Part 1 - Laying it on the line, in six parts...

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

My introduction...

My name is Frank, my Kenneth Folk Dharma handle is Eezy, and I came upon this web site, a couple of days ago, by way of buddhistgeeks; I am now a member.

Permit me to give you folks a little background to my Buddhism.

I am a conforming Theravada Buddhist, of about three and half years. I've been meditating for three years come January 2011. I am energetic, diligent, and sincere in my practice, during most of my wakeful hours, and sometimes when I'm dreaming. I follow the five precepts very close, although I occasionally commit minor infractions.

Mostly I'm an upbeat person; however, for some time before my conversion I was dwelling in the darkest hours of my life. I was in total despair, and just by chance I was reading a book on Buddhism, when I came across the, '˜Three Characteristics of Existence'; namely, impermanence (anicca), suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and not-self (anatta). Just like that, I had an epiphany; however, there was no wow, elation, or high emotions, it was just a matter of fact. Like, "oh, I see"; and that was about the extent of it; and my despair dissipated right there; whereupon I took the Three Refuges. Since than I've only looked back once. In the past three years, my taints have subsided substantially.

Subsequently, I felt that something had intrinsically changed in me, and for a while, I toyed with the idea that I had entered the Path. However, as I began to study the suttas, it became apparent that it could not be so, because I kept breaking my precepts, and I still had some doubt in the Buddha; and so I moved on. However, after reading much of Kenneth's web site, I'm thinking something did happen to me.

Any comments and questions..?

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

I'm astounded...

I was shocked to read Kenneth's views about the personalities of real Arahant. A few days ago, I was comfortable in the belief that Arahantship brought an end to the fetters and taints. However, I was astonished to find that here is an Arahant that differs with my beliefs. The way I understand Kenneth's view is, if a person is a 'geek' before their Enlightenment, there is a good chance they will be a 'geek' afterward.

Now I am not adverse to this view, because in my study of the suttas, a number of anomalies regarding the personalities of Arahants have puzzled me. Therefore, I wish to investigate this line of thought further; in addition, I am intrigued by Kenneth's 'Three Speed Transmission' methods, which rather reminds me of my own meditation methodology.

See Part 3, for my meditation methodology...

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

My meditation methodology...

I practice Samatha/Vipassana yoked together, my meditation methodology is Metta by way of the Brahma Viharas. Several months ago, my Dhamma/Meditation teacher confirmed me as an advanced 4th Jhana meditator. Up to that point, I had no idea as to my meditation attainments.

Currently, my meditation goes like this; I sit in a chair, and tranquilize my mind and body; I bring up mindfulness and equanimity; lately, my mindfulness and equanimity have been clear and bright. I enter access concentration and make three wish for all beings; may all beings be free of pain, grief, and despair; may all beings be happy hearted; may all beings acquire Nibbana. Then I enter the 4th Jhana and spend up to five minutes radiating Metta in each of six directions, and than all around. If a physical sensation, emotive feeling, or thought of ill will, lust, greed, delusion, restlessness, sloth and torpor, or doubt should arise, I recognize it, release it and let it go (I don't suppress it), relax my mind and body, slightly smile to uplift my mind, and return to my object of meditation. I've been doing this for some time, such that it is now automatic. The sensation, feeling, or thought may hang around for a while but I don't pay it any attention, I only recognize that it's there, and soon it dissipates on its own.

Any comments and questions..?

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

My conforming meditation practice - I think...

Here is where my practice of the Brahma Viharas, seem to conform to Kenneth's, 'Three Speed Transmission'. The 1st Gear is kind of like the meditation methodology I described; the balancing of Samatha and Vipassana, although I don't think about the 'Nana's', per-se. The 2nd Gear the 'Witness', reminds me of my application of Mindfulness. Mindfulness to me is the capacity to watch how my mind moves from moment to moment, in order to catch an impersonal hindrance as it arises, recognize it, and release it before I attach to it and make it mine. Otherwise, if I attach, this creates a craving that leads to clinging, habitual tendency or becoming, and rebirth of action. This is how I learn to release and avoid unwholesome thoughts/actions and to encourage and dwell in wholesome thoughts/actions. The 3rd Gear, is like my faculty of 'letting go' of the 'I', 'Me', and 'Mine'; it's a very cool place to be.

As a bonus, I'm aware that every day I get a little better at carrying my meditation from the seat to the street. Somewhat how Kenneth describes the 2nd and 3rd Gear; depending on the degree of distractions, it stays with me 'on and off' for several hours a day.

Any comments and questions..?

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

My two visions...

Following are two meditation vision experiences that stand out for me. I want to let it be known I don't dwell on them. I've described them to my Dhamma/Meditation teacher, he told me not to pay attention to them, so I don't. Still it would be nice to get some feedback on them, if that is appropriate to you folks.

1) In the first vision, I saw a thought flicker; like the slowing down of a picture show so that I could see each individual frame as it went by, and blank spaces in between. Oddly enough, it wasn't the picture frames, which drew my attention, it was the blank spaces in between; go figure...

2) The second vision is much harder to describe. So what I'm about to say is a conjecture. In this vision I'm of the mind that what I was seeing is how impersonal hindrances form by combining various mixtures of feelings, thoughts, colours, intensities, and densities, how they arise, and how they attempt to break through my mindfulness, to my conscious mind. I watched them form, arise, fail, collapse, cease, and reform, many at a time, rising and ceasing.

Any comments and questions..?

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

Dear Kenneth, and Dhamma Friends,

I'm curious...

The following sentence from, 'The Progress of Insight (Part Five)', caught my attention, "Then, when I wasn't expecting anything, there was a momentary discontinuity in my awareness, followed by a deep breath and a feeling of bliss (15th ñana, Knowledge of Fruition)."

This happens to me regularly, towards the end of most meditation sessions. However, I have never paid attention to the experience; apart from thinking, "that was odd." I can't say much about the bliss part, because I immediately let the experience go and return to my object of meditation. Still I enjoy the deep breath, it feels so free and refreshing to the lungs as I quickly inhale and exhale; the air is so cool and sweet, and my breath is unhindered and efficient. Like rising to the surface for a breath of air after holding, ones breathe underwater.

Any comments and questions..?

That's it for now...

Thank you in advance for your consideration...

With Metta
Eezy

"

I'm curious...

The following sentence from, 'The Progress of Insight (Part Five)', caught my attention, "Then, when I wasn't expecting anything, there was a momentary discontinuity in my awareness, followed by a deep breath and a feeling of bliss (15th ñana, Knowledge of Fruition)."

This happens to me regularly, towards the end of most meditation sessions. However, I have never paid attention to the experience; apart from thinking, "that was odd." I can't say much about the bliss part, because I immediately let the experience go and return to my object of meditation. Still I enjoy the deep breath, it feels so free and refreshing to the lungs as I quickly inhale and exhale; the air is so cool and sweet, and my breath is unhindered and efficient. Like rising to the surface for a breath of air after holding, ones breathe underwater.

"

Hi Frank and welcome to KFD,

The best way to make the most of this site is to set up your own practice thread. You can describe your practice in the barest of ways without any speculation . Just pure phenomenological descriptions of your meditation sits etc. This way, kenneth and other yogis here can offer advice on where you are and what perhaps you should do to progress.

I'm curious too now. Can you please note down all the phenomenological stuff that happens as soon as your butt hits the floor to when you stop meditating the next time you sit?

It'd interesting to see what is happening to you and perhaps see patterns emerge to see where your cutting edge is (what nana you are reaching). Bliss waves can be experienced at the 4th nana as well as once one gets stream entry onwards post fruition.

You will find here that we follow mostly one model of awakening. The technical model of awakening to do with the 16 stages of insight. But the 10 fetter model is also making a comeback.

Metta

Nick

Hi Eezy,

I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your reports and I hope you keep them coming. Your practice looks strong and getting stronger. Thanks for posting here!

Kenneth

Friend Nick,

Thank you for your instructive reply; I will take your advice and set up my own practice thread.

Please be patient as I transition from the 10-fetter model of awakening to the 16 stages of insight.

Due to the 2000 word limit, it will probably take several submissions, to fulfill my reply.

Nick, in your reply you tendered two inquiries, your first inquiry, a question, I would prefer to cover under my own practice thread.

To your second inquiry, "It'd interesting to see what is happening to you and perhaps see patterns emerge to see where your cutting edge is (what nana you are reaching)."

I offer the following...

I'll start by affirming that I practice Samatha in tandem with Vipassana. You can read a reference to this practice at AN 4.170 - Yuganaddha Sutta: In Tandem ( www.accesstoinsight.org ).

On one hand, I practice samatha by abandoning physical and mental disturbances, torments, and distresses, thereby I experience ease in body and mind.

On the other hand, when I practice vipassana, I don't focus on each individual insight stage, or practice noting such as 'seeing', 'hearing', etc.

What I do is watch sensations, feelings, and thoughts arise both on the seat and on the street. I objectify the non-self or impersonal hindrances by recognizing them upon 'contact' when they arise, let them go by releasing them (I don't suppress them, in fact I treat my hindrances as friends, because they show me where my kamma lies); then, I relax my body and mind, smile to uplift my mind, and return to my object of meditation.

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

continuing...

For example if a lustful thought should arise, I don't mentally note it as 'lust', I just recognize it as 'lust', and let it go; kind of like putting it up on a shelf and forgetting about it. If it falls off the shelf and arises again, I just repeat the process.

To summarize, for the most part, I know and see, the six sense media (the five senses plus the intellect); their objects, consciousness at each medium, contact at each medium, and whatever is experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain based on that contact. I maintain this awareness in such a way as to stay uninfatuated by most of these things, unattached, unconfused, focused on their drawbacks, abandoning craving for them: I believe this would count as vipassana.

When I practice Samatha in tandem with Vipassana, as per 1 of 7, the wisdom I seek is seeing directly 'Dependent Causation', in action, so as to understand directly the Four Noble Truths.

As I understand it all phenomena follow a trajectory. That is they begin, arise, peak, maintain, fall, and cease. To apply this to my practice I make the following analogy, 'I am meditating when a lustful thought arises...'

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

continuing...

...When 'mind' sees the mind object of a 'lustful thought', there is mind-consciousness; the meeting of the three is mind-contact. With mind contact as cause, there is mind feeling, experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain. With mind feeling as cause there is mind craving (I like it, I don't like it, or ignorance). With mind craving as cause there is mind clinging (all the reasons why I like it or don't like it). With mind clinging as cause, there are habitual tendencies or becoming (how one habitually responds to 'lustful thoughts'). With habitual tendencies as cause, there is the rebirth of action (kamma and subsequently vipaka)...

As I've gained insight/wisdom through my practice I have become very sharp at seeing a hindrance rise, such that I abandon the hindrance at 'feeling' before it becomes 'craving'. Therefore, my thoughts remain wholesome, and no kamma ensues; I've cut off craving at it's root.

Remember 'craving' is the cause of 'dukkha'; the Second Noble Truth.

To further reiterate, "I maintain this awareness in such a way as to stay uninfatuated by most of these things, unattached, unconfused, focused on their drawbacks, abandoning craving for them: I believe this would count as insight and wisdom.

In this post I am taking a larger excerpt from 'The Progress of Insight (Part Five)', and breaking it out with answers in order to present an appreciation of your inquiry, "It'd interesting to see what is happening to you and perhaps see patterns emerge to see where your cutting edge is (what nana you are reaching)."

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

From, 'The Progress of Insight (Part Five)'...

KFD: I started the sitting with my mind a jumble (the mind is not yet settled enough to access any Insight Knowledge).
Eezy: When I start a sitting, my 'mind' is never a jumble. I can if I choose, immediately enter 'access concentration' and or Jhana. Transitioning in or out of meditation is not a problem for me.

KFD: As soon as my mind settled down, I felt pleasant tingling and vibrating in my leg, along with a feeling of well-being and lightness (4th ñana, Arising and Passing of Phenomena).
Eezy: Since it has been my practice to enter directly into the 4th Jhana, apart from a subdued relaxed feeling felt throughout my body, there is no pleasant tingling and vibrating in my legs, or the rest of my body. However, in the past when I was transitioning through the 2nd and 3rd Jhanas; especially the 3rd Jhana, my whole body was a washed in pleasant tingling feeling, sometimes they were very intense. With respect to vibrations in my body, they may have occurred but I have no recollection of them, I suspect the Jhana's are the reason for this.

However, a re-reading of 2 of 7, will show that watching hindrances arise and releasing them during a sitting, I believe correspond to the 4th ñana, the Arising and Passing of Phenomena.

KFD: Next, there were subtle, cool tingles all over my skin and I felt bliss (5th ñana, Dissolution).
Eezy: The way I understand the 5th ñana, Dissolution, it corresponds to the 3rd Jhana; so yes I have felt bliss many times, and still do.

KFD: Next, I heard a sudden noise and was startled, frightened, and disoriented (6th ñana, Fear).
Eezy: I experience this event once or twice in the early stages of most sittings; however, I've never equated it to fear, although now I see the relationship.

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

continuing...

KFD: Next, my jaw and neck started to tighten and writhe, and I felt itches on my skin (7th ñana, Misery).
Eezy: Currently, when I sit, I first bring up 'access concentration', and proceed to relax and tranquilize my 'mind' and body to prepare myself for a long sitting, kind of like working the kinks out, so to speak. I then mentally scan my head and body for tension and stress, and when I find any, I release them. Parts of my body that stand out for me are my face, brow, eyes, and head. I pay close attention to these areas since I am subject to painful headaches that cluster behind my eyes. Other areas are my chest, back, butt, legs, and feet. By scanning and releasing tensions prior to entering Jhana, I forego much discomfort. I may, periodically during my sitting re-scan by body and and release tension and stress that I find. If tension or stress should suddenly arise, I release it right there.

KFD: Next, I began thinking about snails and worms and ugly people, and my face pulled involuntarily into a sneer (8th ñana, Disgust).
Eezy: I can't remember feeling disgust during a sitting. However, when I'm on the street unwholesome thoughts can elicit disgust in me. Mostly, I deal with the unwholesome thought before disgust comes up. When unwholesome thoughts do arise, I release them and return to wholesome thoughts. In my opinion I believe my success rate is 99%. Whatever unwholesome thoughts that do make it by my mindfulness, I abandon in short order.

KFD: Next, my chest became tight, my breathing shallow, and I started thinking, "Let me out of here!" (9th ñana, Desire for Deliverance).
Eezy: On occasion I have sittings where I'm mentally and/or physically restless, bored, or where pain and discomfort in my body is such that I start thinking, "Let me out of here!"

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

continuing...

KFD: Next, my mind was full of all kinds of negativity, my concentration went to hell, and I began thinking I was wasting my time and I might as well get up and have another cup of coffee or watch some television. I started thinking about the argument I once had with someone, and how I had definitely been in the right (10th ñana, Knowledge of Re-observation).
Eezy: I've had numerous occasions during sittings, whereby attaching to an arising hindrance, I've been caught daydreaming about events in my life.

KFD: Finally, my mind settled down, the field of awareness expanded, and sitting was effortless. There was a pain in my leg, but it was no problem; I experienced it as a flow of sensations, some pleasant, some unpleasant, but none of it was a problem (11th ñana, Knowledge of Equanimity).
Eezy: This describes my experience of the 4th Jhana. In addition, I can carry my equanimity from the seat to the street.

KFD: I became more and more calm. Then, when I wasn't expecting anything, there was a momentary discontinuity in my awareness, followed by a deep breath and a feeling of bliss (15th ñana, Knowledge of Fruition).
Eezy: In 'Part 6 - Laying it on the line, in six parts', I stated similar circumstances have occurred to me. Today, and yesterday during my morning sittings I experienced four deep breaths. However, I don't recall a momentary discontinuity in my awareness. I'm now thinking that these unexpected breaths may be a result of my shallow breathing during my sitting. The jury is still out on this one...

To be continued...

With Metta,
Eezy

Friend Nick,

continuing...

KFD: After that, I sat up straight, feeling energy returning to my body and mind and realized I was back at the beginning of the cycle (4th ñana, Knowledge of The Arising and Passing Away of Phenomena).
Eezy: I don't know if this counts, but every time I see a hindrance arise, and release it and let it go without attaching to it, subsequently, returning to my object of meditation; in my 'mind' I'm seeing the cycle of 4th ñana, Knowledge of The Arising and Passing Away of Phenomena, in addition to 'Dependent Causation'. What do you think?

Nick, the above may fall short of your expectations; but it is the best I can offer for the time been; later, I hope to fill in the picture with my practice thread.

Thank you and Kenneth, for your encouragement and thoughtful replies.

With Metta,
Eezy

Hi Ezy,

I assume you'll start a new thread to post detailed accounts of the phenomenological experience of your practice. I am very much looking forward to that. Make sure not to call any experience this jhana or that jhana etc. What we are looking for here, are purely bare bones descirptions of the phenomena that occurs without any speculation as to what they are ie jhanas, nanas , fruitions etc. No need to speculate. We do that for you.

You seem like quite a seasoned yogi. Im very much looking forward to your descriptions. Im sure many yogis will be able to see patterns and familiar territory and then be able to relate, give suggestions, corroborate, diagnose etc etc.

To best way to describe your sits please follow Nadav's manner of description. It's easier to read and see what is happening to you.

"This morning I sat for 45 minutes. I felt relaxed and determined.
Noted some itching... a specific point below my left eye that was persistent in one of yesterday's sits too.
Lots of visual remembering thoughts, and planning thoughts.
Some pulsations in the arm and very subtle tingling all over the back. I focused on the breath for a bit and caught myself absorbed in thoughts/stories. I noted thoughts and then the other 3 foundations of mindfulness separately for a few minutes.

Noted some judging thoughts about my practice / desire for progress.
Some slight vibrations in the hands. Tension going up and down my back. Itching.
The itching disappeared and for a while there was very little body activity, but the mind was very active. I realized that I was worried about this and searching for body sensations (noted as 'searching')."


Metta,

Nick

Hi Eezy,

You're getting good feedback from Nick here. I like the way you've laid out the foundation for us so far. The next step is to document a few sittings following the bare-bones format modeled in the post above this one. We can tell a lot from that kind of strict phenomenology. The content of a yogi's thoughts while sitting, e.g., evaluation of which jhana or nana it might be, actually tends to distract from the meat and potatoes of the situation.

Give us a few painfully stripped down reports, in the order that things occurred, and let's see if we can give you some targeted guidance for how to move on to the next level. As always, it's interesting and validating to know where you are now, but the most important thing is to come to the end of suffering. So, onward and upward!

Kenneth