Sound as primary object of insight meditation?

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Seamus O, modified 10 Years ago at 9/10/13 7:31 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 9/10/13 7:31 AM

Sound as primary object of insight meditation?

Posts: 61 Join Date: 8/28/13 Recent Posts
I just started fast-noting as my vipassana practice about a week and a half ago and have made fast progress up to what I think is the three characteristics stage (3rd nana?). The bugs are noisy this time of year, and provide a very fast-pulsing set of sounds to focus my attention on, so I've been naturally drawn to them as my primary object when meditating.

However, sound isn't listed as a primary object in the Vishuddimagga, and I haven't seen other people mention it here.

I've made seemingly fast progress through the first two stages, but the A&P seems to be slow to come on. I keep having intense flickery-light/total exhaustion experiences at the end of my sits of fast-noting, but they don't seem accompanied by any new insight in the same way that the first two stages have been, nor do I feel any of the characteristic post-A&P sensations.

So I'm led to a little bit of doubt: Maybe I should pick a more standard primary object? Does anybody else use sound?
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PP, modified 10 Years ago at 9/10/13 7:58 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 9/10/13 7:58 AM

RE: Sound as primary object of insight meditation?

Posts: 376 Join Date: 3/21/12 Recent Posts
I note external sounds in daily activities, following Shinzen Young's protocol of noting the vanishings only. He offers a full method based on sounds. The basic stuff you can find it "Five Ways to Know Yourself" PDF in pages 91-92-93. There are a lot of extra tips in his others pdfs and videos in Youtube.

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