[Crystal MaynerMember]

Cheese, In terms of the model, I think the end point is not that you find yourself no longer in a world of people and objects, but that you do not experience these as separate “things. Rather, each contains its own subjectivity and is a unique, perfect and essential part of a beautiful, harmonious whole.

Because you no longer experience the world and others as imperfect, separate things, positive emotions like joy, love, compassion, etc., become purer and more intense. The afflictive emotions begin to fall away, and you have more control over when and how you express them. –

Crystal

[Crystal MaynerMember]

Of course, I meant to say that it is imperative that you do NOT use a schedule like this to reinforce the ego.

[Crystal MaynerMember]

Hello, I am not an authorized teacher, but I have done many solo and group retreats with Culadasa. I agree with all the advice Michael and others have given you. I would only add two thoughts from my own experience. If you are an advanced meditator and have a healthy, well-functioning ego, then cracking through the illusory walls of the separate self can be as important as increasing or maintaining levels of concentration. For this, I find that getting less sleep than usual and – especially – meditating at night are great. There is a long tradition in Theravadin, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism of starting a meditation session at 3 am. Thus, if you want and need six hours of sleep per day, then you could try sleeping from 8:30 pm to 2:30 am, taking care of hygiene and maybe drinking a cup of tea or coffee, and then beginning meditation at 3 am.

On some of my retreats, I also have slept as needed for two hours at a time for a total of four to six hours a day. That is, I do not sleep for more than two hours at any one stretch.

I would not advise this schedule if you are not an advanced meditator or if you or other members of your family have suffered any type of serious depression or other mental illness. I also would advise that you get at least a few good nights sleep before ending the retreat and returning home. Finally, I would say that it is imperative that you do use a schedule like this to reinforce the ego, i.e., you do not see it as a way to attain a goal or be a hero. You would simply be setting up different conditions than those to which you are accustomed to see what happens. Be curious about the effects. Watch your mind.

Crystal

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