insight meditations...

toujour_333 · 09-06-2006, 05:30 AM

namaste,

as most of you know, i am rather new to buddhism and its practices. i have studied meditation and practiced it for quite some time now. however, i have yet to really get into insight meditation. as far as what i have done, here is a list of my meditation:

focusing on the breath
the metta bhavana
mala practice with a few mantras

and thats about it. i dont know really where to start as far as insight meditation. i remember reading something a while back about when the Buddha saw a rotting body on the side of the road, he meditated on it, or something to those lines (i apologize is i misinterpreted the story, but i dont have much memory due to a medical problem, so hopefully my memory is correct, however, if it isnt, i would be very happy if someone would correct me that way i will know). so, i did that meditation last night, except i used the image of my cat whom i am very attached to, rotting away and watching the differnt forms of decay. at first, it was rather sad, but then i developed a sense of peace when i saw that there were so many other animals and beings that could benefit from the decay of my friend/pet.

is this anything along the lines of insight meditation? can someone give me some guides as to how to do a few intorductory insight meditations? it would be greatly appreciated. my meditation practice has gotten a lot better and i have developed much better concentration as of late, just for those who would like to know about the progress of my practice.

but, thank you all for listening and i hope that everyone is doing well.

be well in peace
jon

taijasi · 09-06-2006, 06:32 AM

jon,

Namaskar ...

... the story might be one involving Arya Asanga (Aryasanga), and contact with the Buddha Maitreya. If so, Sogyal Rinpoche tells it in the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. You can find it online, here.

My own belief is that Aryasanga was Dharmajyoti, a direct disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, in a previous incarnation. This makes for some interesting connections, especially since Aryasanga is known among esotericists as `The Tibetan' (Master D.K.) ... this time around.

I recommend shamatha, or vipassana, meditation. It's a good beginning point, and I can't imagine moving beyond it (myself), for several lifetimes.

Shanti OM,

taijasi

samabudhi · 09-06-2006, 08:28 AM

http://www.buddhanet.net/insight.htm

toujour_333 · 09-07-2006, 05:58 AM

namaste,

thank you taijasi for that story. it was rather interesting and i actually quoted it today at my work while talking to a few friends about my practice. it was a rather moving story for me and i enjoyed it very much. it wasnt the story that i was thinking of however. i think the story that i am thinking of was a part of the Buddhas life before he attained enlighenment and he passed by a corpse rotting or something simular like that. but, either way, im not too sure. but, thank you anyways.

and thank you samabudhi for that link. suprisingly i went to that link just last night after i decided to write this. it seems like a great link and i have learned a good bit from it already. but thank you very much.

however, i was looking for more of a personal reaction to the thread really. more along the lines of experiences and meditations that you all have tried and what you have experienced with them or the insights that you all have attained. i hope that someone has a story that they would like to share. i would love to hear about someones personal experiences. i apologize if the way i phrased things in my first thread gave anyone the wrong impression. i need to work on being more mindful while im typing and how its coming across.

but again, thank you all for the replies. i greatly appreciate it.

be well in peace
jon