7
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Which is the easiest of the four paths for a novice lay practitioner?
The sutta was spoken by Ananda. It is not the words of the Buddha. The Buddha taught samatha & vipassana are developed in tandem (MN 149; Dhp 372); as demonstrated in MN 118 (when it is properly ...
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5
votes
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Schopenhauer’s inexplicable disturbance in the heavenly calm of Nirvana?
There is a similar question here: What is the starting of Samsara?.
I would be surprised if there was any Buddhist reference supporting Schopenhauer's claim that "the world came into being as a ...
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4
votes
Computer Feedback in Meditation
I've heard of some meditators who use tools like EEGs. Of late these models are becoming pretty cheap, USD 100-500, which was unthinkable even a few years ago. They can't be very accurate at this ...
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4
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Computer Feedback in Meditation
Biofeedback programs just take data such as heart rate, blood pressure, etc... and display them on a screen so that the person can see them. The underlying theory is that if a person can directly see ...
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4
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jhānas, Zen, and how to practice concentration meditation
Ajahn Brahm wrote a book about jhana called 'Mindfulness, Bliss & Beyond'. It is 291 pages long. The first 65 pages are at this link.
The method in this book emphasizes 'letting go' & is thus ...
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4
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Meditation - hot and expectant in the morning
Be expectant in life as a house holder but not when meditating. When meditating focus on the task at hand.
With regards to ideal time for meditation, it depends, from person to person and time to ...
4
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How can we choose more congenial Kammattana?
You will need trial and error but generally based on the personality types.
The Pali commentaries further provide guidelines for suggesting meditation subjects based on one's general temperament:
...
4
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Which is the easiest of the four paths for a novice lay practitioner?
I believe that many/most people understand the meaning of jhana incorrectly. Bhikkhu Kumara has written a book recently to address this. He is waiting on more feedback before allowing people to post ...
4
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Help Me Choose which meditation i Should do Anapanasati or Brahmaviharas?
Brahmaviharas is a lower type of meditation than Anapanasati. In Brahmaviharas you use your intellect, to make up suggestions or narratives, that condition your point of view a certain way. In ...
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4
votes
Is samadhi the same as samatha? Is there khanika samatha?
If I sit dow on the cushion for a moment, that's momentary samatha. Samatha is simply calmimg. It can take place anywhere. Samatha can lead to samadhi, but the two are by no means identical. It ...
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3
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Shamata - attention on upper lip, diaphragm or belly?
Well it depends on the teacher who is guiding you. If you do have a teacher go by what he instructs.
One of interpretations focul point (as in the original teaching as well as the most effective ...
3
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Is samatha meditation more suited to lay people than vipassana?
Samatha = citta-samatha = Leading to wholesome mind = seclusion of unwholesome in 5 strings, kāmaguṇa.
Vipassanā = samatha-vipassanā = Leading to sabbasaṅkhāra-samatha, nibbāna = seclusion of whole ...
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3
votes
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Sila before samatha, samatha before vipassana according to AN 11.1-3?
As I explained in "Is samatha meditation more suited to lay people than vipassana?", the factors of "being good", "feeling good", "calming down", "understanding", and "liberation" are designed to ...
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3
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Samatha vs Vipassana. What are the mechanics?
What you say is well researched, that's the traditional view. There are some other sutras to look at in addition:
Ekottara Agama 17.1
https://web.archive.org/web/20110811122049/http://sites.google....
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Samatha vs Vipassana. What are the mechanics?
Vipassana (insight) is direct clear seeing thus does not requiring any thinking. Therefore vipassana it is not antagonistic to samatha (tranquility).
Both samatha & vipassana are natural results ...
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3
votes
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Samatha while studying
Higher levels of concentration is not possible while the mind is active but you can have some level of non-exclusive focus on like the breath or bodily sensations while working. You need to develop ...
3
votes
Accepted
What causes the arising of fear that the sense of "me" will be threatened by the fruition of my practice?
The Pali suttas teach self-identity is born from craving. For example:
The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion &
delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., ...
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3
votes
Accepted
What effect does social media, mobile gaming and watching movies have on my meditation practice?
If you are regularly practising meditation, you should know for yourself how various activities affect your meditation.
For example, if desires & thoughts about various activities pop into your ...
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3
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What effect does social media, mobile gaming and watching movies have on my meditation practice?
You let go of the grosser forms of happiness, the grosser strategies for happiness, and get used to more and more refined ones. And they finally take you to the point where there's no course left but ...
- 57.6k
3
votes
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Is samadhi the same as samatha? Is there khanika samatha?
Shamatha and Samadhi are not synonyms.
Samadhi is Single-Pointed Concentration, a completely stable and highly refined state of attention. You can achieve voluntary sustained Samadhi through ...
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3
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What were the Original Methods of Meditation and their Instructions as Expounded by the Buddha?
Links to the most important suttas on meditation here:
https://lucid24.org/misc/raft/index.html (disclosure: my website, most of the sutta translations derived from B. sujato).
You'll want to start ...
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3
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I am trying to find the correlation between theravada jhana, rupa/arupa and the 9 levels of calm abiding in tibetan buddhism
In the Gelugpa's Lamrim tradition for sure, and I suspect in most other Lamrim traditions as well, the four rupa jhanas and the subsequent arupa jhanas are practiced after the 9 abidings, once the ...
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3
votes
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Better results when pausing meditation?
Interestingly, I experience a similar phenomenon when I miss a day. My first sit back on the cushion always seems to be better (you'll note the emphasis). I always feel more relaxed and it appears ...
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2
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What is the difference between a Vipassana Jhana and a Samatha Jhana?
The confusion arise because the Burmese use vipassana to mean the method of meditation as taught by mahasi sayadaw. It is also used by those in the vipassana/goenka tradition/movement. These teachers ...
- 21
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What is the difference between samadhi and samatha?
Samādhi means the stability of mind.
Samatha means the peace of mind.
Wholesome mind arising is a friend.
Unwholesome mind arising is an enemy.
Uddhacca mind factor is instability of mind.
There ...
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