Has Anyone Read This Guy'S Stuff..?

[fabianfred]

http://seemlessness.thaipulse.com/free-thinking-buddha-nibbana-meditation.htm

Meditation and Mindfulness Journal: Thailand Meditation Experiences, written, video, audio

[carnac]

No.

[fabianfred]

I have...and it's quite good actually....IMHO

[markwhite]

I know Vern, the author.

From my limited experience of these things, I have little reason to doubt what he says about his level of practice. That said, I don't necessarily believe everything that he says either.

For me, this comes from the differing paths we have taken. In what Vern says he seems to be highly practised with concentration techniques, but with little insight experience. Whereas I have comparitively little concentration meditation experience, but have had significant, spontaneous insights.

There are clearly things he understands better than me, and there are others where I believe I have a better understanding. However, this could just mean that I don't understand, but only think I do. And vice versa with him.

Definitely an interesting person to some, but definitely won't be of interest to everyone. As with anyone, I find he has things to say that help me, and things that don't.

[sabaijai]

A bit sceptical about someone who spends pages and pages talking about what happened to him in the past, selling amulets and ebooks yet not offering his name, etc YMMV

[eggomaniac]

I'm with Sj on this one. Though he definetly had experiences people are capable of, in all of that letting go and nothingness, and reaching levels few humans ever have, how did market scheming survive through that high alitude?

Vern

  Quote

and so that was it - there was a decision made to propel one back into life in the materialistic society in the USA even more so than one was before meditation was started...

and the "process" just started on it's own at that point.

the process is what the me calls the otherness that goes on according to it's own schedule...

[rafish]

  On 6/21/2010 at 7:00 PM, markwhite said:

I know Vern, the author.

From my limited experience of these things, I have little reason to doubt what he says about his level of practice. That said, I don't necessarily believe everything that he says either.

For me, this comes from the differing paths we have taken. In what Vern says he seems to be highly practised with concentration techniques, but with little insight experience. Whereas I have comparitively little concentration meditation experience, but have had significant, spontaneous insights.

There are clearly things he understands better than me, and there are others where I believe I have a better understanding. However, this could just mean that I don't understand, but only think I do. And vice versa with him.

Definitely an interesting person to some, but definitely won't be of interest to everyone. As with anyone, I find he has things to say that help me, and things that don't.

I have to agree with you after a short reading of his work. More a process of "sleep-a-tation," for him it appears and ego. Good start though. Neglect of the spiritual path way to enlightenment seems to me to be the loss of effort on the part of the seeker? Just a thought. The continued practice of the methods are more for "devotion," and strengthening of the "will." When one ceases to practice the path of devotion then one ceases to follow the path and often finds oneself as "delusional," Maya, no doubt in this case. We all have our journey and I am certainly on a very long one that has no conclusion. Namaste"

[markwhite]

  On 6/24/2010 at 6:27 AM, eggomaniac said:

how did market scheming survive through that high alitude?

I'm in danger of appearing like I'm defending Vern, but I found that after getting married and having a son that my worldview changed from one very much biased towards personal development, and I found myself returning to the world of bills, financial responsibility and an increasing degree of materialism. Frankly, I felt a need to 'provide' for my family that very much surprised me.

It may be that other people have similar experiences. It may be that Vern is one of those people.

[markwhite]

  On 6/28/2010 at 5:37 AM, rafish said:

More a process of "sleep-a-tation,"

During a mediation retreat I discussed my experiences with a British monk who seemed quite clued in to these matters. His basic view was 'It sounds like it's happening for you' and 'meditation might not make any difference but it probably won't hurt'.

This cause me great difficulty. Probably rooted in my beliefs about only getting the result by trying and putting in the effort. I am not comfortable with the idea of not trying and letting things happen naturally without forcing them: I am generally a tight practitioner.

I read about people getting to a certain level and not being able to pass beyond that. That they become attached to the idea of progressing, and the attachment makes it impossible to progress. That eventually the frustration of this leads them to say 'Oh, forget it then', after which they are then able to make progress.

I have no idea whether this is actually the case. Maybe I will find out as my practice progresses from tight, to loose, to sporadic. Maybe I'll stop trying completely and find something unexpected.

This may also be the case for other people who take similar, but different, paths.