18
votes
Accepted
The object of meditation
In the meditation taught in the original Buddhist scriptures, the mind stays with the breath & free from thought.
In the original Buddhist scriptures, there is no 'shift' when vipassana is ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
More self control - Beginners
One starts by seeing with insight how the old habits are disadvantageous, unsatisfactory (incapable of bring lasting hapiness), dangerous, harmful &/or promote suffering.
One starts by seeing ...
- 42.8k
5
votes
The object of meditation
The focus of this meditation is breath. Keep coming back to that. I recommend you seek out some in-person meditation instruction - it will really help your meditation.
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
Normal Deep Breathing vs Buddhism Basic Meditation
Difference is one doesn't "force" his breathing in meditation to be long or short, deep or shallow. One's just "aware" of their in and out breaths. If it's a long one, s/he's aware ...
- 9,689
4
votes
What other suttas instruct how to do Anapanasati, apart from the Anapanasati Sutta?
MN62 Maha-Rahulovada Sutta is one of them.
"[1] Breathing in long, he discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or
breathing out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long.' [2] Or
breathing in ...
- 399
4
votes
Accepted
Beginner Buddhist Breathing?
In my opinion (and there are definitely different schools of thought here), the significance of this practice derives from the fact that breathing is the most direct connection between our normal ...
- 58.9k
3
votes
How to differentiate between natural vs artificial breathing pattern during meditation?
If your aim is vipassana then what forced the breath? If the breath is forced or not forced that is what is and can just be witnessed mindfuly as it happens. If the breath was seemingly controlled by ...
- 7,240
3
votes
When I focus on my breath, it becomes shallow
Doesn’t matter if your breath is deep or shallow. Just let it do what it wants to do. If you force it, you are introducing volition. All that’s going to do is lead to tension and doubt. Just let ...
- 351
3
votes
Observing the breath vs Pranayama
Calm down the mind - breath is indicator of mind state.
https://plumvillage.org/sutra/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing/
‘Breathing in a long breath, I know I am breathing in a long ...
- 58.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Meditation - how to breathe naturally?
I bicycle regularly so maybe I'm good at breathing (get a good amount of oxygen from each breath).
If I sit at rest I seem to need about 4 breaths per minutes. Apparently that's abnormal (maybe even ...
- 47.1k
3
votes
More self control - Beginners
The short answer is BE WISE. BE PURE IN DEED, SPEECH AND THOUGHT.
The wise are controlled in deed, they are controlled in speech, they are controlled in thought. Only if you could stay heedful, would ...
- 9,685
2
votes
In breathing mindfulness ,why only long and short breaths are taken into consideration?
If the mind has right mindfulness (which is a quiet mind due to keeping the mind free from craving), it will naturally & automatically become aware of the breathing. This being aware of the ...
- 42.8k
2
votes
Mental Release from Breath Versus Metta
Someone practising metta meditation can make one's mind concentrated easily but metta meditation does not in itself result in deep absorption as the object of concentration is changing and vittaka ...
2
votes
Simplest version of anapanasati
The SN 54.3 linked is not a "simple version". The link is merely abbreviated because the 16 stages are listed in previous suttas.
If per SN 47.20, mindfulness is keeping the mind on the task, since ...
- 42.8k
2
votes
May one learn how to breathe from the diaphragm (Buddha Belly Breathing) holistically throughout all of their activities and if so how exactly?
Welcome to the community! Before answering your question, I believe some clarification would be helpful.
As the user Buddhism pointed out, specific breathing exercises are more related to other ...
- 618
2
votes
Accepted
May one learn how to breathe from the diaphragm (Buddha Belly Breathing) holistically throughout all of their activities and if so how exactly?
The Buddha discusses mindfulness of breathing here:
MN118:15.1: Mendicants, when mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it is very fruitful and beneficial.
Find a comfortable, quiet ...
- 9,477
2
votes
Mindfulness improves academic performance?
This question appears not answerable. For example, if your vipassana practise is highly successful, your mind could become "dispassionate" towards mathematics. Instead of earning a PHD, you ...
- 42.8k
2
votes
Mindfulness improves academic performance?
Please see this answer for adaptation of Buddhist mindfulness into medical therapies called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
Those therapies ...
- 37.5k
2
votes
How to stay mindful of the gap in the breath
What I watch are the feelings of irritation or tension or rushing in my mind, generated in the very beginning and the very end of the gap.
My goal in meditation is to notice how I subconsciously ...
- 58.9k
2
votes
Observing the breath vs Pranayama
For people with 'monkey-mind', often controlling the breath for a period may be beneficial to help the mind calm down. However, true Buddhist meditation is merely allowing the mind to watch the breath ...
- 42.8k
2
votes
Hard to breathe during meditation
it's not enough air. A bit scary too.
It's quite difficult to give detailed advice over the internet. What you describe is actually somewhat concerning. The best advice would be to seek out someone ...
- 9,477
2
votes
Meditation - how to breathe naturally?
When I started meditation it was also a major problem for me.
Just as you described, when you are unconsiously controlling your breath while trying not to, you either breath too much or too little. ...
- 607
2
votes
Meditation - how to breathe naturally?
Even trying not to control is a form of control. Trying not to control the breath is just further control of the breath.
The best thing to do is to just accept the breath as it is even when it ...
- 7,240
2
votes
Non-attachment as object of meditation
I think all these descriptions - meditation on non-attachment, meditation with no goal, "just sitting", Diamond Samadhi etc. all refer to the type of meditation where your goal is to learn to be at ...
- 58.9k
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