Secular Sangha: A Secular Buddhist Group discussion

Use this thread to discuss Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book by Dan Harris.

Here is the 10% Happier website: http://www.10percenthappier.com/

I found this Joe Rogan podcast episode with Dan Harris interesting.

http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts...

I listened to this podcast today: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articl...

Didn't even realize that it was one of your suggestions.

I'll be looking for Harris' book and at least trying his suggestion for meditation.

My library has it. I'll be checking it out as soon as I finish Cosmos.

John wrote: "My library has it. I'll be checking it out as soon as I finish Cosmos."

I hope you find things in it that are helpful for you.

John wrote: "I listened to this podcast today: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articl...

Didn't even realize that it was one of your suggestions.

I'll be looking for Harris' boo..."

I generally see myself aligning with the perspective that Dan Harris and Sam Harris take on meditation and Buddhist concepts (though both do seem to differ a bit, as Dan seems to have more of a non-religious perspective and Sam seems to have more of an anti-religious perspective).

I started reading last night. Entertaining at the least.

I've also been listening to the introductory videos/guided meditations on the app. I will be following Dan Harris' advice and at least giving this a try for one month. The concept and practice of mediation is certainly intriguing. I'm eager to see how I feel in a month.

I'll continue to post my thoughts as I go through the book.

One thing mentioned in the book is that during meditation you should not be nodding off. I find this difficult since I'm sitting there quietly and concentrating on my breath. I'll try to be more aware of the movement of my breath and not get lost in it.

I think that those moments of nodding off are extremely short, possibly a second or two, but there are thoughts coming through them.

I’m a little confused with the suggestion

“if something pulls you away [during meditation] - or if you happen to notice something subtly interfering with your experience - get curious about that something. Make this distraction the new object of meditation.”

This would seem to involve thinking. Any ideas?

John wrote: "I’m a little confused with the suggestion

“if something pulls you away [during meditation] - or if you happen to notice something subtly interfering with your experience - get curious about that ..."

Just guessing here, but it may be a way to constructively use thinking as a temporary tool to get across the obstacle.

It reminds me of the parable of the raft, pasted below from: https://preciousmetal.wordpress.com/2...

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The Raft, a Buddhist Parable
JULY 7, 2010
tags: parable
by Nate DeMontigny

"A man is trapped on one side of a fast-flowing river. Where he stands, there is great danger and uncertainty – but on the far side of the river, there is safety.
Yet there is no bridge or ferry for crossing. So the man gathers logs, leaves and vines and is able to fashion together a raft, sturdy enough to carry him. By lying on the raft and using his arms to paddle, he crosses the river to safety.
The Buddha then asks the listeners a question: What would you think if the man, having crossed over the river, then said to himself, ‘Oh, this raft has served me so well, I should strap it on to my back and carry it over land now’?
The monks replied that it would not be very sensible to cling to the raft in such a way.
The Buddha continues: What if he lay the raft down gratefully, thinking that this raft has served him well, but is no longer of use and can thus be laid down upon the shore?
The monks replied that this would be the proper attitude.
The Buddha concluded by saying, ‘So it is with my teachings, which are like a raft, and are for crossing over with — not for seizing hold of.’"

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Going off the parable, I think that the thinking involved in the suggestion could serve as a useful tool to be used for a specific purpose and then abandoned once the purpose is fulfilled.

I finished this last night. As a meditation guide, I found it exactly as the author would describe it..."meditation for jerks". I don't consider myself a jerk. I've always felt slightly more in tune with spiritual aspects of life than others around me. Maybe that's why it didn't sit well with me.

Although...it does have good pointers and advice on meditation, and I am continuing on my exploration of meditation, so at least it didn't turn me off.

I am eager to read another, maybe more spiritual, perspective on meditation.

John wrote: "I finished this last night. As a meditation guide, I found it exactly as the author would describe it..."meditation for jerks". I don't consider myself a jerk. I've always felt slightly more in tun..."

Judging from your comment I think that you may like the group book Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana.

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll look for it.