satisfaction mediation confusion

[rd5555]

I'm confused on whether Leo is recommending that we use the satisfaction meditation technique (keep eyes open and try to be satisfied with the present moment)

or whether it's recommended to use a normal meditation technique and try to include satisfaction into the meditation technique. For example, if I'm using the do nothing mediation technique, am I meant to bring satifaction into the do nothing technique?

As opposed to completely dropping the do nothing technique and completely changing to the satifaction technique

thanks

[Leo Gura]

I suggest you practice it in its purest form: satisfaction as the technique. No other technique. No even do-nothing.

Once you get proficient with that, you could play around with bringing that into your other techniques.

[Derek White]

@Leo Gura For me do-nothing has always been satisfying. I thought you satisfaction meditation was just another facet of do-nothing. 

[Leo Gura]

It's a subtle difference. But they are not the same.

[Derek White]

57 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

It's a subtle difference. But they are not the same.

Is the difference that in do-nothing we are trying to chase a mystical experience and shutting our thoughts and movements, while in satisfaction we are not chasing and don't try to stop our thoughts and movements? 

I think I have been doing both of these at different times and merging them at other times without even realizing. 

I find that when I meditate I experience reality as it is on deeper and deeper levels, and that brings me a lot of pleasure, even if the experience is unpleasurable like sadness or pain, I feel pleasure on a higher level. Also, the thoughts stop on their own after some time. So in that sense these two merge together when I meditate; I don't need to do anything to feel satisfied, so I don't do anything. 

Edited August 21, 2021 by Derek White

[Leo Gura]

In do-nothing you are doing nothing.

In satisfaction you are doing something: focusing on being satisfied.

[Nahm]

16 hours ago, rd5555 said:

I'm confused

Without focus upon thoughts about a yourself which is or isn’t satisfied, is or isn’t doing, is or isn’t not doing, etc, etc… there is the experience of the emotion of contentment, the natural outcome of letting self referential, conditional thoughts, go. ‘You’ don’t ‘reach’ contentment. The goodness you truly are always arises effortlessly of it’s own accord, just like a cork which was held under water (all emotions lower than contentment) and is let go (all emotions higher than contentment…hopefulness, optimism, enthusiasm, passion, joy, etc). ‘Getting out of your own way’, so to speak. We have no call to bring ourselves up, only to let go of what’s bringing us down.