Categories: Other Meditation Teachings
Blessings of the Triple Gem to All!
Today, on this auspicious day, we are launching our new blog, ‘Adhyathmika Bhikshun’ (Spiritual Monks). With this first article, we want to share with you the deep purpose and heartfelt intention behind our new endeavor.
Why We Created This ‘Spiritual Monks’ Website: A Need in Our Time
We have been inspired to start this YouTube channel and the Spiritual Monks blog because of our experiences and observations of the current spiritual landscape. We have noticed a significant shift occurring in the world, particularly since the period between 2010 and 2012. Many people from young children to adults are undergoing a form of Spiritual Awakening. They are becoming more sensitive and are having profound spiritual experiences.
However, this has created a serious problem. Without correct guidance, many of these individuals feel lost. They are unsure how to interpret what is happening to them. Some fall prey to incorrect teachers or get lost in confusing information online. Others are sadly misdiagnosed, told they have mental illnesses when they are, in fact, experiencing a natural stage of spiritual development.
It is to address this very issue that we have created this platform.
Our Core Focus: The Path of Samatha (Tranquility Meditation)
Our primary focus on this ‘Spiritual Monks’ Website will be on Samatha Bhavana, the practice of tranquility and concentration meditation.
While there are many wonderful channels, blogs and resources discussing Vipassana (Insight Meditation), we have observed there is a lack of guidance based on direct, practical experience with Samatha. We, as a group of practicing monks, some of us living as forest-dwelling hermits dedicated to this path have gained deep, firsthand experience in both Samatha and Vipassana. It is this practical knowledge of Samatha meditation that we wish to share with you.
We will not be focusing on Vipassana, not because it isn’t important, but because we want to fill a gap and provide clear instruction on the foundational practice of concentration, which is essential for a stable and profound spiritual journey.
Understanding Your Experiences: A Safe and Authentic Guide
Many of you may be having experiences that are difficult to understand. Perhaps you see visions during meditation. Young people, even children, are reporting phenomena that could be described as the “opening of the third eye.” Some may even see what they believe to be an image of the Buddha.
These experiences can be confusing and even frightening without the proper context. People wander from teacher to teacher, get lost in various YouTube channels or Blogs, and sometimes become entangled in worldly pursuits like using these abilities for money, which leads them astray.
We want to offer clarity.
For example, if you see an image of the Buddha, it is important to understand what is truly happening. The Buddha has attained Parinibbana and does not physically appear. What you are likely experiencing is a powerful mental image, a nimitta, arising from a state of deep concentration (samadhi). This is not madness; it is a signpost on the spiritual path that needs to be understood correctly.
Our guidance is rooted firmly in the authentic teachings of the Buddha the Tripitaka (the Buddhist canon) and its commentaries. We will help you distinguish between genuine spiritual phenomena and things that may be a distraction or a sign of imbalance. We want to ensure you do not turn to psychiatric medication for what is a spiritual process, which could harm your nervous system and hinder your progress. The first and best step is always to seek a qualified, experienced meditation master.
Join Us on This Journey
We are creating this blog as an act of loving-kindness (metta) and compassion (karuna). We believe that sharing our practical experiences can be of immense benefit to both laypeople and ordained monks and nuns on their spiritual path.
Whether you are a busy layperson trying to integrate practice into your life or someone on a dedicated monastic path, our goal is to provide guidance that is clear, practical, and correct. We will present our teachings in a series of articles, covering various topics based on the authentic path of the Buddha.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. We sincerely encourage you to share your experiences and ask questions in the comments section below our article. Your questions will help us create future content that directly addresses your needs. You can also contact us through the contact form.
We believe this effort will help nourish the seed of spirituality within you the seed of concentration, of dhyana, and of higher knowledge (abhiññā).
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
