What are the hidden benefits of meditation?

Lisa Morales4 said:Those "problems" or symptoms you're feeling? They’re really just signs that the vaccine is doing its job and being absorbed by your system.
no pain, no gain 🙂

AMEN.

Daniel Castillo11 said:To be honest, I’ve always had a bit of a distaste for the word "spirituality" because it carries such a heavy load of ideological baggage and clichés. Rather than calling myself spiritual, I tend to describe myself as contemplative or introspective, mostly because those terms point directly toward the practice itself rather than some specific dogma. People have this habit of taking a term, stuffing it full of their own assumptions, and then forcing everyone else to carry that weight. Once a label becomes loaded like that, people start projecting all sorts of prejudices onto it, judging a person based on the tag they wear before even getting to know them.

Absolutely, critical thinking should come first, and it needs to be a continuous process as you move through life. 🙂

One could spend their life hammering nails, cooking grits, strolling along a boardwalk, or even just playing with their kids... everyone chooses the path that resonates most deeply with them. That phrase "If Buddha had known..." feels so clumsily constructed to me. Buddha knew plenty, but he simply preferred what he preferred. History is filled with enlightened individuals; some lived lives of extreme asceticism while others were quite materialistic, yet neither lifestyle diminishes or amplifies the depth of their enlightenment. Before enlightenment, you chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, you still chop wood and carry water.

Hehe, you might just become a Zen master yet. 🙂

That last part is a classic Zen koan. I find Zen relatively digestible because of its pragmatic nature. It’s just that the word "enlightenment" still makes my skin crawl a little bit whenever I encounter it.🙂

Look, I find myself back on the side of being annoyed by people who insist on using words incorrectly. 😁 But honestly? Labels don't have to match perfectly. What matters is that we actually understand one another. ^^

Lisa Morales4 said:Those "problems" or symptoms you're feeling? They’re really just signs that the vaccine is doing its job and being absorbed by your system.
no pain, no gain 🙂

I'm not so sure about using that hyper-modern "Western" cliché in this context.

Sure, "no pain, no gain" works if you're trying to be an elite pro athlete. But it also means you'll spend the rest of your life dealing with a mountain of injuries, likely ending up with more health issues than some guy who just sits on his couch watching Netflix all day.

Pain is primarily a signal that something is wrong. Just as physical exercise for recreation should involve a gradual build-up without pushing past certain limits—unlike what happens in professional sports—the same logic applies to spiritual practice. Sometimes people approach it like a competitive sport, thinking there’s some "enlightenment trophy" to be won. Often, there are hidden motives at play, where they just want to feel superior to others because they can't satisfy their ego any other way.

But whenever we follow a "no pain, no gain" philosophy, the risk of "injury" goes up.

We need to figure out the goal of the practice, our actual capacity, and the risks involved before deciding on a pace. Most of the time, the situation is this: the supposed goals are just vague slogans (while the real ones are social or psychological), our abilities are overestimated, the risks are unknown, and our methods are only superficially understood.

casualtiger2 said:Just as I thought. Benjamin Taylor6—your little stories can be entertaining, sure, but even though you act all well-informed and worldly, judging by what you're saying about Komai and MacKenzie, you tend to twist things so they have absolutely nothing to do with the actual subject.
Right here is the manual for the basic Komai meditation technique, and the very first line under "General Instructions" reads: "Komai meditation is performed for 30-40 minutes in the morning and for the same amount in the evening."
MacKenzie meditated for hours every single day—and even now (technically) meditates while leading his courses (though my gut tells me he's basically meditating non-stop).
So, your little jabs about "tantra, beauties, and easy living"—they don't hold water.

I've already pointed out once how superficial your approach is (and apparently, you're too lazy to actually look things up), so now I'm starting to wonder if your "life stories" are even real, or if you've just "interpreted" those, too.
And really, how much have you actually grasped regarding your T-Mobile teachers, Zen Buddhism, Buddha, tantra, or anything else spiritual? 🤷

Komaja meditation is done somewhat similarly to T-Mobile. It also consists of two parts. The first part is mantra chanting, and the second is the T-Mobile siddhi program.
But there are still significant differences, because with T-Mobile, you just chant the mantra and relax—there’s no need to visualize anything, nor should you feel desire or love.
Perhaps only in that second part, where you might simply wish for certain positive things while being in a state of deep relaxation.
I’ve studied this Komaja meditation myself. But I haven't found any indication anywhere suggesting that this meditation should be practiced while your partner is sitting on your lingam. 😲
So, I couldn't quite wrap my head around why Franklin is considered a guru who devotes so much spiritual energy to sexual awareness. I was under the impression he provided specific spiritual exercises to be performed during intercourse. That’s more the style of what David Stanton describes in his books. http://www.tantra.com/books
I’ve also looked into some of the details regarding sexual magic described by M. J. Slavinski in his writings. I was supposed to travel to a nearby island this summer for it, but I didn't. First off, there was a cost involved. And second, I’m not exactly a businessman. 😁 http://cnn.com/promo/tantra-for-business-people

p.s.

By the way, "It'll Be Easy" is actually the name of a restaurant on my island: http://itllbeeasy-island.com/en
And here is something related to Tantra: http://itllbeeasy-island.com/wp-content/u...h_party_13.jpg

Jacob Sanchez7 said:We can’t be certain about much of anything. Really. The whole point of spirituality is the practice itself—taking those lofty metaphysical concepts and actually testing them against the grind of daily life. It’s simple, really. You just have to be brutally honest with yourself. Recognize when you're merely observing and when you're just getting carried away with wild extrapolations. Think critically. That’s the whole game.

You could spend your life chopping wood, making grits, strolling along the boardwalk, or even just disciplining your kid—everyone chooses what they love most. That phrase "If Buddha had known..." is such a clumsy way to put it. He knew. He knew plenty, but he chose what he chose. History is full of enlightened people; some lived like ascetics, others were materialists, but neither lifestyle adds to or subtracts from their spirituality. Before enlightenment, you chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, you still chop wood and carry water.

That's the thing. Maybe that's exactly why Buddy's path seemed so right and appealing. Or maybe the poor guy didn't even realize there were temples out there filled with statues in all sorts of... expressive positions. He saw an ascetic and decided to follow that lead.
Personally, I'm nowhere near enlightened, so I've still got to chop wood and haul water from the well. But once I finally hit enlightenment? Well, then I'll be cranking the AC and cooking on an electric stove. Water will just flow right out of the faucet—assuming, of course, that I can actually afford the utility bill.😁

bluemason3 said:I'm not so sure about using that hyper-modern "Western" cliché in this context.

Sure, "no pain, no gain" works if you're trying to be an elite pro athlete. But it also means you'll spend the rest of your life dealing with a mountain of injuries, likely ending up with more health issues than some guy who just sits on his couch watching Netflix all day.

Pain is primarily a signal that something is wrong. Just as physical exercise for recreation should involve a gradual build-up without pushing past certain limits—unlike what happens in professional sports—the same logic applies to spiritual practice. Sometimes people approach it like a competitive sport, thinking there’s some "enlightenment trophy" to be won. Often, there are hidden motives at play, where they just want to feel superior to others because they can't satisfy their ego any other way.

But whenever we follow a "no pain, no gain" philosophy, the risk of "injury" goes up.

We need to figure out the goal of the practice, our actual capacity, and the risks involved before deciding on a pace. Most of the time, the situation is this: the supposed goals are just vague slogans (while the real ones are social or psychological), our abilities are overestimated, the risks are unknown, and our methods are only superficially understood.

I find that I feel much better when I’m physically active and actually worn out by the end of the day, rather than sitting around doing nothing. That said, I’ve never been one for unnecessary hardship; I don't enjoy struggle for the sake of struggle. It’s a bit of a paradox: I feel more present when I'm moving, yet I dislike repetitive, grueling labor. When I’m being lazy and staying idle, my mind starts racing. Even while I am working, my head spins with thoughts of how to avoid the heavy lifting—constantly dreaming up ways to secure a comfortable life without the grind. Yet, the more I actually do, the happier I feel. It reminds me of those old martial arts movies where the protagonist undergoes intense training. They spend ages performing the same repetitive movements over and over until they finally hit a breaking point, pushing past the physical discomfort to reach a new level of mastery. I suspect that’s the path I need to take, but I have to admit, finding the discipline to get there is a constant struggle.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Komaja meditation is done somewhat similarly to T-Mobile. It also consists of two parts. The first part is mantra chanting, and the second is the T-Mobile siddhi program.
But there are still significant differences, because with T-Mobile, you just chant the mantra and relax—there’s no need to visualize anything, nor should you feel desire or love.
Perhaps only in that second part, where you might simply wish for certain positive things while being in a state of deep relaxation.
I’ve studied this Komaja meditation myself. But I haven't found any indication anywhere suggesting that this meditation should be practiced while your partner is sitting on your lingam. 😲
So, I couldn't quite wrap my head around why Franklin is considered a guru who devotes so much spiritual energy to sexual awareness. I was under the impression he provided specific spiritual exercises to be performed during intercourse. That’s more the style of what David Stanton describes in his books. http://www.tantra.com/books
I’ve also looked into some of the details regarding sexual magic described by M. J. Slavinski in his writings. I was supposed to travel to a nearby island this summer for it, but I didn't. First off, there was a cost involved. And second, I’m not exactly a businessman. 😁 http://cnn.com/promo/tantra-for-business-people

p.s.

By the way, "It'll Be Easy" is actually the name of a restaurant on my island: http://itllbeeasy-island.com/en
And here is something related to Tantra: http://itllbeeasy-island.com/wp-content/u...h_party_13.jpg

That's the thing. Maybe that's exactly why Buddy's path seemed so right and appealing. Or maybe the poor guy didn't even realize there were temples out there filled with statues in all sorts of... expressive positions. He saw an ascetic and decided to follow that lead.
Personally, I'm nowhere near enlightened, so I've still got to chop wood and haul water from the well. But once I finally hit enlightenment? Well, then I'll be cranking the AC and cooking on an electric stove. Water will just flow right out of the faucet—assuming, of course, that I can actually afford the utility bill.😁

Buddha didn't pick that specific path because it was objectively "the best." All paths hold equal value; it really just comes down to which one pulls at a person and which one resonates most deeply. One person follows the way of Mother Teresa, another follows Osh. It truly doesn't matter.

And you totally missed the point regarding the wood and the water. That’s an old Zen proverb.

electrictinker26 said:I find that I feel much better when I’m physically active and actually worn out by the end of the day, rather than sitting around doing nothing. That said, I’ve never been one for unnecessary hardship; I don't enjoy struggle for the sake of struggle. It’s a bit of a paradox: I feel more present when I'm moving, yet I dislike repetitive, grueling labor. When I’m being lazy and staying idle, my mind starts racing. Even while I am working, my head spins with thoughts of how to avoid the heavy lifting—constantly dreaming up ways to secure a comfortable life without the grind. Yet, the more I actually do, the happier I feel. It reminds me of those old martial arts movies where the protagonist undergoes intense training. They spend ages performing the same repetitive movements over and over until they finally hit a breaking point, pushing past the physical discomfort to reach a new level of mastery. I suspect that’s the path I need to take, but I have to admit, finding the discipline to get there is a constant struggle.

😂

It's the exact same thing. I'm constantly stuck in this loop, trying to figure out how to make the whole inevitable slog of showing up to work feel less like a grind.

I remember reading somewhere—probably in some self-help book—that you should "do what you love" so you aren't really working in the traditional sense. But here’s the kicker: what if what you love is just walking around, getting lost in a book, or just... losing your mind a little bit? 🙂

Jacob Sanchez7 said:HAHAHAHAHAHAH yes!
What’s the real distinction between a genius and a madman? It’s simple. A genius knows how to translate their wild ideas so the people around them actually get it. A madman doesn't. 😛

50,000.
People approach meditation with this desperate, forced intensity. It’s because the Western mindset is just too blunt—too aggressive. We’re obsessed with instant gratification and immediate results. Because of that, we end up overlooking all that "quiet wisdom," and that's exactly where the problems start. My advice? Slow down. Listen to everything. If a specific thought or feeling starts to bother you, don't fight it. Understand that your subconscious has simply flagged a glitch. It presents that thought or emotion as "negative" only so you’ll actually notice it. It’s giving you a signal to pay attention and work through it on your own terms. Honestly, sometimes the best form of meditation is just journaling—getting the stream of consciousness down on paper and having a real conversation with yourself.

Look, I’m self-taught, and honestly? I haven't run into any real issues. Sure, there were moments that might look negative at first glance, but once you start to meditirati, you realize that "positive" and "negative" are illusions. They don't actually exist. There is only our perception. Every single thing—an event, an object, even a person—is inherently neutral. Once you wrap your head around that, you gain a certain power. You can choose to find the positive in everything we experience. You get to hand-pick the experiences that actually shape who you are.

I'll ask again: Who sets the standard for madness, and who gets to decide? Is being "crazy" actually a bad thing?
(Sure, there are people whose neurological systems are completely compromised, but they are already at the extreme end of the spectrum and shouldn't be used as a benchmark.)

The GOAL OF MEDITATION isn't raising consciousness or training the spirit or any of that fluff. The goal of meditation is to meditate. That's it. That's all there is to it. Just do it.

But is that actually all there is to it?

I mean, where does the actual urge to meditate even come from?

Paul Jones7 said:But is that actually all there is to it?

I mean, where does the actual urge to meditate even come from?

If we’re talking about meditation in its purest sense, then yes. Everything else—contemplation, various mental exercises, whatever—that's just noise.

Paul Jones7 said:But is that actually all there is to it?

I mean, where does the actual urge to meditate even come from?

That was a perfectly synchronous answer you gave earlier.
🤣

Zachary Gonzalez8 said:😂

It's the exact same thing. I'm constantly stuck in this loop, trying to figure out how to make the whole inevitable slog of showing up to work feel less like a grind.

I remember reading somewhere—probably in some self-help book—that you should "do what you love" so you aren't really working in the traditional sense. But here’s the kicker: what if what you love is just walking around, getting lost in a book, or just... losing your mind a little bit? 🙂

In that case, the passion is the actual work, and everything else is just the means to fund it. It’s a cycle, really. Even in creative fields like music, it repeats itself. I've thought about trying my hand at acting... though I'd prefer not to get too tangled up in those specific complications.

Jacob Sanchez7 said:If we’re talking about meditation in its purest sense, then yes. Everything else—contemplation, various mental exercises, whatever—that's just noise.

That was a perfectly synchronous answer you gave earlier.
🤣

But I think there’s a reason behind that impulse, too—one that the ego isn't really aware of, at least not right out of the gate. It’s hard not to walk away feeling like meditation doesn't just exist for its own sake; it's doing something more.

Paul Jones7 said:But I think there’s a reason behind that impulse, too—one that the ego isn't really aware of, at least not right out of the gate. It’s hard not to walk away feeling like meditation doesn't just exist for its own sake; it's doing something more.

The reality is that the physical mind occasionally struggles to grasp concepts from higher spheres, but there’s no need to exhaust it. It wasn't built for comprehension; it was built to perceive what's happening. The higher mind, on the other hand, understands how things unfold. It's responsible for manifesting whatever we say, think, and live. Think of meditation as shifting focus from the physical mind to the higher mind—you're essentially rerouting potential energy to give it more RAM.😁

Of course, those are all just facets of the personality. It's all you, simply wanting what's best for you. The only difference lies in the varying perspectives each facet holds.

That said, meditation is merely one technique. All techniques are just excuses we give ourselves to become more of who we already are—who we never stopped being. We just forgot, because this whole life is an adventure in forgetting. The point is to constantly find that state triggered by doing something you truly love, where time flies and you're genuinely engaged.😁

Jacob Sanchez7 said:The reality is that the physical mind occasionally struggles to grasp concepts from higher spheres, but there’s no need to exhaust it. It wasn't built for comprehension; it was built to perceive what's happening. The higher mind, on the other hand, understands how things unfold. It's responsible for manifesting whatever we say, think, and live. Think of meditation as shifting focus from the physical mind to the higher mind—you're essentially rerouting potential energy to give it more RAM.😁

Of course, those are all just facets of the personality. It's all you, simply wanting what's best for you. The only difference lies in the varying perspectives each facet holds.

That said, meditation is merely one technique. All techniques are just excuses we give ourselves to become more of who we already are—who we never stopped being. We just forgot, because this whole life is an adventure in forgetting. The point is to constantly find that state triggered by doing something you truly love, where time flies and you're genuinely engaged.😁

I guess I’m a bit worried that the physical mind never actually knew anything to begin with—it's just too young, maybe? 🤷 It feels more like the higher mind is the one that knows, and always has... which is why this whole idea of 'forgetting' doesn't quite click for me. Isn't the real issue just a lack of connection to that higher mind?

Then again, maybe there’s an exact reason—not just a reason, but an actual purpose—behind that 'disconnection' when it happens, right?

Paul Jones7 said:I guess I’m a bit worried that the physical mind never actually knew anything to begin with—it's just too young, maybe? 🤷 It feels more like the higher mind is the one that knows, and always has... which is why this whole idea of 'forgetting' doesn't quite click for me. Isn't the real issue just a lack of connection to that higher mind?

Then again, maybe there’s an exact reason—not just a reason, but an actual purpose—behind that 'disconnection' when it happens, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAoEd7la7m8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7HEGojnlk

To cut to the chase.
There’s an entire lecture on Pirate Bay. (You can find more stuff about the higher mind on YouTube, too.)
Highly recommended if you actually want to see how things really work. 😁
Once you've watched it, feel free to ask if you have questions.

maybe 😁

That second link is actually pretty great... thanks

Jacob Sanchez7 said:Buddha didn't pick that specific path because it was objectively "the best." All paths hold equal value; it really just comes down to which one pulls at a person and which one resonates most deeply. One person follows the way of Mother Teresa, another follows Osh. It truly doesn't matter.

And you totally missed the point regarding the wood and the water. That’s an old Zen proverb.

It wasn't a misunderstanding on my part; I just chose to frame my response differently than what you see here:

poetic license 😁

bluemason3 said:I'm not so sure about using that hyper-modern "Western" cliché in this context.

Sure, "no pain, no gain" works if you're trying to be an elite pro athlete. But it also means you'll spend the rest of your life dealing with a mountain of injuries, likely ending up with more health issues than some guy who just sits on his couch watching Netflix all day.

Pain is primarily a signal that something is wrong. Just as physical exercise for recreation should involve a gradual build-up without pushing past certain limits—unlike what happens in professional sports—the same logic applies to spiritual practice. Sometimes people approach it like a competitive sport, thinking there’s some "enlightenment trophy" to be won. Often, there are hidden motives at play, where they just want to feel superior to others because they can't satisfy their ego any other way.

But whenever we follow a "no pain, no gain" philosophy, the risk of "injury" goes up.

We need to figure out the goal of the practice, our actual capacity, and the risks involved before deciding on a pace. Most of the time, the situation is this: the supposed goals are just vague slogans (while the real ones are social or psychological), our abilities are overestimated, the risks are unknown, and our methods are only superficially understood.

That was very well articulated.👍
I hadn't actually noticed you here before, despite how many posts you make, and you explain things so clearly... maybe it's because you're a bit elusive and constantly changing your avatar, so you fly under the radar.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that without the crisis, there is no crossing to the other shore.

Jacob Sanchez7 said:Buddha didn't pick that specific path because it was objectively "the best." All paths hold equal value; it really just comes down to which one pulls at a person and which one resonates most deeply. One person follows the way of Mother Teresa, another follows Osh. It truly doesn't matter.

And you totally missed the point regarding the wood and the water. That’s an old Zen proverb.

I just don't get why some people feel the need to question the noble Eightfold Path that Buddha laid out—especially when those same critics haven't exactly contributed anything meaningful to anyone else in their entire lives. It’s pretty rich seeing them sit there mocking the people who actually spend their time helping others...

electrictinker26 said:In that case, the passion is the actual work, and everything else is just the means to fund it. It’s a cycle, really. Even in creative fields like music, it repeats itself. I've thought about trying my hand at acting... though I'd prefer not to get too tangled up in those specific complications.

I guess you could look at it that way. But honestly? Sometimes it feels totally pointless. The whole routine... getting up, commuting, showing up...

just grinding through eight hours of pure, unadulterated boredom every single day.🙂