Thread: Get Yourself Enlightened

How can meditation be hell? Sorry, I'm no expert at all, but am guessing that you were doing it wrong.[/b]

Well no as I follow the teaching or lack of teaching from Bodhidharma the creater of zen pain is heavily exprienced when doing it. For example legend say Bodhidharma cut his eyelids so he won't fall asleep when wall meditating other say he made one of his student cut of his arm. So Zen meditation is hell.

Meditation seems like a huge waste of time to me.[/b]

Zen meditation is good I would say all other meditation our a waste of time. I guess everything is a waste of time.

LOL You know nothing about me at all. I'm not mentally unstable just because I have a therapist. And I think he'd be more qualified than you to tell me if I should be practicing buddhism. It was, after all, with his guidance that I began.

LOL You know nothing about me at all. I'm not mentally unstable just because I have a therapist. [/b]

Well maybe it my culture as people who see therapist where I use to come from our mentally unstable.

Meditation seems like a huge waste of time to me.[/b]

Learning is a huge waste of time too.

Well I guess ignorance is bliss, enlightenment is hell.

None of you have a clue of what enlightenment is. I don't either so I guess this topic is useless.

None of you have a clue of what enlightenment is. I don't either so I guess this topic is useless.[/b]

Ah, but don't feel down about it. The creator apparently didn't, either, so we're all good.

Ultimately, I see it this way: One of Buddhism's main tenets is giving up material possessions--so excuse me if I'm a little skeptic if somebody types a message on an internet forum to tell me they've found Nirvana or whatnot.
I think they must've missed the boat on that bit.

Originally Posted by wendylove

Well no as I follow the teaching or lack of teaching from Bodhidharma the creater of zen pain is heavily exprienced when doing it. For example legend say Bodhidharma cut his eyelids so he won't fall asleep when wall meditating other say he made one of his student cut of his arm. So Zen meditation is hell.

Zen meditation is good I would say all other meditation our a waste of time. I guess everything is a waste of time.
[/b]

That must be an obscure sect of Zen. Zen is not about self-mutilation.

Why would you say all other meditations are a waste of time. I know first hand that they are not. Transcendental is the most powerful form I have ever tried, even more powerful than the Zen meditations.

how can meditation be a waste of time? you must have not understood what meditation was for then. the purpose is simple, to be in a meditative state. nothing else.

Meditation can be undertaken for specific purposes outside the experiance of meditation itself.

Tonight, I think I will try the "cut off foot" meditation technique. It's the new thing. Everything else is a waste of time.

I recommend you meditate with somebody who practices the 'sew foot back on" meditation technique. This way, you will not only survive, but you can practice this form of meditation multiple times, if you so choose.

That must be an obscure sect of Zen. Zen is not about self-mutilation.[/b]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NUXJrO_FiWk
Well no as if you lose concentration you get beaten with a stick. Also if you read any decent book on zen meditation you see that frustration and struggling our important.

I know first hand that they are not. Transcendental is the most powerful form I have ever tried, even more powerful than the Zen meditations.[/b]

Seriously TM or Transcendental Meditation is aload of crap. Come on at one time they claim you could fly by butt jumping. No Buddhist that I know takes Transcendental meditation seriously.
Tummo is the best meditation as you can control your body temperture.

A Buddhist monk has his vital signs measured as he prepares to enter an advanced state of meditation in Normandy, France. During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room (Photo courtesy of Herbert Benson).
http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2.../09-tummo.html
All other meditation is a waste of time. So Tummo is the most powerful meditation known to the outside world.

Originally Posted by Tsen

Ultimately, I see it this way: One of Buddhism's main tenets is giving up material possessions--so excuse me if I'm a little skeptic if somebody types a message on an internet forum to tell me they've found Nirvana or whatnot.
I think they must've missed the boat on that bit.
[/b]

Isn't the idea to drop attachments to things (including the idea of dropping attachments) - not necessarily dropping things? Jesus and Buddha, for example, supposedly didn't have much stuff - but all that means is that when enlightened you don't need things to satisfy you, not that giving up material possessions is a prerequisite for enlightenment. Probably a good sign though - i.e. a Christian or a Bhuddist in a 4x4 is quite probably a hippocrite, and probably not enlightened. Although according to the rulebooks there is nothing in Bhuddism or Christianity that says you can't be a selfish profiteer - despite the 'camel and the eye of the needle', and the freedom from material attachments stuff.

Am I being pedantic again?

Pain is usually not very Zen - unless it is used by a master to induce enlightenment - then who needs two arms? The whack with a stick has become part of the Religion - usually done for tradition now. Originally the master would use the stick very selectively to catch the pupil at the point of satori and shock them into it.

Originally Posted by wendylove

Seriously TM or Transcendental Meditation is aload of crap. Come on at one time they claim you could fly by butt jumping. No Buddhist that I know takes Transcendental meditation seriously.
[/b]

Most of the teachings of the cult are a load of crap. The meditation itself is very effective. I do it all the time. It works.

Originally Posted by wendylove

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NUXJrO_FiWk
Well no as if you lose concentration you get beaten with a stick. Also if you read any decent book on zen meditation you see that frustration and struggling our important.

Tummo is the best meditation as you can control your body temperture.

A Buddhist monk has his vital signs measured as he prepares to enter an advanced state of meditation in Normandy, France. During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room (Photo courtesy of Herbert Benson).
http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2.../09-tummo.html
All other meditation is a waste of time. So Tummo is the most powerful meditation known to the outside world.
[/b]

That's an amazing feat. What other feats have been accomplished under this form of meditation?

Most of the teachings of the cult are a load of crap. The meditation itself is very effective. I do it all the time. It works. [/b]

Have you got a link to the meditation. I thought for a minaute you were going to join their cult or something.

That's an amazing feat. What other feats have been accomplished under this form of meditation?[/b]

Going without water for more then a week and food for ages. Note scientifically you can't survive without water for three days. I also heard of a person who can generate electricity from using a technique similar to this.

Do you have a link that documents these feats?

Originally Posted by wendylove

Tummo is the best meditation as you can control your body temperture.

A Buddhist monk has his vital signs measured as he prepares to enter an advanced state of meditation in Normandy, France. During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room (Photo courtesy of Herbert Benson).
[url=http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/04.18/09-tummo.html]
[/b]

Originally Posted by wendylove

Going without water for more then a week and food for ages. Note scientifically you can't survive without water for three days. I also heard of a person who can generate electricity from using a technique similar to this.
[/b]

That is a load of crap.

Also, I have read a great deal about Zen, and it is not about getting hit with a stick for losing concentration. I don't know where you are getting this stuff. You are talking about some pretty obscure Zen practices. Fundamentalist Zen?

Transcendental meditation: http://library.thinkquest.org/24206/...n-therapy.html

It is pleasant to see such recent/active commentary on the subject of buddhism on this board, as I have newly registered and am very much interested in it.

As it is that I am still learning, please excuse me if I am wrong... It has been my understanding that enlightenment, of any degree, takes lifetimes to achieve. Yes, multiple lifetimes. Though, I have found that there are several practices of Tibetan Buddhism through which a person, so inclined, might be able to happen upon enlightenment during the course of a single lifetime but only with the help of a lama.

Anyhow:
If there are any of you who are mutually interested in the practice of buddhism or are, already, well advanced/ordained, and are interested in discussing buddhism to a greater extent, please PM me or reply to this topic.

And, for those of you who are interested in buddhism, I invite all of you to visit: http://www.e-sangha.com/ It is an online community of many, many buddhists, in addition to just as many, and likely more, lay buddhists. It is a great resource of information where all are eager to help answer questions, as would be expected.

in this world where minds are always constantly chattering.... Where the exciting and vulgar are noticed in favor of the ordinary and the placid.. extremely rare are those who can identify awaken and enlightenment.

and sadly nothing changes after awakening... things are still the way it is. The only thing that have changed is the viewpoint of the world.

For that i truly appreciate Buddha's incredible wisdom.

But if the perceptions change, then actions change. If actions change, then the reality can change. Never lose faith in the ability of the individual to make a significant impact on society.

Originally Posted by bodhisattva

As it is that I am still learning, please excuse me if I am wrong... It has been my understanding that enlightenment, of any degree, takes lifetimes to achieve. Yes, multiple lifetimes. Though, I have found that there are several practices of Tibetan Buddhism through which a person, so inclined, might be able to happen upon enlightenment during the course of a single lifetime but only with the help of a lama.
[/b]

Time does not exist - therefore the only time for enlightenment is now. With all the focus on effort I believe the point is missed - i.e. that enlightenment is the cessation of striving. I suspect the 'lifetimes of study' thing comes from people who have been practicing for a long time and know all the talk, but just can't let go.

Well no as if you lose concentration you get beaten with a stick. Also if you read any decent book on zen meditation you see that frustration and struggling our important. [/b]

Frustration and struggling may be commonly observed phenomena of people seeking enlightenment in the Zen tradition - but they are not prerequisites.

Buddha just stopped to sit under a tree... (possibly one with psychoactive properties - but thats another story&#33 it was only when he ceased the ascetic practices that he made any real progress.

Originally Posted by slimslowslider

Time does not exist - therefore the only time for enlightenment is now. With all the focus on effort I believe the point is missed - i.e. that enlightenment is the cessation of striving. I suspect the 'lifetimes of study' thing comes from people who have been practicing for a long time and know all the talk, but just can't let go.
Frustration and struggling may be commonly observed phenomena of people seeking enlightenment in the Zen tradition - but they are not prerequisites.

Buddha just stopped to sit under a tree... (possibly one with psychoactive properties - but thats another story&#33 it was only when he ceased the ascetic practices that he made any real progress.
[/b]

I agree with slimslowslider. The very act of striving is the reason why enlightenment cannot be experienced.

Our 'self' overlays on 'what is' ... interpreting the events that unfold before us. During awakening, self and environment becomes unseparated... it can also be described as all that is is perception... but no perciever. This is non-duality. Duality is where a split occurs resulting in the way we usually perceive the world.

IMO, no one view is better than the other. Some situations is ideal for complete letting go... while others may require cognition in order to function well in the world.

In my opinion, being in the TRUE state of "enlightenment" is FULL realization of "I AM"...

Originally Posted by slimslowslider

Time does not exist -[/b]

lol lol lol.

-

I do like the idea that 'enlightenment' can only be achieved if you don't strive to it (just to be better, as in actually being selfish or something).

Not like it is Real, super, metaphysical-related enlightenment , but the whole Buddhist ideology is a good way to be a good person in most cases.

Originally Posted by Neruo

lol lol lol.[/b]

For a laugh, try proving it exists!