Change of Practice- pls help - Discussion
Change of Practice- pls help
Faisal Chowdhury, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 1:57 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 1:57 AM
Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 4 Join Date: 4/28/13 Recent Posts
I am not sure if it is right section for this post but I would appreciate your advice:
Having spent 1 year in dark night (after goenka retreat) I went for a two weeks vipassana (Mahasi) retreat in Jan’14 and end the retreat in mid equanimity. After the retreat I was oscillating between equanimity and dark night but equanimity mostly predominated. I sat every morning and evening for one hour and reaching low equanimity.
Usually I do fast noting but for last few months I was feeling tense and agitated when I do noting practice. It seems the effort to note and desire to attain cessation cause me fall back to dark night. I came across the writing of direct path on the net and started practicing awareness resting on awareness. Since starting that practice I did not fall back to dark night and the stability and equanimity of mind increased significantly. In fact I can integrate the practice with daily life. Mind is usually quiet and if it is noisy and I ask “to whom it is happening” and try to objectify the thinker. I sit every morning and evening and in my sitting and daily life activities I feel pressure between eyebrows and sometime on my crown as I used to feel during noting practice. The intention to go somewhere and achieve something is gradually diminishing.
I would appreciate your suggestion regarding my practice
Regards
Faisal
Having spent 1 year in dark night (after goenka retreat) I went for a two weeks vipassana (Mahasi) retreat in Jan’14 and end the retreat in mid equanimity. After the retreat I was oscillating between equanimity and dark night but equanimity mostly predominated. I sat every morning and evening for one hour and reaching low equanimity.
Usually I do fast noting but for last few months I was feeling tense and agitated when I do noting practice. It seems the effort to note and desire to attain cessation cause me fall back to dark night. I came across the writing of direct path on the net and started practicing awareness resting on awareness. Since starting that practice I did not fall back to dark night and the stability and equanimity of mind increased significantly. In fact I can integrate the practice with daily life. Mind is usually quiet and if it is noisy and I ask “to whom it is happening” and try to objectify the thinker. I sit every morning and evening and in my sitting and daily life activities I feel pressure between eyebrows and sometime on my crown as I used to feel during noting practice. The intention to go somewhere and achieve something is gradually diminishing.
I would appreciate your suggestion regarding my practice
Regards
Faisal
John Wilde, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 4:49 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 4:48 AM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 501 Join Date: 10/26/10 Recent Posts
Hi there. No suggestions about what you should do, but I've been wondering whether there's enough interest in the Direct Path to set up another discussion list for talking about those practices specifically. I don't think the aims and outcomes of the Direct Path are all that different from those of Buddha dharma, and the DhO has been welcoming of diverse approaches, but maybe having a dedicated discussion group with shared vocabulary and practices might be worthwhile...? (I'm easy either way; just toying with the idea).
Doug M, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 9:28 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 9:28 AM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 27 Join Date: 10/10/14 Recent Posts
Where can I read a bit more about this "Direct Path"?
(Google is being less than helpful for such a genreal phrase.)
I ask because I too am struggling a bit with the desire to progress, and may need a bit of a reboot.
(Google is being less than helpful for such a genreal phrase.)
I ask because I too am struggling a bit with the desire to progress, and may need a bit of a reboot.
-- Timus --, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 12:42 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 12:39 PM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 47 Join Date: 5/17/10 Recent Posts
Welcome Faisal!
Sounds to me like you're doing great. Equanimity is a good place to drop the actual noting as long as you don't stop "investigating". The question "to whom it is happening" is a good device in this regard. Just make sure you don't use it primarily as a means to quiet the mind. That may lead into a dead end.
I think that’s fairly common, nothing to worry about. When approaching the end of first path you might notice that the pressure tends to move more and more towards the crown and also a change from more coarse sensations (pressure) towards very subtle energetic ones. (At least that’s what happened to me.)
Good luck!
My recommendation would be Greg Godde.
Faisal Chowdhury:
… I would appreciate your suggestion regarding my practice …
Sounds to me like you're doing great. Equanimity is a good place to drop the actual noting as long as you don't stop "investigating". The question "to whom it is happening" is a good device in this regard. Just make sure you don't use it primarily as a means to quiet the mind. That may lead into a dead end.
Faisal Chowdhury:
... I feel pressure between eyebrows and sometime on my crown …
I think that’s fairly common, nothing to worry about. When approaching the end of first path you might notice that the pressure tends to move more and more towards the crown and also a change from more coarse sensations (pressure) towards very subtle energetic ones. (At least that’s what happened to me.)
Good luck!
Doug M:
... Where can I read a bit more about this "Direct Path"? …
My recommendation would be Greg Godde.
Doug M, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 12:44 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 12:44 PM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 27 Join Date: 10/10/14 Recent Postslama carrot top, modified 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 8:49 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/20/14 8:49 PM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 49 Join Date: 6/12/12 Recent PostsFaisal Chowdhury:
The intention to go somewhere and achieve something is gradually diminishing.
Beware of the bliss bunny.
tom moylan, modified 9 Years ago at 10/21/14 11:44 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/21/14 11:44 AM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
hey faisal,
you're doing great! eqanimity is about dropping eypectations. keep doing what you're doing and stay present present present. let things drift a bit, its a good thing. equanimity is interesting and often very enjoyable. if you are getting there regularly you are doing fine.
tom
you're doing great! eqanimity is about dropping eypectations. keep doing what you're doing and stay present present present. let things drift a bit, its a good thing. equanimity is interesting and often very enjoyable. if you are getting there regularly you are doing fine.
tom
Faisal Chowdhury, modified 9 Years ago at 10/24/14 2:54 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/24/14 2:54 AM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 4 Join Date: 4/28/13 Recent Posts
Hi guys
Thank you very much for your comments. They are very helpful and inspiring. Resting in awareness helps me to remain functional and stay away from dark night which is very important for me as I have a full-time job and family. I am planning to go for two weeks mahasi retreat early next year but I will appreciate if you want to share your thoughts about retreat (tradition etc) in this stage of my practice.
Regards
Faisal
Thank you very much for your comments. They are very helpful and inspiring. Resting in awareness helps me to remain functional and stay away from dark night which is very important for me as I have a full-time job and family. I am planning to go for two weeks mahasi retreat early next year but I will appreciate if you want to share your thoughts about retreat (tradition etc) in this stage of my practice.
Regards
Faisal
tom moylan, modified 9 Years ago at 11/1/14 6:51 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/1/14 6:51 AM
RE: Change of Practice- pls help
Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
hi faisal,
retreats are excellent for advancing quickly. they allow one to see, in a compressed fashion, how we move through the ladder of mind in our sits. the exponential jumps in concentration and insight i have made on retreats is incomparable to daily practice.
i'm a big fan of home retreats and have used tarin's slackers guide (do a search on the site) successfully several times. i have never regretted a retreat i have done.
peace
tom
retreats are excellent for advancing quickly. they allow one to see, in a compressed fashion, how we move through the ladder of mind in our sits. the exponential jumps in concentration and insight i have made on retreats is incomparable to daily practice.
i'm a big fan of home retreats and have used tarin's slackers guide (do a search on the site) successfully several times. i have never regretted a retreat i have done.
peace
tom