Buddhist Meditation

[alakso]

Would anyone be so kind as to tell me about Buddhist Meditation practices?

What are the core tenets of Buddhist Meditation?

Which texts in the Buddhist Canon explain Buddhist Meditation?

Which book or teacher (available through email) would everyone recommed for learning Buddhist Meditation practices?

I have some experience with Native Vision quest meditation, and also a little Taoist Meditation practices.

[ging er]

Hi Alakso
I'm taking a new keen interest in Tibetan Buddhism which has the same essential core tenets of meditation having arrived in Tibet sometime in the fifteenth century (I think?!). here's an interesting site that should answer some of your questions.

http://kadampa.org

"Through study and meditation we develop three types of wisdom:

Wisdom arisen from listening
Wisdom arisen from contemplating
Wisdom arisen from meditation"

I hope you find the right path.

[alakso]

Ging er,

Thanks for the link my friend. I'm presently studying and practicing Mahayana Buddhism.

Here's a link for the Mahayana Discovering Buddhism at Home study program I'm doing.

http://www.fpmt.org/education/programs.asp

Many blessing for you and all Sentient Beings...alakso

[William E]

Alasko and Ging er

Thank you both for the links you provided.

Alasko, which of the courses of study are you currently enrolled in? I hope all is well with you. Are you still in Maine these days?

Regards,

William E.

[ging er]

Hi Alasko
thanks for the link aswell. what a positive result! I hope you are enjoying your discoveries.
Many blessings to you too.

Ging er

[alakso]

Ging er and William,

I'm happy to provide the links my friends.

William, because I'm poor the "Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition" Education Department has found an anonymous sponsor for me and that sponsor is providing me with the study materials for their beginner "Discovering Buddhism" home study program. Here's a link to the DB home study program.

http://www.fpmt.org/dbhome/default.asp

I'm also still in Maine and will be for the foreseeable future. My youngest son is in the Army Infantry and is training to go to Iraq. He wants me to stay close to home until he finishes his combat tour in the Army and comes home.

Many Blessings and Prayers for all Sentient Beings...alakso

[paddyjpm]

I have found a wonderful site for Buddhist information in general. Keep in mind that there are several derivations of Buddhist practices. My studies have revealed that the core belief and principles are usually the same. The writing of the Dali Lama are another good source of information on meditation and Buddhist philosophy in general

Check out this site:

http://www.buddhanet.net/index.html

There is a document found there specific to Chan meditation practices as well.

My favorite Buddha quote speaks to your interest:

"Peace is found from within, do not seek it outside"

Good luck,
Jim

[Ten]

Hey all,

There is a meditation that was told to me by my best friend, who is a buddhist master...if your interested..

There is a sutra meditation from his lineage called: "om manni paddmi hom",...it is the most basic...and the most powerful

In the morning at sunrise...
sit down facing the sun..
don't look directly at the sun but just face the direction...

Next,..breath in the warm sun light with the sutra "om manni paddmi hom"
through your bai he..breath in the words and light into your lower dantain..

Visualize the dantain as a ball spinning in every direction...visualize the dantian getting smaller and smaller and getting brighter and brighter, and spining faster and faster..

Then release the breath and all your negitive energy out of your body in a sort of black smoke...

You can also use this sutra in many other applications!

You can use it with the inner smile meditation,

You can use it to help become friends with Guan yin...

You can use it as a constant practice to attain a greater awareness of mind and spirit,...

Disclaimer: just don't listen to any voices or glowing white triangles!!!

But seriously,..If you do start to wig out and go crazy practicing these kind of things,{and it is not unheard of}..seek out a master at once!!

Alot of these kind of meditations can call "things" to you, that can mess up your head...

Maybe for my next post I'll tell you the story of Roy.

Anyway, Be careful whe practicing things like this...they are not toys!

Ten

[Cang Long]

hello Ten,
Thank you for the information, what are the steps to beginning meditation. I know someone trying to educate there child on how to meditate and so the subject interest me because I would like to begin the same. Hopefully Sauchi will share some of what he has learned on this subject. ;)

[Cang Long]

Since learning more and more on the topic of meditation my next question is how does one clear their mind of all thoughts what are your own particular methods?

[Scott Tharp]

Counting of breaths is one way to calm the mind. Start by counting your breaths. As mind begins to wander to various thoughts-stop these thoughts and return to counting. This will happen many times. Do not get upset or frustrated, just return to counting. With practice this will become easier(this is advice I've read from the Dali Lama). If you want a horse to go in a certain direction-one must pull on the reins. The mind is the same, you must guide it into mindfullness.