Is it really necessary to know maps and terms?

If I just meditate according to instructions, and post my experiences and occasionally get feedback, will I miss out on something?
I realize that I haven't been able to map myself, so I just hand it off to Kenneth and other's who want to chime in.
And also I don't understand most of the discussions here, and I guess that's mostly because I just don't care to apply myself (sloth?).
This is not written from some negative state at all it's just that I've felt like this for a long time. And I don't think I will very likely soon become a buddhist scholar.

So... Do I need to set my butt down and read buddhist theory, or will it work to just practice?
(I guess basically I am stealing a free ride from those of you who have this interest in theory

Cheers and all the best for you in 2011!

Hi Meekan,

The techniques work even for those who have never heard of the maps and models. As long as you feel the body and watch the mind, you will awaken. Some of us are intrigued by maps and models and some of us are not, but it's the continuous attention in the mind and body that does the work. The rest is just daydreaming. You are doing fine, so keep up the good work!

Meekan,
I don't know much, but you are definitely not getting any kind of "free ride". This is a lot of hard work, and you're the one doing it, no one else can do it for you. I think it's also worth noting that Buddha probably didn't intend for people to become scholars about what he said and did, he wanted them to end their own suffering. If people enjoy, and get something out of, the scholarly pursuit of his knowledge, great but I doubt that's what he intended. Personally, about half the time I find it helpful and half just distracting and confusing, so I'm very cautious about increasing my "knowledge". Again, my wisdom and skill are very limited so I'm only speaking from personal opinion.

Thanks a lot for your replies!
I am really happy that people are interested in reading and studying, since I some time ago realized that it really isn't for me, and then I can get advice from those who are!
I wanted some views on this, and am pretty confident I will go on with meditating from my "less educated" position even had it been suggested I shouldn't without "knowing what I am doing".

I guess the only thing I am "worrying" about is that signs of progression will be missed by me even if they bite me in the rear, since I don't know them that well.
But maybe this is just an imagined problem from where I am right now...

(another reason for posting is that sometimes I've found that my questions and answers to them are helpful to other people lurking around the forums)

"I guess the only thing I am "worrying" about is that signs of progression will be missed by me even if they bite me in the rear, since I don't know them that well. But maybe this is just an imagined problem from where I am right now... " -Meekan

Well, it certainly is a common concern and one that plagued me for years: "What if I miss important signs of progress? What if my teachers don't understand where I am and therefore give me bad advice?"

It turns out I could have saved myself the worry; the most important thing about progress is the progress itself. In other words, progress is its own reward. If I have become happier and freer, that requires no external verification. And if I am not yet happy and free enough, I must continue to practice. It's pretty simple, really.

As for my worry that my teachers didn't know where I was and were therefore giving me less than optimal guidance, that too was an unnecessary fear. The instructions my teachers gave me were always some minor variation on a common theme: keep the attention continuously in the body and mind. As a support for this, teachers offer various techniques or, as I like to think of them, tools. The most reliable and foolproof of these tools, in my opinion, is noting, preferably aloud. For my explanation of why I think this is so, see this interview transcript, published on Buddhist Geeks:

www.buddhistgeeks.com/2010/04/the-feedba...op-staying-on-track/

The basic idea is that if you don't have some kind of a feedback loop, it's possible to sit silently forever without actually paying attention to anything. The noting can be a way to ensure that your practice time is spent efficiently, rather than just sitting for an hour in a pleasant hypnogogic state.

Whether you note or not, though, paying attention to your body and mind continuously will lead to awakening.

Thanks a lot for good feedback, Kenneth!
Really appreciate it.