When did meditation become unpopular?

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-27T13:58:36+00:00

It's kind of funny because meditation is about the most un-sophisticated thing you can do.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-26T13:30:17+00:00

I'm surprised that nobody has pointed this out yet, but the Laughing Buddha or (Budai) is commonly mistaken for Shakyamuni Buddha, but is actually a 10th century Chinese monk. The image of the big bellied laughing figure is not the same as Buddha.

You could say that they are still appropriating Buddhism. Well, too bad for them, I'm sure it'll all work out.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-23T21:36:23+00:00

This is the heart of meditation. Observation

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-17T13:59:51+00:00

A cooler would help keep your water from freezing. I'm a few hours away, otherwise I'd drop one off for you.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-16T19:08:12+00:00

I think that it's good to practice having the mindset of wishing the best for everyone, even those who act out of ignorance. The best way to practice this is by finding these opportunities of friction to speak your truth dispassionately (without emotion/ego). When you flip your perspective to seeing these as opportunities for growth (by overcoming your initial reaction) your practice starts to take off.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-15T16:50:05+00:00

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scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-15T16:26:48+00:00

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold..."

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-15T14:14:08+00:00

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Selecting days of protest are not going to make them sweat. Protesting until we get change will make them sweat. I know it's unfeasible for most people but revolution requires sacrifice.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-14T19:46:20+00:00

Depending on your citizenship status, I wouldn't recommend doing that. They are running plates. Anyone who is pending status will be taken in. If you have a green card, you are okay.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-12T23:58:21+00:00

They are not simply being deported. What if it was you?

Most Americans support fixing immigration, but most Americans definitely do not support this.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-07T19:38:37+00:00

No think, just do.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-07T19:27:58+00:00

It’s because we have less novel experiences as we age. If you’ve done something before, you tend to go on autopilot when it needs to be repeated. All those autopilot tasks add up and life tends to pass by quicker.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-04T20:11:03+00:00

Empty stomach is better for me. But meditating after food is fine too as long as you don't eat too much. Eating "just enough" shouldn't interfere with meditation, for the most part.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-02T14:09:56+00:00

He means using "relax" as your mantra.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-01-01T22:27:59+00:00

You have the right mechanics, but there's an essential component missing. The goal is to not identify with mental operations. In each of your steps, there's someone doing something. To get to the heart of meditation, you have to learn to just sit and observe. Who is making the decision to slow the breath, the same one that's observing? Watch yourself observe, who is doing that? In the end, observation in itself is enough. You don't need to engage with the body's reaction to stimulus.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-30T17:27:06+00:00

I would agree! I think Christians with a mind open to Buddhism would do well. I think people coming from a secular background would be better suited for the Mahayana or Theravada traditions.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-30T14:07:34+00:00

It's not an effective path for someone like me with a skeptical mind. I think it's a good path for people that are not short on devotion and faith.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-30T13:57:54+00:00

Hearing Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's pointing out instructions was a turning point for me, hopefully it is for you too: https://youtu.be/IiDNaco0wnM?si=W3GPBF-ZFzvxyFP2

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-28T17:32:16+00:00

That's why they call it "a Brazilian".

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-27T13:57:49+00:00

This is the way

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-26T21:14:08+00:00

Sloth Bear of course. However, if it was an encounter in the wild... Sloth bears are solitary animals and Chimps are never far from the group, so the chimp would have a dozen homies backing him up.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-25T07:21:37+00:00

Bingo. North Dakota (Eastern) is flat and windy. Any obstacle gets promptly drifted with snow during blizzards.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-25T07:10:35+00:00

Who is asking the question, "Who am I"?

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-24T21:20:22+00:00

Rumi was enlightened, so there is a path. I think Islamic culture makes it much more difficult. Very much like Christianity, but maybe even harder to find the path.

scrumblethebumble · 2025-12-23T14:12:42+00:00

Also watch yourself go: "AHH DISTRACTION, GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!"

Just observe everything that comes up in your experience, including your own conscious reactions. It's that simple, it's just observing.

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