meditation

[TeaDidikai]

PsychischesWeibchen

The way I was always taught is to center yourself. Focus on your breathing. Inhale blue (positive) and exhale red (negative). Music usually helps as well.

Why on earth are red and blue ascribed as polar opposites?

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.  

[redtearsblackwings]

PsychischesWeibchen

The way I was always taught is to center yourself. Focus on your breathing. Inhale blue (positive) and exhale red (negative). Music usually helps as well.

Thats really intersting. What do the colours have to do with it though?  

[redtearsblackwings]

TeaDidikai

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.

Bhuddisium prohibits mind alutering substance and I've known of extream Monks who don't drink coffee.  

[Cranium Squirrel]

redtearsblackwings

TeaDidikai

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.

Buddhism prohibits mind alutering substance and I've known of extream Monks who don't drink coffee.

They're in the extreme. Most monks I've met will happily drink tea, caffeinated or not. 3nodding  

[Ainwyn]

I was just sent a couple of websites on walking meditation that look interesting. I haven't gotten to totally look them over yet, because I'm still trying to get through school readings, so if something looks off, just mention it. One of them also goes into labyrinth walking, which sounds very interesting from what I've learned about it before. Will have to look that up in more depth later.
Walking meditation I
Walking meditation II

Also, if you're thinking of using music when you meditate, I tend to use classical minimalism, such as Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians*, though be careful if you plan to use music with walking meditation. Having something with a steady beat would probably be very distracting, so maybe try shakuhachi music? I've never used music with walking meditation, so I couldn't say.

*This is totally my school's New Music Ensemble playing, we kick a**!  

[TeaDidikai]

Byaggha

redtearsblackwings

TeaDidikai

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.

Buddhism prohibits mind alutering substance and I've known of extream Monks who don't drink coffee.

They're in the extreme. Most monks I've met will happily drink tea, caffeinated or not. 3nodding

Is there an actual scriptural position on this? Or is it like the LDS, where there is no position, but it's become part of the culture.  

[Ainwyn]

TeaDidikai

Byaggha

redtearsblackwings

TeaDidikai

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.

Buddhism prohibits mind alutering substance and I've known of extream Monks who don't drink coffee.

They're in the extreme. Most monks I've met will happily drink tea, caffeinated or not. 3nodding

Is there an actual scriptural position on this? Or is it like the LDS, where there is no position, but it's become part of the culture.

In the form of Buddhism I was studying, not using mind altering substances was one of the five precepts. It's seen as important as it takes away from awareness. That's how I interpreted what they were telling me at least. I could be off >_>  

[Cranium Squirrel]

TeaDidikai

Is there an actual scriptural position on this? Or is it like the LDS, where there is no position, but it's become part of the culture.

As far as I can see, it'd just depend on the monk's (or, more specifically, their sangha's) interpretation of 'no mind-altering substances' - most that I've seen just take it to mean 'don't eat the bad mushrooms, don't get attached to your morning coffee to the point of requiring it (take it or leave it), and don't drink alcohol.', but some schools do go so far as to ban tea and coffee from monk's allowed food sources.  

[TeaDidikai]

Byaggha

TeaDidikai

Is there an actual scriptural position on this? Or is it like the LDS, where there is no position, but it's become part of the culture.

As far as I can see, it'd just depend on the monk's (or, more specifically, their sangha's) interpretation of 'no mind-altering substances' - most that I've seen just take it to mean 'don't eat the bad mushrooms, don't get attached to your morning coffee to the point of requiring it (take it or leave it), and don't drink alcohol.', but some schools do go so far as to ban tea and coffee from monk's allowed food sources.

Can I get some kind of citation? I want to examine this further. At what point do you stop that kind of s**t. I mean, foods and essential nutrients alter the mind.  

[Cranium Squirrel]

TeaDidikai

Can I get some kind of citation? I want to examine this further. At what point do you stop that kind of s**t. I mean, foods and essential nutrients alter the mind.

It's one of the five precepts, Tea - No intoxicants. You could probably get commentary on the whole lot of them, if you hunt. Or if you can wait til tomorrow, I can probably get some from different schools for you - kinda overloaded with schoolwork right now. 3nodding  

[TeaDidikai]

Byaggha

TeaDidikai

Can I get some kind of citation? I want to examine this further. At what point do you stop that kind of s**t. I mean, foods and essential nutrients alter the mind.

It's one of the five precepts, Tea - No intoxicants. You could probably get commentary on the whole lot of them, if you hunt. Or if you can wait til tomorrow, I can probably get some from different schools for you - kinda overloaded with schoolwork right now. 3nodding

It'd be interesting, since the only translation of the Tipitaka I can find and confirm specifies "fermented drinks" as the literal translation, which could possibly exclude Pu-erh, since meraya, the word in question addresses liquor specifically.

Let's look at this:

Surā-meraya-majja:
[Flour paste?] - liquor - intoxicating

Looks a hell of a lot more specific than what mere "mind altering substances" suggests.

What I am trying to figure out is where the exegesis is and where the eisegesis is.  

[Cranium Squirrel]

TeaDidikai

It'd be interesting, since the only translation of the Tipitaka I can find and confirm specifies "fermented drinks" as the literal translation, which could possibly exclude Pu-erh, since meraya, the word in question addresses liquor specifically.

Let's look at this:

Surā-meraya-majja:
[Flour paste?] - liquor - intoxicating

Looks a hell of a lot more specific than what mere "mind altering substances" suggests.

What I am trying to figure out is where the exegesis is and where the eisegesis is.

Very cool. Thanks for that! 3nodding

I know it has been officially extended via discourse and at least one monk council to anything that causes intoxication; thus, at a bare minimum the illicit drugs and alcohol as being verboten. As I said though, it does seem to depend upon specific sanghas in regards to caffeine, but I'll see what specifics I can dredge up this weekend or after my exam next monday. 3nodding  

[TeaDidikai]

I just find it interesting.
It's akin to why I keep waiting for the LDS boys to demonstrate why they have a prohibition against tea.  

[redtearsblackwings]

TeaDidikai

Byaggha

redtearsblackwings

TeaDidikai

ShadowCat>> I don't know of any religious doctrine that prohibits caffeine.

Buddhism prohibits mind alutering substance and I've known of extream Monks who don't drink coffee.

They're in the extreme. Most monks I've met will happily drink tea, caffeinated or not. 3nodding

Is there an actual scriptural position on this? Or is it like the LDS, where there is no position, but it's become part of the culture.

The idea behind it is so that you're focused on Elightement rather then anything else, hece not having anything that aulters you're state of mind.  

[TeaDidikai]

redtearsblackwings

The idea behind it is so that you're focused on Elightement rather then anything else, hece not having anything that aulters you're state of mind.

I don't really care what the idea behind it is. I wanted to know if this is a foundation of scriptural teaching or if it's someone's personal opinion. Hence why I asked if there was scripture to support it.

And if you had taken the time to read the rests of you posts, you would have noticed I was able to find part of The Five Precepts and translate it, demonstrating that the vow itself appears to prohibit alcohol, not tea.