How do you personally meditate?

[Sleepy Bluejay]

Like, what do you do or what do you focus on?

How does it feel? What is your experience with it?

 

Also I would like to know what you personally do doing Tai Chi, etc. and how/where do you move the "energies" within your meridians?

[Maddie]

14 minutes ago, Sleepy Bluejay said:

Like, what do you do or what do you focus on?

How does it feel? What is your experience with it?

 

Also I would like to know what you personally do doing Tai Chi, etc. and how/where do you move the "energies" within your meridians?

 

For me this is something that I do differently now than I did several years ago. Early on I was taught to sit and observe the breath but this didn't really work for me. Eventually I began to practice mindfulness where I would observe what was going on in the mind but without involvement. 

 

 As for "moving energy" if I ever feel like I need to do that these days I usually pop in a few acupuncture needles lol. 

[old3bob]

no one needs to get all mystical, far out, or do risky shit involving forms or techniques for meditation; getting into a zone of deeper concentration while doing just about anything, including washing the dishes is a level of meditation.  (that can proceed from there)

Edited November 25, 2023 by old3bob

[thelerner]

These days I just sit, keep my senses and mind open, things come, go and my mind settles.  No particular focus points.  Influenced by Adyashanti.  

 

Over the decades I've done other things.

Started w/ counting breaths 1 to 10 repeat.  For years.  Later counting 100 breaths, than 500, takes awhile and much concentration.  Doing KAP training I worked with a big rib expanding to stomach tightening breathing style.

 

Being in Aikido my main focal point for years was lower dantien.  Also slower breathing, in Ki-breathing it'd be a slow one minute breath cycle.  Not easy, took months to get it.  These days I still like using some breathing rhythms, most often an easy 7in7hold7out is easy and relaxing.  A benefit is it makes both my regular breathe better, slower.. and when I meditate my normal breathing is slower and deeper.  

 

I studied qi gong and healing tao's microcosmic orbit.  Got into circulation.  After years I dropped it for simpler, breathing in and feeling/hearing my head.. heart.. lower dantien, and reversing the order on the breath out.  That felt good, whatever kind of 'orbit' there was would have to happen naturally.  Did it?  Probably not.

 

Sitting, I like half lotus or Indian style w/ legs a bit more spread.  Inside on a zafu resting on folded blanket, outside I find tree stumps quite good.  From Stillness/Movement I picked up keeping my hands together resting on my dantien.  These days I'll keep them tucked, hammocked, under my shirt, touching the dantien area.  Sometimes I'll do a slight bobbing motion.  When its hot or I'm outside I'll keep my hands on my knees.   A more open form.  

 

I've been meditating for over 40 years.  Different styles, different aims.  Of late moving towards simplicity.  Doing more walking meditation, where I strive to balance staying out of my head, with having bright awareness.  Senses opened up around me, without clinging and naming..  

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by thelerner

[RobB]

Currently, for my sitting practice: I look to identify and stay with stillness. This can turn up in different ways in body and mind. Whatever turns up I try and stick with until it inevitably all goes pear-shaped and I need to regroup.

 

Bagua: twist

[Vajra Fist]

On 25/11/2023 at 7:25 PM, Sleepy Bluejay said:

Like, what do you do or what do you focus on?

How does it feel? What is your experience with it?

 

Also I would like to know what you personally do doing Tai Chi, etc. and how/where do you move the "energies" within your meridians?

 

This is my meditation. I've had periods where I try other stuff, but for the last year at least this has been my daily practice. Sometimes longer or more frequent sits, if I have time, but always the same thing.

 

I personally find it incredibly therapeutic. It suits me more than anything else. 

 

Hope it of use to you or anyone else.

 

https://youtu.be/z2y9N3IdEqY?si=Gan5zUnyiL152hPE

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Vajra Fist

[Gerard]

1. Quieten the monkey/thinking mind which is an entire discipline.

 

2. Relax and let go while focus on breathing.

 

3. The rest will take care of itself. 

[stirling]

My practice is atiyoga, or "dzogchen". It is merely being present with what arises in moment to moment in awareness.

 

https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Atiyoga

[steve]

On 11/25/2023 at 2:25 PM, Sleepy Bluejay said:

Like, what do you do or what do you focus on?

 

I invite the inner observer to fully rest, allowing the focus to be open and settled. 

 

Quote

How does it feel?

 

It feels open and clear, even unbounded and expansive at times.

Sometimesd blissful, sometimes sluggish, other times agitated. Wrapped up in this or that all too easily… notice, rinse and repeat. 

 

Quote

What is your experience with it?

 

Too numerous to describe, every moment is an experience and my reactivities are myriad. Sometimes predictable, other times gobsmacking. I guess you could say my experience of it is the narrative and perspective of my life, both internal and external, and the ”base” upon which it abides, which is empty of course…

🧐

 

Quote

Also I would like to know what you personally do doing Tai Chi, etc. and how/where do you move the "energies" within your meridians?

 

My Daoist teacher emphasized no intentional moving of energies through pathways during taiji, bagua, xingyi, qigong, or neigong. It is always to be allowed to arise naturally through coordination of the body, mind, and movement.

 

In the Tibetan school, we bring together attention, movement, sometimes sound, sometimes visualization, and the breath and work with channels and chakras to assist ourselves in opening more fully. This is often preliminary to simply abiding in openness, clarity, and warmth.

[Maddie]

*realistic version:

 

I wake up in the morning before work from a dream where Elmo was my best friend and he was confessing to me the truth about his eating disorder.

   I spend the next seven minutes hitting the snooze button while googling the dream interpretation. While doing so I see an ad for some new leggings on sale at Target and hate the model for having a perfect body and knowing damn well I'll never look like her in those leggings. 

  By this time I totally forgotten about my dream interpretation project and get up to go look in the bathroom mirror at my legs from the side to see if I could rock those leggings. Well in the midst of that I think my profile looks a little bit like Miley Cyrus which causes "flowers" to pop into my head.

  I pop my head out into the living room and tell Alexa to play Flowers by Miley Cyrus while trying to imitate the little dance she does in the video and when it gets to the part where she's working out I remember I need to make breakfast and stop goofing off so I actually have time to do Pilates before work myself.

  While making some tea and toast as I'm getting ready for work I contemplate the irony of having to work so hard to pay bills just because my parents had sex and now here I am. By this time I finished my breakfast and it's time to unroll my mat and begin some light yoga for a warm-up. This morning I happened to remember to light some incense and bow before the Buddha before beginning and now I'm feeling pretty spiritual and then I check out my legs on the mat and wonder if I could rock those leggings from Target after all.

  In the middle of my pilates workout that I'm doing from YouTube I start to think maybe I should just start my own YouTube channel because this looks way easier than what I'm doing for a living. Then I finish my pilates workout and I lay there on my mat staring at the ceiling and then it suddenly pops into my head that the comeback that I had to that bitch Becky in high school was pretty badass and I wonder what she's doing for a living now and I reassure myself that she has three kids lots of stretch marks and probably has a fat ass.

  That I remember I'm on my mat and I'm supposed to be acting spiritual so I lay there and close my eyes and focus on my breathing for about 5 seconds before I realize it's time to actually start getting ready for work.

  

Edited November 27, 2023 by Maddie

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

1) Sit cross legged on floor with back straight

2) Put hands in dhyana mudra by LDT, left hand on top of right hand if you are male, right hand on top

of left hand if you are female

3) Touch roof of mouth with tongue

4) Close eyes

5) Focus entirely on LDT, nothing else

6) Inhale through nose, exhale through nose

7) Breathe as deep as you can, into your lower abdomen below your navel

8) When you inhale, extend your stomach out, when you exhale, pull it back in 

9) Continue for at least 10 minutes

10) If you have any thoughts pop

up, just ignore them and let them

go away, don’t try to actively suppress any from coming up. Keep focus on LDT area, they will leave eventually.

11) Do this twice a day, preferably soon after you wake up and before you sleep 

 

[tao.te.kat]

Just sit: shikantaza.

 

Just stay there, no distractions. Just be, and be aware.

[Sleepy Bluejay]

I read that a lot of you, if not all of you, are focused on your breathing while either quieting you inner self/mind/thinking.

 

Now I'm questioning if what I do is meditating or not, and if not, does the technique/whatever it is I'm doing, have a name and use in other internal art's practices?

 

This is what I do:

1. I sit or lie down.
2. I relax.
3. I focus on the glabelle/third eye/between the eyebrows with my sense of feeling rather than just the thought of it.
4. Once I feel this buzzing energy coming from the glabelle I put the focus on my zygomatic bones by the eye sockets till they give this buzzing feeling of energy. 
5. I put the focus back to the glabelle and then the nasal bone, right under the nose, and chin. They form a connection that feels like the governing vessel and conception vessel in the face.
6. I put the focus back to the zygomatic bones by the eye sockets and then the zygomatic bones by under the ears and the corner of my lower jaw. They form a connection that feels like the stomach meridian.

(It feels like I'm growing my meridians rather than unclogging them and I have successfully reached the edged of the throat and upper chest).

 

 

[Dedicated]

Sitting on two cushions in half lotus. Hands somewhere comfortably on my lap. Only intend to observe breath, allowing for distraction, not being hung up over thoughts coming. Not leaning back. Generally breathing through the nose. By steadying breath, air becomes exquisite. 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Dedicated
Typo

[Sanity Check]

Years ago, I read something that said traditional martial artists trained horse stance while reading a book. They would read for hours while in horse stance to build legs and hips.

 

To emulate this, I would try to meditate while watching documentaries, movies or tv.

 

Not trusting traditional methods of instruction, I tried to come up with my own *just for fun* system of meditation.

 

Kind of like What Elon Musk does with attempting to implement good solutions working from 1st principles. 

 

Except I'm not Elon.  

 

 

[Maddie]

6 hours ago, Sleepy Bluejay said:

I read that a lot of you, if not all of you, are focused on your breathing while either quieting you inner self/mind/thinking.

 

Now I'm questioning if what I do is meditating or not, and if not, does the technique/whatever it is I'm doing, have a name and use in other internal art's practices?

 

 

I think an important thing to realize is that the word meditation is very ambiguous and can mean many different things. The word in the Pali is Jhana which translated in to Chinese is Chan when translated into Japanese is Zen. Jhana meant deep levels of concentrative absorption usually achieved while focusing on the breath (Anapanasati). 

 

Jhana was translated into English as meditation which in English has a different connotation related more to contemplation as in "I meditated upon the meaning of the passage I read". 

 

With all of that being said, basically anything can be a meditation, including what you described in your post (third eye meditation is defiantly a thing). The question to ask oneself then is what am I wanting to accomplish by doing this and why.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Maddie

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

5 hours ago, Sleepy Bluejay said:

I read that a lot of you, if not all of you, are focused on your breathing while either quieting you inner self/mind/thinking.

 

Now I'm questioning if what I do is meditating or not, and if not, does the technique/whatever it is I'm doing, have a name and use in other internal art's practices?

 

This is what I do:

1. I sit or lie down.
2. I relax.
3. I focus on the glabelle/third eye/between the eyebrows with my sense of feeling rather than just the thought of it.
4. Once I feel this buzzing energy coming from the glabelle I put the focus on my zygomatic bones by the eye sockets till they give this buzzing feeling of energy. 
5. I put the focus back to the glabelle and then the nasal bone, right under the nose, and chin. They form a connection that feels like the governing vessel and conception vessel in the face.
6. I put the focus back to the zygomatic bones by the eye sockets and then the zygomatic bones by under the ears and the corner of my lower jaw. They form a connection that feels like the stomach meridian.

(It feels like I'm growing my meridians rather than unclogging them and I have successfully reached the edged of the throat and upper chest).

 

 

Be careful of third eye/upper dantian meditations if your lower and middle dantians plus channels aren’t fully developed and open yet. When I started out I went straight to third eye/upper dantian meditations and thought they were quite cool, but then one time the vision in my left eye became red. Like I was looking through a red screen filter. Really weird, it stayed like that until I went to sleep and woke up the next day. 
 

After that I stopped playing around and random meditations I found online, I got some teachers and followed what they taught. There is a reason that most traditions start with the lower body then works up to middle and then upper body. If you don’t know what you are doing, best not to do them. Better to learn from someone who can guide you.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Pak_Satrio

[Maddie]

4 minutes ago, Pak_Satrio said:

Be careful of third eye/upper dantian meditations if your lower and middle dantians plus channels aren’t fully developed and open yet. When I started out I went straight to third eye/upper dantian meditations and thought they were quite cool, but then one time the vision in my left eye became red. Like I was looking through a red screen filter. Really weird, it stayed like that until I went to sleep and woke up the next day. 
 

After that I stopped playing around and random meditations I found online, I got some teachers and followed what they taught. There is a reason that most traditions start with the lower body then works up to middle and then upper body. If you don’t know what you are doing, best not to do them. Better to learn from someone who can guide you.

 

Yeah I've heard/know of people going totally nuts starting with those upper body meditations without the proper foundational work.

[NaturaNaturans]

Im not big into meditation and mindfullness, allthough i see its value. I heard a definition of it once, that i quite liked: «paying attention to attention.»

[Nungali]

17 hours ago, Maddie said:

*realistic version:

 

I wake up in the morning before work from a dream where Elmo was my best friend and he was confessing to me the truth about his eating disorder.

   I spend the next seven minutes hitting the snooze button while googling the dream interpretation. While doing so I see an ad for some new leggings on sale at Target and hate the model for having a perfect body and knowing damn well I'll never look like her in those leggings. 

  By this time I totally forgotten about my dream interpretation project and get up to go look in the bathroom mirror at my legs from the side to see if I could rock those leggings. Well in the midst of that I think my profile looks a little bit like Miley Cyrus which causes "flowers" to pop into my head.

  I pop my head out into the living room and tell Alexa to play Flowers by Miley Cyrus while trying to imitate the little dance she does in the video and when it gets to the part where she's working out I remember I need to make breakfast and stop goofing off so I actually have time to do Pilates before work myself.

  While making some tea and toast as I'm getting ready for work I contemplate the irony of having to work so hard to pay bills just because my parents had sex and now here I am. By this time I finished my breakfast and it's time to unroll my mat and begin some light yoga for a warm-up. This morning I happened to remember to light some incense and bow before the Buddha before beginning and now I'm feeling pretty spiritual and then I check out my legs on the mat and wonder if I could rock those leggings from Target after all.

  In the middle of my pilates workout that I'm doing from YouTube I start to think maybe I should just start my own YouTube channel because this looks way easier than what I'm doing for a living. Then I finish my pilates workout and I lay there on my mat staring at the ceiling and then it suddenly pops into my head that the comeback that I had to that bitch Becky in high school was pretty badass and I wonder what she's doing for a living now and I reassure myself that she has three kids lots of stretch marks and probably has a fat ass.

  That I remember I'm on my mat and I'm supposed to be acting spiritual so I lay there and close my eyes and focus on my breathing for about 5 seconds before I realize it's time to actually start getting ready for work.

  

 

Thank you . A wonderful example of the mind at work . 

 

The 'meditation question' always bugs me .   ' When you meditate '  ..... this or that  asking or telling about 'meditation' as if there is one 'meditation practice'  ... there are HEAPS  of 'meditations' . For me its not about  'how '  as that depends on what type of meditation .  A visiting lama pointed this out on a visit here , we had a group sitting listening attentively . he commented it was a nice building  ' What is its use ?"  the answer was 'for meditation ' .   "Ohhh ? you meditate ? Good . Lets all meditate now . "   So everyone ( well, nearly everyone    )    crosses their legs in an attempt at lotus , closes their eyes and tries to look serene  ......

lama ; " What are you doing ?  "     

 

Firstly I would say , for me, there are two diversions ; active and passive .   The passive types seem to be more about 'stilling the mind' and thats what most seemed to be attempting during the ' lama lecture ' and what many assume meditation 'is ' .

 

Active meditation  is about using the mind and concentration ... not concentrating on having stilled thoughts but focused thoughts . Now if  one is not familiar  with that , or unaware of its significance , try holding  a single thought  in your mind for 3 minutes , have a pen and paper  or a clicker counter in hand and make a mark each time the mind wanders off the  thing being held in mind .

 

Its also about using  and developing the mind in a certain way ... you USE the 'wandering mind' but by focusing it .

 

Let's say you desire to understand the properties of wood better as you want to be a woodworker  or improve your skills in it . I was recently  given a piece of gidje wood , a branch off a tree  and asked to make a traditional digging stick out of it . It is  surprisingly dense heavy and hard .  Its also used to make weapons .

 

You can meditate  on wood ,  a tree , how it grows . The patterns inside it ; interlocked and twisted and strong or straight and easy to work , how it forms from a seed   (                ' A Seed iis a Star' somng from Stevie Wonder pops into my head , I go through the lyrics ( 'antennas are their leaves, that span beyond the galaxy  '  ...  and what  elements and nutrients a tree uses as well as that cosmic energy .  What type of grain it has and the best way to cut it . You mind might 'wander' to the tools needed , even how they developed from stone scrapers   and          how those stone scarpers could scrape meat of the bones of hunted animals, how they may have cooked over fire , and yes I am actually hungry and would like to have BBQ for lunch , last time I went to a BBQ  , I saw this huge fat guy drinking beer , jeeze I am glad I gave up drinking .... although I  might have one beer , one beer only if I go to a BBQ  then  ....

 

Crap , I lost my meditation  concentration  ( when the italics started  ) ....  go back  .... if you can ;

 

Ummm , yeah, stone scrapers  used to do a fairly good job . And they would often split the wood instead of cutting it .  What if I try finding the weak point , if there is one , between the inner surface of the bark and the outer wood , and split down there to debark it . Then I could clean it up , with a scraping motion  down the piece , with , maybe a machete held in both hands and pull it towards me as I hold the end with my feet rest it across one thigh .   I have a bit of bees wax left , I could then polish it and give it a good sheen .   Hmmm ,   that woman that gave me that bees wax was rather cute , you know, I might just not have enough, maybe I should go and see her  .... actually, I might do that now , but I'll have a shave and shower first , I wonder what smells she likes, should I use the amber oil or

 

Arrrgh !   POLISH  the wood with bees wax and  ..

 

Of course, later   JFDI time   ( just f'en do it )

 

Eventually  someone might ; " Wow thats a amazing how on earth did you get that smooth finish ? "

 

Me ; " I meditated on it ." 

 

- Now, back to Maddie . I noticed previously in some other threads a few people where asking Maddie a heap of personal questions , some which she  declined to answer . Best not to reveal too much about oneself on line .

 

But since this is about meditation , I am sure she won't mind ;

 

Maddie, could you please post a picture of your legs

 

And we will tell you if they are 'good enough '   .

 

Or better still, we can 'meditate on' whether they are good enough .    

 

 

 

 

 

[Nungali]

Here is an example of a meditation , in my tradition .  Its vast , takes a lot of time and includes many aspects , the  'active part' I describe as above , but it also uses other facilities ;  the intellect study and research,  emotive responses , physical acts like making things needed for  the final and focused part of the meditation  ( 'falling upwards' ) , also focusing one's creative abilities  and a whole lot of other 'horses that pull that cart '  active and focused to one end .

 

Its a meditation on 'The Star Goddess'  / Cosmic Creatrix  /  Neo-Egytian 'Nuit' /  Indigenous 'Wallenganda' /  'The great arch of the Milky Way '   etc.

 

 

 

Spoiler

000. This is the Book of the Cult of the Infinite Without.

00. The Aspirant is Hadit. Nuit is the infinite expansion of the Rose; Hadit is the infinite concentration of the Rood (Instruction of V.V.V.V.V.).

0. First let the Aspirant learn in his heart the First Chapter of THE BOOK OF THE LAW (Instruction of V.V.V.V.V).

1. Worship, i.e. identify thyself with, the Khabs, the secret Light within the Heart. Within this again, unextended, is Hadit.
This is the first practice of the Meditation (ccxx,I:6 and 21).

2. Adore and understand the Rim of the Stele of Revealing.

Above, the gemmed azure is
    The naked splendor of Nuit;
She bends in ecstasy to kiss
    The secret ardours of Hadit

This is the first practice of Intelligence (ccxx, I:14).

3. Avoid any act of choice or discrimination.
This is the first practice of Ethics (ccxx, I:22).

4. Consider the six and fifty that 50/6=0.12.
o the circumference Nuit.
. the center, Hadit. 1 the unity proceeding, Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

2 the world of illusion.
Nuit thus comprehends All in None.
Also 50+6=56=5+6=11, the key to all Rituals.
And 50×6=300, the Spirit of the Child within.
(Note NFic=72, the Shemhamphorash and the Quinaries of the Zodiac, etc.)
This is the second practice of Intelligence (ccxx,I:24,25).

5. The Result of this Practice is the Consciousness of the Continuity of Existence, the Omnipresence of the Body of Nuit.
In other words, the Aspirant is conscious only of the Infinite Universe as a single Being.
This is the first Indication of the Nature of the Result (ccxx,I:26).

6. Meditate upon Nuit as the Continuous One Resolved into None and Two as the phases of her being.
This is the second practice of Meditation (ccxx,I:27).

7. Meditate upon the facts of Samadhi on all planes the liberation of heat in chemistry, joy in natural history, Ananda in religion, when two things join to lose themselves in a third.
This is the third practice of Meditation (ccxx, I:28,29,30).

8. Let the Aspirant pay utmost reverence to the Authority of the A∴A∴ and follow Its instructions, and let him swear a great Oath of Devotion unto Nuit.
This is the second practice of Ethics (ccxx, I:32).

9. Let the Aspirant beware the slightest exercise of his will against another being. Thus, lying is a better posture than sitting or standing, as it opposes less resistance to gravitation. Yet his first duty is to the force nearest and most potent; e.g. he may rise to greet a friend.
This is the third practice of Ethics (ccxx, I:41).

10. Let the Aspirant exercise his will without the least consideration for any other being. This direction cannot be understood, much less accomplished, until the previous practice has been perfected.
This is the fourth practice of Ethics (ccxx, I:42,43,44).

11. Let the Aspirant comprehend that these two practices are identical.
This is the third practice of Intelligence (ccxx, I:45).

12. Let the Aspirant live the Life Beautiful and Pleasant. For this freedom hath he won. But let each act, especially of love, be devoted wholly to his true mistress, Nuit.
This is the fifth practice of Ethics (ccxx, I:51,52,61,63).

13. Let the Aspirant yearn toward Nuit under the stars of Night, with a love directed by his Magical Will, not merely proceeding from the heart.
This is the first practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:57).

14. The Result of this Practice in the subsequent life of the Aspirant is to fill him with unimaginable joys: to give him certainty concerning the nature of the phenomenon called death, to give him peace unalterable, rest, and ecstasy.
This is the second Indication of the Nature of the Result
(ccxx, I:58).

15. Let the Aspirant prepare a perfume of resinous woods and gums, according to his inspiration.
This is the second practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:59).

16. Let the Aspirant prepare a Pantacle, as follows. Inscribe a circle within a Pentagram, upon a ground square or of such other convenient shape as he may choose. Let the circle be of scarlet, the Pentagram black, the ground royal blue studded with golden stars. Within the circle, at its centre, shall be painted a sigil that shall be revealed to the Aspirant by Nuit herself. And this Pentacle shall serve for a Telesmantic Image, or as an Eidolon, or as a Focus for the mind.
This is the third practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:60).

17. Let the Aspirant find a lonely place, if possible a place in the Desert of Sand, or if not, a place unfrequented, and without objects to disturb the view. Such are moorlands, fens, the open sea, broad rivers, and open fields. Also, and especially, the summits of mountains. There let him invoke the Goddess as he hath Wisdom and Understanding so to do. But let this Invocation be that of a pure heart, i.e., a heart wholly devoted to Her, and let him remember that it is Hadit Himself in the most secret place thereof that invoketh. Then let this serpent Hadit burst into flame.
This is the fourth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:61).

18. Then shall the Aspirant come a little to lie in Her bosom.
This is the third Indication of the Nature of the Result
(ccxx, I:61).

19. Let the Aspirant stand upon the edge of a precipice in act or in imagination. And let him imagine and suffer the fear of falling.
Next let him imagine with this aid that the Earth is falling, and he with it, or he from it; and considering the infinity of space, let him excite the fear within him to the point of ecstasy, so that the most dreadful dream of falling that he hath ever suffered be as nothing in comparison. This is the forth practice of Meditation (Instruction of V.V.V.V.V.).

20. Thus having understood the nature of this Third Indication, let him in his Magick Rite fall from himself into Nuit, or expand into Her, as his imagination may compel him.
And at that moment, desiring earnestly the Kiss of Nuit, let him give one particle of dust, i.e., let Hadit give himself up utterly to Her.
This is the fifth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:61).

21. Then shall he lose all in that hour.
This is the fourth Indication of the Nature of the Result.
(ccxx, I:61).

22. Let the Aspirant prepare a lovesong of rapture unto the Goddess, or let him be inspired by Her unto this.
This is the sixth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:63).

23. Let the Aspirant be clad in a single robe. An “abbai” of scarlet wrought with gold is most suitable.
This is the seventh practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:61).

24. Let the Aspirant wear a rich head-dress. A crown of gold adorned with sapphires or diamonds with a royal blue cap of maintenance, or nemmes, is most suitable.
This is the eighth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:61).

25. Let the Aspirant wear many jewels such as he may possess.
This is the ninth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:61).

26. Let the Aspirant prepare an Elixir or libation as he may have wit to do.
This is the tenth practice of Magick Art (ccxx, I:63).

27. Let the Aspirant invoke, lying supine, his robe spread out as it were a carpet.
This is the eleventh practice of Magick Art (Instruction of V.V.V.V.V.).

28. Summary. Preliminaries.
These are the necessary possessions.

1. The Crown or head-dress.
2. The Jewels.
3. The Pantacle.
4. The Robe.
5. The Song or Incantation.
6. The Place of Invocation.
7. The Perfume.
8. The Elixir.

29. Summary continued. Preliminaries.
These are the necessary comprehensions.

1. The Natures of Nuit and Hadit, and their relation.
2. The Mystery of the Individual Will.

30. Summary continued. Preliminaries.
These are the meditations necessary to be accomplished.

1. The discovery of Hadit in the Aspirant, and identification with Him.
2. The Continuous One.
3. The Value of the Equation n + (-n).
4. Cremnophobia.

31. Summary continued. Preliminaries.
These are the Ethical Practices to be accomplished.

1. Assertion of the Kether-point-of-view.
2. Reverence to the Order.
3. Abolition of human will.
4. Exercise of true will.
5. Devotion to Nuit throughout a beautified life.

32. Summary continued. The Actual Rite.

1. Retire to desert with crown and other insignia and implements.
2. Burn perfume.
3. Chant incantation.
4. Drink unto Nuit the Elixir.
5. Lying supine, with eyes fixed on the stars, practice the sensation of falling into nothingness.
6. Being actually within the bosom of Nuit, let Hadit surrender Himself.

33. Summary concluded. The Results.

1. Expansion of consciousness to that of the Infinite.
2. “Loss of all” the highest mystical attainment.
3. True Wisdom and perfect Happiness.

 

 

 

[Maddie]

38 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

Thank you . A wonderful example of the mind at work . 

 

The 'meditation question' always bugs me .   ' When you meditate '  ..... this or that  asking or telling about 'meditation' as if there is one 'meditation practice'  ... there are HEAPS  of 'meditations' . For me its not about  'how '  as that depends on what type of meditation .  A visiting lama pointed this out on a visit here , we had a group sitting listening attentively . he commented it was a nice building  ' What is its use ?"  the answer was 'for meditation ' .   "Ohhh ? you meditate ? Good . Lets all meditate now . "   So everyone ( well, nearly everyone    )    crosses their legs in an attempt at lotus , closes their eyes and tries to look serene  ......

lama ; " What are you doing ?  "     

 

Firstly I would say , for me, there are two diversions ; active and passive .   The passive types seem to be more about 'stilling the mind' and thats what most seemed to be attempting during the ' lama lecture ' and what many assume meditation 'is ' .

 

Active meditation  is about using the mind and concentration ... not concentrating on having stilled thoughts but focused thoughts . Now if  one is not familiar  with that , or unaware of its significance , try holding  a single thought  in your mind for 3 minutes , have a pen and paper  or a clicker counter in hand and make a mark each time the mind wanders off the  thing being held in mind .

 

Its also about using  and developing the mind in a certain way ... you USE the 'wandering mind' but by focusing it .

 

Let's say you desire to understand the properties of wood better as you want to be a woodworker  or improve your skills in it . I was recently  given a piece of gidje wood , a branch off a tree  and asked to make a traditional digging stick out of it . It is  surprisingly dense heavy and hard .  Its also used to make weapons .

 

You can meditate  on wood ,  a tree , how it grows . The patterns inside it ; interlocked and twisted and strong or straight and easy to work , how it forms from a seed   (                ' A Seed iis a Star' somng from Stevie Wonder pops into my head , I go through the lyrics ( 'antennas are their leaves, that span beyond the galaxy  '  ...  and what  elements and nutrients a tree uses as well as that cosmic energy .  What type of grain it has and the best way to cut it . You mind might 'wander' to the tools needed , even how they developed from stone scrapers   and          how those stone scarpers could scrape meat of the bones of hunted animals, how they may have cooked over fire , and yes I am actually hungry and would like to have BBQ for lunch , last time I went to a BBQ  , I saw this huge fat guy drinking beer , jeeze I am glad I gave up drinking .... although I  might have one beer , one beer only if I go to a BBQ  then  ....

 

Crap , I lost my meditation  concentration  ( when the italics started  ) ....  go back  .... if you can ;

 

Ummm , yeah, stone scrapers  used to do a fairly good job . And they would often split the wood instead of cutting it .  What if I try finding the weak point , if there is one , between the inner surface of the bark and the outer wood , and split down there to debark it . Then I could clean it up , with a scraping motion  down the piece , with , maybe a machete held in both hands and pull it towards me as I hold the end with my feet rest it across one thigh .   I have a bit of bees wax left , I could then polish it and give it a good sheen .   Hmmm ,   that woman that gave me that bees wax was rather cute , you know, I might just not have enough, maybe I should go and see her  .... actually, I might do that now , but I'll have a shave and shower first , I wonder what smells she likes, should I use the amber oil or

 

Arrrgh !   POLISH  the wood with bees wax and  ..

 

Of course, later   JFDI time   ( just f'en do it )

 

Eventually  someone might ; " Wow thats a amazing how on earth did you get that smooth finish ? "

 

Me ; " I meditated on it ." 

 

- Now, back to Maddie . I noticed previously in some other threads a few people where asking Maddie a heap of personal questions , some which she  declined to answer . Best not to reveal too much about oneself on line .

 

But since this is about meditation , I am sure she won't mind ;

 

Maddie, could you please post a picture of your legs

 

And we will tell you if they are 'good enough '   .

 

Or better still, we can 'meditate on' whether they are good enough .    

 

 

 

 

 

 

yea its a little weird, but I'm in a weird mood today lol 

[Nungali]

Well .....     

 

I can assure you Maddie ..... those legs are fine ........... for a fat Russian guy in a Moscow apartment .

 

But we need to see them in tights .... and from a sideways perspective ... and jump up and down a bit .

 

Spoiler

This woman is getting ready for work one morning, she has a shower dies off and looks at herself in the mirror ;

" Wow !  I look pretty good for someone who is 42 ! "  She does her hair and makeup with extra care , puts on he most flattering clothes ... " I think I look about  35 at the most , yeah ! I'm a winner . "  She feels great, so off she goes to work .

 

On the bus she sits next to another woman commuter she sometimes chats to ; " Tell me " ,  she asks her " How old would you say I am ? "

 

The other woman looks at her  " Hmmm , I would say , in your early thirties . "

 

" I'm actually 42 ! "

 

" Wow !   You dont look it , you look terrific ! "

 

Now beaming about herself , she decides to  get a coffee when she gets off the bus , she is waiting on line at McDonalds and she realizes she knows the guy in line in front of her , so she starts up a conversation and eventually  " Say, how old would you guess I am ? "

 

" Oh gosh , I dont know  .....    30  ? "

 

" I am actually 42 . "

 

" Whaaaat ?   Really ?    You look terrific . "

 

"  I know . "   

 

The she goes to work , very happy , is sitting at her desk and the mail boy comes in , she cant contain herself ;

 

"  Hey  Billy . How old do you guess I am ?"

 

" Ha!  I dont have to guess .... I have this unusual ability to KNOW  exactly how old a woman is ? "

 

" Go on then ."

 

" Oh , I mean , I cant do  that here !   Its a bit cheeky .... I can tell by looking at their breasts ."

 

" Go on then " , she stands up .

 

"Oh no ,  sorry, you dont understand ,  I can do it at the nude beach , I have to look at their breasts , ya cant tell with clothes and push up or padded bras and all that . "

 

 She thinks  well, I go to that nude beach myself ,  and I do check some of the guys out , he has probably  already seen me there , and he is only the mail guy , so what the hell .

 

 " Okay ,  give me your opinion " ... she closes the  door to her office , takes her top and bra off and 'Well ?"

 

" Hmmm ... "  he stands there contemplating ;  " Turn side ways  ..... jiggle them up and down a bit .... now lean forward ... now stand up straight  with your shoulders  back  .....  hmmmm ...... 42 !  "

 

"Whaaat  ?   How did you do that ?"

 

" Its just this secret technique and special ability I have ."

 

" Oh no, you have to tell me , did you see a stretch mark, a blemish , something not pert , what was it ??? I have to know ? "

 

" Oh no , nothing like that at all, look, you are fine  ...... for 42 ."

 

" Whaaat ? Look, you have to tell me . "

 

" I cant, you will get angry with me , and maybe report me and I could loose my job ."

 

" I'll give you $50 . "

 

" But after that you might get angry and report me ."

 

" Look I have to know  how you knew and what you saw , look I will write down that I promise there will be no repercussions , I will not tell anyone or complain. here , I am signing that and here is my promise and the $50 "

 

he takes both " Promise ? And willnot be angry at me "

 

" promise ... so, how did you know I was 42 ? "

 

" I was behind you on the coffee line at McDonalds this morning . "

 

Spoiler

 and by the way .... Maddie , Thanks for the leg pics   

 

 

[Nungali]

... the funny part is , you look just like some one I know from here .... except she has a sponge bob tattoo on her arm  ( for some reason  ???  )

[Maddie]

1 minute ago, Nungali said:

... the funny part is , you look just like some one I know from here .... except she has a sponge bob tattoo on her arm  ( for some reason  ???  )

 

That's my tramp stamp ...... jk