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Zen is interesting. While J.D. Salinger embraced Zen only to give it up later in life to pick up Advaita Vedanta. I have come across someone even suggesting tha

Zen is interesting. While J.D. Salinger embraced Zen only to give it up later in life to pick up Advaita Vedanta. I have come across someone even suggesting that Zen caused him to get depressed.

DanielKehoe 12y ago
In my experience, Zen and Vipassana take you "up and out", which may be why they become a path of ascetism and negation. Advaita is a more embodied practice. Advaita Vedanta (also known as nondualism) has been called the "cream of the Vedas." Zen is more like skim milk (also nutritous but not as tasty). Awakening or enlightenment is actually far more common than literature leads people to believe. Most people just continue to live ordinary lives (enlightenment doesn't give you superpowers or turn one into a saint). Some become teachers and you can find them in most large cities (and on YouTube). The "Buddha at the Gas Pump" site collects lots of interviews (batgap.com) and there's even a snarky ratings site at Spiritualteachers.org. Not for everybody, but then what is? I used to work in the enlightenment industry.
- dodyg 12y ago
  'Enlightenment industry'?
orasis 12y ago
You can absolutely become depressed through meditation practices, but typically this is a sign that you have made some progress but are not breaking through. Intuitively changing techniques (for example, to Advaita) can be a good strategy. If you're aware of the states of mind associated with higher concentration, you can recognize negative feelings as a sign of progress and push through. http://alohadharma.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/the-dark-night/ http://alohadharma.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/the-dark-night/
webnrrd2k 12y ago
I'm a meditator, and I have a theory that may apply here... Meditation is essentially about seeing reality as it is, and if you have a sucky life, then it may seem that meditation is making your life worse and causing you to be depressed. It's not that meditation is making it worse, but that you are simply becoming more aware of the things that are making you unhappy. So it seems to get worse before it gets better, as they say. Also, I should say that I don't want to oversell meditation -- I think meditation can sometimes cause real problems for people (especially if you tend to have an addictive personality, and you have no teacher or a teacher who isn't very experienced).

Zen is interesting. While J.D. Salinger embraced Zen only to give it up later in life to pick up Advaita Vedanta. I have come across someone even suggesting that Zen caused him to get depressed.

DanielKehoe 12y ago

In my experience, Zen and Vipassana take you "up and out", which may be why they become a path of ascetism and negation. Advaita is a more embodied practice. Advaita Vedanta (also known as nondualism) has been called the "cream of the Vedas." Zen is more like skim milk (also nutritous but not as tasty). Awakening or enlightenment is actually far more common than literature leads people to believe. Most people just continue to live ordinary lives (enlightenment doesn't give you superpowers or turn one into a saint). Some become teachers and you can find them in most large cities (and on YouTube). The "Buddha at the Gas Pump" site collects lots of interviews (batgap.com) and there's even a snarky ratings site at Spiritualteachers.org. Not for everybody, but then what is? I used to work in the enlightenment industry.

dodyg 12y ago
'Enlightenment industry'?

orasis 12y ago

You can absolutely become depressed through meditation practices, but typically this is a sign that you have made some progress but are not breaking through. Intuitively changing techniques (for example, to Advaita) can be a good strategy. If you're aware of the states of mind associated with higher concentration, you can recognize negative feelings as a sign of progress and push through. http://alohadharma.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/the-dark-night/ http://alohadharma.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/the-dark-night/

webnrrd2k 12y ago

I'm a meditator, and I have a theory that may apply here... Meditation is essentially about seeing reality as it is, and if you have a sucky life, then it may seem that meditation is making your life worse and causing you to be depressed. It's not that meditation is making it worse, but that you are simply becoming more aware of the things that are making you unhappy. So it seems to get worse before it gets better, as they say. Also, I should say that I don't want to oversell meditation -- I think meditation can sometimes cause real problems for people (especially if you tend to have an addictive personality, and you have no teacher or a teacher who isn't very experienced).