sitting and forgetting vs. emptiness meditation

[JackSquat]

I have been wondering lately what exactly the difference is between emptiness meditation and sitting-&-forgetting; is the latter just a specific type of the former, are they different, are they used for different purposes, which does everyone prefer, etc.. I would say the bulk of my time meditating begins by concentrating on my breathing and the moment at hand, and then clearing myself of thought, intention, expectation, and desire. Is this emptiness meditation, as I have been calling it, or do I have my nomenclature wrong? Does anyone have a entirely different way of accomplishing the same thing?

 

Even slightly relevant data would be greatly appreciated

[Spectrum]

I was under the impression that to sit and forget is to experience emptiness. It is a matter of vernacular no?

[de_paradise]

This is my take:

 

Sitting and forgetting is a kind of focus on letting go of thoughts, the object is on the gently popping of bubbling up of thoughts, with no attention to what the body is or isnt. When the mind is calm, I become aware of the vast spaciness around, no fixed position or object (except the implied vastness.)

 

The emptiness is a priori imagining the empty body, invisible perhaps. So its starts off as a mind-projection (until you have surpassed the skandha of form), and that gently leads to an object of the feelings associated with an empty vessel.

 

Culivators of different levels get different effects, and the higher one goes the emptiness or forgetting space is less a mental projection.

 

In my own experimentation, I feel the energy moving slightly differently with each meditation. And just my experience that sitting and forgetting is less powerful for beginners for getting the qi moving and the ethereal body activating, and a continual pointed focus is better.

[h.uriahr]

I have been wondering lately what exactly the difference is between emptiness meditation and sitting-&-forgetting; is the latter just a specific type of the former, are they different, are they used for different purposes, which does everyone prefer, etc.. I would say the bulk of my time meditating begins by concentrating on my breathing and the moment at hand, and then clearing myself of thought, intention, expectation, and desire. Is this emptiness meditation, as I have been calling it, or do I have my nomenclature wrong? Does anyone have a entirely different way of accomplishing the same thing?

 

Even slightly relevant data would be greatly appreciated

Yes it's emptiness meditation that you do. You could call it focus meditation too.

[rex]

It could just be a difference in terminology but there are also whole practice traditions based around 'just sitting' and so there are many subtleties, refinements and plain differences. The differences usually revolve around

questions on the nature of the self, emptiness and the ultimate fruition of the practice.

 

From my crude understanding stillness meditation is not necessarily emptiness meditation. Stillness meditation can lead to stability of mind where the mind becomes non-stick and spacious, and risings are allowed to come and go on their own accord without conscious intervention or upsetting of mental equilibrium. This stillness and equilibrium is a precursor to experiencing and getting an insight into emptiness i.e. the total fluidity and unconditioned nature of ourselves; or if one follows a monotheistic religion, spiritual communion. Of course stillness could just be used for relaxation and nothing more.

 

Emptiness and stillness are only half the story as we are also energy in constant manifestation. This energy can be worked with through exercises, prayer, mantras etc and combined with stillness or used to go into stillness. Prayers and mantras recited with sincerity from the heart can put one into a state of stillness cutting rapidly through the usual personal bullshit.

 

Er ... um .. that's all I know.

 

[Edited for spelling and clarity]

Edited October 21, 2008 by rex