Space

@Leo Gura I have a question. Should I be actively trying to grasp the fact that I really don't know what I am, or is a deep not-knowing just a sort of bi-product of the process that comes without intentional effort?

@Shan Amazing post, thanks for sharing!

Wow I didn't expect so much close-mindedness in the comments.

@john5170 Well I don't think he's enlightened, no. But he's is just a normal guy. The crazy talking etc is all done for laughs. There's one or two interviews of him talking about why he does it on Youtube.

Just by focusing on something isn't likely to result in loosening your identification with it. You have to question it and question it and question it, over and over again if necessary. Ask yourself things like, if i'm able to perceive this sensation then how can it be what I am? Or, what is aware of this sensation? Or, is this sensation being aware of itself? It's great that you're clear about what you believe you are, but you've gotta keep going back to it with repeated questioning. If you do this the identification with loosen. But it shouldn't take too long to realise that you can't possibly be a sensation. Try dis-identifying from your whole body!

@John I am guilty of this too. I suppose it is a fear of being judged.

Depends what their definition of enlightenment is. If they regard enlightenment as the level of consciousness that the Buddha had, or maybe some of the really deeply enlightened masters, then sure it's very very difficult. But it isn't impossible. Although in truth I don't know. There's a really good book on Leo's booklist by the author D.I. who mentions this issue of people in the spiritual community not talking about enlightenment.

@nexusoflife Why don't you quit your job? Or atleast try to work part-time?

Try just not buying cheese in the first place. It's a lot easier to not buy something in the supermarket, than it is to resist the temptation to eat something that's in your kitchen cupboard.

@Real Eyes Very interesting stuff, thanks for sharing!

@Max_V Thanks for sharing that insight! It's interesting because just today i've also done a few things just to please other people. At the time I didn't think much of it, but after reading your post I realise why I was doing it.

Woah, sounds awesome! I'd say keep going with the binaural beats. Sounds like they're really working for you. See how far you can take it!

Emotional intelligence is certainly something that improves with meditation. But it doesn't improve your ability to control emotions, it teaches you to let go of control and let emotions be as they are without any resistance. It's about becoming more mindful and aware of emotions and thoughts, so that you don't get lost in them when they arise. This is what meditation is about, for me anyway. Suffering = Pain x Resistance. Taste of Purification = Pain x Equanimity I can't really give any advice about your shyness, other than becoming more mindful of your thoughts and emotions, and then just intentionally putting yourself in difficult social situations.

What results are you actually hoping for? Some dramatic behavioural changes? Realise that most of what you expect to happen as a result of your efforts is just your own ideas. Meditation deals mostly with the subconscious. Most of the changes that occur will go unnoticed, atleast in the beginning. But if you're doing the technique right, then spiritual purification will be happening on some level. Just trust in the process. With regards to Noting, there are quite a few different approaches to the technique. There's no reason why you can't note much faster than once every 10 seconds and still 'soak' into the experience. The speed of noting is pretty much up to you. Shinzen himself has said that the soaking in process may only last half a second or so, but he has been meditating for 50 years or something. It also depends on how easy you find the technique and what you feel most comfortable doing. Some other teachers don't bother with the soaking in aspect at all, and just recommend noting as quickly as possible. It's all about experimenting and trying different things out, but just remember to stick with one focused technique per sitting. Just some advice about the labels, personally I don't use the 'out' or 'in', and just stick with 'Feel', 'Hear', 'See'. But it's totally up to you. When you're saying a lot of labels, removing one word makes a big difference. It also requires less effort, and keeps your attention on the experience rather than trying to figure out what label to use.

Yea you really need to stick to one technique per sitting. No harm in doing 20 minutes of Do Nothing and then 15 minutes of Concentration practise straight after one another, or whatever, but don't be swapping every minute! Focus and don't be lazy! Try setting a intention before each meditation. Say to yourself that for the next 20 minutes (or however long you're gonna' meditate for) you will do X technique and describe to yourself the process of the technique, what you are going to do etc, and then commit to it!

@Gabriel Antonio Quality over quantity is very important with meditation. If you’re sitting down for 2.5 hours a day but half of that is lazy, unfocused and unconscious, then personally I would recommend cutting it down. Not saying this is the case for you, but it’s important to realise that there’s no point forcing yourself to do a certain amount unless you’re really really committed to it. With regards to the technique, it could just be a matter of more thorough and focused practise (I don’t know how long you’ve been meditating for), but as Leo said you may want to experiment with a more rigid technique for a few weeks or a month. Just remember that this work is not meant to be easy. It’s nice when it is, but for the most part it’s not. Yes the noting practise is more intensive, but like anything, if you work it into a habit where it becomes just as effortless as Do Nothing then it’s a great alternative. This is what I did. Also, you say you feel like you’re wasting your time with the technique. Realise firstly that this is just the egoic mind creating excuses. See it for what it really is. And secondly remind yourself that the technique does work, and has worked for many many people over thousands of years. As I said, you may just need to put more intentional focus into it - don’t be lazy! As you probably know, for some a technique like Do Nothing comes very naturally and they can make some nice progress in a short space of time. However, for others it can be the complete opposite. Don’t be discouraged by this though. Shinzen Young says that most people’s spiritual development looks like a hockey stick if plotted on a graph. Basically an exponential growth curve. In the beginning it may not appear like your meditation is doing much at all, but there is still spiritual purification occurring deep in the subconscious. It sounds like you’ve got the Do Nothing technique down though. Personally i’d avoid saying things to yourself during the meditation, but if it helps you then go for it. Shinzen also says that if you’re too spacey, Note, and if you’re too racy, then Do Nothing. I know it’s tempting but try not to get attached to your ideas of what meditation might do for you. Keep your practise method-orientated as opposed to goal-orientated, particularly long-term goals. Focus on the quality of each particular sitting, rather than what you might get out of it. This way your not expecting some kind of particular result from your practise, even if it’s just being more present.

It's my favourite book on Leo's booklist by far. It was the first spiritual type book that really clicked with me. I've read it three times over the course of about a year and a half, and every time it's like a completely new book. There's enough information and insight in that book to last a lifetime. If you're doing any form of consciousness work or just spiritual development in general, and you haven't read The Book of Not Knowing, it should be your number 1 priority. Pursuing Consciousness is great too, but focuses more on very very deep personal development work (Ralston calls it transformation).

Anyone want to know whats really going on at the forefront of AI then watch/listen to Ben Goertzel (23:41). He's awesome.

Yes that answered my question perfectly, thank you!

Hello all, I have a question about the Do Nothing technique. When doing the technique, should you be intentionally trying to not go unconscious? Because when I completely let go, and drop all intention, I end up just going completely unconscious and getting lost in my thought stories. So do you make an effort to not let this happen? Do you try to remain aware of your thoughts/mind activity as much as possible, or do you just literally go in with no intention to do anything?

Unless you're super committed to going ALL OUT with enlightenment, then I'd say do both for now. You'll need to find the right balance. Experiment with it.

Ok then, if it's that simple or easy, why don't you or the millions and millions of other spiritual seekers just go ahead and get enlightened? To say that there is no work necessary is completely stupid, and missing the point entirely. Go and ask an accomplished insight meditator if they reached stream entry, let alone enlightenment without doing any work. Maybe you have a spontaneous awakening? Sure thats certainly possible, but so unlikely that theres not much point talking about it. For the average person, 'simply realising something you have forgotten' is not going to happen without massive action and massive effort.

He's such a legend! I always knew he was into his spiritual stuff, but sounds like he may have had an enlightenment experience of some sort.

@Voyager Mildly confident, yes. This was the scale I bought: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-GEMINI-20-Portable-MilliGram/dp/B0012TDNAM/ref=pd_sbs_79_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0012TDNAM&pd_rd_r=ES1H4EFAF6N959H64XR9&pd_rd_w=hz7Bc&pd_rd_wg=mfzNK&psc=1&refRID=ES1H4EFAF6N959H64XR9 The majority of feedback on Amazon says that it does well at 0.000, and I generally trust Amazon reviews. Either way, i'm sure you wouldn't need to spend over $75 for a sufficiently high quality scale.

@Voyager Yes, you need a scale that has 3 digits after the decimal point. I bought my 0.001 gram scale of amazon for like £20/£30...