Meditation makes you dull

[Trash Filter]

For me on the contrary, meditation doesn't make you dull. You have better concentration and can see the big picture a lot more accurately because you become more intuitive. People perceive it as being intelligent or wiser.

Your right, emotions is a big one, they are more controlled and you don't get humongous jumps ups and downs in general emotions as often. You will have a more calm peaceful state.

Hmm, it probably makes you dull to others because your desires are no longer as strong for things mainstream people enjoy greatly like food, sex, alcohol, gossip, various materialisic things etc, but for deeper personal desires. If you have done 1000s of hours it can be a balancing act to lower your desires for others in normal society and maintain meditative practice. But maybe not...Just speaking from my own experience.

 

TF

[Aaron]

There's this story I remember, it goes like this. There was this student who wanted to be like Buddha and believed that by meditating he would become like Buddha. The Master picked up a clay tablet and began polishing it. The student asked the master what he was doing, the master replied, "I am polishing this clay tablet into a mirror." The student asked, "how can you polish a clay tablet into a mirror?" To which the master replied, "how can you become a Buddha by sitting?"

 

The moral, contrary to what one might believe on the surface, is not that meditation is not required (even though it's not), but rather that it alone is not enough. You are misunderstanding the purpose of meditation (as I did for quite awhile), meditation is not meant to enlighten us or bring us peace and serenity, it alone cannot do that, rather it is like a pair a scissors to a tailor, used wisely it can help to cut the fabric into the shapes we need, but we can't forget that we also need other tools as well, if we are to create the clothes we wish to dress ourselves in.

 

I would suggest that you read a few books that might help you to understand the nature of the world a bit more, they wont make you aware of the world, but they can start you on your path. Once you read those books (and preferably talk to someone who has already learned to be a tailor) I think it will be easier for you to make your clothes, rather than try to learn all by yourself. Remember having someone teach you will definitely make it quicker and easier.

 

Aaron

[FT88]

There's this story I remember, it goes like this. There was this student who wanted to be like Buddha and believed that by meditating he would become like Buddha. The Master picked up a clay tablet and began polishing it. The student asked the master what he was doing, the master replied, "I am polishing this clay tablet into a mirror." The student asked, "how can you polish a clay tablet into a mirror?" To which the master replied, "how can you become a Buddha by sitting?"

 

The moral, contrary to what one might believe on the surface, is not that meditation is not required (even though it's not), but rather that it alone is not enough. You are misunderstanding the purpose of meditation (as I did for quite awhile), meditation is not meant to enlighten us or bring us peace and serenity, it alone cannot do that, rather it is like a pair a scissors to a tailor, used wisely it can help to cut the fabric into the shapes we need, but we can't forget that we also need other tools as well, if we are to create the clothes we wish to dress ourselves in.

 

I would suggest that you read a few books that might help you to understand the nature of the world a bit more, they wont make you aware of the world, but they can start you on your path. Once you read those books (and preferably talk to someone who has already learned to be a tailor) I think it will be easier for you to make your clothes, rather than try to learn all by yourself. Remember having someone teach you will definitely make it quicker and easier.

 

Aaron

 

I agree with the majority of ur post twinner but i dont think his answer lies in books/text. Did lao tzu resort to books to realise their was an eternal force right under his nose?

[Trash Filter]

I don't know if you asked what you should do...

But I agree with aaron you do need a teacher, you can't work it out on your own like some philosopical types believe. Some methods have taken 100s/1000s of years to perfect, and god knows where it came from and how they worked it out.

However i don't agree with aaron and agree with FT88, from my own experience normal books that you buy from amazon or something are not going to help you make the big changes and realisations that the enlightened giants had. Books are good for motivation and philosophy, that's about it. Life unforunately works like scientific common sense, not like philosophy. If we use common sense we will realise we cannot possibly understand advanced reality with books of logic and reading about other people. That is why its necessary to upgrade your internal structure so we can, which can only be accomplished through energy from the long meditation.

 

There's another parable from i think the chinese immortals- talks about a guy who is very scholarly but completely does not comprehend or produce the results, because he has not done the actual meditative work. Sometimes they call such people "armchair" taoists or buddhists, which is better then nothing but they must not kid themselves or others. Maybe scholarly focus, is what produces the "dull" effect your talking about? lol joke

TF

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Everything- On a physical level cardio/breathwork and sunlight are important, yes. I'm not going to push this matter but i've also found that alot of "food" actually sedates the body/mind. Raw foods and fasting may not be for you but you may want to experiment with eating less or only raw fruits and veggies and exercising while the sun is up and eating "normal" foods when the sun goes down. Remember that everything you put into your body effects it (on that note you may also want to look into the "sattvic" diet of yoga).

 

On a more spiritual level well this is a matter you'll have to figure out for yourself. Personally I have found that the stability of one's happiness is relative to their state of awareness and mastery of "mind". The mind is a CRAZY thing (try studying up on hypnosis and shamanism). One of the funny things about the mind is how unaware we are of it. For example. A general rule of the "unconscious mind" is that it doesn't know the difference between what it's told/sees and what really is; which is why the conscious mind acts as a "filter". Or you've heard the old saying, say something enough and you'll eventually begin to believe it?

 

Well I can only speak for myself on this matter but I have noticed that there are "voices" in my head that sound like me but they aren't "me" talking. I believe everyone has them, when we talk to ourselves unconsciously. Well often times the mind will attach itself to an "idea" and begin to repeat it unless you can become aware of it and detach from it. For example you can feel really sad and worthless and your brain will repeat a phrase like "i'm so worthless" over and over like a mantra and your sadness will continue to increase the more you think of it. Then eventually we may begin to start believing this and it'll effect our life.

 

Have you ever noticed when you're sad or angry and someone makes you laugh how you get angrier at them? It's because that negative pattern has been disrupted but is resisting. I mean think about it...everyone says they want to be happy so wouldn't they thank that person fro making them laugh? That is the unconscious mind, that is our lack of awareness. If we were to become aware of our goal of happiness at the moment that someone makes us laugh while feeling upset we'd notice the initial anger at them but instead of "react" we'd "respond" and perhaps thank them. But most people are a slave to their emotions, a slave to their mind. In this case "Awareness" is key. Learning to respond rather than react. To remain passive, notice how you want to react to situations and question why.

 

50% external 50% internal. I would pose it's ALL internal. Any external stimuli would only effect you physically, like getting hit with a baseball bat, the feeling of pain, etc. However it's your response to things that determines your happiness. For example, as a potentially sick experiment, I've trained my body to respond well to pain. I went from avoiding it, to craving it to not really caring whether it's there or not.

Fun fun, but anyway.

 

Check out these videos below. I've found them to be very insightful and helpful to me, perhaps they may also be of benefit to you.

 

 

Sorry this is so long, lol. Hope you find your answers.

-Astral

 

This was freaking beautiful!

Thank you so much for sharing!

[DalTheJigsaw123]

After trying sitting meditation for several years, I discovered yoga and t'ai chi and realized the importance of active meditation - purely because it's integrated with real, tangible life instead of purely a state of mind... it seems to me to be far more taoist than the more introverted buddhist approach.

 

Here'a a haiku for you:

 

great sage meditate

for hours, reach nirvana

oh crap, have to pee

 

- Tree Stump

 

 

Interesting!

I would love to hear more thoughts on external meditation..such as Yoga/Tai Chi vs Internal Meditation... such as Zen and Vipassana Meditation?

[phore]

zen meditation shouldnt make you dull, Zen is all about relaxed intensity. True masters of meditation usually become accomplished artists and musicians. In movement you become immersed in the flow of reality. In stillness you ride waves of energy across the universe. When it hits you it will be like you've just realized that the world isn't black and white.

[zerostao]

zen meditation shouldnt make you dull, Zen is all about relaxed intensity. True masters of meditation usually become accomplished artists and musicians. In movement you become immersed in the flow of reality. In stillness you ride waves of energy across the universe. When it hits you it will be like you've just realized that the world isn't black and white.

you are exactly right (imo) but i think some here will say yeah artists , musicians,anyone creative, more aware, sees things more lucid etc is dull, dull, dull

 

[hagar]

If you are bored in meditation, then you're probably not bored enough.

 

Boredom is a form of psychological pain, yet its also a sign that you are stuck in your mind.

If you drop your attention down into the body, the lower Dan tian, or just general awareness of the immediate bodily experience, your experience will reveal that boredom is a form of avoidance strategy. Its a form of withdrawal, and like anything else we are addicted to, experiences are highly addictive to the ego. When we look within when we sit, we tend to look for groovy stuff, just like when we are walking around in normal life. In that sense, meditation for many can consist of decades of delusion.

 

Meditation as a technique is just that. Only when we let whatever is there come up and be seen is there a place for reality to seep through.

 

In that sense, too many meditations in the westernized Daoist packaging is focusing on effects. You meditate this way to gain that, you vizualize, you breathe, you do this and that to "get" something. But only when you let go of getting anything can any real transformation take place. Boredom is the minds reluctance to let go of control. And in many cases this can lead to a form of dullness. The other opposite is also equally a sidetrack; being overly engaged in your experience. Same basic reluctance to letting go of control, opposite effects.

 

Try sitting physically totally still for 60 minutes, and see if you can get bored.

 

h