| | Hi DhO Friends,
I've been practicing on and off for a number of years, and in the last week or so have become interested again in concentration practice. So I thought I would start a practice log and see if I can finally develop some real skill in this area.
Goals: I would like to develop a very calm, quiet, yet fully aware mind, in the sense of Kamalashila’s map.
My thought is that, by subduing extraneous mental processes and learning to direct my attention properly, this will give my mind the opportunity to see and comprehend reality in a clearer way, without the distorting lens of self-referential, feeling-fed thoughts and beliefs. When a calm, quiet, clear & aware mind is directed toward reality, "insight" arises. Or really, insight is just seeing the world with such a mind.
I would also like the ability to give rest to the mind in a profound way.
I am not particularly interested in jhanic states at present, but more interested mastering basic concentration skills: calmness & quietude, rest, stability of attention, full awareness. Meditative joy is also appealing. I’m currently inspired by Culadasa’s notes (see his Plain English handouts), which are based on Kamalashila’s map of the stages of concentration. (I’ve read on DhO that Alan Wallace’s book The Attention Revolution is also based on this map, but I haven’t read it.)
Methods: My overarching method is to simultaneously calm the mind and train present-moment attention through nonjudgemental observation of a primary object (the breath). I am experimenting with a set of instructions based on readings and on my own observations of how my mind functions.
I'm not one for blindly following instructions, so simultaneously with this practice I try to understand how my mind works: what mental processes and states exist, how long do they tend to last, what tools are available for modifying them & training the mind. It’s genuinely interesting to me to approach it in this way. So this whole thing is an experiment. I have a set of notes on this which I may post to DhO if I ever really gain some skill at this practice.
Here are my current set of instructions to myself (subject to change):
(1) Stretch the body out a bit, to help make the sitting posture healthy and comfortable (in particular, to make it easier to keep one’s back straight), and also bring the mind into the present.
(2) For a few minutes, sit and observe the mind. Notice what content is in the mind, how calm or agitated it is, what emotions might be active, what ideas it might be grasping at presently. Label and categorize the content coming up now: “Imagining conversations”, “playing music”, “disliking something”, “anticipating events”, etc. Get a clear idea of one’s current mental state.
(3) Set the intention of the practice. Recall what stage of meditation you’ve been working with, what difficulties you’ve encountered recently, and what you need to work on today. Currently, for me there are two intentions: (a) to put down all this mental content and enjoy calming the mind, and (b) to continuously observe the present-moment reality of the breath, calmly and nonjudgementally, for the entire duration of the session.
(3) Bring attention to reality as it is now for a few minutes: the body, breath, the room, sounds. Eyes can be open or closed. Establish attention in the present as opposed to in mental content and allow the mind to settle down a bit.
(4) Closing the eyes, bring attention to the physical sensations associated with breathing. Do not intentionally breath in any particular way, but instead allow the breathing to happen naturally on its own. Begin with the breath at a gross level (wherever breathing is felt — abdomen, chest, throat, nasal passages etc.). Count breaths from one to ten and ten to one a few times. During this counting, as the breath sensations become clearer, narrow one’s attention to the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. When counting begins to interfere with continuous attention to the breath, stop counting. Observe the breath nonjudgementally, putting aside likes and dislikes.
(5) Finally, practice observing the sensations of the breath, in the present moment, continuously and non-judgementally. Do this without desiring to change anything, letting go of likes and dislikes. To the extent possible, let the object be one's entire field of awareness, one's entire universe.
(6) When distractions arise (e.g., the attention becomes lost in mental content), follow the instructions for dealing with distractions below.
This entire set of starting instructions (1)-(4) only takes a few minutes to execute. But I find sometimes during the session it’s useful to go back to them: if the attention is really getting drawn into mental content, a larger, easier target like the entire breath or all of present-moment reality (even with eyes open) can be useful to practice with. The breath at the entrance to the nostrils (or below the nostrils and above the upper lip) tends to be very subtle for me. The more subtle object can be returned to once the mind is better established in paying attention to the grosser object.
When distractions arise, I have these general instructions to follow:
(1) Notice when the attention has wandered. If the distraction was mental in nature, notice what the mental content was. Optionally, thank your mind for becoming aware of this.
(2) Accept the distraction — do not try to get rid of it. If there is an impulse to suppress it, one can instead intentionally experience it fully, even engage in it very briefly, to avoid this impulse.
(3) Relax the mind and body just a bit. Often there is some excitement, tension or agitation associated with distractions. Notice any pleasantness associated with this relaxation.
(4) Gently return the mind to the primary object of attention, without suppressing or fighting anything. Exercise discipline by not indulging in any extraneous thoughts or other mental activity, but instead attending to present-moment reality.
(5) Practice observing the object of attention, in the present moment, continuously and non-judgementally. Do this without desiring to change anything, letting go of likes and dislikes. To the extent possible, let the object be one's entire field of awareness, one's entire universe.
The most essential steps are (2), (4) and (5). Noticing (step (1)) often occurs automatically, so it may be that no effort needs to be put into that. Relaxing (step (3)) can can sometimes be redundant with acceptance (step (2)). So the essential features are to accept, return, and continue observing. In particular, as distractions become more subtle, and the attention is captured only for very short periods of time (less than a single in-breath or out-breath), this set of instructions can itself become a distraction. At that point, just accepting the distraction and continuing with the observation may be more appropriate.
A few additional notes to myself:
In addition to one's focus of attention, there is the underlying mental state. When the mind is tranquil, few extraneous thoughts tend to arise. When the mind is agitated, thoughts, feelings, and impulses arise constantly, sometimes spontaneously and sometimes in long chains. Such mental states are often persistent and do not change immediately.
So, do not despair that the mind is not calm. There is no simple mental action you can use to calm the mental state. Instead, focus on practicing correctly, and the results will unfold on their own.
There are a handful of consciously available mental tools that can be used to manipulate one's mental state. These include objective observation, imagination, intention, attention, and relaxation. Physical factors such as exercise, sleep, and nutrition also affect the mental state. But once you are seated in meditation, the mental tools are most important.
Anyway, I hope to keep this practice log going until I gain some significant skill in this practice. If you've read all this, thanks for your attention and encouragement! |