Results.

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Paul Rig, modified 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 1:53 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 1:53 PM

Results.

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
Hi! I open this thread to let you expose some aspects of your path that I would like to read.
Im interested on this to compare and have some references, according to the following questions:


  • When did you start to practice meditation? / how much time?
  • What goals have you achieved in terms of formal meditation, I mean, you can say for example: im in the 2nd Jhana, because I achieved to be aware of the impermanence in this level and I am able to see how this kind of thoughts arises, at this velocity...
  • What goals ave you achieved in terms of daily life (out of the cushion). For example: After 3 years I am more happy in general, or, Im more attentive with people, or Im less selfish, or my self esteem increased that much, or I overcome this trauma, I dont know, whatever.
  • What do you expect in the future? / Any other comment that you would like to say.


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Nikolai , modified 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 4:41 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 4:40 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 1677 Join Date: 1/23/10 Recent Posts
Hi Pablo,

What is the main intention behind this questioning? Is it for your own practice? Is it for some assignment at school/university? Research? What will you get out of such information? Is it for your own personal motivation in your own practice? Or something else?

Nick
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Paul Rig, modified 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 6:20 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 6:20 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
Nikolai .:
Is it for your own personal motivation in your own practice?


Yes! So feel free to answer in the way/style/size... you want
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fivebells , modified 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 6:53 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/22/12 6:53 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
  • The current run started in April 2001. There have been a few breaks of a few months, like last year after my Mum died. I think I've done a total of about 5000 hours of meditation.
  • It's not useful to think this way. According to the ten fetters model, I've broken the first three fetters, which means stream entry. But chasing after stuff like this can be suffering in its own right.
  • I'm much more aware of the emotional state of people around me. I rarely ever resort to hostility when I face adversity, whereas before I started it was my main resort. I'm in a peaceful, happy marriage, which was just unimaginable when I started. My practice has played a key role in its cultivation.
  • Power, ecstasy, compassion and insight, arising in the experience of each moment. Again, it's not useful to think this way.
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Paul Rig, modified 11 Years ago at 8/24/12 11:28 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/24/12 11:28 AM

RE: Results.

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
fivebells .:
  • The current run started in April 2001. There have been a few breaks of a few months, like last year after my Mum died. I think I've done a total of about 5000 hours of meditation.
  • It's not useful to think this way. According to the ten fetters model, I've broken the first three fetters, which means stream entry. But chasing after stuff like this can be suffering in its own right.
  • I'm much more aware of the emotional state of people around me. I rarely ever resort to hostility when I face adversity, whereas before I started it was my main resort. I'm in a peaceful, happy marriage, which was just unimaginable when I started. My practice has played a key role in its cultivation.
  • Power, ecstasy, compassion and insight, arising in the experience of each moment. Again, it's not useful to think this way.




Why is not usefull to think about the 2nd and 4th question? In the second one I only face it like a diagnostic. In the 4th is only a question of faith, motivation, expectatives, which, of course, can be modified along the path.

If you say it because in the 2nd one you can become comparative, competitive...
If you say it because in the 4th it can make you forget the present and spoil your actual practice by an anxiety to achieve that or this...
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fivebells , modified 11 Years ago at 8/24/12 12:02 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/24/12 12:02 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
OK. What have your own results been, so far?
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Paul Rig, modified 11 Years ago at 8/26/12 11:45 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/26/12 11:45 AM

RE: Results.

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
fivebells .:
OK. What have your own results been, so far?


  • I started 4 months ago, I try to practice everyday, 40 min aprox. Obviously I dont get to practice 40 min everyday, but, more or less...
  • I can see how I can be much more precise in my practice, paying atention to the sensations breathing produces. I can see how thoughts come to my mind and I can go back to the physical sensations much more fast than at the beginning. Maybe my problem now is that I find it very booring (feeling that I try to combat)
  • Its evident that now I dont fall into paranoic thinking as much as before. I understand quite a bit how animic states works. Im more objective when some neurotic thinking comes and it dissapears. Im starting to recognice ego identifications and I feel Im closer to crumble the ilusion of self. This happens without effort, is like I trained my mind by meditating and now aout of the cushion I tend to more healthy thinking.
    Also I can be more concentrated in daily activities.
  • My expectatives are destroy completly this self ilusion, be whatever I want, be free. Dont suffer anymore.
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fivebells , modified 11 Years ago at 8/26/12 12:41 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/26/12 12:41 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
What aspects of the breath have you been attending to, and how stable is the attention?
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Paul Rig, modified 11 Years ago at 9/13/12 7:16 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 9/13/12 7:16 PM

RE: Results.

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
fivebells .:
What aspects of the breath have you been attending to, and how stable is the attention?


Sorry for this long time without response. I was traveling this days and I didnt have much time.

When I use the breath, I try to pay atenttion to the sensations inside my mouth. Lips, tongue, throath, etc... As I said before, I take the air from the mouth, with my lips quite closed. I do that because the air is colder and all the sensations are more evident.

As I said before too, at the beginning I was paying atenttion to 'what was happening' with the breath, trying to see where could I feel the air. What parts of my body where involved in the experience, etc... After that I tryed to pay more atenttion to 'how was happening', trying to see what I was feeling moment to moment, forgeting it was air, forgetting wich part of my body was experiencing it, trying only to see what I was feeling, related to the breath.

How stable is my atenttion? I dont know how to answer. My main problem is that I use to get bored very fast. I can be stable for 10 or 11 min and then I need to do a little break, standing up or drinking water...

In this 10 or 11 min of attention, when it is good I can feel a combination between the sensatins of the breathing, and how some thinkings come to my mind. So I observe them and I go back to what happens then. When Im stable, the thinkings arising they pass quickly.
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fivebells , modified 11 Years ago at 9/29/12 9:25 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 9/29/12 9:25 AM

RE: Results.

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
I've been traveling too; just got back from a trip to Australia. Sorry, I've forgotten the context in which I asked the question. (I think it was related to a conversation we were having in a different thread, because it's not clear from this one.)