Mahasi Sayadaw / Yuttadhammo noting question

Question

When I'm sitting, I have a lot of trouble making it through all the touching points.

One issue I'm thinking that I might be having is that maybe the progression of objects is incorrect: I do rising-falling-sitting-touching and then repeat for the entire hour that I sit. Maybe I am supposed to be doing: rising-falling-sitting and then rising-falling-touching and repeat those two progressions alternatively?

Assuming the former is correct - is it ever permissible to, I'm weary about using the word but, ignore very subtle objects of awareness and continue noting through the progression? I just feel like I'm forcing it every time I make it to a touching point. I try to be as mindful as possible but it's hard to feel like I'm doing it correctly when I can't even make it to a touching point. feels like it's creating needless doubts. and maybe I'm just practicing incorrectly.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I just feel like I'm forcing it every time I make it to a touching point. I try to be as mindful as possible but it's hard to feel like I'm doing it correctly when I can't even make it to a touching point. feels like it's creating needless doubts. and maybe I'm just practicing incorrectly.

You're experiencing disenchantment and dispassion which comes about through the recognition of transience, suffering and not-self. What you claim as a setback is the actual knowledge to be understood.

In your quote above there is classic transience, suffering and not-self mostly through seeking continuity of practice and becoming frustrated that its continuity has been lost. That's the knowledge right there.

It is not a mechanistic understanding governed by conventional learning, it is a wisdom-understanding governed by how the mind has been previously exposed to practice.

Answer 2

One issue I'm thinking that I might be having is that maybe the progression of objects is incorrect: I do rising-falling-sitting-touching and then repeat for the entire hour that I sit. Maybe I am supposed to be doing: rising-falling-sitting and then rising-falling-touching and repeat those two progressions alternatively?

The former is the way Ven. Yuttadhammo teaches. The other method isn't wrong imo.

Assuming the former is correct - is it ever permissible to, I'm weary about using the word but, ignore very subtle objects of awareness and continue noting through the progression? I just feel like I'm forcing it every time I make it to a touching point. I try to be as mindful as possible but it's hard to feel like I'm doing it correctly when I can't even make it to a touching point. feels like it's creating needless doubts. and maybe I'm just practicing incorrectly.

Much of the purpose of noting the sequence is to keep the mind focused and to stop distracting thoughts as one would using the the classic counting method for anapanasati.

You can do the whole sequence or only do rising - falling or rising - falling - sitting or do all the touching points, neither is wrong and you can do as you see fit.

Imo you should take notice of when thoughts of doubt appear, you should then overcome that hindrance and still these thoughts. You can contemplate the hindrance and direct mind accordingly to a different theme than the one you were paying attention when the hindrance beset you, ie simplify your 'method', solve the controversy, set things aside, or do a different contemplation/meditation not associated with doubt.

Contemplation of the hindrances is a part of satipatthana training but afaik there's little to no emphasis on contemplation in Yuttadhammo's popularized method.

There usually one would at that time note either 'doubt' or 'thinking', however it appeared, then return to the risefall-sitting-touching & whatnot. Then just waiting to see if it goes away, maybe note aversion & whatnot, then maybe try not paying attention