I will answer any question regarding meditation or enlightenment/nirvana

Well the thread title speaks for itself, any question you have on meditation or Buddhist enlightenment or nirvana. I have extensive knowledge of Buddhism but some may not consider it Orthodox and rely more so on personal experience of meditation. In case you are wondering, no I am not doing this to brag, I'm doing this because I'm BORED!

So sue me for not having perfect patience, plus I also like to talk about this so ask away. I'll be your friend if you do LOL.

Ever had an Out of Body Experience?
What does it feel like if you have?

I don't believe in enlightenment. I think if such a thing is real; everybody is already enlightened or at least, has the potential to be enlightened. What makes you enlightened? Why do you feel enlightened? What information did you gain from enlightenment?

Nirvana? I got nothing to say about that. I am not one for religious discussion, not even for buddhism.

How is your posture? I ask because I have a horrid posture and I am trying to fix it, and I believe it is interfering with my meditation, not only that, but making my every day breathing much more demanding than I believe it needs to be.

Do you ever meditate to a metronome AS SLOW AS IT CAN GO? Isn't it kinda fun? Really helps me to slow the $#!% out of my breathing.

How do you breathe, btw? Cause the way I normal breathe, if I don't concentrate is that i inhale and then I sometimes (if i'm not paying attention) hold it in as if I were holding in a toke, and then I exhale. But if I DO pay attention I inhale and as soon as I feel i'm done inhaling I immediately exhale, and then when I'm done exhaling I take a very short pause where I don't inhale or exhale, and then I slowly start to inhale until it gets to a deep inhale and then I immediate exhale and start the process over.

well, you wanted questions... you got 'em

reply to post by filosophia


Hello,

Saying that you have "extensive knowledge" of Buddhism, raises a red flag for me... But I'll ask a question. What is enlightenment?

How do i tie my shoe laces?

What is the first step in the journey? For real. Don't tell me I just made it by asking.

If that's the case, what's the second?

Thanks

thank you for them. My out of body experience is the same every time. It is not so much a physical out of body experience as it is a transcending from the lower to the higher. The whole point of meditation is to find the center of your consciousness, this is the higher state. Enlightenment and nirvana are just words to describe what's going on, a lot of Sanskrit words help in the process of meditation. Nirvana simply means the blowing out or extinguishing of lower universe which is equal to transcendence.

My posture is fine I guess, I really only do one asana, which is simply the Indian style half lotus position (I can't do a full lotus) with my back straight. I do not do much breathing exercises now, but I used to do breath in 4 counts, hold 16 counts, breath out 8 counts, and hold another 4 with no breath in. This is kind of difficult so I recommend doing in 4 counts, hold 8 counts, out 4 counts, hold 2 counts until you can work your way up to it. After a your mind is open a bit you don't have to do any more so don't pass out from it or anything.

After that, meditation is really about breaking free of your physical consciousness and raising upwards in your mind until you reach the point where your mind becomes engulfed in light or "enlightened" and it feels as if you go out of your body into the realm of your mind. You become more associated with your will rather than your body, and you get a preceding view of your body almost as if you are a witness watching a movie that is your body. By turning your mind away from your body and towards your soul, your mind merges with your soul and you almost completely break free of sensory attachment. Almost, it takes practice, and I still have breaks in concentration after 7 years of meditation. However, it gets better and better and the more you practice the more you can enter longer states of transcendental bliss. It's really worth it to try. Good luck with your spiritual journey.

reply to post by andy1033


that's not really a question regarding meditation so I regret to inform you that I can not answer that question. Please see Mrs. B in the yellow bumble bee sweater prior to nap time.

reply to post by Silenceisall


Enlightenment in technical terms is synonymous with subjugation of the 5 aggregates.

5 aggregates: form, feeling, perception, experience, consciousness. These are impermanent under Buddhist theory.

Subjugation of aggregates means the breaking free of all fetters, no longer having attachment (meaning one becomes a Buddha, fully enlightened being).

Enlightenment is equal to subjugation, as such in Buddhism there is no thing which is a Self but rather the elimination of the attachments eliminates desire and rebecoming, which subsequently eliminates suffering. To eliminate suffering is the main goal of Buddhism.

Thus in summation once again: enlightenment is the subjugation of the 5 aggregates whereby one is free of all attachments. That is a state equal to Buddhahood.

Originally posted by filosophia
I will answer any question on Enlightenment

Is Isness?

reply to post by WickettheRabbit


The first step is searching, so the second step is to practice meditation. All you have to do is sit on the ground, close your eyes, and think, or don't think, whatever is easier for you, just observe. Cross your legs in the infamous "Indian style" i.e. half lotus position to give your spine proper support (don't hold the position if your legs feel uncomfortable), and try and push your thoughts to the tip of your head. Try and open up the chakra at the top of your head, just feel what it feels like. Observe yourself, try and analyze what it is you are experiencing.

After some effort, read some serious philosophy, not just a book on meditation, but something like the Upanishads, or Bhagavad Gita, or Buddhism. Start to understand how the spiritual disciplines talk about the mind and the soul. The goal of meditation is to take your mind, which is your apparatus of thought, to examine your Soul, which is your true self, the real you beyond your body. Meditation is about breaking free of your physical association of you as a body and start to identify yourself as a Transcendent Soul. The finer points of this theory is where the study comes in, as you can sharpen your mind so you have a greater understanding of your soul. For instance, you should be able to understand that it is immaterial, and thus outside of the physical body. Doubt is the key force that drives this searching for the soul, as the mind is constantly trying to objectify the soul, which is what meditation is all about: trying to envision the soul. But since the soul is beyond subject and object, you can only realize you are it, which is the goal of meditation: realizing your true nature.

reply to post by filosophia


This is nice in theory, but it is theory, and the stuff of mind. You are presenting concepts to characterise something which is impossible to conceptualize. Your line of reasoning, like all mental movements, is driven by division, and only encourages further seeking and effort, when what is needed is a ceasing of all seeking and effort. The out of body experiences are the fireworks of realization, but are in no way equivallent to true seeing.

[edit on 3-6-2010 by Silenceisall]

reply to post by Skyfloating


There is only one Is but all else is isness, the essence of Is.

reply to post by Silenceisall


Enlightenment is beyond words so you are correct that my speech is duality in nature, same as yours. The experience of enlightenment is however possible through realization of the true spirit. Since we are attached to body, we experience detachment (and if we fall again, re-attachment). So while the Absolute has no feeling to it, we as human beings can feel enlightenment. And attempt to speak of it.

reply to post by filosophia


No movement is required for "enlightenment." In fact, even the thought of no movement and doing nothing should be jettisoned. The idea of travelling somewhere immediately takes you out of the present, which is where awareness resides. Any movement somewhere, any process, any strategy, implies something moving forward. That thing which you imagine that you are moving forward is your ego. You cannot keep your ego and see reality.



[edit on 3-6-2010 by Silenceisall]

reply to post by Silenceisall


which is why it is not really an out of body experience since that might imply a new body but rather knowledge of the truth. Reality is a state, not a being.

reply to post by filosophia


I'm not sure how to accomplish pushing my thoughts to the top of my head, but I guess the effort of trying is very close to the doing.

Thank you for the advice.

reply to post by filosophia


My friend, what you have is an enlightenment of the mind--which has nothing to do with anything but the mind. But that is in no way meant to devalue what you have discovered.



[edit on 3-6-2010 by Silenceisall]

reply to post by filosophia


My intention is not to slam you, but I am curious, as to what you think your enlightenment, has done for yourself, personally, and most importantly, the world.

Wouldn't you consider enlightenment just another form of religion, used in controlling the masses?

Really, if it were that good, you wouldn't have to be here, explaining it, now would you?

You have already said in this thread, what you experience is hard to put to words, so, my thought is that while you are sharing, it is a personal experience for the experiencer.

What works for you, might not work for another.

Your enlightenment, might not be the enlightenment of another.

reply to post by WickettheRabbit


Basically the way to do it is to concentrate on what you are seeing with your eyes, and then shift that vision away from the object towards the mind itself, try and see within the mind rather than the object. What will happen is your rational thinking will take over as there is no more images to comprehend. At this point you can start to contemplate your own rationality, meditating on your thoughts.

reply to post by Silenceisall


anything more and I would have to be dead. Even the historical Buddha suffered physical sickness. To be a truly spiritual being you would have to transcend the universe, meaning you can't have physical perfection.