Vipassana or Self Inquiry

[Pouya]

I want to start a stable meditation habit and i have tried both techniques for few times but i couldn't stick with them for more than 3 4 days, just because I haven't defined a specific time and location for my practices.

I've been reading about vipassana meditation and i looks more "formal" and structured so maybe i can develop a meditation habit with vipassana easier.

Also my goal is not to just relax or to clear my mind.I want to raise awareness and maybe one day let the Enlightenment occur.

I was thinking about starting small with vipassana and gradually increasing the time meditating everyday untill i reach to more that 45 mins. Then i would start doing self inquiry little by little after some mins of vipassana. Because when i did self inquiry few times it was really difficult and frustrating at the beginning only because I wasn't calm and present enough. So maybe some vipassana before self inquiry can help.

Do you think that sticking with one technique is better or first getting used to one then adding the other technique is a better option?

What do you think about my idea for starting meditation?

[Salvijus]

I think choose a teacher like, Mooji, echart tolle, sadhguru, rupert spira, osho, s.n. goenka (vipassana teacher), Leo maybe. And see with witch one do you resonate, who do you like the most and follow their teachings. They all have different meditation techneques.

That would be my advise. 

Who inspired you to meditate in the first place?@Pouya

[Space]

@Pouya I think you should aim to be doing both. They both have their benefits. The meditation helps to slowly train and re-wire the mind which is very important for your day-to-day experience. Self-inquiry is obviously much more focused and direct. You're just going straight for the Truth without the long arduous path that often comes with meditation. So both are important.

Work on establishing a daily meditation habit first. You need to find the balance between doing long enough sits to actually make it worth while, but also not so much that you burn out and quit. If you find Vipassana too difficult, read Culadasa's The Mind Illuminated. It's a very simple to follow technique that will take you all the way if you stick with it.

Whilst you're implementing the meditation habit try to get in some occasional self-inquiry sessions here and there. You should read the books relating to self-inquiry on Leo's booklist for guidance. But again, a balance is required because too much information can very much hinder your self-inquiry progress. One very very important piece of advice with self-inquiry is to not just do it for the sake of the technique. Don't just do 30 mins if self-inquiry just so you can say to yourself you've done 30 mins and thats great, and feel good about it. Rather, the focus should be on getting the truth right this minute. If it takes another minute to get the truth then do another minute, and so on. I say this just because I wasted many hours doing self-inquiry just to tick that box for the day, and was not concerned with the actual purpose of the technique. 

[Pouya]

2 hours ago, Pouya said:

I want to start a stable meditation habit and i have tried both techniques for few times but i couldn't stick with them for more than 3 4 days, just because I haven't defined a specific time and location for my practices.

I've been reading about vipassana meditation and i looks more "formal" and structured so maybe i can develop a meditation habit with vipassana easier.

Also my goal is not to just relax or to clear my mind.I want to raise awareness and maybe one day let the Enlightenment occur.

I was thinking about starting small with vipassana and gradually increasing the time meditating everyday untill i reach to more that 45 mins. Then i would start doing self inquiry little by little after some mins of vipassana. Because when i did self inquiry few times it was really difficult and frustrating at the beginning only because I wasn't calm and present enough. So maybe some vipassana before self inquiry can help.

Do you think that sticking with one technique is better or first getting used to one then adding the other technique is a better option?

What do you think about my idea for starting meditation?

I've been into self development for 3 years and i found here and there people talking about meditation but the most powerful impact on me was Leo's Enlightenment videos and meditation guides.

You're right about the stable meditation; that's why i haven't been consistent with it.

[Pouya]

34 minutes ago, Space said:

@Pouya I think you should aim to be doing both. They both have their benefits. The meditation helps to slowly train and re-wire the mind which is very important for your day-to-day experience. Self-inquiry is obviously much more focused and direct. You're just going straight for the Truth without the long arduous path that often comes with meditation. So both are important.

Work on establishing a daily meditation habit first. You need to find the balance between doing long enough sits to actually make it worth while, but also not so much that you burn out and quit. If you find Vipassana too difficult, read Culadasa's The Mind Illuminated. It's a very simple to follow technique that will take you all the way if you stick with it.

Whilst you're implementing the meditation habit try to get in some occasional self-inquiry sessions here and there. You should read the books relating to self-inquiry on Leo's booklist for guidance. But again, a balance is required because too much information can very much hinder your self-inquiry progress. One very very important piece of advice with self-inquiry is to not just do it for the sake of the technique. Don't just do 30 mins if self-inquiry just so you can say to yourself you've done 30 mins and thats great, and feel good about it. Rather, the focus should be on getting the truth right this minute. If it takes another minute to get the truth then do another minute, and so on. I say this just because I wasted many hours doing self-inquiry just to tick that box for the day, and was not concerned with the actual purpose of the technique. 

Vipassana is the easiest meditation technique that I've tried and the hardest was self inquiry (the first time i couldn't even do 5 mins, stopped instantly due to frustration). Maybe reading a little more about self inquiry and having a habit of meditation first can help me.

[SpaceCowboy]

Consider Kriya Yoga, as it will not only calm your mind but also work on your energy. It has been proven as a highly effective means of spiritual growth, so you can try it out if it fits you.

[Leo Gura]

Kriya yoga works wonders. By far the most effective method I've found besides 5-MeO.

[Till]

Which technique works for someone is so much dependent on a million things. I can tell that people with those problems often get into a stable practice with guided meditations like the smartphone app "headspace".

Another would be to go on a retreat and straight start a regular practice after it. In my experience many people gave themselves  some comfortable room after one of those. But if can handle it emotionally and right there start out it could do miracles.

The third one is of course psychedelics