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RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Jeff Lin: Thank you very much for your insight, it certainly cleared things up. I have one follow up question: in your opinion ,what are some useful forms of samatha meditation and if possible, can...
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
I found Leigh Brasington's article "Instructions for Entering Jhana" helpful. He has other articles also. Leigh Brasington on Jhana
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
I found the instructions for breath meditation in Thanissaro's "With each and every breath" very effective for training concentration, especially because of the emphasis on making the breath and...
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
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:
Home » Concentration
FWIW, I come from a Tibetan Buddhist background, albeit a very liberal one, and I found Each and Every Breath easy to assimilate. I am something of a Thanissaro fan boy, though.
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Thanks for transcribing this, Fivebells. I'm putting his talk and your transcription here. "Seeds of Becoming" talk by the monk Thanisarro Try to put aside all your other issues, just focus right...
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Very kind of you, Katy.
RE: Questions from a
Beginner
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Hey DZ, D Z: There are a few downsides to gaining insight [using the Mahasi noting method],... Could you say more about that? D Z: ...but outweighed by the positives, imo. Also the downsides are...
semi
beginner
- how to advance.
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Forum: Dharma Overground Discussion Forum Hi! Lately, I've been getting better at achieving the tingling in the forehead (1st jhana?) (within 10 minutes) 1) is that the first jhana? Should I try to...
Beginner
requests practical advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Forum: Dharma Overground Discussion Forum Apologies in advance if I'm asking fo excessive hand-holding. By inclination I'm something of a "tell me what to do and I'll do it" sort of man. My...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
John Coetze: I know vipassana is not necessarily supposed to be pleasant, and I'm wondering if the "no pain no gain" adage applies here. it seems that the vipassana approaches most used here:...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
Beoman Claudiu Dragon Emu Fire Golem: ...but culadasa here hints that it does not have to be so (that there are other methods that are more pleasant): And don't forget CCC who hinted at this all...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
Thanks for your response, Beoman. I was thinking along similar lines. I hope the first option could be a skillful way of blending samatha and vipassana, building a stable and relatively comfortable...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
Hey 3Cs, Having read a lot of your posts I seem to recognise a kindred spirit in you... someone who's widely read and relatively free from any particular conditioning, but full of opinions that...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
Hopefully I'm not too full of opinions. My aim to to map out in advance how I think I can do this whole process without 1. wasting years in meditation (because I see that this is a distinct...
RE:
Beginner
Seeking Advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Stream Entry
C C C: I get critisized a lot in here for being all theory and no practice. Not saying anything about what or how you practice, this might be because many of your posts[1] criticize others or their...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
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:
Home » Concentration
A tip which I've seen Daniel give, though I've never been able to put it to good use, is: in the gap between the in and out breath, focus on the sensations associated with sitting...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Nad A.: Background: I'm totally new to meditation, trying to start for the purpose of making 'actualism' practice easier, via increased mental clarity and having some interesting experiences like...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Bruno Loff: A tip which I've seen Daniel give, though I've never been able to put it to good use, is: in the gap between the in and out breath, focus on the sensations associated with sitting...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Ian And: Nad A.: Background: I'm totally new to meditation, trying to start for the purpose of making 'actualism' practice easier, via increased mental clarity and having some interesting...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Bruno Loff: A tip which I've seen Daniel give, though I've never been able to put it to good use, is: in the gap between the in and out breath, focus on the sensations associated with sitting...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Well, I never had much luck with concentration meditation, my experience was and is that my mind is always very noisy, not only during the gaps but also during the breath. I am still unable to...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Bruno Loff: Well, I never had much luck with concentration meditation, my experience was and is that my mind is always very noisy, not only during the gaps but also during the breath. I am still...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Nad A.: Is there some other kind of meditation that you practice and/or that led you to "stream entry"? I'm not bothered about the means, I'm just thinking of aiming for a more malleable mind. All...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Nad A.: Is there some other kind of meditation that you practice and/or that led you to "stream entry"? Yeah, it's called mahasi noting. Nad A.: I'm not bothered about the means, I'm just thinking...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Beoman Claudiu Dragon Emu Fire Golem: i'd recommend reading through Mastering the Core Teachings of Buddha, if you want a more malleable mind via stream entry. it covers everything ya need to know...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Bruno Loff: Yeah, it's called mahasi noting. Mahasi Noting: [...]concentrating generally on the breath when sitting[...] What's the difference between noting the breath and concentrating on the...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Nad A.: I don't really want stream entry much, as I said, I don't even know what that is. An advanced book like MCTB doesn't seem like it'd be right for me. Not only do I not have a clue what all...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
[quote="Nad A."][quote="Ian And"] The purpose of mindfulness of breathing is to be mindful of the breathing process at ALL times, not just during the in-breath and the out-breath, but it also...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Ian And: [quote="Nad A."][quote="Ian And"] The purpose of mindfulness of breathing is to be mindful of the breathing process at ALL times, not just during the in-breath and the out-breath, but it...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Beoman Claudiu Dragon Emu Fire Golem: Nad A.: but I don't have much motivation in this direction beyond wanting a few interesting mental experiences. ah ok, i think i see what you mean. you don't...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Nad A.: Ian And: [quote="Nad A."][quote="Ian And"] The purpose of mindfulness of breathing is to be mindful of the breathing process at ALL times, not just during the in-breath and the out-breath,...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Hello Nad Besides the stuff here at DhO these resources may help you 1) An essay on aspects of the practice of breath meditation (url: http://www.leighb.com/case_of_the_missing_simile.htm) If you...
RE: Starting Meditation -
Beginner
Q's
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Sanjay M: Hello Nad Besides the stuff here at DhO these resources may help you Thanks for the links. - I'm going to explore using the upper lip as the concentration object, rather than the breath...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Do a search and see what you think google this -------> site:www.dharmaoverground.org Goenka Lots of discussion... Good luck, ~D
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Travis Gene McKinstry: I imagine you've been on one? Would you mind detailing a bit about your experience? Where was meditation, the people there, the teachings, the actual technique, what you...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Thank you very much for the reply. Everybody experiences different things at different times, so it is good not to expect to experience any particular state(s) before you go. You most likely will...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Travis Gene McKinstry: You get free vegetarian food (quite good), free shelter, and a quiet environment (if you can go to a center with a pagoda, it's an added bonus) to learn a basic Vipassana...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
With all respect due to Goenka and his volunteers, for it is quite beautiful what they're doing, please elaborate
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
From how I see it, most problems with the Goenka centres derive from the organisational compromises which are required to maintain uniformity and guarantee an identical product across so many...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Thank you for replying and I respect your opinion completely Andrea. I have heard this from many people. But with you post (which was highly logical) I would hope that people would expect this type...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Thanks for your contribution Travis; personally I don't think that "being free of charge" is an important precondition for teaching dharma – it's a choice which has upsides and downsides. In an...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Thank you for replying Andrea If charging a fee allows a competent teacher to make a career choice in which he can teach meditation rather than having to bring home a salary in some other way...I'm...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
I accept the point that money has a corrupting influence, but I don't see why it should have an especially corrupting influence on the teaching of meditation, or why the exact same case couldn't be...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Andrea, Thank you for your reply Andrea B: I accept the point that money has a corrupting influence, but I don't see why it should have an especially corrupting influence on the teaching of...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
If your survival is dependent upon the generosity of others it also can change a person's intentions. Kinda interesting to think about. I read somewhere that the reason for the rule against...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
If your survival is dependent upon the generosity of others it also can change a person's intentions. Kinda interesting to think about. I read somewhere that the reason for the rule against...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
I haven't bee on a Goenka retreat, but to address the main question, I personally started meditating formally on a 9-day insight retreat at IMS and am happy I did.
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
I haven't bee on a Goenka retreat, but to address the main question, I personally started meditating formally on a 9-day insight retreat at IMS and am happy I did. Thanks for the reply. I can see...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Travis Gene McKinstry: Where are these mahasi retreats? Or where can I start searching? I've tried a number of combinations on Google, can't seem to find it. try googling this and see what you...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
There are quite a few Mahasi centres in Thailand as well, although they are probably not well advertised or marked as Mahasi centres on their websites (assuming they have one). The level of...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Andrea B: There are quite a few Mahasi centres in Thailand as well, although they are probably not well advertised or marked as Mahasi centres on their websites (assuming they have one). The level...
RE:
Beginner
to vipassana, is a retreat recommended?
Category
:
Home » Retreat Centers
Sorry, no clue about Cambodia, but I would imagine that in that country there isn't much there in the way of meditation centres. I have also never heard of anyone doing anything Buddhism-related in...
Beginner
Thread - Where am I at?
Category
:
Home » Concentration
Hello all. Thanks to everyone for everything that's here. It's been fantastic to be a lurker and read things on here. A little background about me. I've been practicing "mindfulness" for a few...
RE:
beginner
body mind noting
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Vipassana: Noting/Mahasi Style
Hey, welcome to this stuff. I recommend continuing to notice the arising and passing of sensations without worrying too much about what they are. Sounds early A&P to me. Keep going and see what...
Tips for meditation in everyday life? (
beginner
)
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Vipassana: Noting/Mahasi Style
Hello everyone. This is my first message, so, since I've been lurking around here for a few weeks now reading several threads which I've found very useful, I'd like to express a general "thank...
RE: semi
beginner
- how to advance.
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
1) I'm no master of first jhana, but I'm pretty sure it's arrival is more like finding yourself immersed in a jacuzzi of buzzy pleasure than it is getting splashed a bit. On the other hand, it...
RE: semi
beginner
- how to advance.
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
1) maybe. either deepen it gently, or let it deepen and just keep investigating. 2) when you 'switch' is up to you. in some people's practice there is no switch.. samatha just kind of blends into...
RE: semi
beginner
- how to advance.
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Thanks both for very helpful advice. will check out the resources, Joriki! Greco, thanks, i like ur advice on using suffering = ) i think if that will be the object more often, then when I do...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
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:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
(continued) My practice began generally following "Mindfulness in Plain English." I'd focus on the breath, attempting to focus on the sensations in my nostrils. Over a few months I went from about...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
(continued) Recently I've tried to resume sitting. I can't sit for an hour at a time like before; in fact torpor comes over me in the first 20 minutes and practically knocks me on my back. I've...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
If at all possible I would suggest going on a retreat as early and for as long as possible and is reasonable. As Daniel mentions in his book a retreat early in the practice can do a lot to...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Oops posted before I saw your third post. It's good that you are going on retreat at Bhavana though I don't suspect it will help you with a single technique. If led by Bhante Rahula he will...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
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:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Author: Adam_West I would suggest asking around and get a sense of a few different methods that seem to work for entering Jhana, then try them out yourself and see what works for you. Not everyone...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
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:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
My advice would be to return to the breath, it is an excellent foundation for both concentration and insight. Get it well developed and then follow one methodology and stick with it until you make...
RE:
Beginner
requests practical advice
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:
Home » Insight and Wisdom» Non-specific/Broad/Generic
Good questions and answers. One more thing: try every second mindfulness of exactly what is, regardless of the specifics of your technique, and when you can do that, try going for many times per...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Hi! So, this is my personal take on this, I'm sure others will disagree; however, I think that you should add noting if and only if you are willing/capable to note about one time per second 24/7...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Mario Nistri: Hi! I'm sure others will disagree; however, I think that you should add noting if and only if you are willing/capable to note about one time per second 24/7 until you get path Hi...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Because if you hit the A&P, then the DN will follow, and you'll need momentum to get out of there. When you begin meditating you are by default in Mind&Body, wich is very good for psichological...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Mario Nistri: These are my thoughts... bye! Thank you. your thoughts do raise some questions,but still being new in vipassana or even samatha land. I'll wait and see what comes up for a while yet....
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
what are your goals?
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Thanks for the discussion everyone. So Mario Nistri, are you saying that i should stick with concentration practice until i can remain mindful all day? After reading Seamus O's response, i have...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
I'd wait for someone more experienced to tell you for sure, but my recent experience of hitting mind and body was very subtle. I was waiting for something major to occur, and it took a while before...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
So Mario Nistri, are you saying that i should stick with concentration practice until i can remain mindful all day? Actually, if you are relatively new to meditation, noting 80% of the time is very...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Steven B: I had a meditation session where i blacked out and 'woke' to see a bright light that was coming towards me. I completely freaked out and opened my eyes, and knew that i wasn't my body or...
RE:
Beginner
question: Incorporating Insight practice
Category
:
Home » Insight and Wisdom
Yeah, Seamus, I read about you getting to A&P! That's fantastic! I'll definately keep an eye on your log for updates. I should point out that my noting all day left me with a pretty bad headache by...
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