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mattersend
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 02 2017 : 3:09:28 PM
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Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well.
When i have a bussy day at work/life/kids, it seems like my meditation is full of thoughts from the day, etc. Yes, i easily favor the mantra. So my question is this:
How am i purifying my nervous system of eons and eons of impressions when my entire session is spent with thoughts of the day. Of course I am following the DM technique, and i feel great afterwards, but it seems like the only "purificiation" i'm getting is of very surface, day to day stuff. It seems like the only way to go very deep is to retreat into the mountains, like many Yogi's do. Rather dishearteninig really . For those of us in the west, our day in between the 2x day DM sessions is full of work, family, etc., so it seems like we're always just filling the hole up with more sand inbetween sessions, if that makes sense.
Kind of losing faith, need some help! Been doing this for about a year and have noticed a difference in myself, but can't help but wonder if it's just a side effect of the "feel good" you get from DM, and not actual purification. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2017 : 4:14:14 PM
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hi mattersend
quote:
Originally posted by mattersend
Of course I am following the DM technique, and i feel great afterwards, but it seems like the only "purification" i'm getting is of very surface, day to day stuff.
It may seem that your meditation is only working on the surface, but its effects are deeper that you realise. The nature of the thoughts that come up is nothing to judge by. Mantra meditation is the most powerful form of meditation there is. The vibration of the mantra touches deep levels of the mind, that is why you are not aware of the effects. Lots of purification is happening whether you realise it or not.
quote:
Originally posted by mattersend
Been doing this for about a year and have noticed a difference in myself
Yes, it's happening! If the "feel good" were just a superficial side effect you would not keep it long after meditation. If you notice a stable difference in yourself, that is due to deep changes.
If you feel a strong desire to progress faster, maybe it is time to add 5 minutes of spinal breathing to your routine. Which is not to say you haven't done great so far, because you have.
Trust in the practice a little more, relax and enjoy.  |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2017 : 08:23:38 AM
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Totally support what BRC has said. Everything in the world is subject to the law of entropy. Do nothing, and the dust in the room keeps adding up.
Here is what Seth Godin says:
The unfairness (and wisdom) of paint
Repainting your house the same color it already was feels like a waste. It's a lot of effort merely to keep things as they are.
But if you don't do it, time and entropy kick in and the house starts to fade.
The same can be said for 1,000 elements of your organization, including your relationships with customers, staff, suppliers and technology. The way you approach your market, the skill you bring to your craft, the culture in your organization—it constantly needs another coat of paint.
Rust never sleeps.
--
The same thing applies to our spiritual growth also.
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2017 : 08:28:37 AM
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Hi Mattersend,
You are right: It is disheartening to see that after so much practice the mind is as busy and unruly as ever. You are also right when you say that it is more difficult to meditate when you are in the world, living a full life. I have good news for you: The disadvantage of living in the world can become an advantage for the spiritual life if one is perseverant in practice. In a way, meditation is like potty training a puppy: Every time we see the puppy ready to eliminate, we put the puppy out. This training works not by keeping the puppy from doing its business, but by catching it at the right time and taking it out again and again. The more we do this, the faster the puppy is potty trained. For a while it feels like the entire process is a waste of time and nothing is happening. And then one day the puppy is trained.
It is the same with training the mind in meditation. The mind works by making thoughts, so trying to stop the thoughts is a waste of time. What we need to do is to notice when the mind goes off, and go back to the mantra. Again and again. The more we do that, the more effective the meditation is. In the space between losing the mantra and getting back to it, we touch the inner silence. At the beginning, we do not notice it, but with practice this becomes obvious, and the quiet stillness spreads and grows in all layers of our being until we realize that it has been always there, that the silent stillness is everywhere, and it has always been.
The fact that you are having doubts about the effectiveness of the meditation may be a marker that you are on the verge of a shift. I have seen many people meditating for a while and transforming, even if they do not notice. The change is always easier to see looking from outside. And then they start to wonder if the spiritual practice has any effect, and consider quitting it. It seems that the mind realizes that its grip on our life diminishes, and the mind makes up stories in an attempt to keep its power. Don’t get caught in the mind’s game. Just keep up the practice, and the rest will happen – it is only a matter of time.
Some day you will laugh at the memory of these days of doubt.
The guru is in you!
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findingpath
8 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2017 : 10:53:11 AM
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Hi Mattersend,
I have encountered the same feelings about DM and as BlueRaincoat already said, adding 5 minutes of spinal breathing really makes a difference. Thoughts appears but there are less of them and it is easier to let them go. Also, try putting yourself on "information diet" - restrict the information you receive from TV, news, books, internet etc. It really helped me to quiet the mind in the past. But in that time I was really consuming too much information. |
Edited by - findingpath on Nov 03 2017 10:55:37 AM |
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colours
Sweden
108 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2017 : 1:15:02 PM
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...Restricting what do create these thougths are not a bad idea. For example, too much forum, or even too much practice, really start the "thought machine" in my head. When spending less time on forums, choosing what threads to answer, and on what forums, even what I acctually say on the forums (and really "in real life" as well), this makes the thoughts not as much so to speak. I am not saying that these things do create alot of thoughts for you, but since we are not going to live in a cave any time soon, you can atleast be inspired by the thought of it and choose how to live and how to act...karma you know ;-)
And I don't think we should avoid every situation that is a bit uncomfortable, but maybe eliminate the situations that cause TOO much uncomfort for the time being... The little things. If you know what I mean.
Though, I think this will happen more or less automatically the more conscious we get.
I think you are on the right path! And don't give up... especially when you already are noticing good effects from your practice, it can't get any better than that! ;-)
//colours |
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How do dig a deeper hole when sand keeps coming in
