Ep241: Meditation Myths - Dhammarato

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Feb 16, 2024

Dhammarato challenges misconceptions about meditation, warns against dangers of meditation retreats, and advocates for gentle and effective meditation practices. He shares stories of practitioners harming themselves, warns against extreme methods, and emphasizes the importance of gentle approach to meditation.

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Introduction

00:00 • 1min

Challenges and Misconceptions in Western Buddhism Meditation Practices

01:29 • 21min

Exploring Meditation Postures and Body Adaptability

22:02 • 12min

Exploring Extreme Measures and Desires

33:57 • 2min

Addressing Surface Issues in Meditation

35:56 • 7min

The Practice of Meditation and the Role of Community

43:00 • 17min

Building Community and Dhamma Friendships

59:53 • 4min

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching style conducted over Skype. Dhammarato challenges what he sees as the widespread misconceptions about meditation practice, focusing in particular on American Buddhism and the Goenka and Mahasi methods. Dhammarato discusses issues such as the dangers of meditation retreats, the problems with sleep deprivation and other austerities, and recounts stories of men he has known who crippled themselves through obsessive meditation practice in damaging seated postures. Dhammarato also calls for a return to the original teaching of the Buddha, advises on how to find and keep spiritual friends, and shares his perspective on how to meditate well. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep241-myths-of-meditation-dhammarato Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. ... 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Challenging Western Buddhism 03:54 - Drawbacks of Goenka Vipassana retreats 04:14 - Buddha’s advice for meditation 06:21 - Common meditation mistakes 07:28 - How to see dukkah 08:16 - Coming out of victimhood 09:28 - Drawbacks of the Mahasi method 11:21 - The problem of pain on meditation retreats 13:48 - Following the Ānāpānasati Sutta and jhana practice 16:18 - Western practitioners who destroyed their knees and legs while meditating 17:47 - Sleep deprivation 18:38 - Take it easy and be gentle 19:18 - Dangers of meditation retreats 20:31 - Essence of Buddhism 22:01 - Misunderstandings about meditation posture 28:16 - Magical body postures and siddhi powers 32:29 - The Donald Trumps of Buddhism 33:56 - What attracts people to extreme asceticism and psychedelics? 35:23 - Does Dhammarato’s approach merely suppress suffering? 43:00 - The myth of life enhancing meditation 47:24 - Dhammarato’s advice for regular practice 50:22 - The value of noble friends 55:49 - The Open Sangha Foundation 59:23 - Getting out of magical thinking 01:01:08 - How to make Dhamma friends  … Dhammarato Episode Playlist - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=DHAMMARATO … To find out more about Dhammarato, visit: - https://dhammaratoblog.wordpress.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxg5GJFsRqnS-YLTzyrjLQ …  For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James