanna extremely helpful, added to my usual practice- a guy at work holds a weekly 30 minute session I started attending because it sounded interesting and it certainly has been. He practices a very different tradition than I but its funny how learning about his practice clarifies and enhances mine, I hope the reverse might be true as well. I also add some metta forms based on St Francis's prayer as an antidote to the monkey mind,
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
In the Satipatthana Sutta it is stated that when walking one should know; that is walking. When standing one should know; that is standing. Likewise when Sitting, Lying down.
Walking: rhythmic left foot swing arms right foot - left right. I know I am walking. It is a truth. Balance. Maintaining the awareness of stepping settles the mind. Then bring the awareness to the breath around the nose as it comes in as it goes out. Natural breath. The mind wanders, smilingly bring the awareness back. Keep doing this.
Walking: rhythmic left foot swing arms right foot - left right. I know I am walking. It is a truth. Balance. Maintaining the awareness of stepping settles the mind. Then bring the awareness to the breath around the nose as it comes in as it goes out. Natural breath. The mind wanders, smilingly bring the awareness back. Keep doing this.
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Ana Pana - awareness of in and out breath.
The language of the Buddha is Pali. At the time of his life and for another few hundred years it was not a written language. He read about vipassana and anapana in the old sanskrit vedas. Many people knew about the vedas but no one understood them. After attaining enlightenment the Buddha was able to reinterpret them and understand that the answer was there all the time. This is how the noble path is always there but sometimes very few people are known to walk upon it. One time Buddha was asked how many people have become enlightened. 'as many as there are grains of sand along the banks of the ganges'. There are many private buddhas. There are very few teaching Buddhas. We live in a very fortunate age. We can still remember the words of the last Teaching Buddha. The reason we can do so is the tradition of chanting and the existence of eidetic memories. The entire store of teachings were passed on from teacher to student by recitation. Periodically the arahants (enlightened ones) would gather to review the teachings by listening to the chantings. The teachings would be affirmed and time would pass. By the time of our age the correct teachings had survived in Burma. In many other places parts had been forgotten and changed and Buddhism had become a religion. I understand why there is an initial confusion whereas the techniques rediscovered by the Buddha and passed on to us trancends all religions. It is merely a technique for self enlightenment. Self knowledge. Universal and seemingly veiled by a foreign language.
That's actually an interesting point. It is often highlighted that the Buddha denied the existence of a god. I don't think he did. As he only taught the path he would answer people who tried to engage him in discussion about god that it was not what he taught, he taught a universally beneficial meditation technique. Howeve, there are words in Pali that don't exist in english. For example no-god is a word describing a concept. Perhaps a bit like like atheism. So a record where there is a string of words that says buddha said 'there is no god' really means buddha said 'the concept of no-god exists' just as the concept of god exists. So don't get hung up by or diverted by people who get hung up in sectarian concepts thus denying your self a wonderful technique of self awareness meditation.
The language of the Buddha is Pali. At the time of his life and for another few hundred years it was not a written language. He read about vipassana and anapana in the old sanskrit vedas. Many people knew about the vedas but no one understood them. After attaining enlightenment the Buddha was able to reinterpret them and understand that the answer was there all the time. This is how the noble path is always there but sometimes very few people are known to walk upon it. One time Buddha was asked how many people have become enlightened. 'as many as there are grains of sand along the banks of the ganges'. There are many private buddhas. There are very few teaching Buddhas. We live in a very fortunate age. We can still remember the words of the last Teaching Buddha. The reason we can do so is the tradition of chanting and the existence of eidetic memories. The entire store of teachings were passed on from teacher to student by recitation. Periodically the arahants (enlightened ones) would gather to review the teachings by listening to the chantings. The teachings would be affirmed and time would pass. By the time of our age the correct teachings had survived in Burma. In many other places parts had been forgotten and changed and Buddhism had become a religion. I understand why there is an initial confusion whereas the techniques rediscovered by the Buddha and passed on to us trancends all religions. It is merely a technique for self enlightenment. Self knowledge. Universal and seemingly veiled by a foreign language.
That's actually an interesting point. It is often highlighted that the Buddha denied the existence of a god. I don't think he did. As he only taught the path he would answer people who tried to engage him in discussion about god that it was not what he taught, he taught a universally beneficial meditation technique. Howeve, there are words in Pali that don't exist in english. For example no-god is a word describing a concept. Perhaps a bit like like atheism. So a record where there is a string of words that says buddha said 'there is no god' really means buddha said 'the concept of no-god exists' just as the concept of god exists. So don't get hung up by or diverted by people who get hung up in sectarian concepts thus denying your self a wonderful technique of self awareness meditation.
Recovering
Join Date: May 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 1,361
Originally Posted by ljc267 
Nowadays, I'm interested in anything that is the opposite of how I used to act and conduct myself. I find the search for peace very appealing.
I'd like to think Gandhi was right and, as a
Catholic Christian, I am very happy to join with him, a Hindu, on that path of ahimsa.
But as the old saying goes:
There is no way to peace.
Peace is the way.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 70
Grymt, I do not intend to ambush your thread.
I'm a real amateur but I have enjoyed this one in the past. I hope you can enjoy it too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-_zzHpcdM
I'm a real amateur but I have enjoyed this one in the past. I hope you can enjoy it too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-_zzHpcdM
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Thank you. If it liberates you it is good. Even introductions to the teachings of the Buddha are good. As long as you do not get stuck in a cycle of creating realities and developing aversions and attractions to the manufactured 'realities'. Finetune the focus of the mind before going deeper. Develop the equanimity first. Don't let people tell you what you are and what you are not on the path. On the pure path you walk and find your self. Not the teacher or the teachers ideas. Many present their ideas in the form of an exposition of their own thinking as something universal. This is creative visualisation. Superficial. You risk becoming dependent on the teacher for understanding. While many can introduce to the path, avoid superficial ways to delve into the deepest parts of the mind-body phenomenoa. It's impossible. It takes a sharp, focused mind to go deep and not be swayed by what comes but get to the very root of the creation of impurities and become liberated from them. This is why Vipassana is taught in a 10 day course., In silence
So, while there are many ways towards buddhas teachings there is one technique that takes you to buddhahood and off the wheel of dhamma.
So, while there are many ways towards buddhas teachings there is one technique that takes you to buddhahood and off the wheel of dhamma.
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Yeah, I know. That one really gets to people. Tell you what though. Within a few days it's the least of your worries and when noble chatter can start again on the last day the place is full of laughter.
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Before I learned anapana and vipassana I was interested in various variants of buddhism, without really knowing anything about buddhism except that it involved asceticism and some interesting philosophies.
I didn't know that buddha taught a simple technique for liberating the self and that this technique was absolutely universal and had nothing to do with religions, sects, philosophies, dogmas, race, gender, age, cast, intelligence, high or low and everything to do with the continuous equanimous awareness of something universal: the breath and the sensations on the body leading to the awareness of impermanence in all things that are with every sentient human at all times wherever that human may be. Whatever social or intellectual space in life that human may find self in. It transcends all divisions and is beneficial to all, always.
Be Happy
I didn't know that buddha taught a simple technique for liberating the self and that this technique was absolutely universal and had nothing to do with religions, sects, philosophies, dogmas, race, gender, age, cast, intelligence, high or low and everything to do with the continuous equanimous awareness of something universal: the breath and the sensations on the body leading to the awareness of impermanence in all things that are with every sentient human at all times wherever that human may be. Whatever social or intellectual space in life that human may find self in. It transcends all divisions and is beneficial to all, always.
Be Happy
Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Rupert ID
Posts: 469
Great thread! I am a Catholic, but have found much commonality between the contemplative aspects of Christianity with Buddhism. Perfect day (beginning of Lent.) to read through this thread. Thanks, all. Namaste.
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
Very good. Thank you. I agree.
_________________________
Click on link to download a one hour Ana Pana meditation with Goenka short discourse and instructions. The ten minute anapana instruction is dubbed onto a 1 hour forest sounds recording.
Sitting for one hour strengthens the focus. Be happy.
80Mb mp3 - http://www.mediafire.com/file/rome27...ith_Goenka.mp3
_________________________
Click on link to download a one hour Ana Pana meditation with Goenka short discourse and instructions. The ten minute anapana instruction is dubbed onto a 1 hour forest sounds recording.
Sitting for one hour strengthens the focus. Be happy.
80Mb mp3 - http://www.mediafire.com/file/rome27...ith_Goenka.mp3
All is Change
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
in between . . .
(The middle path represents balance. It's when the pendulum is at rest.
Instead of swinging from one extreme to the other, there is equanimous observation of the accumulated stock of impurities deep in the mind. The awareness has disassociated from the impermanent.
No more negativities of craving or aversion or ignorance are bring added and the accumulated stock is allowed to rise and pass away.
Dhamma is the Middle Path (The Eight Fold Noble Path)
Anapana and Vipassana is the technique, as taught by the Buddha, used to walk on the middle path.
A moral life is the base of a life of dhamma.)
Suppression is the holding in of, diversion from, deliberate ignoring of awareness of the sensations deep inside. Expression is the acting out of, projecting outwards of the sensations deep inside. Neither diminishes the store of cravings, aversion and ignorance.
equanimous awareness of the sensations allows layer after layer of the old stock of accumulated craving, aversion and ignorance to rise and pass away.
This is counter to what many teach and practice and it is important to learn the techniques in a safe environment. The many Vipassana Centres throughout the world aim to provide this environment.
see dhamma.org
Be Happy.
suppression
and
expression
lies
the
the
middle path
(The middle path represents balance. It's when the pendulum is at rest.
Instead of swinging from one extreme to the other, there is equanimous observation of the accumulated stock of impurities deep in the mind. The awareness has disassociated from the impermanent.
No more negativities of craving or aversion or ignorance are bring added and the accumulated stock is allowed to rise and pass away.
Dhamma is the Middle Path (The Eight Fold Noble Path)
Anapana and Vipassana is the technique, as taught by the Buddha, used to walk on the middle path.
A moral life is the base of a life of dhamma.)
Suppression is the holding in of, diversion from, deliberate ignoring of awareness of the sensations deep inside. Expression is the acting out of, projecting outwards of the sensations deep inside. Neither diminishes the store of cravings, aversion and ignorance.
equanimous awareness of the sensations allows layer after layer of the old stock of accumulated craving, aversion and ignorance to rise and pass away.
This is counter to what many teach and practice and it is important to learn the techniques in a safe environment. The many Vipassana Centres throughout the world aim to provide this environment.
see dhamma.org
Be Happy.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
