From Ocean of Dharma, Chogyam Trungpa:


February 10, 2012

YOUR PRACTICE IS A STATEMENT, NOT A QUESTION

In the practice of meditation, questions arise on the basis of trying to secure your basic ground as ego. If there is no ego-oriented question, there are no other questions. Instead, your practice is a statement, somewhat. It is extremely direct and deliberate. You are actually doing something. You are getting into this process without making sure that what you’re doing is okay. Things are actually taking place, almost of their own accord, very simply and directly. That is meditation.

A recent meditation in Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening was on simplicity--living directly--one of the three tools of living (patience and compassion are the other two). Nepo cites Lao-tzu as providing these three instructions, and I suspect they are from the Tao, but you would know, Sister, as you are a student of the Tao among your many other studies.

Living directly, Nepo says, is the "doorway to the Source of all Being," which is what I read in the meditation you cite. If we are direct, we will connect.

Thanks so much for posting this, Sister!

Karen

That makes a lovely mantra, Karen: To connect, be direct. Whittles it all down to the essence ...

Perfect! Thanks friend!

Love,
Lura

Hi sister Lura and Tgumster

I was just about to start a new thread but I see that this one fits perfectly to my thoughts today

I´ve been trying to practise meditation for six years now. First I used all kind of exercises and tried to meditate on something , using mantras and technics I´ve learned from books , courses and here from the site. I have now found out that it works best for me only to concentrate on breathing and slowing down my mind. So now I only do this , light a candle and inscent and put my music on. Finally, this last year , i feel like this is becoming a part of my daily routine and feel like I cant live without it. I feel more peaceful and focused and connected to higher power. But I haven´t yet experianced anything like visions or messages and things I know some people do through meditation. I feel exactly what you were saying here above about secure the basic ground as ego. Like I can´t let go or like i´m scared of loosing control or something. It feels like I´m always about to be taken away somewhere in the meditation but like I can´t allow my self to go there. I meditate 15-20 min a day mostly inside my department but sometimes by the sea.

For you here who practise meditation I would be grateful if you would be so kind to answer the following:
- how do you practise it and for how long time at a time
- have you had some experiances through meditation
- do you have some tips for me to help me letting go in meditation

Well I hope you understand some of what i´m trying to say. Yesterday in chat I asked if people knew who were DOMINATED this year at the Oscar So feel free to correct my english ... I would really appriciate it since i´m trying to working on getting better in it.

Love to

__________________
when you reach the end of your rope , tie a knot in it and hang on ❤

Hi, Loa, first of all, your English is very good! Where do you live? You mentioned the sea ... I used to live on an island off the coast of Maine (USA) and miss the ocean tremendously - but that's another story.

Regarding meditation, the thing that popped into my mind when I read your post is the memory that I used to feel the way you seemed to feel (to me) ... ie, a little bit afraid to really "let go" when you meditate.

Sometimes, particularly during guided meditations, I could sense myself resisting going deeper ... like I was afraid I wouldn't "get back" to what I perceive as reality or something. Fear of the unknown is a powerful deterrant to spiritual growth. Once we acknowledge that there is literally nothing to fear, then we can breathe easier and go with the flow. It took years for me to reach a comfortable level, where I felt completely safe to just let my mind go blank, with no ego dictating what it "should" think or do. I think I was afraid I might really "lose my mind" if I didn't control it consciously!

I try to meditate for a minimum of 20 minutes twice a day -- because I'm a nun in a convent, there is already built into my daily schedule a lot of time for silence and prayer, so I'm very fortunate in that regard. Some days I don't get all my meditation time in; some days, I get more. If I get none, then I don't feel balanced and healthy so it's really a big priority for me.

Keep at it, Loa -- it is soooo worth it ... someone once said (maybe it was Shirley herself; I'm sorry I can't remember!) "the journey is in the practice - just keep practicing and the journey never ends."

Love,
Lura

Hi, Loa!

I am new to meditation and to being. I do not have a set time of when I meditate or how long, and I am fortunate in having no restrictions or demands on my time, which helps me stay present, I think.

Mostly, I read Mark Nepo's meditation for the day from his Book of Awakening--usually in the morning but it may be the last thing I do before going to sleep--I also am studying the Tao with Wayne Dyer in his book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. These are two, specific meditation guides but I have others such as Pepper Lewis who channels Gaia.

My focus is on being, which means my ego is with me always as it is a part of me. Yet, I am beginning to hear it for itself, which changes the way I listen to it. I have learned not to silence it, which sometimes quiets it, if that makes sense. I have what I refer to as me, myself, and I conversations for I see myself as a trinity of my soul, my imagination or mind, and my brain or ego of my physical self. Clearly, I know my ego better than the other two but that is changing.

Don't know that this is helpful to you, Loa, but please know that open heart of yours shines through. Listen to it, and you might hear what you are seeking.

Peace and Love,
Tgumster

Thank you both for your kind words and encouragement

I will keep on with meditating and hopefully one day I will overcome those fears and be able to completely let going . Maybe I will later try again to add in the guided ones. For a while I tried some that focused on being one with the universe , but somehow my mind always got on full swing

Tgumster - you sure seem to be on the right path. I´ve written down the name of these books you are using as they sound interesting.

sisterLura - the nun life has always charmed me in a way , it´s really good to have your voice here on board. May I ask what religion you follow ? It´s a comfort to hear that it also took you a long time to get where you are today regarding meditation LOL

Love to you ,
Lóa

p.s. I live in Iceland ... and I am so totally addicted to the sea

__________________
when you reach the end of your rope , tie a knot in it and hang on ❤

I'm an Episcopal (Anglican) nun, Loa, but in my heart of hearts, I think I'm a closet Buddhist!

I'm fascinated that you live in Iceland ~being from way, way , waaaaay up in northern Maine, I find I'm very drawn to desolate land and seascapes ... and that's how I image Iceland to be, though I admit most of my knowledge of your wonderful country comes from reading novels. Have you read Arnaldur Indridason's mysteries? Very atmospheric!!!

Good luck with your meditating, and don't get discouraged. As Woody Allen said, "just keep showing up!" I think he was referring to life in general - but it works for meditating, too

Love,
Lura

I must say I´m very surprised, proud and delighted to hear that you know Arnaldur´s novels , I´m not much for reading criminals but have read few of his books and liked most of them. I have to admit that I had never pictured a nun reading his stuff LOL , and that makes me even more curious about the life you have choosen as a nun. I suspect it to be a little different from the ideas I have about it. Anyway , I´ve always had a great respect for nuns and what they have done for sociaty. Here they built up the first hospital and were the first nurses of our country

You are right about the landscape but among with the ocean, clean air and water and the myth and history of our ancestors , that is the big and only thing that makes us who are left here stick arround , because everyhting else here is a mess. Maybe we should all move over to northen Maine I can see from google that it´s very beautiful and somewhat similar to Iceland

Thank you again Sisterlura and good luck to you too

Love ,
Lóa

__________________
when you reach the end of your rope , tie a knot in it and hang on ❤

Hello, Loa,

Isn't Sister Lura a marvel; she has such an open heart. I, too, have a longstanding respect for nuns and all they do.

Have been thinking about your post and meditation. Although I really enjoy my study with Nepo and Dyer, I also get a great deal from Pepper Lewis at pepperlewis.com. I first heard Pepper and Gaia here on IE Radio and it changed my life. Not sure what my study with Nepo and Dyer would look like without Pepper and Gaia.

What helps me so much is seeing the relationship between my brain (ego) and mind (all that is ). Gaia defines mindfulness as the soul being physical, or I think that's what she said (I subscribe to downloads). In my case, I have taxed my brain all my life with doing so I am trying to heal by being.

On a completely separate topic, one of my favorite artists, Eva Cassidy, once sang in Iceland, and as absurd as the question is, did you see her or do you know her music? It would have been in the 90s before 1996.

Iceland seems so beautiful. I lived most of my life in the Rocky Mountains--Wyoming and Montana--before moving to the warm climate of Florida.

Peace and Love,
Karen