r/Meditation • u/WonderingGuy999 • 1d ago
Discussion 💬 AMA
20 years meditating and MA in Divinity from Naropa U . . . AMA
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u/hassoun1212 1d ago
DO you think its possible to let go of sexual desires completely?
To live life alone with no companion happy and satisfied?
Can meditation alone heal traumas?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
The Buddha said that if there was a desire stronger than sexual desire he wouldn't be able to do what he had done.
A fully awakened Arahant is incapable of performing the sexual act. And on the path intentionally ejecting semen from the body is considered "defeat".
There are meditations designed to lessen sexual desire, like meditating on skeletons covering your room and a couple others.
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
As far as living happily without a partner, the Buddha's disciples sure did. Their mental health was perfect, they had a "gazelles mind" they said their bodies felt like air
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u/No_Chair_4476 1d ago
I'm from Vietnam and I've been learning Buddhism too because it's the main religion here. I suggest you too find a Monk call "Thich Minh Tue" , he's the most well known and realist in Vietnam right now and he 's starting his journey by barefoot to India . I learned about him so much , include meditation, it's mindfulness meditation as well, very simple. Also he are very strict in keeping the rule, mainly i notice through his way of meditating as well ,helped him through a lot of suffer , like eat 1 meal a day for example
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u/Future-Look2621 1d ago
what type of meditation do you practice or have found most beneficial for you and how do you believe that meditation has benefited for you? also, what is the meaning of life : ) ?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago edited 1d ago
I practice mindfulness of the body. According the Buddha it is the fastest way to enter the jnanas.
I also do what I call "find the self". In a deep state, ill ask myself "where is the self?" . . . Is it in my body somewhere? In my thoughts somewhere? In what I see or hear? . . . You start to realize it's just plain not there
The meaning of life? In a Buddhist way of thinking, it is to renounce sensual pleasures and be freed from the cycle of birth and death. But an artist may have a very different meaning, to create beautiful art for example.
It's more important to find your own meaning than ask someone what there's is
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u/Future-Look2621 1d ago
Is this mindfulness of the body called something in particular?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
No, it's just concentrating on the feeling of your body which could be considered shamatha
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u/Decent_Cicada9221 1d ago
Where does the Buddha say mindfulness of the body is the fastest way to jhana? Which Sutta?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
I'm not sure what sutta, I'm pretty sure I read it in the book "In the Buddha's Words, An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon,"
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u/manoel_gaivota 1d ago
The second practice you described is self-inquiry as taught by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.
It's interesting that you mix these two practices from different traditions. In a sense, doesn't that bother you?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
Not at all. We all have proclivities, and I use what's best for me
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u/manoel_gaivota 1d ago
What I want to say is that the Buddha's teachings point to the idea of anatman, not self and emptiness, sunyata. But in Advaita Vedanta self-inquiry culminates in the realization of atman and Brahman as unity. So when you mix these two practices that differ about the nature of reality, what truth do you find?
Are all phenomena devoid of intrinsic existence or does only Brahman exist? Or do you reconcile these two philosophies? In what way?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
Oh Gosh, for those saying "Atman is Brahman" is the same as "Anatman" my professor gave me the book "Pruning the Bodhi Tree, the Storm Over Critical Buddhism. It's a dense read, but attacks the issue you're facing
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u/manoel_gaivota 1d ago
I don't mean to be rude, but do you open an AMA and respond to people telling them to read a book? What's the point of that then?
Also, I did not say that "atman is Brahman" is the same as anatman. I said that these philosophies have different perspectives and asked how you reconcile them. I wanted to know your personal understanding, not the ideas in a book.
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
You have a point of course, but it's an argument of antiquity that has been argued about for centuries, a summation of which is beyond the scope of a reddit post. They have tried to reconcile this very problem for a very long time. There has never been a conclusion, even among some of the greatest Buddhist thinkers of the past centuries
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u/UnstableBrotha 1d ago
Is it advisable to practice many different types of meditation? I mostly practice rooted in zen/Mahayana but dabble in others too
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
It's kind of like Bruce Lee's Jeet Kun Do philosophy.
If it works for you, go for it. If not, discard it.
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u/manoel_gaivota 1d ago
What is the sound of one hand clapping?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
You can't see me rn
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
They say there's an answer, but that's absurd
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u/iwillruinyourlifes 1d ago
What benefits have you noticed? How long did it take to achieve them?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm more aware of the constant change of what I see hear think and the feeling of my body.
I'm sort of able to "take a step back in the mind" and become a mere objective observer rather than being "a self". But I'm not near complete selflessness . . . It takes the patience of one trying to empty the sea with a tea cup they say.
Really looking for benefits can be troublesome. It takes years. It's best to sit just to sit.
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u/DieOften 1d ago
How would your “mindfulness of body” practice be different from Vipassana?
Did you ever discover incredible amounts of habitual tension in your body and, if so, do you have any advice for working through that tension?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
And to be quite honest I never had trouble with tension in my body . . . Just my mind was way out of control
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
Mindfulness of the body is a one-pointed concentration practice i.e. shamatha.
With regards to vipassana, attaining insight into dependent origination (i wrote my final paper on dependent origination) or the Four Noble Truths is essential for a Buddhist practitioner . . .
If anyone is interested in reading the paper dm me
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u/scjedimindtrick 1d ago
How do you balance recognizing the ego and the self and being content with what is while also maintaining ambition?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
Without having a strong sense of self, you don't just become a floating ghost or something (for lack of better terms). You retain a will. For example the Buddha was very upset once when he found that he could not stop a war between two neighboring countries.
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u/Substantial-Sun-4706 1d ago
What books do you recommend? Recently I have had to be medicated for horrible intrusive thoughts some really troubling ones. Whenever I try to do mindfulness meditation as a beginner my mind goes wild. I get stuck on my intrusive thoughts at times. What would you recommend for a beginner? How long each day? When can someone expect to see tangible results?
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago edited 1d ago
Go for 20 minutes twice a day...
Books? "Mindfulness in Plain English" is great and so is "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula ( for a sound good book on exactly what the Buddha taught)
I have problems with intrusive thoughts sometimes. What I do is pretend my eyes are literally at the back of my head and I'm "watching" my thoughts go by. Don't force it or control it . . . Just watch. Just breathe.
Trust me I know it's difficult. I had really bad Pure O (obsessive compulsive disorder w/o rituals) for a long time. But once you start to not identify your self with passing thoughts the healing begins.
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u/Trapoholic__ 1d ago
How to prevent meditation from feeling like work? After every session I'm glad that I did it, but before hand there is alot of resistance.
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
Maybe switch up some of your techniques to make it more enjoyable? Or maybe follow a schedule? They say, "If you don't want to meditate for an hour, meditate for two hours
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u/smehere22 1d ago
What was/ is your purpose for meditating? Happiness, discovering ones true core/ nature, enlightenment? What were/ are you trying to accomplish?
And if you believe having happiness is a good goal of meditation..what is your explanation for many people who don't meditate or even do self inquiry having a relatively high level of happiness.
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u/WonderingGuy999 1d ago
I wanted to know what enlightenment was. I have very fond memories from about 2 decades ago of sitting in the park every day meditating just in complete wonderment of what this "special state of mind" was like. I've had tastes of it, I talk about it in my paper on dependent origination a little bit and have attained some realizations such as how karma works and others here and there.
Happiness comes in many forms. One's whose desires are few gets them.
I don't think it's necessary at all to meditate. It can even be likened to a hobby unless you are really propelled by religious or spiritual reasons. Some might think swimming is absolutely wonderful and maybe even necessary for health, but I for one really dislike it.
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u/smehere22 9h ago
Thank you for your answer. If you don't mind what are your thoughts on how karma works?
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u/AnthonyOrWhatever 19h ago
What distinguishes or even defines ‘proper’ mediation? How do you know if the time you spend “meditating” isn’t you just subconsciously telling yourself you meditated and feel satisfied even if you haven’t truly done it?
…Or, is that what mediation is? A self-affirmation, in a way?
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u/No_Jelly_6990 1d ago
Why are you doing an AMA? Lol