“You are in the right direction when every mental activity subsides.”
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Question (F): How does one know that one is progressing in the practice?
Than Ajahn: You feel better. You’re happier. You have less sadness, less worry, less craving/less desire.
Layperson (F): How about progress in terms of meditation? I hear people talking about nimittas, or the feelings of body disappearing, etc, I don’t experience any of that. I’m wondering whether I’ve done anything wrong with my meditation.
Than Ajahn: That’s just different levels of meditation. When you start, you probably still on the surface. As you move forward, you go deeper inside your mind, then the body will gradually disappear from your consciousness. Sometimes, you might see some images. These are not something that you should worry about or should look for.
When you meditate, the goal is to empty the mind, to stop the mind from thinking and worrying, and stop desiring for things. It’s to make the mind peaceful, calm and happy. But sometimes, you get the by-product. Sometimes, you see some nimittas or images. You should ignore them. You should not pay attention to them because they can obstruct you to reach your goal to calm your mind.
So, when you meditate, you should only be concerned with your meditation object. Just keep focusing on your meditation object. If you’re watching your breath, you should keep watching your breath. Ignore everything else. Ignore how the mind feels or what the mind sees or doesn’t see. Just disregard these things. Just keep focusing on your breath. Eventually, the mind will become unified, become one. Then, it will let go of the breath and everything else. It becomes just like floating in space.
Layperson (F): Ok, so seeing nimittas is not essential.
Than Ajahn: It’s not essential to see nimittas. Actually, it is bad if you don’t know how to use them.
Question (F): Ok, so if my cravings and my worldly desires subside, then I’m a kind of in the right direction?
Than Ajahn: Yes, you are in the right direction when every mental activity subsides. That’s the goal. It’s to calm the mind to become blank and empty. You are left with just the ‘knowing’.
Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 9, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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