Comments on: Getting past boredom in meditation http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom Explore Meditation Online Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:56:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Be curious about both the bitter and the sweet « Beyond Meds http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-108693 Be curious about both the bitter and the sweet « Beyond Meds Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:01:31 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-108693 [...] From wildmind Buddhist meditation website: The American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron suggests what this might be like in her book, The Wisdom of No Escape. There’s a common misunderstanding among all the human beings who have ever been born on the earth that the best way to live is to try to avoid pain and just try to get comfortable. You can see this even in insects and animals and birds. All of us are the same. [...] [...] From wildmind Buddhist meditation website: The American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron suggests what this might be like in her book, The Wisdom of No Escape. There’s a common misunderstanding among all the human beings who have ever been born on the earth that the best way to live is to try to avoid pain and just try to get comfortable. You can see this even in insects and animals and birds. All of us are the same. [...]

]]> By: Bodhipaksa http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-108597 Bodhipaksa Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:26:30 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-108597 A very good response, Sunada! A very good response, Sunada!

]]> By: Alarik Greenland http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-108557 Alarik Greenland Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:42:21 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-108557 Cheers Sunada. :-) Cheers Sunada. :-)

]]> By: Sunada http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-108512 Sunada Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:02:42 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-108512 Alarik, If you think it's time to move away from meditation, of course, that's entirely up to you. You need to decide what's right for you. I personally wouldn't dream of doing it. Why? Because meditation itself isn't what gives my life meaning. It's something that keeps my mind and my consciousness sharp, open, clear, and sensitive so that I am able to find meaning with this particular mind that I occupy. Without a sharp mind, what's left of my life? It's the same with exercising my body. I wouldn't give that up when I get bored of it either. Because it's not the exercising that gives meaning to my life. It's what it does for my body -- it keeps me strong so that I'm able to get the most out of life in this body. I consider them essential to my well-being, like food and water. To me it's not a dependency. As you point out, having our meditation feeling good or not isn't an indication of progress. I think progress is happening all the time, as long as we put in the effort. Going through ups and downs is a perfectly natural process of growth, just like trees go through periods of growth and hibernation (or whatever you call what they do in winter). I think what makes a meditation practice effective in the long term is our ability to stay with it, regardless of whether we see any obvious "rewards" at the moment. The reward comes ultimately when we see that we've changed for the better, and that's something than comes from perseverance over the long haul. Best wishes, Sunada www.mindfulpurpose.com Alarik,

If you think it’s time to move away from meditation, of course, that’s entirely up to you. You need to decide what’s right for you.

I personally wouldn’t dream of doing it. Why? Because meditation itself isn’t what gives my life meaning. It’s something that keeps my mind and my consciousness sharp, open, clear, and sensitive so that I am able to find meaning with this particular mind that I occupy. Without a sharp mind, what’s left of my life? It’s the same with exercising my body. I wouldn’t give that up when I get bored of it either. Because it’s not the exercising that gives meaning to my life. It’s what it does for my body — it keeps me strong so that I’m able to get the most out of life in this body. I consider them essential to my well-being, like food and water. To me it’s not a dependency.

As you point out, having our meditation feeling good or not isn’t an indication of progress. I think progress is happening all the time, as long as we put in the effort. Going through ups and downs is a perfectly natural process of growth, just like trees go through periods of growth and hibernation (or whatever you call what they do in winter). I think what makes a meditation practice effective in the long term is our ability to stay with it, regardless of whether we see any obvious “rewards” at the moment. The reward comes ultimately when we see that we’ve changed for the better, and that’s something than comes from perseverance over the long haul.

Best wishes,
Sunada
http://www.mindfulpurpose.com

]]> By: Alarik Greenland http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-108508 Alarik Greenland Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:00:34 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-108508 Cheers. It's still very difficult to carry on when I get to this 'wall'. I believe that when meditation starts to 'feel better' after a perioud of boredom it doesnt necessarily mean that i'm getting any more skilled at meditation. It might just mean that I had a good day, or i had something deep to process which kept me entertained. When something is boring, we have evolved to move away from it. Maybe its good to move away from meditation sometimes so we are less dependant on it for our sense of 'meaning' in life. What do you think? Thankyou for this opportunity. XX Cheers. It’s still very difficult to carry on when I get to this ‘wall’.
I believe that when meditation starts to ‘feel better’ after a perioud of boredom it doesnt necessarily mean that i’m getting any more skilled at meditation. It might just mean that I had a good day, or i had something deep to process which kept me entertained.
When something is boring, we have evolved to move away from it. Maybe its good to move away from meditation sometimes so we are less dependant on it for our sense of ‘meaning’ in life.
What do you think? Thankyou for this opportunity. XX

]]> By: zooey http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-62998 zooey Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:21:21 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-62998 Thank you for this post. The quote from 'Wisdom...' was something I needed just now. What a profound and simple and powerful suggestion: "A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is to begin to develop our curiosity, not caring whether the object of our inquisitiveness is bitter or sweet." Thank you for this post. The quote from ‘Wisdom…’ was something I needed just now. What a profound and simple and powerful suggestion:

“A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is to begin to develop our curiosity, not caring whether the object of our inquisitiveness is bitter or sweet.”

]]> By: Hanging out with the good and the BAD in meditation « Beyond Meds http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/boredom/comment-page-1#comment-62800 Hanging out with the good and the BAD in meditation « Beyond Meds Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:02:16 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4129#comment-62800 [...] February 25, 2009 by giannakali From wildmind Buddhist meditation website: [...] [...] February 25, 2009 by giannakali From wildmind Buddhist meditation website: [...]

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