Hello all,
I tried something while commuting to work and it worked pretty well. I haven't heard others talking about it too much (though the buddha did talk about this) so I want to share.
Kenneth talked about a very simple method of training the mind in
my thread on KFD:
Kenneth:
You can do this in a very systematic and structured way. Every time you identify a new subsystem of selfing, you can deliberately target it with your attention. You will see that sometimes the subsystem in question operates and sometimes it does not. Having identified this binary situation, you can devise a binary practice: "Am I self referencing? Yes or no." You will see that sometimes the answer is "yes" and sometimes it is "no." When the answer is "yes," there is suffering. When the answer is "no," there is peace.
All you have to do is continue to juxtapose suffering and not-suffering in this way. The mind does the rest automatically. Like a rat in a maze, like a carrot and a stick, this is pure Skinnerian conditioning. There is nothing mystical-shmystical about it, so even those of us with a more rational bent can become free in this lifetime.
I decided to try this binary approach, but with each of the 7 factors of enlightenment. I didn't focus on just one at a time but kind of mixed - not sure if single-focus would be better, but possibly. When I was focusing on each one, though, I'd incline the mind towards the factor, and then note as often as I could any minute difference in that factor. e.g., with joy, I first noted not-joy, not-joy. then i felt a bit of warmth somewhere in my body, i noted joy, then it faded, not-joy. soon more warmth came, chest started feeling nice, joy, joy, when that faded a bit, not-joy, etc. i don't have to do anything besides notice and the mind inclination does the rest.
basically i would try to notice the lack of any factor, and if so, spend a little time with it.
joy i already mentioned.
mindfulness - if my mind was wandering into past or present or conceptual thought, not-mindful, not-mindful. when on the present moment and focused, mindful.
equanimity - when feeling an emotion or pain and i noticed that i was spiraling into feeling it more, not-equanimous, not-equanimous. when i was not being pulled by it - equanimous.
tranquility - when unpleasant states arose, like an emotion or pain, not-tranquil. when unpleasant state diminished, tranquil. i distinguish this from equanimity in that equanimity is a not-spiraling-into the unpleasant state, and tranquility is its absence.
energy - when feeling sluggish or reluctant, no-energy. when bright and alter, energy.
concentration i didn't actually work with, nor
investigation of reality - i don't think those are quite lacking yet.
after doing this for a bit i got into some really really pleasant state, which i took to be when they were in relative harmony, for a few seconds here and there. i suspect if i work on it more that will happen more often, and that state seems a wonderful platform for launching into investigation of reality.
