"Insight disease"
- telecaster
- Topic Author
15 years 11 months ago #54792
by telecaster
"Insight disease" was created by telecaster
Do you have it? I certainly do. I guess anyone who goes on this site probably has it.
Definition? Not sure, for me it is this conviction that I know that huge insight is possible and I want it and I will practice until it happens. Can't stop.
I know I've had it for a long time and it did stop at times in a way (but was always a nagging prescence in the background) but it seems to have progressed now to an acute condition.
I'm trying to remember when I first got it. I think is was at about 13 or 14 and I was reading books on meditation and "eastern spirituality" and I got caught up in the idea of enlightenment or liberation and just got this faith that it was all actually possible. I think (hope) I have a more mature model now than then, but this faith that enlightenment was real and was possible for humans came and never really left me.
I think I was really sunk one year (I think around 1977 or so) when I read "Living Buddhist Masters" by Jack Kornfield and this book the name of which I can't remember that was a pesonal account by a young american of going to India and Burma and practicing with Goenka, U Ba Kim (sp?), and other vipassana masters. (I'll try to remember the title/author).
It was my first encounter with vipassana done by real people today. I tried all the techniques in the kornfield book and had some jolting experiences that only added to the disease.
I've always wondered why I never tried to go on a retreat back then.
Definition? Not sure, for me it is this conviction that I know that huge insight is possible and I want it and I will practice until it happens. Can't stop.
I know I've had it for a long time and it did stop at times in a way (but was always a nagging prescence in the background) but it seems to have progressed now to an acute condition.
I'm trying to remember when I first got it. I think is was at about 13 or 14 and I was reading books on meditation and "eastern spirituality" and I got caught up in the idea of enlightenment or liberation and just got this faith that it was all actually possible. I think (hope) I have a more mature model now than then, but this faith that enlightenment was real and was possible for humans came and never really left me.
I think I was really sunk one year (I think around 1977 or so) when I read "Living Buddhist Masters" by Jack Kornfield and this book the name of which I can't remember that was a pesonal account by a young american of going to India and Burma and practicing with Goenka, U Ba Kim (sp?), and other vipassana masters. (I'll try to remember the title/author).
It was my first encounter with vipassana done by real people today. I tried all the techniques in the kornfield book and had some jolting experiences that only added to the disease.
I've always wondered why I never tried to go on a retreat back then.
- cmarti
- Topic Author
15 years 11 months ago #54793
by cmarti
Was that other author Ken Streat? His book, which I read years ago, sounds a lot like the one you described, Mike. I beiieve Ken Streat managed Gaia House for Christopher Titmuss for a while. Now he makes furniture and cabinetry in Totnes. His book is called "Captain Buddha and His Amazing Dukkha Machine: A Seven Year Journey ." It's a very personal account of young Ken's travels in India. Not very well known, some would maybe even call it obscure.
Replied by cmarti on topic RE: "Insight disease"
Was that other author Ken Streat? His book, which I read years ago, sounds a lot like the one you described, Mike. I beiieve Ken Streat managed Gaia House for Christopher Titmuss for a while. Now he makes furniture and cabinetry in Totnes. His book is called "Captain Buddha and His Amazing Dukkha Machine: A Seven Year Journey ." It's a very personal account of young Ken's travels in India. Not very well known, some would maybe even call it obscure.
- telecaster
- Topic Author
15 years 11 months ago #54794
by telecaster
Replied by telecaster on topic RE: "Insight disease"
Here it is:
Journey of Insight Meditation:
A Personal Experience of the Buddha's Way
by Eric Lerner
ISBN 0805236481 / 9780805236484 / 0-8052-3648-1
Publisher Schocken Books
Language English
Edition Hardcover
Journey of Insight Meditation:
A Personal Experience of the Buddha's Way
by Eric Lerner
ISBN 0805236481 / 9780805236484 / 0-8052-3648-1
Publisher Schocken Books
Language English
Edition Hardcover