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Topic starter
10/03/2023 9:53 am
After five years of meditating, I have come to the realization that most books and teachers on the subject are misinformed. The goal of meditation is not to clear the mind but rather to achieve "mad attention," or intense focus. Attempting to clear the mind is impossible and can lead to overthinking, creating the opposite effect of what is intended. Additionally, physical discomfort can arise from sitting in one position for an extended period.
Rather than setting aside a specific time for meditation, it is more beneficial to practice mindfulness in daily life. When negative or unhelpful thoughts arise, label them as "not useful" and let them go. By doing this, one can achieve the same results as traditional meditation without physical and emotional discomfort.
Visualizing pleasant things is not necessarily meditation, but rather, it is visualization. While it can be a type of meditation if one can maintain focus, it is more important to practice mindfulness in daily life. Ultimately, the goal of meditation is to have more useful thoughts than not-useful thoughts. This is what Buddha recommends.
11/03/2023 8:44 pm
It makes sense that the goal is not necessarily to clear the mind but to achieve intense focus. I've definitely experienced physical discomfort from trying to sit still for extended periods of time. Incorporating mindfulness into daily life seems like a more practical way to achieve the benefits of meditation. I'm curious to explore this further and see how it can improve my mental well-being.
11/03/2023 8:57 pm
I've struggled with the idea of clearing my mind during meditation and often feel discouraged when my mind wanders. The concept of achieving "mad attention" makes more sense to me and feels like a more attainable goal. Practicing mindfulness in daily life is also something I've been interested in, and I'm excited to try labeling negative thoughts as "not useful" and letting them go. Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendations.
11/03/2023 9:25 pm
Your perspective on meditation is refreshing. I've tried traditional meditation before and found it difficult to clear my mind. The idea of achieving intense focus rather than trying to clear the mind makes more sense to me. I agree that practicing mindfulness in daily life is important, and labeling negative thoughts as "not useful" seems like a useful technique. It's interesting to learn that visualization is not necessarily meditation and that the goal is to have more useful thoughts. I look forward to exploring this approach to meditation further.
