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dustyroad
03 March 2012, 09:49 PM
Which meditation do you practice, Hindu meditation where you focus on the qualities of God, or the Buddhist type of focusing on breathing, thoughts etc.?

Which works for you?

Maya3
05 March 2012, 08:19 PM
Hindu,
I focus on the sound of OM.

Maya

Eastern Mind
06 March 2012, 12:26 PM
Which meditation do you practice, Hindu meditation where you focus on the qualities of God, or the Buddhist type of focusing on breathing, thoughts etc.?

Which works for you?

Vannakkam: I'm not sure if I understand the key differences as you do. My limited understanding is that there are several kinds of meditation, and perhaps all are to be found within both Buddhism and Hinduism in various schools. Certainly I think that focusing on a single mantra can be in both, for example. I've also heard Hindus will and can focus on breath. Then there are guided meditations where the focus varies as you go further and further into it. I guess I'm thinking its more complicated than you put it. On top of that, just the word 'meditation' has different connotations. As an example, for some, japa is a form of meditation. For others, it isn't it's just japa.

Aum Namasivaya

Aakriti
06 March 2012, 01:44 PM
There is a really excellent book which discusses exactly this, but from the point of view of scientific medicine (neuroscience).

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings From A Leading Neuroscientist, by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman.

Both of these authors have spent many years studying meditation and the different meditative states, and this book explains--very clearly--"what" (kind of meditation) does "what" (in the brain), and also (to the extent this is presently understood) "why." Just about every possible "kind" of meditation is discussed, so readers can choose for themselves what is best suited for their personalities, for their spiritual goals, and also, for what they want to achieve, either spiritually or physically. (Both physically and spiritually, some kinds of meditation achieve mostly some things; other kinds of meditation achieve mostly other things. All are good things, it's just a matter of customizing to what your own personal goals may be.)

This is an easy-to-understand, extremely practical book for anyone who meditates. (Which would be, I suspect, just about 100% of those who are here on HDF. :) )

The book is available in paperback, and if it's not available locally in a bookstore near you or in a library, then you could try www.abebooks.com (http://www.abebooks.com) or www.amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) because they will both almost surely always have copies available for purchase. (In the United States: Ballantine Books Trade Paperback, ISBN 978-0-345-50342-8 ; the cost of a new copy in the United States is U.S. $16.00; copies would be MUCH cheaper on abebooks or amazon, and usually can be shipped globally, but be sure to pay attention to international shipping charges if these should apply, because these are often more than the cost of the book itself.)

Maya3
06 March 2012, 08:05 PM
I think that Hindu meditation means that you eventually will merge with God or at least try to.
Buddhist meditation as I understand it is to relax and realize that everything is illusion even God, you are supposed to get to the void.

I might be wrong about this, IŽd be interested in what someone who is Buddhist would say about it?

Maya

sankar
07 March 2012, 11:11 AM
Which meditation do you practice, Hindu meditation where you focus on the qualities of God

this is the form of meditation for theistic hindus, but not just the only one ...

Also these 'Buddhist type' of focusing on breathing, thoughts etc are older than buddhism actually.

sankar
07 March 2012, 11:25 AM
Hello maya,

to my understanding you are correct about Buddhism, but the same is true for hinduism also, that is to get to the void.
The Brahman itself is the void.

Here is some verses from rigveda, about void.


"THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it."

"All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit."

"The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?"

source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10129.htm

Here is a sage vasishta quote ...

What exists is only Brahman It is full of non-consciousness and(objectless) consciousness, It can only be indicated by negation (not this, not this). He became that which Is beyond description.That state is the void. Brahman, consciousness, the Purusa of (he Samkhya) Isvara of the yogi.Siva,time,Atman or self, non-self and the middle etc. of the mystics holding different views."

These teachings are older than buddhism, the teachings of buddhism always existed in hinduism.

Maya3
07 March 2012, 08:56 PM
Hello maya,

to my understanding you are correct about Buddhism, but the same is true for hinduism also, that is to get to the void.
The Brahman itself is the void.

Here is some verses from rigveda, about void.


"THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it."

"All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit."

"The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?"

source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10129.htm

Here is a sage vasishta quote ...


These teachings are older than buddhism, the teachings of buddhism always existed in hinduism.

Thank you Sankar.

Do Buddhist generally believe that the Void is Brahman? Or do they believe that it's just a void?

If they see the void as Supreme consciousnesses and unmanifest energy then it is very similar to Hindu thought.

Maya

sankar
07 March 2012, 11:31 PM
Hello Maya,

i think buddists generally dont believe void is brahman, but the goal of all buddists is to become 'tatAgathA'- the state of buddha, in sanskrit 'tathagatha' means 'one who has become brahman/that'. The same 'tat' term is used in 'TatVamAsi'- 'That thou art'. In both cases TaT(that) is used because it is immeasurable, inscrutable, hard to fathom, and not apprehended.

Also from Tevijja sutta


25. “In just the same way, VāseMMha, do the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas—omitting the practice of those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and adopting the practice of those qualities which really make men non-Brahmans—say thus: ‘Indra we call upon, Soma we call upon, Varuna we call upon, Isāna we call upon, Pajāpati we call upon, Brahmā we call upon, Mahiddhi we call upon, Yama we call upon!’ Verily, VāseMMha, that those Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas, but omitting the practice of those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and adopting the practice of those qualities which really make men non-Brahmans—that they, by reason of their invoking and praying and hoping and praising, should, after death and when the body is dissolved, become united with Brahmā—verily such a condition of things can in no wise be.

Maya3
08 March 2012, 06:40 AM
Sankar,

So then it is really the same, is it then that Buddhist don't speak of the void as God because he/she/it is indescribable?

Kind of the opposite of us who chooses and Istha Devata until we have merged with the formless and dont need a form anymore.

Maya

sankar
08 March 2012, 12:22 PM
Sankar,

So then it is really the same, is it then that Buddhist don't speak of the void as God because he/she/it is indescribable?

honestly, im not sure about this.
but the mahayana sect of buddhism worship Buddha as godhead, but not as creator god.

yajvan
10 March 2012, 06:48 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

If I may, I'd like to offer the following for one's kind consideration. Let's look to a well respected āgama of śaivism ( trika specifically), the mālinīvijayottaratantra. Its focus is that of tattvajaya ( the ~conquest~ or attainment of Reality). This great work informs us that the aspirant's (yogin, sādhu, etc.) aim or lakṣya¹ of practice is considered 6 fold:

vyoman - space, ether or as we call it ākāśa and perhaps in the conversation of this string ~void~
vigraha - independence, seperation
bindu - (some write vindu) a detached particle , drop , globule , dot , spot
arṇa - syllable or sound; phoneme
bhuvana - the world
dhvani - sound, resonance ( also an extended use is 'hint, implied meaning')The 6 fold idea is also supported by the dikṣottara tantra; it says
saḍvidhas tu śivo jñeyo yoginā sumahātmanā

This says, the great-souled yogin should understand śiva as being 6 fold (saḍvidhas). In this case, śiva is the Reality the mālinīvijayottaratantra is targeting (lakṣya).

So why mention all this ? The discussion in the string has been buddhism is more about the ~void~ , getting 'into the void'.
Yet this āgama which is not buddhist, clearly indicates vyoman - space (ether, ākāśa) void as a mark ( lakṣya ).

So there must be more to this then meets the eye. We know of 'void', vyoman, ākāśa and some upaniṣads call out kha as empty space or void. It suggests that this idea is beyond a 'school of thought' but a reality that is worthy of pursuit and understanding.

praṇām

words

lakṣya - an object aimed at ; mark
kha - vacuity , empty space , air , ether , sky and we find its root in √khan - a cavity , hollow , cave , cavern , aperture

PARAM
10 March 2012, 10:45 PM
Buddhism itself comes from Hinduism, Buddha learned Meditation from a Hindu Brahmin Rudrak Ramputra, Buddhist Meditation is just a little part of Hindu.

DMartyr
20 July 2013, 04:33 AM
im not sure if this topic is still open i dont know alot between the 2 religious types i did read a few books before i started and have been practicing "Vipassana" meditation (concious thought on the breath) the main purpose is to clear your mind, much like the empty sleep before the dreams however you stay awake and the main purpose is to help direct and control the flow of thoughts that come in your brain. if i see God in the process i will take it as a blessing, however that is not my purpose as of now, possibly down the road.