Hi Good People,

I'm a pracitioner who sits about 1 hour a day. During my "normal" day (father, husband and full time job), I find myself with spot times (in line, driving, etc.) where I can do 5 minutes or so of spot noting.

Is that worthwhile? ie. adding a component during "out and about" time to do noting practice?

Cheers,
Tommy

I'm not an expert here, but a useful counter-question may be:
worthwhile compared to what?

If you are asking if 5 minutes of noting is more worthwhile than 5 minutes of spacing out and daydreaming, or 5 minutes of boiling in anger, etc... then the answer, I think, would be obvious.

Yes, I hear that. I suppose I was trying to get the sense of how other practitioners saw what I break down as 3 areas of practice:

1) retreats (seems like most see these as the places to get the most progress)
2) daily formal sitting
3) off cushion "on the fly" noting.

All of the above assumes noting practice as the main practice. Just would like to hear folks' thoughts on how valuable #3) is/was in their practice along the path.

valuable

↑

What he said.

What the others aren't saying is: it is valuable because it promotes mindfulness (sati).

Consider these two quotes from Gotama:

"But mindfulness, bhikkhus, I say is always useful." (SN 46.53)

". . . a bhikkhu should dwell mindful and clearly comprehending: this is our instruction to you." (SN 47.2)

The term "bhikkhu," although it can be used to refer to the monastic community, actually means "an earnest student of the Dhamma." Bhikkhu Bodhi once wrote in reference to this term being used in a quotation from the Satipatthana Sutta that:

The Majjhima Nikaya Atthakatha says that in this context, "bhikkhu" is a term indicating a person who earnestly endeavors to accomplish the practice of the teaching: "Whoever undertakes that practice. . .is here comprised under the term 'bhikkhu.'"

So, this instruction refers to any serious or diligent practitioner, not just to monastics.

If you consider yourself earnest or diligent, then . . . take heed of this instruction.