I don't consider it mumbo-jumbo. But I feel it doesn't fit well with my Western mindset: it costs a lot of time, and is that really the best way to spend that time?
I'd rather go out and walk, and think about problems I want to solve. Or use the time to get something done.
A lot of time? I'd say 30 minutes a day (consistently) is enough to get significant benefits. And after all, don't we all easily waste 30 minutes a day or things which really don't contribute much to our lives? Say, browse reddit or watch a TV show. Personally, I've found that trying to meditate in the middle of the day, even late at night, when I'm all "wired" from/during work, or just everyday life, is hard. What I found way easier to stick to is meditate first thing in the morning, only after going to the bathroom. At this point, if you're like me, you're the least anxious / stressed / wired or however you want to call it, and it's way easier to justify spending 30 minutes just being present and quiet. Any other time of the day and it feels like "I don't have time for this", even if I just wasted 30 or 60 minutes procrastinating (or I know I'm about to).
I need to get up way too early, get myself and my children dressed and fed, and commute to work. In the evening it's commute back, eat, get kids to bed, do chores, and then there's about two hours of free time / social things / time to interact with my wife.
So about a quarter of available time.
I would be a bit more relaxed, I know, it might have other benefits. But not enough, I think.
"You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day -- unless you're too busy. Then you should sit for an hour."
While I don't think it's necessary to sit an hour every day, it does inspire me. In my experience, if you meditate every day for a few weeks/months, you will start feeling more 'grounded'. You'll be more calm in most situations. You will be chasing external happiness less, and just be more content with being. It's pretty hard to describe, but to me, it seems like a good thing.
Zen is a form of Buddhism. Buddhism is interesting and many of the things is says are wise, but ultimately it sees life as suffering and its aim is to reduce suffering.
As interesting as it is, I come from a culture that is too different. No matter how futile it ultimately is, I want to _achieve things_. Being at peace with life feels good but is ultimately not enough.
Have you looked into Stoicism? It's got a lot of the Buddhist elements of learning to accept the present while also focusing on achievement. I think of it in some ways as a Western-friendly mindfulness approach. A Guide to the Good Life [1] is a great book on the subject, and in the past has helped me be more effective in life, while also being happier. I've also heard good things about The Obstacle Is the Way [2].
Marcus Aurelius has been on my reading list for years, but he never got to the top of the list. Maybe it's time to read something on this subject, like one of your suggestions, thanks!
It's true, the Buddha taught the cessation of suffering. But he said to do it by really understanding what's going on. You can achieve things either way. But you might choose to achieve different things if you have more insight into the nature of reality.
It sounds like you suffer if you don't achieve things. Nothing in Buddhism says that you shouldn't achieve anything if that is your nature. The purpose of Buddhism isn't to become a monk - it's to become happy.
It is notable that Steve Jobs was a Buddhist and seriously considered becoming a monk. His Buddhist teacher recommended that he continue with his computers.
I feel the same. I have a 6 month old and 2 year old. I'm an only child and when I was young I had hour and hours (especially in school holidays) to sit, read, play on my computer and think.
Now I have a couple of hours spare a day. I work for about 8.5 hrs and sometimes spend a bit of time in the even programming but mainly find time to exercise/see friends and wife/read or watch TV. It seems to improve as the children get older. I've enjoyed meditating and yoga in the past and I think I will do more in the future, but I also find things like playing an instrument, programming, walking outside to be equally helpful.
I'd say playing an instrument or walking both are nearly equivalent to meditation, because with the former you're clearing your mind and focusing on playing, and the latter you're clearing your mind as you expend energy walking while looking at and enjoying nature (or at least that's what walking does for me). They seem to have similar effects to when I have meditated (very infrequently, so YMMV) in the past.
Start with a 9 minute track on your lunch break. You ca find 9 minutes. Part of the battle for all of us is doing it when we would rather do something else.
Well, downtime can be valuable. When I think about problems all my waking time, I get kind of burned out. So sitting quietly and just breathing, in that situation, is actually more valuable than thinking. It's kind of like having a nice bath or sauna.
Siddhartha Guatama (sp?) used to meditate while walking.
I think the idea in the end is, the mind is a tool. If you spend time developing the tool you'll get better results out of it when you're not spending time developing it.
So even if you could use that thirty minutes to do something else, you might, in the end, be able to get more done, with a more sharply honed (clearer) mind.
That being said, is it right for you? I have no idea.
Meditation is not limited to strictly sitting indian style in a dark quiet room. Find your own style. If taking a walk calms you down then do that. If you like laying on your back and staring at the stars, then do that. Don't rely too much on how others tell you you should do it
I have a stationary exercise bike in my basement. I ride it for 20-30 minutes almost every day. While I'm riding, I close my eyes and meditate, mostly just focusing on my breathing. I get my cardio and my meditation handled in one shot.
It's not the time aspect. It's that being type B is already a liability enough in corporate America. Making myself even further away from the "type A" end of the spectrum would harm my career even more. Sad.
I'd rather go out and walk, and think about problems I want to solve. Or use the time to get something done.