On Jun 13, 2008, at 12:09 PM, curtisdeltablues wrote:
So I think we need secular meditations to study. But the problem is that without the belief structure that you are learning the secrets of the universe of gaining enlightenment, will people really stick with them? I have often pondered why I don't do more with what I know from NLP and self hypnosis to better my life. I seem to be able to take the lazy man route regularly and do TM. But I have never committed to doing other internal practices. For example I really can't see myself doing the Buddhist compassion meditation. I feel as though I have as much of that as I want and can't imagine feeling a need to develop more of it. I don't know what quality I should be working on and am too old and obstinate to let someone else tell me! I'm probably not alone in this. And only a small group who didn't grow up with Buddhism would be likely to take meditation in any Buddhist wrapper.
That's why you are seeing certain forms of meditation being carefully repackaged in scientific terms. For example MBCT, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or Jon Kabat-Zinn's work with patients in pain. These have both taken off like wildfire. While these forms of practices are rooted in Buddhism, their forms are not overtly or weirdly "Buddhistic". In fact there's a large movement to re-cast Buddhism in a purely scientific setting (e.g. Daniel Siegel's The Mindful Brain) since that's an important part of the western way of seeing reality. It makes no sense to impose on those who cannot get a medieval or ancient Indian mindset some arcane teaching. And it does not mean the teachings need to be diluted in any manner, they do however need to be carefully an honestly translated into the new paradigm. The Dalai Lama's been very clear in his interaction with world scientists in that if there are elements in Buddhist scripture that are proven wrong by science, then it is Buddhism that needs to be changed, not the other way around. This is very different from other "religions". In that sense Buddhism or Buddha-dharma is not really like a conventional religion with immutable laws.
I certainly wouldn't really be opened to it if it came with any set of ancient beliefs. Not that I can't learn from the past, but I am done taking any package deals. I am a "choose your own side dishes" guy. I'll have to do more reading about the choices in Buddhism as well as examining my own internal resistance to organized beliefs of any kind. As for the Dali Lama, I think he is an interesting guy. But I don't hold him as mega wise. It isn't as if he had a lot of emotional moves concerning his country's plight. He wouldn't do well selling bitterness and revenge. He has gotten the rock star royalty treatment a little too long for me to believe he really understands my world. Same with Ravi Shankar. I know why they are smiling all the time. It is my neighbor with the 3 kids from 3 bay daddies whose daily smile I feel is harder earned each and every day.
The Dalai Lama's affect is related to the type of practices he's done his entire life. I see the same things in western monks who practice those same practices. Despite being monks, they're often less prudish and less uptight than many householders. It's also worth pointing out that the sound bites you get from the corporate media only reveal the most superficial aspects of who he really is. Sit in on or listen in on one of his actual teachings and it's hard to not walk away impressed--esp. if you are used to MMY style knowledge lectures. There's simply no comparison whatso ever. I just finished read his recent book The Universe in a Single Atom. I was a little bit reluctant to do so as I am a little tired of the latest quantum spin on <insert your favorite metaphysical speculation> . But it actually turned out to be not that at all. Instead it left me amazed with the depth and breadth of his wisdom and his grasp of science. I mean this is a guy who instead of just reading about science goes and hangs out with the scientists themselves, some of whom are the fathers of modern physics. If you can get this book at your local library (the audio version is unabridged), it's worth a read or listen.
I really can't imagine more than a fringe group in society embracing meditation. But I've been wrong more than I've been right in predicting anything about my fellow man!
I think we're already moving beyond that.
Thanks for taking the discussion to another level Vaj! Your interest in meditations of different types is an inspiration.
