Methods of Meditation?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté,

Thank you for your response. Is there a particular method of meditation that you would suggest? What is the best thing to focus on, to meet your definition, saying "unminding the mind"?

Since I do not know you I cannot say what is the ~best~ approach for you. Why so? People are at different stages of their practice.

There are 3 types of practice one can take on , and you can see those stages here on this HDF Post :
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=18339&postcount=4

The overall string IMHO will also assist you : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=18339#post18339

Yet that said, it is my opinion the the breath is the best place to start. This is where bhairava ( śiva ) begins with pārvatī. For this reason it is well grounded in wisdom and effectiveness. It is very simple but effective and profound.
You will find this technique in the HDF stings aforementioned.


Yet having a teacher/advisor/guru is always preferred.


praṇām

[AmIHindu]

Namaste,

One cannot pray without expecting something, so I think it is not the best form of worship.

I don't understand here....
One can not even pray to take one's Sadhna level to next level ?

Example : 1 - GOD please culminate my mind into your Consciousness and Knowledge.
GOD please ceases my mind and bring me Chaitnya and jnana.

I always ask His help to give me success in my Sadhna.

Or are you referring to pray to any physical facility, like more money, good house

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté,

Originally Posted by sm78

One cannot pray without expecting something, so I think it is not the best form of worship.

AmIhindu repsonds,

I don't understand here... One can not even pray to take one's Sadhna level to next level ?
Example : 1 - GOD please culminate my mind into your Consciousness and Knowledge. GOD please ceases my mind and bring me Chaitnya and jnana

As I see it, the expectation you are requesting to " please culminate my mind into your Consciousness" - is a request , an ~expectation~.

Yet that said, I am of the opinion a prayer can be said without asking. It is simply praise to the Supreme. of his/her grace, greatness, purity and infinite Being. Many a śloka in the ved are of praise - the 1st words of the rig ved is agni I adore...

If we look to the lalitā sahasranāma or 1,000 ( sahasra ) names (nāma ) of lalitā , śiva sahasranāma - 1000 names of śiva or viṣṇu sahasranāma - 1000 names of viṣṇu there is praise - by their names.


praṇām

[Jainarayan]

Namaste EM.

Vannakkam RK: No. A few months back I was sitting in the dentist's chair and realised I was hardly breathing at all. I said to my dentist, "I'm not breathing," meaning 'properly' was to be understood. He replied dryly, "Well, I hope you start soon."

Aum Namasivaya

If you are in good cardio shape, which can come from learning to breathe properly, you will breathe like that. You'll take very short intermittent breaths most of the time, but every once in a while you take such a deep breath you virtually suck in all oxygen around you. That's keeps you supplied with oxygen for a while. That's your body using oxygen, and breathing properly and efficiently.

There was a time, as a runner and cyclist, and weight lifter, I breathed like that. Not anymore.

[Jainarayan]

Namaste yajvan

hariḥ oṁ
I am of the opinion a prayer can be said without asking. It is simply praise to the Supreme. of his/her grace, greatness, purity and infinite Being. Many a śloka in the ved are of praise - the 1st words of the rig ved is agni I adore...

I've been scouring the internet (OK, maybe not the best source) for what I think are prayers of forgiveness, thanks and appreciation for help God has given me, and so on. But I cannot find a one, except the "O Lord kindly forgive my wrong doings, knowingly or unknowingly... " prayer.

What I do find are slokas, most of which are praise and adoration. I'm beginning to realize that those are the "prayers" I am looking for. Such that I carry some of them on laminated cards in my wallet, and recite them periodically. I call the collection my "wallet prayers".

I think "prayers" like the following:

Fair as a jasmine flower, the moon or a
flake of snow, dressed in white, her hands
adorned by the graceful veena staff, adorned
by Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the other
deities, protect me, O Goddess Saraswati,
remover of ignorance inert.

and

O Lord, protector of cattle, sea of compassion,

consort of Mahalakshmi, the daughter of the
ocean of milk, slayer of Kamsa, bestower of
endless mercy upon the elephant chief in his
distress, Madhava known through contemplation,
younger brother of Balarama, Lord of the three
worlds, lotus eyed one, protector of the gopis,

protect me, for I know not anyone but you.

are an example of combined praise and thanks, and supplication.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté,
For me , much inspiration comes from the 9th & 10th mandala of the rig ved.

Thou are wise, the art the seer, thou bestowest the sweet beverage ( from the soma plant - that is, the delight of existence); Thou art the giver of all things to those that praise thee.

Thou are He who provides both heaven and earth with viands; Thou art the giver of all things to those that praise thee.


Yet if one takes the time to study and review the śiva aṣṭottaraśata nāmāvali we can see it as 108 prayers. It can be viewed here: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3411&highlight=%26%23347%3Bambhu

There is so much more regarding this idea. Yet the highest prayer is that of perfect silence, of perfect transcendence.

praṇām

[heather.s]

is it "wrong" to just repeat an mantra or speak to a certain god as though you're speaking to a friend?

i would assume not...as i've achieved inner peace with some issues through praying to Ganesh and Shiva.

[charitra]

is it "wrong" to just repeat an mantra or speak to a certain god as though you're speaking to a friend?

i would assume not...as i've achieved inner peace with some issues through praying to Ganesh and Shiva.

lots of hindus do that.

[Eastern Mind]

is it "wrong" to just repeat an mantra or speak to a certain god as though you're speaking to a friend?

i would assume not...as i've achieved inner peace with some issues through praying to Ganesh and Shiva.

Vannakkam: Ganesha is your friend, maybe your best friend, once you have a relationship established, so yes, that's how you would communicate. More like a really respected friend. I 'talk' to him all the time. The inner belief mystically in a properly consecrated temple is that during darshan he can see you 10 times clearer than you can see him.

(This is the view held by the natha sampradaya, and not by all versions of Hinduism.)

Aum Namasivaya

[kannada]

Namaste,

I was wondering about methods of meditation?

I just got a mālā, and have of course been using that for japa. Is it possible to pray this during meditation as well? I'm usually saying a mantra, anyway, and I find that the physical sensation of the beads going through my fingers keeps me from focusing on other bodily sensations to distract me from meditation, so that it becomes a lot easier for me. Is it not possible to go deep in meditation with this method, though? I'm having trouble focusing still, so just want to do anything I can to try to make that better.

What other methods do you suggest? I used to meditate a lot when I was younger, but am just now trying to get back into it to do it more.

How long would you suggest starting with? I want to do long enough that there is some visible effect, but not too long that it becomes a burden for me. Sometimes I find that the time I've allotted is too short, and I'm disappointed that it is over, and sometimes I can't wait until it is over. That is usually because I'm having some bodily discomfort.

Hi Brandon,

It's good that you want to learn to meditate but a budding practitioner really needs to know what meditation is before they start - believe it or not there are many who just blunder through with a method picked up from here or there. Meditation is a name for a toolbox that contains many tools, each for a different purpose. Do you just want to relax? Are you interested in out of body experiences? Is transcendence your goal? Or are you interested in Siddhis? Or perhaps working with kundalini? As one Buddhist monk says that one should work with the right method lest they achieve a high rung on the wrong ladder.

The tried and true way of Sanatana Dharma is that one should hear, reflect (on what has been heard), practice then realize (Sravana, Manana, Dhyana, Nididhyasana,)

All the best
k