something to ask
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Originally posted by Isis:
Insights help tremendously but we can start by practising
Eh what u meant isn't easy for a deluded sentient being like me ha ha.
I think... one has to realise non-self, impermance and emptiness in order to reach there kind of mental/emotional natural state.
Though there are different stages of realisation on there matter.... which i think another highly-cultivated forumer has said.
Anatta, Impermanence are all related to Emptiness as well. Because of the nature of anatta and impermanence, all things are without inherent existence. If we cling to notions of 'self' and 'permanence', then we will grasp on the 5 skhandas and the world as having inherent existence, so we can't see its emptiness. The other aspect of Emptiness is about Dependent Origination, Conditioned Arising.. which can be considered even deeper realisations.
BTW may i know if u know what is the connection between emptiness and non-self? When one realises emptiness, will one see non-self? When one realise non-self, will one realise emptiness? okay, just asking.. though i think it is abit too chim...
And yes there are different stages of realisation... Dharma Dan did write quite well the different levels of insights from a Stream Enterer (sotapanna) all the way to Arhat, how at each level the 'meanings' and significance of the three dharma seals, non-duality and interdependence become more and more apparent.
(For more info check out his chapter on 'Heart Sutra Model') -
Well said.. I agreeOriginally posted by AndrewPKYap:I don't think I can agree with that...
If you see two people behaving the same way over and over again, one of them *can be having a habit* and the other not!
"habit" means you do it *without thought* and you are *compelled*
To be *empty* is to be free. You might see a free person behaving (or doing) some things repeatedly in a certain way but that *can be* *is not* considered to be *out of habit* because he is free to do it any other way.
If he is doing it in an *unmindful* *unaware* manner *out of habit* that is not wise.
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ehh i think i mia from here till exam...
im most active during exam period.. i realised -_-
no wonder don't do so well lah -
lol... I always thought I cant really stand studying for too long... but during O level period, I can mug whole day whole night for about 2 months.. no TV, no computer, no anything (but got music la)Originally posted by Isis:ehh i think i mia from here till exam...
im most active during exam period.. i realised -_-
no wonder don't do so well lah
When you are really "into" the studying, you can really forget about everything, just wholly focus on the 'now' (i.e what u're studying)... though initially it may seem difficult.
And strangely I became more relaxed and not stress when really mugging totally... because then you no longer have aversion to studying and ur mind is fixed on the 'now', not about things happening in past or wats gonna happen in the future. -
Originally posted by Isis:
It depends on what you meant by “fighting sleepiness”, if genuine conditions for sleep arise, you should sleep. However if you are referring “sleepiness” as a result of unstable and distracted mind then it is one of the five hindrance (sensual desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, doubt.) that should be overcome with right effort of meditation. These hindrances denied us from experiencing the joy of raptures and tranquility.
What if u need to hold on such as " to fight sleeplyness".. it couldn't be bad?
This is a very difficult question although it may sound simple. At the face value, attachment is an emotional cling to an object. It is the cause of repeated miseries and in Buddhism it is what that turns the wheel of rebirth. We are attached because of ignorance. We may take ignorance as the inability to see thing as it is, that is, we fail to ‘see’ deep enough the 3 universal characteristics of phenomenal existence.
Where does attachment arises? It is from ignorance -> where the notion of this "self" arises?
However if we were to dwell deeper, a more subtle question exists here -- why must the mind be attached at all? why does a lack of insight into the 3 universal characteristics of phenomena resulted in attachment? This also links to your next question of what is ‘Self’ and how does it arise. It is a very complex issue as it links directly to the nature of our pristine awareness.
As a matter of fact, training ourselves to be ‘bare’ in attention in insight meditation is to understand the essence of the seals and our pristine nature. We may wonder why must we be ‘bare’ in attention? Why must one go beyond symbols and why did Padmasambhava teach Self Liberation through ‘seeing’ with 'naked' awareness? Unfortunately, this is a case that cannot be understood through logical deduction. To have real insight into this issue requires an experiential and phenomenological approach.
I think AEN puts it well by saying Dharma Dan placed great emphasis on the 3 dharma seals and I agree that we see different dimensions of the seals along the supramundane path from a stream enterer to Arhat – “at each level the 'meanings' and significance of the three dharma seals, non-duality and interdependence become more and more apparent.”
Don't think too much for now, focus on ur exams and study hard.
Wish u good luck for your exams! -
Hmm let me paste a part from 'Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha' (http://www.interactivebuddha.com/mctb.html)...Originally posted by Thusness:As a matter of fact, training ourselves to be ‘bare’ in attention in insight meditation is to understand the essence of the seals and our pristine nature. We may wonder why must we be ‘bare’ in attention? Why must one go beyond symbols and why did Padmasambhava teach Self Liberation through ‘seeing’ with 'naked' awareness?...How do I know that solely content-based practice won’t produce insight? Because there are only Three Doors to ultimate reality, that’s why, and they are utterly unrelated to content, though they can be found in all content if the content aspect is ignored. (Actually, there is sort of a fourth door that is accessible to very realized beings, see the Appendix.) “Only Three Doors? But there are thousands of practices, many traditions! How can you say there are only Three Doors?”
There are only Three Doors, thatÂ’s how. I donÂ’t care what tradition you subscribe to, what practice you do, or who you are, there are only three basic ways to enter into the attainment of ultimate reality, emptiness, Nirvana, or whatever you want to call it. These doors relate directly to profound and direct understandings of the Three Characteristics of impermanence, suffering and no-self, and you have to understand the heck out of these to enter into the ranks of the Noble Ones.
“But there are many valid traditions that do not talk about the Three Characteristics!” It may appear so, but if the tradition is a valid tradition you will find these teachings in there somehow, in some other language or formulation, as these are the only way. You will find them in the works of Rumi, Kabir and Krishnamurti. You will find them in the Bible and Koran. You will find them in the writings of St. John of the Cross and many other Christian mystics. You will find them in all of the branches of Buddhism. You will find them in the Upanishads. You will find them in the writings of Carlos Castaneda. You will find them wherever you find a true spiritual path, and that is just all there is to it. It can help to consider that to completely understand compassion is to understand suffering and vice versa, as these are really two sides of the same coin. Also, to understand True Self practices is the same as understanding no-self practices, as these are also two sides of the same coin.
“But we are tantric practitioners, and the Three Characteristics are merely a low-brow Hinayana teaching.” Tantra primarily cultivates the emptiness door, that of no-self, which is one of the Three Characteristics. It can also be useful for transmuting energy into more skillful forms, a bit of which will be discussed later. However, those who consider themselves to be mahayanists or vajrayanaists should read the fine print. You will find that all Three Characteristics are there, and in fact that you are highly encouraged to master the “Hinayana” practices before moving on to the Mahayana or Vajrayana practices anyway. I strongly suggest checking out Lama Yeshe’s Introduction to Tantra. Further, the Hinayana is often confused with the Theravada, and while there are similarities, the Theravada is much more extensive than the Tibetan division of the Hinayana and contains extensive teachings on compassion and emptiness as well as helping others, but this is a topic for another time.
In short, should you enter ultimate reality or emptiness, it will be through one of the Three Doors. This is just the way it is. It is not negotiable. The nature of the mind and reality are just the nature of the mind and reality. You cannot change this, but you can understand it.
“But we are Zen students. We realize Buddha Nature! We don’t need the Three Characteristics, as we sit zazen!” Read any good book on Zen, such as those by Dogen, Chi-nul, or the excellent Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. The Three Characteristics are in there in abundance, and those who think they can enter ultimate reality in some other way are fooling themselves. Paying direct attention to bare reality with clarity and precision will result in directly observing the Three Characteristics regardless of whether or not you wish to call them that, as they are absolutely the truth of all conditioned things in all times and in all beings.
Thus, the practice, tradition, and all of that, i.e. content, are irrelevant in the end. However, you need them right up until the last moment, so donÂ’t think that I am advocating not following a tradition. I am just advocating actually following the tradition correctly and thus clearly penetrating into the nature of your actual experience just as it is. Nothing helps in the end but understanding the fundamental nature of reality, i.e. the Three Characteristics....
~ Dharma Dan -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Regarding mental suffering caused by 'myself'... At first hand it seems like its the OTHER party that is causing MY mental suffering... but when we look deeper we realise that this is due to our fundamental dualistic assumption, that there is a self and other... and the self gets hurt by the other. This dualistic, egoic assumption is what we call our basic ignorance...[/quote]
Cycle just quoted this in the Daily Buddhist Verses thread:
[quote]Originally posted by cycle:The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.
~Yasutani Roshi -
Regarding Andrewyap post on habits.
im mindful that i should not be here posting but im still feel compelled to after reading his posting
then what it is ??
if habit is easy to break............................................. -
hi isis
Having attachment is not necessary bad things, its all depends on whether the attachment lead you upward or downward.
Like when you are climbing up a ladder, when you are at the level of being stingy, someone tell you to do donations will give you good merits, so you let go of this level of stingy and move up to the next higher level of conditional giving.
At our level is impossible to have no attachment, most important thing is how to use an attachment to eliminate another attachment.
Heard of this chinese saying "Cure illness with poison"? IMO, there is no permanent poison or antidote, use it correctly to the right person and other right mixture of conditions it will become antidote, else it will become poison. -
Of course all of us have attachments... but nevertheless we should learn how to let go of our attachment.. as well as to cultivate a non-attached mind.Originally posted by justdoit77:hi isis
Having attachment is not necessary bad things, its all depends on whether the attachment lead you upward or downward.
Like when you are climbing up a ladder, when you are at the level of being stingy, someone tell you to do donations will give you good merits, so you let go of this level of stingy and move up to the next higher level of conditional giving.
At our level is impossible to have no attachment, most important thing is how to use an attachment to eliminate another attachment.
Heard of this chinese saying "Cure illness with poison"? IMO, there is no permanent poison or antidote, use it correctly to the right person and other right mixture of conditions it will become antidote, else it will become poison.
I think there is no such thing as 'good attachment'... attachment is not a matter of good and bad... and like the sutras and hui neng said.. 'shan er jie fan nao', good and bad both results in sufferings. It means whether your attachment is attached to good, or attached to bad, they are still suffering. Anyway a Buddhist shld avoid doing good deeds for the merits... otherwise there will be no merits (like wat bodhidharma told the emperor), only 'you lou fu', or 'leaking blessings'.. these are not merits, which arises from the dharmakaya, from liberation.
In Buddhism we have to eventually relinquish all these attachments... in order to awaken to our true nature.
There are methods to use poison to cure illness... but eventually even poison, and everything, also is relinquished. -
just wonder is there different state of heightened awareness or just pure awareness?Originally posted by Isis:Regarding Andrewyap post on habits.
im mindful that i should not be here posting but im still feel compelled to after reading his posting
then what it is ??
if habit is easy to break.............................................
May i know why im so blur sometime and not fully-awared of everythings around me and yet can be fully-awared of the things that i'm concentrating on ?
Btw being mindful isn't enough to break the habits. You need concentration/discipline to break it. i think.........
Just take break from mugging.. -
Originally posted by Isis:
You can call it heightened awareness because you become more aware when you're mindful, but it's more like 'relaxed awareness'... because your mind and 'sense of self' can rest without giving rise to incessant, unnecessary thoughts while reflecting everything that is arising in consciousness clearly in a detached manner. If you know you're attached but continue to be attached that isn't true mindfulness.
just wonder is there different state of heightened awareness or just pure awareness?
May i know why im so blur sometime and not fully-awared of everythings around me and yet can be fully-awared of the things that i'm concentrating on ?
Another thing is there is a difference between concentration and awareness, as concentration is an exclusive focusing. Pls read the chapter below. Usually you concentrate on something that is of your interest to the exclusion of other things... and it is very easy to concentrate on something you like. Also when you need to do something, something thats necessary, you also concentrate because you have no choice but to concentrate and finish that task.Btw being mindful isn't enough to break the habits. You need concentration/discipline to break it. i think.........[/b]
Concentration is important as well.. & my teacher taught there are several stages of 'ding4' that practitioners shld progressively attain. However concentration is a different thing as I mentioned earlier... it is about one-pointedness of the mind but may not come with mindfulness/awareness. Mindfulness reflects things as they are without reacting/attaching to things. However there needs to be a balance. Please read this chapter from 'Mindfulness in Plain English'.. btw the author Ven. Henepola Gunaratana is also a v accomplished practitioner (an anagami/arhat)... and the bk is a gd guide esp for beginners on meditation. The book: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind0.htm
Chapter 14
Mindfulness Versus Concentration
Vipassana meditation is something of a mental balancing act. You are going to be cultivating two separate qualities of the mind--mindfulness and concentration. Ideally these two work together as a team. They pull in tandem, so to speak. Therefore it is important to cultivate them side-by-side and in a balanced manner. If one of the factors is strengthened at the expense of the other, the balance of the mind is lost and meditation impossible.
Concentration and mindfulness are distinctly different functions. They each have their role to play in meditation, and the relationship between them is definite and delicate. Concentration is often called one-pointedness of mind. It consists of forcing the mind to remain on one static point. Please note the word FORCE. Concentration is pretty much a forced type of activity. It can be developed by force, by sheer unremitting willpower. And once developed, it retains some of that forced flavor. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a delicate function leading to refined sensibilities. These two are partners in the job of meditation. Mindfulness is the sensitive one. He notices things. Concentration provides the power. He keeps the attention pinned down to one item. Ideally, mindfulness is in this relationship. Mindfulness picks the objects of attention, and notices when the attention has gone astray. Concentration does the actual work of holding the attention steady on that chosen object. If either of these partners is weak, your meditation goes astray.
Concentration could be defined as that faculty of the mind which focuses single mindedly on one object without interruption. It must be emphasized that true concentration is a wholesome one-pointedness of mind. That is, the state is free from greed, hatred and delusion. Unwholesome one-pointedness is also possible, but it will not lead to liberation. You can be very single-minded in a state of lust. But that gets you nowhere. Uninterrupted focus on something that you hate does not help yo at all. In fact, such unwholesome concentration is fairly short-lived even when it is achieved--especially when it is used to harm others. True concentration itself is free from such contaminants. It is a state in which the mind is gathered together and thus gains power and intensity. We might use the analogy of a lens. Parallel waves of sunlight falling on a piece of paper will do no more than warm the surface. But the same amount of light, when focused through a lens, falls on a single point and the paper bursts into flames. Concentration is the lens. It produces the burning intensity necessary to see into the deeper reaches of the mind. Mindfulness selects the object that the lens will focus on and looks through the lens to see what is there.
Concentration should be regarded as a tool. Like any tool, it can be used for good or for ill. A sharp knife can be used to create a beautiful carving or to harm someone. It is all up to the one who uses the knife. Concentration is similar. Properly used, it can assist you towards liberation. But it can also be used in the service of the ego. It can operate in the framework of achievement and competition. You can use concentration to dominate others. You can use it to be selfish. The real problem is that concentration alone will not give you a perspective on yourself. It won't throw light on the basic problems of selfishness and the nature of suffering. It can be used to dig down into deep psychological states. But even then, the forces of egotism won't be understood. Only mindfulness can do that. If mindfulness is not there to look into the lens and see what has been uncovered, then it is all for nothing. Only mindfulness understands. Only mindfulness brings wisdom. Concentration has other limitations, too.
Really deep concentration can only take place under certain specific conditions. Buddhists go to a lot of trouble to build meditation halls and monasteries. Their main purpose is to create a physical environment free of distractions in which to learn this skill. No noise, no interruptions. Just as important, however, is the creation of a distraction-free emotional environment. The development of concentration will be blocked by the presence of certain mental states which we call the five hindrances. They are greed for sensual pleasure, hatred, mental lethargy, restlessness, and mental vacillation. We have examined these mental states more fully in Chapter 12.
A monastery is a controlled environment where this sort of emotional noise is kept to a minimum. No members of the opposite sex are allowed to live together there. Therefore, there is less opportunity for lust. No possessions are allowed. Therefore, no ownership squabbles and less chance for greed and coveting. Another hurdle for concentration should also be mentioned. In really deep concentration, you get so absorbed in the object of concentration that you forget all about trifles. Like your body, for instance, and your identity and everything around you. Here again the monastery is a useful convenience. It is nice to know that there is somebody to take care of you by watching over all the mundane matters of food and physical security. Without such assurance, one hesitates to go as deeply into concentration as one might.
Mindfulness, on the other hand, is free from all these drawbacks. Mindfulness is not dependent on any such particular circumstance, physical or otherwise. It is a pure noticing factor. Thus it is free to notice whatever comes up--lust, hatred, or noise. Mindfulness is not limited by any condition. It exists to some extent in every moment, in every circumstance that arises. Also, mindfulness has no fixed object of focus. It observes change. Thus it has an unlimited number of objects of attention. It just looks at whatever is passing through the mind and it does not categorize. Distractions and interruptions are noticed with the same amount of attention as the formal objects of meditation. In a state of pure mindfulness your attention just flows along with whatever changes are taking place in the mind. "Shift, shift, shift. Now this, now this, and now this."
You can't develop mindfulness by force. Active teeth gritting willpower won't do you any good at all. As a matter of fact, it will hinder progress. Mindfulness cannot be cultivated by struggle. It grows by realizing, by letting go, by just settling down in the moment and letting yourself get comfortable with whatever you are experiencing... -
...This does not mean that mindfulness happens all by itself. Far from it. Energy is required. Effort is required. But this effort is different from force. Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. The meditator cultivates mindfulness by constantly reminding himself in a gentle way to maintain his awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently.
Mindfulness can't be used in any selfish way, either. It is nonegoistic alertness. There is no 'me' in a state of pure mindfulness. So there is no self to be selfish. On the contrary, it is mindfulness which gives you the real perspective on yourself. It allows you to take that crucial mental step backward from your own desires and aversions so that you can then look and say, "Ah ha, so that's how I really am."
In a state of mindfulness, you see yourself exactly as you are. You see your own selfish behavior. You see your own suffering. And you see how you create that suffering. You see how you hurt others. You pierce right through the layer of lies that you normally tell yourself and you see what is really there. Mindfulness leads to wisdom.
Mindfulness is not trying to achieve anything. It is just looking. Therefore, desire and aversion are not involved. Competition and struggle for achievement have no place in the process. Mindfulness does not aim at anything. It just sees whatever is already there.
Mindfulness is a broader and larger function than concentration. it is an all-encompassing function. Concentration is exclusive. It settles down on one item and ignores everything else. Mindfulness is inclusive. It stands back from the focus of attention and watches with a broad focus, quick to notice any change that occurs. If you have focused the mind on a stone, concentration will see only the stone. Mindfulness stands back from this process, aware of the stone, aware of the concentration focusing on the stone, aware of the intensity of that focus and instantly aware of the shift of attention when concentration is distracted. It is mindfulness which notices the distraction which has occurred, and it is mindfulness which redirects the attention to the stone. Mindfulness is more difficult to cultivate than concentration because it is a deeper-reaching function. Concentration is merely focusing of the mind, rather like a laser beam. It has the power to burn its way deep into the mind and illuminate what is there. But it does not understand what it sees. Mindfulness can examine the mechanics of selfishness and understand what it sees. Mindfulness can pierce the mystery of suffering and the mechanism of discomfort. Mindfulness can make you free.
There is, however, another Catch-22. Mindfulness does not react to what it sees. It just sees and understands. Mindfulness is the essence of patience. Therefore, whatever you see must be simply accepted, acknowledged and dispassionately observed. This is not easy, but it is utterly necessary. We are ignorant. We are selfish and greedy and boastful. We lust and we lie. These are facts. Mindfulness means seeing these facts and being patient with ourselves, accepting ourselves as we are. That goes against the grain. We don't want to accept. We want to deny it. Or change it, or justify it. But acceptance is the essence of mindfulness. If we want to grow in mindfulness we must accept what mindfulness finds. It may be boredom, irritation, or fear. It may be weakness, inadequacy, or faults. Whatever it is, that is the way we are. That is what is real.
Mindfulness simply accepts whatever is there. If you want to grow in mindfulness, patient acceptance is the only route. Mindfulness grows only one way: by continuous practice of mindfulness, by simply trying to be mindful, and that means being patient. The process cannot be forced and it cannot be rushed. It proceeds at its own pace.
Concentration and mindfulness go hand-in-hand in the job of meditation. Mindfulness directs the power of concentration. Mindfulness is the manager of the operation. Concentration furnishes the power by which mindfulness can penetrate into the deepest level of the mind. Their cooperation results in insight and understanding. These must be cultivated together in a balanced ratio. Just a bit more emphasis is given to mindfulness because mindfulness is the center of meditation. The deepest levels of concentration are not really needed to do the job of liberation. Still, a balance is essential. Too much awareness without calm to balance it will result in a wildly over sensitized state similar to abusing LSD. Too much concentration without a balancing ratio of awareness will result in the 'Stone Buddha' syndrome. The meditator gets so tranquilized that he sits there like a rock. Both of these are to be avoided.
The initial stages of mental cultivation are especially delicate. Too much emphasis on mindfulness at this point will actually retard the development of concentration. When getting started in meditation, one of the first things you will notice is how incredibly active the mind really is. The Theravada tradition calls this phenomenon 'monkey mind'. The Tibetan tradition likens it to a waterfall of thought. If you emphasize the awareness function at this point, there will be so much to be aware of that concentration will be impossible. Don't get discouraged. This happens to everybody. And there is a simple solution. Put most of your effort into one-pointedness at the beginning. Just keep calling the attention from wandering over and over again. Tough it out. Full instructions on how to do this are in Chapters 7 and 8. A couple of months down the track and you will have developed concentration power. Then you can start pumping you energy into mindfulness. Do not, however, go so far with concentration that you find yourself going into a stupor.
Mindfulness still is the more important of the two components. It should be built as soon as you comfortably can do so. Mindfulness provides the needed foundation for the subsequent development of deeper concentration. Most blunders in this area of balance will correct themselves in time. Right concentration develops naturally in the wake of strong mindfulness. The more you develop the noticing factor, the quicker you will notice the distraction and the quicker you will pull out of it and return to the formal object of attention. The natural result is increased concentration. And as concentration develops, it assists the development of mindfulness. The more concentration power you have, the less chance there is of launching off on a long chain of analysis about the distraction. You simply note the distraction and return your attention to where it is supposed to be.
Thus the two factors tend to balance and support each other's growth quite naturally. Just about the only rule you need to follow at this point is to put your effort on concentration at the beginning, until the monkey mind phenomenon has cooled down a bit. After that, emphasize mindfulness. If you find yourself getting frantic, emphasize concentration. If you find yourself going into a stupor, emphasize mindfulness. Overall, mindfulness is the one to emphasize.
Mindfulness guides your development in meditation because mindfulness has the ability to be aware of itself. It is mindfulness which will give you a perspective on your practice. Mindfulness will let you know how you are doing. But don't worry too much about that. This is not a race. You are not in competition with anybody, and there is no schedule.
One of the most difficult things to learn is that mindfulness is not dependent on any emotional or mental state. We have certain images of meditation. Meditation is something done in quiet caves by tranquil people who move slowly. Those are training conditions. They are set up to foster concentration and to learn the skill of mindfulness. Once you have learned that skill, however, you can dispense with the training restrictions, and you should. You don't need to move at a snail's pace to be mindful. You don't even need to be calm. You can be mindful while solving problems in intensive calculus. You can be mindful in the middle of a football scrimmage. You can even be mindful in the midst of a raging fury. Mental and physical activities are no bar to mindfulness. If you find your mind extremely active, then simply observe the nature and degree of that activity. It is just a part of the passing show within.
oOo -
mmmm i think i'm able to concentrate very well ( shut off distraction easily)
if i must definitely work on mindfulness... always shut myself in lecture.
thx for the article..
u r like a buddhist google tool bar -
Originally posted by Isis:
I see
mmmm i think i'm able to concentrate very well ( shut off distraction easily)
if i must definitely work on mindfulness... always shut myself in lecture
One more thing concentration/one pointedness can be used in many fashions, both virtuous and non-virtuous... such as concentrating on youtube/TV rather than studying.. without mindfulness we wld be concentrating on things that doesnt help.thx for the article..
u r like a buddhist google tool bar no lah.. lol -
BTW i think my friend knows i live my life quite unmindfully. She adi told me to practise mindful living. I think my habit of shutting my mental mode in sch and study isn't good... in blur state of what i'm doing. : ( So i tend to be very blur.
May i ask... if " strong self/ego and a deluded identity of identifying oneself with a thing/idea" is strong imprint in one's present mind due to previous pastlife karma. It will affected the practice of mindfulness? Cos i realise the idea of "me" will resurface when i practised being mindful.
btw i think my concentration level isn't tat good too. -
Originally posted by Isis:
You have the habit of shutting off in sch and study? Means you are dwelling on other thoughts, or are you thoughtless but 'shut off'?
BTW i think my friend knows i live my life quite unmindfully. She adi told me to practise mindful living. I think my habit of shutting my mental mode in sch and study isn't good... in blur state of what i'm doing. : (May i ask... if "self/ego" has been a strong imprint in one's mind due to previous pastlife karma. It will affected the practise of being mindfulness?
It won't affect but for anyone it will take time to cultivate. It's not something that comes in weeks. -
Ehhh thoughtless [space out ? ] and sometime dwelling onto some distant feelings..
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My dharma teacher told me in my past life my practise has deviated, more towards attaining an oblivious state of absorption (kong1 ding4). However such absorption does not come with clarity/awareness. As such I may sometimes 'space out'. Then my mom ask in that case am I often without thoughts? She said no... thoughts may have already creeped in unknowingly (its true). It might be possible that in your past life certain habits continued into the present life.Originally posted by Isis:Ehhh thoughtless [space out ? ] and sometime dwelling onto some distant feelings..
You mentioned you have attention deficit disorder. My school teacher last time did recommend me to visit some psychiatrist b4 in regards to this. I didn't visit lah.. bcos it wasn't that serious.. I think dharma practise can help. My dharma teacher told me I should cultivate mindful awareness everywhere incl. in school, attending lessons, etc. -
When people talk to me, the mind just stay there.. thoughtless.. that y sometime, i very slow in reacting towards conversation! erm...Originally posted by An Eternal Now:My dharma teacher told me in my past life my practise has deviated, more towards attaining an oblivious state of absorption (kong1 ding4). However such absorption does not come with clarity/awareness. As such I may sometimes 'space out'. Then my mom ask in that case am I often without thoughts? She said no... thoughts may have already creeped in unknowingly (its true). It might be possible that in your past life certain habits continued into the present life.
You mentioned you have attention deficit disorder. My school teacher last time did recommend me to visit some psychiatrist b4 in regards to this. I didn't visit lah.. bcos it wasn't that serious.. I think dharma practise can help. My dharma teacher told me I should cultivate mindful awareness everywhere incl. in school, attending lessons, etc.
hw do u practise mindful awareness?
Most of our behaviour are on-auto-pilot. If i deliberately trying being mindful.. it is not easy.. sometime don't feel natural. -
As the article above said:Originally posted by Isis:When people talk to me, the mind just stay there.. thoughtless.. that y sometime, i very slow in reacting towards conversation! erm...
hw do u practise mindful awareness?
Most of our behaviour are on-auto-pilot. If i deliberately trying being mindful.. it is not easy.. sometime don't feel natural.
...You can't develop mindfulness by force. Active teeth gritting willpower won't do you any good at all. As a matter of fact, it will hinder progress. Mindfulness cannot be cultivated by struggle. It grows by realizing, by letting go, by just settling down in the moment and letting yourself get comfortable with whatever you are experiencing. This does not mean that mindfulness happens all by itself. Far from it. Energy is required. Effort is required. But this effort is different from force. Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. The meditator cultivates mindfulness by constantly reminding himself in a gentle way to maintain his awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently...
Another thing he said just in the article above which might be useful..
There is, however, another Catch-22. Mindfulness does not react to what it sees. It just sees and understands. Mindfulness is the essence of patience. Therefore, whatever you see must be simply accepted, acknowledged and dispassionately observed. This is not easy, but it is utterly necessary. We are ignorant. We are selfish and greedy and boastful. We lust and we lie. These are facts. Mindfulness means seeing these facts and being patient with ourselves, accepting ourselves as we are. That goes against the grain. We don't want to accept. We want to deny it. Or change it, or justify it. But acceptance is the essence of mindfulness. If we want to grow in mindfulness we must accept what mindfulness finds. It may be boredom, irritation, or fear. It may be weakness, inadequacy, or faults. Whatever it is, that is the way we are. That is what is real.
Mindfulness simply accepts whatever is there. If you want to grow in mindfulness, patient acceptance is the only route. Mindfulness grows only one way: by continuous practice of mindfulness, by simply trying to be mindful, and that means being patient. The process cannot be forced and it cannot be rushed. It proceeds at its own pace.
How to be mindful... being mindful is being bare, clear, aware. If you are thinking incessantly.. dwelling on the youtube video you watched yesterday or daydreaming about your future husband or what... thats not being mindful. When you caught yourself thinking and there's a sudden withdrawal from the content of the thoughts, or the thoughts are allowed to pass without reacting or dwelling more on them, that is a form of mindfulness. Mindfulness is aware of things as they are without reacting or attaching to them.. it is non egotistic, non preferential, etc etc.. and there is crystal clarity of what is arising in consciousness. Mindfulness also brings you back to the object of attention if you have lost yourself... for example on breathing meditation, but also things like listening in class (see the three fundamental activities of mindfulness). Please read this chapter on mindfulness if you haven't (you probably had, I've pasted so many times ): http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind13.htm -
okie.. suddenly things seems clearer than before...
i will definitely read the article when im free.
i think i can try to apply on my mugging now.. c how it works.
Btw the thoughtless state of mind creates mental confusion for me sometime as in the way i deal with external and internalise processing of info.Do u experience that too ? Perhaps i need to see a doc abt it
Thx u for the link again.
May all be well and happy.
/\ -
There is nothing inherently wrong with thoughtlessness... in fact in Buddhist meditation we free our minds from incessant thoughts however mindfulness is still there, not a form of absorption or spacing out. Most of the time when we think we are thoughtless actually there are still thoughts going on but we may not be exactly aware. Whether you are spacing out or distracted, the thing is you have lost your mindfulness and clarity... as such you become 'blur' and dunno what is happening.Originally posted by Isis:okie.. suddenly things seems clearer than before...
i will definitely read the article when im free.
i think i can try to apply on my mugging now.. c how it works.
Btw the thoughtless state of mind creates mental confusion for me sometime as in the way i deal with external and internalise processing of info.Do u experience that too ? Perhaps i need to see a doc abt it
Thx u for the link again.
May all be well and happy.
/\
I think it's not necessary to see a doctor about this... but if you feel you really need to do so as its affecting your life, studies, etc, then perhaps you may want to see one. There is also some controversies regarding treatment of attention deficit disorder as well incl some side effects... but.. I'm not discouraging medical treatment. Most importantly try to practise dharma in everyday lives, it will help. -
First, we have to understand what is attachment.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Of course all of us have attachments... but nevertheless we should learn how to let go of our attachment.. as well as to cultivate a non-attached mind.
I think there is no such thing as 'good attachment'... attachment is not a matter of good and bad... and like the sutras and hui neng said.. 'shan er jie fan nao', good and bad both results in sufferings. It means whether your attachment is attached to good, or attached to bad, they are still suffering. Anyway a Buddhist shld avoid doing good deeds for the merits... otherwise there will be no merits (like wat bodhidharma told the emperor), only 'you lou fu', or 'leaking blessings'.. these are not merits, which arises from the dharmakaya, from liberation.
In Buddhism we have to eventually relinquish all these attachments... in order to awaken to our true nature.
There are methods to use poison to cure illness... but eventually even poison, and everything, also is relinquished.
Desire to watch movie, eat meat, become rich, reborn in heaven and even desire to become enlightened are all considered attachment.
While we cannot expect everyone to give up all these attachment all of a sudden, but we can do it gradually.
In the example given, if one is stingy and never have the intention to donate to the needy, then the concept of "donate and you will get good karma" will make him to progress although this thought is still an attachment.
But for one who is no longer stingy, the concept of "donate and you will get good karma" will be a poison to him, it will bring him downward. -
Originally posted by justdoit77:
Desire to watch movie, eat meat, become rich and reborn in heaven are all attachments that must be relinquished slowly... and they all causes sufferings. Desire for enlightenment is the last desire and of course will eventually go, too, when we reach enlightenment... like a raft that is discarded when one reaches the shore. Even so a practitioner must be careful to make sure his practise is not a completely goal-oriented practise, but insight into his true nature must be developed moment to moment, or Now to Now.
[b]
First, we have to understand what is attachment.
Desire to watch movie, eat meat, become rich, reborn in heaven and even desire to become enlightened are all considered attachment.
While we cannot expect everyone to give up all these attachment all of a sudden, but we can do it gradually.In the example given, if one is stingy and never have the intention to donate to the needy, then the concept of "donate and you will get good karma" will make him to progress although this thought is still an attachment.
In a way this works, but I disagree that the intention of doing charity or virtuous deeds should be motivated by desires for personal benefit, which only results in 'leaking blessings'... but of course every Buddhist should eventually come to know about this. So although precepts clearly state the bad consequences of committing bad karma, or the 10 virtuous deeds and other wholesome karma are known to result in blessings, one must also practise not being attached to notions of self, receiver of karma, or attachment to personal benefits and so on...
But for one who is no longer stingy, the concept of "donate and you will get good karma" will be a poison to him, it will bring him downward.