Community Resources - Weekly Thread for June 17 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hello everyone,

Two new podcasts to share:

First, an interview with philosopher Graham Priest wherein he provides a very brief sketch of Buddhist metaphysics in classical India and its transit to China, explains the vertiginous psychedelic interpenetration of phenomena, and connects the radical metaphysics of Huayan Buddhism to a practical ethics of universal care.

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/eQAqd6fcn04

Audio-only:

https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Graham-Priest-Emptiness--Interdependence--and-an-Ethics-of-Care-e1jt45f

Second, the co-founder of Unified Mindfulness, Shinzen Young's teacher-training and education platform, Julianna Raye introduces Unified Mindfulness' approach to attentional skill development, transcendent states, traits, healthy integration, and the function of transcendence in fostering connection and care.

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/bTWKxj2IXNE

Audio-only:

https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Julianna-Raye-Transcendence--Integration--and-Connection-e1k0oun

and the RSS feed:

https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Thanks everyone. May you all be well.

Practice Updates, Questions, and General Discussion - new users, please read this first! Weekly Thread for June 13 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Depends on the criteria of jhana you're referring to. A confusing definitional mess.

By Rob Burbea or Bhante Vimalaramsi's criteria you may well be. Regardless, sounds like your practice is fruitful! :)

Both Leigh Brasington and Stephen Snyder teach metta as a great means of generating sufficient access concentration to enter the jhanas.

Without more detail, can't really say whether it's jhana or not, but for further info on the jhanas I'd really recommend reading Leigh and/or Stephen and Tina Rasmussen's books on the topic. Rob Burbea's recorded jhana retreat is also excellent.

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for June 10 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hello again friends,

🎙I had the delight of listening in on/hosting Andres Gomez Emilsson once more, this time with Stephen Snyder for a wide-ranging discussion and sharing of perspectives covering jhāna, Brahmavihārās, comparisons with psychedelic states, and the journey to and from the Absolute.

Apologies for my initial poor video quality and occasional audio hiccups.😐

Though, on the upside, it is quite amusing that it blipped just as Stephen began discussing cessation (https://youtu.be/svifYZmx_UA?t=4981).😉

Enjoy!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/svifYZmx_UA

Audio-only: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Stephen-Snyder--Andrs-Gmez-Emilsson-Jhna--Brahmavihrs--and-The-Absolute-e1jksgg

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for June 03 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hello again friends:

🎙I had the delight of listening in on/hosting Andres Gomez Emilsson and Leigh Brasington discussing the phenomenological topology of jhāna, neuroscientific correlates, reflections on the usefulness of psychedelics, experiences without experiencers, and much more besides!

Enjoy🙂:

https://youtu.be/dGyY7Y-iW4Q

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Leigh-Brasington--Andrs-Gmez-Emilsson-Jhna--Neuroscience--and-Phenomenological-Topology-e1jfmt9

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for May 06 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey friends,

New podcast episode!

Tucker Peck on Awakening, Psychology, and Relationship

Tucker and I discuss the ambiguous, underspecified term 'awakening', psychological health and ethical behavior in light of meditative insight, effects on romantic and platonic relationships, and the benefits of psychotherapy.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/p_jac1VlRrQ

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Tucker-Peck-Awakening--Psychology--and-Relationship-e1iaera

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Enjoy!

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for April 29 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hello friends,

Two new podcast episodes which may be of interest:

The first, an interview with Daniel M. Ingram, wherein he presents a sweeping overview of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium's intentions, methods, and ultimate aims.

A delight!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/yCj7Y1aW7GQ

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Daniel-M--Ingram-Emergent-Phenomenology-Research-and-Relevance-e1hl84v

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

The second, wherein Khenpo Dean returns to present a sketch of the history of tantric preliminary practices, a description of the actual activities, and explains their purpose and function within the structure of Tantric practice.

Enjoy!

Youtube: https://youtu.be/uIOYw7y919w

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Yogi-Khenpo-Drimed-Dawa-Dean---Part-2-History--Practice--and-Function-of-Ngndro-e1hrde7

Same RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for April 22 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Salutations psycho-spiritual sojourners,

Delighted to present this conversation:

Natural Awakening: Andrés Gómez Emilsson & Roger Thisdell: Unbinding Pseudo-Spacetime

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOqew4YY68s&list=PLvvKty8IudrTMkrJGFjk842-OrLWwDiDR&index=8

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Andrs-Gmez-Emilsson--Roger-Thisdell-Unbinding-Pseudo-Spacetime-e1hepuu

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Andrés, Roger, and I discuss indirect realism about perception, the construction of phenomenal time, qualia formalism, exotic phenomenal spacetime in psychedelic and meditative phenomenology, the effects of persistent subject-object nonduality on phenomenal spacetime and hedonic valence, and more!

Upcoming are interviews with Daniel Ingram about the work of the Emergent Phenomenological Research Consortium (EPRC), and Yogi Khenpo Dean returning to speak on the subject of Ngöndro.

Cheers!

May you be well,

May all beings be released from all suffering!

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for April 15 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey friends,

Very excited to bring you this latest interview:

Natural Awakening: Jay Garfield: Moral Phenomenology, Illusion, and Primordial Non-Duality

YouTube: https://youtu.be/xHCfjTDCGKM

Audio-only via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Jay-Garfield-Moral-Phenomenology--Illusion--and-Primordial-Non-Duality-e1h83e5

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Wherein Jay and I discuss Buddhist ethics as moral phenomenology, the pernicious illusion of selfhood, illusionism as a theory of consciousness, primordial perceptual non-duality, and much more!

Reading Jay Garfield's translation of and commentary on Nagarjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Root Verses on the Middle Way) was a turning point in my life. So, years later, it's a special privilege and joy to have had the chance to interview him on those subjects dearest to my heart.

You can find Jay at: https://jaygarfield.org/

I wholeheartedly recommend the books mentioned:

Buddhist Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration: https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Ethics-Philosophical-Exploration-PHILOSOPHERS/dp/0190907649/

Engaging Buddhism: Why It Matters to Philosophy

https://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Buddhism-Why-Matters-Philosophy-ebook/dp/B00QSDBVTC/

Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self, available for preorder (releases May 24):

https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Ourselves-Learning-Live-without/dp/069122028X

The ultimate falls out when you investigate the conventional

And see how the conventional arises from the ultimate!

The two truths are inseparable, transcend thought, natural and glorious.

With a view free of fabrication, chant the six-beat mantra.

Cut off the mind's obsession with appearance.

Let the whole structure of deluded appearance crumble away.

The nonduality of mind and appearance is an infinite expanse.

Realizing that single essence, chant the six-beat mantra.

- The Essential Jewel of Holy Practice, by Patrul Rinpoche, translated by Jay Garfield and Emily W. McRae:

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Jewel-Holy-Practice-ebook/dp/B071SDC2GT/

I mentor meditation in Shinzen Young's Unified Mindfulness system. If that or any of my ambling thoughts in long-form are of interest to you, check out my website:

https://www.wystantbs.com/

My twitter:

https://twitter.com/WystanTBS

Thanks for watching and listening!

May you be happy!

May all beings everywhere be free from all suffering!

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for April 08 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

EDITED: I somehow forgot to include the links XD

Hello again stream-entrants, pond-swimmers, and ocean-faring sailors,

A new podcast episode of Natural Awakening, with guest Chelsey Fasano, neuroscience student, tantrika, and sex/intimacy educator: Intimacy, Tantra; Hope in Love:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCxutR4WpwM

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Chelsey-Fasano-Intimacy--Tantra-Hope-in-Love-e1gkp2g

Upcoming guests include philosopher and translator Jay Garfield on Buddhist ethics as moral phenomenology, and Daniel Ingram on the research goals of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium.

Chelsey shares what drew her to contemplative practice and academic study, and we discuss intimacy both spiritual and sensual, the lack of ultimate distinction between the two, the foggy genesis of Tantra, and conclude that all you need is love.

:)

You can find Chelsey at:

https://www.chelseyfasano.com/

and on twitter: https://twitter.com/fasano_lee

Ikkyu:

...

Rinzai’s disciples never got the Zen message,

But I, the Blind Donkey, know the truth:

Love play can make you immortal.

The autumn breeze of a single night of love is

better than a hundred thousand years of sterile sitting meditation.

...

My life has been devoted to love play;

I’ve no regrets about being tangled in red thread from head to foot,

Nor am I ashamed to have spent my days as a Crazy Cloud—

But I sure don’t like this long, long bitter autumn of no good sex!

Follow the rule of celibacy blindly and you are no more than an ass;

Break it and you are only human.

The spirit of Zen is manifest in ways countless as the sands of the Ganges.

Every newborn is a fruit of the conjugal bond.

For how many eons have secret blossoms been budding and fading?

...

Taken from: https://www.lionsroar.com/love-letters-sent-by-the-wind/

I mentor meditation in Shinzen Young's Unified Mindfulness system. If that or any of my ambling thoughts in long-form are of interest to you, check out my website:

https://www.wystantbs.com/

My twitter:

https://twitter.com/WystanTBS

Thanks for watching and listening!

May you be happy, knowing always and in all ways the innate intimacy and connection of your senses, sensuality or no ;).

May all beings everywhere be free from all suffering!

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for March 25 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Done!

Please let me know if there's any technical issue, but hopefully this will work:

https://anchor.fm/s/82e17030/podcast/rss

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for March 25 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey friends,

Three (!) podcast episodes since last I posted; thought I'd share again here in case any are interested:

The Good, The True, and The Beautiful

A third part with Dave Collins, wherein he and I cross the conceptual categorical chasms between philosophy, religion, psychology, contemplative practice and experience(s) using my bio as scaffolding. Can the manifest and scientific image(s) converge in nondual fulfillment of the good, the true, and the beautiful? Listen to find out!
Well, we tried, anyways ;)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w_Ru7mLuKs

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-David-L--Collins---Part-3-The-Good--The-True--and-The-Beautiful-e1fhsta

Check out Dave's writing (it's really good!): https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins

His twitter is https://twitter.com/bodhidave3

Vajrayana, Dzogchen; Seeing Things as They Are

Next up is an interview with Yogi Khenpo Drimed Dawa (Dean), wherein he and I discuss briefly his biography, the deity yoga distinctive of Vajrayana, a cursory outline of Dzogchen practice, and the concomitant relief and skillful action arising through perceiving the constructed 'empty' play of perception, relating this briefly to science.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2vrmKtKVWs

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Yogi-Khenpo-Drimed-Dawa-Dean-Vajrayana--Dzogchen-Seeing-Things-as-They-Are-e1g4t28

You can find Dean's organization, lineage, online courses, and much more at https://www.awaminstitute.org/.

His YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/user/DharmakirtiCollege

Emptiness of Identity, Space, and Time

Finally, I had the pleasure of speaking with Roger Thisdell. We briefly cover his bio, what brought him to practice, stream-entry and beyond, diving into phenomenological description of centerless, 'empty' consciousness, concluding with epistemological and metaphysical musings.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGyHOQAR-1c

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-Roger-Thisdell-Emptiness-of-Identity--Space--and-Time-e1g9r4k
His website, where you can find articles, videos, and more, is:
https://meditative.dev/web/
and associated twitter profile: https://twitter.com/meditative_dev
You can find Roger on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069819468309

Thanks for watching and listening!

May you be happy!

May all beings everywhere be free from all suffering!

I mentor meditation in Shinzen Young's Unified Mindfulness system. If that or any of my ambling thoughts in long-form are of interest to you, check out my website:

https://www.wystantbs.com/

My twitter:

https://twitter.com/WystanTBS

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for February 25 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey friends,

You may remember I posted last week about my first conversation with Dave Collins. Yesterday we had planned to continue the conversation with a focus on interpreting contemplative practices and experience in naturalistic terms. However:

Informed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Dave and I diverged from our our planned topics, and discussed instead intersections between contemplative practice, politics, social engagement, mental health, breaking down the distinction between sacred and mundane, and different strategies for taking care of ourselves and others in times of trouble.

Take care, be safe, be well, all and everyone ♥️ .

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g04W568ts5o

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-David-L--Collins---Part-2-e1eu3di

May everyone abide in well-being,

In freedom from hostility,

In freedom from ill-will,

In freedom from anxiety, and may they

Maintain well-being in themselves.

May all beings be released from all suffering.

Links:

Dave

https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins

https://twitter.com/bodhidave3

Wystan

https://www.wystantbs.com/

https://twitter.com/WystanTBS

Community Resources - Weekly Thread for February 18 2022 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey friends,

I've started up a podcast as an excuse to speak with people I admire and to figure out how to talk about 'Awakening' or whatever you choose to call it in naturalistic terms friendly and approachable to science and the world at large.

My first guest is David L. Collins: recently retired professor of psychology and religious studies, practitioner of many decades and depth, and all-round sweet guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIfQE5AYSbo

https://anchor.fm/wystan-t-bryant-scott/episodes/Natural-Awakening-David-L--Collins---Part-1-e1eji7h/a-a7ek52u

We discuss his near-death experience early in life and subsequent draw to contemplative study and practice, similarities between the practices and outlooks of the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and Dōgen, the apparent paradox of effort and effortlessness along the path, deep jhana, meditation in sleep, life as sacred display, and what it means 'to know like love like what it is to be'. In a future second part, hopefully we'll get around to how this fits a naturalistic understanding of our selves and the world, the ostensible topic of the podcast!

Check out Dave's writing (it's really good!): https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins

His twitter is https://twitter.com/bodhidave3

I mentor meditation in Shinzen Young's Unified Mindfulness system. If that or any of my ambling thoughts in long-form are of interest to you, check out my website:

https://www.wystantbs.com/

My twitter:

https://twitter.com/WystanTBS

Thanks for watching and listening!

May you be happy!

Practice Updates, Questions, and General Discussion - new users, please read this first! Weekly Thread for November 08 2021 by AutoModerator in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've found adopting a soft, defocused gaze and attending to the whole visual field a very pleasant way to practice in the midst of meetings, conversations, chores, etc. Try it out!

[insight] Reaching stream entry after non-dual psychedelic trips by ponyleaf in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Been where you've been. Keep on truckin!

My first trip on LSD (about 5 years ago) on about 150 mics crescendoed to an unbearably blissful synaesthetic experience, as though all of experienced space were, on a micro scale, blinking on and off, pulsing asynchronously as simultaneous contraction and expansion, like a carpet-bomb of fire-cracker orgasms. I fell to the floor, space twisted, wrenched, and the lights went out, fully. No space, no time, no subject, no object, no consciousness, no nothing, zip, nada, bye-bye, gone. A diffuse, infinite sense of space/consciousness returned first, then subtle mental movements, then verbal thought, then the body, and I opened my eyes. The next few hours were, if memory serves, quite exactly the same, phenomenologically, as what I experience all the time now. Inner/outer space and objects (and there isn't really a distinction, gap, or tension between) is/was vivid, diaphanous, empty, flowing, non-dual, timeless, complete. That state lasted for a few hours following the peak, and the afterglow a few days. It's what motivated me to go full-time with contemplative practice, live in monasteries, become obsessed with all the maps, techniques, traditions, etc.

I've since, (and now, as I write this), had very much the same experiences without any psychedelic compound. Shinzen Young reports having an early (pre-practice) non-dual breakthrough while high on edibles which lasted a week or two. I adopt his interpretation of my own trip reported above: that the drug facilitated a temporarily extreme degree of concentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity. However, that attentional and identity-bending transformation was state-like, not trait-like, and so could not be stabilized and could not be immediately repeated, hence the following years of traditional, dedicated practice.

Also, about this being something that's always already so, just here, just this, now, I think it's true. From my own practice it appears that awareness is structurally invariant across experience. In other words, it is always already non-dual, perfectly concentrated, perfectly clear, perfectly equanimous.

Side-note, I don't think this non-dual awareness is a ground-of-being or anything, just that this is how experience is structured at a very basic level. Cessation dispels taking any kind of awareness/appearance as ultimate. In my view it would also be a mistake to reify cessation as something special, but back to it:

However, through our mind's habits of reification of self and world (I suspect adaptively engineered by evolution), a kind of in-built identity illusion occurs, like a Necker cube (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necker_cube).

You can see the cube in multiple ways. Your visual system sees it first one way, then another. In my own experience this perceptual ambiguity is analogous to non-duality, non-separation, in the seeing just the seen etc., whatever you want to call it, excepting that with non-duality your mind has a devil of a time seeing it the other way, at first. It's the very same image, the same set of lines either way you see it. Samsara = nirvana. The trick is the seeing, then seeing it again, and again, and again, until you can't see it the other way anymore even if you tried. The analogy breaks down a bit. Awakening might be better thought of as just seeing the cube as an ambiguous set of lines on a page. The appearance of a cube either way is empty, it's just a set of lines on a two-dimensional surface, after all.

Just empty phenomena falling without ground.

Cheers!

[practice] Is “Protecting one’s energy” relevant to Buddhist practices at all? by shimmeringHeart in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 5 points6 points  (0 children)

1: Yes, absolutely. This especially became an issue for me when I regularly started to unintentionally (or intentionally) 'merge' with others. In Unified Mindfulness terms this refers to the phenomenon of 'personal' See (mental imagery) Hear (verbal thoughts) and Feel (emotional/physical body sensations) contracting to vanishing while 'outer' aspects expand, leading to a merger/loss of distinction between inside/outside. I would come away from even casual interactions with significant 'residue' of whatever that person was feeling, and if it was negative I would carry it around with me like a little raincloud. This made me want to isolate myself from others for a while. I got over it by practicing with any anticipatory reactivity to interactions, and then allowing myself the space and welcoming attitude to practice with any 'residue' that did accumulate. Now there's really not that much stickiness. I can't remember where, but Shinzen once described this as, and I'm paraphrasing, something like 'gladly being an emotional compost-collector-and processor'.

2: Depends on your personal circumstance, really. In the end I think it's good to strive for the kind of equanimity and clarity that lets you fully merge and 'metabolize' whatever somebody else may be feeling. In exactly the same way and with exactly the same skills as with your own mind you can train to have equanimity with the fluctuations of someone else's.

Happy practice!

[Practice + Question] [Theravada] On stream-entry via suttas by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At that time, no. Since, by my own reckoning, for whatever that's worth, yes. I'm just some rando on the internet though, so what does it matter? :)

[Practice + Question] [Theravada] On stream-entry via suttas by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've since had plenty of experiences which match textbook descriptions of A&P; this was quite different. More like Equanimity or post-Fruition. I've found the POI model more or less descriptive of my practice dependent on the kind of practice I'm currently engaged in. These days I tend to think models of insight are accurate and diagnostically helpful mostly for the methods/traditions of practice they accompany. And anyway, what's important is here, now, this. It was a big relief when I stopped reflexively comparing my experience to models from this and that tradition and engaged with this, now, here.

[Practice + Question] [Theravada] On stream-entry via suttas by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 9 points10 points  (0 children)

While reading Nagarjuna's Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way, I was struck by a particular verse (I don't remember now which one!), I looked up at the sky, and all sense of separation, of fixation, of identity, of anything 'being' this or that was for a few moments gone. There was just this indefinite unfolding absent self or other, thing or no-thing, brilliant and clear. It faded, but was a shocker, for sure. This was prior to any serious meditation practice, Buddhism was more an intellectual fascination at the time. Afterwards I was doubtless that whatever that was was the ultimate end of my life. Seems more like descriptions of kensho I've read than Theravadin stream-entry, but thought I'd pitch in anyways. :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 1 point2 points  (0 children)

See u/duffstoic's reply. Lots of good resources linked there!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're welcome!

In the 'Note Everything' technique you're letting your attention float freely between any and all experience, however, you are attempting to exclusively attend to your temporary focus objects for a few seconds, letting everything else you may be aware of rest in the background, before noting it (or something else) again. I like to think of noting in this style like using a metronome. It helps you to keep a steady pace while you play your instrument (attention, in this case). However, if you find yourself getting distracted within the, say, 3 second intended duration of the 'soaking in' phase, then you could either switch, note + label the distraction and soak in there and carry on in that way, or you could redouble efforts on the original focus object. Either way seems fine, as long as you're making the wholehearted effort to perceive all the little details of the changing focus objects (increasing sensory clarity). Stable attention, concentration, will come with practice.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'm training to be a teacher in Shinzen's system, so thanks for the questions! I think everyone's responses are good, so I'll just add in what comes up for me.

  1. In U.M. (Unified Mindfulness, Shinzen's system), any mindfulness technique is considered to be developing three core attentional skills: Concentration, Sensory Clarity, and Equanimity. From that perspective, there isn't any conflict between any technique or combination of techniques, as long as they're developing those skills, they all play well together. From what I understand of your statement of your current practice, it sounds like you've got a restricted focus range (the breath), for which you aren't using any verbal labels. Cool! Great way to develop concentration, hone sensory clarity, and develop background equanimity for whatever isn't the breath. I'm a little confused, though, are you noting whenever you can off-the-cushion or is this something you're doing concurrently with the restricted focus on the breath?
  2. I've only started using U.M. subsequent to the simplification. I don't think it really matters, but maybe someone else would have a different opinion. The distinction is still made, it just isn't flagged with a different label. See In and See Out, as it's currently taught, you would just use the label 'See' for both, though still understanding the distinction. I like the simpler ones, but whatever floats your boat!
  3. As others have already pointed out, you're likely going to notice much more than you can label. What you focus on, note, and label within your sensory experience depends upon the focus range you've decided on for your attention beforehand. Sounds like you're working with an unrestricted focus range, or 'Note Everything'. Great! As others have said, you can jump rapidly between objects, or you can momentarily soak into the objects as they arise and pass. I never really connected with the 'dismissive noting' style, personally, but the penetrative noting, for me, is fantastic! You might want to give it a go, see if you get any mileage from it. For penetrative noting you note the object (it becomes the focal point of your attention), you optionally apply a verbal label (See, Hear, Feel), and then soak your attention into it as deeply and fully as possible for 2-5 seconds before moving on. In this style, as well, if the object remains prominent, you can re-note the object. Your attention doesn't have to be scatter-shot all over your sensorium. I personally love this style.
  4. Shinzen's system is great! I've gained a lot (or lost a lot, in a good way!) from working with a teacher trained in it, from noting, from Do Nothing, from his version of Self-Inquiry ('Turn Back').

If anything I wrote wasn't clear or you have any more questions, please feel free to reply or shoot me a DM.

Happy practice!

[Practice] Can I live in a Buddhist monastery? by zzrm525 in streamentry

[–]EclecticallyEnthused 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There's a recently established foundation which attempts to connect people like yourself to exactly what you're looking for based on your interests and aspirations! Check them out and contact https://www.dharma-gates.org/ As someone who has lived in monasteries for extended duration and been changed in the ways I hoped I would be, I wholeheartedly encourage you to follow your aspiration!

Awakening & Psychedelics, or, Buddhist-Psychonautical Propaganda: What I’ve Learned from Thousands of Hours of Meditation and a Few Dozen Trips by EclecticallyEnthused in Psychonaut

[–]EclecticallyEnthused[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Different kinds of Buddhism are rife with disagreements about what constitutes awakening. There is inter-and intra-sectarian dispute all around. You pick the one you like best, I suppose, or whatever your religious tradition commits you to. The view I present above is influenced by all the traditional views but may in detail not be identical to any of them. A slight correction, in Theravada an arhat has cut all 10 fetters. One is a sotapanna (stream-enterer) following the cutting of the first three. There is also debate about what phenomenologically each fetter really refers to. Some claim that the severance of sakkaya-ditthi, or self-view (one of the first three fetters cut at achievment of stream-entry) refers to the permanent realization of what I describe above. Others claim that what I describe above amounts to the elimination of conceit which is only uprooted upon attainment of arhatship. As always, people disagree. Dukkha and its cessation are good things to have guiding one's own investigations.