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Why so dismissive? Religious or feel-good benefits aside from the 100-hour regimen, the guys deserves kudos merely for sticking with the exercise to its conclu

Why so dismissive? Religious or feel-good benefits aside from the 100-hour regimen, the guys deserves kudos merely for sticking with the exercise to its conclusion. Even without the discomfort, sitting/standing/whatever for 10 hours a day doing nothing physically takes some dedication. I find his experience amazing on so many levels, and I am gracious for such a intimate account of that experience (I read the full-on article he references).

hnriot 14y ago
* the guys deserves kudos merely for sticking with the exercise to its conclusion why? If I pierce my scrotum a hundred times should I get kudos? No of course not, just doing something uncomfortable for no reason isn't admirable. Meditation is great for some people, and a total waste of time for others. Each to their own, but let's not pat anyone on the back for it.
- gee_totes 14y ago
  I would totally give you kudos for piercing your scrotum a hundred times. From the people I know in the body modification community, genital modification can be a very spiritual experience. Also, think of the crazy rush that you would get from the first piercing, when your body is changed forever, till the end of the hundred-piercing ritual. That would absolutely be something worth blogging about.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- SageRaven 14y ago
  There's a difference between doing something harmful to yourself repeatedly for shits and giggles, and at your own discretion, and voluntarily following something through to its conclusion when somebody else plans the exercise for you. Perhaps the subtle distinction is only in my own head, but I do believe there is one. The dude doesn't deserve a pat on the back for the meditation itself. If he had been fasting, following a running/swimming program, studying go/baduk life-and-death problems, or playing guitar exercises for 10 days, and he stuck with it to the end and documented it similarly, I feel he would still deserve kudos. Giving one's undivided attention to a new and uncomfortable activity, 10 hours a day for 10 days, is a challenge for most people. Hell, I'm lucky if I can give up coffee or power drinks for 10 straight days. The 2 or three times I completed a 24-hour fast, I felt some sense of accomplishment. And keeping up with some kind of exercise routine? Forget about it. And that's why I found his story so layered and interesting. It's not just about the meditation (which was interesting in its own right), but about his dedication, and his privilege, and his turning his mind's eye inward. Berate him (or me) if you will. You said it best: to each their own.
agentultra 14y ago
Because in his title, premise, and conclusion about the experience he alludes to his acquisition of special knowledge. It's the language of the charlatan. Meditation for one hundred hours or one thousand does nothing else but prove you can endure it. To which I say: big, freaking deal. I made it through a 36 hour martial arts retreat where we practiced the same kata over and over again in between hours-long meditation sessions. You know what I learned? That I was physically capable of such a feat. No inner peace here and if I did see shit it was because I hadn't slept for two days and was exhausting myself. You know what... it was kind of like a cult. They wanted me to believe that there were mystical forces at work and that I was tapping into them. Why else would you endure such harsh treatment than for the promise of some great insight, access to special knowledge, or powers no one else has? What does not looking others in the eye and abstaining from masturbation do for you? Nothing. Who makes up these stupid rules then? Oh. Right. A human being. The author does mention not buying into the Buddhist beliefs that were impressed upon eir by the organization running the center... but that doesn't seem to stop the author from offering eir own.

hnriot 14y ago

* the guys deserves kudos merely for sticking with the exercise to its conclusion why? If I pierce my scrotum a hundred times should I get kudos? No of course not, just doing something uncomfortable for no reason isn't admirable. Meditation is great for some people, and a total waste of time for others. Each to their own, but let's not pat anyone on the back for it.

gee_totes 14y ago
I would totally give you kudos for piercing your scrotum a hundred times. From the people I know in the body modification community, genital modification can be a very spiritual experience. Also, think of the crazy rush that you would get from the first piercing, when your body is changed forever, till the end of the hundred-piercing ritual. That would absolutely be something worth blogging about.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
SageRaven 14y ago
There's a difference between doing something harmful to yourself repeatedly for shits and giggles, and at your own discretion, and voluntarily following something through to its conclusion when somebody else plans the exercise for you. Perhaps the subtle distinction is only in my own head, but I do believe there is one. The dude doesn't deserve a pat on the back for the meditation itself. If he had been fasting, following a running/swimming program, studying go/baduk life-and-death problems, or playing guitar exercises for 10 days, and he stuck with it to the end and documented it similarly, I feel he would still deserve kudos. Giving one's undivided attention to a new and uncomfortable activity, 10 hours a day for 10 days, is a challenge for most people. Hell, I'm lucky if I can give up coffee or power drinks for 10 straight days. The 2 or three times I completed a 24-hour fast, I felt some sense of accomplishment. And keeping up with some kind of exercise routine? Forget about it. And that's why I found his story so layered and interesting. It's not just about the meditation (which was interesting in its own right), but about his dedication, and his privilege, and his turning his mind's eye inward. Berate him (or me) if you will. You said it best: to each their own.

agentultra 14y ago

Because in his title, premise, and conclusion about the experience he alludes to his acquisition of special knowledge. It's the language of the charlatan. Meditation for one hundred hours or one thousand does nothing else but prove you can endure it. To which I say: big, freaking deal. I made it through a 36 hour martial arts retreat where we practiced the same kata over and over again in between hours-long meditation sessions. You know what I learned? That I was physically capable of such a feat. No inner peace here and if I did see shit it was because I hadn't slept for two days and was exhausting myself. You know what... it was kind of like a cult. They wanted me to believe that there were mystical forces at work and that I was tapping into them. Why else would you endure such harsh treatment than for the promise of some great insight, access to special knowledge, or powers no one else has? What does not looking others in the eye and abstaining from masturbation do for you? Nothing. Who makes up these stupid rules then? Oh. Right. A human being. The author does mention not buying into the Buddhist beliefs that were impressed upon eir by the organization running the center... but that doesn't seem to stop the author from offering eir own.