Author: caocao
Forum: Dharma Overground Discussion Forum

Hi,
Thanks for responses on my last post, it cleared up a few doubts I had regarding DhO approach. I was reading the book Jack Kornfield "After the Ecstacy", and he mentioned the four ways of spiritual progression, it was something along the lines of "pleasant and slow, pleasant and fast, unpleasant and slow, unpleasant and fast"? I can't quite remember, not sure if anyone can add clarification to that?

I'd like to relate an experience that I had with metta practice. About eight or nine years ago when I was getting instruction, I was told to bring my attention to the heart, not a fixed point but to feel genuine peace, calm and happiness within (I guess you could say the chest area) and to wish others the same. However what the teacher was finding was that alot of students, including me was having difficulty bringing their attention down from the head (you could say behind and between the eyes). This was due to our lifestyles of study/work and computer/screen use, of thinking alot that created this sort of blockage in the head.

On this particular occasion when I sat with the teacher she was able to bring my attention down to the heart and then there was this pull a release of the blockages in my heart, which I understood later as clearing karma. When this release took place i started crying straight away all in the space of a few minutes. Ive had this experience a few times with 2 different teachers. And also with several other monks I've met not with tears but the heart feels very open for several days afterwards and then back to normal/blocked.

Has anyone had similar experiences to this or can help explain this type of metta practice? Of course over the years you have to establish this practice within yourself and not rely on others metta to keep your meditation stable. But this experience was interesting because I actually felt another persons meditation ability intensely and clearly.

Caocao, this is good stuff. I think one book I read said something along the lines of 'you can't get enlightened unless you've cried very deeply once or twice while meditating.' I like that line because it recognizes the weight of the world we have to deal with, plus it's something we can rise above (i.e., not crying all the time!) and awake to what suffering is (or isnt!).

I've also had the completely unwarrented crying, as well as the "wide open heart" feeling with a teacher. I think this is all about new levels of letting go and becoming open.

It's also worth thinking that the last stage in the stages of enlightenment is Equanimity. Which means something that includes all of these ranges of feeling and an acceptance of them. So these feeling can also be noted, understood as the sensations they are, and used as a springboard for awakening.

Hope this helps!

Try using a zen axe on it. I... cries? First there was tears, then there was crying, then there were only tears. It rains, giving rise to anxiety or agitation about the rain is not conducive to instances of compounded arising giving rise to a release of the raining kind.