BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Buddhism Discussion on A supreme Being, Higher Power, God

Ya true...lol <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have a question about meditation for you.What is the best way to meditate? I am trying but find it hard to clear my mind from the days events.

Don't try to clear your mind....

Your Mind is an active working tool, designed to think, calculate, evaluate and store....
The effective thing to try to achieve, is to make it work FOR you, not against you....

Sit in any way that's comfortable....relaxed but straight, on a chair, a stool, leaning against a wall....

Focus on maybe just watching your breath, as it cools your nostrils whilst you breathe in... as it makes your body expand, and touch your clothing....

And then when you breathe out, just notice the warm air on your upper lip, and your body 'collapsing' and contracting down....

Don't do a running commentary... "I can feel my breath in my nose...I can sense my body expanding...."

Just watch... as if you were slightly outside of yourself....

And if a thought pops into your head, just notice it, and dismiss it, and just go back to 'watching' your breathing....
Limit yourself to begin with, to just two or three minutes, and relax...don't be too hard on yourself... gradually increase the time... according to what you judge to be your own acceptable level...it's quality, not quantity....

I just have a few thoughts.
My vision of God also began as my "Heavenly Father" to be loved, trusted, comfortaed by, yet also feared. Through life's twists and turns I no longer believe in God. I believe in something quite different. It's an Idea. Ideas have so much power. My Idea is a 'goddess' of sorts, not physical or magical in and of itself, but an Ideal. Something I can think of, stive to become. But at the same time, there is no judgement. There is only me, doing my best. I look upon prayer as a form of thought. It helps me work through things. I make no requests, don't wait for answers. It's just me, talking things through. It's important to take that time, be it in prayer or meditation or just quiet.
I don't believe in magic, or wicca, or true gods. But I know that I don't know it all. I know that there is so much out there that will never be explained, and I can accept that.
As for disasters, and suffering...These things happen. I tell myself that, and accepting that there is no one out there that's in charge, no one watching over everyone at ever moment, is oddly comforting. Then I know that no one has it out for me. It's no one's fault. There is no blame. It's not because I didn't believe hard enough, pray hard enough, behave well enough. It's just life.
I can't believe in a god that says, "only I am right, everyone else is to be thrown into eternal fire." That's so ridiculous, you know someone powerful thought it up to keep people in line. It's like a Grimm's fairytale to keep the children from straying into the forest.
Anyway, those are just some of my stray thoughts.

I have heard more Ghandi quotes here, I love them! Now I must find more <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Welcome Diana, and thank you for your thoughts.... nice to welcome you here....

Your way of thinking runs exactly along Buddhist lines...That Life Is just What It Is, and that we need not find anything responsible, or anyone to blame for it - instead, we simply need to accept it and to temper our responses acordingly.....
This Idea, this Goddess you describe, would be what Buddhists might attempt to define as your 'Inner Buddha-Nature'...That is to say, the Natural Great Perfection present in every single Being. We recognise this Nature present in everyone, because just as the Buddha was able to expose it in himself through his enlightenment, so the opportunity resides with every human to do the same thing....

I personally would never presume to label it anything other than that which you have labelled it yourself....

...Words, at the end of it all are, at times, woefully inadequate at expressing that which we would like to communicate.... Vocabulary is merely a collection of labels and signposts....a convenient conveyance of expression...

Thanks for posting.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

"I look upon prayer as a form of thought. It helps me work through things. I make no requests, don't wait for answers. It's just me, talking things through. It's important to take that time, be it in prayer or meditation or just quiet...I know that I don't know it all. I know that there is so much out there that will never be explained, and I can accept that."

I feel a similar way, especially about things out there that will never be explained. It is a great philosophy to live by -- just chill and let things be! It makes you wonder sometimes why people try so hard to explain it all, when they could just be accepting instead.

I'm glad to meet you...it sounds like you are confident about your unique spiritual path. Kudos!

Hello Xantres,
I feel much the same way as you do about prayer. I am reminded of a bible quote that goes like this:
"Be still, and know that I am God"

I think the secret is in the 'being still' - and then we are able to get in touch with that 'Divine Spark' which is in all of us. I think this is what brings peace.

As you so wisely say, and as Alexandra has also pointed out, it isn't about 'asking' - it is about 'BEING' and living in the NOW. I am still striving to do this, - just being still, and just 'being' and savouring every gem that each day brings. It isn't easy for me right now, as I am coping with, and working through a lot of grief, but I am discovering that this is a positive way to go.

Yes! Just'chill' and let things be!

Yes, Patience, I too love that quotation....It just resonates with 'Being Peace-Full'.....

This contribution is to nobody in particular....I'm just adding it as a point of discussion....

I know it appears to be an extremely simplistic thing to say - and I do not deny that it is "easier said than done" - but if ever you find yourself so overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life, whatever you're doing, wherever you are - just stop. Put a complete brake on what you are thinking and doing, and sense yourself completely exactly where you are, in this precise moment.
Take a deep breath.
Relax the Body completely....
This usually starts in the shoulders.... Whatever you are doing, you will invariably find that your shoulders are closer to your ears than you would like - !
Drop them....


We carry so much of our troubles around our necks...We wear them like a muffler, but they are so burdensome....
We "shoulder" our pain...
just "Let Go"....

And find yourself, Here.
Look around you....
Connect immediately with where you are, what you see and what you hear....
Empty your Mind of the Pain and sadness....

Just - Be.

Give yourself a break!

Really....If you can breathe in, and breathe out, and just observe the ridiculousness of it all.... let it go and just relax.

And after a moment, when you have given yourself the opportunity to find your Centre, to re-connect with the jewel that matters.....


.....Smile.

You are, after all, the only thing that matters.... So keep yourself precious and safe.
The rest of the world will keep turning, as it does.... day moves through to night, and then day again....

Enjoy the moment.

And then, move on.....