It’s totally natural to feel some hesitation and test the…[Read more]

It is important to note however — there is no such thing as an “individual”.

The cognitive event you speak of can be said to occur to/within the mind-system.

I might be just duelling with semantics though — I feel it’s important — the term individual brings up feelings of a solidly-existing entity moving along a timeline.

That…[Read more]

“There are no enlightened individuals, only enlightened behavior”

—
Cheers,
-Ivan/

(DT Teacher)

I think it is a matter of perspective.

For example — If I take the highest possible view and look out — I might say there is a single process of information exchange. And that might be a good way to look at it from that perspective.

If I dig into this process on a finer level — within that process — would it not inevitability…[Read more]

This has been a nice thread.

I think we need to slightly correct the definition of “Consciousness” posted by Santtu above;

Let me type the text from the TMI Glossary (pg. 417):

“The Moments of Consciousness and Mind-System models conceptualize consciousness as a “place” within the mind where information exchange happens. Although…[Read more]

I think you are correct.

However — depending on the task and context of situation — there may be times (at least in my experience) where there is not much peripheral awareness for a time. Then the balance will shift again.

It is a natural ebb and flow….

For example; If I am visualizing a complex computer problem in my mind,…[Read more]

It is very similar to formal meditation, for example returning to the breath each time we are alerted attention has wandered.

Basically you stay with the relevant activity you are doing, and that is pretty much it. If the mind then wanders, it is noticed, and one returns again to that activity. It is really very natural and becomes…[Read more]

Shikantaza and such practices are deep and effective. From your descriptions above it sounds like you are ready to explore these practices.

To get a context apart from what you already have, I would suggest the following two books. They should give you an excellent context.

Cultivating the Empty…[Read more]

Thanks for the details.

It is very difficult to guide based on what we know so far, just from an initial email exchange.

Have you been practicing alone with just the book? Have you had access to any teachers, TMI or otherwise? Have you had any previous experience with meditation or TMI is your first?

I would be happy to connect wth…[Read more]

Thank you for the wonderful poem 😉

Cheers,
-Ivan/ (DT Teacher in Training)

I wasn’t sure who you were asking about making up a schedule?

It’s hard for me to think what your schedule should be. What I can suggest is pencil in as much time for formal sessions as you can. Add times for lunch, dinner etc interspaced between blocks of 2,3,4 hours, based your personal capabilities. Then I would alternate…[Read more]

I found the teaching retreats to be of great benefit. Every single one is golden: Maybe pick the one that calls to you, if you go this route:

Teaching Retreats

Cheers,
-Ivan/ (DT Teacher in Training)

It’s not too hard to find brilliant scientific facts, or just puzzle it around in ones mind, and…[Read more]

Just do it 😉

All is revealed via practice. Questions resolve themselves via practice and Insight.

Tasting the ice cream vs. talking about it.

Certainly it’s healthy to do some of that…; in the end there is only me and the cushion, and how far I’m willing to let the process go.

Sorry I should have been more specific. I was not necessarily endorsing liberation unleashed, or any other form of teaching. Nor was I putting less priority on practicing the stages and so on.

However — was happy to see Pablo talking about simplicity and how ordinary and obvious this is, once truly seen 😉

My personal opinion is…[Read more]

Very nice 😉

The way we talk about this, it sometimes seem esoteric, far away, strange, even unattainable.

That is NOT the case at all though. This is so simple, so clear, anybody can do it. You don’t need to be a super-star meditator or drop you life and live in a cave!

Cheers!
-Ivan/

Is is very hard to put a number of hours of meditation required….;

As for how do you do it; increased powers of attention and peripheral awareness would eventually take you to the place where you can perceive in that way.

Building the skills outlined in the book should hopefully help in that 😉

(Edited: The level of detail in…[Read more]

Not sure if you are familiar with the Teaching Retreats on the DT website? They are a golden resource.

There is one specifically on this topic called “Meditation and Insight”, if you have time time, it is highly worthwhile to have a listen.

Teaching Retreats

Cheers,
-Ivan/

Great questions, that may take some time to unpack. I’ll try to give input on just the first part of what you asked.

|Is it a sudden flash of understanding where you now know something you previously didn’t?

How does insight arise?

Yes it could be a sudden flash of understanding. It is not really a conceptual understanding h…[Read more]

I created a thread where people can add links to good posts related to the above topics.

(Rather than try and write something myself, I figured there must already be some great resources related to topics we talked about.)

I hope it may be of help to you:

Good posts on TMI and Mindfulness

I’m wondering if anybody knows pointers or links to posts about Mindfulness, especially Mindfulness in Daily Life, on this forum. I wonder if Culadasa has posted something in the years that might be linked to?

I would like to add some more detail to recently topics, rather than write something myself, I am thinking there must be…[Read more]

It may be difficult at first, as we face old habits.

By training the mind and developing more conscious power, you will certainly learn how to find the balance of attention and peripheral awareness — mind wandering will come under control — many more benefits — I hope you continue with the stages…;

Cheers,
-Ivan/

|Thinking feels at the time of thinking more solid and real than the state of awareness and yet it proves to be the more ephemeral. What is thinking? What is happening when i am thinking? Why do i think?

Part of that — only you can answer this for yourself 😉 (Anything someone could write would be just words that may or may…[Read more]

I had sent you a personal message. If you click on your name on the top right and follow into “Message” area you should see it. A little bit of click around should reveal it 😉

Myself (and others I hope) will add more details as this thread matures.

I think we need to first clarify what is your definition of mindfulness? Of being mindful?

In the context of TMI, we define Mindfulness as the “optimal interaction of attention and awareness in a given situation.”

Another way to state that is to think of…[Read more]

Especially the “Meditation and Insight” retreat.

Cheers,
-Ivan/

Quick note: I’m not sure if you are familiar. There are a wealth of audio recordings available on the DT website. They can serve as an excellent aid to practicing from the book. Really helps fill things into context. Would highly recommend the teaching retreats.

Cheers,
-Ivan/

|Does a time come through practice that thinking occurs in an aware space and not in the rarefied atmosphere of seemingly only being the thinking event?

The answer is yes.

If we use TMI terminology, thoughts arise _first_ in peripheral awareness, with each thought basically trying to bait attention so it (the thought) can become…[Read more]

It does sound familiar.

Honestly sounds very within the range of what is reasonable to expect. The habit of being kind-of ‘fused’ with thought is an old one. Naturally it may feel uncomfortable when this is being shaken up.

The forced feeling is okay for now. At first it does feel forced. That will change with time.

Keep on…[Read more]

In answer to your query; I am referring to the entire model, steps and training presented by the book. Somewhere along the line, this amazing miracle (and many others) will dawn.

Put another way; following the stages of the book, step-by-step, stage-by-stage, reading and re-reading, but most of all, doing the practice!

This new relationship should eventually come about as a natural result of following the steps outlines in the book.

There will be a time when it is basically automatic, the default, not something you’ll need to do.

Cheers,
-Ivan/

Yes!!! Wonderful!!

Please let me know if this was of any help to you?

Perhaps you can restate your question in other words, so others might pick up and add their input.

Please let us know.

Cheers,
-Ivan/

Let me try and address what I think is the core of what your asking.

All thinking is not aversion and clinging. We don’t want to paint a bullseye on thinking and label it as something bad. There is nothing wrong with thinking, it is a natural process.

Where the trouble starts is the _relationship_ to what is thought. Do we…[Read more]

In additon to the good advise you have received so far:

I think you are doing the correct things and sounds like you are practicing well. The fact is we’ve had a habit of being dull, allowing dullness for a long period in our lives. In my experience it is partly like an deep ingrained habit.

The only way to unlearn a habit is to…[Read more]

In terms of how to deal with it. In my experience, especially if this is happening off the cushion, the best thing (but not easy) is to do your best to GIVE SPACE to these mental states. Let them play out and do what they do.

Let it come, let it be, let it go.

This as all…[Read more]

In my experience these are signs of progress. Hitting the aversion to meditation means you are doing well. Clearly a large group of sub-minds have gotten on board with your intention to meditate — and if that is truly the case — I suspect for many people it…[Read more]

We can only use this term loosely and not get too involved with it. I think that “Fourth Path” is what we usually think about when we talk about someone being “Fully Enlightened”.

I think when jimisommer is using the term, he may be thinking about a Fourth Path Arahat?

There are plenty of cases…[Read more]

This is not referring to biological needs and such.

The context of craving is related to craving that is a link in the production of suffering (the…[Read more]

What you are describing seems like “indifference”, total indifference to whatever occurs. That is certainly NOT desirable, and not the t…[Read more]

I’ve been reading and re-reading your post, you hit on some really deep issues that may take quite a while to unpack.

Honestly — I still highly suggest listening to the full retreat I posted above — it is really golden and amazing — may help to give you a bit of confidence and answer many of your questions. I’ve lost track of how…[Read more]

Face Everything, Let Go, and Attain Stability (Zen Poem):

“Vast and far-reaching without boundary, secluded and pure, manifesting light, this spirit is without obstruction. Its brightness does not shine out but can be called empty and inherently radiant. Its bright-ness, inherently purifying, transcends casual conditions beyond…[Read more]

Thanks for being so clear in your post.

It is very difficult to understand conceptually. You will not become a robot or uncaring to your family (there may or may not be challenges as you adjust though).

Culadasa has some good talks somewhere where he gets deep into this very thing you posted about. You may find this talked about in…[Read more]

I wanted to add; you may find these sensations a bit strange, uncomfortable, fascinating, distracting, enjoyable, even annoying at times — that all will pass in time. it is usually a bit uncomfortable and unsettling at first.

Hope you keep going 😉

Cheers,
-Ivan/

(DT Teacher in Training)

Can you elaborate on the context of your question — Are you thinking this is applicable to the domain of meditation practice? Or more for example related to personal improvement and betterment?

Thanks,
-Ivan/

(DT Teacher in Training)

In 4th Jhana: the way attention is functioning would be more comparable to the first paragraph. In a deep 4th Jhana, there would be no moments of attention being generated, and we perhaps could think of this as being way down deep, we are in a still place, far from all the activity at the surface.

In terms of the…[Read more]

Experience, over, over, over and over again is the best teacher. Then what others have wrote becomes more clear, and you can start to see why one person writes this way, and another that way.

Anything we try to describe and pin down with a nice tidy concept eventually…[Read more]

The example I usually think of is that of trying to drive to a destination using an old-style map. (From the days when we actually still used maps rather than google maps…)

Anyhow, TMI is a very good map. But it is not the terrain. You can see roughly where you need to go, and have some…[Read more]