Hi Piers,
With regard to the following:
Piers Mackeown:
It's that bit "your own role in creating these experiences" I find difficult to come to terms with at the moment. Especially, as you suggest, it is coming from the subconscious.
Your reply is not unexpected. Fivebells, once again, had a good response.
To it I would only add that when you are able to begin seeing the motions (actions and interplay) of the mind more acutely in real time (meaning in the present moment, as it is occurring), will be when the subconscious becomes conscious for you. It is only
SUBconscious because you are not yet able to see (be aware of) this movement as it is occurring. It slips by your notice, either because it occurred too quickly, the mind was distracted by something else, or the mind's alertness was dulled. All I can really say is be patient and diligent in your practice and things will begin to gel. Focus on developing your concentration and mindfulness. But most especially mindfulness. Those are the key components to being able to see subconscious movement as it is occurring.
There comes a point at which you begin to "hear yourself think," you suddenly become aware of the subliminal thought streaming through the mind. As fivebells says, you see the intention, which then gives you the power to change it. Even in those moments when you think you aren't paying attention, these movements are still there and able to be seen, and as your mindfulness grows and develops you will begin to see more and more of these kinds of "subconscious" movements. And then you will KNOW the role you play in creating your experience.
Piers Mackeown:
IanAnd:
"too many cooks can spoil the broth."
You are right about that. I think that until I start to develop my own insights that will often be the case. A state of uncertainty.
This reply is also par for the course. It took me a while before I began to have more confidence in my own discernment. (I was always questioning myself and observations. That was a good thing overall because it kept me humble and searching for a valid reason to trust what I was discerning. Being overly confident can be a curse in the same way that too little can be. Because with too much confidence, one can tend to jump too soon to faulty conclusions because he missed something! And then later, he learns he made a mistake.)
As you're developing that confidence in your discernment, don't forget to pay attention to your intuition as it can oftentimes play a corroborative role in getting you to trust your discernment. And use common sense. When something isn't working, mix it up, make some changes and experiment. Considered (i.e. thoughtful) changes and experimentation, that is. This seems to be what you are currently doing by looking into Daniel's MCTB.
Piers Mackeown:
What I liked about the Goenka courses (to begin with) was that his instructions are explicit and there can be no mis-interpretation as to what he is instructing. IMHO anyway. However, when it doesn't give the desired results. Expected results, after years of toiling, then you start to look around...
The impression I'm getting about Goenka (from many people who have practiced using his instruction) is that his course is structured as a kind of "one size fits all" program. Some people have had what they've decided is good success from this and are satisfied, while others have gotten to the "end of the road" and thought: "Is that all there is? I was expecting more!" I suppose it is an individual phenomenon as to which way one ends up.
His training, though, does lay a good foundation for a person like yourself who finds himself needing more in terms of individual assistance in getting over the speed bumps on the way toward a successful practice. And you've got that foundation; I can see it in your replies.
Piers Mackeown:
Did not the Buddha give varying instructions depending on the character or temperament of who he was teaching? Obviously, he had the ability to see this exceptionally well, whereas even very accomplished teachers these days (both in their meditation and teaching abilities) perhaps cannot do likewise.
It may also be that they were not trained (or did not train themselves) to be able to see these things. You have to be a
very good listener to be able to develop that kind of insight. It's not that difficult; it just takes time and practice. The man who first taught me had that kind of ability. It's one of the things I focused on while I was under his tutelage. (Of course, you don't
know that because you never met him, and you, for all intents and purposes, don't know me.)
Piers Mackeown:
As the old saying goes "when the pupil is ready the teacher is there". Maybe I'm just not ready yet....
There's that uncertainty again, raising its ugly head. Yet, have you stopped to consider the reverse? Perhaps you
are ready, and you're just not looking in the right places? Maybe you're seeing the great and vast forest, but are missing the individual trees standing before your eyes (metaphorically speaking) right in front of you?
Piers Mackeown:
But I'll keep on plugging away in the hope that I may not need a dedicated teacher in order to cross the line (SE) or because if I wait until one comes along I might die beforehand.
If that's the only line you wish to cross, that's relatively easy. Yet it seems like an awfully low height to aspire to, when you are capable of going the total distance!
What makes you think you haven't already achieved at least stream entry? Whose definition of this have you been influenced by? Have you read any of the discourses of the Buddha? What did he have to say about this achievement as it is found in his recorded talks? As I recall, he had three criteria for becoming one of his students. And those three criteria could very easily have been translated into an undying gratitude and respect for the Dhamma that he taught, and hence, entry into the stream.
Anyone who sees the truth about not-self (or "without self" as the Pali word is literally translated) even without being continuously aware of it, who sees the frivolity of adhering to religious rites and rituals that are not aimed at making inward changes in the person, and who has developed a confidence in the Buddha and what he had to teach (letting go of doubt), could, in MHO, consider themselves to have reach entry onto the path toward the deathless. (When this occurred with me, I
knew there was nothing in this world that would hold me back from completing this journey. I experienced
samvega and pasada.)
The only person who can say for certain whether or not this (SE) is true for oneself is ONESELF. So, what say you? (Rhetorical question: you don't have to reply publicly. It is for you to know. Others may find out if they get to know you. It's really no one's business but one's own.)
Think about these things, and see what you come up with.
In peace,
Ian