mind training

[Guest]

Greetings all,

I would like to train my mind effectively. How do I figure out which method is most appropriate for me? I want to be relaxed and spontaneous in life's many situations. I want to have good vision and direction for my future. I want to be more open, easy-going, and compassionate. I want to feel completely free - no hindrances. I'd like some focus or mental concentrative strength. I haven't started pursuing these, although I introduced myself to some different Buddhist meditations like mindfulness, metta, or zen. Insight meditation appeals to me for the future. I daddled with them but no determination yet. Two years or so of looking and thinking but not much practice. Just some books on my shelf and half-plans in my mind. I'm searching for some advice here. I am looking inside of myself too. In my situation, there's always 'this' or 'that' to do or worry about so I don't usually go 'inside' too much.

I'm happy to have started chi kung with Sifu at Brighton recently. Reading Sifu's zen book three years ago is what got me started on all of this personal development stuff. I'm very happy to have met Sifu. I hope to continue seeing him.

The chi kung is mostly going well. I feel that mental training would really help me a lot. I'm pretty sure I've had a "shattering of mind leading to disorderly energy flow" experience (before meeting Sifu). You can refer to my other post on this one. Maybe at this point I should focus my intention of mental training on overcoming the effects of this experience. Would this be most time-effective?

Can I learn beginning meditation from a good book or do I need a master?

Where can you point me to what Sifu has wrote on these issues?

Thank you very much for any assistance.
Tom

[Guest]

Enjoy practicing your Chi Kung.

[Guest]

Hi Tom,

While I agree fully with what Anton has written, I would like to take the opportunity to expand on the answer, from an intellectual perspective.

It seems that you are still thinking that all the events that have happened to you are separate events that will be worked on one at a time, in fact they are also all being worked on at the same time.

Focusing on Dan Tien, Enjoying The Stillness, allowing the flow to flow uninterrupted - these are all mental training.

Questions are posed by the intellectual mind and since it has no real capacity to ever understand the answer, they are pretty much a waste of time, even a hurdle to be traversed.

If you are wondering if maybe you should be working on Exercise A to overcome Symptom B, or how best to clear Blockage C, you are no longer enjoying your chi flow, which is what I believe Anton was referring to.

Let your questions go wherever they go, but when you are training - train. Do not debate, do not ponder - train. By all means enjoy your training, have fun in your movements and follow your heart.

If you are unsure or unsettled before training, just stand upright, allow yourself to relax and let your mind dwell on nothing. If nothing escapes you, close your eyes and gently think of the tip of your nose and let your breathing be gentle and natural.

You have received a wonderfull gift, and the best way to appreciate the gift is to explore the gift, but explore it through direct experience, not limited understanding.

I wish you every success in your training and remember, you have your whole life to recover, so what difference does a year make?

[Guest]

Anton and Darryl, thanks for the advice. It seems that that is what I needed to hear (read). Enjoying the practice is so great, why worry.

[Guest]

Darryl - a wonderful answer.