Dark night questions

Mark, modified 4 Years ago at 9/5/19 3:39 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 9/5/19 3:39 PM

Dark night questions

Posts: 2 Join Date: 9/5/19 Recent Posts
Hello everyone,  I am pretty sure I am in the dark night and have been for years. I cannot meditate like I did before I entered where I practiced samatha now I'm not sure what I should be doing to get past this.

I am noting but the constant buzzing or humming sound is really distracting, should   I ignoret and not note it? In the instructions I read for the mahasi noting he says to ignore hearing and seeing so should I avoid noting all sounds or only those that are sudden distracting and short. 

Daniel I know you say doing Samatha is discouraged in dk because the mind is too active and you can't really focus on your object so would noting be best to get stream entry or would a focus pointless Samatha also be good to incorporate or should I stick to one practice.

Sry if I'm rambling I gotta get some sleep now.
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Travis McKinstry, modified 4 Years ago at 9/7/19 9:03 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 9/7/19 9:03 AM

RE: Dark night questions

Posts: 130 Join Date: 7/1/19 Recent Posts
Hey Mark!

I don’t think you were rambling. As for your question; keep noting. Like Daniel explains in MCTB (better than I ever could); in the A&P the mind is fast, sensitive and very aware of the 3 characteristics with very specific details. In dissolution your mind broadens and that makes it feel like your focus and meditative power have reduced, but this isn’t true.

Going from fast and very specific focus on your sensate reality in A&P to the broad and peripheral aspects of your sensate reality in dissolution can be disheartening for some. It was fun for me, I enjoyed dissolution. After that, the focus becomes trying to incorporate all of your sensate reality; the center focus and the things happening on the periphery. Like Daniel says; nothing should be ignored. Everything is up for investigation via the 3 characteristics. In the Dark Night you gain the ability to start seeing your core processes start breaking down. Fear, anxiety, guilt, as well as; investigation, focus, etc.

For me, during the dark night, it was much easier for me to keep open awareness rather than note. I would note sensations with a mental note if my focus was low, but most of the time I just kept open awareness. 
Mark, modified 4 Years ago at 9/8/19 10:32 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 9/8/19 10:32 PM

RE: Dark night questions

Posts: 2 Join Date: 9/5/19 Recent Posts
Thanks,  it seems you were doing calm abiding meditation with some noting, I'll try doing that more then.