|
|
| Hello,
I am new to this forum. I've started meditating. I usually try to stay still and let thoughts 'come and go', without trying to control or identify with them. Today, I did just that for a couple of hours. I was able to let go of all the thoughts that came into my mind. But even after two hours, nothing extraordinary happened. It was just a normal experience, where I was simply aware of the movement of thoughts, nothing more. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary.
I thought by doing this 'void meditation', something extraordinary would happen, but it didn't. The only diff. was that in the 'normal' state, I get carried away by thoughts, in this case, I was watching them pass me by. Also, I experienced some discomfort/mild pain around my forehead. Aside from that, I experienced nothing special or different, like seeing lights or visions or images, whatever.
Am I doing something wrong? At the moment, I can't find any teacher, so I'll have to learn by myself, so any help is appreciated.
Seeker |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hey Seeker,
What kind of experience exactly are you looking for?? You do know that you are not suppose to have any expectations of the experience or outcome?
You know what?? Sounds to me like some progress was made. You said you were able to let go of all the thoughts that came to your mind. That's a step in the right direction. I would continue working on that aspect alone for several months, perhaps even a year. Best wishes.
Edited by Cyndi 2007-08-27 9:14 AM
|
|
| |
|
| Thanks, Cyndi. I wasn't looking for any particular experience, but assumed there would be some sort of experience, or what's the diff. between our 'normal' state of consciousness and the meditative state if there isn't an experience to distingish them?
Normally, our minds tend to run away with all kinds of thoughts, but when we let go, I thought we'd get in touch with our true nature, real self, which an experience might well reveal and represent. At least, that was my understanding, because without some sort of experience acting as a distinguishing feature, how should we know we're moving to the next level?
Seeker |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | This reminds me of something someone once upon a time pointed out to me. There were these 2 pictures of a Buddha meditating. They were EXACTLY the same pictures. Under one picture it read, "UN-ENLIGHTENED". Under the other it read, "ENLIGHTENED".
Edited by Cyndi 2007-08-27 11:00 AM
|
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
  
| seeker - first of all, I would say 2 hours is waaaay too long to start. It is a bit like starting to prepare for a running race by running for 2 hours only it is your brain and mind that will take the brunt of the discomfort rather than your legs. Try 20 minutes once or twice a day.
In my own admittedly limited experience with meditation, I found no extraordinary effects during the process. It was my day to day life that changed  |
|
| |
|
| WOW, thats an acheivement in its self to sit for two hours first time. However Patanjali, warns about getting attatched to strange phenomina or seeking it out. In Le Shans book How to meditate, he calls them alluring traps. Once you start getting to interested in exciting phenomina , such has, bright white lights or esp then the sight of the real goal, inner growth is lost
There is a story about buddha teaching his pupils, one of them shows him a feat of levitatation that he had perfected over many years, buddha turns around and says it would not help serious matters and went on with his discussion on inner development!!
I always reap the benefits after meditation, during my day
Cyndie there is also the zen saying "Before enlightenment I chopped wood and carried water
After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water" |
|
| |
|
| If nothing special happened, you are a good meditator. When someone has lot of past baggage, they go through detoxification. You might now consider classical yoga meditation where you actually choose an object and focus on it and advance. But, choosing object, etc. all this has to be done yourself or with the help of teacher. Nothing can be taught on the internet.
Best Luck.
seeker - 2007-08-27 8:22 AM
Hello,
I am new to this forum. I've started meditating. I usually try to stay still and let thoughts 'come and go', without trying to control or identify with them. Today, I did just that for a couple of hours. I was able to let go of all the thoughts that came into my mind. But even after two hours, nothing extraordinary happened. It was just a normal experience, where I was simply aware of the movement of thoughts, nothing more. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary.
I thought by doing this 'void meditation', something extraordinary would happen, but it didn't. The only diff. was that in the 'normal' state, I get carried away by thoughts, in this case, I was watching them pass me by. Also, I experienced some discomfort/mild pain around my forehead. Aside from that, I experienced nothing special or different, like seeing lights or visions or images, whatever.
Am I doing something wrong? At the moment, I can't find any teacher, so I'll have to learn by myself, so any help is appreciated.
Seeker |
|
| |
|
| kulkarnn - 2007-08-27 1:07 PM
If nothing special happened, you are a good meditator. When someone has lot of past baggage, they go through detoxification.
What I mean is, I didn't experience any expansion of consciousness. It's said our real nature is all-pervasive, that our identification with the body is only an illusion, and by meditating, we can drop this identification and feel one with the universe. This is advaita, I presume? But I didn't feel anything remotely close.
And what's classical yoga, btw? At the moment, my goal is to realize advaitic oneness through meditation. Am I asking too much? |
|
| |
|
| My previous post says exactly what I mean. If you did not experience anything out of the way during the practice you described earlier, you have a better background than the one who shall have some experiences.
Classical Yoga is what is described in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras. What I mean is you should take up meditation practice based on an object And, through that you shall get to Advata.
It is not asking too much. But it can take its own time.
seeker - 2007-08-27 3:01 PM
kulkarnn - 2007-08-27 1:07 PM
If nothing special happened, you are a good meditator. When someone has lot of past baggage, they go through detoxification.
What I mean is, I didn't experience any expansion of consciousness. It's said our real nature is all-pervasive, that our identification with the body is only an illusion, and by meditating, we can drop this identification and feel one with the universe. This is advaita, I presume? But I didn't feel anything remotely close.
And what's classical yoga, btw? At the moment, my goal is to realize advaitic oneness through meditation. Am I asking too much? |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| seeker - it does not all happen in a flash. Meditation is a PRACTICE and one must practice regularly for a long time to get to that oneness with the universe stuff. It requires patience and discipline. Go back and read the other advice you have been given, then go back and meditate 20 minutes once or twice a day for the next month and see how you feel  Don't forget to report back to us! |
|
| |
|
| Hi, I am curious about something Neel said. What exactly is meant by detoxification? I'm interpreting that as offloading bad karma. Is that right? If it is, how do strange experiences help us do that and why does having no such experiences imply better background? I'd be grateful if you could elaborate on this matter. Thanks. |
|
| |
|
| Neobrahman - 2007-08-28 2:48 AM
Hi, I am curious about something Neel said. What exactly is meant by detoxification? I'm interpreting that as offloading bad karma. Is that right? If it is, how do strange experiences help us do that and why does having no such experiences imply better background? I'd be grateful if you could elaborate on this matter. Thanks.
Hi NB,
This is my understanding of Neel's words. When a person has a lot of karma to work out, he'll have to get rid of them through experience. There is no other way, even for an enlightened man. And I don't think he said 'strange experiences', he simply said experiences imply a lot of karma to be worked out, whereas 'no experience' means a person may not be carrying a lot of baggage, probably due to a lot of spiritual sadhanas in previous lives.
Obviously, this implies a better background, because you have less karma to work out which means half the work is done, making it easier to progress in your sadhana. |
|
| |
|
| I have to be short, please. Let me give you another example:
Let us say you were a smoker of certain strength, mild, medium or heavy. Now, you decided not to smoke and go on a fast. Then, your old smoke which is an undesirable thing, but it is stored in your body shall start to come out. This is going to give you withdrawl symptoms. And, you might even feel worse than before, but at least you shall find some challenge This shall not happen if you were not having too many habits like smoking, your fasting experience will be rather pleasant.
Similarly, with the meditation which OP is doing.
Neobrahman - 2007-08-28 2:48 AM
Hi, I am curious about something Neel said. What exactly is meant by detoxification? I'm interpreting that as offloading bad karma. Is that right? If it is, how do strange experiences help us do that and why does having no such experiences imply better background? I'd be grateful if you could elaborate on this matter. Thanks. |
|
| |
|
| Hi, thank you for your replies. Actually by strange experiences I meant the ones that were mentioned in the original post, like visions, images, or seeing lights. Sorry for the choice of words that caused the misunderstanding.
I see your point that having 'experiences' will help exhaust the past karmic burden. But my understanding is that these experiences should include feelings across the spectrum: pleasure, pain, anger, hatred etc. to really repay your karmic debt. Provided this premise, how do these feelings manifest themselves during meditation as visions or lights? I assume here that these visions are mostly quite pleasant.
Take the example that Neel gave, the case of a chain smoker. When he tries to let rid of his habit, he must go through a lot of pain and discomfort to break through, isn't that so?
I apologise for being a little slow here. Thanks in advance for comments.
Edited by Neobrahman 2007-08-29 8:45 AM
|
|
| |
Very Ordinary Experience!
