Hi Oystein,
Welcome to the DhO :]
Oystein Dalsegg:
Hello!
This is my first post in this forum. Here is some background information about me and my practice:
Im a 29 year old male living in Norway.
I have practised anapansati/body scanning aka goenka/Mahasi Noting in various degrees for the last two years, but I have not achieved any of the "states" described in MCTB. Neither vipassana jhanas or samatha jhanas. I having been doing a little bit of that and a little bit of that without going wholehearted into one practice.
So I have thought that it might be a good idea of setting up a "pratice-program".
Yes! I agree: if a person wants to see a result, then it's great to turn ALL of one's attention sincerely and willingly to a practice within some defined time period of practice. At the end of the period of practice, it can be considered, "Should I keep this up?"
Oystein Dalsegg:
To have some kind of structure on my practice seems like a good thing. And therefore I have some questions:
1. In the Mahasi retreats I attended I have been told to use the movement of breath in stomach as the main meditation object.
I suppose it also ok to use the breath in nostrils as the main meditation object. Is there some pros/cons between these to objects? Some times i feel its easier to concentrate while using the breath in the nostrils.
If you would go to the Wikipedia entry on "Anapanasati Sutta" and the subheading of "Interpretations" you will find you are in great company. There are different ways to interpret the Pali, apparently, and so people have started traditions of both a) breathing with attention at the upper lip-nostril area and b) breathing with attention body-wide.
No matter what choice you make, eventually decide on one; each method will have sticky areas (challenges) and these challenges are pretty trivial. The dedicated practitioner can through practice and study experience the temporary mental condition of tranquillized mind with single-point focus (as called: unification of mind; jhana) and this is useful, in my bit of experience.
Oystein Dalsegg:
2. I have read that its preferable to "master" the first jhana before practicing vipassana.
Is it then preferable to practice for example "clean" anapanasati until one masters the first jhana and then start With for example mahasi noting?
Or will you develop enough concentration while practicing mahasi noting?
So if you practice meditational release such that the mind is stable and single-pointedness (aka: unification of mind) arises, then insight will also happen. I think noting is used as tool which gets around the struggle to learn jhana, just the way in the West we have cognitive behavioural therapy to treat exaggerated affective states. So if you like noting, then you could do that; personally, I think noting is first a "dry" insight practice (one that comes with some aspect of analytical reasoning afterwards), but that it can move itself into a concentration practice: that the noting becomes a kasina and the mind can release its egoic arisings and that jhanic results can arise when noting becomes like this.
Oystein Dalsegg:
Im planning a longer retreat next summer and i dont want to attend a mahasiretreat if had been "smarter" to attend a jhanaretreat. I you know what i mean...
I think it comes down to deciding what you will practice, how long you will practice and study that method and how sincerely you manage to practice.
Oystein Dalsegg:
It would be very Nice if someone would share theire experiences/knowledge around these questions.
Best wishes!
: )k