Object of Breath

thumbnail
Voku Hila, modified 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 4:49 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 4:49 PM

Object of Breath

Posts: 34 Join Date: 6/29/12 Recent Posts
Hello!


There are different kind of "breaths" in my experience. There's a "body sensation"-breath, an "mental image"-breath, the sound of the breath, Especcially the body sensations and the mental image breath seem to be glued to eachother. If I try to focus on the image or the body sensation seperetaly, the other one is also there in some way.

I once red or heard that, if I remember correctly, it would be better if the focus was more on the body sensation of the breath instead of the mental images.

What are your experiences?
Is there some sort of best way?
How do you experience the sensation of the breath in detail?


peace
Top
thumbnail
Richard Zen, modified 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 7:05 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 7:05 PM

RE: Object of Breath

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
MCTB

Concentration practices (samatha or samadhi practices) are meditation on a concept, an aggregate of many transient sensations, whereas insight practice is meditation on the many transient sensations just as they are. When doing concentration
practices, one purposefully tries to fix or freeze the mind in a specific state, called an “absorption,” “jhana” or “dyana.” While reality cannot be frozen in this way, the illusion of solidity and stability certainly can be cultivated, and this is concentration practice.


Concentration practices can be fun but there's always some stress chemicals involved just like chasing after any goal. Insight practice gets you to see things how they are and to get disenchanted with them so you are less addicted and rely less on that part of your brain.
Top
Change A, modified 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 9:25 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 10/4/13 9:25 PM

RE: Object of Breath

Posts: 791 Join Date: 5/24/10 Recent Posts
Voku Hila:
What are your experiences?
Is there some sort of best way?
How do you experience the sensation of the breath in detail?


My experience is that body sensation of the breath is better.

If you want to experience the sensation of the breath in detail, then after out-breath, don't inhale yourself. Let it happen by itself and experience of the sensation of the breath will happen by itself.
Top
thumbnail
katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 10/5/13 8:08 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 10/5/13 7:44 AM

RE: Object of Breath

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Richard Zen:
MCTB

Concentration practices (samatha or samadhi practices) are meditation on a concept, an aggregate of many transient sensations, whereas insight practice is meditation on the many transient sensations just as they are. When doing concentration
practices, one purposefully tries to fix or freeze the mind in a specific state, called an “absorption,” “jhana” or “dyana.” While reality cannot be frozen in this way, the illusion of solidity and stability certainly can be cultivated, and this is concentration practice.


Concentration practices can be fun but there's always some stress chemicals involved just like chasing after any goal. Insight practice gets you to see things how they are and to get disenchanted with them so you are less addicted and rely less on that part of your brain.

To be quite clear, if one is using Jhana as for "fun" and not building it as a positive training to see things as they are, then one is staying in the first three jhanas, likely jhana 2, or just passing through the natural exhiliration of some of the arupa jhanas--- that exhiliaration passes when they are naturally seen to be unreliable/impermanent sources of happiness, but which experiences do focus one wholesomely on here and now.

Jhana is just a very wholesome and welcoming way to train one's brain into a temporary condition of equanimity and from that equanimity one can see what a mind can do, what a life can experience, and become wholesomely detached to many, many stories and just appreciate life as it is right now with reliable peace of mind.

The fourth jhana is not just a launch pad for the arupa jhanas; the condition of suffusive equanimity (fourth jhana) is both a requisite condition for the arupa jhanas to arise (and pass) and it is the conditioned means for seeing clearly (insight, vipassana) the mind itself as well as including such dhammas (phenomena) of the arupa jhanas, but also including its conventional ability to continuously sprout thoughts and feelings with various tones (e.g.,depressive, joyous) and its addictive-and/or-repulsing impulses.

Voku, Breath is an excellent object for pleasant concentration. All concentration can start stressfully because one is generally well trained for stressful mentation when starting meditation.

Best wishes in your practices, all.
Top

Breadcrumb