Strong Determination Sitting

[Hardik jain]

What's your record? How long were you able to do this technique? Let's compare and get inspired. I would love to know Leo's record too. Has he beaten 90 minutes?

Edited March 24, 2016 by Hardik jain
Additional information

[Truth]

2 hours, the most insightful meditation ever. Most proud moment in my meditation practice. I'd love to do it again.

[Hardik jain]

@Truth  Dude, How? -.-

[Truth]

3 hours ago, Hardik jain said:

@Truth  Dude, How? -.-

With Jedi powers of self discipline of course haha but honestly I just wanted it really badly, I'd been already doing hour long meditations for about a month so that helped. 

[Guest]

@Truth Why not do it again?

[Azrael]

10 hours ago, Hardik jain said:

What's your record?

My personal record is 120 minutes. Did the sit the first time last November, with 2-3 90 minutes sits of preparation. The first two attempts failed after 110 minutes but with the third one I made it through. It was probably at the same time the worst and most liberating experience I ever had. Did another 120 minutes sit a few days later and the next 3 weeks I was so lifted, so happy, calm, concentrated that I could start hallucinating just by looking at something for a moment while feeling like I was flying all of the time. (No kidding)

I was so happy that I even said to myself: "Fuck this enlightenment thing, this is enough." I can simply not put this into words. Game-changing.

Did another 120 minutes sit a few weeks ago and right now I'm trying to raise my standard from 60 to 90 minutes. I do a 60 minutes strong determination sit every day w/o any pains.

It is by far the most liberating thing I know and is responsible for my biggest gains. If you have experiences like I had there is no going back. If you tasted purification just once you know that this is the thing to do for the rest of your life.

But one should also see that it's not the numbers that are important here. It is what you learn in the sit, how much shit gets purged out of your system. The day I can do 120 minutes without pain will be a good one and also the one where I start doing 150 minutes. My ultimate goal with strong determination sittings is 4 hours and then probably 8. But 4 will be enough at first.

[Truth]

@Lucifer

I did this about 4-5 months back when I was determined to understand enlightenment, after I had a couple enlightenment experiences I've refocused my priorities with the help of Leos life purpose course, so my practice has been just doing everyday for 30 minutes everyday to focus on the direction of my life

Edited March 24, 2016 by Truth

[rush]

@Arik

Hey,

Do you simply let your thoughts wonder ? Is there a point when your mind chatter reduces or increases a lot during the sit ?

[Azrael]

17 minutes ago, rush said:

Do you simply let your thoughts wonder ? Is there a point when your mind chatter reduces or increases a lot during the sit ?

Yeah, completely. I use as a standard technique "Do Nothing" with strong determination sits. I've done this technique now for half an year and I had all major breakthroughs with it (had a few other also with self-inquiry but I tend to go with "Do Nothing"). My meditation practice always comes in cycles.

I have weeks in which I sit down and by default my mind shuts up - after I'd say 10-15 minutes, I experience a deep calmness and high concentration. I can actually feel it physically a lot in my brain while my body sleeps. It's really nice and automatic. I just let come what comes. If I get out of a thought story and have a sensation of "me" I put my attention on my breath and let it fade away again.

If you experience complete peace of mind you actually don't have the feeling of someone experiencing it anymore. Just afterwards you think about it and notice that you were completely gone for that time span.

I also have other weeks in with my mind chatters all the time, I'm not too relaxed or very frantic and neurotic. It all depends. But in those times it seems like I purge a lot of shit out of my system and in the more still sits I experience the peace that comes after the purging. Joining the Ground.

Furthermore my level of dreaming also increased like nuts. I tend to have 4-5 completely high-resolution, very long and intense dreams per night. I guess that's my mind processing all this sitting. It's sometimes strange going to sleep and knowing that you'll just go through a few adventures.

[rush]

@Arik Haha that seems pretty cool, it seems to get the biggest gains, a typical 20 mins daily habbit can only get you so far. Need to be doing the 1-2 hour sits to experience what you do !

[Guest]

@Hardik jain @Hardik jain @Truth @Lucifer @rush @Arik  Hey guys, thanks for posting your comment and making this thread. It just motivated me to do my first 120 minute sit. I haven't experienced the no self yet, but it feels good. Hopefully I'll have my first awakening someday. Thanks for helping me raise the bar; I didn't think I was nearly ready for that.

[Guest]

Is Strong Determination Sitting better than sex?

Edit: That was a serious question.

Edited March 25, 2016 by FocusOnTruth

[Infinite]

The first time I ever attempted to meditate past 1 hour, I ended up doing 90 minutes. I did another 90 the day after, but I haven't been able to do it again after that. 

[Hardik jain]

@Arik @Arik

Arik - I also want to ace this strong determination sitting technique like you but I can't even do 1 hour (Lack of motivation & laziness is the reason)

can you please give me some tips or advice on how I can do it daily for at least 1 hour everyday? I want to make this a habit. It'd be very helpful. 

P.S - your comments were inspiring thanks a lot buddy.

[Naviy]

@Hardik jain

Lack of motivation? Do meditation anyway.

Laziness? Do meditation anyway.

Tired? Do meditation anyway.

Don't want to do meditation? Do meditation anyway.

Let the lack of motivation and laziness be objects in perception during meditation. Even if they are extreme (especially if they are extreme).

[Azrael]

2 hours ago, Hardik jain said:

can you please give me some tips or advice on how I can do it daily for at least 1 hour everyday? I want to make this a habit. It'd be very helpful.

If you don't meditate at all don't start with a hour. Start with something like 20 minutes, I even recommend 10 minutes to starters. Do the "Do Nothing" technique for three months, than raise your sitting time to maybe 30-40 minutes. Than do that for a while and than you can start to sit for 60 minutes.

If you have sat some time (I'd say 1-2 months) with 60 minutes and "Do Nothing" try doing it with strong determination sits. If it's too hard go back to 30 minutes with it. It's key to start slow here and make it a habit. Every raise of time is challenging in the beginning and you can't hold up with it if you challenge yourself too much in the beginning.

It needs a few months for most people to really see where this is leading you (or get a sense of it). Also, get a vision for why you actually want to do this. I have very strong motives so it's never the question for me whether I meditate or not. Now, after a year of it I have seen so much (and it's just the early beginning) that I can't picture going back. That's my thing now and I love it.

Cheers to you,

PS: Also picture the big picture. Visualize where this would lead you in one year. In the first year you can master the 1 hour sits (w/ or w/o strong determination). The second year you can do the 90 minutes or 120 minutes and so on. I see myself sitting for 4 hours with strong determination sits in I'd say 5 years.

That will be insane. I probably wake up on the way with this stuff. Now, if I look at 10 years from now I'd like to have mastered 6-8 hours. Then I'll nuance that for the rest of my life, maybe join a Zen monastery some day, I don't know. Visualize how your life would change if you can sit for 8 hours and also how it would feel to sit for 8 hours w/o pains and complete bliss. How would you feel in your normal life?

Edited March 25, 2016 by Arik

[Hardik jain]

@Arik Amazing so the think is to start slow and picture the big picture. I currently am doing 25 minutes (1/2 times a day) from 7 months. I'll up it to 30 minutes from today till 2-3 months. Thanks man I'll do as you directed.

[Ludwig]

When you sit, sit fresh as it is the first time you're ever doing it. All the insights gained, all the peaceful states, all your records, just drop them. Whereever you are is where you need to be. All things that you take with you will get in the way. Yes, it's really this simple. But that's also the great difficulty. 

[Falk]

After i did 1h/day for 2 weeks i did 2h which was my longest sit until now. (i plan to do 2h every sunday now)

I switched to alternating between sitting and standing practice.

If you think sitting 1h motionless is challenging ... better not try standing my friend 

[Hardik jain]

@Falk How is standing more difficult? Can you please explain me what are all the kinds of pain you encounter while doing strong determination standing?