awouldbehipster's practice notes (part 3)

I thought it would be a good day to start up part 3 of my practice journal.

I've been practicing the 2nd and 3rd gears most of the time, with some samatha (jhana) practice thrown in every now and then. During this morning's sit, I started out by clarifying the sense of wakefulness present in all experience, and began to relax into it, to let go. It quickly became apparent that the 'mind' was active. It was as if it were trying to find a place to land - some sort of stable ground to "place its feet," or something to hold on to. At first, I found myself actively release the grip every time the mind found something new to cling to, moment by moment. But than it dawned upon me'¦ this 'mind' is a complete fabrication. No 'mind' is moving to and fro. The movements are not 'mind'. It's an illusion. This all happened at once, and was not some kind intentional thought process. It was one of those "Aha!" moments. And at that moment, the 'mind' was gone, and the movements and clinging ended, and 3rd gear ensued for the duration of the sit.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Each sit is unique. The Absolute expresses the wisdom spontaneously, without any predetermination or intent. The pathways to realization and insight appear to be manifold. It seems as though all that is required is to recognize awareness and then allow the awakening process to unfold as it will. The wisdom of Emptiness is like a light which reveals the truth that dispels delusion. I am more confident in this than ever before.

(continued below)

Also, my sit this morning reminded me of something I've read from Ajahn Chah's teachings. He was big on teaching people to have sati (mindfulness/wakefulness) in tandem with sampajañña (clear comprehension/discernment) during meditation practice. When sati and sampajañña are present together, paññā (insight/wisdom) is likely to arise as a result. Here's an excerpt from "Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah"...

"There must be both sati and sampajañña. [...] They share the work. Having both sati and sampajañña is like having two workers to lift a heavy plank of wood. Suppose these two workers try to lift some heavy planks, but the weight is so great it's almost unendurable. Then a third worker, imbued with goodwill, sees them and rushes in to help. In the same way, when there is sati and sampajañña, then paññā (wisdom) will arise at the same place to help out. Then all three of them support each other."

This is sort of like my experience today. There was sati (wakefulness), discernment/comprehension (noticing precisely what was occurring - the 'mind' movements), and paññā came by to lend a hand

I want to make it clear, though, that sati, sampajañña, and paññā are not activities that "you" or "I" do. They are already present in your basic nature. Good practice is recognizing what is already the case, be it the Three Characteristics of compound phenomena or the unconditioned clear light luminosity that is the ground of all experience. It's all true, and is all happening right now. We practice to tune into whatever facet of this wisdom we're able to recognize in the moment, and then allow that facet to lead us away from delusion and into a realization of the way things truly are.

Practice well!
~Jackson

Glad to see a new set of notes, Jackson. I love that description of the no mind "aha!" moment.

Also, I'm curious if you see any link between sati/sampajañña, and concentration/insight. I can kind of see parallels there, in that concentration practice could be a way to tune into on the already present sati, and insight practice a way to pick up on the sampajañña, but I would bet there are distinctions I am not catching. Would you say there's any connection there?

"Glad to see a new set of notes, Jackson. I love that description of the no mind "aha!" moment.

Also, I'm curious if you see any link between sati/sampajañña, and concentration/insight. I can kind of see parallels there, in that concentration practice could be a way to tune into on the already present sati, and insight practice a way to pick up on the sampajañña, but I would bet there are distinctions I am not catching. Would you say there's any connection there?"

Hi Ian,

Yeah, I can see how they would be connected. Concentration (samadhi) is usually referent to something more one-pointed. Sati is more like bare attention. Samadhi is another part of the equation, for sure, as it allows one to stay with the sati and sampajañña - at least that's how I think it should work. I'm no Pali language expert!

I can see how it's related to vipassana, but not really the Mahasi Sayadaw style of "noting" practice. This is more spontaneous, less guided. I love Mahasi vipassana, but this process is a bit more... natural? I don't know if that's the right word. Anyways...

~Jackson

Thanks for clarifying Jackson. You say you don't see how sampajañña is related to the "noting" practice. I'm a new-comer to noting myself, so I am sure you're correct on this. But your description of sampajañña as "noticing precisely what was occurring - the 'mind' movements" seems to match up to my (admittedly very new) understanding of noting practice.

I very much want to focus my practice on accuracy, discernment, precisely understanding what is occurring, as I have felt very uncertain in my practice lately. Do you think strict Mahasi Sayadaw style noting would prove helpful with this? Or is there another way I can learn to tune more closely into sampajañña?

Hi Ian,

I wasn't very clear in my last post, and I do apologize. I think that sati-sampajañña and vipassana meditation are absolutely related. I was saying, more so, that samatha-vipassana (in tandem) may not be an exact correlation with sait-sampajañña, since samatha is usually (if I am correct) correlated to "samadhi" rather than just "sati". But I was just being super-geeky and not really getting to the important point you needed to hear.

Good vipassana will always have sati and sampajañña. It is "mindfulness" meditation, after all. There are different ways to do vipassana. What I was describing in my initial post was not vipassana meditation in the Mahasi sense, as I was not actively "noting." Nevertheless, I think that noting practice is an excellent way to stay engaged in sati-sampajañña, and is thus a very effective meditative technique for bringing about the dawning of paññā (prajna - wisdom/insight).

Mahasi-style noting works really well, and it's something that has been very effective for me. I highly recommend it. Please continue with it if you find it beneficial, and let me (or all of us at the KFDh) if you have any other questions or comments.

I hope that clears things up a bit. Sorry for the confusion!
~Jackson

Great, thanks Jackson, that does clear things up for me. Back to the cushion for me (well back to work right now, but back to the cushion eventually....)

Then again, maybe "typing, typing, checking the clock, typing, typing, lifting the phone, answering, checking the clock, checking the clock..."

"We begin to realize that there is a sane, awake quality within us. In fact this quality manifests itself only in the absence of struggle. So we discover the Third Noble Truth, the truth of the goal: that is, non-striving. We need only drop the effort to secure and solidify ourselves and the awakened state is present. But we soon realize that just 'letting go' is only possible for short periods. We need some discipline to bring us to 'letting be.' We must walk a spiritual path. Ego must wear itself out like an old shoe, journeying from suffering to liberation."

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism."

This is so my experience, Jackson. such a long 10 years to wear out enough of the ego to experience that awake quality within.

Jackson that quote is gorgeous!

Rings very true to these ears.

I'm glad you guys liked the quote. Trungpa certainly had a way with words.

One of the reasons why I practice is to become more in-tune with the flow of impermanence. Regardless of one's level of experience, some things never change. I've mentioned the "Eight Worldly Winds" before, but here they are again:

Gain and loss; praise and blame; fame and disrepute; pleasure and pain.

As long as we live, we will experience each of these Worldly Winds, over and over again. It doesn't take any special effort to notice when gain or loss, pleasure or pain, visit our experience. Through practice, we learn how to relate to these qualities more skillfully. It's like learning to surf, or riding a bike. There's a balance involved - a natural equilibrium to be found in the midst of the sometimes chaotic forces which have been pulling us one way or another.

The way to this equilibrium is mindfulness. If we learn to apply attention properly, we can gain insight into the movements of this world and learn to relax into their flow. Then, when 'gain' appears (say, a winning lottery ticket or a raise at work), we can say, "Ah, the wind blows West." When 'loss' happens (the death of a loved one, perhaps), we can say, "Ah, the wind blows East." And so on. By no longer ignoring these forces, we are not surprised when we are visited by them once again. We can relax, take a breath, and allow the field of experience to do what it does without reacting in such a way as to cause more harm to ourselves or others. Practice shows us that we don't have to add suffering to the mix.

On that note, practice well.
~Jackson

Well said. I hope a book is in the works....you have a knack for clear communication.

"Well said. I hope a book is in the works....you have a knack for clear communication."

Thank you, Jarrod. That is very kind of you to say. I have no book writing plans at this time. Though, I imagine I'll get around to writing one at some point.

"To take a reductionist approach to the practice can produce only reduced results, for meditation is a skill like carpentry, requiring a mastery of many tools in response to many different needs. To limit oneself to only one approach in meditation would be like trying to build a house when one's motivation is uncertain and one's tool box contains nothing but hammers." ~Thanissaro Bhikkhu

" one's tool box contains nothing but hammers."

The thought of this has me laughing out loud. Good thing the air conditioners in my office are on, or people'd be looking at me kind of funny. : )

Lately I've been finding it difficult to stay alert and engaged in the more formless styles of practice (2nd and 3rd gears, respectively). So, I've been bringing my practice back into my body. By grounding awareness into the body, I find that I'm more focused, and less scattered and aimless.

I've been beginning each practice session with breathing into different areas of the body, almost as if to 'activate' the energy of the body in those places, which makes it easier to ground awareness in those places. I bring awareness to the belly, and then up to the solar plexus, to the throat, to the head, and then spreading attention throughout the whole body, breathing in and out through the whole body. This provides an excellent foundation for investigation and relaxation. I got the idea to do this from both Reggie Ray and Thannisaro Bhikkhu, who both tend to emphasize meditating with the body. It's been a really beneficial experience so far.

Whatever practice I choose to do is whatever I think is going to keep me alert and engaged. There's no point in zoning-out or blissing-out. If I wanted to do that, I could drink a few beers and then watch some anime or take a nap. But if I'm alert and engaged, I have the opportunity to recognize the truth of things as they are and gain liberating insight. I'll take insight over zoning out any day of the week.

So here's to staying alert and engaged!

As a P.S. to the above...

After re-reading the post, I realized that it almost sounds like I'm saying that 2nd and 3rd gear practices are just 'blissing-out'. That's not what I'm saying at all.

There are times when I am able to stay fully alert and engaged in both 2nd and 3rd gear practices. But for some reason - perhaps when I'm not getting enough sleep - when I attempt to do such formless-style practices I lose alertness and zone-out or bliss-out entirely. My ability to stay attentive is the issue, not the practices themselves. That's why being able to shift into another 'gear' of practice is so beneficial.

Just wanted to clear that up.
~Jackson

I posted the following back in January (2010) on my profile blog at the Tricycle Community.

"Vipassana is very simple."

I think we often make this meditation stuff too complex, especially vipassana. Vipassana is very simple. Watch your breath at the belly or the tip of the nose until you become settled. Then, pay attention to changing phenomena at whatever level you can. If you can notice swift vibrations in the moment, then do that. If only the gross mind and body process are available to your experience, than notice those. Notice the universal characteristics, particularly that of transience and nonself. Suffering will arise as well, when you get uncomfortable and wish to change positions or get past the feelings of the present. That's all. It's very simple.

You will move through the stages naturally as you practice. Certain sensations come along that may scare you, or excite you, and it may take some time to learn how to relax into your experience in order to relate to each flavor or experience in a new way. As you do, progress will continue.

Do not worry about getting enlightened, or about stream-entry, or cessation/fruition, or any of that. It happens in an organic way when practice ripens as it does. That's all there is to it.

You should ask your friends and teachers for help when it is needed, and hopefully they will provide good advice for you. But ultimately, your job is to return to your experience again and again, with mindfulness an honesty. Notice what is true and become free.

"I posted the following back in January (2010) on my profile blog at the Tricycle Community.

"Vipassana is very simple."

I think we often make this meditation stuff too complex, especially vipassana. Vipassana is very simple. Watch your breath at the belly or the tip of the nose until you become settled. Then, pay attention to changing phenomena at whatever level you can. If you can notice swift vibrations in the moment, then do that. If only the gross mind and body process are available to your experience, than notice those. Notice the universal characteristics, particularly that of transience and nonself. Suffering will arise as well, when you get uncomfortable and wish to change positions or get past the feelings of the present. That's all. It's very simple.

You will move through the stages naturally as you practice. Certain sensations come along that may scare you, or excite you, and it may take some time to learn how to relax into your experience in order to relate to each flavor or experience in a new way. As you do, progress will continue.

Do not worry about getting enlightened, or about stream-entry, or cessation/fruition, or any of that. It happens in an organic way when practice ripens as it does. That's all there is to it.

You should ask your friends and teachers for help when it is needed, and hopefully they will provide good advice for you. But ultimately, your job is to return to your experience again and again, with mindfulness an honesty. Notice what is true and become free."

palabra

Great for me to read right now. My practice is pretty much devoid of MCTB-style fireworks, and I don't really see very much going on that corresponds with the maps. I get a little concerrned about this sometimes: "Am I completely thick-headed?"
Thanks, Jackson!

"Great for me to read right now. My practice is pretty much devoid of MCTB-style fireworks, and I don't really see very much going on that corresponds with the maps. I get a little concerrned about this sometimes: "Am I completely thick-headed?"
Thanks, Jackson! "

If you're used to fireworks and the like, it's quite normal to suspect that practice isn't going well if they aren't showing up. But they come and go like everything else. It's also important to remember that one's experience of the stages isn't static by any means. That's why Bill's "door to the door to the door" advice is so spot on. If we wait around for special experiences, or even look around for something that someone else is reporting, we could end up missing countless opportunities to gain insight.

Best to keep it simple

In regards to breathing into various parts of the body, I read this last week and found it very helpful. You might like it:
bit.ly/dq9tqN

Lots of good breath work related stuff on that blog too.

"Some kind of trees make themselves quiet in ways we can see: We say that they 'sleep.' At night, they fold up their leaves. If you go lie under them, you'll have a clear view of the stars in the nighttime sky. But when day comes, they'll spread out their leaves and give a dense shade. This is a good lesson for the mind: When you sit in meditation, close only your eyes. Keep your mind bright and alert, like a tree that closes its leaves and thus doesn't obstruct our view of the stars." ~The Autobiography of Ajaan Lee

(continued from above)

Lee is quick to note that if this doesn't work for an individual, they should simply disregard the experience and move on. It's better not to become enticed by visions, so it's usually best to abide by the wisdom of non-manipulation. But if you're able to remain neutral during the experiment, an enhanced sense of equanimity may result, which may reduce the amount of attraction, aversion, or confusion that may arise when such things pop up in future practice periods. For, if these things can be manipulated, they're inconstant. If they are inconstant, they cannot be clung to or relied upon. What's unreliable is most certainly not "me" or "mine." This is yet another way of seeing deeply into the nature of phenomena in order to change one's intuitive response.

Though I agree that non-manipulation is generally a "best practice" (to use corporate lingo), learning to manipulate subtle visionary phenomena in a skillful way may help one to see them for what they are, and thus deepen their sense of release from them.

EDIT: Grammar.