My Dhamma Book (also available on Paper): drive.google.com/file/d/1d8VYL5iOi76u1AEmyI7iGpgPP3T5FaNa/view?usp=sharing My Almanac (also available on Paper): drive.google.com/file/d/1VzAw8zHdhOsDDUzPEubTN64qhVmQhZ0m/view?usp=sharing True Dhamma Lecture: kzread.info/dash/bejne/X6mjvJWCl9erlbQ.html Dhamma Hub Discord: discord.gg/AcDwZ78ybn

I have been practicing Buddhism and Taoism for many years, two decades to be exact. At times I’ve thought of just practicing Taoism because it has so many different practices like Nei Dan, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Ji Jin Jing. I do all of those practices along with a zen type meditation. Taoist meditation is different depending on the lineage. There are visualizations, body scans and some recommend sitting on a chair so the body is open to taking in Chi and the energy can flow freely. Someday I may switch to the Taoist meditations. There is also the lesser known golden flower meditation that requires 100 days of meditation along with chastity or celibacy. One focuses on the third eyes while uniting the tandien and heart. We have three tandiens and they are in the lower abdomen, heart center and eye brow center. Someday once I study the doctrine more I may give the golden flower a try for a few years. This Chanel is really cool, I found it on accident and already subscribed. Keep em coming, and I’ll keep listening.

Excellent teaching.🧐

Greetings Sir thank you.😎

Thanks for the video! BTW there is one word you mispronounce regurlarly: cushion. The first syllable is pronounced like could or would and not like cousin or bus. 👌

@TheDhammaHub

2 ай бұрын

thank you xD I so have some bad pronunciation habits somtiems - will try to improve them!

@kzantal

2 ай бұрын

@@TheDhammaHub You say it from time to time so I thought it might be worth keeping in mind 😎.

Hello Dhamma friend Ajahn Chah talk very well about this that the two Samatha and Vipassana go together hand to hand and that there's is no such distinction between them. But he was also teaching Samadhi by focusing on the breath to calm the mind and body then to let go of everything. To experience true joy one have to be contented in whats happened in the present and leave behind craving ill will and distraction/delusion. So why is it a problem to focus on the breath or bodily sensation if one put aside the 3 poison ? One start to really understand by direct experience that wanting thing to be different namely greed aversion distraction leeds ultimately to make one suffer. To be with the breath as it is without wanting anything is totally in accordance with the Dhamma in that case . Even such Venerable teacher as Ajahn Chah was agreed with that . So please clarify me if im wrong but why saying that this samatha practice is not in accordance with the Buddha teaching? Of course one can alway do it with craving but ultimately nothing will change in he's or she's life even the opposite;)more dukha because more craving. Thank you for all your work 🙏🏻

@TheDhammaHub

2 ай бұрын

If you truly put aside the 3 poisens on all levels and all time frames, there is no problem with focusing, as that would be one experience out of many. But there would also be no reason to do so either, as you would be perfectly contented already. Why would you need to do _anything at all_ when there is no craving? You could just sit down, do _nothing at all_ and be the happiest perosn on earth. And that "sitting down" would kinda be the easiest way to that kind of peace - why do anything else than that?

@maxgalinier1505

2 ай бұрын

@@TheDhammaHub Thank you for your answer. I can say that I agreed totally with your answer but unfortunately my mind is not the mind of a noble one yet ;) My main practice now is to stop doing anything but from time to time when the mind is agitated because of lay life dustylife ;) Is it helpful to have an anchor like the whole body awareness or breath or both To help settle the mind and not become caught in action that will cause more suffering .. But yes being satisfied with doing completely nothing I totally resonate with it and feel it's in total accordance with what the Buddha taught. But my question was why criticize almost all the other Dhamma teaching than yours and hillside hermitage? It can cause lot of confusion and actually many genuine teacher like ajhan Chah was teaching awareness of breathing even he was really insisting to not get caught in any experience and that we should cultivate wisdom instead. Bikkhu Analayo as well and many genuine teacher ... I just feel that putting your way of seeing the Dhamma that is the only valid way and all other are wrong is not so wise and it also shows that there is some clinging to view . Even if I totally resonate with Hillsides hermitage and your channel that I find extremely helpful and valuable. With my utmost respect 🙏🏻

@Limemill

2 ай бұрын

I am very far from understanding both perspectives at any high level, but I want to give my two cents anyway :) I think that the problem with this approach is that you essentially constantly numb yourself down to the reality that you’re driven by the most basic forces of all: greed, aversion, delusion. You hide their manifestations, but the underlying tendency for you to have them remains. And that’s why you have people who were senior monks for thirty years, very successful meditators who then suddenly disrobe because they fell in love with a woman. The first *real* challenge, and the underlying lust pops up right in front of you despite decades of meditative techniques. Whereas when you approach it from the perspective of the right view, you are undermining the very foundations of human / animal behaviour so when they’re uprooted, there is no coming back

@Limemill

2 ай бұрын

Ajahn Sumedho had a funny story in this regard about how he was meditating in the forests in Thailand and was in bliss almost 24/7, not wanting anything, perfectly content, happy as a clam. He then needs to renew his visa, goes to town and almost loses his mind when confronted with reality outside of the happy meditative place

@TheDhammaHub

Ай бұрын

@@maxgalinier1505 Hey max, for some reason KZread held back your comment and I only check for those once in a while so sorry for the late answer. When it comes to an "anchor" it would better be to regard it as something that reminds you of the Dhamma/the instructions and not so much something to focus on. That is the best job for one. So maybe make a habit out of remembering the Dhamma when becoming aware of your breath - no focusing required. Also, I do not criticise nearly al lDhamma teachings, I criticise those that contradict with the Suttas. That includes many modern traditions but it excludes quite a number of teachers too and even more _teachings_ - teachers can be wrong on some things and right on others and I point that out too. In the end, I make suggestions and people can decide what they want to follow. What I present here on the channel is usually the _heartwood_ or "stuff you cannot leave out". I do not care for anything else really. You can make progress _despite_ doing many modern practices (but not necessarily because of). You _can_ meditate or focus on the breath but the connection to Nibbana is not only unclear to me but the way people describe that practice directly goes against the Dhamma and that is worthy of criticism. There is only one Dhamma, the word literally means "the nature of all things". The Dhamma is always the same but you can phrase it in various ways. If something is _not_ Dhamma, then there is a problem _if people do not point that out especially. I do not claim that the way I phrase the Dhamma is the only valid one, I never did. May I ask where you get that impression from?