Decision Making - Noise And Meditation

[laurastarla]

Can you guys help me with a decision? I know it's already decided for me but I'm still stuck in the game!

I found my DREAM apartment I want to buy it. Everything I want BUT- it's by a train track and silence and calm was my number one priority. The trains are rather loud and frequent. I've thought about looking at the trains like accepting things I can't control, the coming and going of everything in life, finding peace inside despite what is happening in the external world, using the noise as something to meditate with, connecting with an unending rythym of life.... man how will I meditate with trains passing every 5- 10 minutes all the time? Am I making a big mistake will I regret this? How do I know what my intuition is saying? It feels right... but.... what if I'm just trying to convince myself? Has anyone dealt with constant noise in your living and meditation space when your number one goal is peace? When I get quiet I feel like I want to move there, but then I'm anxious to find something too. Can I turn the noise into something beautiful? Or should I listen to the voice saying 'you know noise bothers you'? I love silence... and I love this apartment. any insight I would be so grateful!

[Live Life Liam]

It will always be difficult to have constant silence but that isn't the point whilst meditating. I have very loud neighborhood for example and it does not bother me. The goal is to accept the moment as it is and not get attached to silence or sound or anything else.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Live Life Liam

[Prabhaker]

13 hours ago, laurastarla said:

The trains are rather loud and frequent

How can the traffic noise disturb you? How? If you are against it, it will disturb. If you have the attitude that it disturbs, it will disturb.

But if you accept it, if you allow it to happen without any reaction, then you may even start enjoying it. It has its own melody, its own music. You have not heard it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its own music.

Someday forget yourself and listen to the traffic noise. Just listen, and don't bring in your attitudes that this is disturbing, that this is not good. Don't bring in your attitudes, just listen to the melody! In the beginning it will look chaotic. That too is because of the mind. If you relax totally, sooner or later everything will fit into a harmonious whole and even the traffic noise will become music. You can enjoy it and you can dance to its tune. It depends on you.

[Telepresent]

From a purely meditation-based perspective, I think sometimes people confuse the spiritual idea of silence / peace.  It has nothing to do with sound.  You could exist in the noisiest environment and still find silence.  I wouldn't worry about external noises

Edited November 9, 2016 by Telepresent

[Gabriel Antonio]

I'm facing something similar to this. There's a construction taking place close to my place. It's really hard to concentrate & easy to get irritated ("WHY IS THIS NECESSARY???" and "WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BUILD ANOTHER BUILDING??? AWWWWWWWW!!" are common thoughts I have had).

It is possible to let go and fully embrace the noise. I tell myself something like, "Ok... this noise is going to happen forever. Every single minute I'm living, I will have to deal with this noise." This way, I am able to surrender. In the beginning, there's resistance. After a good hour of meditation, I end up getting used to the noise and I even kind of like it. (Just like what happens with pain). It's a process... a new way to see the world. Being OK with discomfort. It takes a lot of courage.

[Bob84]

@laurastarla did you look in to how this affects the real-estate value and the resell-ability?