Some notes on concentration practice in particular (some applicability to insight practice as well):- Memorize the instructions, the idea is to be free of friction on the cushion in terms of 'what should I do next'
- Before every session - read the instructions again
- At the beginning of the session bring to mind the instructions again!
Meditation instructions in theory, and in practice have to become sankharas / samskaras. Terminate and stay resident programs that work behind the scenes without cognitive friction. While they become sankharas - appropriation or ownership of these sankharas needs to be avoided
- In meditation take the role of the one who facilitates mental processes by assisting in remembering meditation instructions
- Try and move on to a role of a prompter in the play simply recalling instructions to remind the actors on stage
- From this point try and move to a role of a cheerleader who encourages, and a score keeper who evaluates the meditation session after it is done
- From this point onwards try to not take any role at all
My Samadhi! .... needs to become .... (just) SamadhiConcentration practice is inherently an insight practice geared towards not-self. As the sankharas of the instructions in theory and practice become stronger, appropriation of those sankharas as 'me' and 'mine' starts to interfere with progress. The only way progress is made is to totally stop appropriating. The paradox is - getting good at concentration practice requires and also leads to a reduction of the delight of success. One begins by being invested in outcomes - to being invested in process - to being invested in simple execution - to not being invested at all! So the Joy and delight of 'winning' is gone! And if it is in fact not gone and if it shows itself strongly - this is a sure shot sign of a huge kick in the ass coming one's way ... soon.The perception of concentration meditation progress being hindered by appropriation in some sessions becomes super clear after a certain amount of time on the cushion. Conversely the perception of some sessions going as 'planned' due to reduced appropriation also becomes clear.Through multiple session this juxtaposition gets created:
- Appropriate - samadhi is hindered
- Dont appropriate - samadhi is facilitated
None of the above happens in concepts and in language with these neat words that we use to talk about it. There is no verbal running commentary on any of this. All of it is experiential, preconceptual, preverbal. 'The mind' is learning about appropriation or 'Upadana'. And 'The mind' does not like it! 'The mind' sometimes gets horrified! Thus on forums one might read about long time TMI practitioners reaching higher stages and experiencing the Dukkha Nanas. This is expected! It is going to happen! It is a part and parcel of progress!When this happen, the TMI framework fails at providing a way of contextualizing this. The TMI framework tries to push everything into 'purifications'. This is a flaw of the system of practice. The Author made a mistake when he positioned TMI as a system that is free of the Dukkha Nanas. No system is free of the Dukkha Nanas! The Dukkha Nanas are a necessary part of the learning process. When one learns where the fear/misery/disgust/desperation is coming from - one lets go of it - faster! And 'Knowledge of' does not become ongoing tortuous 'Experience of' .... fear, misery, disgust, desperation.This 'letting go of' .... is a letting go of appropriation.The default is:
- This samadhi skill is mine!
- Memory is mine!
- Attention is mine!
- Success is mine!
- Failure is mine!
If this is done, and not let go of, then samadhi progress is stalled and then comes:
- This fear is mine!
- This misery is mine!
- This disgust is mine!
- This desperation for it all to be over is mine!
To train concentration upfront - with reducing appropriation is a good idea indeed. I sometimes feel stage 7 TMI should be intertwined in every stage of TMI. Do Stage 1 .... to the point of effortlessness, then do stage 2 to the point of effortlessness ... and so on.Here 'effortless' is a misnomer. It should be 'appropriation free'
