Meditation

Just a place to discuss. I know the concept of meditation is very clear. But what are the reasons for meditating? What are the outcomes? How does it change your thinking process? Does it help making one more inteligent? How is it related to self control?


When I was young I considered meditation a waste of time. The idea of thinking of nothing bothered me: I thought it would make me a dull person. And I must say my continuous thinking made me a very inteligent person (no I'm not bragging).

But only lately did I find out the amount of concentration meditating takes. Many people tell me they are unable to just think of nothing. I myself never found it hard, but I don't want to base my opinions on personal experience only.

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Sometimes, while meditating, I feel completely detached. It is like I understood the whole universe. There's no reason to walk, to try to stop pain, or even to breathe. It is like for a moment I was not a human being and did not have thoughts. Nothing mattered: it is like you see no reason to even interact with the world. It's pretty hard to understand, but I must say it's extraodinarily peaceful (even more than a lucid dream).

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While watching Avatar, a cartoon by Nick (it's a great cartoon, don't blame me :>) I learnt a lot about chakras or however they are called. I don't believe in any of that chi thing, but I believe the teachings themselves are a way to get to that peaceful point I got a few times. That idea that each chakra holds a virtue and is blocked by some of our actions (like lies, shame, grief etc) is really insightful. I then made some research o nthe topic, but it's like every website held a different view on chakra things. So I'm posting the one presented on the cartoon:

chakra 1: earth (base of spine) - circulates through: survival - blocked by: fear
The teaching here is that fears block your full existance and your survival. One must be clear of fears to live to the fullest.
chakra 2: water (abdomen) - circulates through: pleasure - blocked by: guilt
If you feel guilty of things, you will not get the full pleasure they offer. If you accept things as they are, and abandon you guilt, your pleasure will circulate to its fullest.
chakra 3: fire (stomach) - circulates through: will power - blocked by: shame
If you are ashamed of doing (or having done) things, you will not have full determination when doing things. Only through forgetting shame and pursuing you aims will you have full will power.
chakra 4: air (heart) - circulates through: love - blocked by: grief
Grief prevents you from fully loving. Love should be a happy and good virtue, and feeling grief through it is undesired.
chakra 5: sound (throat) - circulates through: truth - blocked by: lies
Lies are the deceivers of truth. But the worst lies are those ones we tell ourselves. If we hide the truth from our own eyes, we can never be one with ourselves.
chakra 6: light (forehead) - circulates through: insight - blocked by: illusion
This chakra deals with our illusions about the world. Even in the biggest of distances, things are just close to each other. We have learnt to judge the world through discerning eyes, but we must understand the universe is one and is obsolete.
chakra 7: thought (crown of the head) - circulates through: cosmic energy - blocked by: earthly attachments
We must understand attachments are just what they are: attachments. If we are too connected to our physical bonds, we can never perceive the fullness of the universe. We must learn to let go of everything.

When you finish clearing all your chakras from what was blocking them, you'll reach full clarity. You won't think of nothing because you want to, but because there really is nothing to think. You are fully realised of the obsoleteness in the universe: it is only organised energy. You might be able to do godlike things in this state, but there simply is no reason to. It's hard to explain.

I suggest taking some time to meditate sepparately on each different chakra and clear what was blocking them. It is really constructive.

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I guess that's it for now. Feel free to discuss.

1chakra - lesson - Survival–The right to exist.
2chakra - lesson - Feelings—The right to feel.
3chakra - lesson - Personal power–The right to think.
4chakra - lesson - Relationships–The right to love.
5chakra - lesson - Relationships–The right to speak.
6chakra - lesson - Intuition–The right to “see.”
7chakra - lesson - Knowingness–The right to aspire.

somehow i feel... those lessons really related to :blocked by...fear, shame..
thanks for the tip about chakras.. :)

Well my reasons for meditating are getting a greater understanding of conciousness, and happiness. The Dali Lama said that the goal of our lives is to find happiness, I generally agree with that. The outcomes of meditating are a greater awareness of everything, and clarity of thought. When my head is clear, I am more aware, I can think more clearly and have better memory, so I guess you could consider that increased intelligence. Meditation also creates new path ways in your brain. (which is a good thing)

Heres some buddhist theory (which makes sense to me):
-The goal of our life is to find happiness
-We perpetuate our 'ego' which is any idea of the illusion that there is a "I"
-Because we have this idea of an "I" and all of these beleifs about what we should desire, it makes us unhappy.
-It makes us unhappy, becuase if we always have desires, there is always something we are reaching for, that keeps us from being truely happy in the present moment.
-The idea of self, is very firmly implated in our brain. To get rid of the illusion of self that is making us unhappy, we need to meditate, untill we are unaware of the body or any thoughts (although at this time the meditator is highly alert and aware), this will temporarily rid us of the former stream of conciousness that perpetuates the "I".
-This complete distruction of ego, is probably impossible without entering this state, or very near impossible because of how firmly it is implated in our brain (the stream of concioussness has to change).

So to recap, desires make us unhappy, desires are created because we have an ego (which is not a real thing, its a dilusion created by us), the best way to get rid of the ego and desires is to meditate.

About self controll: It takes self controll and will power to align your concious intent with your subconcious thinking. you subconcious probably doesn't want to meditate for long periods, so meditating for longer and longer times, builds your self controll.

PS: take all that with a grain of salt, i'm no expert.

The main reason of meditation, has always been to become aware of your true self.

*i'll probably post here more later -- now tis time for sleep*

I couldn't really tell if you were disagreeing with me or just adding to it.

"The main reason of meditation, has always been to become aware of your true self."

Well that depends on the type of meditation you are doing. And arent you trying to become aware of your true self to be happy? (to fufill your desire of knowledge)

I somehow disagree with the pursuit of happiness thing. Whewn you go in deep meditation, you do indeed feel peaceful and somehow happy, but I believe that aimning onlyat the happiness is somehow trivial.

Mayeb I'll post more later hehe

Sleep is for the weak :P

I wasn't disagreeing with you :D

I'm not sure how to really explain...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cloudWalker

Sleep is for the weak :P

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I very like this your sentence :D

maybe because happiness doesn't have such a clear definition? it could mean the bliss type feeling or to be content.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kromoh

Sometimes, while meditating, I feel completely detached. It is like I understood the whole universe. There's no reason to walk, to try to stop pain, or even to breathe. It is like for a moment I was not a human being and did not have thoughts. Nothing mattered: it is like you see no reason to even interact with the world. It's pretty hard to understand, but I must say it's extraodinarily peaceful (even more than a lucid dream).

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Sounds like ego loss to me. It also happens during psychedelics trips which is why meditation and psychedelics are often combined and complement each other nicely. Your ego is what attaches you to things in this world, whatever it may be, and gives you a sense of identity. Separating yourself from the ego is important in that it gives you a different prespective on reality. It frees you from the confines of your own personal thoughts and desires.

I have to have a short term goal for each meditation session to keep me doing it because otherwise I'd just get impatient. It's hard to keep track of progress so I think its better to find a reason to be meditating rather than to "have meditated" if you know what I mean.

So in short I do it to feel good. If I skip a day I start getting irritable, it's almost like it started out as an activity and has become a necessity. In the long run though I hope to explore the inner universe within myself. If you want me to elaborate on what that means... you'd have to wait for me to actually start doing it. My life experiences have led me to believe meditation is one of the most important aspects of human life, though.