Seph Posted October 12, 2013 I think too often we are 'sold' on the fantasied, romanticized imagery of meditation, and I think this might be harmful. My favourite are the pictures and especially landscapes associated with meditation. (Try googling meditation landscapes). I know I can't sit on a beautiful sunny ocean shore and have any hope in hell to meditate. The sheer beauty of the surroundings are a brutal distraction. (But then again, I could be wrong. Maybe we're supposed to get to a point where we can 'tune-out' the surrounding beauty.... naah). I think the Venerable Henepola Gunaratana agrees: "We have certain images of meditation. Meditation is something done in quiet caves by tranquil people who move slowly. Those are training conditions. They are set up to foster concentration and to learn the sill of mindfulness. Once you have learned that skill, however, you can dispense with the training restrictions, and you should. You don't need to move at a snail's pace to be mindful. You don't even need to be calm. You can be mindful while solving problems in intensive calculus. You can be mindful in the middle of a football scrimmage. You can even be mindful in the midst of a raging fury" Mindfulness in Plain English, pg. 93 My first (chance) encounter with mindfulness (before I even had a name for it) was during my Black Belt Examination. It was quite profound. But wouldn't have described myself or my actions as anything remotely close to quiet, tranquil or slow moving. I wonder sometimes whether there's an unproductive industry out there that - really - only sells the idea of meditation. All the imagery and trappings; but little to no substance. I think this might be the illusion of meditation. I also think we should be careful of this; to be mindful of it. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSnake Posted October 12, 2013 (edited) To get to the point where you take your mindfulness wherever you go (successfully) can take quite a bit of time and training. Though that should not stop even the greenest practitioner from attempting it 24 hrs a day.....that's what I did when I first started and it payed dividends later on in my practice....but indeed there is the sterotypical meditating in mountains and forests pictures.....places with cleaner energy make it easier to meditate and cultivate tranquility. My 2 cents, Peace Edited October 12, 2013 by OldChi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted October 12, 2013 I think too often we are 'sold' on the fantasied, romanticized imagery of meditation, and I think this might be harmful. My favourite are the pictures and especially landscapes associated with meditation. (Try googling meditation landscapes). I know I can't sit on a beautiful sunny ocean shore and have any hope in hell to meditate. The sheer beauty of the surroundings are a brutal distraction. (But then again, I could be wrong. Maybe we're supposed to get to a point where we can 'tune-out' the surrounding beauty.... naah). I think the Venerable Henepola Gunaratana agrees: My first (chance) encounter with mindfulness (before I even had a name for it) was during my Black Belt Examination. It was quite profound. But wouldn't have described myself or my actions as anything remotely close to quiet, tranquil or slow moving. I wonder sometimes whether there's an unproductive industry out there that - really - only sells the idea of meditation. All the imagery and trappings; but little to no substance. I think this might be the illusion of meditation. I also think we should be careful of this; to be mindful of it. Once can similarly have the experience of - I know I can't sit on a beautiful sunny ocean shore and have any hope in hell to NOT meditate. Any idea of meditation is not it... Including that which one is distracted from by surrounding beauty, imagery, and trappings. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
juliank Posted October 13, 2013 Indeed. Marketing is rampant in all domains of human experience in 2013 but it is especially grotesque in the areas of spirituality, the arts and human relationships. It cuts the deepest because it takes something so elevated and sublime and runs it through the conveyor belt of the marketplace and spits out a facsimile of the authentic experience. What can be more distressing is when people take the facsimile and treat it in their own life as a fashion accessory to be talked about and paraded around like a new trinket. This has certainly happened with yoga (asana) and to a certain extent meditation. I am reading a great book on meditation right now that cuts through the idea that meditation should somehow be 'pleasant and relaxing'. It certainly can be at times, but it can also be a harrowing test of ones inner will and patience. It ebbs and flows. And ideally one observes without resistance. That being said; does this bother me ? Not in the least. I find the whole circus amusing and I view it with an eye angled to the optimistically . How many people who may have come across the most marketed/over produced/corny/cheesy version of spirituality eventually searches for the real thing ? Many my friend. Much more than you would imagine. The human spirit cannot take too much bullshit for too long before it realizes that 'there is something in them hills' and starts making inquiries as to how to get there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flolfolil Posted October 13, 2013 general meditation? i don't know...arguably not important? energy type work? surrounding definitely matters Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sahaj Nath Posted October 13, 2013 i think you might be missing the point. on one level you are correct that meditation & spiritual practice are not akin to some kind of fantasy vacation, but on the other hand, the imagery does function as an apt metaphor of the vastness, beauty, peace, and clarity of the meditative mind. i don't think it's so wrong to associate meditation practice in this way, especially if it gets more people to explore it. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
