Thailand Retreat Update

[Adam M]

Hey guys I just finished another 10 day retreat at Wat Chom Tong in near Chiang Mai, Thailand...

The relationship between thoughts and experiences is subtly changing. As I am consistently (as I can) observing impermanence, dukkha, and non self in this present moment. It is easier for me to deal with emotions such as 

- fear

- anger

- craving

- doubt

- pain

This is because I am forced to acknowledge impermanence in this moment.

 

My practice consists of 60 minutes of walking meditation with focus on acknowledging walking steps followed by 60 minutes sitting meditation with focus on breathing and various touching points of the body.

Most of the practice is simply labeling body movement, feelings, and thoughts.

I'm taking a couple day-long breaks between retreats because they are very intense and physically and mentally taxing.

2 nights ago I meditated for 50 hours straight without sleeping or bathing... with 20 minute breaks between each round of walking and sitting and slightly longer breaks to eat.

My appreciation for Buddhist teachings has grown tremendously as Buddhist philosophy clearly and precisely shows the path toward enlightenment.

Wish me luck...I'm trying my best to stay disciplined. 

[How to be wise]

@Adam M You better get the fuck out of there! There have been too many examples of people spending decades meditating whilst their minds continues to trouble them. I think Leo is finally seeing this truth. Inquiry is the way out, not meditation. 

[Jack River]

3 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

@Adam M You better get the fuck out of there! There have been too many examples of people spending decades meditating whilst their minds continues to trouble them. I think Leo is finally seeing this truth. Inquiry is the way out, not meditation. 

Way out??? Meditation/self inquiry with a motive. Can you explain that dude? 

[How to be wise]

@Jack River The way out of suffering dude. Isn’t that why everybody in the forum is here for?

[Jack River]

1 minute ago, How to be wise said:

The way out of suffering dude

                          

[How to be wise]

? ➡️  ?‍♂️ ➡️ ? 

The first journey

 @Jack River

[Jack River]

9 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

? ➡️  ?‍♂️ ➡️ ? 

The first journey

 @Jack River

Staying with ? = ?. The journey ends when it starts.. No gradual process of psychological becoming. Gradual process/psychological movement is where all the trouble happens. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Jack River

[How to be wise]

@Jack River How does trouble happen with growing emotional. I see the opposite is true. How can you live with such a raging mind.

[Jack River]

31 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

How does trouble happen with growing emotional

Growing?? Emotional growth, psychological growth? Problems and suffering or conflict=psychological evolution. Fear looking to escape itself. Endless loop of conflict. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Jack River

[Jack River]

This is why we get stuck. We are giving thought to much importance to solve emotional/psychological problems. That evolution of ”the me”  causes is the reason for conflict. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Jack River

[Emanyalpsid]

8 hours ago, Adam M said:

Hey guys I just finished another 10 day retreat at Wat Chom Tong in near Chiang Mai, Thailand...

The relationship between thoughts and experiences is subtly changing. As I am consistently (as I can) observing impermanence, dukkha, and non self in this present moment. It is easier for me to deal with emotions such as 

- fear

- anger

- craving

- doubt

- pain

This is because I am forced to acknowledge impermanence in this moment.

 

My practice consists of 60 minutes of walking meditation with focus on acknowledging walking steps followed by 60 minutes sitting meditation with focus on breathing and various touching points of the body.

Most of the practice is simply labeling body movement, feelings, and thoughts.

I'm taking a couple day-long breaks between retreats because they are very intense and physically and mentally taxing.

2 nights ago I meditated for 50 hours straight without sleeping or bathing... with 20 minute breaks between each round of walking and sitting and slightly longer breaks to eat.

My appreciation for Buddhist teachings has grown tremendously as Buddhist philosophy clearly and precisely shows the path toward enlightenment.

Wish me luck...I'm trying my best to stay disciplined. 

I can imagine only meditating being very hard.

Maybe this website can help you: http://www.foundationsofhumanlife.com 

It explains the dependent origin of the self and reality, as thought by Buddhism, from a logical perspective. Easier to understand for the Western mind. You can combine it with meditation.  

Edited September 29, 2018 by Emanyalpsid

[DrewNows]

12 minutes ago, Jack River said:

This is why we get stuck. We are giving thought to much importance to solve emotional/psychological problems. That evolution of ”the me”  causes is the reason for conflict.

How does one get here? To most this wisdom is possibly painful or even unfathomable

Just read an interesting comment on understanding false dichotomy video about recognizing labeling as meaningful/meaningless as we give a false sense of deep value when deciding personal priorities 

[How to be wise]

@Jack River A lot of people take up practices and end up solving their emotional problems. What you’re talking about is complete nonsense. Reminds me of the crap that Faceless preaches. 

[DrewNows]

@How to be wiseultimately, i believe, what he is getting at is that the suffering or emotional problems will never stop being created until the false sense of self is understood

Edited September 29, 2018 by DrewNows

[Jack River]

1 hour ago, DrewNows said:

How does one get here

“They” don’t. 

 

1 hour ago, DrewNows said:

To most this wisdom is possibly painful or even unfathomable

Sure. Thought always want to be secure so it will purposely make it unfathomable. I can see that for sure. This is why it was really important that I understand fear in relationship to thought/“me”. Understanding when fear was in movement and understanding what feeding it looked like. So starting by understand the nature of fear, which is me, which is part of thought. Understanding is most important. 

1 hour ago, DrewNows said:

Just read an interesting comment on understanding false dichotomy video about recognizing labeling as meaningful/meaningless as we give a false sense of deep value when deciding personal priorities

Cool dude.  I never heard of dichotomy before. But i just looked up that word now. I see what you saying dude?

Edited September 29, 2018 by Jack River

[Jack River]

1 hour ago, How to be wise said:

A lot of people take up practices and end up solving their emotional problems.

How do you know they actually solve there problems? Just saying dude..seems like an assumption. 

 

1 hour ago, How to be wise said:

What you’re talking about is complete nonsense. Reminds me of the crap that Faceless preaches. 

If you start with understanding yourself you will get if brah. 

[Jack River]

56 minutes ago, DrewNows said:

@How to be wiseultimately, i believe, what he is getting at is that the suffering or emotional problems will never stop being created until the false sense of self is understood

                                

[How to be wise]

@Jack River How do you think most people reached enlightenment and emotional mastery. Through sitting and doing nothing? Also, isn’t ‘doing nothing’ what we’ve already been doing. It hasn’t helped us one bit. Everybody in the world is already doing nothing, and it isn’t serving them. 

[DrewNows]

3 minutes ago, Jack River said:

Cool dude.  I never heard of dichotomy before. But i just looked up that word now. I see what you saying dude?

The video was about 10 false dichotomies in duality from the diamond net channel of @Emerald

Definitely some good content on there! 

6 minutes ago, Jack River said:

“They” don’t. 

What if they want to keep their (false) sense of self? 

 

[Jack River]

15 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

How do you think most people reached enlightenment and emotional mastery

How do you know they did? Assumptions

 

15 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

Through sitting and doing nothing?

I don’t understand. We are taking about self understanding-learning dude. 

 

15 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

Everybody in the world is already doing nothing, and it isn’t serving them. 

People are looking to thought to solve there psychological problems dude. They don’t understand the problem. 

What im saying is, why not stop looking for an answer and understand the problem “the me”? Answers come in the form of practices or self-inquiry. The motive or intent or desire which is thought may be the problem. Never thought of that? 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Jack River