Dharma Treasure Community

Meshe,

Did you do this noting before/during/ or after you work with TMI? I ask because, I’d like to avoid the dark night, which is my biggest concern with doing noting practice. Did you go go the the progress of insight while doing noting? Did you have a dark night? How was it to return to TMI afterwards? Easier?

Would love a survey on this. My background is in Psychological Research, let me know if I can help in anyway.

I would want questions on hours spent meditating and progress through the stages. Of course, previous meditation experience is a huge confounding variable, so we would need to ask about that as well. Also whether people have various…[Read more]

Which model of fourth path are we talking about? I think Culadasa has a pretty good model which is a secularized version of the ten fetter model, there is also Daniel Ingram’s, and the larger Mahasi crowd, and then the tradidional ten fetter model, and then Jeffery Martin’s 4th location, etc. As well as the Sutta descriptions of an arahant which…[Read more]

” I mean if no one could overcome those deep rooted psychological urges like survival, then no one would ever commit suicide. I know that’s a morbid example, but nonetheless, I do believe that true awakening is a real thing.”

Have these people overcome their deep rooted psychological urges, or have these urges just been overwhelmed by a more i…[Read more]

The simplest answer is that no one truly ceases all desire or craving, such as those from deep rooted biological urges, like eating, moving, or not peeing your pants. Instead the fully enlightened being will have ceased craving and desire *based on delusion*. And then we can ask just which desires are based on delusions? Is the desire for others…[Read more]

“Now, how does this No-Self justify having no self-interest any more (and being relaxed and in bliss)? Or alternatively, what is wrong or missing in my understanding of No-self?”

It’s the difference between saying “I’m angry” and “there is anger arising”. The first one, will lead to more thoughts that tend to aggravate that anger…the second…[Read more]

I just wanted to chime in and say that Jeremy Graves’ post was one of the better posts I’ve seen regarding Awakening on any internet forum.

I’d also like to say that love being an affective outcome of practicing the brahmavirahas is pretty easy to understand, but it is not clear why love is an affective outcome from the cessation of craving. And…[Read more]

Do you really think your chair is conscious?

Also, if panpsychism were true, it would need to be explained why consciousness only appears in your awareness in a specific location, I.e why not in your subconscious (I.E why aren’t you aware of your subconscious?)

Do you really think your chair is conscious?

I don’t think that monism leads to panpsychism. After all, how could there be a subconscious mind, if consciousness is everywhere?

Sure, I guess what I’m having trouble seeing is why does this new understanding of how the mind works make us less interested in our stories? Is it simply because we realize we are creating them?

Btw, myself, I have also gradually becomes less interested in my stories, but I’m not exactly sure why, other than greater concentration and being…[Read more]

Sergey,

1. I HIGHLY recommend treating yourself in healthy ways in addition to your meditation. Exercise is mandatory. Intense exercise is even better, and exercising with friends is best. There was a study done that showed even something as simple as brisk walking for 30 minutes, three times a week was better long-term than antidepressant…[Read more]

Hmm..interesting. So this was going on before your insight? I’m trying to discern whether these are dark night symptoms making themselves manifest because you received insight before you had developed enough concentration, or was this something that has been around for a while.

Do you exercise? Sleep well? Eat healthy?

What makes the present moment uncomfortable?

Sergey,

How has this no-self realization impacted your craving/attachment/suffering/well-being?

Ward,

I re-read ch. 7. I’m not seeing where/how it addresses the hard problem. Where do you think it does?

Ivan,

How did the wondrous accident happen for you? At what stage? And how long did it take you to get to that stage?