Bob Sacramento:
thanks DW much appreciated.
A question on my practice. Pre A&P and joining the DhO I was doing concentration meditation. I was basically a newbie focusing on the breath and I became good at it – yet unsure about Jhanas but I think I attained the first, very unsure about the second. Anyway I had little to no knowledge on the 3C or anything else that is in the MCTB.
Since the event I have been reading through the MCTB and I feel like I have been 'dumped' somewhere in the middle of it. Should I, as I am in the DN now, try to get to EQ from here by noting or concentration meditation? Or should I go back and study the 3C and sort of do everything over again but do it by the book? Mind & Body etc.
What would your suggestion be?
My goal is to make the DN as short as possible
[ edit: problems with formulation and spelling – sign of DN? ;]
hi Bob,
Just a few suggestions.
In dark night, don't think about "good" or "bad" meditation. Just meditation. So its important to meditate and stick with it, which normally means keeping to a consistent meditation schedule, such as the same time every day. Do it no matter how pointless or unsuccessful it feels. Just see it as something you do, like brushing your teeth.
A lot of the anxiety in the DN is self-perpetuating.You think, ahh shit, I am in the dark night, this makes you anxious, and then the anxiety makes you anxious, and so on. Perhaps you find it hard to concentrate at work because you spend a lot of time thinking about the DN, meditation, and where you are now (at a guess).
So stop thinking so much about this shit! Take a step back, and try to go back to doing what you used to enjoy yourself. And enjoy yourself!
As to where to go from here, well, a tricky one. Why do you need to go anywhere? Life is just as it is. It's a cliche, but life is a journey. Enjoy the moment. I appreciate that isn't super helpful. But you aren't going to solve any problems overnight. Just meditate, take a step back, go to the gym, drink some wine, don't make practice and the dharma a big deal. And things will settle down over time. But they won't if you obsess about it!
also, these podcasts are pretty good - there is one on dukkha nanas which might be good to listen.
http://thehamiltonproject.blogspot.co.uk/p/hamilton-project-podcasts.html