Best Meditation Advice Ever - Bro. Dharmananda

Summary

February 10, 2023, 21 min

Two pieces of advice from ashram monk Brother Dharmananda: his compassionate answer to a novice asking how to stop sex, and his instruction to remember the last best meditation and start there. The second becomes a technique — Mahamudra, resonant breathing and OM Japa, then inducing remembered deep states in paravastha, a call and response.

In this video

Teaches

Last best meditationParavastha

Discusses

Brother DharmanandaCelibacyHRV ResonanceOM Japa in the ChakrasBliss

Mentions

Brother BimalanandaLow-Idle-StateSitting Very Still (SVS)Superconscious mindMahamudraSetting the tableDo Be Do Be DoAngel exerciseHigher SelfLeft and right brain

Key moments

00:00The best meditative advice, from Brother Dharmananda 01:13A new novice at Dharmananda's mountain retreat 02:13A young monk bursts out: "How do you stop sex?"02:57Dharmananda's answer: sex imprinted over millions of years 04:46The myth of celibacy 05:05Remember your last best meditation and start there 06:00Meditation is often hunting in the dark 06:41Paravastha: soak in the deep state, don't run it over 08:37Turning the advice into practice: start with Mahamudra 09:25Resonant breathing into the low-idle-state 10:21OM into the six chakras, coccyx to medulla 11:23Entering paravastha: recall the deep state calling you today 13:17Don't become active; pull down love, OM, bliss 14:54Deep anticipation and the angel exercise 15:47How to recognize bliss: a tingle that lifts the heart 16:39Induce and feel: call and response with the deep brain 18:07Pull a little at a time to avoid left-brain strain 19:25The woodsman and the hundred strokes before the last