How much do you meditate?

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
Post Reply
SaaZ
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:07 pm

How much do you meditate?

Post by SaaZ »

Hi everyone,

The practice is a lifelong busyness and can be done while sitting, working, etc. Assumed that, what is your sitting meditation routine? Daily, weekly, never? and for how long do you sit?

Thanks for whoever want to share :)
User avatar
Queequeg
Former staff member
Posts: 14456
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:24 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Queequeg »

Not enough.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
User avatar
coldbeer
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:55 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by coldbeer »

I never meditate unless you want to call reciting the name of Amida Buddha meditating.

Namo Amida Butsu
master of puppets
Posts: 1647
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:52 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by master of puppets »

I try 10 days meditating. It comes hard to sit.

Now, I'm on a plan of 24/7 daily of dailylife meditation.
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17089
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

For formal practice I try to keep it at 40 mins per day presently. Sometimes I can do more, sometimes I fail to do that. I’ve gone through periods of more or less formal practice.

Presence in daily life is tougher than keeping a formal practice for me.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
narhwal90
Global Moderator
Posts: 3509
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 3:10 am
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by narhwal90 »

Likewise not enough, but at least I'm better at doing something most every day...
GrapeLover
Posts: 291
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:55 am

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by GrapeLover »

Similar to coldbeer, I never do anything like shamatha or shikantaza etc. I spend 20-30 minutes per day making devotional prayers and recitations and spend the rest of the day reciting the mani and thinking of Avalokitesvara whenever I remember.
User avatar
Hazel
Former staff member
Posts: 2090
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:15 pm
Location: she/her

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Hazel »

I'm shakily at around 20 minutes a day. I spend much longer fantasizing/daydreaming about it, however. If that counted, I'd have awakened and liberated all sentient beings by now and had time for a cup of tea.

I'm finding 20 minutes is too short to spend adequate time on things like prayers and lamrim topics. But I'm having trouble committing to longer. I figure I should at least get to a consistent streak of daily before upping too much.
Happy Pride month to my queer dharma siblings!

What do you see when you turn out the lights?
Natan
Posts: 3685
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 5:48 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Natan »

SaaZ wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:56 am Hi everyone,

The practice is a lifelong busyness and can be done while sitting, working, etc. Assumed that, what is your sitting meditation routine? Daily, weekly, never? and for how long do you sit?

Thanks for whoever want to share :)
Any available time I use.
User avatar
PadmaVonSamba
Posts: 9438
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:41 am

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Kalu Rinpoche frequently makes a point that rather than asking how much one practices, it’s more important to consider how much practices without distraction.

I used to do sitting meditation for an hour a day, and recitation practice for an hour a day. Then life got busier and I really had to internalize everything, integrate it with my everyday activities. Years went by before I could just “sit” for more than ten minutes without being interrupted (or anticipating interruptions, which is even worse!).

Now, I have more free time in the early morning and late at night. I try to do sitting meditation for 1/2 hour each morning and night, and longer if I can. If I am too distracted, then I read sutras or other Buddhist teachings. If I’m too distracted to do that, I look for some Dharma teachings on Facebook or YouTube. If I am too distracted for that, then I look at this web forum or find something useful to do, or go to sleep, depending on the time of day.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
User avatar
Budai
Posts: 878
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:12 pm
Location: ༀ ∞ Nam Myoho Renge Kyo ∞ ༀ

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Budai »

I chant Mantras all of the time.

Then at night instead of sleeping I meditate for one second and stretch it out for the entire night.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Om Mani Padme Hum!

:meditate:
SaaZ
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:07 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by SaaZ »

Könchok Chödrak wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:49 am Then at night instead of sleeping I meditate for one second and stretch it out for the entire night.
That's cheating :lol:
User avatar
Ayu
Global Moderator
Posts: 13254
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:25 am
Location: Europe

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Ayu »

SaaZ wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:36 pm
Könchok Chödrak wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:49 am Then at night instead of sleeping I meditate for one second and stretch it out for the entire night.
That's cheating :lol:
As long as this is not the only formal practice ever, I think it's okay. It's good to connect the night's sleep with meditation and AFAIK it's a recommended practice as well.
SaaZ
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:07 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by SaaZ »

Ayu wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:47 pm
SaaZ wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:36 pm
Könchok Chödrak wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:49 am Then at night instead of sleeping I meditate for one second and stretch it out for the entire night.
That's cheating :lol:
As long as this is not the only formal practice ever, I think it's okay. It's good to connect the night's sleep with meditation and AFAIK it's a recommended practice as well.
Yes, it was a joke (maybe a bad one). I also practice zazen throughout the day, even when I sleep; let the sleep, sleep.
User avatar
Ayu
Global Moderator
Posts: 13254
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:25 am
Location: Europe

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Ayu »

:lol:
master of puppets
Posts: 1647
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:52 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by master of puppets »

SaaZ wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:19 pm Even when sleep; let the sleep, sleep.
nice...
anagarika
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:45 am

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by anagarika »

My schedule usually allows for 1 to 3 hours of formal sitting practice a day. This amount of time allows me to develop other meditations alongside my core practice, such as brahmaviharas, formless meditations, recollections etc. I would totally love to shift up a gear and make the 3 hours mark my lower limit, but that depends on whether I will manage to move to the countryside this year...

But as already mentioned, even one hour a day can be great if there are not many distractions.
User avatar
Hazel
Former staff member
Posts: 2090
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:15 pm
Location: she/her

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by Hazel »

anagarika wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:03 pm My schedule usually allows for 1 to 3 hours of formal sitting practice a day. This amount of time allows me to develop other meditations alongside my core practice, such as brahmaviharas, formless meditations, recollections etc. I would totally love to shift up a gear and make the 3 hours mark my lower limit, but that depends on whether I will manage to move to the countryside this year...

But as already mentioned, even one hour a day can be great if there are not many distractions.
How long have you kept this schedule?
Happy Pride month to my queer dharma siblings!

What do you see when you turn out the lights?
anagarika
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:45 am

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by anagarika »

Hazel wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:48 pm
anagarika wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:03 pm My schedule usually allows for 1 to 3 hours of formal sitting practice a day. This amount of time allows me to develop other meditations alongside my core practice, such as brahmaviharas, formless meditations, recollections etc. I would totally love to shift up a gear and make the 3 hours mark my lower limit, but that depends on whether I will manage to move to the countryside this year...

But as already mentioned, even one hour a day can be great if there are not many distractions.
How long have you kept this schedule?
Approximately half a year now. Not gonna lie - lockdown (which was quite brutal in my country) greatly facilitated this. It suddenly became impossible to do sports, meet people etc. so I found myself having quite a lot of time at my disposal. On average I manage two 60 minutes sittings a day which is quite nice if you can keep your focus. But it is really important to stay consistent and do at least one sitting every day, even if it isn´t the best quality - just to stay in touch with this subtle state and not to lose your grip on it. I will have to do well to keep this up even after the lockdown has ended :D
karmanyingpo
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:19 pm

Re: How much do you meditate?

Post by karmanyingpo »

coldbeer wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:46 pm I never meditate unless you want to call reciting the name of Amida Buddha meditating.

Namo Amida Butsu
If it's done shamatha style or with open awareness, why not? :D

KN
ma lu dzok pe san gye thop par shok!
Post Reply

Return to “Dharma in Everyday Life”