No Bullshit Guide To Meditation

[John]

I have been doing the meditation described in Leo's video, titled above, for the last few months.

I have only been able to do 20 minutes a day but I have been going hard on those 20 minutes and before this was doing an hour a day of some other techniques. 

I have reached an interesting point now in the practice. Thoughts arise and fall, and while it is still, for the most part, quite tumultuous, after a while a certain stillness does come over me. The pace of the thoughts slows down. And eventually they do stop. Not in any enlightened way, but they stop enough for me to enjoy some stillness. And then these really interesting thoughts come up.

The locus of consciousness, that is "me" starts to become very present in my awareness. I am drawn to this point in between my eyes, at the top of my nose, and my attention stays there as thoughts arise like; "There you are", "This point here is the false watcher", "You are the one necessary for the intimate experience of my thoughts", "You are me"

This sort of natural self inquiry arises and my question is a follows;

Should I pursue these thoughts further, this sort of natural self inquiry?  Stay with it? Or are all of these just ego games that I'm getting caught up in, that should be allowed to rise, and then FALL.. just let them pass, however difficult that might be.. (And I assure you, it is difficult!)

I live in Ireland and have no mentor as such on this path so I would appreciate some feedback from someone who has some deeper insights along the path already.

Cheers,

John

 

[Bob84]

There all still thouths however you label them. Interesting, silly, amazing, scary, stuppid, etc.

See them but dont attach yourself to them.

[John]

Yeah that's pretty much the only confirmation I needed! 

[Bob84]

You already knew the awnser 

[John]

It's just that these thoughts in particular are very sticky and are taking up a large chunk of the meditation time.. I guess I just have to stick at it right?

[Xpansion]

The purpose of meditation is not to stop thought. While you are human and have a mind you will always think.  To notice that you are thinking is to be mindful of your thought process. This is a good thing.  So when you notice yourself thinking don't think of it as a failure but as a success. You weren't being mindful then you are, then you're not, then you are  etc etc.   We don't try to become blank but we become aware of what is happening in the moment.

Many  people get into a really bad habit of bashing themselves because they cannot maintain awareness on the breath. They notice their crazy out of control mind and they think there is something wrong with their practice because they have some misguided idea that they should be able to stop it. This is normal. You are beginning to be still and watch your mind and so you are going to become aware of just how wild it is. You will begin to notice gaps between the thought and you can rest in this stillness but you will still think. Eventually you will discover that there is nothing behind the thought ie there is no soul, entity, person, thing having the thoughts. There is just more thoughts of thoughts. The thoughts are just arising and passing within awareness itself. This is what Buddha called Anatta (not-self) and it takes time and practice to gain direct insight. 

 Also pay no attention to thoughts at all. Just note them " thinking thinking" and gently bring your attention back to the breath.   You will get bored, restless, annoyed etc and start to think it's all pointless. Just see this as more thought and note it. Note thoughts, feelings, sensations, emotions.   

We are so used to achieving but Meditation is a continuous letting go. Even a letting go of the need to achieve. Remember to be kind and gentle to yourself. This is really important.

I've put a link to a really good website with lots of talks, readings, meditations. You can do a free meditation course with them also which includes weekly email contact with a teacher. One just started yesterday. If you contact them you might still be able to sign up for the current one otherwise you could do the next one

Audiodharma

Edited October 30, 2016 by Xpansion

[Bob84]

@John Some are hi, bye. And some are not. Just surender to them and draw your attention somewhere else like breathing etc.