> The way that I've been taught meditation and mindfulness are that they should be positive practices that support your life. If they are making life worse, something is off with that teacher or meditation school.
Um. This is not the accurate from vajrayana point of view and certainly didn't seem the case from the theravada school (when I practiced at IMS.). The waking up process is incredibly painful. As Ken Mcleod says - if you can avoid going down a spiritual path - avoid it. It is nothing but a pandora's box.
Witnessing suffering is hard. I would say the first two years of practice for me was pretty difficult. Setting aside transient mental states - just being aware of my moment-to-moment suffering, striving, wanting, grasping, etc. Is hard. Very hard. It is neither positive nor negative.
I am pretty convinced at this point that I have fully been brainwashed by Vajrayana teachings. I think something like Diamond Approach is more likely useful for people in the west.
Really? That sounds like efforting.
> The way that I've been taught meditation and mindfulness are that they should be positive practices that support your life. If they are making life worse, something is off with that teacher or meditation school.
Um. This is not the accurate from vajrayana point of view and certainly didn't seem the case from the theravada school (when I practiced at IMS.). The waking up process is incredibly painful. As Ken Mcleod says - if you can avoid going down a spiritual path - avoid it. It is nothing but a pandora's box.
Witnessing suffering is hard. I would say the first two years of practice for me was pretty difficult. Setting aside transient mental states - just being aware of my moment-to-moment suffering, striving, wanting, grasping, etc. Is hard. Very hard. It is neither positive nor negative.
I am pretty convinced at this point that I have fully been brainwashed by Vajrayana teachings. I think something like Diamond Approach is more likely useful for people in the west.