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"A newbie once met a dzogchen master: - Do you meditate? - Why meditate? - So you aren't distracted. - Am I distracted?" It's from one book about dzogchen. Rep
by akomtu 3y ago
"A newbie once met a dzogchen master: - Do you meditate? - Why meditate? - So you aren't distracted. - Am I distracted?"
It's from one book about dzogchen. Rephrasing it: "- Do you practice balancing? - Why would I do that? - So you can stand upright. - Am I not standing upright?" (while the newbie is still crawling)
- hirvi74 3y agoI do not think I understand what this means. Is the point that the newbie does not understand what they are failing to achieve? Is the newbie just supposed to know it when they finally achieve whatever the goal is? Speaking of, what even is the goal? I understand mediation has benefits, and people that can succeed at it are usually never shy to sing its praises. However, I still do not understand what benefits one actually gets from it. If you want the honest truth, I have only wanted to mediate to fix various aliments in my life -- anxiety, stress, negative emotions, etc. in a healthy manner (assuming it even works for that). Perhaps it's my impulsive tendencies coming to light again, but I do not actually care about mediation, spiritual journeys, enlightenment, etc.. I just want to find some god damn relief that isn't just another form of copium.
- akomtu 3y agoBooks teaching meditation, such as lamrim, usually begin with a list of preliminary work to neutralise the typical negative conditions: lust is neutered by imagining disgusting things, pride is neutered by thinking about the dissolution of elements and so on. Most people will spend their lifetime combating these flaws. Once they are kept under control, meditation begins. The spiritual part is about the purpose of such interest in meditation.