[Last updated: 28 February 2020] Do you know anyone who is enlightened? Buddha showed us that it wasn’t all that difficult – it’s just a simple process of sitting and watching the breath. Why isn’t there anyone who is enlightened today? At least I haven’t met anyone. Have you? Sure you might have read about … Read more
I found this in a folder of old files I’d left up on Google Drive. I’m glad I kept so much of my journal entries. This one is a doozy. This was written on the day I decided I was moving to Thailand. I didn’t know if I’d become a monk or stay at a … Read more
If you’re wondering whether you’re on the right path… if you’re wondering whether you need to move to Thailand or anywhere in the world and join a Buddhist temple to help your meditation, watch this video. I talk about whether moving somewhere else or joining a group will help your meditation practice. I talk about … Read more
I started out with running long before meditation. Actually, I have been incredibly physically active over my lifetime (and not always mentally active!). I started with soccer, then running races, bicycle races, triathlons, and biathlons. Lately, the last 12 years I’ve been doing more trail running than anything else. Is meditation helpful for runners? Is … Read more
It depends on you! That’s the short answer. I’ve meditated both at night and in the morning and at all times in-between. Sometimes I preferred one time of day, and other times I preferred another. Honestly, what mattered most was when I had time to do it and when would be the quietest space for … Read more
It’s obvious that the only Vern here is held in the memory which is quickly recalled as needed. Climbing up the mountain today I couldn’t get the question out of the mind. What is Vern? What is he made up of? Where is he located in the body? If Vern sits here still and the … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal (click) which includes dozens of posts. I’ve done little with meditation this year. I just haven’t felt it. I’ve had things to take care of and I have had to work hard to keep our head above water. I’ve considered a few times this year about doing something … Read more
I’m in the final stages of editing my new book, 101 Curious and Bizarre Meditation Experiences! This book describes many of odd and interesting experiences I had while meditating, and as the result of meditation. Just to give you a taste of what is involved, here’s the Table of Contents. TOC ForwardExperience 1 – Enlightened … Read more
This is an email I sent to a reader requesting some information about whether my meditation books would be good to help him with some pain he was having. He didn’t mention whether the pain was chronic, but I addressed that in this note. Meditation for pain relief is a long-term solution, but won’t provide … Read more
I wouldn’t consider myself a Buddhist, but I do love visiting the Buddhist temples around Thailand. Just the other week I went to one of my favorite temples – Wat Suan Mokkhabalaram in Chaiya district of Surat Thani, well south of Bangkok by about 600 kilometers. Wat Suan Mokkh is a forest temple, Thais say … Read more
Meditation Catch-22 – Don’t Want the Experiences I was lucky when I began meditating. I didn’t have any illusion about what states I might reach, what levels. I didn’t study any of that, because I just couldn’t have cared less at the time I started meditation. To me, meditation was just an attempt at relaxation … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditation, Numbness, No body, No Self I read part of J. Krishnamurti’s book, Commentaries on Living at the bookstore. (in 1998) I also read a bit about living with Kundalini. By a practitioner of some yoga in which the goal is to release … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditation Journal 1998 This morning at maybe 6:30 as one was sitting on the balcony of our 7th floor hotel room in Melbourne, Florida one saw a gentleman walking along the beach below coming towards where one was. It appeared as if he … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 10 Unending Mindfulness I thought of changing the title a couple of times – as it just spilled out and wasn’t very well thought out. But, the more I look at it – the more … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 9 It rained all last night – intense rain. I don’t know if this is from the Cyclone that killed all those people in Burma or not. Someone said 600,000 died. Is that unreal? In … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 18 It has been nice weather here for the past week. I spent a lot of time walking up the hill at the park (mountain). Once I tried running it and made it 3 km … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 3 Today went well. I had a lot of things to do today but I still found time to meditate (sitting) for about an hour in one of my favorite spots at a temple nearby. … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. After yesterday I didn’t know what to expect today. Today was just a regular day, but there was no stress about anything all day. Like yesterday, but no numbness. No feeling that I was already in a meditative state, just a … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > This occurred in about 1997. I wake up from sleeping (in my dream). I go into the living room area in our apartment at Horizon Place Apartments in Tampa. The blue table isn’t there. The sliding glass doors are open. It seems to … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. Meditation Journal Today began with rain, ended with rain, and as I sit here the next morning – it’s raining. That’s the south of Thailand. It rains more here than Kauai, Hawaii which is saying a lot. At the top of … Read more
[Page updated: 2 July 2021] This is the 4th video in the series of meditation experiences videos. The topic of this video is an experience that some people get after the mind stops thinking thoughts. The experience is what I’ve always called the “Fatness Feeling.” I have had this feeling often since I was a … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Walking, Outside, Mirror Meditation – 1998 Sitting in the garage on the jacuzzi pad and towels one couldn’t get focused at all. One could not focus for even 5 breaths on the sensation in the nose. One drank hot coffee again before going … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Featured image above: Two monks walking to breakfast down a dirt path at Suan Mokkh Buddhist Temple in Chaiya province, Southern Thailand. What is Suan Mokkh Temple Like for Meditation on Your Own? I wandered around Suan Mokkh again today. My … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Featured image above: One of my favorite places in the world – Wat Nong Pah Pong in Warin Chamrap, Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. March 8, 2015 I haven’t written here in a while. My foot felt OK today so I climbed … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > I found this post on an old backup CD-ROM I have. I had posted to some meditation group about some of the odd experiences I was having while meditating. Pretty fun to read now. ******** Hi all. I’ve lurked here for quite a … Read more
Featured image above: Human Skeletons Suan Mokkh temple in Chaiya, Surat Thani province… southern Thailand. If you’ve been following this sporadic blog at all you know I’ve not really put any priority on meditation any longer. I don’t meditate. I don’t focus on the empty state of the mind when I stop doing, stop thinking. … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Alan Watts, one of my favorite speakers, has said that the feeling of ourselves, the feeling of the tangible self inside is nothing more than the muscular tension about the abdomen or chest area. I wanted to share with you what … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal (click) which includes dozens of posts. This past year, 2013, has been rather torturous. I’ve never felt more lost. I don’t know what to focus on to make a living. I have many things I’m competent at, and nothing I am an expert at. I usually don’t include … Read more
Years ago I found UG Krishnamurti’s books alongside Jiddu Krishnamurti’s books at the bookstore. I started reading and was immediately fascinated. UG came to a place in his mind without Buddhism, though it was influenced by Buddhism, he basically got there without consciously playing the role of a follower of Buddha. He sort of stumbled … Read more
Updated: 4 July 2021 September 2013 My mind isn’t ready to do anything. It’s like I’ve been broken. I have a very hard time creating anything now. I have a very hard time finding a reason to do anything now. There isn’t any motivation, drive, want, reason, urging, feeling, to do anything. I’ve tried over … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Note – This is an old journal article I wrote in 1998 or so. I don’t have the date written down on the journal entry. Sitting in the blue room at home. Meditated for a half hour. The back hurts again today. One … Read more
This is the third video in the series covering various experiences that happen during meditation as you become concentrated and your mind slows down – and eventually – stops. When the mind stops – many experiences begin. The experiences seem almost surreal or other-worldly at times. They are bizarre and sometimes even scary. It’s frightening … Read more
This is part of a collection of Meditation Tips. Here are more > There are a number of things advanced meditation students are doing that are impeding their progress. Assuming you want to progress quickly through the stages of meditation and see some tangible benefit to your practice, you are always looking for new ways … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Mindfulness While Rollerblading… Mind Shift While rollerblading with Fern I noticed that when I looked down at the pavement there was a point where the pavement started to turn blurry (about 5 feet in front of us as we rode). Different colors were … Read more
“Endless Mind…” Let me sit a while body mass dissipates leaves sponge-like empty form fingers, arms & legs all gone breath slows to stop a perfect stillness all in motion a death-like moment of lucid awareness faint dog barking is self whole room breathing self-too mind not ending no confines of body of life It’s … Read more
An online friend of mine whom I’ve never met came up with this word to describe a state of mind during my meditation that I was trying desperately to describe to her. It came to her in a split second and yet she insists she’s never used the word before to describe anything. Seemlessness works … Read more
Buddha – what he did, who he is… and my own experiences… [Some free-thinking on the buddha, meditation, vipassana, buddhism, all ‘isms’, and my own personal experiences…] I’m thinking today as I usually think… any person here is just a person. Nobody better than anyone else for any reason, real or imagined. There is no … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. You know the saying, there is a white elephant in the room? Well, there is one in my head. It’s always there, it’s quite plain that it is there. It has gone nowhere for years, it’s just right there. It doesn’t … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. This occurred on Dec 2, 2011 at the top of a small mountain on the temple grounds of Wat Tham Seua in Krabi, Thailand. To clarify, the sense of vision appears to be an illusion. Sitting on the top of the … Read more
This was originally posted 30 Nov 2009. [Updated 8 July 2021] My mind has slowed down quite a bit from the ADD – ADHD mess it was in the past. I notice when I speak with fast talking people. I can’t keep up nor do I try. I notice when I sit at the computer … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. I just remembered this dream last night, though I had it about 2 weeks ago. I thought I wrote a txt file for it – like I usually do for odd dreams but I can’t find it just now. I’ll try … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Today I went to one of my favorite quiet spots. I laid down and watched the mind as it responded to stimuli in the environment – sensed by one of the senses… To say I watched the mind is not accurate … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Over the last few months 6? 8? there’s been this constant stillness of mind that is always there. If I stop typing right now – it’s there – instant empty mind. No thoughts. It’s funny… it’s the state that I used … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Sat 23 May 09 Without writing a book about this… I want to mention it I guess because if at some point nibbana comes despite my not chasing it – there should be a path or a succession of things that … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. Over the last few months, there has been this constant stillness of mind that is always there. If I stop typing right now – it’s there – instant empty mind. No thoughts. It’s funny… it’s the state that I used to … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. This dream occurred on 5-1-2008. [This page last updated: 4 March 2022] Yesterday I lay on the floor in my room after having done some exercise outside. It’s hot here in Thailand, some days hover close to 40 … Read more
I wrote this on April 23, 2009. This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. [This text last updated on 3 March 2022] I’m not Buddhist per se. I’ve never been. I might have thought I was during a time years ago – but that was … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal (click) which includes dozens of posts. I was just thinking that it would be good for me to put down in writing some sort of timeline for the way things have happened for me since starting meditation. Often times people read this journal and don’t understand why I … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. I sat the other evening (4/11). It was about 8pm and I had no motivation to do anything else. Not that I couldn’t have found something – but from the inside -there was nothing pushing me to ‘do’ … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. This morning I was anxious to eat breakfast. I had kow pad gai (skinless chicken breast over jasmine rice). It also comes with a baggie of chicken broth with scallions and black pepper. Really delicious and it’s my … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. Last night an odd experience came to me as the body prepared for sleep. I went into one of the other rooms to see if we had another sheet for the mat I sleep on. I stood in … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. Finish the Journey, or Not? I’ve gone for a couple of months without meditating since stopping in September after realizing that the search for the state of Nirvana is not worth it. I decided that because from what … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. 9-27-07 Today I climbed the steps at the mountain at Wat Tham Suea again. A Thai boy of 8 years old kept up with me as we sort of raced to the top from steps 300 to 1200. … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. Anapanasati at top of Wat Tum Sua and 5? kids taking my pictures and banging the bells to see if they could get me to move and break the meditation. Mai pen rai krup… (no matter, no mind) … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. I haven’t read many accounts of Jhana and how the Buddhists view Jhana. What I’ve read up until today seemed to be telling me that Jhana was necessary in order to reach enlightenment. While glancing through Buddhadassa Bhikku’s … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. I was at Wat Tum Sua again today (Buddhist temple in southern Thailand). The weather was nice, cool and windy. No rain. There were very few people at the top. When I first got to the top and … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. I meditated at the top of the temple again today and it was just so relaxing… the weather was great, cloudy and a cool wind blowing. I sat for 30 minutes or so… and at times there were … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal Experience after the Flat-mind State became permanent. In this video, I went over what I’ve been doing over the past few days with meditation. I’ve been experimenting trying to purposefully meditate in places that were noisy to see – is it still possible to do so. I started … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal (click) which includes dozens of posts. Here is something I posted in a meditation group a while back. Interesting to read it again. I just stumbled upon this group and it seems to be a good place to share some of my experience during vipassana. Quick history… I … Read more
This is a transcript of a video by Bhante G. I did my best. I have another page about What Is Jhana in my own words. What Is Jhana? Transcript of Henepola Gunaratana Note – please keep in mind, the following is an attempt at transcribing his exact words. It was difficult, and he doesn’t’ … Read more
Reading J. Krishnamurti today and a lot lately. Why? His focus is on not focusing on a system or particular means to find the truth for one’s self. He doesn’t say to meditate as Thich Nhat Hanh or Buhhadhassa or Jack Kornfield may say. Hence, no time away from Fern (my wife). His book ‘The … Read more
Meditation is the physical and mental process of honing the brain’s ability to concentrate on (pay attention to) the object of meditation, frequently the breath, to the exclusion of other sensory input. One of the first goals of meditation is to increase this ability to concentrate fully on the breath until you can reach ten … Read more
Meditation is not difficult, but there are a hundred ways you can get off track. You maybe already know that. Most of the questions I get about meditation from beginners are about the basics. These 15 tips will put you mostly on the right track. You certainly should pay attention to them and find yourself … Read more
I got this very interesting message from my very intuitive friend, Maitland Kalton, on messenger this morning after I viewed a video he tagged me in months ago that I never got to watch! Good thing I got to watch it because he sent the following message full of gems that just came to him … Read more
Should I repeat a Phrase while Meditating? (Mantra) This is a good question. The main goal of meditation as you begin is to reach a place where the mind is not churning out so many thoughts. It will be impossible for you to concentrate on the full breath until your mind has calmed down a … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. Meditation Journal Entry from 1999 one just finished meditating for a half hour. A fairly blank peace came over the self rather quickly (immediately). The back didn’t hurt. The mind didn’t wander far. At one point the breathing … Read more
Meditation Journal Entry – Sitting Position during Meditation I found that meditation by sitting in a chair and putting my feet up on a table is the easiest way for me to relax. I feel no back/foot/leg pain and am able to lose myself in concentration on breath more easily. I also find that when … Read more
There is currently nothing that offers total relief from the pain of the world. I mean, there are promises of it… every religion promises it, if you work hard enough and do the right thing enough. Some promise it in the afterlife, others in this very life. I’m concerned more with this life – since … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal where you can find dozens of more posts like this. Meditation Journal Entry – Frustration while Meditating I sat and meditated tonight and tried to keep mindfulness of breathing for about 30-40 minutes. I was pretty focused on attaining some sort of diff. experience and so none was … Read more
Breathing In and Out Phrases to Help Attention and Numbness I’ve made a commitment to dedicate some time to meditation a few times per week for a half an hour or however much time I have to do so. I just finished an hour session. I was able to stay focused on my breathing and … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditation Journal Entry about the Fatness Feeling I meditated two nights ago on the futon in one of the bedrooms sitting crossed-legged. I sat and concentrated on breathing for about an hour with sporadic focused concentration. Then I heard the answering machine kick … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Disenchantment / Non-Attachment Arises Over the past couple of days (this is sometime in 1998) while meditating I haven’t written anything! Actually weeks and probably a month. There seems to be no want or desire to do it to record it. I found … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditation Journal Entry from 1998 Mind Shift… Conscious Dimension Shift… Sitting in the reclining chair with my feet up on my desk I was mindful of breath for 15 minutes while fern showered. I settled down in about 10 minutes and started to … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditation Journal Entry – 1997 Meditation tonight. Shut off lights, stared at the orange glow from incense. It was easy to concentrate for a while. Then the mind became pretty empty. Some emotions of fear came up and I cried for the first … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > 1998 Meditation Journal entry The numbness is very strange… it is like the body is missing… absent… or is it only my perception of the body… some part of the mind that is blanking out the body? It starts in one place – … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > I just meditated for 25-40 mins. In the blue room of the house. The mind became calm eventually–but followed many thoughts. Probably because this one is tired. One felt numbness. One was presented with many visual photos –mostly of demons and ghouls–like stuff … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 4 In the evening I sat in the back of the apartment on the floor. I put a candle there so at least I could see the roaches or spiders if I felt one on … Read more
May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 5 Today I woke up feeling well. There was some left over peacefulness from the night before as I went to sleep in a very relaxed state. The mind was exceptionally quiet. I’ll do an mp3 and talk rather than write – my fingers hurt from typing so much! … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 6 Today I awoke without any back pain at all. None. It was surreal. Not only that but there something even more ridiculous… I felt as if I was in a meditative state most of … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 8 Virtually no back pain still. My ‘luck’ is holding… If I thought it rained a lot yesterday – today it’s a flood. The rain came and went no less than 10 times today – … Read more
This is part of my Intensive Meditation Journal Experience – See Day 1 here. May 2009 Intensive Meditation | Day 11 Today started out with rain, ended with rain and had lots of rain in the middle. It’s unbelievable that it could rain every single day for weeks at a time. It’s more unbelievable that … Read more
Something struck me the other week, and I forgot about it for a while. I just had the same experience though – so I’ll write it down. It’s gnawing at me a bit… I wrote about and did videos about, some of my experiences with Abhinna. I even started Abhinna.org because I couldn’t believe that … Read more
I added a new ARTICLES section on the lower right side of every page in the sidebar. It looks like this… There are about 50 new links to articles that were buried in the design of the site before, and now are easily available. Have a look if you care to… Cheers!
I’ve mentioned this a number of times here on this site. For a couple of meditation sessions, I sat staring into a mirror in my garage. It was a gigantic mirror and I could see my entire body clearly. I stared into my eyes, at my face, and at my body during the session and … Read more
This is part of my Meditation Journal with dozens of posts > Meditating on the spa in the garage today in the morning 7:30. There was an instant calmness and emptiness that existed. The mind was not much troubled by anything, nor was it following anything that the eyes saw. It was a nice 20 … Read more
Some new meditators must be wondering, ‘Where should the tongue be during meditation?’ Should it just stick to the top of your mouth? Move with the breath? Or sit still somewhere? As I sat here an hour ago or so, I realized that usually, I don’t tell new meditators who read my books what exactly … Read more