"When to meditate.? ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"When to meditate.? 

Choose a good time to meditate. Early in the morning, right after you’ve woken up and washed your face, is often best, for your body is rested and your mind hasn’t yet become cluttered with issues from the day. Another good time is in the evening, after you’ve rested a bit from your daily work. Right before you go to sleep is not the best time to meditate, for the mind will keep telling itself, “As soon as this is over, I’m going to bed.” You’ll start associating meditation with sleep, and, as the Thais say, your head will start looking for the pillow as soon as you close your eyes.

If you have trouble sleeping, then by all means meditate when you’re lying in bed, for meditation is a useful substitute for sleep. Often it can be more refreshing than sleep, for it can dissolve bodily and mental tensions better than sleeping can. It can also calm you down enough so that worries don’t sap your energy or keep you awake. But make sure that you also set aside another time of the day to meditate too, so that you don’t always associate meditation with sleep. You want to develop it as an exercise in staying alert.

Also, it’s generally not wise to schedule your regular meditation for right after a large meal. Your body will be directing the blood down to your digestive system, and that will tend to make you drowsy."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "With Each & Every Breath: A Guide to Meditation"

https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/WithEachAndEveryBreath/Section0004.html

How to use pain in order to reach Samadhi by Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo

'How to use pain in order to reach Samadhi':

It’s very important that we start investigating pain, particularly because we don’t like it. If we get concentrated on pain, it can become very, very interesting, even if it disappears after a while. It can be much more interesting than any of the other meditation objects that we use, for the breath or the word buddho become boring after a while. Pain doesn’t become boring so it is the perfect meditation object. If we meditate all day long and then pain comes up, it’s really useful because we can concentrate on it; the mind doesn’t wander off, so it’s the perfect object for investigation and concentration. At these times, we investigate the pain, we find that it disappears, and we go back to our breath or the word buddho. So you should really be happy if you are meditating all day long and pain comes up because you can concentrate on it easily. In fact, the investigation of pain can lead to appanã samãdhi, the deep state of samãdhi. If we really investigate and really focus in, we can easily become one-pointed. Don’t despair that pain is coming up, but rather be happy, thank it for appearing and accept it. In fact, pain is a whetstone that sharpens our wisdom, and it can hone our concentration as well.

For the investigation of pain, we have to sit long enough so that pain arises. Then, we have to learn how to accept pain; we have to think, “Oh, there is pain. Thank you for coming.” We have to breathe in the pain just as we would breathe in the smell of delicious food, experiencing it completely, one-hundred percent. After we’ve done this, we go to the spot where it has arisen and ask the question, “What is pain?” because we have to understand what this painful feeling really is. Where is it? Is it a point, or an area, is it deep, or shallow? Is it moving? If we assume that it is fixed, this contradicts the Lord Buddha’s teaching on anicca, that everything is changing, and it means we have not accepted the pain wholeheartedly. So, we have to go back and accept the pain and start the investigation again. If we do this exercise properly, we will see that the pain is constantly changing. Just as our breath changes all the time, so pain is always changing; sometimes it is more painful and sometimes less. We will find that we can observe it, because it’s interesting. Because our interest helps us to concentrate, we will discover that we become more concentrated and able to stay with the changing pain. Next, we ask ourselves where the pain actually is. Is it in the skin, the tendons, the flesh, the bones, or the muscles? Although we’ve had all of these body parts since we were born, the pain has developed only while we have been sitting in meditation, so we can infer that something else is going on. At the beginning of our investigation, we really believe that the pain is in our skin, muscles or joints, but if we examine the pain that comes from sitting practice, we discover that we really cannot find it. After all, if it were really in the parts of the body, it would still be there when we get up, but it vanishes as soon as we stand up. Why does it appear only when we sit and try to meditate, and disappear as soon as we get up?

The next task is to try to find the spot that is the origin of the pain. If we really get concentrated on the pain, on that spot, we find that something ‘shifts’. This shows that our investigation is becoming keen and that we are getting close to finding the spot, for the pain will shift from one place to another, e.g. from one knee to the other. We then turn our attention to the place to which the pain has shifted and do the same kind of investigation until we are very close to the spot where we think the pain arises. Again, we find that the pain jumps to another place. Sometimes the pain will go to the back, but wherever it goes, we follow it until it shows us its true origin. People who have read a lot about Buddhism assume that the origin is the citta (heart), so they go to the heart. But that is not the exercise here. The exercise is to follow the pain from wherever it initially shows itself to the place to which it shifts or jumps. We do this until it leads us to the heart, to the origin of the pain. We can only understand pain if we follow it until it shows us where it comes from, and that is the heart. At the final step, the pain jumps to the heart and creates a pain that is unimaginable. But we can stay there and try to see the nature of pain and understand it; the heart is the last place where we can investigate pain. In the last stage of the investigation, the pain becomes so strong that we believe we are going to die. Then we go through the first stage of death, and after this the pain completely disappears. It disappears instantly the moment we accept that we are going to die, even though it was very strong.

~ Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo

From the Dhamma talk “Dealing with pain and emotions” given on 30th August 2015

Available at: http://www.forestdhammatalks.org/…/ajahn_martin/readings.php

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9XqRMjIiJI1s4jm9_kz3bA

Only those with calm minds will notice the suffering when it arises by Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

"Only those with calm minds will notice the suffering when it arises…”

Question:  

“How is cultivating mindfulness related to being aware of dukkha—the first of the Four Noble Truths?”

Than Ajahn:  

“Cultivating mindfulness (sati) has to do with the fourth Noble Truth, or the path (magga). It is to be aware and mindful of the movement of and changes in your body. There are four foundations to the Establishing of Mindfulness: body (kāya), feelings (vedanā), mind (citta), and phenomena (dhamma).

In the beginning, you have to start from the body—to use it as your basis (to cultivate mindfulness) for it is the easiest object of contemplation. Feelings, mind, and phenomena are subtler and more profound, hence difficult for beginners to penetrate.

You have to be able to establish an awareness of your body first—to ground your mind and train it to be in the present in order to gain concentration (samādhi). You'll be able to see your suffering (dukkha)—the first of the Four Noble Truths—once your mind is concentrated. You won't be able to discern the first of the Four Noble Truths when your mind is restless, unfocussed, and distracted. When you're unhappy, you'd blame the things that you can physically see. You'd blame others, attributing your unhappiness to their actions. In reality, your discontent is due to your own craving—wanting them to be in a certain way.

In order for you to notice your unhappiness or discern dukkha— the first of the Four Noble Truths, you first need to calm and focus your mind. You ought to cultivate your mindfulness because it will lead to your mental calm and concentration. With a calm mind, you'll able to notice the difference immediately when suffering arises. It's because your mind will waver as opposed to being tranquil. The arising of suffering is like repercussions of throwing a stone into a pond.

Only those with calm minds will notice the suffering when it arises, whereas those with unruly minds won't because their minds are constantly in flux. So to discern the first Noble Truth, or dukkha, requires an establishing of mindfulness—getting the mind concentrated first. The Buddha thus emphasised cultivating the path, or magga. Magga includes: generosity (dāna), precepts (sıla), and mental cultivation (bhāvanā). Bhāvanā is basically to establish mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).”

“Essential Teachings”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

When you’re enlightened, it means you see the truth of the body by Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

“When you’re enlightened, it means you see the truth of the body.”

Question (F):
"Is it possible for someone who is unenlightened to actually see and accept the breakdown of the body?"*

Than Ajahn:
"That’s the purpose of the practice. You practice to become enlightened. When you’re enlightened, it means you see the truth of the body. When you do not see the truth yet, you just have to keep teaching it to see the truth.

The problem is the mind doesn’t want to look at the truth. That’s why you have to force it to keep contemplating on ageing, sickness, and death all the time.

If you keep contemplating, you will eventually see it. The reason why you are not seeing it is because you don’t want to think about it. When you don’t think about it, you forget. So, what you have to do is to keep reminding yourself that the body will get sick, get old, and die and there is nothing you can do about it."

Question (F): 
"Sometimes I become afraid. I’m scared."

Than Ajahn: 
"That’s because your mind is not calm enough to handle the truth.

That’s why you have to meditate to calm your mind first. You need to have samādhi before you can go on to develop insight, go on to contemplate the truth. And you need to develop the mindfulness first. If you have strong mindfulness, then you can calm your mind. When your mind is calm, you can see the truth and you wouldn’t feel any fear. You will not be scared of the truth.

That’s why the Buddha taught samādhi before you go to paññā or wisdom. And in order to get samādhi, you need to have mindfulness. That’s where the Four Foundations of Mindfulness comes into play. The first instruction is to go sit under a tree and meditate. Focus your attention on your breath until your mind becomes calm. Once your mind becomes calm, then you can look at the truth of the body: you can investigate the nature of the body; you can investigate the nature of feelings; you can investigate the nature of your mind.

If you are not calm, you will not be able to do it because your mind will be distracted. Your mind will be pushed by the defilement to think of other things. The defilement likes you to think about things that are nice and beautiful, long-lasting, and permanent, even though they never exist. But the defilement tells the mind to go look for them instead of looking for the truth.

That’s why there is a story about ‘going after the eternal youth’.

There is no such thing, yet the defilement can deceive the mind to think that there is something like that."

Dhamma in English,

Monks and laypeople from Australia.
Feb 6, 2017

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

Wisdom develops samādhi.- Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

"Wisdom develops samādhi.”

Question:  Luangta Maha Boowa mentioned that there are two general ways in meditation to achieve stillness. One being ‘samādhi develops wisdom’, and the other is ‘wisdom develops samādhi’. Will Venerable Ajahn share the key points of 'wisdom develops samādhi' – using wisdom as a means to develop concentration?

Than Ajahn: When you sit to meditate and your mind keeps thinking about work or about the problems you have and when you cannot use a mantra or use your breath to calm it down, then, you need to attack the problem that keeps your mind away from being calm.

If you’re worried about your work, then you have to look at your work whether it’s permanent or not. No matter how well you do with your work, one day you’re gonna run out of work. Why should you worry? Don’t worry. One day you are going to lose it anyway. And you cannot tell when you’re going to lose your job today or tomorrow.

If you can accept the truth that your work is impermanent and there is nothing you can do about it to make it permanent, then you just forget about it and accept it. Once you accept that one day, sooner or later, you’re going to lose the job, you have no worry about your job. Your mind can then settle down and you can concentrate on your breath.

Wisdom is only one step leading to the next step. Wisdom doesn’t take you all the way to full samādhi. You still need to concentrate on your breath to get into full samādhi. Wisdom develops samādhi means getting rid of your agitation and restlessness as you are not yet able to concentrate on your breath. So you eliminate agitation and restlessness by using wisdom. Wisdom is to see things as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā (impermanent, subjected to suffering, and everything doesn’t belong to you). Sooner or later, one day, you’re going to lose them.

If you can see the truth, you will not worry about anything or anybody. Right now, you think that people and things are belonged to you and you want them to stay with you. When they show signs of not staying with you, you become worried and agitated. If you can see the truth and say, ‘They’re gonna leave you one day, sooner or later, and there’s nothing you can do to stop them from leaving you. It’s either they leave you or you leave them.’, then you’ll just stop worrying. Your mind can settle down. You can sit and concentrate on your breath.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"Practice in all postures. Sitting, standing, walking, lying... you can experience anger in any posture, right? You can be angry while walking, while sitting, while lying down. You can experience desire in any posture. So our practice must extend to all postures; standing, walking, sitting and lying down. It must be consistent. Don't just put on a show, really do it.

While sitting in meditation, some incident might arise. Before that one is settled another one comes racing in. Whenever these things come up, just tell yourself, "Not sure, not sure." Just slug it before it gets a chance to slug you.

Now this is the important point. If you know that all things are impermanent, all your thinking will gradually unwind. When you reflect on the uncertainty of everything that passes, you'll see that all things go the same way. Whenever anything arises, all you need to say is, "Oh, another one!"

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"So don't be in a hurry and try to push or rush your practice. Do your meditation gently and gradually step by step. In regard to peacefulness, if you want to become peaceful, then accept it; if you don't become peaceful, then accept that also. That's the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persistently keep at it.

Perhaps wisdom does not arise! I used to think, about my practice, that when there is no wisdom, I could force myself to have it. But it didn't work, things remained the same. Then, after careful consideration, I saw that to contemplate things that we don't have cannot be done. So what's the best thing to do? It's better just to practice with equanimity. If there is nothing to cause us concern, then there's nothing to remedy. If there's no problem, then we don't have to try to solve it. When there is a problem, that's when you must solve it, right there! There's no need to go searching for anything special, just live normally. But know what your mind is! Live mindfully and clearly comprehending. Let wisdom be your guide; don't live indulging in your moods. Be heedful and alert! If there is nothing, that's fine; when something arises, then investigate and contemplate it."

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"Where there is confusion is where peace can arise. When confusion is penetrated with understanding what remains is peace. Some people can't accept criticism, they're arrogant. Instead they turn around and argue. This is especially so when adults deal with children. Actually children may say some intelligent things sometimes but if you happen to be their mother, for instance, you can't give in to them. If you are a teacher your students may sometimes tell you something you didn't know, but because you are the teacher you can't listen. This is not right thinking."

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"In any case, in our practice, no matter what aspect you refer to, you must always begin from the mind. Do you know what this mind is? What is the mind like? What is it? Where is it?... Nobody knows. All we know is that we want to go over here or over there, we want this and we want that, we feel good or we feel bad... but the mind itself seems impossible to know. What is the mind? The mind doesn't have form. That which receives impressions, both good and bad, we call "mind". It's like the owner of a house. The owner stays put at home while visitors come to see him. He is the one who receives the visitors. Who receives sense impressions? What is it that perceives? Who lets go of sense impressions? That is what we call "mind". But people can't see it, they think themselves around in circles..."What is the mind, what is the brain?"... Don't confuse the issue like this. What is it that receives impressions? Some impressions it likes and some it doesn't like.... Who is that? Is there one who likes and dislikes? Sure there is, but you can't see it. That is what we call "mind"."

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"When sensations arise, know them. Why do you run after them? Sensations are uncertain. One minute they are one way, the next minute another. They exist dependent on change. And all of us here exist dependent on change. The breath goes out, then it must come in. It must have this change. Try only breathing in, can you do that? Or try just breathing out without taking in another breath... can you do it? If there was no change like this how long could you live for? There must be both the in-breath and the out-breath.

Sensations are the same. There must be these things. If there were no sensations you could develop no wisdom. If there is no wrong there can be no right. You must be right first before you can see what is wrong, and you must understand the wrong first to be right. This is how things are."

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH:

"Therefore it is said to begin the practice by calming the mind. Put awareness into the mind. If the mind is aware it will be at peace.

Some people don't go for awareness, they just want to have peace, a kind of blanking out. So they never learn anything. If we don't have this "one who knows" what is there to base our practice on?

If there is no long, there is no short, if there is no right there can be no wrong. People these days study away, looking for good and evil. But that which is beyond good and evil they know nothing of. All they know is the right and the wrong - "I'm going to take only what is right. I don't want to know about the wrong.

Why should I?" If you try to take only what is right in a short time it will go wrong again. Right leads to wrong. People keep searching among the right and wrong, they don't try to find that which is neither right nor wrong. They study about good and evil, they search for virtue, but they know nothing of that which is beyond good and evil. They study the long and the short, but that
which is neither long nor short they know nothing of."

_/\_

INSIGHT FROM AJAHN CHAH ::

In the past my legs were strong, I could run. Now just walking around they feel heavy. Before, my legs carried me. Now, I have to carry them. When I was a child I'd see old people getting up from their seat... ''Oh!'' Getting up they groan, ''Oh!'' There's always this ''Oh!'' But they don't know what it is that makes them groan like that. Even when it gets to this extent people don't see the bane of the body. You never know when you're going to be parted from it. What's causing all the pain is simply conditions going about their natural way. People call it arthritis, rheumatism, gout and so on, the doctor prescribes medicines, but it never completely heals. In the end it falls apart, even the doctor! This is conditions faring along their natural course. This is their way, their nature.

******

Make the present happy and you will always be happy by Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

Make the present happy and you will always be happy.”

Than Ajahn:  If you still have desires, if you still want to do more things, then you have to have rebirth.  But if you don’t want to do anything anymore, then there will be no rebirth. You become like the Buddha.

Sāmaṇera:  What will happen then?

Than Ajahn:  You will be happy all the time.  Not doing things and doing things, which one is better?  If you can just sit still, not doing anything and be happy, then you will always be happy.  This is the real happiness – not to do anything, not to have anything to make you happy. Anything that makes you happy will only last temporarily.  It doesn’t last forever. 

The real happiness is not to have anything to make you happy.  The only way to do it is to meditate, to stop your desire to do things. Once you can stop your desire to do things, then you don’t have anything to worry about.

Sāmaṇera:  How long do you meditate?

Than Ajahn:  All day, from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. You meditate in two different ways. When you’re not sitting, then you’re watching your body, this is meditation. As long as you keep controlling your thought, preventing your thought from thinking, you’re meditating.

You need to sit down to make your mind become completely still. If you have work to do, you have to control your thoughts. Don’t let your mind thinks. Because when you think, you can start to worry and become unhappy. And then when you sit, you have the strength to force your mind to become still. So, you meditate all day. You have to keep controlling your thought all the time, watching your thought, stopping your thought from thinking by concentrating on something, like your body or on a mantra.  If you’re not sitting or if you’re working and if you’re not watching your body, you can use a mantra, by keep reciting ‘Buddho, Buddho, Buddho’.

When you start thinking about going home, repeat Buddho, Buddho, Buddho. It’s not the time to think about it now. The time to think about going home is when you have to go.

Sāmaṇera:  It’s true. Don’t worry about the future.

Than Ajahn:  Yes, it’s not here yet. Think about the present. Make the present happy and you will always be happy. Because there is no future, there is no past. Everything happens in the present. If you can make the present happy, you’ll be always happy. Regardless of what kind of present you have, good or bad present, if you know how to make your mind happy, you can always be happy.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

Meditation & mindfulness

A Meditators Handbook

by Bill Crecelius.

A Meditator's Handbook

Bill Crecelius has written a straightforward, practical guide for those who seek to establish themselves in Vipassana meditation. He is an experienced Vipassana Teacher who was one of Goenkaji s earliest Western students. Drawing on his own long experience in the practice, A Meditator s Handbook is full of encouragement, homely examples and vivid illustrations. It contains a wealth of sound friendly advice. It is recommended for any Vipassana meditator, and especially for those who have just started practicing.

Excerpt from the book:

I have learned how to keep my practice together and make it grow. I would like to share this with you. First as a single man living in an area with no other meditators, then living in an area with many other Vipassana meditator friends and finally as a married man with a Dhamma partner, I adapted my life to one of living in the Dhamma.

The path of the monk is high and lofty. It is said that the path for the monk is clear and smooth and easy to walk on. It is high above the muck and mire. There are no stones, pebbles, sharp rocks or thorns. Unfortunately for us poor householders this is not the case. Our lives are bound up in worldly responsibilities, jobs, family ties, and mortgage payments. Unlike the monks, our path is full of worldly impediments and distractions. It is for this reason that I think A Meditator s Handbook might help Vipassana students on their walk along this path of purification.

This eBook is in PDF format. Use the Download button from this link: 

http://alturl.com/oghu9  

to get the eBook.

PDF eBooks are not printable.

SVW 2014 Yogi Meditation discussion with Bhante Aggacitta on meditation

SVW 2014 Yogi Meditation discussion with Bhante Aggacitta on meditation

18th Feb, 2016

Dear Bhante,

Today's meditation, just watching the five aggregates, the sensation, feelings, perceiving, knowing and investigation. Notice that all arises and passes away instaneously. Mind feel sad cannot do anything about it. Just watch. The moment if  there is no knowing-seeing the mind is already involving. There is knowing-seeing mind, questioning and answering going on sometimes it is done intentionlly and sometimes automatically.

Then this advice from Bhante arises to pre-program check the conditioning for its arising not surmising and it check and found out that due to knowing seeing and questioning that condition the answer and clear seeing to arise.

After sitting for quite sometime just seeing everything arises and passes away instantaneously, mind quite sad because it cannot remove the whole thing away. Then suddenly it sees it's not I who do it and it become more interesting to watch, just sit back and watch, investigate and learn. The five aggregates already can function by itself just by depending on conditionality. There is nothing there at all, every little thing arises and instantly gone. Holding on to it is an illusion, how can you hold on something that is gone.

Bhante this is today's learning.
Would appreciate very much Bhante's guidance and pointing out what I did not see clearly.



Sādhu, GE.
👌👍👏✌😁
with mettā,
Aggacitta



19th Feb, 2016

Dear Bhante,

Saw that this mind has an old program which can automatically runs by itself driven by its whims and fancies. It can simply goes into a dream state or imaginary state and function by itself when the mind is in a certain state of conditioning.

Knowing-seeing this there is a kind of feeling of not wanting to be run by this old automatic program robot machine, the mind can become quiet quite easily.

Once there is no knowing-seeing mind, it is automatically run by this old program machine.

This old program machine if not take care properly,  it is dangerous, it is out of order, it can just run by itself automatically depending on various conditioning.

The knowing-seeing of how this old program machine runs more and more, it makes the mind wants to be in the know-see mode otherwise the old program machine will take over again.

Hoping that this knowing-seeing will help to condition the mind to stay more often in the know-see mode.

It is all about learning there is so much more to learn, to know-see clearer and clearer because this old conditioned program machine is so powerful and it can come in many many forms and not seeing or recognising it clearly it falls into that trap again, because the mind is not skilled in immediately recognising it when it arises and thus run by it again.

Usually it arises with a past static image or picture of the whole scene, not recognising the mind thinks that it is happening now and start interacting with it unknowingly and sometimes it is the force of craving that is the driver. Every time it recognise there is a defilement associate with it, the mind like shrink don't quite like it.


Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice and guidance.
🙏🙏🙏
With much gratitude, respect and mettā,
Gim Ean


Dear Banthe,

I notice that the know-see mind or I call it the pure awareness is hard to maintain thru out the day. Especially when is very tired or falling sleepy. Is it the sati not strong enough?

Looks like it.​

2 days ago during meeting a client to discuss some design on a buddhist film festival and he show us a trailer of a movie name "shankara". All the shot is very simple just a lot of repeated action by being, and out of sudden I related it to the moving mind, a though follow by another, no matter it had meaning or meaningless. The mind is just keep turning by itself. The awareness clearly know all these is suffering, it really meaningless to create all these things.

👌👍👏
Now I have a situation is like lost interest to do anything, but it strange that is some things or people come and enquiry, the awareness mind aware that the mind and body react to the action automatically base on previous conditioning. Some may not be appropriate in term of others may not feel happy or offended. It seem like need to do new conditioning to react to people. But the mind seem like not interested. May bathe advice or give some direction.

​Look at the drawbacks of not making the effort to re-condition the mind, especially the suffering caused to yourself and/or others.​ Remember also the practice of the 4 brahmavihāras (mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upekkhā), especially the first two.

I not study Pali canon, so I don't know all those term, but really learn a lot from this forum thru all the sharing from bro and sis here. Shadu x 3
👌👍👍
Beng Chee



Thank you very much for your advice. Bhante
Beng Chee



Dear Bhante,

The mind is a bit confused. Is the know see mind a direct experience which happens when the conditions are right (When there is enough awareness and the mind is clear, alert, peaceful & relaxed) or is it a tool which can be applied in the practice?

My understanding of sati- sampajanna is : Sati is to remember, and we can train the mind to have sati to be aware. Sampajanna is clear comprehension /clear knowing which happens when the conditions are right( when there is enough awareness and the mind is clear, alert, peaceful & relaxed).

Are these  wrong perceptions, Bhante?
With Gratitude, Respect & Metta,
Chuah


I don't see any confusion, Chuah.
Everything (saṅkhāra, I mean) arises and passes away due to causes and conditions.
with mettā,
Aggacitta


21st Feb, 2016

Bhante's pointing out this "know-see" mind have given me a lot of confidence to really go into it.
‌
This know-see mind have a unique and special kind of seeing.
It knows and sees things clearly, directly, instantly and there is an immediate understanding without words.

This know-see mind is a wonderful tool. Just by watching it, it can ends thing immediately.

And another one is sati-sampajañña that can also know-see, it gives space for the mind to see, to investigate the causes and conditioning for it's arising.

Maha sadhu Bhante for all the advices and guidance.
Thank you so much.
🙏🙏🙏
With much gratitude, respect and mettā,
Gim Ean


👍👍👍
with mettā,
Aggacitta


3rd March, 2016

Dear Bhante,

This mind is very interested to watch moment to moment how conditionality arises and passes away due to various causes and conditions. It keeps the mind busy because there are so many little, little things arising and passing away so fast. The mind is spacious and it is learning to see things differently.

*Every moment and everything is fully supported by conditionality due to past conditioning and present circumstances.
It has to happened because it is completely supported by conditionality which is flowing very fast non stop. No way you can stop it.

*Notice that when defilement arises it is accompanied with feelings. Not seeing it and acting on it, can hurt myself and others.

*When there is positive thinking it's accompanied with pleasant feeling and negative with unpleasant feelings.

*Remembering or forgetting is also conditioned. So to remember often need to re program so that it can arise often.

*All thoughts, feelings, perceptions is based on past conditioning.

* Just a word that pop up from the mind, it will automatically relate to things that are related to it.

*Questions and answers that pops up are also conditioned.

*Notice all past perceptions, knowledges and infomations are not satisfying.

It is inaccurate and incomplete due to dependent on conditioning which many we did not see and many cannot see when the condition are not there.

*Recognising that things are  false and not worth clinging it can end immediately.

Seeing that every little moment is conditioned the mind is peaceful, spacious and has a sense of acceptance and not so resistance.

But when there is no seeing and it is involving there is no space and it is tiring and stressful.

Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice, comments and am I seeing correctly.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect and mettā,
Gim Ean


Sadhu and thank you very Bhante for all the guidance and advice.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


11th March, 2016

Dear Bhante,

This morning meditation I was watching this thought and know-see functions.

Notice that thoughts, sense or mind experiences just pop up continuously due to various conditioning. Thoughts is always based on past experiences, knowledges and it is not complete and either it will imagine, make an assumption and conclusion.

👌👍

But after know-see process, thought is then quite new, it is from what have just seen. Bhante am I seeing correctly?

​New in what sense? Doesn't it also rely on past perception and experience to interpret what has just arisen?​

**Yes Bhante, It arises based on past perception and experience to interpret what has just arisen.
What I mean new thought in a sense it is a new understanding, which in the past I don't have such  understanding.
Eg: Seeing the causes and conditioning of how past perception and feelings pop up again and again which is actually a remembrance which is past and gone. It can still be

experienced so real in just a thought.
---------
Know-see is different it is always in the now and sees the just arisen state. It sees whatever that come in the field of awareness the whole, wordless and  without any choice. There is an understanding arises on and off.

​How does that understanding appear to the mind?​

**Eg: Just by knowing and seeing how all the sense and mind experiences arises and pass away, then the mind notice it is really a non stop flux, just flowing and moving depending on various conditioning. Then after knowing and seeing it for quite sometime suddenly there is this pop up of understanding arises like how can this ongoing flow belongs to anybody. It is already flowing depending on conditionality whether you are there or not.
--------------
Bhante what is this faculty of know-see. Is it perceiving/seeing and knowing?

​Know-see is simply know-see. Can you differentiate between perception (saññā) and know-see (ñāṇa-dassana)?​

 **Sañña is past remembrance. It recognises immediately when it pops up.

Knowing and seeing is quiet and wordless. It just knows and see things exactly as it is, no adding or minus anything . It is not always there. It work together with sati-sampajañña.
Understanding will just pop up when condition is there.

------------

This sinus have given me a lot of complication and stress because of not having clear understanding what actually happens. Have to go in and out of hospital and let the doctor handle. But in this stress I have really really learn a lot of dhamma from it.

👌👍✌​
Every obstacle or challenge​ in life can be a wonderful stepping stone for spiritual progress if we have practised

​/ are practising ​

well enough.  ​

Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice,  guidance and whether I am seeing correctly?
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, metta,
Gim Ean


Hi GE,
Please read my replies below.
with mettā,
Aggacitta


Bhante I have a reply below.
Would appreciate very much Bhante's guidance if I am not seeing correctly.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, metta
Gim Ean


👌👍👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta


Thank you very much Bhante
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettă,
Gim Ean

18th March, 2016

Dear Bhante,

Seeing the actual state of mind that has just arisen, how it arises and it's gone immediately and nothing remains, except remembrance of this just arisen and past away perception which sometimes stays.

This arising and passing away phenomena is like a river flowing on its own, it can flow by itself smoothly, perfectly with its right proportion and balance of everything. Its like it's has its own orderly manner and cannot stop it from happening. It has to happen.

Bhante is this happening resultant/vipaka?

Interfering the flow is like disrupting the order of the flow. The only way not to interrupt it, is to know-see not touching it at all and it stop exaggerating it. Things are already happening on it's own depending on various causes and conditionality. Don't have to do anything just watch.

It is very beneficial if it can see this state of mind, how it arises and gone immediately there is an ending of pain or delight immediately and there is a temporarily relief and don't have to suffer unnecessarily, otherwise this old program mind will take over and react automatically which is carried away by the past remembrance, the same old habitual pattern.

Sometimes this craving and hoping to become better mind can creep in and if it is not seen, mind will start pursuing the past remembrance.

Mind in knowing-seeing mode is just quietly watching and when it is in past remberance there is a lot of reaction and it is stressful.

This is today's meditation. Would appreciate Bhante's advice or guidance and am I seeing correctly?
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā
Gim Ean


19th. March, 2016


Great observations, GE.
👌👍👏
This arising and passing away phenomena is like a river flowing on its own, it can flow by itself smoothly, perfectly with its right proportion and balance of everything. Its like it's has its own orderly manner and cannot stop it from happening. It has to happen.

Bhante is this happening resultant/vipaka?

Partly vipaka partly volitional. But they are all sankharas: constructed, constructing and/or becoming the causes & conditions for other constructions. Anicca because they keep on changing all the time. Dukkha because they can't be stopped, can't be relied on. Anatta because they are all subject to causes & conditions, not under anyone's control.
with mettā
Aggacitta



Thank you so much Bhante for the clear explanation. This infomations has help me to have a much clearer view of the whole thing.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


24th. March, 2016


Knowing and seeing that in truth every moment especially  psychologically everything is alive, moving, not static, it is arising and passing away and it's dead and gone moment to moment.

Have caught this old program automatic and habitual mind, how when there is a sense or mind experiences occurred, past perception of the past incident arises immediately, mind is immediately participating and engaging in it, thinking about it, imagining about it and there is the arising of feeling of fear, of like, of dislike and acting upon it based on past remembrance. All these are happening by itself automatically.

Knowing and seeing in truth everything arises and passes away immediately and it's dead and gone. It knows that it is not in charge cos it pops up on its own due to various conditioning, this helps the mind to stop or end entertaining this process of thinking, engaging and imagining about it unless it is necessary. This can only happen when there is a knowing-seeing mind otherwise it will be busy entertaining it.

The mind have a sense of freedom when it is able to catch the mind doing that.  It knows that it's not worth while entertaining it because it is all due to the old program mind and also the mind have this function of thinking or imagining due to various causes and conditioning, it has to happen.

Would appreciate very much Bhante's further advice and guidance.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


👌👍👏
with mettā
Aggacitta



Thank you very much Bhante  for all the guidance and advice.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


31st Mac, 2016


Dear Bhante,
Sinus is giving me a lot of problem and mother is not well too and have to take care of her.
Fortunately the mind find interest in seeing moment to moment how things arises and passes away instantaneously. I find it very interesting to see how I really do not know what is going to pop up next moment and next moment. It cannot be plan it just pop up so fast, change and gone the next moment.

Everything arises due to past conditioning and present circumstances. It arises due to various causes and conditioning on its own. The mind have to be very quiet and still to watch closely and  clearly what is the mind doing. When thoughts or any sense or mind experiences arises the mind naturally response or react but because of the knowing and seeing mind is there it has no chance to proliferate further, it has to end immediately because it recognises the same old past thought and sense experiences which is not beneficial at all. This has help the mind to be calm, peaceful and more acceptance in what is happening.

Another thing I observed is that because of this observation the things observed is undergoing a change and end by itself peacefully because there is no pursuing or rejecting it. In fact there is nothing really worth while to pursue. Everything have the nature to arise and pass away instantly due to various conditionality. I don't have to do anything at all, just quietly, watching closely what comes up and what is the mind doing. This calmness also gives space for natural qi to arise and do it's job naturally.

Would appreciate very much Bhante 's advice and guidance.
🙏🙏 🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean

1st April, 2016

👌👍✌👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta


5th April, 2016

Dear Bhante,

Notice that when the mind is not meditating it is putting together all the immediate or long past events that arises, make a story out of it and live with it.

When it is meditating it is knowing and seeing what have just arisen. When it is not naming it, it is just a bare phenomenal arises and passes away instantaneously.

The five aggregates sensations, perception, feelings, knowing and intention arises automatically simultaneously, cannot pin point because it is changing too fast.
Everything is automatically happening by itself due to various causes and conditionality.

Words, meanings, images, wanting, is gross and heavy. If it hold on to it, it seems to become static.

Worrying and wanting the sickness to go away is very heavy and gross. The mind is tired and getting very fed up. Cannot find any true and completely right knowledge to handle it but can only do my level best, the rest leave it to nature or for kamma to takes its place.

This is today's contemplation. Would appreciate Bhante's advice and guidance.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


👍👏✌
Sadhu for the inspiring sharing.
with mettā
Aggacitta


7th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,
Sadhu and thank you very much for all the guidance and advice.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


12th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

When the mind is knowing and seeing, it is very simple, very spacious, clear, light and easy. Everything is in a flux.

When thoughts interfere it, the object is intensified. It interpretes in words, meanings, images and pictures, making it solid and concrete. Wanting and not wanting it, is modifying and intensifying the object. The object become gross looks like static and very slow in changing because the mind is holding on to the object.

It is like two different world. One is spacious, light, easy and everything is just arising and passing away like a flow of different intensity of phenomenal changing non stop.

The "thought " is gross, heavy, solid based on its habitual pattern or tendency, past perceptions, feelings, experiences, emotions and it's preferences which keep on modifying non stop according to how much it crave or desire.

The mind now see that the "thinking mind" if not well taken care of, create a lot of unnecessary suffering. Attachment is really painful because of wanting it to stay or to go away.

Bhante does delusion means not seeing this mind is program and conditioned and it is running the whole system. In truth there is nothing but only a flux, just arising and passing away of phenomena?

This is today's meditation. Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice, guidance and whether it is seeing correctly and what it is not seeing.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean

14th. April, 2016


👌👍👏
We cannot survive or function effectively in the world without thoughts. The awakened ones understand the limitations and usefulness of thoughts. So, they think only when it is necessary. In other words, saññā-thoughts may arise spontaneously, but they have sati-sampajañña and pursue only those that pass the BARR Test, and contemplate the others as constructions (saṅkhāras) that are anicca, dukkha and anatta. Like you wrote, they can see them as an endless flow of phenomena linked my multiple causes and conditions. Nothing worth clinging to.

The deluded mind, on the other hand, does not see this but instead takes delight in all these mental activities.
with mettā,
Aggacitta



Thank you Bhante for pointing out clearly what is the right thing to do and not to do. Appreciate so much for all the guidance and advice
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


16th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

Today's meditation notice that every little litter moment everything is fully conditioned not necessary to do anything, everything is already happening by itself, the 5 aggregates is already doing its job among themselves.

Only when the mind think about the self, the self will arise. It is actually a thought, a remembrance and associations with certain kind of identification.

The "desire" that arises is wanting "what is actually happening in the now"  to change, to improve, to be better. Seeing this nature of "desire" the mind just acknowledged such is the nature of "desire". And it's not necessary to interfere it with desire, it's just another state of mind which have such character.

When knowing and seeing is there, everything is arising and passing away moment to moment and the mind is not proliferating it further.

Notice that in daily activities when there is no sati-sampajañña, the mind always go back to the old habitual pattern which is mechanical, repetitive and is automatic. Have to remind myself often to have sati-sampajañña.

Bhante's advice is very good and beneficial that is to see
"saññā-thoughts may arise spontaneously, but they have sati-sampajañña and pursue only those that pass the BARR Test, and contemplate the others as constructions (sañkhāras) that are anicca, dukkha and anatta."

This mind has a very bad impression about thoughts always pushing it away and it is now learning to do it according to Bhante's advice.

Would appreciate Bhante's advice and guidance very much.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean



Inspiring sharing, GE.
👌👍👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta



17th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

Today's meditation saw that every little little moment everything is already fully conditioned. It is like one don't have to do anything at all and also one don't have to feel burden or responsible for every little thing because one can't do anything about it, because every little thing is already condition by each other and it is happening by itself so fast.

One can only watch.

Every slight touch or interference is creating another conditioning. Have to often check if there is a desire or a wanting it to be otherwise  which is quite a strong conditioning which  can influence the flow.

Have to have a pure observation then only the mind is able to see what is actually happening moment to moment in the now, because any motives it will influence the mind.

Notice that sometime doubts arises and the question also arises and automatically there is an answer or understanding arises. Sometimes just see only and it just ask "why" and answer automatically pops up.

The body is very sick due to non stop sinus congestion. Natural qi is there helping to relief the congestion. Strange and interesting to see how natural qi do the job on its own.

This is today's meditation. Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice or guidance and am I seeing it correctly.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


👌👍👏✌
with mettā
Aggacitta



Thank you very much Bhante.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


20th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

Today's meditation notice that it is suffering when the mind is not knowing and seeing it directly.

When there is a sense experiences thoughts-sanna-vedana is actually a replay based on past conditioning. Mind always automatically interpret and react based on habitual automatic pattern which is strengthening the pattern and creating more suffering because it is trap and caught in it. It is not knowing that it is a replay and mind is dependent and trusting thought-sanna-vedana.

Why I say it's a replay because when the condition is there, it automatically can be recognised immediately. If it is something new the mind is like puzzle, what is this and it is curious to know and trying to find out because it cannot recognise.

Knowing seeing and recognising it is a replay, it is just an appearance not so real and solid. By knowing and seeing it, it is withering away.

Bhante am I seeing this correctly?

The sinus sensation is gross and unpleasant and when the  sensation breaks up it is no more unpleasant.

Also notice that fear, impatient and desire have its own specific nature and character. Learning to recognise each mental factors has its own kind of specific nature, it become interesting.

Knowing seeing all these flows of sense experiences and how everything is interacting with each other and how it's processes are based on past conditioning and present circumstances, the immediate knowing and seeing of all these flows and it is not continuing feeding or participating in it, this helps to wither or end the process.

Would appreciate Bhante's guidance and advice.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean

👌👍👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta



23th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

The sinus congestion is getting serious, not really knowing what is the right things do. Just trust the doctor.

Notice that what the mind is holding on to is actually the idea and the meanings. It's names and meanings of the past perceptions, feelings, images, sorrow, imagining, thinking and fear of the worst thing might happen. All this is held by the mind and it is thinking about it. Anything the mind hold on it's just and idea, a thought.

The only freedom is when the mind is able to drop completely this whole bundle of thoughts, perceptions and it's meaning and just stay at knowing and seeing whatever is actually happening in the now. There are only different intensities of sensations and phenomena arising and passing away non stop. Everything that arises, seen and it's gone immediately. Actually nothing can be hold on, it's only an appearance of phenomena arising and passing away instaneously.

Thoughts, feelings or perceptions that pops up, whatever that is related to it, whether it is long past or immediate past, it will automatically connect it by itself. Not seeing all this connections mind will automatically involved and prolong the never ending  stories.
Knowing and seeing it moment to moment, it is breaking up this program habitual pattern and its connection.

The natural qi is always there clearing the blockages non stop. Now I can understand why the natural qi moves so vigorously, the  CT Scan shows that the congestion is serious.

Would appreciate very much Bhante's advice and guidance and is this mind seeing it correctly?.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean



Sadhu for the sharing, GE.
👌👍👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta



24th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

This morning mediation have a clearer view. It's like this mind and body is like a machine already run by a condition program system which is based on past conditioning.

By knowing and seeing and not much thinking, there is extra energy for natural qi to function.

Desire is impatient, expecting, projecting and it do not trust this condition program system. Desire will imagine, project according to what it want and when the desire is not met, it will quiet down and the condition program system will automatically take over again.

When defilement of like, dislike and preferences interferes, it is using a lot of energy wanting or pushing it away, not accepting what is actually in the now.

It's interesting this knowing and seeing can see how this condition program work by itself.

Would appreciate Bhante's advice and guidance whether it is seeing correctly.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


Thanks for sharing, GE.
👌👍👏👏👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta



Thank you so much Bhante for all the guidance and advice.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean


26th April, 2016


Dear Bhante,

There seems to be no real life. The mind and body is already run by an automated condition program system.

Due to certain conditionality sense experiences automatically arises. Have no choice to stop it from arising, every little moment it is fully conditioned. When one know it, it has already arisen.

It is becoming more and more obvious that past perception and feelings arises simultaneously. Not recognising it, the next moment mind will automatically modifies it according to what it like or dislike.

Knowing and seeing this flow of river, it is like breaking up the continuity of automatic habit of acting, reacting and responding.

Bhante can knowing seeing break up this flow of continuity acting and reacting?

Would appreciate Bhante's advice, guidance whether this mind is seeing correctly?
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean



Sure, GE. You're on the right track. Just keep going.
👌👍👏
with mettā,
Aggacitta



So happy, thank you very much Bhante for giving me the confidence and guiding me to the right track.
Sadhu Sadhu.
🙏🙏🙏
With gratitude, respect, mettā,
Gim Ean