Questions tagged [personal-practice]
Questions containing or motivated by some aspect of personal experience. The experience can be during formal Buddhist practice or during everyday activity however the experience will be related to Buddhist practice or doctrine. The questions will necessarily have a subjective quality however the question or answers will contain references to Buddhist scripture, doctrine or an established teacher.
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Can equanimity overcome physical pain?
I saw this scientific article -- Learning to Accept Discomfort Could Help You Thrive -- on overcoming pain, discomfort and negative emotions. There is one part in the article which seems incredible:
...
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Buddhist attitude(s) towards failures in life
Perhaps for the enlightened ones, those on the path to enlightenment and those aiming for higher goals, worldly pursuits are not issues of concern. But they are important to many ordinary folks.
What ...
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Is Buddhism elitist?
If you have means, Buddhist notions are much easier to live by. If you do not, you may have to break the precepts in order to survive. This is particularly true for women and other vulnerable peoples. ...
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Following Buddhist concepts in non Buddhist society
How do you reconcile Buddhist concepts/faith in a non-Buddhist society? For example if you live in a society where you are to kill(stray or sick animals) or expected to lie as part of your livelihood?
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Misunderstanding of the Buddha’s words on karma
I have often seen the Anguttara Nikaya 4.77 being quoted as in this post against pondering on the precise workings of karma. My question: is there a misunderstanding of the Buddha’s words thus ...
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Serious asthma and meditation, how much should I struggle? Is anxiety at night ok?
I have struggled with serious chronic asthma all my life. I started meditating and in general felt very relaxed. However a few years into the practice my asthma became very serious. One night I ...
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Converting knowledge into wisdom
This question arises from a recent post. There is a related question on the difference between knowledge and wisdom but this is more on how wisdom (insights) can arise from knowledge.
The definition ...
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Why do I struggle to meditate daily or regularly?
I have been meditating for more than 10 years now. My aim is to meditate daily, but somehow I always get lost in activities that feel more important or urgent at the time. Then, suddenly I realize ...
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💚What did the Buddha say about courage?
☸What did the Buddha say about being afraid & handling fear?
☸Are there any scriptures about fear & courage?
☸What did he say about facing fear?
☸Is there any Buddhist practice that will help ...
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Where does morality come from in Buddhism?
I have a hypothetical question.
Let's say I don't believe in karma, reincarnation, or any deities of any sort. I also saw in some texts and videos that, to achieve higher awareness, I should not ...
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How to get away from the desire to become a Buddhist Teacher or some influencer followed by many?
My mind creates this desire or a dream that I will get enlightened and become some sort of Guru who teaches Buddhism to many, I will become someone like Bodhidharma or Milarepa etc.
I want some ...
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Will aiming for emptiness instead of awareness of breath help attaining meditative absorption states?
I am finding it difficult to focus on the incoming-outgoing breath. Whenever I become mindful of my breath, the Mind kicks in. I cannot even focus for 5-10 breaths, the mind activates. Giving the mind ...
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Can open monitoring meditation lead to states of Jhana?
I have read about the states of Jhana through Focused Attention Meditation by focusing on breath in Ajahn Brahm's book Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond. But I find it extremely difficult to focus my ...
- 2,221
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Am I "studying" too much and practicing too little?
I am new to practicing Buddhism. I was first introduced to it through reading "What The Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula. Since then I've begun practicing Ānāpānasati and zazen, as well as ...
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Does consciousness, or wakefulness, have any relationship to space or time?
In my years of meditation practice, I have both experienced time contracting (appearing to pass at great speed) or dilating and seeming to come to a near standstill.
I begin my meditation practice by ...
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What is stream entry?
While doing meditation I had experienced sudden stop of mind for a second. Then restart again reflecting that is peaceful. What was that experienced?is it stream entry?
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What is access concentration?
When sit for the meditation ears were blocked. Just like sink into the water. But sounds were heard. With the time it's heard in less intensity. Is that access concentration? Before this developed ...
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How to prolong post meditation emotions, feelings and thoughts?
Whenever I get a good meditation, meaning pleasant feelings arise, they subside after some time. I know that's not the goal of meditation and I should let go of anything, not cling to anything. But ...
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What is the difference between 'Witnessing' and 'Mindfulness' from the context of meditation?
Since for my last question, I did not get a satisfactory answer I am reducing the question to its barebones.
What is the difference between 'Witnessing' and 'Mindfulness' from the context of ...
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What is the difference between 'Witnessing the thoughts' vs 'Mindfulness of the thoughts'?
I am a bit confused about what is the difference between 'witnessing meditation' as taught by Osho, which can be found here, here, and here, and 'silent present moment awareness' (page number 11) as ...
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Is it true that its always thoughts that creates emotions?
Firstly, this question is related to this stack because during the mindfulness meditation we are told to be aware of our passing thoughts and emotions.
I was going through a video that said that '...
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Vipassana meditation in day to day life
During meditation practice have seen thinking stops ,then for 2 or 3 minutes no thinking. What have experienced?is it the pure mind?
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Stuck in householders equanimity, what to do next?
I was in a really bad situation five-six years back. Since then, I have been sincerely practicing the dhamma and have overcome all the five hindrances to meditation.
I am a layman and I meditate (...
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How to deal with immense guilt over past acts of cruelty? Is sincere repentance and striving really enough?
I won't go into details, but I am dealing with horrible guilt and shame over cruel acts I have committed in the past. It feels like I am now come to terms with the significance of these actions, and ...
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Is identifying with the good always a problem?
When a person or a group of people identify themselves with "the good" (in opposition to "not so good" or even "the evil" of others), quite often this can lead to "...
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Difficulty letting go of attachment
I've been training in spirituality for for about 8 years. I used to do formal meditation practice couple of times a day. Now I find that I kind of live my life more in a meditative way. I'm living a ...
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Mindfulness in lay work
Mindfulness requires being non judgemental, but what should one do when the work requires judgement where a standard needs maintained? Is there a form of objective judgement that that can be used like ...
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Can i be reborn having my father again?
I lost my father when I was a kid. Can I be reborn with the same father?
I didn't know him well, as I was very young, but from people's words, he was a great man, and I'm dying to know him, to love ...
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Motivation and long-term practice
I have been meditating (samatha-vipassana within the Theravada tradition) for many years now, and I see myself always falling in the same pattern:
(1) I have periods of very high motivation, which can ...
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Is Upekṣā (equanimity) a feeling or simply numbness?
Is Upekṣā (equanimity) a certain kind of feeling which if attained, everyone will feel in a similar way, or its a kind of numbness to sensory input? From the wiki the definition of equanimity says
is ...
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What to do in order to get back to meditating?
I meditated for many years and read quite a few Buddhist books by famous authors from here in America and abroad. Unfortunately, I have fallen away from meditating on a regular basis and reading ...
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Where exactely is the 'source of thoughts' and the 'feeling of self' located?
When I am meditating, most of the time the thoughts feel like arising from the heart center, and sometimes they feel like lingering in the head. Same with the 'feeling of self', most of the time it ...
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Why is that the pleasent feelings last for small time while unplesent feelings seem to last forever?
Why is it that when we feel pleasant and positive feelings, the state of heart-mind is evanescent while when we are feeling down and unpleasant feelings that state of heart-mind feels like everlasting?...
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How do you know which mantra suits you the most?
I've been practicing mantra for quite a while now & received empowerments for a few. The main ones that I practice are Guru Rinpoche, White Tara, Vajrasattva 100-syllable. I take care not to go ...
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Is there any consolation to have arrived at the Buddha dharma?
At times when the mind is critical of not having achieved the samsaric goals, is there any consolation to have arrived at the Buddha dharma, especially from a non-Buddhist background?
If so, how will ...
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Most efficient practices you will quickly do to recover/re-generate Bodhicitta and/or right view of Śūnyatā if realizing losing mindfulness of?
In daily (secular) life, if you realize that you are being or have been losing (or forgetting) mindfulness of Bodhicitta and/or right view of Śūnyatā, what (most efficient practices) you will quickly ...
user21001
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How to combat self-doubt?
Doubt (Vicikitsa)is one of the five hindrances to progress to meditation. I searched for the hindrance of doubt, and as I understand it is the 'doubt in Buddha, his attainment and the Dhamma he taught'...
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How to overcome fear of annihilation in meditation and why is it not included in list of hindrances to meditation?
Over a period of last few years I have almost completely eradicated the 'five hindrances' to meditation. However, sometimes when I am in deep meditation, I feel an intense fear of 'getting annihilated'...
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Tips for overcoming laziness
In my personal practice, I have found laziness to be my most clearly visible defilement. It plays a role in preventing me from getting out of bed, hindering my mindfulness throughout the day, and ...
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Does Shikantaza lead towards attaining Jhana, if not, is there any progression?
I have been practicing two different meditations over the years, one is Anapanasati, i.e. mindfulness of breath as I learned from S.N.Goenka, and the other is Zazen or Shikantaza i.e. just sitting, ...
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Questions Regarding Venerable Ānanda's Overview of Meditation
I SUGGEST & REQUEST THAT YOU READ DN 10 (LINKED) BEFORE READING AND/OR ANSWERING THIS POST.
After contemplating DN 10, several questions have arisen in me pertaining to the clarification of the ...
user21588
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Different types of vipassana meditation?
I am interested in vipassana meditation.
What are the different types of vipassana meditation?
user21580
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Why Become Buddhist?
I am interested in Theravada Buddhism.
What are some concrete reasons as to why one should become a Buddhist?
user21580
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What are the signs indicating onset of wisdom because of meditation practice?
One of the benefits of the meditation practice that is widely talked about is becoming more wise. I am not sure if there is a universal definition of wisdom so I am trying to see what wisdom other ...
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Can I save my meditation practice or should I abandon it?
I'm having a really hard time. Not just in my meditation practice, but in my life in general.
I've established a habit of 20 minutes of meditation first thing in the morning, then another 15 minutes ...
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How do we forgive ourselves? [duplicate]
When we make a mistake, how do we forgive ourselves? I know that bhikkhus must confess in front of the Sangha if they break a certain Vinaya (monastic rule). But what about lay people? Do we have to ...
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What does random Images flashing during mediation mean ,if anything at all?
I started meditation with Headspace app and have experienced a lot during meditation such as irrational fear of someone breaking in to the house and killing me while I was meditating , fear of snakes ...
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I have a question, but feel it's far to sensitive to share here
I have a question about my current practice, but feel it's far too sensitive to share here. I do not personally know any person, teacher or guru who I could ask this question. What could I do in this ...
user17652
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Can long sits be easier than short sits?
I tend to write down when I meditate, and also note the length of the sessions. Observing my notes, I had the impression that when I sat for longer times (40m - 1h), I also was paradoxically more ...
user7302
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How do you keep your tranquility?
I do manage to keep my self calm at times. But lately i feel i can't control the bubbling anger within me. I keep lashing out over small things. Sometimes even the smallest things can annoy me. I have ...
