whitedog Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have a friend who has been a Buddhist for many, many years. He taught me almost everything I know about such things. Well in talking to him today about meditation he said he focuses on nothing. I, myself have to see an object in my minds eye to meditate. My question is, if you meditate, what do you think of? Thank you for your responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I seek nothing but I am not that disciplined yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I find that it is extremely difficult to think about nothing and still remain awake. On a serious note, I used to get extreme tension headaches and was very much into meditation at that time. I still do it from time to time to relax but not as much as I used to. For me, I found that I needed something to focus on. I have a very active brain and often have two or three threads of thought going on at the same time. To shut that off means I have to find something to pour my concentration into. What works best for me is to concentrate on my breathing, heartbeat, and muscle tension. Try and drain all the tension out through my finger tips and toes and concentrate on breathing. Ultimately my goal is to actually feel my heartbeat lowering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonovanM Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I think about how it feels to breathe, if anything. The thoughts come and go away on their own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I have a friend who has been a Buddhist for many, many years. He taught me almost everything I know about such things. Well in talking to him today about meditation he said he focuses on nothing. I, myself have to see an object in my minds eye to meditate. My question is, if you meditate, what do you think of? Thank you for your responses. Put all of your attention on attention itself, and see what you notice, afterwards. Or another method: Turn your attention back around on your own mind, and know - whether there is thought, or silence. In the beginning, doing that, there will be brief periods of thoughtless awareness. Then it just becomes a matter of repeating the "turning around" more and more often. Some more threads on my favorite topic, attention, littered throughout this forum: Man's Greatest Weapon: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106828 The Pause Principle: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106299 Attention and Error Games: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105199 Respond Immediately: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105923 Obscuring the Present: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105920 Nothing is Difficult, if: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105920 Freedom and Attention: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115098 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiDirkona Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Holy cow, that's a lot to take in. Thanks for the reading list, Brian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thank you Brian. I have been practising eastern arts for near 25 years now. Have been lucky enough to go to Asia a few times. I am comfortable with my own path. I now find myself wondering of paths others have chosen. And how they got there. Thank you all for your insights, please keep them coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmanfixit Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thoughtless awareness. Profoundly disconcerting when it happens. When you find the Watcher. And you finally realize that you are not your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Wow, cool. Thank you. I have to think on that last sentence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biloxi23 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) The priest Tannen used to say, "People come to no understanding because priests teach only the doctrine of 'No Mind." What is called the doctrine of 'No Mind' is mind that is pure and lacks complication. This is interesting." HAKAGURE, From the First Chapter Edited March 29, 2011 by Biloxi23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biloxi23 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing when there is nothing is the meaning of of the phrase, "Form is emptiness." That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, Emptiness is form." One should not think that these are two separate things. HAKAGURE, From the Second Chapter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBetts Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 A good book to read on this subject is "The Power of Now". It really helped me a lot in terms of meditation and quieting my mind on a day to day basis. I still focus on my breathing (more of the sensation of air flowing through my nostrils) when I'm having a difficult time quieting the noise in my head. I another thing I utilize, like Brian said, is to focus on the thoughts in my head but as a third party person would. I'm not participating in the thoughts, I'm watching them pass through my head. When I can separate myself from those thoughts I already started that clear mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninnavarre Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Tagged for after work. Interesting thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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