Tips for stream entry

If you only look at "Updated threads", you will miss this great page created by Nick on tips for getting stream entry. Thank you Nick!!! I read it once already, but need to look at it much more closely.

Yes! I agree - very practical, very useful... particularly for Goenka old students. Thanks, Nick!

Thanks for pointing this out, I would have missed it!

Question about Bruno's tip for investigating the sensations of self at the ajna chakra: Is this something one can do off-cushion? That is, is it helpful to pay attention to the pressure in that area with a soft focus?

I found in lecture the other day I could keep part of my attention there, so I'm wondering how effective that could be in the long run...

Yes, these tips were helpful to someone or other. But when it all boils down to what needs to be done, it is to just follow the technique of noting all the way. Remember that I collected these techniques to provide a better chance to certain Dhamma friends who are so attached to a certain tradition, teacher and technique of insight meditation that they seem to overlook and avoid what is most important in practicing insight meditation. That is INSIGHT and AWAKENING....not tradition nor teacher.

Tip Six (The Best Tip): By Kenneth Folk

Forget about the tips and tricks. Forget about the centerpoint. Forget about the 3 characteristics. Forget about whether you think you are concentrated or not. Forget about what you think you know about meditation.

Every time you discover the "problem" with your meditation, note your reaction to that thought. Note the thought itself. Note once per second, aloud, for the duration of your sitting. Note catastrophizing, dramatizing, histrionics, self-pity, evaluation thoughts, impatience, despair, self-loathing, joy, triumph, scenario spinning, longing, desire for deliverance, irritation, doubt, bliss, absorption, distraction, fear, anger, rage, disgust, euphoria, hope, contentment, anticipation, softness, hardness, coolness, warmth, pulsing, burning, itching, throbbing, stinging, tingling, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, petulance, futility, dullness, fatigue; what have I left out? Of course you would like some kind of a shortcut or a tip. There is no such thing. There is only the mastery of this simple technique. By the time you master this technique, you will be an arahat. If you distract yourself from this technique by trying to tweak the recipe, the warrantee is void.

Thanks Nik for this post. Your list really helps.
I was asking a question about the noting aloud just now. There comes a fear that if I say it out loud that I will influence the sensations i.e. stop the sensations that are happening. Be they good or bad. When my sit gets a bit intense with breathing changing and what not I drop the noting aloud just cause I feel like I'll influence the breathing change. Any tips on that?
Cheers

"Remember that I collected these techniques to provide a better chance to certain Dhamma friends who are so attached to a certain tradition, teacher and technique of insight meditation that they seem to overlook and avoid what is most important in practicing insight meditation."

Nik,

Thank you for these interesting tips. I've been practicing in the Goenka tradition: Three ten day courses and 3 months of sit-serving. I'm sitting my fourth course in a few days. and I want to inquire into what you said above. I'm really looking for a way to combine scanning and noting into a practice potent enough to get me to stream entry. I've gotten to high equanimity on my last retreat using scanning and some intermittent noting of mind states and thoughts. The reason I havent completely surrendered to a full-on noting practice is because this hybrid has gotten me this far. And, in each sit, I'm able to move up into the equanimity nana quicker using this hybrid method than pure noting (30 minutes versus 45 minutes)

So, I don;t think I'm particularly attached to the tradition or teacher. And I've amended the technique to address the fullness of my actual experience and my embeddedness therein. I'm wondering whether you think I should just abandon any remnants of my scanning and take up a full-on noting practice, even though its hard for me :*( or whether its just as possible to nail first path with this hybrid practice. My fear is that I'm just a brain washed Goenka sheep. Help. Thanks.

Sam

Hi Sam,

If you are getting up to the 11th nana without problems, then continue what you are doing. Clayton, who occasionally posts here, got stream entry doing such a hybrid practice. My words above, in hindsight, are a little extreme. Although I think noting is the most effective technique, I might be talking out my arse. It happens. I was getting up to the 11th nana occasionally sweeping and sitting at the heart chakra continuously for a few years. I just didn't know about disembedding from the more mental phenomena and so did not progress past the 11th, low to mid equanimity. Noting opened all that up and plus I had the strong resolution to get it done which I think was a deciding factor. If you're getting up to the 11th nana, then your goal is just keep doing what you are doing to get there again, and continue disembedding from everything that arises. Sounds like you have the right attitude and mind set. Good for you! That does not seem to be a common mindset in my experience in that tradition and could well be the reason why there aren't yogis getting it done on mass there.

If it's too hard for you to note, I suggest you ask yourself what is making it hard, and then note that. Hehe! I know it's hard at first. I had trouble initially too. But if you just get over the first hurdle of getting used to it, noting everything and anything that arises centre stage in the experience of Sam, will eventually get you there.

Hopefully, my dhamma brother Clayton will drop in here with some advice. He got stream entry on a Goenka course if I remember correctly, following the instructions but also with the intent to get it done, and some inclusion of noting.

Experiment. Take the resolution to not sweep and note everything that takes centre stage, every mind state, sensation, thought, image, etc for 1 hour in your next sit. Then do the following sit sweeping as you did before. See if you see a difference in how quickly you get to the 11th nana. Also I highly recommend getting your concentration up. Kasina practice for 10-15 minutes and then switch to vipassana.

Edited to include: I just reread your post and you said it is quicker for you to sweep and note some of the mental stuff. Good! Keep doing that. THe 11th nana is very mentally themed. Note all those subtle mind states such as boredom, wandering, spacing out, space, intention, wondering, pondering, analyzing, doubt, restlessness, anticipation, sublte craving for stream entry etc.. Disembed from EVERYTHING at that level and you will get across the line.

Keeping hanging out in high equanimity and you will eventually pop!

Nick

"Thanks Nik for this post. Your list really helps.
I was asking a question about the noting aloud just now. There comes a fear that if I say it out loud that I will influence the sensations i.e. stop the sensations that are happening. Be they good or bad. When my sit gets a bit intense with breathing changing and what not I drop the noting aloud just cause I feel like I'll influence the breathing change. Any tips on that?
Cheers "

Hi Keith,

It appears I overlooked this question of yours. I would just note that fear that it is influencing what you are experiencing such as the breath. If it happens, it is what you note. Let the influencing happen and note the changes as they occur, if they occur. What you are experiencing in that very moment is the very fear you expressed. That is what you note. Forget whether it influences the sensations. You are looking at NOT looking for. Just keep noting.

Everything and everything can be noted. When in doubt, note the doubt and keep noting. When a question comes up, note the question and keep noting. When agitation comes up and an aversion to noting, note that aversion and keep noting. When confusion comes up, note it and keep noting. When hapiness and pleasant vibes dominate and take cnetre stage, note them and keep noting. When images or mind states, or thoughts or sensations are taking centre stage, regardless of what they are and if you think they need to be questioned and asked about here on the forum, just note them and keep noting. NOTE IT ALL!!!



Nick