Silencing the mind

[altiora]

I'm not sure that silencing the mind is quite the goal, or even achievable. I think becoming detached to your mind's antics is the aim (at least for us modern mortals).

 

I keep returning to this method time and time again. It's perhaps the simplest and my opinion effective practice -- primarily because you can (and should) do it while engaged in daily life. Sri Ramana Maharshi states thatwhen you have a thought ask yourself, "who is having this thought?" Initially, you'll probably say "I am", in which case you ask "Who is I?".

 

It's devastatingly effective actually, since you just start detaching yourself from the thought. And eventually it becomes so ingrained as to become spontaneous.

 

You can find this written in an essay by Sri Ramana in "The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi".

[Marblehead]

I'm not sure that silencing the mind is quite the goal, or even achievable. I think becoming detached to your mind's antics is the aim (at least for us modern mortals).

 

I agree. We cannot stop the chemical flows in the brain. Thoughts will come naturally on their own. Just let them come and let them go without lingering on any of them. Eventually the brain gets tired and takes a break.

 

Peace & Love!

[Owledge]

I would like to hear about the various techniques and methods that the members use or have used to facilitate the quieting of the mind, as that is such a central tenant in many traditions.

Changing your avatar* could help a lot.

 

 

*

 

 

At breakfast, I told them about how it had startled me. They smiled their serene smiles in a somewhat sheepish way. They explained that the train only went by twice a week, once in each direction, and apologized for not warning me about it because they had forgotten about it.

 

It hadn't awakened them for many years.

Sleep is another thing, I think: You are still registering and analyzing noises and evaluate their threat potential. People can be very selective in what makes them wake up based on whether they KNOW what causes the noise.

 

At my home, on a summer evening, the insects in the trees are incredibly loud. Sometimes, when we are sitting out back watching the last light fade from the night sky, my wife will say something like "That noise is driving me crazy!"

Last time when meditating in the park, there was an annoying bird. I mean, really, that bird was like a machine gun, without end, never making a pause as long as one second. It distracted me not only because of the noise itself, but because of the craziness of it. Funnily, eventually I didn't realize the moment it had stopped.

I can only approximate the experience with words. Imagine a bird going:

 

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP .. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP .BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP .. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP ...BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP .. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP for half an hour.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Hardyg

[RiverSnake]

The most powerful technique for meditation is practice.

 

-The more you do it the better you get at it.

[Owledge]

The most powerful technique for meditation is practice.

Tell me about some powerful techniques for getting yourself to practice when you don't feel like it and trying to do it anyway seems counterproductive.

[betwixter]

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Edited September 12, 2010 by betwixter

[betwixter]

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Edited September 12, 2010 by betwixter

[Guest allan]

[Guest allan]

[Owledge]

The less costly would be to pay USD 3,000 to the infamous snakes’ oil salesman of these parts for a visit to his ‘immortal’ teacher who may ask you to remain quiet, until you can cough up more money for opening the Dantien.

The term "snake oil salesman" gives snake oil an undeservingly bad reputation. Read up on the term.

[Guest sykkelpump]

For those who want to silence the mind and achive deep meditation,look no further.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25864564/The-Anapanasati-Sutta-A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-of-Breathing-Bhante-Vimalaramsi

read through the manual many times so you fully understands it.then practice only this meditation regulary,and you will soon know what real meditation is.this method has some keys that changes everything.

[RiverSnake]

Tell me about some powerful techniques for getting yourself to practice when you don't feel like it and trying to do it anyway seems counterproductive.

 

When i don't feel like practicing i do it anyways and it's never been conter productive, i'm always glad i did it after.

 

-Persistance in everything is key.

[Tao99]

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Edited July 31, 2010 by Tao99

[betwixter]

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Edited September 12, 2010 by betwixter

[Xianren]

I am practicing Falun Gong. It consists of four standing exercise and one meditation exercise.

 

 

Kind regards,

Xian

[Birch]

These days. I find that when I really really make the effort to listen to it, there's not much going on of note.

 

Edited: to note irony of even telling you this

Edited August 2, 2010 by Kate

[Marblehead]

These days. I find that when I really really make the effort to listen to it, there's not much going on of note.

 

Edited: to note irony of even telling you this

 

But Kate, that was very useful information. Thanks for sharing!

 

Peace & Love!