Dharma Treasure Community

Sorry for bringing up this defunct thread, but it has been brought to my attention that what I wrote above:

Why do overly expensive private consultations make this a cult?

sounds like an unfaithful representation of Samuel’s original concerns, which was that others might think that this is a cult. I am sorry, because I understand that having…[Read more]

Allen, I’ll go straight to the point: Just do TMI. Having tried both approaches, and talked with people who practice Goenka-style exclusively, TMI is much better from practically every point of view. More complete, more healthy, less dogmatic, more scientific, more pleasant, more fun, less dark-night-inducing, more conducive to the Big E. My…[Read more]

Now, back to practice. Ivan adds:

The Jhana meditations are much more fixed concentration where thoughts have been temporary suppressed. It is like diving deep into a lake. First you start on the surface, where there is much activity, and slowly dive down, deeper and deeper…..

Meditation on the mind/fusing of attention/awareness if more like y…

[Read more]

[edited out. not useful]

Hello Michael, thanks for your reply!

I think two different topics got mixed up a bit: dullness on the one hand (gross and subtle, stages 4-6) and what happens to attention during higher stages of concentration (2nd jhana, stage 9). Of course it is extremely important not to mix up the two things, because it can be extremely easy to confuse…[Read more]

Hello Samuel!

Premise: I am in no way associated with Culadasa or this community, except for the fact that I have signed up for this forum.

Three questions:

1) Why do overly expensive private consultations make this a cult? If a famous musician charges 1000$ for a private concert is he founding a cult? What if a medic charges that much for his…[Read more]

Hey Mr. T, thanks for your reply!

Dullness is, I agree, the central issue for me right now, and I have made it the central focus of my practice. I have almost vowed not to enter jhana anymore until I have defeated it (though I am not very rigid with vows). So eyes open, energise continuously, increase peripheral awareness to the max, increase…[Read more]

What do you mean by ‘natural state’

The natural state is a technical term from Mahamudra. I am not a Mahamudra expert in any sense of the word, so I will try to explain this from the point of view of my very limited understanding.

Some background: Mahamudra practice is roughly divided into sections:
0) preliminaries.
1) First yoga, Mah…[Read more]

What do you mean by ‘natural state’

The natural state is a technical term from Mahamudra. I am not a Mahamudra expert in any sense of the word, so I will try to explain this from the point of view of my very limited understanding.

Some background: Mahamudra practice is roughly divided into sections:
0) preliminaries.
1) First yoga, Mah…[Read more]

My experience with Mahamudra (which meditating on the mind is a form of) is very limited, but sadness does not seem to me like an expected outcome of it…

…This being said, I did experience it while practicing Mahamudra. In my case, it was a kind of reactivity to the idea of the self “going away”. Like missing an old friend. Longing. That…[Read more]

Ted: at stream entry, the keenness of your interest in stories drops a _lot_. So when something happens, a story doesn’t pop up to carry it.

I would rather describe my experience as:

1) Something happens.

2) A story pops up to carry it.

3) “I” do not feel embedded in / identified with the story. The story is seen with relative clarity as s…[Read more]

Addendum. I realise I haven’t answered your question fully.

Nelson Satoru I’m not sure I’m entirely clear I know what the answer is, or how to distinguish the second whole body jhana from the first pleasure jhana in terms of their phenomenology.

About the difference between whole-body jhāna and pleasure jhāna: this is related to the object of co…[Read more]

Addendum. I realise I haven’t answered your question fully.

Nelson Satoru I’m not sure I’m entirely clear I know what the answer is, or how to distinguish the second whole body jhana from the first pleasure jhana in terms of their phenomenology.

About the difference between whole-body jhāna and pleasure jhāna: this is related to the object of co…[Read more]

Nelson Satoru: I’m not sure I’m entirely clear I know what the answer is, or how to distinguish the second whole body jhana from the first pleasure jhana in terms of their phenomenology.

First jhāna (of any flavour) has vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā.

Second jhāna (of any flavour) has pīti, sukha, ekaggatā, but no vitakka and no vicāra.…[Read more]

<b>Nelson Satoru</b>: I’m not sure I’m entirely clear I know what the answer is, or how to distinguish the second whole body jhana from the first pleasure jhana in terms of their phenomenology.

First jhāna (of any flavour) has vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā.

Second jhāna (of any flavour) has pīti, sukha, ekaggatā, but no vitakka an…[Read more]

I’m not sure I’m entirely clear I know what the answer is, or how to distinguish the second whole body jhana from the first pleasure jhana in terms of their phenomenology.

First jhāna (of any flavour) has vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, ekaggatā.

Second jhāna (of any flavour) has pīti, sukha, ekaggatā, but no vitakka and no vicāra.

S…[Read more]