www.dharmaoverground.org Guest

The Dharma Overground is a resource for the support of hardcore meditation practice. It is a place where everything related to the support of practice may flourish, including where to go on retreats, what techniques may lead to what, an in depth look at the maps of possible states and stages, discussions about how to determine what experience was what, and in general anything that has to do with actually practicing rather than what typically occurs in standard meditation circles.

The Dharma Overground is open and all discussion has moved from the previous Wetpaint site, and the Wiki has just opened to view, but is still under construction. A private message feature is being developed now, and more improvements and expansions are coming as fast as we can get them up. We will work on user home pages next, as well as the specific communities.

In general our basic principles and attitudes favor:

• pragmatism over dogmatism: what works is key, with works generally meaning the stages of insight, the stages of enlightenment, jhanas, etc.
• diligent practice over blind faith: this place is about doing it and understanding for yourself rather than believing someone else and not testing those beliefs out
• openness regarding what the techniques may lead to and how these contrast or align with the traditional models
• person responsibility: you take responsibility for the choices you make and what you say and claim
• a lack of taboos surrounding talking about attainments
• the assumption that the various aspects of meditative development can be mastered in this life
• the spirit of mutual, supportive adventurers on the path rather than rigid student-teacher relationships
• and the notion that the collective wisdom of a group of strong practitioners at various stages and from various traditions and backgrounds is often better than following one guru-type.

There are lots of ways up the mountain, and many interesting skills and insights to develop using many traditions and paths. Make yourself at home. Discover the possibilities of how straightforward, down-to-Earth, and practical the Dharma can be. May all find something here that is of value and contribute to the wisdom represented and conveyed here.

Finding your way around this site

In the Discussion area you'll find a robust and active community of members discussing both the theory and practice of meditation.  You need only sign up for a free account to participate there. If possible, use your real name as your login unless you really need to not be discovered posting on a place like this by someone for whatever reason. This makes things more real-world, which is what this place is about.

For information on the basics of how this new site works and many other things, click the FAQ's tab above.

In the Dharma Wiki section you'll find an exposition of the various foundational principles, concepts, teachings, techniques, & maps that are often referenced here on the Dharma Overground.  This is an amazing resource for new and seasoned practitioners alike.  Check out the Blog where some of our core members post original and thought-provoking articles.  Finally, if you still don't know what the Dharma Overground is about check out the Frequently Asked Questions.