Boredom

[Music]

Boredom is inevitable in budhist meditation, because there is nothing exciting in this meditation like chakras, deities etc. buddhist meditation is rather plain, just be mindful all the time. So how to deal with it? Do we just endure the boredom and go on meditating?

[futerko]

Firstly, there are chakras and deities in certain forms of Buddhist meditation, although I'm not sure if I would call them "exciting" as such.

Secondly, I think it is important to "go through" boredom and emerge the other side. Boredom often covers over something else which I would describe as an inability to face oneself on a level of Being, which may also be seen as "existential angst", or confronting the void/lack of substance at that fundamental level.

[dharmagoat]

Boredom is inevitable in budhist meditation, because there is nothing exciting in this meditation like chakras, deities etc. buddhist meditation is rather plain, just be mindful all the time. So how to deal with it? Do we just endure the boredom and go on meditating?

Tibetan Buddhism has exciting things like chakras and deities, plus a whole lot more. But ultimately all meditation involves mindfulness.

Meditation ceases to be boring when you are able to engage properly. Just keep at it.

[deff]

also, meditations on loving-kindness and compassion can really brighten the mind/heart and is a lot more interesting / blissful imo than meditating on a neutral object like the breath. if you combine an altruistic motivation (bodhicitta / loving-kindness) with your regular meditation practice, i find this can really lift things up to a higher level of engagement and transcends the boring factor

[Music]

Thanks, but I should be more specific. Let's say I watch my breath, thoughts, sensations etc. I keep watching even for an hour without getting caught in thoughts ... but the result is just boredom, I am just sitting and watching and watching.

[Kunga Lhadzom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience

[futerko]

Thanks, but I should be more specific. Let's say I watch my breath, thoughts, sensations etc. I keep watching even for an hour without getting caught in thoughts ... but the result is just boredom, I am just sitting and watching and watching.

erm... did you actually sit for an hour or are you guessing here?

[deff]

Thanks, but I should be more specific. Let's say I watch my breath, thoughts, sensations etc. I keep watching even for an hour without getting caught in thoughts ... but the result is just boredom, I am just sitting and watching and watching.

what is your intention behind meditating? i find setting the intention at the beginning of the session (as is commonly done in mahayana buddhism) makes a big difference. even just reciting "i dedicate this practice to the enlightenment of all beings" three times while generating relative bodhicitta, and having that aspiration carry over into the "watching breath, thoughts, sensations" makes a big difference i think. when your practice begins to become infused with bodhicitta then it's never boring imo

[DarwidHalim]

When you feel bored, you try to ask yourself - where is the one who is experiencing boredom?

Is that one in your head, in your heart, in your body, in your mind?

Try to be active by becoming a detective.

See what you can find.