C C C:
More cushion hours. More, more, more, more, more....
Progress, strive, work. Just keep working. Work, work, work, work, work...
New technique, a bit of coaching and instruction, check in with Dho, diagnose, then more, more ,work.
Cycle for a few weeks, months, maybe a year. Each cycle sits you back where you were. Maybe you climb up another level every decade or so. It's like an Escher drawing with never ending levels. There's always another level, so you must keep working.
If Life is set up so that everyone has the potential to suffer, ... and yet... you think you're more powerful than Life?
You're going to conquer Life?
Life will squash you whenever it wants. It will snuff itself out in you whenever it chooses. Life decides when you're gone, not you.
But you think by adding more cushion hours you can beat Life? You think you're more powerful than Life?
Do you ever give up?
Cheers!
Yes, post whatever came after 4th path (MCTB paradigm), don't really have an official sitting time, don't really sit at all to be honest, don't have any drive to get anywhere, don't have that many urges to work, work, work, just do things when triggered to, cause and effect. No comment on cycles, not sure I notice any cycling but who knows, I'm not looking that much anymore. But what I called 'practice', the observing, contemplation, analysing, letting go, simply watching, recognising, pattern recognition , is now simply what gets triggered more than not triggered, and its not really seen as 'practice' but what the brain is more and more conditioned to do. not give emphasis, nor conceive of anything, simply by paying attention (which sort of insinuates effort via the word 'paying', but really it's just cause and effect, it just happens due to outside and inside triggers, no stressing, no layer of effort involved.)
I added a shit load of cushion hours over the years, and I now don't sit at all, unless on the toilet. I think to some degree, escape velocity was needed to get where i currently find myself, wherever that may be. And it is not bad at all. I'm very ok with life squashing me, as it doesn't seem like there is much in the way of actual free will. Just cause and effect.
nick