Mind Over Matter: The Meditation Club

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Gauri03, Feb 14, 2018.

  1. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @Srama , Starting with 100 days and adding as we go sounds like the way to go. I’m sure we will motivate each other to make it past the 1000 days mark. Happy to start whenever everyone is ready. We can use this thread to log our daily practice and share any insights we gain along the way. : )
     
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  2. Laks09

    Laks09 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I want to give this a try too. Is it possible to do the countdown in a new thread so I can come here to find the insights and discussions and post daily updates in a 100 day meditation thread?
     
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  3. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Sounds good. Let’s make a separate thread for daily logging.
     
  4. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear V sir,

    I hope you enjoyed your Guru Purnima mediatation practice! Sorry, I am late responding here.
    Thanks to your post, I did manage to sit in meditation - just for 5 mins on Guru Purnima day!

    Dear @Gauri03 and @Laks09 , it is a good idea to start a seperate thread. I am also on board for 100 days :astonished:
     
  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    I had a chance to read a comprehensive information about the roadmap for a successful meditation. The two elements that are important to reach our goal in meditation are a) concentration (avadhana) and b) one-pointedness (ekagratha). Initially, I didn't even know the difference between the two and later when I went through this book, I was able to learn the distiniction between the two. Our goal is to move away from tendencies (vasanas) to will (the fundamental characteristics of our consciousness).

    We are bombarded by the prompting and temptations both from inside and outside and we need to learn to channel our efforts to the most important one. When we direct our mind to pay attention to the most important one is called "concentration"while fixing our mind not to drift away from that focus is called "one-pointedness". One is a process of elimination and another is a process of selection. While one allows our discriminating faculty to choose what is best for us while the other allows to stay focused on that and not get distracted.

    For example, determining what is missing in a sequence of cards to complete the card game is concentration and what is not needed for the sequence and will have to be discarded to remain focused on the sequence is one-pointedness.

    I personally divide the steps to meditation into three elements namely Ascertain, Unite and Maintain ("AUM"). Initially, we watch all that runs in our mind during silent sitting sessions and this period is called Ascertaining what is important. Then we have the power of the mind to focus on one thing that is important to us which is the effort to unite the mind with a single thought. The last effort is to maintain it in that thought as long as possible. These processes helps the mind to subordinate and take instructions from our consciousness which is part of the Universal Consciousness.

    When we make the journey on the meditation experience sharing thread, we can have general discussions about what we learn from other sources here in this thread.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
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  6. silentlistener

    silentlistener Silver IL'ite

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    Has anyone here done a ten day residential course of Vipassana ?

    It's worth it ! It will be really helpful, if you are seriously interested in learning a scientific, non sectarean meditation technique.

    Friends, instead of writing volumes and volumes of theory of what a meditation is, please try attending a ten days course of Vipassana.

    Let me guarantee, that will be a game changer of your life !
     
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  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    It will be nice if you can share your experience here in this thread in what way it is a game changer and how those 10 days of training leads to the art of living. I have not personally gone to a Vipassana retreat myself but have met people who attended it. I have read S.N. Goenka's Art of Living and it was gripping read. I also know it is a voluntary organization with motivation to train others about great meditation techniques. In my view, anything life changing is worth experiencing but it requires a lot of mental motivation.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2021
  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    1. When there are numerous forms of meditation, how do we compare them for efficacy in attaining the goal?
    2. How one can be sure without any expert’s supervision that the person is practising the chosen form of meditation is done the right way? (It is reported longer time wrong way practise of certain form of meditation met with disastrous effect on the human body)
    3. Is there any recommended best period or periods of the day, the practice yields steady optimal benefits?

    Just my 2 cents.

    4. Few decades ago, I was practising meditation as learnt from a Guru, but initially my practise was in summer under his supervision between five to six in the morning for over a month. Later, after home-practise for a month or so, I ceased practising as I felt am enveloped with kind of hallucinations, blurring ...etc. at one stage, I even enjoyed and rejoiced as I felt I was floating in air and travel through in vast openness.

    5. I went to my physician & got checked all my vital parameters. Some were normal. Few below abnormal normal. But physician advised me to stop the meditation.

    6. And my Guru when confronted with my experience and lab reports, responded that those who do not have any other health issues should generally feel comfortable with regular practise. Am not able to recall what type of meditation I was attempting in that period.

    Thanks and Regards.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2021
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Thyagarajan Sir,

    I am not an expert in meditation techniques and hence my answer may not be the best. I can only share my experience of meditation than giving a general view of what is the way to derive efficacy or concluding what is the right way.

    In my humble view, reduction of mental agitation and reduction of fluctuation between likes and dislikes is a good way to measure the progress in meditation. I believe the mind remaining calm irrespective of the circumstances we encounter is a great indicator for the success of meditation. The end goal is something that needs to be experienced and I am not there as yet and I just intellectually understand that ultimate joy will be derived as a direct outcome of meditation.

    Regarding experiences of meditation, each of us will have our own experience when we raise above the body, mind and intellect ("BMI") and look at them as a third party. I have shared my experiences earlier. Only thing I have learned is there is no time and space restrictions when we raise above the BMI complex. Past, present and future are applicable only to the physical frame and the time may also collapse when we raise above the BMI. Similarly, integration with vastness is feasible as there is no space restriction.
     
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  10. silentlistener

    silentlistener Silver IL'ite

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    Please turn location on in your mobile phone ; go to Google and type Vipassana centres near me. You will get to know the location of permanent centres near your location. No place on the planet is far away from a Vipassana meditation centre. It is there everywhere.

    Plan a 10 days course without wasting much time. attend it. I have sent some question answers as a private message to you read it at your convenience.

    The said book is meant for recollection of the practice for those who have attended at least one 10 days course in a permanent centre.

    Vipassana cannot be learnt from text books or YouTube videos.

    And it is beyond the purview of intellectual and philosophical discussions; it is an experience.

    An experience needs to be felt ; cannot be discussed.

    Please read the private message I have sent to you you slowly and carefully and plan a 10 days course as early as you can
     
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