Let’s begin with a joke…
Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young and pretty woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could kindly carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank.
She thanked him cordially and departed. As the monks continued on their way, the one who hesitated to assist the beautiful princess was brooding and preoccupied with the matter. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out, “Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!”
“Brother,” the second monk replied, “I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her in your mind.”
This is true of the errors many commit in practicing meditation and other methods that are supposed to serve as accessories to higher realms of experience of Nirvana.
Basically, the secret of meditation is not to be found in the method but, rather, in the results of the method if done properly and with proper discrimination of all situations. The one monk lacked in compassion and that becomes his pitfall. Meditation is incomplete without compassion and loving-kindness. This is why you find people who spend decades in the temples trying to attain Nirvana but they never succeed because the dynamics of Enlightenment are very intricately intertwined, hence elusive to many.
To be able to transcend the obstacles it is of most importance to realize that detachment is purely supposed to be limited to the mental level. The physical is supposed to act just as a guide to help the mind enter stillness. The story above about the Zen monks can be very helpful to us in many ways. For example drinking beer shouldn’t interfere with your meditation if you have attained detachment at a mental level. The same concept cuts across all other experiences we go through.
Proper meditation is the door to the Supreme Divine.
wow, this is such an interesting read.
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Ah, humanity! We are, alas, always misplacing our keys!
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So true Meditation is only trying to reach the stillness within and connect to the vast consciousness Its just a tool the journey just begins after that
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I have never been any good at meditation in it’s various forms. However, I find when I return to some wood carving the mind is cleansed and settled as mind is focused on just knife, and hands and wood. It is liberating. Last year in an effort to grow in faith I gave myself a writing assignment. Some days I copied a page, sometimes just half a page, some days nothing, other days several pages. Took 11 months. I hand wrote the entire New Testament. For me it was meditation.
Also an effort in perseverance, commitment, penance and to learn doctrine from this primary source. When I finished I felt I had spent a great deal of time in another dimension, outside myself , spiritual in another place. Thanks for your recent visit to my blog.
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This really connected with me after my meditation which gave me visions of Kuan Yin, that I wrote about earlier today. Om Mani Padme Hum embodies so much of what you say, in each syllable. I love this beautiful synchronicity and constantly seeing similar ripples throughout the pond of our collective consciousness while also finding no end of inspiration to continue my own self realization. ❤️
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First of all, I found your blog to be most perfect in the sense that it is all-rounded – great humor, especially the animated pictures [how are you able to come up with such?], the fact you are a yankee [one of the coolest things!] and last but not least you made a brilliant post called “Siddhartha’s Epiphany” – I loved that!!
Now, that was good meditation you had with the woodwork. If that is where you are able to tame your mind well, then you can start with that then you can move into more contemplation to attain greater still that should precipitate a meditation that is universally same – this is the goal of all proper meditation: to still the mind so as to enhance a connection with the Supreme Divinity.
On the second aspect of meditation that needs a well-thought explanation. Will explain sometime. It’s the best vehicle to access the secret stores of spiritual merits that are common of the greatest Masters like Jesus himself.
Thanks for the discussion Mr. Carl.
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This is nice. Avalokitesvara [named Kuan Yin in Chinese mythology] is the embodiment of universal compassion. She protects those in the path to the other shore where one must bear the merits and virtues of compassion to reach successfully.
There is no journey sweeter than that of Self Realization as this is the sole reason why we are injected into this universe but many a times we forget the innate mission due to our selfishness and attachment to our bodies which unfortunately are ephemeral in nature.
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Sure it is. Who clings to the key after they have opened the store where all treasure is hidden?
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This is the true nature and confluence of all human subtle frailties. We always need people to come to remind us of some missing key. At least once in 2,500 years or so.
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Thanks a lot. Its about the journey to the ultimate heart of Divine Supreme.
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It was such a nice reminder. Compassion is a word so easily tossed around but even more easily forgotten. I’m glad to have been pointed where I needed to focus.
It’s amazing what can happen as things get quieter I suppose.
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True compassion is a preserve of the Awakened. That is why you will not find even the best professor from Harvard University who can accurately explain what compassion is all about..
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This is my favorite Zen story. Thanks for sharing.
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O am so humbled by that comment. Thanks a lot. You love Zen so?
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Oh lord this was a soothing read. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and just reading this piece i.e. your writing is refreshingly relaxing (alliteration for emphasis). Thanks for the grand read, love!
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I’d forgotten that story and today was a great day for me to be reminded! Thank You and Cheers! 🙂
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Cheers! You’re welcome, anytime.
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Thank you so much for following my block. God bless you.
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Great. God bless you too, Sir.
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Hi Philip – Thank you for following my blog. I hope you will gain pleasure from the mix of photography and (occasionally) of history ancient and modern. Des.
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Definitely! I cherish all of those old-time pics. They ring many bells in my imaginative mind.
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That monk story was a good one, Philip.
Thanks for following my blog, which is much appreciated.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you so much Pete. True meditation is very misunderstood in the modern world where everybody thinks that things should always work their way without any struggle or effort.
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I carry too too much in my mind during meditation. Thank you for the reminder.
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You are so welcome. Have you seen my article that wrote under a title: the passing of a buffalo through the eye of a needle? It meant that all burdens are to be cast away in the mental plane first in order to see the fruits of proper meditation.
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