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Concentration

Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa

Hello DhO,

Upasaka Culadasa is a meditation teacher and former neuroscience professor who has who has done some wonderful writing on meditation practice, especially concentration practice. In particular, he has an excellent series of notes on concentration practice based on the 9 stages of meditation of Master Kamalashila. Personally, I find that they're by far the most precise, detailed, and clear treatment of basic meditation practice that I've read.

I've obtained permission to redistribute some of his writings which are not otherwise easily accessible on the Internet. I'm attaching a number of PDFs to this message which were obtained from from files and messages uploaded to the jhana_insight Yahoo group on which he participates, and from other sources.

I've attached the following as a .zip file (Culadasa.zip)

LightOnMeditationHandout.pdf: An overview of the stages of concentration practice (also available at www.dharmatreasure.com, but reproduced here for convenience)

Plain English - Introduction.pdf, Plain English - Part I.pdf, Plain English - Part II.pdf, Plain English - Part III.pdf: These four PDFs provide a much more detailed treatment of stages 1-6 from LightOnMeditationHandout.pdf, including very precise meditation instructions both for sitting and walking meditation.

Ekaggata.pdf: A discussion of the Pali term Ekaggata, often translated as "single-pointedness" or "unification of mind". From a series of posts to the jhana_insight group in Dec. 2009.

Jhanas.pdf: A discussion of the Jhanas

Meditation and Joy Handout.pdf: A discussion of joy and happiness in meditation. Also includes a comparison between flow (from psychology) and meditative experiences.

Positive Reinforcement.pdf: A note on positive reinforcement in mental training, posted to jhana_insight in Dec. 2009.


I hope people will find these useful. I may add more material later if I find anything.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
Answer
4/4/14 1:06 AM as a reply to Chris G.
Hi Chris, thanks for taking the time and initiative to compile this. I like his style a great deal. Very helpful!

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/5/14 5:30 AM as a reply to Chris G.
Thank you, Chris. These instructions are amazing!

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/5/14 7:52 AM as a reply to Chris G.
Thank you very much emoticon

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/5/14 10:27 AM as a reply to Chris G.
Thanks!

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/6/14 6:17 PM as a reply to Richard Zen.
Hi all

John Yates (Culadasa) has been sick for some time now, at least as of an email update I just received. If you have a metta*** practice it can be a great way to extend gratitude for his presentation of Kamalashila's meditation techniques, for example.


*** Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya's guided metta practice and talk

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/7/14 12:16 AM as a reply to katy steger.
katy steger:

John Yates (Culadasa) has been sick for some time now, at least as of an email update I just received.

Is that so, Katy? Have any further information about this? If necessary, PM me.

I'm acquainted with John, but haven't kept up with him since 2005-6, other than to have come across his website http://dharmatreasure.com/.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/8/14 5:23 AM as a reply to Ian And.
After reading the first page of LightOnMeditationHandout, I was very excited to continue reading. Thank you for sharing, Chris.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/8/14 7:19 PM as a reply to Chris G.
I've been reading the docs, good stuff. I'd be interested in seeing the full version of this talk he may be giving.
Here Comes the Sun: Achieving Awakening Without the Dark Night

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/9/14 5:06 AM as a reply to C P M.
In the document "light on meditation", page four mentions "full-minded awareness is developed, and the attention is more easily sustained on the meditation object for longer periods of time."

Can anyone expand on the meaning of full-minded awareness?

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/9/14 6:17 AM as a reply to old dried leaf.
old dried leaf:
In the document "light on meditation", page four mentions "full-minded awareness is developed, and the attention is more easily sustained on the meditation object for longer periods of time."

Can anyone expand on the meaning of full-minded awareness?


He explains it in detail on P. 6 of "Plain English - Introduction.pdf". I can't give you a better description than his, so I'll just point you there.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/9/14 7:14 AM as a reply to Chris G.
thanks emoticon

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/9/14 7:10 PM as a reply to old dried leaf.
Great stuff, thanks Chris, I've been immersing myself in Culadasa's writings and audio for the last couple of weeks, very clarifying in an unexpected sort of way.
Sorry to hear he is sick katy - will for sure include him in my metta practice.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/20/14 10:11 AM as a reply to Chris G.
Hi Chris

In "Plain English - Part III.pdf", the author says, "The cultivation of Adept Concentration in stages 7 through 10 will be the subject of Part IV.". Do you know if part 4 exists? I can't find it searching the net.

Thanks
C P M

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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4/20/14 6:43 PM as a reply to C P M.
Hi C P M,

No, part IV was never finished, unfortunately. However, Culadasa has a book which is supposed to be published soon which should contain that material, so you can keep an eye out for that if interested.

Chris

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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5/14/14 12:14 PM as a reply to Chris G.
It looks like the upgrade swallowed the attached zip file.

Is there any chance that the file could be reposted, or someone could provide a link? I'd be very grateful.

The "Light on Meditation Handout" alone really had a profound effect on my practice over the last few days, and I'm eager to read more.

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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5/16/14 3:39 AM as a reply to Andrew Mayer.
Hi, hope this is what you were looking for?

RE: Attention and Awareness: Some writings from Upasaka Culadasa
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5/16/14 10:20 AM as a reply to No-Second-Arrow Z.
This was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!