16
votes
Can I practice Buddhism without meditating?
The Buddhist 3 Fold Training or main parts of the Noble 8 Fold Path are:
Morality,
Mastery over the Mind and
Wisdom.
You can practice 1 without meditation. But need meditation for to develop the ...
16
votes
What are the differences between vipassana and mindfulness meditation?
When Buddha taught meditation he did not explicitly separate it in different types. If you read Anapanasati Sutta, Satipatthana Sutta, Kimattha Sutta, Cula-suññata Sutta, and any number of suttas ...
- 55.2k
15
votes
How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?
If you have a smartphone, consider using a meditation timer app for keeping track of sessions. Simple ones like Meditation Helper (Android) or Meditation Timer (iPhone) are free and do the simple job ...
- 1,870
15
votes
Accepted
Is there any such thing as a bad meditation?
In the Gopaka-Moggallana Sutta (MN 108), Ananda points out that the Buddha didn't speak in praise of all types of meditation:
“The Blessed One, brahmin, did not praise every type of meditation, nor ...
- 23.8k
14
votes
How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?
The best way I've heard to a) keep track of time b) without a clock (or timer) was related to me by my 91-year-old teacher who said in the old days they used to use incense sticks; once the incense ...
- 23.8k
13
votes
What do you wish you knew when you started down the path of buddhism?
I am a Tibetan Buddhist, and have been for about 50 years.
I don't really know if I can help with that question - but maybe so.
Here are some things that might of use to a beginner.
Learn to develop ...
- 469
12
votes
Accepted
What is the minimum amount of time needed for a productive meditation sit?
My answer is based on oral transmission from Vajrayana teachers and thus I am unable to provide references.
I've been told that every meditation, however short, will bring about positive results and ...
- 2,756
12
votes
Unpleasant side effects of meditation
My local Buddhist temple's resident teacher Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo has this beautiful metaphor of the "poop soup", highly relevant to yours (and the rest of ours) situation.
In this metaphor ...
- 55.2k
11
votes
How much is the minimal time for practicing Vipassana in daily life for achieving better mindfulness?
Geez, ya'll are crazy. 30 minutes?
I'd say WORK up to that maybe after a few months of practice but in the beginning it is best to LIKE MEDITATION and do PRACTICE PROPERLY rather than just loiter ...
- 5,065
11
votes
Accepted
Sleep - What about it?
What are the proper relax / Sleep practices for a practitioner of meditation methods?
If you do Metta meditation before sleeping you are better off, as one benefit of Metta is you sleep well. ((Aṭṭha)...
9
votes
What is the recommended time of day for meditation?
No such recommended time. Especially if you are doing Vipassana meditation, you are advised to practice Samma Sati all the time. But early morning(just before dawn) is said to be a good time for ...
- 25.6k
9
votes
Is there some technique to surpass noises when meditating?
This sounds like perfect opportunity to practice insight meditation! If you watch your mind when these noises happen, you can notice how you become unhappy due to the mismatch between "is" and "should"...
- 55.2k
9
votes
Accepted
Which is the best posture to Practice meditation?
Bhikkhus, the bhikkhu following the practice of my Teaching, having gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree or to an empty, solitary place, sits down cross-legged, keeping his body erect, and ...
- 5,568
8
votes
Can I practice Buddhism without meditating?
IMO meditation is absolutely critical, but not at beginner's stages. I would even go as far as to recommend at least five years of practice before one tries meditation. What would that practice look ...
- 55.2k
8
votes
Accepted
How often to meditate and how far apart
How often should you meditate? The short answer is every day, and don't overdo it.
The long answer: If, like me, you want a lasting improvement in your day-to-day affairs, you should prioritize ...
- 2,588
8
votes
Accepted
Is there some technique to surpass noises when meditating?
You should watch this Youtube video, in which Ajahn Brahm speaks about his experiences with mosquitoes in Thailand, when he first became a monk. As a monk, he is not allowed to kill them and his ...
- 33.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How important are incense and candles to a meditation practice?
Incense and candles are not essential to a meditation practice. They can aid in concentration, but they can also become an emotional crutch if we become attached to them. I did the ritual of lighting ...
- 2,588
7
votes
Accepted
How to use a Tibetan singing bowl when meditating solo?
Traditionally, both Tibetan as well as Far East meditation masters, use singing bowl as a gong to mark beginning and end of meditation session. In a Korean Zen school I attended, the bowl is struck ...
- 55.2k
7
votes
Accepted
In what way(s) does engaging in sexual activity affect meditation practice?
Sensual pleasure is one of the Five Hindrances which are like "canals dissipating the force [awareness/discernment strength] of a river current" as taught by the Buddha in AN 5.51:
"...
- 9,458
7
votes
Eyes in Meditation Practice
The guidance I got from one teacher, of Tibetan Nyingma school, is to let the eyes relax. In detail, this includes:
keep them open but not stare-open - don't strain to keep them half-closed either,
...
- 55.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Software programming/Art and Buddhist Practice - Pursuing creative activity
Yes it's a problem.
To some extent an impossible problem, in the sense that ...
The Difficult We Do Immediately. The Impossible Takes a Little Longer.
Quote Investigator also gives that as,
"...
- 43.1k
6
votes
How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?
Having to look at a clock every few minutes really defeats the purpose!
Have you ever tried telling yourself to wake up at a certain time before you sleep? I can tell you from personal experience ...
- 971
6
votes
What is the minimum amount of time needed for a productive meditation sit?
One minute of mindfulness is better than none. Just remembering to sit and be mindful IS being mindful. I once read from Sharon Salzberg that she knew a man who always sat on his mat at least once a ...
- 1,163
6
votes
Would an advanced practitioner ever stop meditating?
Would an advanced practitioner ever stop meditating?
If we take the Buddha & his disciples as an example, I would say, no. I would also not see a reason why. In the texts, the jhānas are ...
- 3,716
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