Meditation Challenges & Issues

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we dig deeper into the challenges and issues faced by students of meditation.

Objective

Become familiar with common and difficult challenges faced by students of meditation, and skillful ways to respond to them.

Description

Describe a common misunderstanding among students regarding meditation. Describe these meditation teaching metaphors: “trying to lasso the wind” and “pressing the lid on a boiling kettle.” Explain what meditation is designed to accomplish and qualities that support an effective practice. Since forcing isn’t likely to work to overcome resistance, explain what can be done. Describe escapism as it relates to meditation and explain potential remedies. Describe an example of when meditation may not be the optimum practice. Explain Dr. Lorin Roche’s teaching regarding the importance of an individual’s constitution. Explain what you can do to support students who have given up on meditation. Describe how master teacher Pandit Rajmani Tigunait explains the reason behind meditators who still seem to display greed or overbearing egos.

Questions Answered Here

  1. What is a common misunderstanding among students regarding meditation?
  2. Describe these meditation teaching metaphors: “trying to lasso the wind” and “pressing the lid on a boiling kettle.”
  3. What is meditation designed to accomplish?
  4. Forcing is ineffective, but with practice a natural quieting increases. What welcome occurrence does this bring?
  5. Describe qualities that support an effective practice.
  6. Resistance to the present moment is a well-ingrained habit. Forcing isn’t likely to work to overcome resistance, so what can be done?
  7. Describe escapism as it relates to meditation.
  8. According to Gregor Maehle, what can lead to escapism and what are the remedies?
  9. Describe an example of when meditation may not be the optimum practice.
  10. What does Dr. Lorin Roche teach regarding the importance of an individual’s constitution?
  11. What can you do to support students who find themselves struggling to meditate to such a degree that they give up?
  12. How does master teacher Pandit Rajmani Tigunait explain the reason behind meditators who still seem to display greed or overbearing egos, for example?