h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You posted on my page about taking responsibility once, thats when I was Kaz. After having a breakdown I changed my space and became Sorrel, my name is still Kaz though.

Anyway, I remembered you because I wanted to ask someone about meditation. In teh past whenever I tried I would feel as though I was spinning round and get very dizzy, this also happens even when I have my eyes open.

I am starting again, this is something I need to learn. At a guess I reackon its because I am new to this and very tense and I am spinning as I start to relax and my bp lowers - perhaps.

Anyway, is this something you have ever come across? I understand that meditation can initially cause lots of effects which are to be got through to gain the reak thing, is this just another of those?

I am going to the Buddhist centre soon, to ask there, but I remembered you and thought it would be nice to ask someone I know and respect.

I hope this finds you well.

Hi there

Hope things are looking up for you now.

I don't do the 'emptying' kind of meditation, have never been able to get my head to shut all the way up. Ben would brobably be able to give you some pointers on that. I haven't had any unpleasant physical side effects, though physical things do seem to happen.

What I do is more focused, I think. Hard to describe, but I shall do my best and hope it makes some sense to you. First, I chant Nam myoho renge kyo. I'd recommend it, for a couple of reasons. On a 'provable 'level, seems there's basis in the idea that brain waves can be changed through chanting. Also it's a way to keep the air going and the breathing regular. The Buddhism I practice says that chanting those words puts you in... harmony, I guess, with the rest of Everything, so it's more possible to move things (self being the best starting point). Those words also are kinda cyclic, the way they move from the top of the head down into your gut. When I started chanting I was mostly noticing the rhythem that would get going after I'd been at it for a while, could feel the vibration moving down through my body. I did it eyes open, in front of a mirror for a long time so I'd be faced with a visual reminder that it's *me* I need to change, rather than that something else should change to accommodate my wishes. Once I learned how to *do* it without bobbling over my tongue I set a goal. In my case it was Happiness. So I chanted for my happiness, as well as for the happiness of other people in my life, especially those whom I was having difficulties with. It was kinda neat, because over the first year of doing that I had huge results, got what I was initially looking for (which was actually about not wanting to be dead) and me personal definition of happiness opened up. I'd always *start* with the happiness focus, then would move into something more specific that I wanted to change about my life, like being miserable in the job I was at, for example. There's a thing that would happen sometimes, like an out-of-head experience, I guess. All of a sudden I could see things clearly, the patterns and causes and effects that were going on, which normally I'm too trapped inside my *own* outlook to get. That would make obvious what *I* had to do to resolve whatever dilemma I was working on, and I'd write it down. Often before I did the major chant-a-thons I'd write out whatever turmoil I was in, first. I think that helped me to clear some space. Once I'd gotten my answer I'd continue chanting to be able to recognize the opportunities when they presented themselves, and the courage to take correct action. After those big moments of clarity, when I'd come up with my plan of action and was just starting to implement it, I *always* had some big and unforseen Providence come along and put me waaaay ahead of the struggling part. I don't understand how that works, but it's happened enough that I just accept it as unprovable (except through experience) and true.

Hope that makes some kinda sense, Kaz. I'd strongly recommend that you try it, and chose something really valuable for your first focus. Seems people have what they call beginner's luck, and things happen pretty quickly when you set yourself in motion. Lot's of people start small, and they get what they wanted (though not always in the way they'd expected). Most important is to remember that you're in the process of changing your Life, so you have to keep your goal in mind full time, not just when you're sitting down chanting. I think it works best that way.

Let me know how it goes, ok?

Hi MoG, just saw your reply on the tan thread and realised I never got back to you. Thansk for your advice, I did read it all and intend to look into finding a mantra in teh future. At present though I am finding just emptying my mind is giving me something very positive. I have been so stressed and out of control, that just having a moment whether 10 minutes or 30, where I really am doing nothing, has really helped my stress levels. Aferwards I feel happy and revitalised, it is quite amazing.

So for now, I will concentrate on keeping it going and turning it into a habit. I missed a week due to a stomach bug and so need to get into it again, its amazing how quickly I get get out of a habit. I realise in the future though it may not come so easily and blissfully, and then I will need something to focus on.

I have one question, do you chant slowly? For some reason I can never forget the Tina Turner film when she chants very fast, that seems to be against the whole idea to me, but then maybe she needed that in her panic, or maybe I should just remember it was just a film!

Hope you are well, and life is treating you well.

Oh and my husband has told me that a Thai buddhist works with him and has invited us for dinner, so maybe I will learn more from her as well!

Hi Sorrel!

I was wondering how you're doing. Stick with the meditation, however it's working for you. If you find yourself ill or under other types of stress, try doing the meditation anyway, if you possibly can. I think you'll find that it's most obviously helpful then.

Everything is going great with me. I told my mother the other night that she's really lucky my brother has so much going on in his life (he's in the process of an ugly divorce) because I've had a full year that's had no upheaval or trauma, just steady, slow progress in the things I'm working on. I've become such a boring kid My life used to be *full* of harrowing adventures and emotional instability. My garden is lovely, just noticed that I now have infant strawberries started (yum) and I've started another painting, which I'll be working on today. Last night I went to see Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, and it was wonderful! I laughed my ass off. It's an all-male troupe skillfully spoofing The Dance. I'd highly recommend it, if they come to your neck of the woods.

I practice the same Buddhism Tina Turner does, and in big groups the chanting is usually pretty fast. My tongue doesn't like to go that fast, so I do it more slowly at home. Fast would seem counter-intuitive, but since we're not doing it to empty our minds, but rather to create a certain kind of dynamic energy, it makes more sense. I've seen people work up a serious sweat while chanting.

Recently I've been studying other forms of Buddhism's approach to the Lotus Sutra, though I still practice Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I think it's a good thing to get a variety of perspectives to better develop my own understanding. I've always been something of a freethinker, anyway, have difficulty accepting someone else's assessment that 'this is the right way, and that one's wrong', until I've sorted it out for myself. Keep exploring and you'll find a way that suits you.

Take good care of yourself, ok? And keep me posted on your progress.