prayer/meditation

[sunchild]

firstly, thank you to all of the members here who've spoken to me in public and private about "getting my stuff together".

 

 

i've decided i'm not just going to simply exist/wait to die, i'm going to try to contribute something of worth to the people around me/greater good. i am but a humble servant. i've been correcting my negative thought loops, i stopped listening to music for the time being, i'm getting more exercise and i'm trying to put together some semblance of a balanced diet. i've also returned to my practice of centering prayer, what my question pertains to.

 

in centering prayer, one aims to simple experience god/tao/void in complete silence. when thoughts arise they are gently pushed aside and one returns to their 'sacred word'/anchoring phrase.

 

i've been practicing the technique and i can 'feel' what it's doing, but i cannot decide on sacred word :/ the religion i had identified with so much up to this last year seems to no longer serve me and i feel very conflicted picking a 'sacred word'. i avoided using 'god' because people say it all the time.

 

i do my best to return to silence when thoughts arise, but i noticed that this is much easier when you're using a sacred word.

 

quitting smoking soon, i've quit several times before so it's a little intimidating.

 

i don't know what to do about the sacred word part, i do enjoy the practice.

 

 

once i get my candles back from a friend i plan to start candlegazing daily for a bit, until the 'muck' starts to break up again.

 

i've also been looking at israel regardies one year manual, after much deliberation, but the whole tracking the sun throughout the day and sun oriented prayers(using ra) are a little offputting. i did notice that a couple years ago when i was sungazing, that my body automatically timed itself with the sun- i'd wakeup at 5:30 exactly daybreak not tired and my health was noticeably better.

 

sadhu mouni's methods are the most direct teachings i've come across.

 

 

something i am worried about very much is 'broadcasting'. i've noticed my thoughts are much 'louder' in recent times then they've ever been and when i'm in a bad mood or hung up on negative thinking i see it affecting the people i'm near/my environment. what is something i can do to better 'clear' myself/my thinking, maintain clean thoughts/energy?

 

please and thank you

[GrandmasterP]

QiGong's yer man buddy.

10 minutes QiGong a day, every day is good for what ails ya.

Check out the Baduanjin set via the CHQA link in my sig.

There's YouTubes of it too.

Enjoy.

 

Edited July 15, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[sunchild]

there aren't any local teachers and i have no transportation.

i had an experience that greatly mirrored the symptoms of qigong psychcosis, i'm not in a rush to return to that state nor to be left to 'fend for myself' in that state as i was before

 

qigong seems to be what most are recommending, i guess i'm looking for an alternative? :/

[silent thunder]

compassion and love generate more merit for me than all my qi gong and breath/energy work combined...

 

it's just... for me, the qi gong and breath/energy work aid me in being the compassion and love

my teacher always repeats this phrase:

kind heart

quiet heart

sincere heart

 

bit of a lovely cycle when I can maintain the inertial groove of it

 

best wishes...

[sunchild]

compassion and love generate more merit for me than all my qi gong and breath/energy work combined...

 

it's just... for me, the qi gong and breath/energy work aid me in being the compassion and love

my teacher always repeats this phrase:

kind heart

quiet heart

sincere heart

 

bit of a lovely cycle when I can maintain the inertial groove of it

 

best wishes...

i do what i can, and what i can do is improving.

 

i don't get out much. i can't really practice love and compassion in solitude

[Seeker of Wisdom]

For the sacred word - how about 'This' or 'Truth' or 'What?'.

[Ish]

i do what i can, and what i can do is improving.

 

i don't get out much. i can't really practice love and compassion in solitude

 

You can.

 

It's not about doing outward actions but generating that energy of love/compassion in yourself.

 

A worthwhile effort to be able to do this!

[MooNiNite]

before trying to erase the evil of the world, erase all the darkness inside yourself.

 

i recommend creating and becoming in touch with your body, but that's just me. It expands your mind, and eventually beyond the human condition of suffering,

 

It's important to remember the divine light is given to both good and evil. Even a murderer/rapist will not be denied the divine light and can become enlightened. Be kind and good, but move beyond your beliefs of karmas.

 

My teacher tells me that people who try to run around making up for stuff arn't training enough and often just keep spinning in rebirth. It's a sad truth, but you have to do more than just be a good person. It isn't easy.

[Jetsun]

It sounds like your doing just fine, qigong didn't work for me either. For a sacred word it is true that if you get given a word or a phrase by a genuine master or lineage it will be more powerful, but until then just pick a word which vibes with you, it could be love or metta or peace or anything just make sure that you decide and stick to your word while you practice or you will spend your time changing it and worrying if its right.

[GrandmasterP]

there aren't any local teachers and i have no transportation.

i had an experience that greatly mirrored the symptoms of qigong psychcosis, i'm not in a rush to return to that state nor to be left to 'fend for myself' in that state as i was before

 

qigong seems to be what most are recommending, i guess i'm looking for an alternative? :/

 

Mindfulness might help.

Check that other link in my sig.

 

[manitou]

How about using 'Love' as your sacred word? That's what resides at the base of your acquired personality anyway...

[sunchild]

before trying to erase the evil of the world, erase all the darkness inside yourself.

 

i recommend creating and becoming in touch with your body, but that's just me. It expands your mind, and eventually beyond the human condition of suffering,

 

It's important to remember the divine light is given to both good and evil. Even a murderer/rapist will not be denied the divine light and can become enlightened. Be kind and good, but move beyond your beliefs of karmas.

 

My teacher tells me that people who try to run around making up for stuff arn't training enough and often just keep spinning in rebirth. It's a sad truth, but you have to do more than just be a good person. It isn't easy.

it is impossible to erase 'all darkness' within myself, there is none spotless.

i'm not trying to erase the 'evil' of the world, that would be me projecting.

 

the divine light is given to 'both' 'good' and 'evil' because they are one. the division only takes place within the human mind.

i am moving beyond my beliefs all the time, i don't believe in karma anymore

 

there's no such thing as a 'good' person in my mind, good and evil are entirely subjective and based on ones cultural conditioning and egotism. all beings have the same amount of love and respect from me, 24/7? no, but i make an effort.

 

why are you talking about rebirth and being a 'good' person? i was asking about meditation and prayer

 

if reincarnation is real, i'm pretty sure you avoid it by simply by being able to maintain consciousness through death.

 

i don't think about that kind of stuff, it's too stressful/fear porn.

[sunchild]

You can.

 

It's not about doing outward actions but generating that energy of love/compassion in yourself.

 

A worthwhile effort to be able to do this!

this response confuses me. could you elaborate?

[Ish]

this response confuses me. could you elaborate?

 

Sure:

 

You mentioned being unable to practice love and compassion because you are in solitude most of time.

 

What i meant was, you can practice these things, even in solitude, because it is about generating the energy/ feeling of love inside yourself.

 

 

A good way to activate it is simple - learn to genuinely smile. It's a very useful way to open your heart and free any emotions.

 

When you get good you can generate a strong pleasant energy whenever you want, then it's up to you what to do with it.

Let it flow through your body and organs, radiate it outwards, just enjoy it as it is!

 

The beauty is that it doesn't need to be directed and someone, something - it's just simply innate within you! But saying that, thinking of something pleasant can help you to activate it.

[MooNiNite]

it is impossible to erase 'all darkness' within myself, there is none spotless.

i'm not trying to erase the 'evil' of the world, that would be me projecting.

 

the divine light is given to 'both' 'good' and 'evil' because they are one. the division only takes place within the human mind.

i am moving beyond my beliefs all the time, i don't believe in karma anymore

 

there's no such thing as a 'good' person in my mind, good and evil are entirely subjective and based on ones cultural conditioning and egotism. all beings have the same amount of love and respect from me, 24/7? no, but i make an effort.

 

why are you talking about rebirth and being a 'good' person? i was asking about meditation and prayer

 

if reincarnation is real, i'm pretty sure you avoid it by simply by being able to maintain consciousness through death.

 

i don't think about that kind of stuff, it's too stressful/fear porn.

 

cool cool

[Who.am.i]

I have been reading many of your posts and you sound a lot like what i have been through. Over the years through the process of self inquiry i have lost my interest in most things of the world. I went through a period where i was praying to know my soul purpose because i really felt like i had no purpose or interest in this world. Then I was getting the hint to start doing a practice I learned from Chunyi Lin. That is reciting the mantra om mani padme hum in your heart/mind whilefeeling the vibration of love/compassion radiating out to the ends of the universe and blessing all sentient beings. Through this process you really do feel like a radiant field of compassioniate energy.

 

 

This is a practice that many tibetan rinpoches say can be your only practice and can take you all the way. Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche who was one of the yogis featured in the documentary Yogis of tibet spent more than 30 years in solitary retreat and was recognized as a highly realized master. He fearlessly proclaimed that this practice alone can take you all the way to complete realization. He was said to have completed 12 cycles of 100 million repetitions of this mantra.

 

 

Also, two of Lama Surya Das's masters who were recognized as realized masters used this practice as their main practice. Master Chunyi Lin has said that he has a recording of this mantra playing 24 hours a day in his home and office because he loves the feeling of the vibration.

 

 

I have been practicing this for the past several months or so and I can say that it is having a profound affect on both my inner and outer worlds. I have generally been happy for no reason and people have been commenting that when I smile I light up the room or that they just feel good in my presence. There are many other things in my life that are starting to change also.

 

 

So what I am trying to say is give this practice a shot. This is easily the best and most rewarding practice I have done.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Who.am.i

[sunchild]

I have been reading many of your posts and you sound a lot like what i have been through. Over the years through the process of self inquiry i have lost my interest in most things of the world. I went through a period where i was praying to know my soul purpose because i really felt like i had no purpose or interest in this world. Then I was getting the hint to start doing a practice I learned from Chunyi Lin. That is reciting the mantra om mani padme hum in your heart/mind whilefeeling the vibration of love/compassion radiating out to the ends of the universe and blessing all sentient beings. Through this process you really do feel like a radiant field of compassioniate energy.

 

 

This is a practice that many tibetan rinpoches say can be your only practice and can take you all the way. Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche who was one of the yogis featured in the documentary Yogis of tibet spent more than 30 years in solitary retreat and was recognized as a highly realized master. He fearlessly proclaimed that this practice alone can take you all the way to complete realization. He was said to have completed 12 cycles of 100 million repetitions of this mantra.

 

 

Also, two of Lama Surya Das's masters who were recognized as realized masters used this practice as their main practice. Master Chunyi Lin has said that he has a recording of this mantra playing 24 hours a day in his home and office because he loves the feeling of the vibration.

 

 

I have been practicing this for the past several months or so and I can say that it is having a profound affect on both my inner and outer worlds. I have generally been happy for no reason and people have been commenting that when I smile I light up the room or that they just feel good in my presence. There are many other things in my life that are starting to change also.

 

 

So what I am trying to say is give this practice a shot. This is easily the best and most rewarding practice I have done.

thank you for this Who.am.i, today was rough. how do you pronounce/vibrate the mantra?

 

i've read about chunyi lin and seen some of his videos. i will give this a shot.

 

did you ever regain interest in any of the things of the world?

[Mystique Enigma]

There is this fish story which was most probably told before but worthy of a read

 

Once, there was a fish who lived in the great ocean, and because the water was transparent, and always conveniently out of the way of his nose when he moved along, he didn't know he was in the ocean.

 

Well, one day the fish did a very dangerous thing for a fish. He began to think: "Surely I am a most remarkable being, since I can move around like this in the middle of empty space."

 

Then the fish became confused because of thinking about moving and swimming, and he suddenly had an anxiety paroxysm, and thought that he had forgotten how. At that moment he looked down and saw the yawning chasm of the ocean depths, and he was terrified that he would drop.

 

Then he thought: "If I could catch hold of my tail in my mouth, I could hold myself up." And so he curled himself up and snapped at his tail. Unfortunately, his spine wasn't quite supple enough, so he missed.

 

As he went on trying to catch hold of his tail, the yawning black abyss below became ever more terrible, and he was brought to the edge of a total nervous breakdown.

 

The fish was about to give up, when the ocean, which had been watching with mixed feelings of pity and amusement, said, "What are you doing?"

 

"Oh," said the fish, "I'm terrified of falling into the deep dark abyss, and I'm trying to catch hold of my tail in my mouth to hold myself up." So the ocean said, "Well, you've been trying that for a long time now, and you still haven't fallen down. How come?"

 

"Oh, of course, I haven't fallen down yet," said the fish, "Because, because -- I'm swimming!"

 

"Well," came the reply, "I am the Great Ocean, in which you live and move and are able to be a fish, and I have given all of myself to you in which to swim, and I support you all the time you swim. But here you, instead of exploring the length, breadth, depth, and height of my expanse, are wasting your time pursuing your own end."

 

From then on, the fish put his own end behind him (where it belonged) and set out to explore the Great Ocean.

 

 

Bows

[Who.am.i]

thank you for this Who.am.i, today was rough. how do you pronounce/vibrate the mantra?

 

i've read about chunyi lin and seen some of his videos. i will give this a shot.

 

did you ever regain interest in any of the things of the world?

If you do a google or youtube search for om mani padme hum you can find recordings of it so you know how to pronounce it. You can also find more information on the significance of the mantra. Once you get the hang of the sound then you can try to feel the energy of the sound radiating out from you extending to all beings in the universe. You can also bring people you know into the meditation and feel the energy of the sound blessing them. You can also add specific intent using the sound as a carrier wave. This is the easiest way I have found to become what Chunyi Lin calls a love radiator. Very simple practice and very rewarding.

 

As far as regaining interest in things I can say that I am more focused on how can I help others in whatever capacity I am able. Even if this practice was all I did I know I am helping others at an energetic level. I feel very blessed to have learned this practice.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Who.am.i

[sunchild]

thank you mystique enigma, that is the best story i've read in a long time

[sunchild]

If you do a google or youtube search for om mani padme hum you can find recordings of it so you know how to pronounce it. You can also find more information on the significance of the mantra. Once you get the hang of the sound then you can try to feel the energy of the sound radiating out from you extending to all beings in the universe. You can also bring people you know into the meditation and feel the energy of the sound blessing them. You can also add specific intent using the sound as a carrier wave. This is the easiest way I have found to become what Chunyi Lin calls a love radiator. Very simple practice and very rewarding.

 

As far as regaining interest in things I can say that I am more focused on how can I help others in whatever capacity I am able. Even if this practice was all I did I know I am helping others at an energetic level. I feel very blessed to have learned this practice.

thank you again.

Edited July 19, 2014 by sunchild