Dharma Treasure Community

My practical answer to the question is: Of course there is a Self; but I’m not It.

At first I was resistant to the idea of focusing on the nostrils. I thought I would not be able to stay with something so light and subtle, as opposed to the more conspicuous sensations of the abdomen. Plus, I was conditioned to think of the hara as more significant, or energetically special, while the nostrils seemed completely arbitrary. These…[Read more]

Although you requested only recordings, I would like to offer a listing of Culadasa’s posts from the old Jhana and Insight Yahoo group. This is in the spirit of compiling valuable info that is not directly from TMI. I found these posts to have both practical and historical interest. I posted the links here some time ago, but now I am attaching…[Read more]

I do think it helps to categorize thoughts. This is the benefit I get from labeling distractions. The idea is to recognize them quickly in the future before they snag you. A distraction such as a physical sound is easy to recognize, but some kinds of thoughts are downright sneaky and require extra vigilance.

I am of the opinion that SOMETHING of the person persists after physical death, and I might describe that as the patterns of thinking, being, feeling, behaving, etc. that have built up in this life (and previous lives) and that already persist in some form outside time and space. Those patterns don’t belong to anyone, as there is no core self, but…[Read more]

I have had a few OOB experiences in my life and am familiar with the vibrations you speak of. I do not think they are piti or are directly related to meditation. For one thing, I didn’t have a regular practice until recently. Plus, the vibes were generally accompanied by sleep paralysis and sometimes the perception of demonic attack…[Read more]

Look for friends who share your preferences. A few close relationships is plenty. Friends who are comfortable just sitting around saying nothing.

As for your old friends, you don’t have to break with them overtly. Just quit participating in the mindless stuff day to day. Show up at a party every now and then, shake everyone’s hand, and feel the…[Read more]

I fasted recently for 3.5 days, for the first time in a couple of years. It was rather difficult, due to my waning health (at age 65) and consequent heavy elimination symptoms (including emotional). I was open to going a few more days but opted out in the interest of safety. Meditation was not easy or satisfying; it was effectively like trying to…[Read more]

Yes, thanks much. It’s hard to imagine that my subminds will ever “shut up and listen,” but I’ll try to stay open to that and hold the intention.

Jeremy said “…the sub-minds in a mind-system unified by meditation are no longer wasting their energy by incessantly generating desire- and aversion-based thoughts and feelings at an unconscious level; the act of meditation is a much less energy-intensive process than our usual neurotic mental activity!”

Wouldn’t it be more correct to say that…[Read more]

Relevant scientific article: https://aeon.co/essays/the-hard-problem-of-consciousness-is-a-distraction-from-the-real-one

A couple of mundane thoughts, which may or may not apply:

If there is significant sugar and other empty carbs in your diet, dropping them in favor of increased dietary fat might make a difference. Could improve sleep too.

Bright light is said to inhibit melatonin production, which might explain a temporary increase in wakefulness. It’s also why…[Read more]

I see what you mean, now that I’ve looked into the hard problem a little further. I wonder if there are any meditation masters who have addressed this directly. I suspect that the answer you would get is that the solution is transcendent and cannot be expressed in the realm of duality.

I suggest to go back and re-read the Seventh Interlude. It is one of the most profound pieces I’ve ever read. The problem is “hard” only if you equate consciousness with human subjectivity. You mentioned trees as an example of unconscious entities. Coincidentally, this article came out today:…[Read more]

For me it can definitely be a challenge engaging with the faint sensations at/in the nostrils. Two situations are especially difficult: strong dullness and strong agitation. Although these seem like opposites, what they have in common is that noise in the nervous system overwhelms the more subtle sensations in the nose. In the former case, it is…[Read more]

For me it can definitely be a challenge engaging with the faint sensations at/in the nostrils. Two situations are especially difficult: strong dullness and strong agitation. Although these seem like opposites, what they have in common is that noise in the nervous system overwhelms the more subtle sensations in the nose. In the former case, it is…[Read more]

It seems to me that the teaching’s emphasis on strengthening peripheral awareness would be more of a challenge to some meditators than to others.

As someone with a neurotic, anxious nature, peripheral awareness is a given for me. The slightest change in my external or internal environment almost never goes unnoticed and usually stimulates a…[Read more]