Meditation thread - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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By zachd
#14018391
Perhaps this isn't the best place for this topic, but I figure meditation could easily fall under the category of "boring" stuff. So who does meditation here? Is there a particular school you follow? Do you view the meditation you practice as being "spiritual," or just fun/healthy/interesting/whatever? Any tips would be nice too. What kind of environment do you prefer when meditation? What is your meditation practice like in general? etc.

I've been meditating for a while and used to frequent a Zen meditation center close to the campus of my college and plan on getting back into it when the school year starts again. I don't consider myself Buddhist, I'm not particularly spiritual, and definitely not religious. All I know is it definitely makes me feel better. Honestly I haven't really practiced enough meditation to determine how much of a "spiritual" practice it is. I feel like I'm only really qualified enough to make this judgement after becoming fairly experienced.
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By Husky
#14257536
I feel this thread needs a revival.

Setting aside 15mins of my day to focus on my surroundings and my breathing has had positive effects on my life.
By Sithsaber
#14257769
There usually is something behind them though, just thinking of it as qi focusing neglects more of the important elements.


PS: Aren't there like three of these threads floating around?
#14257982
So who does meditation here? Is there a particular school you follow? Do you view the meditation you practice as being "spiritual," or just fun/healthy/interesting/whatever?


I follow the Christian variety though the terminology is a little different...

What you term meditation, the Catholics term recollection and the Orthodox Christians term watchfulness...

To further confuse things, the Catholics say meditation when they mean to mull something over in the mind...

A Catholic perspective:

Dietrich von Hildebrand wrote:A person who exhausts himself in the moment's concern, who passes without a breathing space from one concentrated work to another, who always gives his unreserved attention to the task of the hour without ever pausing to recollect himself - such a person is as little recollected as one who dissipates his life in dreaming, playing, and empty chatter. The latter way of life is certainly more reprehensible; but both are alike opposed to true recollection.

In recollection, we recover our deepest orientation toward God

True recollection contains both an aspect of tension and another of relaxation. It implies a release from all tension of surface interests, but at the same time an enhanced consciousness of our central direction. In the attitude of recollection, we place ourselves at a distance from things so we can survey them all from a point of vantage, without ever being swamped in any special concerns or interests. Link




An Orthodox perspective:

St Hesychios the Priest  wrote:1) Watchfulness is a spiritual method which, if sedulously practiced over a long period, completely frees us, with the god’s help, from mental evils. It leads, insofar as this is possible, to a sure knowledge of the inapprehensible god, and assists our penetrating the divine and hidden mysteries. This is purity of heart, a state blest y the messiah when he says: “Blest are the pure of heart for they will see god.” But because of its spiritual nobility and beauty – or, rather, because of our negligence – this state is now extremely rare, even among monks.

11) One type of watchfulness consists in closely scrutinizing every mental image or provocation.

12) A second type of watchfulness consists in liberating the heart from all thoughts, keeping it profoundly silent and still, and in praying.

13) A third type is continually and humbly to call upon Adonai Yeshua ha-mesiah for help.

14) A forth type is always to have the thought of death in one’s mind.

15) Another type of watchfulness which, together with the others, is effective consists in fixing one’s gaze on heaven and paying no attention to anything material. Link
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