Hi, is there anybody here?

Mar 13, 2012 -- 11:18PM, Ferretling wrote:

Mar 11, 2012 -- 9:50PM, christine3 wrote:

Hi, is there anybody here?

Yes?

Hi, I am a refugee from the other Buddhist thread. I can't go there and talk about Buddhism. I was hoping to find somebody to ask a few questions. My problem right now is that I have trouble meditating.  Perhaps I'm not doing it right.  The Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (or however it is spelled) makes me tired.  Any suggestions?

Mar 14, 2012 -- 2:24AM, Ferretling wrote:

Well, first off, I will say that "doing it right" isn't exactly what you want to be focusing on. That said, if you find it tiring, perhaps a different meditation practice is in order.

Not all Buddhist meditation is the same. Some chant, some are silent, some sit one way, some another, some walk...

My temple is Soto Zen, and we do two types of meditation: zazen and kinhin. The first is silent sitting meditation, and the other is silent walking meditation. The seated is the one we devote more time to. We sit facing the wall on cushions (or in a chair for those of us with major knee issues) and we sit silently and alertly. That might work for you, and you can start off in short increments.

I would look into different types of meditation and see what works for you, to be honest. Some Buddhist temples offer meditation practice for beginners or have beginner classes. Some civic and cultural centers also sometimes offer meditation from various traditions (not all Buddhist). You could look into those. There are also books and CDs on meditation; I have found Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh's works to be helpful, for example. I have a copy of "The Blooming of a Lotus" by Thich Nhat Hanh that has some very useful yet simple meditation exercises that you might want to try.

In the end, my advice is this: find a type of meditation that works for you. Start out incrementally, at least at home. Meditate regularly. (It is a discipline of the mind, after all.) Find a group to meditate with on a reasonably regular basis. Meditation is easier if you have a community.

Above all, while you are disciplining the mind, remember to treat yourself with compassion. Meditation is not as easy as it seems it ought to be. Have patience with yourself, and with the meditation.

Good luck.

Thanks.