Meditation Resources

[Just A Normal Guy]

Hi Friends

 

I have been a lurker on this forum for about a week and have been reading two excellent threads, book recommendations by C T and a thread on guided meditations by thelerner.

 

I am not a total beginner to meditation but certainly not an accomplished meditator. I retired today and finally have the luxury of time for the first time in my rather tiring life. I would like to finally dedicate serious and sincere time to meditation. I would request all you kind folks here to recommend some resources.

 

Books - Kindle format would be best, if possible. Books on theory and practice of meditation, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu/Tantra, Non-dual inquiry - all kinds. The books that really helped you meditate, that taught you techniques that you still use, those kinds.

 

Guided Meditations - I find it really easy to meditate using guided audio. Some of my favorites are Pema Chodron and Greg Larsen's Tolle meditations. Any good guided meditation recommendation? Any kind is good

 

Thank you all ladies and gentleman for your kind help

 

Joe

[C T]

Hello Joe,

 

A warm welcome to The Tao Bums!

 

This is good place to be if you are seriously looking for resources to deepen your practice.

 

Since you mentioned Pema Chodron, i am assuming you could have a degree of affinity with meditation practices based upon the Mahayana path. One of the best contemporary Meditation Masters in the Tibetan tradition is Mingyur Rinpoche. A sizable number of my friends resonate well with his guidance and advice, and many of his talks are readily available on Youtube.

 

Perhaps you will enjoy his approach too? Here he is offering a very simple and effective guided meditation (2 parts) - -

 

An article which will further support Mingyur Rinpoche's meditation instructions - - http://archive.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2004/spring/khenpo_tsultrim.html

 

 

Wishing you a happy retirement, sir... may your days be most fulfilling as you begin this wonderful, new, and adventurous journey into the world of meditation!

 

"When we look inward, sitting up alone at midnight, with all noises hushed, we shall feel our real self show itself in bold relief and all our passions gone with that. It is at this moment that we awake to the understanding of the great Truth, and it makes us deeply ashamed to reflect how we have been slaves of earthly desires and passions".

(Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian: Hung Tzu-ch'eng)

[XieJia]

Hello Joe,

 

Hope everything is settling well around you; welcome to the Tao Bums.

Nothing actually comes to my mind as now.

C T seems to be pointing at already a very good source. And I am sure everyone of us here would be recommend the things that we found fruitful.

 

If you haven't done already, I would recommend keeping a small journal for the journey,

Journal can contain anything from your feelings during your meditation or your illumination on the past events or future events. Experiences during meditations, observations; or even random doodles.

This is something for yourself and your future references.

Sometimes, those random stuff really provides another dimension to your self-reflection

Use the seat-belt and sit tight and enjoy the ride.

 

Wish you well on your journey, may the light always illuminate the path for you.

 

XJ

[de_paradise]

Hi, I think any ol' mantra and an egg timer to time your sessions would be fine. Get a mantra and repeat it inwardly. Its so simple and there's not much to know. Its a question of readiness. Are you ready to practice? Really there isnt any more to know. Really that all there is is practise.

Edited October 14, 2011 by de_paradise

[manitou]

Very best wishes to you Joe!

 

The type of meditation I've always pursued is not the guided type so much as the desire to rid one's mind of thoughts. There are so many techniques! My own personal technique was just watching a tiny spiral with my eyes closed and trying to think of nothing else at the time. When a thought comes in (like an item on a shopping list, for example!) one technique to get rid of it is to gently whisk it away mentally with a lotus flower or feather or something.

 

When one's mind is trained to singularity and you have control over whether you want your inner dialogue turned either off or on, then we're in a position to experience the Oneness that is the great giant mind.

Edited October 14, 2011 by manitou

[ChiDragon]

To find peace in your mind is to have serenity in the heart. The key to serenity was through meditation.

Edited October 14, 2011 by ChiDragon

[doc benway]

Hi Joe,

A few things that I like to recommend:

 

1. Writings by Jiddu Krishnamurti had a profound effect on me. Not what most would call meditation techniques per se, but rather a way of looking at the nature of things, in particular the nature of thought and what makes us tick (which is ultimately what meditation is anyway). He has many books in print. The one I like to recommend to those new to his work is "To Be Human." Another great book is "This Light in Oneself: True Meditation" which I feel really hits home regarding the nature of meditation - what most of us think it is and what it "really" is...

 

2. Anthony Demello - his book "Awareness" is a good place to start. Also, there is an 8 cd set of a workshop he gave which is phenomenal called "Wake Up to Life." Some video clips are available on youtube. Also, not what most would call instruction in meditation but rather a glimpse into the nature of our lives.

 

3. Peter Fenner - A friend turned my onto one of his cd's which is a superb introduction into the nature of meditation. Very no frills approach which I think is very effective and deceptively simple. Here is a link to his website - http://www.radiantmind.net/

 

4. I'm sorry to say that I've yet to come across a print resource for Daoist practices that I think is worthwhile. My own practice is a Daoist method and I think a teacher is essential for these intricate and complex methods.

 

One caveat - I find that different folks resonate with different approaches. Don't get discouraged. There are many paths. None has the answer - all have valuable clues and directions. Anyway - I wish you the very best of luck in your endeavor. What a beautiful way to enter into retirement!

Feel free to contact me anytime if you want to chat about this stuff.

[joeblast]

techniques

observe signals, attenuate the most forefront until they recede; the background becomes the foreground, repeat.

 

smooth harmonious breath, the physical components of breath align, each one adding at the right times to produce the most efficacious integration of the parts;

 

having produced muscle memory of it, a good path of least resistance is established; thoughts walk in the front and out the back and are not given furthering, they eventually knock at the door less and less often.

 

the sinuses relaxed, breath facilitated from from the inferior posterior of the diaphragm; master transition between inhalation and exhalation to eliminate the remainder of any air turbulence in the passageways;

 

heart floating gently and peacefully, shine on you crazy diamond

[Andrei]

Books by Eva Wong:

http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/author/265.cfm

- Cultivating Stillness

- Cultivating the Energy of Life

- Nourishing the Essence of Life

[manitou]

 

having produced muscle memory of it, a good path of least resistance is established; thoughts walk in the front and out the back and are not given furthering, they eventually knock at the door less and less often.

 

 

 

 

JB - this is an extraordinarily wonderful description

[joeblast]

thanks manitou, although the front and back doors were borrowed from an analogy where the furthering was likened to inviting them to stay for tea

[thelerner]

 

Guided Meditations - I find it really easy to meditate using guided audio. Some of my favorites are Pema Chodron and Greg Larsen's Tolle meditations. Any good guided meditation recommendation? Any kind is good

Hey Joe,

 

Good free guided meditations sites from Itunes Podcasts (all free): (Google for more info)

Creative Visualization Relaxation - The Optimal Risk Zone, its 18 minutes and a good productivity guided meditation

EnerSanctum Podcast: Episodes 7, 11 & 14, Forrest is trippy, the others are good examples of NLP at work

Meditation Station: ZZZZZZ, Evening Inventory Meditation, most of there meditations are very good.

Zencast: #99 The Secret Garden, 107, Guided Metta, #48 Surrender to the Now Biaural Featuring Eckhardt Tolle

I also like Center of Stillness Meditation (CSM) by Rawn Clark very Taoist and clearing

 

There are others, but thats a good start.

 

For Tao oriented guided meditations I love Minke DeVos Tao Basics available at Silent Grounds (google it).

WuDang Evening/Morning Meditation w/ Master Chen - Wudangtao

Higher Performance Mind series by Anna Wise

Consciousness Arts Bliss Trip series particularly Gifts of the Earth

Ed Fleischman's Longevity meditation is great, but hard to find.

 

Michael