Matt. I was asthmatic as a child and as a young man found attempting to concentrate on my breathing had rather unpleasant consequences. I tried many meditative techniques and finally found that simply watching what occured in my mind was most effective. I had heard of reflective meditation and while the suggested technique didn't do it for me the idea of reflection of holding a mirror to my mind, a mirror in which to watch what occurred in it turned out to be very effective and I progressed quite quickly once I learnt to. As I progressed I found myself tempted to interfere with what I saw occuring, this slowed my progress untill I began to realise I was not seeing everything and later as I progressed further the temptation to interfere resulted in unpleasant effects so that I quickly ceased to fall to such temptation. Eventually I found I was able to induce those states that other meditative techniques suggested, through reflective awareness.
So apart from indulging myself in the above self expression you can see how one technique can lead to another. You say you know from practising meditation on your breath that through it you can also enter a state of mental stillness. So no effort goes without result there is only what you are yet to discover. To me it sounds forced and the force of habit but you must work atleast to some degree with your own nature I do not mean to insult. To myself my technique sounds vain and self indulgent and it is. But has worked for me quite well. --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@...> wrote: > > > Rewrisk, thank you for your reply. Your considerate words are encouraging > and wise. As far as my technique, I am fortunate enough to live fairly close > by to a Zen meditation center of the Soto lineage. So, at home and at the > center in my Zazen, the only object of my meditation is the breath. I have > become quite familiar with several walls and love them dearly. :) Well, it > is actually time to sit for the night, so again, thank you, and have a > pleasant evening/day. > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > Yes. > > I misread your; 'the "great matter of birth and death."' > > I am heartened that you do not believe in reincarnation or life after death. > > I apologise to you, clearly I mistook my audience. > > > > You say 'I should hope I don't ever feel that I have reached a "place" in > > my understanding'. And I am minded that I have found many a "place" in my > > understanding but none I could rest on my laurels in. I took rest as I had > > to and while I may have tried to superimpose meaning on that I found > > meaning despite doing so. > > > > If you should wish to discuss meditative technique? > > I myself have found a reflective awareness the most usefull. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote: > > > > > > With all respect to you, rewisk, you have made a lot of assumptions about > > > me without knowing me. I do not believe in reincarnation, or life after > > > death. These are things I cannot know, because I have not died. And as > > > far as how long it "should" take for a practitioner to "attain" anything, > > > who is to say? I should hope I don't ever feel that I have reached a > > > "place" in my understanding, I wish to just experience my life in the > > > present moment with the growing of my understanding of Emptiness. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Sorry to have to tell you this Matt but you will not survive your death. > > > > Some people seem to think that life could only be fair if we are > > > > reincarnated but they fail to recognise that if life was fair you would > > > > have to pay for your advantages and not just your sins. If life is fair > > > > then it can't be a gift. > > > > Six years huh? > > > > It only took me three and less than a year after I got serious about > > > > it. I do not say this to boast only I wonder about you meditative > > > > technique? I suppose if I include the time of my initial curiosity > > > > maybe four or so. > > > > I felt great need though, likely this is the difference. > > > > Still I would expect any person who regularly practised an effective > > > > form of meditation to atleast have attained a sense of thier personal > > > > illusion. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Myself, I do not feel that it is a matter of salvation. The matter, > > > > > is the "great matter of birth and death." One of my favorite > > > > > authors, Stephen Batchelor, in his book -Alone with others- says that > > > > > the "aim" is for "the optimum mode of being." To me what this says > > > > > is, that the aim of life would be living in awareness, as you grow > > > > > and age through the years, hopefully you will become wiser. I > > > > > recently had Dokusan with one of my teachers, and she said that Zen > > > > > practice and enlightenment is kind of like in those old cartoons, > > > > > when someone is about to receive a gift and they are told NOT to > > > > > look. In the cartoons, we always see them peeking with one eye at > > > > > the gift before it is given to them. So, I have been practicing > > > > > since 2006, I have never had an "awakening experience," and that is > > > > > fine with me. Zazen has taught me many things, and I know not to > > > > > "peek," or in other words, to conceptualize what I think > > > > > enlightenment is and then strive for it. Rather, I just live my > > > > > daily life, always, constantly coming back to direct experience. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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