| | Firstly thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to consider this. It’s a bit long but I’m not sure how to ask more concisely. I’m almost finished reading MCTB and have was watching the interesting cheetah house videos. I’m also close to starting 3rd year of an MSc in Mindfulness studies.
I’m trying now to consider what is unique or actually being prescribed practically, in what is being advocated in MCTB and on this site? I’ll summarize some of my understanding and then ask for advice on the rest. Perhaps the 1st bit, is changing mind-set that enlightenment is actually possible and achievable. There are practices that can actually be mastered and there are recognizable stages that can be worked towards in a goal orientated approach. This certainly contradicts what is advocated on my MSc training, but interest’s me a lot. I’ve often noticed how my practice can vary from intense, focused, blissful, to unfocused or impossible to focus, to simply meandering regardless of effort. If feels as though there “should” be potential wisdom from someone more experienced that offers perspective and evaluation, rather than soupy statements like, “whatever happens, happens” and being ok with it. I have a strong desire to know truth and maintain hope that someone with experience can say something specific on it. Frank and open discussion of experience in this regard is useful.
There are various maps and what is necessary for growth at one stage is different than at another. Ie. Cultivating access concentration and being able to focus at one point, is a useful effort, whereas in some dark night stages attention will be wider and less focused and it is futile trying to narrow again focus. There will be states of peak experience and these are likely followed by disillusionment and perhaps fear and other things that come with the dark night, which can be seen as a potential sign of progress and worked through, rather than being blindsided by this and slipping into self judgment or worse. In MCTB it says most people interested enough to read this far are probably at least dark night yogi’s and will continue to cycle through these stages and so should be aware of this and work to get stream entry.
There is a focus on sticking with the instructions and observing sensations, rather than getting caught in psychologising about content.
In considering timing, Ingram advocates something like a time focused approach, preferring to do relatively a lot in a shorter period, so retreats or intensive practice is considered more useful than the same number of hours spaced out in a longer/more regular timetable. He compares this to pushing a car and getting momentum going.
Now! Where does this leave me…Ingram mentions MBSR type of approaches and makes something of a comparison between these and hard-core Dharma practice to kindergarten and college. I wonder if it can be gauged where MBSR or MBCT aim at within these maps, or considering their potential in relation to a kindergarten to college spectrum. I presume a lot of it is down to the actual practitioner and their efforts and many factors. I think Ingram mentions that people can attain these paths by yoga and tai chi and I’m not sure which other practices other than Insight meditation practice. How much does choice of technique matter? In practical terms what is the path? Don’t psychologise, put in the effort, do retreats, be aware of the maps and ?
I’ve done a number of Goenka retreats in the past, also some Kryia yoga. I’ve often found my base practice to be some form of breath awareness, sometimes with self enquiry, asking who am I and examining a sense of subject and object. On the Mindfulness MSc I am doing there has been typical MBSR practices of breath and body awareness, quite a focus on compassion practices such as Meta, Tonglen and others, and some insight practices such as backtracking, choiceless awareness and noticing the arising of thought and the subtle thought and identification with it. The training touchs on the examination of self and no-self. Connected (loosely) to the training is Lucid dream practice, which I have often had a practice of and consider it a very interesting investigation into reality. I have also used noting practice in the last while. If I am to estimate how my experience relates to the maps, I’d guess I’ve crossed the A+P event and had aspects of dark night experience. After that I’m not sure how to apply the maps. What now? I hope to get to my 1st retreat in years later this year. Even then, what do I take from all this? On retreat I will follow instructions and get where I get anyway… In my daily practice its hard to know how the maps apply. I think I went through a Dark night period of a couple of months a while ago, where, even when attention was very present, I had a sense of “yeah…now what…whats the point anyway”. I still get this at times, however more often there is enough equanimity.
So if you’ve read so far the questions I’m putting out are, what is actually suggested to realise truth?
Is it particular technique? Investigate the sensations making up my reality, be this through Goenka like body scanning, reflecting upon the 3 characteristics in a koan like manor, or perhaps many practices may be used skilfully… Is it knowing how experience correlates to the maps and having an idea what to look for?
Is it effort and time spent, i.e. make the time for retreats or up the time of daily practice (which is usually 30-40 mins presently (I have kids and a lot on)). If it’s just practice diligently, I know a lot of people, (myself included at times) who practice very diligently, but might not be progressing in the way discussed here.
A separate but related consideration is that next year I will be doing my thesis on the Mindfulness studies MSc, which may be a research project. I’m considering how I might use the time spent in this, to deepen my own enquiry into the meditative potential, both personally and in a way that might be useful for others…Ingram mentions that the MBSR community’s make claims which are akin to Kindergarten pupils saying there’s no such thing as college, whereas if many of them know of the graduate courses, at least a number of them would be very interested. I’m not doing MBSR, but it overlaps enough. I’m opening to ideas. Such how maps may be related to peoples experience within the training…if any charts of progress can be made. Perhaps looking at peoples peak experiences, what understanding they make of these and where they think their practice is going. Perhaps looking at peoples goals within practice, both goals realised and loftier ones held quietly. Even though on our training there are teachings (liberating in ways) against goal setting and striving. Thanks for reading and considering Patrick |