Is Meditation Boring?

"The law of increasing returns in diminishing time."

This is law of accomplishments is attained by unceasing, continuous practice. As you practice constantly and with attention, you tend to attain skill. As you attain skill, your efficiency increases. Efficiency is another name for achieving in a shorter time what you used to achieve in longer time. Height of inner efficiency is to realize and to achieve things in a moment, which is the shortest fraction of time.

For example, when you learn to meditate, you tend to achieve a stage of relaxations -- quietness -- towards end of say, half an hour. When you practice for years, it happens just in 10 minutes and when you practice more, it happens in just the moment in which you close your eyes. Your inner states change in a shorter time.

What happens inside, also happens outside in the manifest world. With practice, you tend to achieve in the world the things you seek, in a shorter time as compared to time it took when you were not practicing.

A new factor gets introduced over time, that is, your effort decreases in achieving same thing. Youexperience a process of least resistance to get what you want. More returns in a shorter time with lesser effort is the net gain. This is what this law is all about.

Last night, in place of the circle of sharing, we had a surprise guest speaker -- Cynthia Jurs.

Cynthia has practiced in the Tibetan Vajrayana and Zen Buddhist traditions for 25 years and in 1994 received dharma transmission from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh to teach Engaged Buddhism. She directs the Open Way Sangha in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which draws from all wisdom traditions to teach an approach to living in awareness in relationship to the Earth through dedicated practice, ceremony, retreat and pilgrimage. In 1990, she met a 106-year-old Tibetan hermit and meditator, who asked her to bring healing and protection to the Earth by filling and burying Earth Treasure Vases in places of need around the world.  To date, 23 of the 30 vases have been planted around the world, and the journey of the next seven is unfolding now. 

Audio of Cynthia's talk (mp3), with stories from her journey:

What a beautiful expression of an internal theatre.

The picture show of consciousness, where entry is free - to awareness

The epic journey into one’s own theatre show, where;

Nothingness is truly the greatest ‘Somethingness’

Boredom??, Hmm, ‘boredom’ would just be a readjustment of ones seat, a continuum of the experience , so you can take a breathe and  get comfortable for the show.  

Lights cameras – Action  :-)

Thank you Mr. Cohen, what a fantastic pre-movie analogy

i guess i would suggest that the implication that "there is something in the nothingness" again engages the mind to create something out of nothing, and that in of itself is a distraction and a move away from meditation. i would agree with the earlier suggestion that reading what accomplished meditators have to say would be extremely helpful is helpful. i would also say that the essay is a bit of an intellectual gymnastics, and well-done, and i get where you are trying to go, but it feels to me that one has not gone far enough away from all that to really get close enough to where one needs to get to so that one is not easily still led astray from the path toward that meditative state. will there ever be words that adequately or accurately depict, describe, reflect what it is we all want to say and bring back from that place!!?? no fault on the writer of the essay; but the mind is a tricky thing to play with; and i have always been taught, that the mind makes a great servant and a lousy master. and i would add the former's list readiing Sant Kirpal Singh Ji.

Dear Friends        With respect, this essay  has a few very tricky ideas, the concept of nothingness in particular.   This essay reflects clever intellectual gymnastics more than mature internal experience.     With respect,  when investigating a subject as subtle as meditation,  one should reference a yogi deeply steeped in the practice.  The yogi knows the science of meditation and speaks very carfully, all the rest is merely pleasant coffee house philosophy.    Works written  by  Swami Sivananda, Swami Yogananda (SRF) , Swami Rama, Ajahn Chah,  Ajahn Sumedho (the short list)  are of great value.

To make it easier I'll list some current meditation texts of value:

Yoga Psychology: A Practical Guide to Meditation    By   Swami Ajaya, Ph.D

The Theory and Practice of Meditation     Edited By   Rudolph M Ballentine  M.D.

Happiness   By Matthieu Ricard

Why Meditate?     By Matthieu Ricard

Seeking The Heart of Wisdom: The path of insight meditation By J Kornfield & J. Goldstein

A good start with correct knowlege will give you success