From where can i begin?

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Marcelo, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 1:16 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 1:12 PM

From where can i begin?

Posts: 10 Join Date: 7/25/14 Recent Posts
Hi guys ! Well,i have some Sayadaw u Pandita books,and MCTB but,its seems to me that to read those is required prior knowledge to understand it fully,the things is...i know absolutely nothing about what a jnana is,any states or stages that you guys describe,abosolutely no idea what fruition is or anything. emoticon

I've done a S.N Goenka retreat here in Brazil,but nobody seems to know any of these things.

I really want to commit myself to the dharma life,so i really need to know where can i start from point zero ?
What books should i buy so i can understand everything,identify these concepts in my practice,discuss here on forum,and teach myself how to meditate ? There aren't any teachers that i could learn from where i live,but if i get really serious im eager to go over seas and learn more about,but i need a foundation first.

That's is i guess,thank you guys emoticon
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chris mc, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 2:03 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 1:47 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 57 Join Date: 5/31/12 Recent Posts
Start by practicing concentration, develop your skill in staying with one specific thing.  Sit for an hour a day, and watch the air moving past your nostrils.  Add more time per day as you improve.

Work on that for a few weeks?  a few months?  until you can regularly keep your attention on your breath, with few brief lapses in attention, for a full hour.   Then consider looking for more advanced instructions or a different direction. 

Some people say to get into first shamatha jhana before doing insight practice, others say it's not necessary, but you still need concentration skills.  No matter what happens or what path you go down, you will be well served by basing future practice on a strong foundation of concentration practice. 

> What books should i buy so i can understand everything,identify these concepts in my practice,discuss here on forum,and teach myself how to meditate ?

In my experience, if you start out looking to "understand everything,identify these concepts in my practice" you overly complicate things and don't make progress.  Start simply and slowly, pick one book and read it ten times, instead of reading ten books. 

Peace,
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Howard Maxwell Clegg, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 2:03 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 2:03 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 50 Join Date: 10/14/14 Recent Posts
Hi Marcelo, welcome to the DHO. You are not starting from zero, you have done a Goenka retreat which is a great start. This practice can carry you a long way. After my Goenka retreat I did the 2 hours daily like a Duracel bunny for about 18 months and don't regret a minute of it. After a while I needed something else, but Goenka drills you in all the basic skills for insight, especially body awareness, which I keep coming back too. I say keep at it.

I came to Jhana late so I not the one to ask about this one. Ditto books and sources. But no matter how much you read, you need to see it unfold in real time in your own conscious experience. Some say that 40 mins sitting a day is the minimum you need to make progess. I found that stuff moved much more noticably at an hour or so, but we are all different.

Good luck
J C, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 2:28 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 2:28 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 644 Join Date: 4/24/13 Recent Posts
Marcelo Ceraso Carvalho:
Hi guys ! Well,i have some Sayadaw u Pandita books,and MCTB but,its seems to me that to read those is required prior knowledge to understand it fully,the things is...i know absolutely nothing about what a jnana is,any states or stages that you guys describe,abosolutely no idea what fruition is or anything. emoticon


I'd suggest reading MCTB cover to cover, then re-reading. It really does explain all of it, states, stages, fruitions, everything emoticon
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Marcelo, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:09 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:09 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 10 Join Date: 7/25/14 Recent Posts
That's where im going to start,im really anxious and that ocd kind of thing like something is missing,but i'll do it step by step like you said,this is something i really need to learn.

And yes,concentration seems to be the foundation for all other techniques,i always knew i had to start with that,thanks for reminding me.



and thank you for reading my stuff and replying
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Marcelo, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:15 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:15 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 10 Join Date: 7/25/14 Recent Posts
Hi Howard ! Thanks for the welcome.
Thats interesting,it was a shocking experience for me to be honest,and took some time to swallow it all,i know there's plenty more for me to learn in the Goenka tradition,but i have heard so not so good things about it,and great things about the noting technique,so i just wondered.

I'll definitly practice those 2 hours or more.

I'll stick to the books a i have for now,and when i find time to look for more,i'll go after it.

thank you emoticon
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Marcelo, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:42 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 3:42 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 10 Join Date: 7/25/14 Recent Posts
Heh,i took it a read now,there's alot in there,and it will help alot,but i want other sources too emoticon

thanks 
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Howard Maxwell Clegg, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 4:39 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 4:39 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 50 Join Date: 10/14/14 Recent Posts
Ha yes, a Goenka retreat is a bit like jumping into a cold bath, I hear you. Noting is really good though, and the MCTB is written with that practice in mind. So you have some good choices. emoticon
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 7:23 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/26/14 7:21 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Some say that 40 mins sitting a day is the minimum you need to make progess. I found that stuff moved much more noticably at an hour or so, but we are all different.

Here I agree: when the time was right to increase to an hour, it was right (Achtung: tautomerism... : ) But, really, I had to get throught the Snooze Barrier, which was around 35-40 minutes in. So an hour allowed me to experience: sitting through sleep lurching like a Weeble Wobble (to follow up on the Duracell Bunny analogy) and after those lurches came an alert but relaxed mental state which was very good for concentration training, provided I was actually not sleep-reprived.

Sincerity and best efforts, to me, are the strongest training tools ultimately. So sometimes there is no sitting, sometimes 5 minutes, some days are sustained mindfulness, some days are just a pure hunt for comfort food with "What dharma? Huh?". But to show up sincere and just apply best efforts without overstriving-- useful.

Best wishes with your experiential study.
________________
But no matter how much you read, you need to see it unfold in real time in your own conscious experience. Some say that 40 mins sitting a day is the minimum you need to make progess. I found that stuff moved much more noticably at an hour or so, but we are all different.
 +1
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Marcelo, modified 9 Years ago at 10/27/14 11:20 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/27/14 11:06 AM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 10 Join Date: 7/25/14 Recent Posts
So,apart from that question,does anyone knows any source of information that could show me how Vipassana affects and interacts with the Unconscious mind ? 

To be honest what caught me into this journey,was how psychedelics cease for a short period of time the process in my mind,all ego defenses went down,and all the unconscious emerge to my conscious awareness,so i could integrate it in my present awaraness,which brought  me some healings,it's easy to find how good psychedelics can do to the person,but with vipassana i couldn't find any source that could dive deep into it.

My aim with meditation is to have a similar process of self transformation,growth,etc. 
I found out that psilocybin affects a part of the brain the same as a deep meditation state,there are brain scans for it,i saw Gary Weber talking about it.

It seems too hard to swallow that meditation can mimic those states.

Some of you may say,well,why don't you use psychedelics again ?

Well,i have this deep fear of psychosis,and i find it hard to integrate all those information back into my daily life.
And meditation seems to be the only tool left,although i'm doing psychotherapy,but the thing is slow as it can be.

This seems to be an old stupid question about psychedelics and meditation,but i can't find a straight to the point answer.

I have never experienced nothing significant with meditation,of course i didn't practice enough,but im so curious to know what people experience,those deep states how do they feel,if it similiar to that sense of imense creativity,spontaneity,change,healing,joy.

That opening to dealing with the shadow aspects of the self,and so on.

well... yeahs ! haha

am i bothering too much ?
J C, modified 9 Years ago at 10/27/14 7:52 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 10/27/14 7:52 PM

RE: From where can i begin?

Posts: 644 Join Date: 4/24/13 Recent Posts
Marcelo:
So,apart from that question,does anyone knows any source of information that could show me how Vipassana affects and interacts with the Unconscious mind ? 

To be honest what caught me into this journey,was how psychedelics cease for a short period of time the process in my mind,all ego defenses went down,and all the unconscious emerge to my conscious awareness,so i could integrate it in my present awaraness,which brought  me some healings,it's easy to find how good psychedelics can do to the person,but with vipassana i couldn't find any source that could dive deep into it.

My aim with meditation is to have a similar process of self transformation,growth,etc. 
I found out that psilocybin affects a part of the brain the same as a deep meditation state,there are brain scans for it,i saw Gary Weber talking about it.

It seems too hard to swallow that meditation can mimic those states.

Some of you may say,well,why don't you use psychedelics again ?

Well,i have this deep fear of psychosis,and i find it hard to integrate all those information back into my daily life.
And meditation seems to be the only tool left,although i'm doing psychotherapy,but the thing is slow as it can be.

This seems to be an old stupid question about psychedelics and meditation,but i can't find a straight to the point answer.

I have never experienced nothing significant with meditation,of course i didn't practice enough,but im so curious to know what people experience,those deep states how do they feel,if it similiar to that sense of imense creativity,spontaneity,change,healing,joy.

That opening to dealing with the shadow aspects of the self,and so on.

well... yeahs ! haha

am i bothering too much ?

Once again, I'd urge you to read MCTB, especially the parts that discuss A&P events (Arising & Passing) as those sections may answer your questions. It sounds like you may have had an A&P event triggered by psychedelics - many of mine were also triggered by psychedelics, and meditation by itself without drugs can indeed bring about the same type of healing and transformation.

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