|
|
 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 9:25:30 PM
|
| the voice of the heart is a whisper |
|
|
Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 08:43:13 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by brother neil
the voice of the heart is a whisper
... yes you get it...
And very easy to miss when caught in the noise of the mind. |
 |
|
|
CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 10:35:01 AM
|
I've been missing your presence around here Brother Neil! I even went to send you an email to make sure you were doing ok but you had no email address listed, so I am very glad to see from your one line that you are still doing well. 
On a side note, Shanti, you say it is easy to miss the voice of your heart when caught up in the noise of the mind. This is pretty obvious and I agree. My question is: "How important is it for a beginner like me to have a quiet meditation space?" I realize that nothing is ever ideal, and that having external silence is not a prerequisite to having internal silence, but it will make it easier no? I live in a basement suite and my upstairs neighbors have kids and a dog, and I am finding that they can be somewhat of a distraction to my inner silence on occasion during meditation. Any suggestions on how to ingore the external environment so that it is easier to hear the internal one? (I already use earplugs )
Love,
Carson |
|
|
|
brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 5:22:18 PM
|
Thanks shanti,
Brother Carson thanks for the kind words. As far as doing well, i am when i choose to.
my best to you brother,
with love
Brother neil
|
|
|
|
CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 6:43:55 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by brother neil
As far as doing well, i am when i choose to.
Aren't we all my friend, aren't we all.
Love,
Carson |
|
|
|
NagoyaSea
424 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 7:25:06 PM
|
Hi Carson. I know you asked this question of Shweta but can I ask you something? Are you an early riser/morning person?
Would it be possible to rise and meditate before the children upstairs and their pup get up? I personally love meditating in the dark silence of early morning, before dawn whenever I can. For whatever reason, I'm more likely to drop into very deep samyama and glimpses of samadhi this way...less so in the afternoon practice... I do not know why that is--
What about their dinner meal time? Are they quieter then and is it early enough/ consistent enough for an afternoon practice then?
I've heard people say that they can meditate in any kind of noisy spot, but for myself, I really prefer silence around me when meditating....don't even want any chimes or music going...
Kathy |
|
|
|
brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2008 : 8:25:51 PM
|
supposedly the early morning hours dont contain the negative energies of people, things like greed, lust, etc.. because people are sleeping, as it is the darkest beforee the dawn, supposedly it is the quietist too. For one who has truly tapped into the inner silence, I dont know that this matters. The inner voice of the heart can be heard no matter the outside noise. Just my beliefs
We are one, in the same
brother neil
|
|
|
|
Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2008 : 09:31:34 AM
|
Hi Carson,
Kathy and Neil have given good suggestion.
The other thing to do, treat noise like a distraction.... and go back to the mantra. I know, I know.. but I have no idea how annoying the noise is.. etc etc.. I have 2 kids and a dog ya know? At first when I would meditate, it would bother me.. but now I hardly hear it. It's funny because, I have noticed, when I sit to meditate, is when my dog decides he is a guard dog and needs to protect the house, so any car drives by or human walks by and he will bark up a storm (rest of the time he is asleep).. also that seems to be when one of my daughters decides she needs to practice her piano.. and/or the other her saxophone, or both need to practice their vocal music.. also, most of the evening, they may not be talking.. but when I go to meditate, that is when they seem to share a lot of their day, around the place I meditate. In the beginning I would tell them to please stop.. (which would work for mayyyybe 5 min [if I was lucky], then back to what they were doing).. but not sure when I stopped doing this .. and they don't bother me anymore. At times when they get really loud, I may be a bit drawn out of meditation.. but can move right back in.
Also, I had a friend who moved to NY city and had a tough time with noise, but she said, she was surprised when one morning she woke up and found out there was a huge accident on the street right below her apartment, and there were many cops and ambulances .. and she did not hear any of it.. slept thru all of it.
So my point is.. you can get used to anything.. as long as you treat it like a distraction and keep going back to the mantra... and not let the mind get frustrated at the noise. The more importance you give it.. the longer it will stay in place. |
|
|
|
CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2008 : 5:24:56 PM
|
Hi Kathy, Neil and Shanti,
Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and advice.
About me being an early riser, no, not really. I work two jobs though, so I am working by 7am, and it takes about 20mins to drive to work, and I am off that job at about 3:30-4pm, when I drive home, have my hour meditation, shower, and then drive to my second job which starts at 6 and goes till 10pm. I usually end up doing my morning meditation at work because I have a hard time getting up early enough to meditate before work. I was able to get up early for a while right after I got off methadone because I couldn't sleep well, but now I am sleeping fine, and it is much harder to get up early enough. Not to mention my upstairs neighbors are awake at 5am so it is noisy before I even wake up. In the afternoon, my meditations can sometimes be quiet if the kid hasn't come home from school yet, or he has and has gone out with firends or something, but for the most part, it is still pretty noisy. I don't mind the dog upstairs, he is pretty quiet for the most part, and I have two dogs myself, and they seem to meditate with me....the only time of the day that they are quiet. So, I guess I am complaining more then I should be. I was just wondering how important a quiet space is basically for a beginner. An intermediate meditator who already has a broad basis in inner silence may not be as distracted by the noise as I may be, and I am wondering if these distractions that keep me OUT of inner silence are causing me to miss the benefits of meditation all together, or is there no need to worry at all as long as I am continuing the procedure of meditation even if there is no inner silence due to the distractions?
Thanks for all the advice friends.
Love,
Carson |
Edited by - CarsonZi on Dec 13 2008 5:34:23 PM |
|
|
|
NagoyaSea
424 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2008 : 6:58:46 PM
|
Carson, it sounds like you're on the right track to me.. and as Neil and Shweta said that in time you probably will tune out everything as you dive within. I love the fact that your pups 'seem to meditate with you'---that sounds peaceful and lovely to me...
light and love,
Kathy |
|
|
|
CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 10:40:56 AM
|
Hi Kathy,
Yes, having my overly hyperactive puppies greet me at the door and then saunter directly down to the meditation room to their beds so that I can meditate, is truly a blessing. I used to have to take them to the dog park before I could meditate because they wouldn't leave me alone until I did. But a couple of months ago, for whatever reason, they decided that they didn't care if they had to wait an hour and decided to let me meditate in peace first before harrassing me to take them to the park. Now I come home and they are expecting to lay quietly for an hour while I "connect". And they have become very good about it. I am truly lucky.
Love,
Carson |
|
|
|
brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2008 : 7:57:33 PM
|
carson, that is beautiful brother
with love
Brother neil
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| AYP Public Forum |
© Contributing Authors (opinions and advice belong to the respective authors) |
|
|
|
|
the voice
