Stories for starting meditation
3 Buddhist wisdom stories for starting meditation from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- A retreat at DisneyStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm taught a 'Kindfulness' meditation retreat in the Disney hotel in Hong Kong. The first night they meditated in the Sleeping Beauty Room — everyone nodded off — so they…
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After leaving Korea I went to Hong Kong to do a meditation retreat. You know where we held the Meditation Retreat in Hong Kong last week-end? In Disney World! I taught a meditation retreat in Disney World, Hong Kong. That's the sort of crazy stuff which I love. So the first night we had the meditation, because it's a Disney World Hotel; they brand, so the first night we had the meditation in the Sleeping Beauty Room! (laughter from the audience) which is not a good place to meditate everyone was falling asleep and nodding. (Ajahn laughs) Sloth and torpor. So we moved to the Snow White Room that was much better. Snow White room was a much better place to meditate because Snow White .. purity, virtue and goodness, kindness. But all the interviews ... when we have a retreat we give personal interviews about their meditation. They chose the interview room to be ... because I was sitting there all the time people coming in to ask their questions when they go out someone else would come in. That was in the Prince Charming Room! (audience laughing) So I sat so many hours in the Prince Charming Room, I thought that was very sweet, and appropriate!
- Enlightenment by teatimeStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At his first Vesak, with the Cambridge University Buddhist group, 18-year-old Brahm hears how the Buddha vowed under the Bodhi tree not to move even if his blood dried up and his…
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I still remember the very first way saac which I went to it was celebrated at Cambridge University cuz that's where I got into a Buddhist group and that was where I first heard the story of the Buddha becoming in love lightened as you usually do here on way out days and that's where you heard that the Buddha sat under the bod tree and he sat and he made this powerful resolution even if my blood dries up and my bones turn to dust I won't move I won't change my spot unless I get perfect complete Enlightenment it was a no more shilly Shing no more nambi pambi Queen Puff You're going to sit here and you're going to meditate until you become aligned that's a real great monks and nuns that's what you really have to do sister go to me if you really want to become in line just sit here and push through the pain I don't care my blood will dry up my bones will turn to dust this is it I don't care how much it's going to hurt Enlightenment is more important than anything else I'm just going to go through it I'm not going to give in whatever that my pain on my body throws at me I'm just going to sit here no matter what I'm going to be the tough person I know many of you have heard that story but you know cuz when I was uh only 18 when you're 18 you're very young and very stupid and I thought wow what a wonderful thing to do and if the Buddha could do that why not me so I went back to my room after the sermon were finished about you know 4:00 5:00 in the afternoon and very solemnly in my room in college I sat down on my cushion and I really meant it I made a great resolution and I told myself even if my blood dries up my bones turn to dust I don't matter how much it's going to hurt I'm going to sit here and I'm not going to move until I become enlightened I don't care how much it's going to hurt even if I die if I'm going to be crippled this is it I'm going to become enlight because I was a very busy person I want to get it out of the way so I can do other things in life and in those days I used to meditate 25 minutes 30 minutes was a Max and I got to 40 minutes 45 minutes and I still wasn't enlightened and worse my body was kidding me you know what it's like your knees are just so much pain you just can't stand it any longer and your back is exploding as well and your bottom is so sore and that's when I opened my eyes and it was true my blood hadn't dried up yet and I wasn't in light and I couldn't stand anymore and that was it
- The moon in a still lakeAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Simile (on a full-moon retreat night): if there are waves or ripples on a lake you can't see a perfect image of the moon and stars; when not one ripple crosses it, you get a…
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the simile I usually give is a simile of a lake if there's waves on the surface of the lake you can never get a a clear reflection of the stars and the full moon and if you look up the sky this evening and tomorrow the the moon is full it's a very beautiful time to start meditating and if you go to one of the the Lakes the lake down the bottom and you look at the image of that Moon if there are waves or ripples in that Lake you can't see a perfect image but you can imagine when that lake is perfectly still when there's not even one Ripple moving across the surface of the lake you get a perfect reflection of the moon and the stars and that's just like the mind to be able to reflect reality to see things as they truly are without Distortion we got to use a mind which is perfectly still so there's not even a ripple on the surface of that mind