Multiple techniques working together... ?

Stream entry it is then. On one of these forums and in an email I have somewhere Jake suggested a few teachers. I'll look into that and stick with noting for formal practice until I get that worked out.

I agree with Chris.
Another, even shorter term goal could be:

-- I will develop the ability to sit for 40 minutes and stay aware of and note or notice each rise and fall of my abdomen with each breath and of any time the rise and fall stops.

I agree with Chris.
Another, even shorter term goal could be:
-- I will develop the ability to sit for 40 minutes and stay aware of and note or notice each rise and fall of my abdomen with each breath and of any time the rise and fall stops.



-michaelmonson

I suspect that I may be capable of this already. But I'll put it to the test.

I suspect that I may be capable of this already. But I'll put it to the test.

-duane_eugene_miller

If you are right, then, that's pretty good. One of the main goals at first with Mahasi-style vipassana is to first just be able to sit and stay right on the ... rising ... stop ... falling ... stop, etc. -- continuously, without getting lost in thought and losing track of each sequence of each breath. Then, one can get down to noticing more and more detail within those sequences.

When integrating this style into walking or working or whatever should one move attention to the rise and fall of the feet or just keep with the abdomen, or does it matter that much as long as there is noting going on?

When integrating this style into walking or working or whatever should one move attention to the rise and fall of the feet or just keep with the abdomen, or does it matter that much as long as there is noting going on?

-duane_eugene_miller

That's a complicated thing.

Mahasi-instructions I've read are all about retreats in which one is doing the walking meditation, and the sitting meditation, and then in between those noting EVERYTHING -- lifting, pulling, reaching, bending, chewing, etc. Non stop and very intense and very impractical for everyday life between sittings.

However, I think a lot of people who have made great progress away from retreat have figured out (either on their own or with a teacher) how to keep the continuity and momentum of awareness going even while doing normal activities.

For me, though I often (especially for a couple of years ending about a year and a half ago) used to note during in-between activities -- walking, driving, motorcycle riding, etc. I'd notice the feel of the bike or car seat on my butt, the feel of wind on my skin as I walked or rode, I'd note reaching, pulling, opening, stepping etc. when walking around the office or home or going to the store or the bank. I'm pretty sure all this helped.

However, what was really key for me was finding an anchor of "feeling" either in my chest or abdomen and just to be always aware of change in that one spot. So, there was no noting, exactly, just a constant awareness of tightness, lightness, pain, anxiety, heat, cold, etc. This can be done with any activity -- even while working or talking and with the openness to being aware of as much detail there and elsewhere (as more comes up) with an open choice-less approach to it all. After a while I'd start to see relationships between thoughts, feelings, and mental images that brought insight while off the cushion. And, for sure, equanimity.

I do this practice all the time still. Well, a lot of the time. Off and on. The motivation does seem to come and go.

edit: just to be clear --- there are a lot of different ideas out there on this and I'm just talking about my experience.

However, what was really key for me was finding an anchor of "feeling" either in my chest or abdomen and just to be always aware of change in that one spot. So, there was no noting, exactly, just a constant awareness of tightness, lightness, pain, anxiety, heat, cold, etc. This can be done with any activity -- even while working or talking and with the openness to being aware of as much detail there and elsewhere (as more comes up) with an open choice-less approach to it all. After a while I'd start to see relationships between thoughts, feelings, and mental images that brought insight while off the cushion. And, for sure, equanimity.



-michaelmonson

Yup, I do this too. It's become second nature. Although not so much picking one spot, just being attentive to body sensations as an anchor, and noticing the interaction between inner images and words, feelings, sensations, etc-- how they coalesce into "emotions" and how "emotions" can be seen as mere coalescences of these elements...

I tried to apply strictly noting today while at work. The first half of the day was a bit frantic as I tried to get into a groove with that style as my primary. I shut down for lunch and then got back at it with a fury. I load trucks mostly so there was a lot of "Lifting, turning, placing" going on, over and over again along with the occasional noting of "hearing, feeling, seeing, walking, breathing" and also making sure to check in with my emotional state (happy/neutral/irritated/bored/fatigued). After 2 hours of this or so (non-stop) my awareness seemed to intensify (colors brighter, could hear multiple conversations going on at the same time - things like that) and I felt very tuned in, calm and wired all at the same time. I noted this and continued with the practice knowing that this was more than likely a temporary state. Eventually fatigue started to get to me and I noted the change into frustration and irritation - trying to see into what they were made of. For the last hour of work I let myself relax and just tried to keep my awareness forward without actively noting but continued to note mental activity when it would arise (remembering, imagining, dreaming etc..).

Overall I can see how this can be a very intense practice. It got really nutty sometimes because I would start to notice to many things to keep up with so I'd just go back to the breath to stabilize. Everything I noted eventually went away. Happiness came and went, boredom came and went, irritation came and went, fatigue came and went etc...

Good stuff. Thanks for the tips, All:)

If you keep this up with momentum and continuity things are going to happen.
Palabra.

Good stuff, Duane. It's good that you noticed your mind getting frustrated/overwhelmed with trying to keep up with the vast range of phenomena available to experience. I think the Buddha likened the frustration of learning concentration to a fish out of water. The mind doesn't usually adjust smoothly to new tasks. Unlike the fish, however, adaptation is possible in less time than it would take to grow a set of lungs

Keep it up, and let us know how it goes.

-Jackson