Besides shamatha, peaceful abiding, with the attention on the breath, in and out here we are, what other techniques are there and why are they attractive? I know there is insight (vipassana) but have never been. Any pointers in this regard?
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As parts, aggregates of, or states, precursors, techniques, teachings, and meditations etc - for those interested in *Buddhism - * although most of the post is perennial in all Buddhist traditions/vehicles- for the sake of coherency, clear cut terms, & appropriately time tested instruction I will mostly defer to the Theravāda tradition and/or classiclly-traditional Canon.
Anapansati, or - the meditation on in - and - out breathing, the first subject of meditation taught by the Buddha, and which the gate less gateway to awakening, used by the Buddha(s) and the community of practitioners & monks as an essential.
If you are interested in learning & practicing this meditation, there is some basic essential reading to do (unless you’ve been taught by someone who already has learned in accord with the Anapanasati Sūtra.
The preliminary stages to this practice of meditation are taught via The 8 steps & the 7 stages of purification. Otherwise, one may find themselves practicing akin to a ship out at sea with no captain and no compass....drifting aimlessly & ambiguously as if asleep at the wheel, dreaming up all kinds of things in delusive like ignorance.
It is in the teachings of the foundations of mindfulness, in the/called the Satipatthana Sutta: In the 10th discourse.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/ariyadhamma/bl115.html
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanasatta/wheel019.html
In conjunction with the greater & lesser teachings of the Buddha Way for 1 integral picture, or vision :
The 3 jewels - or gems, The 5 precepts, The 3 universal truths ( or 3 marks of existence), the 4 noble truths, the 8 fold noble path, the 5 Skandas ( or - 5 heaps of aggregates), The 4 foundations of mindfulness, The 7 paramitas ( or virtues ) The 3 poisons, The 4 Effluents, the 10 fetters, the 5 hindrances, The 7 factors of awakening , The doctrine of 2 Truths, The law of Interdependent Origination The law of the unity of opposites Karma
A more comprehensive list of rank ordered teachings can be found here under the header of “Doctrines” :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism
Etc etc etc...
The Jhanas - subjectively measurable higher meditative attainments, and potential to taste /experience Nibbāna here and now in this life time.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html
Bhrama-viharas - skillful and wholesome attitudes with limitless depth, applicability, and practicality.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.063.than.html
Atiyoga/Mahamudra/Dzogchen (views, path, practices, & fruit) - the seal of duality and non-duality, the great seal of Relative truth/realm and absolute truth/realm - experientially all encompassing unity of all appearances of all phenomena. “The Great Perfection”.
http://promienie.net/images/dharma/books/longchenpa_maya-yoga.pdf (A text that comprises 1 part of a Trilogy, within the greater arena of the esoteric vehicle - not recommended if one is not familiar with the doctrines & disciplines of both the Theravāda & Mahayana Vehicles - imho, check it out though, it’s possible I’m wrong and that it’s more accessible to experienced psychedelic users)
The Siddhis - creative enjoyment and fulfillment, accessible in deep concentrative states of meditation, in psychedelic trips, and dreams - between wakefulness and sleeping - extraordinary psychic power that can be exercised in an unreal simulacrum of the world or in a dream. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.11.0.than.html
All of these flow into one another, from the bottom up, from the top down, and from the middle/center out & in.
They are more or less interchangeable and universal throughout the 3 major vehicles of the still existing parts of today’s Buddhist tradition.
* If you want to know whether or not the teachings really work, then study the suttas ( sutras) and put their teachings into practice and find out firsthand, for yourself.
-------------------- Give me Liberty caps -or- give me Death caps
Edited by The Blind Ass (05/24/20 07:22 PM)
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