Cool sutta, Katy. It is interesting to read it from an actual freedom doctrinal mindset, as I see that there is still a monk once all of this is done, all of the pulling down and not building up.
There is still a monk after 'done what needs to be done'!
Practice notes:
Woke up this morning and the first mindful breath was an out breath. Started to look for the pleasant sensation in the nasal cavity of the cool morning air. lay in (it is sunday after all) and didn't get out of bed until I was in a pleasant mood.
Been finding that happiness (whether a neutral type, or a more mildly stirring variety) has it's own momentum. All I have to do is remember that I am allowed to be happy. Being happy is OK right now. The mind comes back to the air and the breath and the mild soft pleasantness that can be subtly found there and the mood drifts back towards happy (ish).
Even telling the kids off is not really bothering me for long, infact there is a authority in my voice and a tendency not to get emotionally upset as a deep level. I can get back to happy (ish) within a few minutes. Even disagreements with the Mrs only knock me sideways for perhaps 20 mins, and don't last as I quickly judge that NOTHING is worth getting upset about, and if it's too late for that, NOTHING is worth staying upset about.
Which brings me to my big revelation; I think the key to making the
progress of insight work with this AF stuff (for a pre path noob like me) is all about adding HAPPY to the first line of all the instructions.
HAPPILY observe all the myriad of sensations that make up the bodymind
HAPPILY notice to all again now
HAPPILY go through what ever unpleasantness that arises
HAPPILY keep doing that.
EiS's suggestion is really good; work at spreading the pleasant feeling through out the awareness, keeping the happy going all the time, not just on the cushion.
I've been contemplating (via a sticky note on my computer!) the seven factors of enlightenment.
Mindfulness
Investigation of truth
Energy
Happiness
Relaxation
Concentration
Equanimity.
And summarise them like this into an AF manifesto/creed;
When we are aware of our sensate experience (mindful) we detect pleasurable aspects of it (happiness-for me it is triggered by the touch of the air on the skin). When something disturbs us we investigate why and what has dragged us away from the pleasant feelings (investigation of truth), we find out as quickly as possible and do what we can (energy) to get back to the sense of
happiness. As we built the neural pathways that form this into a habit, when chill out (relaxation) and don't stress about stuff in life (equanimity), we become really good at being in the here and now (concentration). Do this enough and we have got our shit together (enlightenment)