Advice on practice notes?

Hi folks, I've been active on the DhO for a while but stopped posting practice notes when I found I was unable to avoid getting into a lot of content and imagery while writing. It's just the way I write, I don't have any problem with it otherwise but I'm looking for some advice on how people on KFD would present their own accurate practice notes. I've read the journals of others on here and see many different styles, but what I'm looking for is advice on accurately describing what occurs during practice.

I'm approaching the Dharma from a technique-based standpoint, I admire the teachings of the Buddha but have no time for the dogma, bickering and refusal to discuss attainment so prevalent in most online communities. I admire the "hardcore Dharma" movement but do not consider myself to be a part of it. My background has been in Western magick and yoga but I consider myself a beginner in the study of the Dharma, although I believe I can make a claim to having attained Stream-Entry with some degree of certainty. If making such a claim is unacceptable without evidence on this site, I apologise and will gladly state my case, or demonstrate via practice notes. All the best!

"I believe I can make a claim to having attained Stream-Entry with some degree of certainty. If making such a claim is unacceptable without evidence on this site, I apologise and will gladly state my case, or demonstrate via practice notes. All the best!"

Hi Tommy,

Good to see you here.

Nadav's practice notes are usually the most cited as being the best format for reporting your practice here in your own thread.
kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/thread/40...dav's+practice+notes

I am familiar with your posts at the DhO and am aware of what you have described about your practice. But as you have indicated that you are open to demonstrate your practice in your own thread without claiming anything, I reckon that is what you should do. Regardless of whether it is true or not that you have gotten stream entry, I think Kenneth wants to keep this place free of anyone being able to claim attainments or even nanas/jhanas without showing first through their own practice notes thread that they have walked the talk. This is more to stop people scripting, claiming the wrong things, and to maintain some sort of control over the probelms that come with people claiming things without showing what they are truly experiencing (through their own practice notes thread or talking with Kenneth)

Basically, descriptions are kept to the bare nitty gritty non-speculative phenomenological descriptions as they are the descriptions that other yogis can really relate and give helpful advice to. Once yogis have been describing their practice for some time or when Kenneth gives the ok, then names are given to experiences like jhana, fruitions, nanas etc.

Looking forward to reading about your practice!!
Nice to have you here, Tommy!



Nick

Cheers Nick, I completely respect Kenneth's stance on this and consider it to be a positive thing since I've seen first-hand how easy it is to misrepresent, or misunderstand what's happening. That's been part of my "back to basics" approach, I'm dumping any ideas of what's gone before and just going for the here and now. 1st or 4th path, I'm past the point of caring and just sticking to practice. I'll check that thread out in the meantime until I start a thread, thanks again for your input!