Meditation

Hello Everyone,
I just joined this Padmakumara forum tonight.  I must say, it's very interesting.  You can learn much from other drama followers.  Just like to say, hi Jackie, I like all your posts and your stories.
Back on track.  I was just wondering what you people visualize when you meditate.  Some days, I know what I'm visualizing about.  The next, it's gone.   I am interested on the visualizations you people have when you meditate.  Please keep my informed.  
Thanks you very much.  
:) Ah mi to fo  :)    

Hello Jadie.
Welcome!

Personally when I meditate I visualize Grand Master Lu shining light on me and my family.  
It really depends on the practice.  
When I do Vajra Protection I use one specific Vajra instead of four.

How about you?

Brenda

Thanks for your reply.  Anyhow, well my question was really for the part for the practise, say for Guru Yoga....after the visualization of Grand Master.  When, it recommends to do the 9 round breathing and stuff.  Sometimes, it's difficult for me to do.......so I was wondering if there were any other suggestions.  I remember when I went to San Fransico for the summer camp there.  During that section, they recited "Om mani padme hum" I think around 10 times.  So I was wondering if there were any other suggestions.  And like I said, Thanks again ;)

Hello Jadie! Welcome  :D
(I had lots of fun this weekend) Thanks for reading my posts! As for visualizations, mine are so mixed up. That's why I need help. Sometimes I visualize Grandmaster turn into Kuan Yin to symbolize the transition from Guru Yoga to Personal Deity Yoga. Then when I am really deep into the meditation I will go straight to the nine round breathing exercise. After that visualization, I just concentrate on breathing. Sometimes when you count to a hundred breaths you can enter Samadhi. Then after all this I recite 49 Guru's heart mantra and 108 6-syllable mantra. So instead of two different visualizations with the mantra reciting in the middle I combine the two and do the mantra at the end. This is because sometimes I am in Samadhi from the first visualization and I do not want to move.

I can't do the 9 round exercise. I get a headache. I just count six breaths in and out. Visualize white light coming in the nostrils going through the body and purifying all negative karma. Then I visualize breathing out black smoke. The black smoke represents all negative karma.

Sometimes if I have a cold (like now) I visualize the white light going in and around the nasal area and purifying it (in order to stop my running nose). If you have problems with specific organs in the body, like leg or kidney, you can visualize white light going to that part and purifying it. Then breath out the negative karma.

Maha

I really appreciate explaining their methods of visualization.  Like now, I just finished cultivating.  During the part to "Enter Samadhi," this is what I usually do.  I usually practise the repentance yoga.  So, at first, I visualize Grandmaster coming out, and shining withe light and purifying my body.  Next, he enters my body and we become one.  Everywhere around us is also white light, and we become one with the white light.  

jadie wrote (02/23/02 at 21:34:06):

author=jadie link=board=buddhism;num=1014187861;start=0#5 date=02/23/02 at 21:34:06

Hello Jadie.
When you visualize Grand Master it should be both of you becoming "oneness".

This is okay!

Lyciss,
That is a good idea to visualize the eight principle deities. Indeed, it would take a lot of practice but it would create affinity with all of them. Then do you chant 108x for each of the deitie's mantra? That would definitely take very long!

I remember in GM's book, True Buddha Tantric Dharma, he mentioned that when one pays homage and does prostation one only needs to visualize a sky full of brilliant stars, and each star represents a Buddha and perform the homage. Perhaps, that method is simplified for those of us who have trouble visualizing just 1 deity! haha ;D

Celestialmaiden.

That is such a good book!
I have forgot many of the things in there, I will have to re-read it.

Lyciss,
No, no..of course I do not think you are bragging. We are all here to help each other, I understand that. But yes, I do agree with you that is a personal choice and there is no difference. Even my own practice has some slight variations.

Om Mani Padme Hom

i read somewhere (sorry for my really poor memory): when one visualises Grandmaster, He should be wearing the Five-Buddha Crown. So that when you prostrate, you should visualise you are prostrating to Grandmaster and also the Buddhas of the ten directions

one question that bugs me:

everytime we start a cultivation session, we have to visualise that

1) on our right, there are seven generations of fathers,
2) on our left, seven generations of mothers
3) at our back, there are our relatives and frens
4) in front of us, there are all the debt-collecting spirits

For instance, if we are practising the Vajrasattva Heart Yoga, do we stop visualising this after the deliverence mantra (cos i would visualise them as taking up a lotus and flying to Buddhaland); or after the repentence mantra (where Buddhas shine great light on them); or after the whole session???

or maybe it taken for granted that your debt-collecting spirits are always there?

i see...

the reason i ask is that whenever i go to the Chapter, the cultivation invariably will involve the visualisation of parents, frens, and karmic debtors...

I understand that in group cultivation, this is most suitable because the results would be great. Esp. so after protective boundary has been established by the reverend-teacher.

I guess if i practise at home, it may not be advisable if i dun have such protective boundary, or if my visualisation of such boundary is not powerful enuff....So normally, before i do any visualisation, i would sprinkle Great Compassion water around my house as a boundary protection before i visualise..

The visualisation is supposed to help one cultivate the Boddhi heart esp. towards your enemies whom you visualise in front of you. Sometimes, i am unable to do so because of lingering dislike -- so i am worried that such visualisation would be catatrophic if visualised wrongly, and "sth else" may appear..

sorry for my rambling.

I guess i should just concentrate on parents and frens first....that should be easy enuff for a start. As for cultivation 24 hours a day with those around me, i will try my best!  :)

Jessie.
Are you sure that our karmic enemies are to be visualized in front of us?

I have always visualized them behind everyone else.

yes, i am sure. (to verify: i am talking about the visualisation before one chants the cleansing mantras)