MIsc notes

redo organization - for each type of meditation there is a page with a very brief explanation of the point, then a step by step guide. include a link to a guided meditation mp3 for each of these. This make sit easy for someone to find the basics. Then there is a second or even third page where I disucss the theory a bit more.

Have a quiz about each meditation technique about 1/2 through the period. Each quiz you pass gets you 1/2 free absence (4 quizzes = 2 free absences). Allow 0 free absences and 3 makeups. After the student eval makeup, that's a maximum of 6 missed classes. Make the quizzes pretty straightforward, need like 70% to pass, but then only allow a 24 hour period to take them.

namaste

attachment/impermanence

monkey and banana

buddha and girl on path (let go)

Meditate on scripture

2nd half of serenity prayer

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him

Forever and ever in the next.

attachment:

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

listening to music, mantras

patience as another basic benefit of meditation

Happiness is transient with changes in circumstance (positive psychology)

- both A and B stressed the need to alter your character

- B particularly, the key is altering the way you perceive the world and your expectations of it

Verbalization is the enemy

- think of what you are trying to achieve in meditation as another, non-verbal mode of thought

- we are so used to verablization that monkey mind uses it

- but the two modes are distinct and we have to make a space for non-verbal thought

- verbal = categories and linear logic

- different areas of the brain involved

- perhaps intuition is why you get entrainment of things you already knew rationally

- one reason why eastern phil so often about saying things that don't make sense (one hand clapping)

Entrainment or Understanding

- really knowing the truth and the reasons behind something

- leads ot far more effective motivation

- this and emotional cultivation are powerful motivational tools unique to Buddhism

- ex: suffocation, be nice to mom,

- if you would be happy, practise compassion - dalai lama

8 fold path

- 5 precepts

- meditation in service to these

- mindfulness (autopilot)

- cultivate desirable emotional states (compassion)

- practice improves these just like anything else

- monks and compassion cat scans

Impermanence

- and attachment

- see world for how it is

- mandala

- if you spend time thinking good thoughts, they will come more easily to you

as you think good thoughts, you develop a habit of doing so and they will happen sppntaneously more and more, making you abette rperson

Tlk about how christiantiy and buddhism dovetail in that C assuems you can't change emeotions ans concetrates on correcting behaviors, while b knows you can change emotions and give you emotional exercisees to help you do that. It avoids the problem of palstic christians, who act a certain way because it's theyr dutye even though its easy to tell they don't really feel this way in their hearts

For compassion: african army (like lord's resistance army) recruiting child soliders by having them kill their parents. This causes great pain, but also produces cold blooded killers. Can you feel their suffeering, even though they do evil things?

Diff bt distraction and bground noise is judgement

Ok to pay attention if you don't judge

So if pain it noise an issue, just pay attention to it.ake or something you want moot something you try to avoid and it will cease being a problem

Like breaking a board

Ostly psych. If scared the hold back no break and pain. So trying to avoid pain brings it on. Similarly trying to suppress or avoid distractions brings them on bevause there will always be something suboptimal happening

This is why I don't silence the noisy door etc