Shared anonymously:
Excerpt from my book
“The Search for Enlightenment – Is Death a Murderer?”
“Meditation methods usually describe a special sitting posture. One should sit upright on a cushion or in full lotus position on a mat. Attention can be focused on various objects such as the flow of breath, a candle flame, an inner image, a white wall or nothing in particular. In terms of dealing with thoughts that arise, it is useful to view them as clouds passing before the sky. Serenity toward passing thoughts enables one to notice the silence in which words and their meanings appear and disappear like soap bubbles. As a result, silence itself becomes an object of meditation. And this stillness is not dependent on any particular meditation practice, nor is it dependent on a sitting posture or the full lotus position. It is meditation, another name for what you are. Whether you are at the checkout counter in the supermarket or lying in bed after waking up, the stillness is there! You are there because you know yourself and what you are. And with that, practicing to achieve “something” has a natural end. Your practice from now on is to be yourself – effortlessly and serenely!”
There seem to be a couple of problems with some of these recommendations for “being yourself through meditation”:
1. Sitting on a cushion is uncomfortable for some people; better to sit in a way that is comfortable for you, not according to some dogma. Discomfort in the body will attract the attention to the body; better to allow the attention to rest in consciousness than on bodily sensations.
2. Focusing the attention on some object (concentration) leaves you with the object, not with the self who perceives the object. Better to focus on consciousness or nothing at all than to try to stop the mind from its natural wandering.
— An anonymous meditation teacher
Dear David, I am reading a disclaimer at the very beginning, not an endorsement:
“Meditation methods usually describe a special sitting posture.”
… and later another clarification/demystification:
“And this stillness is not dependent on any particular meditation practice”.
Isn’t it amazing how mind loves to see problems; I am aware of this old ingrained destructive tendency in myself.
Peace,
Holger
“Attention can be focused on ….. or nothing in particular.”
Trying to focus on Consciousness is turning awareness into an object, which it isn´t! It is the one and only subject there ever is and will be. But that is only my experience. Every mind has to find it for itself to finally get lost in joy and wonder.
Who am “I” to say that?
The one who knows that you are the same “I”
Nothing special!
Just a blue hippo. 🙂
There seems to be no published book with the name similar to “The Search for Enlightenment: Is Death…”.
David, such a title doesn’t sound inviting or sexy.
The death of the assumed “me”.
No the book has not been published (yet). I am still writing and correcting and I don’t know whether it will be published ever. If it happens it happens, if not no harm. The title will not have the „is death a murderer“ part in it. I was just playing with the idea… The writing is at the moment just for fun, for clearing concepts and maybe for my grandkids since I probably will not see them. So they get an idea about their grandfather and what he was interested in…
Rupert has said that meditation is what we are, not what we do. I assume that probably refers to what a fully realized person is. But I think this passage expresses that well (if we don’t let our many mental constructs and prejudices get in the way).
Who dies ?
The localized “I” is never born and never dies –
Only that which never changes is “real” death does not knock on the the door of the temporary ego”.
As all is one in dying, as Ramana Maharshi said to his disciples watching him drop his body – his response was why are you crying – as I am not separate – in the infinity where can “i” go?