Meditating questions!

Well, i wanted to try to meditate, and so i have some questions! well, how long do you usually meditate for? where do you do it at? and what does it REALLY do? like, what have some of you, experienced and gained from it?
meditating isn't just for buddhist religon, right? isn't for everyone, no matter what religous background you are? because i am christain and so that's alright isnt it? ok just wondering because i just wanted to try it out and see where it takes me..thanks..sorry so many questions....

 

Sure you can meditate as a Christian. Prayer is considered a form of meditating by a lot of people. I personally don't consider it to be so unless you pray in a certain way I can't quite describe.

Meditation, religiously, can be no different than brushing your teeth. It can simply be just another way you are taking care of your body and mind.

 

many differing views.....meditation is not for any one faith and the calling of inner is not of any one faith. Traditional faiths call this prayer and collective powers of prayer. I usually get a lot of flack on this one as traditionilist like to think that one god is the be all and instead the collective power of prayer will reach to all who is a god in the soul of the one who holds the energy to pray or meditate.

If you change the word prayer to meditate you have my general philopshy of life.....call to who you will as it shall be heard if it is a power that is higher than us.

So for most the notion that to meditate is somehow not christian is an issue. The calling of what you wish to say and make a life path of is maybe what is more relevant.

So if you can give me a bit of your light path....where is it that you wish to go as the path is yours to pick.

 

hey thanks .... i tried it 2day, it was kind of weird! at this one part, my feet just moved automaticaly because it felt like i was going to fall..weird! but relaxing! and time goes by really fast when you do it!

 

i love meditation. it's the best thing for me.

i need to do it more i think.

 

focussing, attaining a sustainable loving attitude, or being absorbed in a consistent mental state all relate to meditating. Any religion or no religion can be affiliated.

simple approaches are most useful, such as following the breath, or maintianing an awareness of body contact points or attending to the three feelings which are pain, pleasure, or indifference that can arise fom any experience.

in particular watching things rise and fall away is most useful.

when focussed in meditation, many knee jerk reactions are bypassed allowing the meditator to see better what is happenning rather than being involved in reacting. it also starts a habit of being more considerate or humane before reacting.

it is smart to start regularly for 15 minutes per day and extending that to maybe 45 - and do take days off.

 

www.meditationsociety.com i believe that is the site. they have many many ways to meditate. enjoy

 

i dont always sit down and meditate but i do try to do active meditation which is like always being in a medative state.

 

I always thought that the saying the rosary was cool. It's not just punishment. Maybe do it for awhile each day. This should be simple for you as a Christian. Let us know what the results are.


I would think one could also take the name of their favorite saint or of Jesus and sit quietley and merely think the name and at the same time just let go of all ones thoughts and cares and so on and this would result in a peaceful state of mind.

Meditation isn't really understood at large in the Church, but that being said, you need to read Bernadette Roberts.

 

I will try to answer all of your questions. I've had a bit of experience in meditation and I have read about meditation in Zen (and I'm catholic!-its okay) For time spent meditating.. I do it daily, its not that i consciously say, "im going to meditate now" rather, i just end up doing it. "spacing out" is a little how i might describe it. It has lasted from a few minutes to 2 hours. Personally, I usually meditate on my bed, staring at my roof, looking out my window at the city lights or anywhere in nature. Obviously, meditation can be done anywhere with any ammount of light and any ammount of noise. (once i meditated in gym class!) ofcourse, start with quieter places. for the question "what does it really do?" For me, I feel more in control of myself, my body and my mind. I learn many new things and I look at things in a different way. Upon meditation, I create many metaphors and realize obvious things that I might look over on a normal occasion... It's worth it. Sometimes I might just look at something and be like "wow" and I appreciate such common things, such as a window, or a lamp or a tree. Its beutiful. (and that goes for your next question as well.) As for meditation for buddhism, NOOOOO! first of all, buddhism isn't always a religion. it's only a religion for those who believe buddha is god. next, being buddhist can also be "a follower of the way" which means, following what buddha taught. As a catholic, I can say that it is NOTHING religious. It only compliments the bible and 10 commandments. Also, ANYONE can be a buddha. A buddha is an enlightened being. Being enlightened is to live without false precepts and to "just see." which is brought on by meditation. Meditation is just about inner peace.

Good Luck trying out meditation!

 

Here is a good mediation;

lie on your back stright hands at side close eyes......
imagin your self near a tree
ask your self;
what kind of tree?
how it is shaped?
look at the tree.....
where is it located?
surroundings?
look at the bark see the textures?
then just imagin your self around the tree at this point you will be meditating and then your mind takes over from their......
I hope it works for you

Take your time with the visulazation...... when looking at the tree really look at it let it apear to you then create the suroundings......

let me know what ya think

 

If you just want to relax then concentration-style meditation will do quite well for you.

However, you can practice your Christianity in meditation based ways. Although I am not a Christian, I would suggest the following as a method compatible with Christian beliefs (extrapolated from Patanjali's yogasutra).

1) Social behaviour: Follow the 10 commandments. Ethical discipline is important for mental discipline. I don't agree with them but if you are a Christian you most likely do.

2) Self behaviour: Although connected, there are some more direct aspects other than the commandments.
- You should treat your body well. Eat healthily and keep your surrounding clean.
- You should be happy with who and where you are. This doesn't mean being complacent but you should learn to be content. You should retain the ability to control your body with your mind. Engage in practices where you can vindicate this control. Reasonably serious practice of lent seems like a good idea.
- Study scripture. I geuss for you this would mean the Gospels but doesn't have to be just that. Also anything else religious or philosophical that will set your mind thinking.
- Be devoted to your god. Remember to think about Him everyone in a while.

3) Be aware of your breathing in normal life. Doesn't mean you are always thinking about if but if you have to wait for someone or something for about 2-3 minutes just be aware of your breathing. Much more useful than daydreaming.

4) Posture practice in life and perhaps taking up a secular excercise such as Yoga, Qigong or Tai Chi.

5) Concentration practice. This would be much like the meditation you might be doing now.

6) More serious meditation. This would have to have a greater religious significance. As chodpa said you could try meditating on a Christian figure, for example Christ! Alternatively you could practice meditating on a phrase, for example repeating "Te Deum Laudamus" ("we praise thee, god" in Latin). You would have to say this with conviction and only start when you are already very familiar with concentration practice.

This should give you some kind of results. Perhaps it is not best to try to figure out which kind but leading such a lifestyle should help you greatly!

 

buddhism is never a religion
we do not believe that buddha is god
no, there is one buddha, and his name was siddartha gautama, however buddha does mean the enlightened one

some sites are
http://www.geocities.com/gngerald/Buddhism.html
http://www.san.beck.org/EC9-Buddha.html#2

i partially take back what i said about the one buddha, i suppose i was saying that he is the "original"? it's really hard what i'm trying to get out.. basically it's not that anyone can be a buddha but that we all have our own buddhahood

please correct anything that i've said that isn't correct, i'm always learning!

 

im trying that tonight!

 

how did it work out?

 

Loveflower,
Your pretty much right jsut one small thing
suppose i was saying that he is the "original"?

Well i rember in reading, That he was not the first, there were other but his was the first in this age. and that in time to come he and his teaching would be lost and another Buddah would come about.

Not trying to get nitpicky just thought you might like to know

 

In saying, "anyone can be buddha" i meant anyone can reach zen in themselves, or reach enlightenment so long as they live in TRUTH, meaning past paradox and confusion. Since buddha means "enlightened being", anyone COULD be an enlightened being, therefore anyone could be a buddha. I learned that buddha does not necessarily mean THE buddha. Yes, he was the original, but even though its confusing, there is a difference.
Also, I am curious about your comment that "buddhism is never a religion" . I know it is sometimes classified as a religion, and I THOUGHT i knew that some people worship buddha, which would make it a religion. Ofcourse, I definitely could be wrong, I'm not buddhist.

 

Hey, since you're a Christian, and are wondering about meditation...
I'd like to recommend a book...

If you really want to know what's at the heart of real meditation, or any meditation(they all lead to the same place anyhow), you'd probably really like to read "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda.

I understand that the culture/names in the book may at fist be a bit alientating, but I assure you that if you can let that go, you'll have a fantasic read!

 

Christ is a name meaning Lord. A Christian is one who walks the path of the Lord Yeshua (His name in Hebrew ... since Hebrew has no letter J) He said "All that I have done, Ye can do..." and "Let thine eye be single and the body will fill with light."

Prayer is asking or speaking to God.
Meditation is listening to God or rather the Holy Ghost/Spirit.
Besides the Lords Prayer or Hail Mary full of Grace (Catholic means Universal and Mary is symbolic of the body which gives birth to the Christ seed in the Heart) ... which would be Prayer or Mantra you have the dual Meditations which both consist of going into your secret room and communing.

One is for Light and One is for Sound.

For Light: seat your attention with eyes closed at the single eye (this is located between your eyebrows). Gaze gently with eyes closed and ask that you be guided by Wisdom (She is called Shekinah in Hebrew this is the Holy Ghost.) To stimulate inital perception of light ... lightly cup your eyes with your palms and gaze with the single eye till you see light begin to gather ... then release. This is just to gather your attention to the area. "Be still and know that I am God ..." is what is said about this. It means being still and watching, as a witness, the light. If thoughts come say the Lords prayer or Hail Mary and remain a still witness of the light within.

For Sound: with eyes closed listen out of the right ear for a subtle sound. Don't strain ... just relax and listen. It may sound like crickets or a low turbine engine ... just follow the sound from the right ear. It may rise above the head. Just listen and ask in silence what needs to be revealed.

7 minutes for either will produce results.

All things are possible with doubts removed.
Bright Blessings.

 

Wow...thanks to everyone who replied....im going to try everything!