Dhamma train?

Emil Jensen, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 12:59 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 12:59 AM

Dhamma train?

Posts: 319 Join Date: 7/16/20 Recent Posts
So I'm starting my new job and will regularly spend a significant amount of time in the train/bus going back and forth, about an hour each way. 

That time I will likely use to answer emails and such when I have them. Or listen to podcasts if there's any good ones showing themselves.

But for the most part I will probably like to have some sort of Dhamma practice going although I'm unsure what fits a train ride well.

I guess an obvious thing would simply be to do regular Vipassana. That could likely just be it. But perhaps some of you have other interesting approaches to turning this otherwise very wasteful activity into a Dhamma activity. 

I guess I would prefer it to be some kind of concentration exercise. 

Wwbd? What would Buddha do?
What do you do?

Cheers, fellow DhOrks ❤️
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Papa Che Dusko, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 2:20 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 2:20 AM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 2680 Join Date: 3/1/20 Recent Posts
When I was traveling train for an hour I used to sit and practice closed eyes Calm-abiding (I know I'm breathing out calming the whole body, I know I'm breathing in calming the whole body) However back then (2010-2011) I used to laugh at all Vipassana people and that ridiculous pra
ctice of noting and scanning emoticon I was a Concentration Snob back then emoticon 

p.s. jeez I was such an arrogant arshole at times. I shall blame my horoscope for this! 

​​​​​​​p.s. maybe you could do Freestyle Noting Aloud emoticon emoticon emoticon 
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Niels Lyngsø, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 3:00 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 3:00 AM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 413 Join Date: 11/15/19 Recent Posts
Kenneth Folk recommends an off cushion practice, which consists in simply counting your breaths to ten and then start from one again. By restarting the count, you avoid the counting voice going on auto pilot, so you have a double feedback: If you notice that you either are not counting or counting beyond ten, you are not being mindful. And can give yourself a pat on the back for noticing that and resume. It is a mix of samatha and vipassana, since the anchoring in the breath calms the system and keeps you in the present moment while you at the same time can notice everything going on in that present moment. I do it driving my car and to me it is an excellent and pleasant practice. Maybe it will work on trains too. emoticon
Emil Jensen, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 4:04 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 4:04 AM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 319 Join Date: 7/16/20 Recent Posts
I like the counting to ten practice. I have done that a lot and its easy to do for shorter periods at a time.

The other day I did LED kasina and felt slightly weird to the people around me looking into the phone LED and then spacing out. They must have thought "wow, what a dedicated dhamma badass - handsome too! I wonder what jhana he's in right now."

I also wonder if it works on busses too..
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Helen Pohl, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 4:11 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 4:11 AM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 101 Join Date: 8/10/20 Recent Posts
I always did some form of meditation on my commute, some days it was the only time where I could fit it in. And it's a good place to develop concentration since there's constantly something to distract you(kids playing shite music loud on their phones, doors opening and closing, the person next to you not sitting still for a minute, smells etc). 

​​​​​​​These days I mostly do either open awareness or noting. 
George S, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 6:34 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 6:34 AM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 2722 Join Date: 2/26/19 Recent Posts
This probably sounds weird, but when I'm traveling I like to groove to the sensations of motion itself. For trains it's the swaying and clickety-clack of the tracks. For buses it's the vibration of the engine and the constant acceleration and deceleration. Can get quite jhanic emoticon​​​​​​​
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Stephen, modified 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 6:09 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 3/9/21 6:09 PM

RE: Dhamma train?

Posts: 19 Join Date: 11/26/20 Recent Posts
You mentioned you prefer a concentration exercise but my first instinct was to mention insight practice. Some of the stuff from Rob Burbea’s book "Seeing that Frees" came to mind like “staying at contact” or “opening to space”.

Staying at contact - This could work really well with sounds. Really just sitting and noticing sounds (or sights) happening inside the train, and trying to almost “tap” the sensations with your mind, and pulling it back before it has a chance to really contract around the sensation and create a story about it. I found this helped my normal noting/noticing practice a lot.

Opening to space - In this one you’d go about your business on the train but try to notice any time you get distracted by something happening in your visual field. When you catch yourself distracted, open your attention out to the entire visual field. This helps you get a feel for what the visual contraction of the mind looks or feels like. 

There’s a bunch of other ones in his book that would be perfect for the commute. 

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