Mental Culture

Mental Culture 
Mind is the most powerful weapon (that is how Americans use Mind Culture) in this world.

It can be used for good and bad.
 
In practice it is used as a weapon and psychological warfare in politics and religion.
Secret services (CIA, MI5, FBI, KGB) are examples of the clandestine use of this psychological warfare in the past century.
 
Only in Buddhism or Hindu Culture, it is used for benevolence. 

Christianity (fear of god) and Muslim (coercion to inculcate fear and conversion) religions use this fear psychosis for expansion of their control.
 
One need not fear but develop the mental culture of Metta from an early age.
 
But what is promoted is Hate Culture.
 
The tolerance vanishes with this psychosis.
 
One should have the freedom not to be indoctrinated by any pseudo-religion.

Metta Meditation is something that everybody (it takes the fear psychosis out of your mind) can practice.
I prefer the Moment Meditation.
 
There is a caveat here.
One should not practice these mental techniques in old age without a suitable meditation master.
One might end up psychologically deranged or broken down. I have seen several in my life.
 
Ajan Chach (in the past) and Ajan Brakmavaso (current) are good exponents (guides).

Ajan Brakmavanso to his credit has many simple books in English. His talent is that he can put very difficult context in very simple words using a simile. There is nobody to match him currently.
Meditation culture needs hard and strenuous practice.
 
One cannot master this in a weekend course.
 
If somebody is doing academic work “Vissusdhi Magga” is a colossal text. That is the only book I do not possess. 
One need only one or most two to three techniques depending on the personality.
 
For me “Dhamma-Pada”, the small volume with 400 odd verses is adequate as an introduction. Even from that I do use not more than 10 verses for insight.
The Pali word for "Insight" is “Vipassana”, which is being adopted by Buddhist practitioners of meditation.
I prefer the term “Mindfulness Meditation”.
I go, little further to “Moment Meditation”, which is Mindful presence every wakeful moment of living (except one is in dream state of sleeping).

There are different mental cultures from "Mediums" to "Channels" to "Insight Meditation".
 
Last is the most difficult.
 
There is a lot to pick but one needs a proper Meditation Master to guide one through.