Post by vensander on May 15, 2012 18:58:08 GMT 7
This excerpt was recommended by one of our volunteers.
In(ner) peace,
Ven. Sander.
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In(ner) peace,
Ven. Sander.
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Monica Oien is the hostess of a number of Norwegian TV programmes and this is an extract of her conversation with Luang Phaw Dhammajayo the Abbot of the Dhammakaya temple Bangkok.
Luang Phaw asked Monica to picture watching the sunrise on the beach. “No sand, no sea, but only the sun, not shining too strongly. Then relocate it from the sky to your abdomen. Don’t do it too seriously. Don’t force yourself to see the image. Let anything else you see pass by naturally.”
Monica : Ok, to my tummy. I’ve got it now, I have it there.
Luang Phaw : Well, have you made it?
Monica : Yes, I think I have made it.
Luang Phaw : You can see that meditation is not beyond our capability. It’s that simple. This also reaffirms what I said; that we can meditate all the time either with closed or opened eyes, just as you have done now.
Monica : I understand
Luang Phaw : A beginner can start from a few minutes to five or ten minutes. And then we increase the time period further. Simply focus on the sun within.
Monica : So my happiness will increase?
Luang Phaw : Certainly, if you can meditate daily. After a while, you will be able to do it effortlessly. This means that you don’t have to actively visualize in your mind, but you can do it automatically. Similar to the way we breathe without any effort. We can see the image in our abdomen all the time, the mind will be focused, and you will discover true happiness that never happened to you before. It is the kind of happiness that is hard to explain. One can rely on oneself to be happy. In other words, one will fall in love with oneself.
Monica : Without being selfish?
Luang Phaw : Right, falling in love with oneself means discovering the source of true happiness within.
Monica : Well now I understand everything, I think. I understand why we search for happiness all the time but cannot find it externally. You have to look inside.
Luang Phaw : Correct! Happiness from shopping doesn’t last long. Soon, we forget about it, and we will seek other happiness. We struggle our whole lives searching for happiness. Material happiness is not worthwhile. The happiness we obtain from it is so small, compared to the abundant sufferings that exist. But meditation requires minimal effort, and the return of happiness is boundless.
Other powerful phrases from the publication about meditation are:-
We struggle our whole lives searching for happiness. Material happiness is not worthwhile. The happiness we obtain from it is so small, compared to the abundant sufferings that exist. But meditation requires minimal effort, and the return of happiness is boundless.
Happiness from shopping doesn’t last long. Soon, we forget about it, and we will seek other happiness.
It’s ok if you cannot visualize anything, but don’t skip a single day without meditation
Most people believe that meditation can not go hand in hand with their daily lives. This is the case for those who don’t practice earnestly. Let me ask you first if you can breath, talk, look and listen while driving a car? You use both hands and feet for driving too, right? How do you do it?
Do not force yourself too much while practicing meditation. It’s ok if you cannot visualize anything, but don’t skip a single day without meditation. Also, every hour of your day, take a minute to practice visualization.
Meditation allows you to gain a universal experience that doesn’t contradict any other beliefs. It is not about religion.
Luang Phaw asked Monica to picture watching the sunrise on the beach. “No sand, no sea, but only the sun, not shining too strongly. Then relocate it from the sky to your abdomen. Don’t do it too seriously. Don’t force yourself to see the image. Let anything else you see pass by naturally.”
Monica : Ok, to my tummy. I’ve got it now, I have it there.
Luang Phaw : Well, have you made it?
Monica : Yes, I think I have made it.
Luang Phaw : You can see that meditation is not beyond our capability. It’s that simple. This also reaffirms what I said; that we can meditate all the time either with closed or opened eyes, just as you have done now.
Monica : I understand
Luang Phaw : A beginner can start from a few minutes to five or ten minutes. And then we increase the time period further. Simply focus on the sun within.
Monica : So my happiness will increase?
Luang Phaw : Certainly, if you can meditate daily. After a while, you will be able to do it effortlessly. This means that you don’t have to actively visualize in your mind, but you can do it automatically. Similar to the way we breathe without any effort. We can see the image in our abdomen all the time, the mind will be focused, and you will discover true happiness that never happened to you before. It is the kind of happiness that is hard to explain. One can rely on oneself to be happy. In other words, one will fall in love with oneself.
Monica : Without being selfish?
Luang Phaw : Right, falling in love with oneself means discovering the source of true happiness within.
Monica : Well now I understand everything, I think. I understand why we search for happiness all the time but cannot find it externally. You have to look inside.
Luang Phaw : Correct! Happiness from shopping doesn’t last long. Soon, we forget about it, and we will seek other happiness. We struggle our whole lives searching for happiness. Material happiness is not worthwhile. The happiness we obtain from it is so small, compared to the abundant sufferings that exist. But meditation requires minimal effort, and the return of happiness is boundless.
Other powerful phrases from the publication about meditation are:-
We struggle our whole lives searching for happiness. Material happiness is not worthwhile. The happiness we obtain from it is so small, compared to the abundant sufferings that exist. But meditation requires minimal effort, and the return of happiness is boundless.
Happiness from shopping doesn’t last long. Soon, we forget about it, and we will seek other happiness.
It’s ok if you cannot visualize anything, but don’t skip a single day without meditation
Most people believe that meditation can not go hand in hand with their daily lives. This is the case for those who don’t practice earnestly. Let me ask you first if you can breath, talk, look and listen while driving a car? You use both hands and feet for driving too, right? How do you do it?
Do not force yourself too much while practicing meditation. It’s ok if you cannot visualize anything, but don’t skip a single day without meditation. Also, every hour of your day, take a minute to practice visualization.
Meditation allows you to gain a universal experience that doesn’t contradict any other beliefs. It is not about religion.