THE BASIS FOR ALL INNER WORK
Meditation is the basis of all inner work. It is the direct naked encounter with our own awareness that shifts our understanding of who we are and gives us the power to stand firmly in our own center. No one else can do this for us. Only meditation can unlock these doors.
Swami Durgananda - THE HEART OF MEDITATION (2001)
My meditation is a fusion of Buddha's Vipassana, affirmative prayer and conscious breathing as the breath is my "mantra" for concentration. I do believe that Meditation done in the true sense is more listening, while Prayer is more asking ...(for me in an affirmative way) . I am a fan of the Ho'Oponopono Prayer of forgiveness - do you know it? Oh, I do an affirmative mantra if I feel the need - such as breathing in gratitude and exhaling Love or God's Love is right here right now sometimes placing my right hand over my heart while repeating it. So, as you can see, I am a very flexible meditator/prayer.
Meditation is the basis of all inner work. It is the direct naked encounter with our own awareness that shifts our understanding of who we are and gives us the power to stand firmly in our own center. No one else can do this for us. Only meditation can unlock these doors.
Swami Durgananda - THE HEART OF MEDITATION (2001)
Jeeni Zucchini Your practice mirrors a dhamma course... vipassana - meditation, anapana - breathing and metta - prayer.
Ron Alexander By the way, I use a chair - don't have to become a human pretzel unless you want to and are very flexible! It is important to keep your spine straight as possible however.
James Barton Well I sometimes pray to "all genuine" saints as a safety phrase. This 'all genuine' definitely includes non-Christian saints though. I recommend the study of the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi as an example of a genuine saint. If you are only believing from a Christian viewpoint I think that you are missing out from much wisdom. One can also pray to the true Divine as another example phrase.
Ron Alexander How about the Saint within James Barton, do you believe in "Christ or Buddha Consciousness"?
James Barton Yes I do believe in Christ/Buddha consciousness, although I feel that most who believe themselves to be enlightened are actually subtley deluded. It is no good 'praying' to oneself and trying to get guidance like that when the guidance may be from the ego/negative subconscious beliefs or even deceptive entities which seek to misguide and feed off people. I feel that most channelled messages that state they are from angels or ancient masters are actually from negative entities pretending to be something they are not.
Many Christians are mistakenly likening eastern type practices with satanism etc. In actuality the genuine eastern/mystical practices are the opposite of satanism because satanism trys to build up and glorify their ego where as the mystical practices are about giving up and transcending the ego. What is your view on this?
Many Christians are mistakenly likening eastern type practices with satanism etc. In actuality the genuine eastern/mystical practices are the opposite of satanism because satanism trys to build up and glorify their ego where as the mystical practices are about giving up and transcending the ego. What is your view on this?
James Barton With praying the wording and intent are important. For example if someone is praying that everyone follows the truth of their particular religion etc they may actually be cursing others due to distortions in the doctrines as they believe them. It is safer and more humble to pray to the Divine for truth/understanding and that any false beliefs that we do have will be dissolved away from us. That way we embrace Truth more and more.
Ron Alexander My meditation is a fusion of Buddha's Vipassana, affirmative prayer and conscious breathing as the breath is my "mantra" for concentration. I do believe that Meditation done in the true sense is more listening, while Prayer is more asking (for me in an affirmative way) . I am a fan of the Ho'Oponopono Prayer of forgiveness - do you know it James Barton?
James Barton Hi Ron, I am a fan of Ho'Oponopono also. I have answered further on your post on my time line. One other thing though I believe that as long as we have gratitude we will also have blaming. Only when both are transcended is there true liberation. Gratitude is positive but I feel that many spiritual people are over attached to it etc. In a similar way forgiveness is good but it actually implies that we have blamed first and then have we forgiven. If there is no initial blaming then there can be no forgiveness and no need for forgiveness. Not that I am enlightened but anyway I still feel that forgiveness and gratitude are only stepping stone techniques which must be transcended eventually.
In my understanding concepts are arranged in opposite pairs. So to take things further: as long as there is gratitude not only will their be blaming but also guilt and pride in regard to our own apparent effect on others.
Ron Alexander Good feedback, recently I studied with Jack Kornfield who did teach the netineti, which was very helpful! I am going to copy and paste your comment on my board. One thing, that I differ with you is I don't believe that any part of me is "junk" and that includes the "ego". I am whole and perfect in reality. The "ego" is a word made up by Freud, as part of a psychological system. He defined it as the CONSCIOUS BRIDGE between the id(lower self) and the super-ego(higher self). The "ego" has been demonized, and when used is dualistic in nature. We do need to be aware of that "self" that could be too strong "narcissistic", egoist, egotistical, however, even worse, this "ego self" is generally too weak - people who become victims. Balance is the key, and we need to watch it like an inner child. Whatever, we cannot be here on this earth without this part. Gary Zukav calls the "ego" our "earth guide". Moreover, we cannot be present without it. I am sure that it is useless once we leave our bodies and this earth. Writing you may try to sub. "fearbased thinking" for this "ego self". I have been a resident of several ashrams with "Masters" who are supposed to be "egoless". First of all they needed a lot of servants waiting on them, and even then, I observed narcissism, usually when they thought only servants were around.
In my understanding concepts are arranged in opposite pairs. So to take things further: as long as there is gratitude not only will their be blaming but also guilt and pride in regard to our own apparent effect on others.
Ron Alexander Good feedback, recently I studied with Jack Kornfield who did teach the netineti, which was very helpful! I am going to copy and paste your comment on my board. One thing, that I differ with you is I don't believe that any part of me is "junk" and that includes the "ego". I am whole and perfect in reality. The "ego" is a word made up by Freud, as part of a psychological system. He defined it as the CONSCIOUS BRIDGE between the id(lower self) and the super-ego(higher self). The "ego" has been demonized, and when used is dualistic in nature. We do need to be aware of that "self" that could be too strong "narcissistic", egoist, egotistical, however, even worse, this "ego self" is generally too weak - people who become victims. Balance is the key, and we need to watch it like an inner child. Whatever, we cannot be here on this earth without this part. Gary Zukav calls the "ego" our "earth guide". Moreover, we cannot be present without it. I am sure that it is useless once we leave our bodies and this earth. Writing you may try to sub. "fearbased thinking" for this "ego self". I have been a resident of several ashrams with "Masters" who are supposed to be "egoless". First of all they needed a lot of servants waiting on them, and even then, I observed narcissism, usually when they thought only servants were around.
Thanks Tsimi James: Nothing is really not 'nothing'- but no thing other than I! In this no-thingness ...as this I...or Isness... we become all-thingness! Neti neti= Iti Iti. Not this not that- It is It is.
Thus nothingne...ss is not emptiness but fullness; detachment is not severance but all-inclusiveness; life isn’t distanced from but wholly and deeply entered....
Here & Now. I believe It is! – and It is not “a-thing” or “a nothing”.what arises inwards is always a silent understanding .. a realization!
When all the judgements of others no longer give you a bad feeling, then you are free from them, and at the end, you will be free of yourself. "
Tulku Lobsang ♥
Thus nothingne...ss is not emptiness but fullness; detachment is not severance but all-inclusiveness; life isn’t distanced from but wholly and deeply entered....
Here & Now. I believe It is! – and It is not “a-thing” or “a nothing”.what arises inwards is always a silent understanding .. a realization!
When all the judgements of others no longer give you a bad feeling, then you are free from them, and at the end, you will be free of yourself. "
Tulku Lobsang ♥
James Barton Yes, I like this. We are not simply nothing as in a mere emptyness we are actually a no-thing ie not a thing but pure spirit. This no-thing is full of bliss, wisdom and love.
Ron Alexander Michelle Bernadette Button - Buddhists use the word "emptiness", "void" or just "space" instead of "no - thing" - what we have to remember though is that we are speaking of is a state beyond our "normal life on earth". People who meditate deeply a lot ...See More
Michelle Bernadette Button i admit to wondering why so often the material world/body is seen as somehow 'evil' in religion; i wld hope there is more confidence in human beings to begin with and less emphasis on 'mind over matter' (mind 'vs' matter?)~ it seems dualistic and destructive
Michelle Bernadette Button maybe considering "earthly desires as enlightenment" (Nichiren branch seems less divided over this subject)
Ron Alexander No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Buddha This statement by the Buddha really shows the difference between Christianity and Buddhism. Fundamentalist Christians believe that you have to "be saved by Jesus" and salvation is the only path to "heaven".
Michelle Bernadette Button one of the reasons i gradually left the Christian view of this in religion~neither of my parents raised my sister or i w religion, but we got parochial school education later (mine by default, because of the busing situation in late 60's)
Michelle Bernadette Button in other words (Nichiren view, as it seems to me) 'learn from real consequences thru actual experiences w is "right" and "wrong", not lectures
Ron Alexander The Vipassana meditation I learned claims to be not even Buddhist however that it is Buddha's way of meditating and Buddha never meant for it to become a religion - just teaching meditation with the goal of getting beyond suffering!
Michelle Bernadette Button so refreshing to get beyond cut-and-dried labels and focus on the experience itself!
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