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Eric replied to the topic Using Shinzen's All Rest in lieu of jhana in the forum Meditation 5 years, 1 month ago
5 of us had a nice hour chat, hour meditation and debrief. Here is a link to the call and guided meditation.
mucho metta,
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1huWepa1YyId7VsHDaEmXcot6zhUMA83P?usp=sharing
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Eric started the topic Using Shinzen's All Rest in lieu of jhana in the forum Meditation 5 years, 1 month ago
Hey friends. You may be familiar with some guided meditations I did that were shared here https://redd.it/9w4bpv . For the folks who can’t yet experience jhana but are practicing around stage 5/6 I will be doing a talk and guided meditation on using Shinzen’s All Rest in lieu of jhana. Shinzen has stated that his Rest practice modality is a…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Staying in 6 prrlimary stages for too long in the forum Meditation 5 years, 4 months ago
Hey Roger,
Try this and see if it works. Make the 6-step prep more deliberate to tamp down the distractions by actually writing down the answers to the first 5 steps…as if you were filling out a questionnaire. Maybe save your answers to see how they change over time (another lesson in impermanence 🙂 ). Eventually you will see you won’t need…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic SOLVED: Pain in gums confusing attention to breath at nostrils in the forum Meditation 5 years, 6 months ago
Hey Raza,
I was going to suggest going to the abdomen but only in the interim till you get to Stage 6. In Stage 5 there is a preliminary step before the body scan to go to the abdomen. So your attention will be there at the abdomen already. As you go on to scanning sensations in the body, going from smaller to larger areas and vice versa, you can…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Pain in gums confusing attention to breath at nostrils in the forum Meditation 5 years, 7 months ago
Hey Raza,
First I think it’s great the way you have used and framed the challenges you face and progressed to stage 4…way to go! Have you read stages 5 & 6 in TMI? I think I see a way thru for you but you will need to be familiar with the techniques and goals in those stages first.
Re: the pain in your gums. Have you looked at foods that cause…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Compassion and no-self in the forum Principles of Dharma 5 years, 8 months ago
Hi Blue,
Anatta or no-self is an insight for one “internally” or subjectively…for ones own freedom. It’s not meant to be used or wielded on others i.e. “why are you sad that your mom died, there’s no-self ya know!”.
Compassion (all the brahma viharas) is no-self reflected into no-selfishness “externally” or inter-subjectively with…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Understanding the suttas/Majjhima Nikaya in the forum Dharma Book Discussion 5 years, 8 months ago
Ajahn Buddhadasa had a nice contribution with his 2 languages. The people language and dhamma language the Buddha seemed to be speaking. So discerning when he is speaking which and to whom can be helpful.
Sutta has a relation to suture. Santikaro once advised to follow a thread within the suttas to gain understanding. I found that helpful. With…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Is there a classification of discoursive mind events? in the forum Meditation 5 years, 11 months ago
Hey Florian,
Check out the graphic on P184. There you will see the components of the discriminating mind.Mucho metta,
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Eric replied to the topic Practice with great physical and mental fatigue in the forum Meditation 5 years, 11 months ago
Hey Kim,
I had an emergency appendectomy years ago that left me bedridden. First the surgeon could not find the appendix and so opened me up 5 inches and then he could not close the wound because he thought it may be septic and I’d be worse off if he closed it. Anyway, I basically found a breath that calmed my body enough to not feel the pain so…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Question on Arising of Insight in the forum Meditation 6 years, 1 month ago
I get together with some friends every couple of months and we go over a sutta or 2 in depth. We were looking at this sutta.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.204.than.htmlIn the metaphor at the end tranquility and insight come to consciousness via the 8-fold path. If we see that the path is developmental then we see that…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic time to switch to other practices? in the forum Meditation 6 years, 2 months ago
“Eric – that is interesting – I just bought a book on Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong which is based on acupuncture meridians and it has tapping along the acupuncture meridians as one of the exercises. Very interesting. how did you know they released old emotional stuff? Did it come out as mental content?”
Yes the stuff came up as thought con…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic time to switch to other practices? in the forum Meditation 6 years, 2 months ago
Hey Steve,
If there is an unresolved emotional component to your energy imbalance, you may want to check out EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique aka tapping). Like acupuncture it is meridian based and meant to remove energy blockages. Although it would be helpful you don’t need a trained therapist and can self facilitate it. The technique is easy to…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic The importance of full lotus posture? in the forum Meditation 6 years, 2 months ago
Re: sitting with pain
I tell folks that if you wake up the next day and your body hurts i.e. your knee, back, etc. from sitting with the pain too long then you overdid it the day before. Most won’t feel anything the next day from a one hour sit unless they began with an uncomfortable position. I don’t recommend starting in full lotus etc. unless…[Read more]
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Eric replied to the topic Stage 3 question in the forum Meditation 6 years, 2 months ago
Hey Henk,
” I tried to hold the intention ‘to turn my mind inwards’ but then nothings seems to happen (ie. ‘my mind’ does not know where to turn attention to).”
Before working with TMI I spent a few years with Shinzen’s 5 Ways. He has a clear and simple way to differentiate introspective vs. extrospective awareness. See/Hear/Feel Out (Chapte…[Read more]
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Eric changed their profile picture 6 years, 2 months ago