user3704: I'm a spiritual aspirant who likes to practice meditation to attain the ultimate goal of nirvana or moksha. The trouble is I've read too many differing doctrines and theories regarding epistemology of the soul and spiritual science.
Firstly, the Hindu doctrine advocates the existence of soul as defined by the scriptures/vedas. So, any meditation along these lines (such as Patanjali yoga sutras, Ramakrishna society, etc.) will mostly involve concentration on at least an object. I've practiced patanjali style of dharana-dhyana-samadhi meditation briefly in the past.
On the other hand, I've also read about the Vipassana and Buddhist doctrines, having already done a 10 day vipassana course in the past. This view is diemetrically opposite to the former, as it clearly denies the existence of a permanent self. More importantly, it also says there is no absolute Brahman or God, so meditation along these lines will involve NOT having any mental objects including a brahman.
Now, as a spiritual aspirant, I'm TOTALLY CONFUSED! I just don't know what kind of meditation to perform. As far as faith is concerned, I have faith in both - I have read the vedas and found them to be full of truth. And at the same time I don't find anything wrong with Buddha's teachings either.
But as regards meditation, this has caused me a dilemma! Request advanced practitioners with experience here to suggest me what to do.
NOTE: I'd practiced Anapanasati during my Vipassana course which was very helpful and tranquil experience. However, the patanjali style of meditation was also equally beneficial.

user295: The root evil in these types of view points / perceptions / notions is the view point / perception / notion itself (See: Skandha). This perception off Sanna creates fabrication by reacting.
When you put aside perception about self / karma relate views, then by this you are liberated from this fabrication (karmic formation) related to these view. Developing a perception off no self can be conducive to dissolve ego but also can be a hindrance as this can lead to clinging to the view. So you have to let go of this also.
Hindu techniques can take you upto the lever that there is neither perception nor perception and with some residual sensations (called Passadhi in Buddhism). Buddhism deals even eradicating the last residual bit off perception and sensations and to there you can have very mild for of clinging.
As with both Hindu and Buddhism the breath is the body conditioner. In the Pranayama you control the breath to created desired effects on the body and life. These could be extreme pleasantness of even very tranquil feelings. In the Buddhism version of Breath meditation there are 16 stages out off which the 1st 4 deals with calming the bodily fabrication as opposed to creating new bodily fabrications. By calming the bodily fabrication also you get tranquillity but this is born out of the process of calming as well as dissolving unwholesome fabrication than creating fabrications. In Buddhism there are 3 evil roots or poisons: loba, dosa and moha. Dosa generally creates uneasy feeling but based on loba and moha (action based on perception) can create Piti and Passadhi respectively. (See: 7 factors of enlightenment). So the road the Patanjali / Vedic system and Buddhism is taking are different roads.

user1109: A concrete, substantial self implies inherent existence. Inherent existence is the lens of delusion through which we naturally view the world. Buddhism teaches dependent origination, which helps free you from this root delusion. 
To believe in the Hindu scriptures, you have to rely on faith. Buddhism's principles become self-evident through honest introspection, not faith.
The purpose of meditation is to free beings from suffering, at least from a Mahayana Buddhist perspective. If you are still clinging to cyclical existence, this ultimate end seems impossible as you are still heavily under the spell of the root delusion.

3704: <p>I'm a spiritual aspirant who likes to practice meditation to attain the ultimate goal of nirvana or moksha. The trouble is I've read too many differing doctrines and theories regarding epistemology of the soul and spiritual science.</p>

<p>Firstly, the Hindu doctrine advocates the existence of soul as defined by the scriptures/vedas. So, any meditation along these lines (such as Patanjali yoga sutras, Ramakrishna society, etc.) will mostly involve concentration on at least an object. I've practiced patanjali style of dharana-dhyana-samadhi meditation briefly in the past.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I've also read about the Vipassana and Buddhist doctrines, having already done a 10 day vipassana course in the past. This view is diemetrically opposite to the former, as it clearly denies the existence of a permanent self. More importantly, it also says there is no absolute Brahman or God, so meditation along these lines will involve <strong>NOT</strong> having any mental objects including a <em>brahman</em>.</p>

<p>Now, as a spiritual aspirant, I'm TOTALLY CONFUSED! I just don't know what kind of meditation to perform. As far as faith is concerned, I have faith in both - I have read the <code>vedas</code> and found them to be full of truth. And at the same time I don't find anything wrong with Buddha's teachings either.
But as regards meditation, this has caused me a dilemma! Request advanced practitioners with experience here to suggest me what to do.</p>

<p><strong>NOTE:</strong> I'd practiced Anapanasati during my Vipassana course which was very helpful and tranquil experience. However, the patanjali style of meditation was also equally beneficial.</p>
 295: <p>The root evil in these types of view points / perceptions / notions is the view point / perception / notion itself (See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha" rel="nofollow">Skandha</a>). This perception off Sanna creates fabrication by reacting.</p>

<p>When you put aside perception about self / karma relate views, then by this you are liberated from this fabrication (karmic formation) related to these view. Developing a perception off no self can be conducive to dissolve ego but also can be a hindrance as this can lead to clinging to the view. So you have to let go of this also.</p>

<p>Hindu techniques can take you upto the lever that there is neither perception nor perception and with some residual sensations (called Passadhi in Buddhism). Buddhism deals even eradicating the last residual bit off perception and sensations and to there you can have very mild for of clinging.</p>

<p>As with both Hindu and Buddhism the breath is the body conditioner. In the Pranayama you control the breath to created desired effects on the body and life. These could be extreme pleasantness of even very tranquil feelings. In the Buddhism version of Breath meditation there are 16 stages out off which the 1st 4 deals with calming the bodily fabrication as opposed to creating new bodily fabrications. By calming the bodily fabrication also you get tranquillity but this is born out of the process of calming as well as dissolving unwholesome fabrication than creating fabrications. In Buddhism there are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons_(Buddhism)" rel="nofollow">3 evil roots or poisons</a>: loba, dosa and moha. Dosa generally creates uneasy feeling but based on loba and moha (action based on perception) can create Piti and Passadhi respectively. (See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Enlightenment" rel="nofollow">7 factors of enlightenment</a>). So the road the Patanjali / Vedic system and Buddhism is taking are different roads.</p>
 1109: <p>A concrete, substantial self implies inherent existence. Inherent existence is the lens of delusion through which we naturally view the world. Buddhism teaches dependent origination, which helps free you from this root delusion. </p>

<p>To believe in the Hindu scriptures, you have to rely on faith. Buddhism's principles become self-evident through honest introspection, not faith.</p>

<p>The purpose of meditation is to free beings from suffering, at least from a Mahayana Buddhist perspective. If you are still clinging to cyclical existence, this ultimate end seems impossible as you are still heavily under the spell of the root delusion.</p>
