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Mindfulness meditation is not about negating ego, but about observing, seeing what is in front of you, not judging, it is about perspective, about patience (sit

Mindfulness meditation is not about negating ego, but about observing, seeing what is in front of you, not judging, it is about perspective, about patience (sitting in silence, not running after every thought or desire you have), about learning to be gentle and patient with yourself and others. It is about waking up to your current reality, to the present moment. About coming from an illusionary state of mind to an accepting, seeing-current-reality state of mind. It’s also about realizing that you are not your thinking mind (alone). Your thinking mind is a tool, and your thoughts are notions and models about the world. But there is also a level of perception that is meta-mind. A level that is beyond that. A mind that observes your thinking mind. When you don’t equate yourself and the world with your thoughts. Call it intuition if you will. But it’s more than that. Not dichotome as the thinking mind makes it. But holistic. - The Western notion about mindfulness practice is very distorted. Sometimes simplistic. Sometimes negative: „Buddhism is about killing your ego“. No it is not about killing anything. It is about observing it, in a non-judging, patient way. - Mindfulness meditation is about practicing being in the present moment, nothing more than that. And about a set of principles that‘ll help you practice being in the present moment: Being patient, being non-judgemental, perspective, breathing, sitting in silence, observing the breath, observing the thoughts that come and go, not attaching to them, letting go, being in the present moment.

brainless 6y ago
I find this subject very interesting. I'm an Indian with a typical understanding of the concept of meditation being about perspective, patience and such ideas. But I have seen multiple times that Western culture somehow seem to try to extract something out of it. As if trying to commercialize meditation. Peace with oneself, at one's current state is perhaps the only thing I relate with mindfulness. I have been in depression for years, have anxiety. And I started investing more into mindfulness recently, realizing I lost my roots. The mind is a powerful tool, more so in silence. That's what I feel personally.
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 6y ago
  > I have seen multiple times that Western culture somehow seem to try to extract something out of it. I wonder what you think about yoga in the West? I think it gets competitive.
  - 5rest 6y ago
    Western yoga has been evolving over the last couple of centuries. An age-old proverb says - Truth is one, wise express it in many ways. Indian teachers came to the West and Westerners went to India to learn about Indian Philosophy - Yoga. Ideally speaking, Yoga is free for all. Some teachers started charging a fee for making a living, which may be fine. Slowly dilution of purpose occurred and some worst-case teachers turned to be opportunists. The result is most of the Western Yoga schools/studios focus on postures, yoga pants for flexibility a few raise to teaching breathing techniques for a calmer mind, and rarely few pickup the actual spirit of Yoga described in original texts Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali yoga sutras. " The total structure of life requires of our total being to be united with it in a practical demonstration of thought, speech and action – this is yoga." [https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/patanjali/raja_01.html https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/patanjali/raja_01.html] If you want to know what yoga is, a good starting point is Aurobindo's "The Synthesis of Yoga "[http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynthesisofYoga.pdf http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynt...] Lastly, it is a happy coincidence people (including Indians) like yoga exercises. Most of us will be happy with the results of the exercises resulting in flexibility and transient calmness in mind. Real seekers go after Yoga for years and it is not available down the street or online. In reality, ultimate Yoga - a union of gross, subtle, and causal bodies - is very high-bar to reach. Hopefully, it gives some people a glimpse of the original idea of Yoga. I'm sorry if this is too wordy and preachy.
cultus 6y ago
Absolutely agree with this. I started meditating a year ago and it has worked wonders for my generalized anxiety disorder. Definitely more than drugs or therapy alone. To me, it's conscious acceptance of the present moment, including emotions. That way, I can control my emotions to a surprising extent. It allows me to significantly improve my rationality and acceptance of uncertainty.
inv13 6y ago
A well written short summary. +1 :) I learned that trying to explain this topic to others is like forbidden fruit. Unless asked for. But I am going to write some anyways, because this why we are at this forum anyways. There is no thing like ego, its not somebody. That's the problem itself. Its just your mind, which is forgotten that its just your tool given to you to put it to good use. And than there is something else behind it, that comes first. That perceives the output of the mind. Emotions, memories, all kinds of perceptions, everything. After reading a lot of stuff, not particularly mindfulness but about anything, it really changed how i view the world. And i feel like it really comes down to the level of awareness you have about your inner working as a human. One great example I experienced and got me speechless, more than once or twice: Little children, who barely able to talk, just about 3 or 4 years old, got a question about about who did something bad in the past? And they are going to say their name. And the "adults" in the room are going to laugh, because it sounds funny to them. But the child did not intended it to be a joke, that`s obvious. Its that they does not yet identified themselves with their memories. And the adults laughed because its so obvious for them to say: "I did it". But its really just a memory at that point.
- dhimes 6y ago
  Spoiler alert: The whole realization is that the entire concept of you is artificial. The idea that there is an ever-present unchanging thing called "you" is fairly straightforward for the uninitiated to grasp. The idea that there is no "you" separate from "me" is harder— by a lot. What attracted me to it was how well it blended in with our modern ideas in physics. Not just the idea that a wavefunction never dies to zero (unless there is a truly infinite potential somewhere), and that we are part of a large many-body system. But also the idea of the big-bang at the universes (re-?)conception: That spacetime itself started at a point and expanded. It is one thing- a big blob of clay- out of which lumps are formed. One is you and one is me. But we are connected. Your existence would be different if I didn't exist. To kill the ego is to come to an intuitive understanding of this- by being aware and present.
  - inv13 6y ago
    My daily night routine includes looking at a picture of dinosaurs, and a high resolution picture of the hubble telescope[1] and realize that there is something that drove the making of all of this, the process of evolving, of galaxies, bacteries, dinosaurs, so on...being huge and getting big, as dinosaurs, galaxies, humans did. And the variety of those, and so on...None of those made any conscious decision of, for example growing a wing in the future, or the shape, or the structure, or the color if it. But yet it did happen. So there is that thing that drove the making and changing of everything. And that there is no I or you, there is just this thing of making without knowing or being able to direct any of it. And this is the point where the we cant really describe it anymore precisely. Its everything you can not think of. The opposite of what the brain is capable of comprehending. If I can keep this point of "worldview" so to say, before actually falling asleep, I get the best sleep anyone can wish for. [1] https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/1996/01/385-Image.html https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/1996/01/385-Ima...
idclip 6y ago
+1 5 times vipassana, ive experienced ALOT of abuse as a child. It did make me raw... my inner child is very hurt ... that is truth. Sadness is warranted and worthy, that is truth ... sadness is transient, that is truth. If the world will deny my inner child and dismiss my abuse and rape as depression, i must stay with myself until he finds comfort in my arms.
aliswe 6y ago
I believe this sort of misses the point. In swedish some of the more serious conditions are called meditationally (induced) psychosis, or meditational psychosis: Meditationspsykos.
Buttons840 6y ago
> A level that is beyond that. A mind that observes your thinking mind. In the way I was taught mindfulness meditation, "equanimity" means observing without desire. You do not seek pleasure, you do not flee from pain. It does seem to give that "level above" feeling you mention. I consider this the most valuable skill I have learned during my limited time meditating. > Mindfulness meditation is about practicing being in the present moment, nothing more than that. This seems false. Even your own comment follows the "nothing more that that" with a list of additional things. As I mentioned, I've found the skills that help me be aware of the present moment are more valuable than actually being aware of the present moment. I think of jogging. I hate jogging. Whenever I do it I am fully focused on the moment. Can I endure another 2 steps? And then another 2 steps? That's pretty focused on the moment. My desperate breaths, my aching side, that's living in the moment. Yet, it is not like meditating. I do not develop any of those skills you listed at the end of your comment when jogging. Thus, I think meditation is about the skills required to be in the present moment rather than actually being in the present moment. The detachment, the observing without desire, etc.
visarga 6y ago
That sounds great, but in practice I found out that people who meditate too little don't get any results, and people who meditate too much tend to neglect other parts of their life such as work and family (often a glorified attitude under the name of detachment), and over decades become less fulfilled than 'regular' people. There's a wisdom in the simple life of ordinary people, too, don't need to subject yourself to ascetic practices for it. Ask yourself, would meditating for 10 days help you more than taking a vacation and learning something new, with the same focus? Something practical, that would make you better at life, not just feel better about life. If spiritual practices like meditation were so powerful in a life affirming way, India would be the most advanced country. Rather than closing your eyes and floating in your empty mind, better to open them an learn what is amazing about the world. The world is more exciting than imagination and internal body feelings.

brainless 6y ago

I find this subject very interesting. I'm an Indian with a typical understanding of the concept of meditation being about perspective, patience and such ideas. But I have seen multiple times that Western culture somehow seem to try to extract something out of it. As if trying to commercialize meditation. Peace with oneself, at one's current state is perhaps the only thing I relate with mindfulness. I have been in depression for years, have anxiety. And I started investing more into mindfulness recently, realizing I lost my roots. The mind is a powerful tool, more so in silence. That's what I feel personally.

0xdeadbeefbabe 6y ago
> I have seen multiple times that Western culture somehow seem to try to extract something out of it. I wonder what you think about yoga in the West? I think it gets competitive.
- 5rest 6y ago
  Western yoga has been evolving over the last couple of centuries. An age-old proverb says - Truth is one, wise express it in many ways. Indian teachers came to the West and Westerners went to India to learn about Indian Philosophy - Yoga. Ideally speaking, Yoga is free for all. Some teachers started charging a fee for making a living, which may be fine. Slowly dilution of purpose occurred and some worst-case teachers turned to be opportunists. The result is most of the Western Yoga schools/studios focus on postures, yoga pants for flexibility a few raise to teaching breathing techniques for a calmer mind, and rarely few pickup the actual spirit of Yoga described in original texts Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali yoga sutras. " The total structure of life requires of our total being to be united with it in a practical demonstration of thought, speech and action – this is yoga." [https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/patanjali/raja_01.html https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/patanjali/raja_01.html] If you want to know what yoga is, a good starting point is Aurobindo's "The Synthesis of Yoga "[http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynthesisofYoga.pdf http://www.sriaurobindo.nl/docs/Sri%20Aurobindo/23-24TheSynt...] Lastly, it is a happy coincidence people (including Indians) like yoga exercises. Most of us will be happy with the results of the exercises resulting in flexibility and transient calmness in mind. Real seekers go after Yoga for years and it is not available down the street or online. In reality, ultimate Yoga - a union of gross, subtle, and causal bodies - is very high-bar to reach. Hopefully, it gives some people a glimpse of the original idea of Yoga. I'm sorry if this is too wordy and preachy.

cultus 6y ago

Absolutely agree with this. I started meditating a year ago and it has worked wonders for my generalized anxiety disorder. Definitely more than drugs or therapy alone. To me, it's conscious acceptance of the present moment, including emotions. That way, I can control my emotions to a surprising extent. It allows me to significantly improve my rationality and acceptance of uncertainty.

inv13 6y ago

A well written short summary. +1 :) I learned that trying to explain this topic to others is like forbidden fruit. Unless asked for. But I am going to write some anyways, because this why we are at this forum anyways. There is no thing like ego, its not somebody. That's the problem itself. Its just your mind, which is forgotten that its just your tool given to you to put it to good use. And than there is something else behind it, that comes first. That perceives the output of the mind. Emotions, memories, all kinds of perceptions, everything. After reading a lot of stuff, not particularly mindfulness but about anything, it really changed how i view the world. And i feel like it really comes down to the level of awareness you have about your inner working as a human. One great example I experienced and got me speechless, more than once or twice: Little children, who barely able to talk, just about 3 or 4 years old, got a question about about who did something bad in the past? And they are going to say their name. And the "adults" in the room are going to laugh, because it sounds funny to them. But the child did not intended it to be a joke, that`s obvious. Its that they does not yet identified themselves with their memories. And the adults laughed because its so obvious for them to say: "I did it". But its really just a memory at that point.

dhimes 6y ago
Spoiler alert: The whole realization is that the entire concept of you is artificial. The idea that there is an ever-present unchanging thing called "you" is fairly straightforward for the uninitiated to grasp. The idea that there is no "you" separate from "me" is harder— by a lot. What attracted me to it was how well it blended in with our modern ideas in physics. Not just the idea that a wavefunction never dies to zero (unless there is a truly infinite potential somewhere), and that we are part of a large many-body system. But also the idea of the big-bang at the universes (re-?)conception: That spacetime itself started at a point and expanded. It is one thing- a big blob of clay- out of which lumps are formed. One is you and one is me. But we are connected. Your existence would be different if I didn't exist. To kill the ego is to come to an intuitive understanding of this- by being aware and present.
- inv13 6y ago
  My daily night routine includes looking at a picture of dinosaurs, and a high resolution picture of the hubble telescope[1] and realize that there is something that drove the making of all of this, the process of evolving, of galaxies, bacteries, dinosaurs, so on...being huge and getting big, as dinosaurs, galaxies, humans did. And the variety of those, and so on...None of those made any conscious decision of, for example growing a wing in the future, or the shape, or the structure, or the color if it. But yet it did happen. So there is that thing that drove the making and changing of everything. And that there is no I or you, there is just this thing of making without knowing or being able to direct any of it. And this is the point where the we cant really describe it anymore precisely. Its everything you can not think of. The opposite of what the brain is capable of comprehending. If I can keep this point of "worldview" so to say, before actually falling asleep, I get the best sleep anyone can wish for. [1] https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/1996/01/385-Image.html https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/1996/01/385-Ima...

idclip 6y ago

+1 5 times vipassana, ive experienced ALOT of abuse as a child. It did make me raw... my inner child is very hurt ... that is truth. Sadness is warranted and worthy, that is truth ... sadness is transient, that is truth. If the world will deny my inner child and dismiss my abuse and rape as depression, i must stay with myself until he finds comfort in my arms.

aliswe 6y ago

I believe this sort of misses the point. In swedish some of the more serious conditions are called meditationally (induced) psychosis, or meditational psychosis: Meditationspsykos.

Buttons840 6y ago

> A level that is beyond that. A mind that observes your thinking mind. In the way I was taught mindfulness meditation, "equanimity" means observing without desire. You do not seek pleasure, you do not flee from pain. It does seem to give that "level above" feeling you mention. I consider this the most valuable skill I have learned during my limited time meditating. > Mindfulness meditation is about practicing being in the present moment, nothing more than that. This seems false. Even your own comment follows the "nothing more that that" with a list of additional things. As I mentioned, I've found the skills that help me be aware of the present moment are more valuable than actually being aware of the present moment. I think of jogging. I hate jogging. Whenever I do it I am fully focused on the moment. Can I endure another 2 steps? And then another 2 steps? That's pretty focused on the moment. My desperate breaths, my aching side, that's living in the moment. Yet, it is not like meditating. I do not develop any of those skills you listed at the end of your comment when jogging. Thus, I think meditation is about the skills required to be in the present moment rather than actually being in the present moment. The detachment, the observing without desire, etc.

visarga 6y ago

That sounds great, but in practice I found out that people who meditate too little don't get any results, and people who meditate too much tend to neglect other parts of their life such as work and family (often a glorified attitude under the name of detachment), and over decades become less fulfilled than 'regular' people. There's a wisdom in the simple life of ordinary people, too, don't need to subject yourself to ascetic practices for it. Ask yourself, would meditating for 10 days help you more than taking a vacation and learning something new, with the same focus? Something practical, that would make you better at life, not just feel better about life. If spiritual practices like meditation were so powerful in a life affirming way, India would be the most advanced country. Rather than closing your eyes and floating in your empty mind, better to open them an learn what is amazing about the world. The world is more exciting than imagination and internal body feelings.