7
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The arising of arrogance
The feeling of pride is okay in the sense that it is conditioned so long as you do not act following that feeling.
That you are able to notice the arising of the feeling shows some mindfulness and ...
- 3,388
7
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Question about how to generate more motivation to meditate.
It's really important to do wise and healthy things even if they take a bit of effort to get the ball rolling. Very fortunately, we can use habit to overcome our habits, which is something very ...
6
votes
Accepted
Shamata and vipassana - loss of willpower
I can relate to your question. I too come from a software background and have had a similar set of experiences.
Even though we have had similar experiences, the underlying cause could be different. ...
- 558
6
votes
Accepted
What books address various difficulties that may arise during various stages of meditation practice?
The Five Hindrances disturb one's path in meditation and practice. The canonical description can be found in the Nivarana Sutta.
Here are some useful resources:
Book entitled Unhindered: A Mindful ...
6
votes
Meditation on pain?
To let go of the sensations of pain in the body or of memories of pain, we must practice loving kindness, towards our body and towards our mental contents.
Whenever pain affects us, we must be like ...
- 7,423
6
votes
What are we supposed to do while meditating?
There are many kinds of meditation, and as many ways of explaining them as there are people. After years of study and practice, here is a meditation I recommend. I call this "the coming to one's ...
- 56.9k
5
votes
What does delusion feel like?
I think that 'aversion' and 'desire' are opposite/complementary extremes of each other.
Similarly I think that 'delusion' is (defined as) the opposite of 'truth' (sacca/satya, the four noble truths) ...
- 44.8k
5
votes
Suggestions for when practice has plateaued
What do you mean your practice has plateaued?! Are you perfect? Don't you have day-to-day challenges?
Practice is not just meditation. Your "personal issues" are practice too. See if you can trace ...
- 56.9k
5
votes
Reasons against practicing insight meditation as a main (sitting) practice for medical or other recondite-subject majoring students?
I did my first longer vipassana retreat while I was a postdoc researcher (applied math and numerics), and did many more since then. I found it beneficial to have days/weeks dedicated for intense ...
- 921
4
votes
Accepted
What does delusion feel like?
Feelings associated with formations of the 3 more poison:
Ignorance - Neutral feeling
Attachment - Blissful, joy, fluid, cooling
Aversion - Burning, solid, gaseous vibrating (E.g. fear)
In breath ...
4
votes
Accepted
Barrier of "tumult" during meditation
I won't try to guess exactly what you're experiencing, but one thing that trips people up a lot is the expectation that meditation is a one-way road to greater and greater calm. In reality, there's an ...
- 796
4
votes
Shamata and vipassana - loss of willpower
You lose interest because your MINDFUL. Mindfulness acts like a barrier or a filter. It creates distance. Your not as engaged to the five senses and it's objects as you use to be, therefore your not ...
- 3,092
4
votes
Accepted
eye movement during meditation
If you feel alert, and not sleepy or distracted while it happens, it may be one of the things that naturally occurs as you start to get deeper concentration.
A number of vaguely unpleasant ...
- 796
4
votes
Keep motivation to stick on one meditation practice :Ven. Mahasi Saydaw
Some advice by Ajaan Fuang here:
§ Many were the times when people would tell Ajaan Fuang that — with
all the work and responsibilities in their lives — they had no time to
meditate. And many ...
- 36k
4
votes
How to discipline self to practice meditation everyday?
This is a common problem. I'd suggest you get some inspiration and enthusiasm from reading online about meditation and start doing it for even say, 30 seconds.
But most importantly, don't ...
- 2,224
4
votes
Losing awareness
We can't put out a fire by burning in it. We must first distance ourself from it and use the right extinguisher.
If you can get back to the breath, that's excellent, but it's not always possible. The ...
- 7,423
4
votes
Did the Buddha say anything about attachment to meditation?
One of the branch Bodhisattva vows is this :
Regarding the taste of bliss from gaining mental stability as its main advantage
Normally, we tie up a great deal of our energies in nervousness,
...
- 2,537
4
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Is it dangerous to focus on ticks from childhood during meditation?
Acknowledge the tick only a few times as it appears, but then acknowledge what else appears, your mind reacts to it somehow -- fear, anxiety, memories, analyses etc. And go back to the anchor (step or ...
- 921
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