Pay for Meditation?

There's lots of concerns about meditation. Whether it is right to pay for a meditation or not. There's two ways of looking at this. First, the ability to rest the mind in calm abiding is inherent in the mind, and free. Just as one who runs can also sit. Mere sitting is a type of meditation. Maybe the ultimate meditation. But even sitting takes some teaching. Sit straight, yet relaxed, etc.... And yet there are still other techniques of meditation.

If the meditation technique is proprietary to a specific lineage or teacher then they may demand whatever they feel is the requirement for learning that teaching. For instance Transcendental Meditation costs some fifteen hundred dollars to learn now. But even when it was cheaper it still costed money. Is that right?

Transcendental Meditation uses a mantra technique which is imparted to a person as based in their age, and the final variation of the technique which those teachers learned. TM was meant to be available all over the world and also a standard teaching which would not be changed by the teachers or through time. You are paying for TM to get a standard teaching which is able to be checked and corrected by teachers anywhere on Earth. Is it worth fifteen hundred dollars to learn?

Shamatha and vipassana Buddhist meditations are, some think, the litmus standards for all meditations. They may well be. And yet, they necessitate some framework. Especially vipassana. Vipassana is 'insight' meditation, and the insight developed is framed by teachings of Buddha. Is that right?

Few meditations are free of charge. They either demand some belief, no belief, some religion, no religion, some fee, no fee, some service, no service, or some combination of the above. But in no case are they free. Meditation itself brings hightened sensibility and in some cases an existencial break with societal norms. In fact some people are entirely unsuited to meditation. There's a response known as passive hypertension which some people cannot endure. If that's the case then know yourself and do not meditate. It happens. Also some people are already so emotionally sensitive that meditation can erase their subtle balance.

So should one pay to meditate? It's important to feel free when one meditates. That might mean you feel more free if you pay up front for a technique and then you own it, and feel no residual or continued obligation. This is one value of paying for a technique like TM.

On the other hand, maybe one has nothing to give. I personally do not think it's possible to not feel some desire to reciprocate for services rendered. Some vipassana courses are completely free. You need to look deeply into the organization which is giving away free courses and make sure they are nondenominational or against cults of personality or doctrine. For instance Goenka doesn't cost anything but it's a Buddhist cult. Some others are very harmful like New Kadampa Tradition.

It behoves you to learn what you're getting into. You should think at the outset that something which takes place in your most rested and vulnerable state of mind should be something which you feel very good about and feel is healthy and life supporting.

As a final caveat, there is a danger from learning to meditate off the net or from books. First, there is no free lunch on the net. Even if the teacher is just feeling warm and fuzzy for teaching they want some type of resonance with the student. Few teach and just toss out the teaching, and follow up, without some sort of recompense, even if it's just some ego petting that they require.

Books are not the sources for the follow up that one needs when they encounter some aspect of themself that needs help. You can't get proper help from the net or from books, and again, when talking about meditation one is talking about the state of deepest restfulness which one can enter, and one needs to continue to find that peace. Do what you need to do to get it. Let us know what you find.

 

The yoga studio I occasionally attend started offering free meditation several weeks ago. I haven't been to one yet. The sessions are about 30 minutes.

 

I learnt to meditate by trial and error - from a few books and a few pointers from friends and family.I don't think anyone should profit from teaching meditation - it's a natural function of the mind,a very valuable one,and shouldn't be sullied by monetary concerns.Maybe it is acceptable for an organization to charge a small fee to cover its running costs - but other than that I don't think meditation techniques should be sold for money.You'll find that the right people come to meditation at the right time - as you say it's not for everyone.But I believe that if the intention is right anyone can learn to meditate,without extensive training,which only mystifies and puts people off.Could you tell me what's wrong with New Kadampa Tradition,as a friend of mine is quite deeply involved with them and I'd like to know.

 

New Kadampa is a cult which worships a deity and they demand total obedience, and promise hell if you fail them. It's mind terrorism on the deepest level. I used to belong to Esangha, and heard from a few people things which were fairly desultory about KDT. Here's an interesting blog, which references NKT. I like it because it's not cult vs anticult like you'll find. Which often leaves one wondering whether everyone on both sides were 'mental.' http://lazybuddhist.wordpress.com/category/new-kadampa-tradition/ This blog is one woman's experiences with Buddhism, in general. Ongoing.

Meditation at yoga studios can be great. It's a good way to become part of a community where people have similar sensibilites.

 

i wonder if the local Hindu temple has group meditation.

 

Now people don't just sell their souls, they buy them?

 

I am not sure why meditation would bring up existential crisis that needed someone to guide you through. So much hype about meditation. Sit by yourself alone, period. Do not attempt to entertain yourself with distractions, no reading, listening to music, etc.. It doesn't matter how you try to attend your mind. Your SELF will present itself.

Start slow, five minutes tops. Daily. Do that rhythm for a few days and step up in increments of several days and in minutes. It is helpful to take time first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. Before long it will take hold that if you can do it for one minute, you can can do it for two and if you can do it for two, you can do it for ten and on.

When you have become comfortable sitting with yourself for appreciable periods, say an hour, then you can comfortably explore deeply, the contents of your mind. It is not incumbent upon you to provide for the contents of the experience. No markers to look for.

You do not have to believe anything or follow any doctrine. There are no pitfalls or ways to be led astray. There is only practice, and that practice will tell you what you want to know.

 

How much would it cost for me to read that?

 

A lot less than meditation.

 

i'm not hyping anything. i dont have an existential crisis, and i'm not looking for guidance. there's no harm in practicing with others at times.

 

and primal, im not sure if sarcastic one liners are doing anyone any good.

 

And that is a social occasion, not having to do with meditation, although you may sit in sufficient concentration that the rest room disappears, and in that case, why did you attend the gathering.

 

Well I'm certain there not doing anybody any harm.
And it was my way of expressing my opinion that charging for meditation is bullshit, so in that case, none of these other posts are doing anyone any good either.

 

perhaps to meet people like you to learn from??

 

Given what meditation is, it is essentially buying your soul.

 

ok, who are you talking to? i hope you're not talking to me because i never said anything about paying for meditation

 

I teach asana and pranayama which help quiet the body to allow the mind fewer distractions. I teach beginner practice only and it is up to the student to carry on in his own time. It is his life and his precious investment. Meditation, prayer, is connecting to your own cause, a place I cannot intervene.

I think this is where people become unpleasantly indoctrinated. The object to train your mind, not subdue it. If you want to learn from others of like mind, then conversation is more effective than meditation.

 

Pay for meditation? What a laugh. Just breathe deeply from the soul.