I've talked to people about this and they look at me as if I am mad!
But I have little credibility. Maybe if I shaved my head and wore saffron robes they would take me more seriously.
Meditation - it's not what you think ...that's the old joke.
But really it's -not what you believe.
I want to dismantle everything you believe here. There is nothing that can be held as absolutely true. I maintain we live in a world , a state of mind, that is built on assumptions - and those assumptions are at best not entirely true.
One might imagine that I have typed this and that you are reading it...that seems absolutely true - right?
Okay, so prove to yourself, absolutely, that you are not living in a computer simulation - a Virtual World inside some Super Computer. A Virtual Reality.
I am not saying the world is VR - just that it cannot be refuted , not entirely.
In which case the belief that I typed and you are reading has to be adjusted to cover that possibility - namely , it only appears that way! ...I might be an "NPC", a Non Player Character - a computer program that writes!
Try to prove to yourself , lol , that you are not God, The God , playing a game and everything in the world is of your creation - just like when we recall the dream world when sleeping.
See? Everything can be doubted.
I am not say either of these things is true, neither the Computer Simulation nor The God thing , I am just demonstrating an element of doubt in ones beliefs....there are others...lol
To be honest, anyone can play around with these ideas indefinitely and for philosophy that's okay but for Zen Buddhism and meditation it's a waste of time!
The Zen meditation is....more experiential...you go there..you feel it...that type of thing.
It is not a debate - not a thought game - not a "how can you say that?" endless discussion.
We are transcending thought - read on!
Zen Meditation.
It's traditionally -watching thoughts arise, watching emotions arise, watching everything arise as you sit. Or walk.
But one is watching everything.
Including the very experience at this moment - the sounds, the seeing that occurs etc.
...the problem comes when the beliefs kick in. As I said these thoughts exist that colour the experience , thoughts that we hold as true, and even absolutely true.
Some thoughts are seductive and hard to ignore - like the one I described - I typed, you are reading.
If somehow you can just watch them and not be molded by them. You will have an enlightening meditation!
You might chose to be tough with the whole thinking process as a way to avoid a massive conversation in your head. Maybe compare the thoughts and especially the "hard and fast known things that obviously are true to any idiot"...compare them to the chatting of five year old children...or the babbling of geese!
It's a big ask - but yet so simple - just watch !
If you can manage it for about half a second you will be astonished !
It's very spooky.
Very groovy.
Very nice :)
Maybe you will find out what you really are.
Indeed - you can ask yourself every now and then -
"What am I?"
BUT - ignore all the thoughts that arise (the babbling geese) that seem desperate to answer the question for you!
Just look.
The truth is there for you to see - it's right here.
When you see it you may laugh - that is commonly reported.
...or the as the ancient Chinese Zen Monks would say
""The bottom may fall out of your bucket". ..you know- like -whooosh - all the water suddenly dumps onto the ground.
Have a go at it.
Namaste
Thanks for another reason to meditate. I have definitely gained a healthier perspective because of meditation. I’m also writing on meditations, feel free to check out my blog and followed list for some resources that you might enjoy. Best!
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