Different types of meditation and which one is better

[Thesingularity]

I Discovered 5 types of meditation so far through self inquiry and sources like Leo. I think the first one is focusing, second one is repeating a mantra or affirmation, the third is  to become the observer of the thought like clouds passing by , The forth one is the one i do by focusing on one subject or body part or any one thing and contemplate on that , the last one is guided meditation that is more like hypnotism. I do each one based on my mood

what kind of meditation do you do and why?

Edited October 14, 2018 by Thesingularity
aspect

[Hellspeed]

Meditation is Breath and making the Dragon fly with the breath. 

Anything else are just exercises for the mind. 

Edited October 14, 2018 by Hellspeed

[deci belle]

1 hour ago, Hellspeed said:

Anything else are just exercises for the mind. 

Huh?!!  Just the mind~ oh.

It would be good of you, mr Hellspeed, to elaborate a bit for the man!! You can easily expose the significance of the Dragon and its practical symbolism of riding the Breath. It's not at all esoteric. Please elucidate a moment on the "dragon" and how it is so different than that pesky mind thing, if you would!!

3 hours ago, Thesingularity said:

The forth one is the one i do by focusing on one subject or body part or any one thing and contemplate on that

Please don't do that, Thesingularity— focus on any part of your body, that is. Please do not do that.

I will make a quick point (I hope) about meditation relative to breathing exercises, or the slightly more involved psychosomatic energy exercises such as the "waterwheel" or "cosmic orbit" derivatives such a sexual yoga, visualization, mantras, various walking, sitting, standing regimens, etc. Even if  you mess around with that by virtue of the body (subtle or otherwise) for an eternity, that's exactly what you'll end up working with for an eternity because you'll never transcend the root of delusional existence, which is, you guessed it, the body, or, more specifically, anything which is attached to it— and that would be that pesky human mentality full of its self-reflective, self-reifying views based on the illusion of the activities of the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die who's 24/7 job is perpetuating the false identity and its death-energy based conditioned temperament.

If you want to refine (away) the human mentality, cut off endless karmic circles, activate inherent enlightening being, and see your nature, consider this:

Just observe mind 24/7 right back at it. Bet you can't do it at first. All the afore-mentioned regimens based on the body, breathing, concentrating, moving energy, recitation are great for rank beginners. That's great if you are, but realize that they are all temporary expedients. Otherwise (if you are dedicated and stick to even "just sitting" (zazen), which is not necessarily an activity just for beginners, you will end up 70 or 90 years old with no attainment and with all your vices intact and concretized for the next lifetime to work out. Ouch!

There are two centers of attention possessed by luminous beings (that's people). One is based on reason, it uses words, and perpetuates itself via the psychological apparatus through the distillation of conscious awareness and requires doing. The other center of attention is based on will (intent), which is directly related to nonpsycholgical awareness. Nonpsychological awareness is the aperture of immediate knowledge, which is nondiscursive and involves no doing.

All the "exercises" in the world that you can "do" have their place— they are entry-level regimens for disciplining and sanitizing sloppy beginner's minds and bodies. Once a certain modicum of self-refinement is reach and maintained by these rote formalities, there will come a time when it will be felicitous to take stock of your intent and purpose concerning whether or not your mind is clarified enough to enter into subtle observation of mind by mind. Why? It is the easiest and most direct approach to clarifying the mind. It involves no exercises. One just observes mind 24/7.

Perhaps if you PM mr Hellspeed, he will help you in learning to ride the Breath— so you can cut through all the spin-offs from the get-go!

 

 

 

ed note: typo 2nd paragraph

Edited October 14, 2018 by deci belle

[How to be wise]

@Thesingularity Leo’s booklist!

Edited October 14, 2018 by How to be wise

[deci belle]

What's that, dear?!! A booklist? haha~ I read for about forty years… but thank you so much for the suggestion.

How about a specific title, hmmmm?

There are only about three or four, or 6 or 7 books I refer to.

Now if Leo actually wrote a book (I doubt I would read it) …heehee!!❤︎❤︎

Edited October 14, 2018 by deci belle

[Thesingularity]

@deci belle That body part is my favourite. Just 5 minute of heart meditation outweigh hours of breath. Try that put your hand on your heart and say thank you while thinking and trying to feel it pumping and follow the blood to body parts and contemplate on how it works and say thank you

[deci belle]

Hi Thesingularity— that's a wonderful thing.  And 5 minutes is not too long to do any damage~ that's for sure.

That sounds like an effective affirmation exercise.

When you are fully affirmed after a long time of 5-minute heart meditations, then you can spread that out on to the entire universe. That's about how big your heart is!!

The admonition is for more serious concentration regimens where moving energy is required after amassing it in general regions of the body. You don't do that, so don't worry about it yet.

Nevertheless, the OP was about the best meditation, non?

Was that a sincere question, or were you setting up a challenge, hmmm? Kinda early for that, if you were…

You are not ready for nonpsychological activity yet, but when you are, consider the vast proportions enlisted in effective 24/7 subtle observation of mind… how wonderful would that be? I don't know, because it's not thinking— and that's my favorite thing to do~ haha!

Books are ok, but I would get a tip from mr Hellspeed, since he went to the trouble to specify it— see if his Breath/Dragon thing would be good thing for you.

Edited October 14, 2018 by deci belle

[outlandish]

If I'm doing seated meditation, the core of it is essentially this:

Follow the breath, dwell in the stillness at the end of the exhalation, maintain that stillness on the in, bring it back to the top of the in, exhale, repeat. Like holding a bowl of water, perfectly still.

Of course, most of the time I'm carried off in some thought cascade. And then I notice, rein it back in and find a moment or two of peace again.

The different techniques have each have a fit so it's worth exploring to observe what fits you best, and to have different tools in your belt.

 

 

 

[Thesingularity]

@deci belle You sound too full of yourself so never mind

[deci belle]

That's ok, Thesingularity, I don't mind if that's how you feel— I know exactly what you mean!

This is your thread, after all.

I thought outlandish's post above was very simple and direct— that's very good instruction.

Also, it's absolutely ok to be a beginner. "Beginner's Mind" is the best place to come from— regardless of one's level of self-refinement.

What looks like "fullness" to you is what not seeking honor and not avoiding ignominy looks like.

I hope you continue the heart thing you do and further expand that affirmation to include the entire universe, as I suggested.

When you can do that, you will have the mind to see the whole world as the expression of enlightenment, no different than yourself.

 

 

ed note: typo and add last part of 1st line

Edited October 14, 2018 by deci belle

[Hellspeed]

The Dragon is the 1st/red chakra. One has to pour orange and yellow into red to be able to connect with blue and reach green. 

Doing red and green directly or red into indigo are fatal in the long run.