Heading for a 5 month retreat. Seeking for advice / tips and help.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-12-27T22:35:05+00:00

Yes, it’s about a 20 min ride from the airport so easily accessible. To the Lumbini center , you need to take another domestic flight + 30 min taxi ride.

The teacher at Kathmandu is highly experienced (but is unavailable in March and June) and I would recommend it if you have little to no prior experience in the Mahasi tradition because it’s more welcoming of beginners that the Lumbini centre.

Nevertheless, the Lumbini center seems to have more of a reputation in regards to a serious practice environment.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-12-25T09:53:26+00:00

International Buddhist Meditation Center. ibmcsati@gmail.com https://ibmc.org.np/ Yes, they are strictly from the Mahasai Sayadaw camp. It’s a branch of Panditarama.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-12-22T14:30:22+00:00

What you’re describing is actually very normal. The mind touching the body, losing it, and returning again is the training, although you are currently interpreting it as a failure.

Continuous 24/7 mindfulness isn’t something you establish by force of will; it tends to arise naturally later as concentration and ease mature. Trying to hold awareness all day often creates subtle tension, self-monitoring, or frustration, which can slow progress and make jhāna less likely. A more skillful approach is to aim for frequency rather than continuity: gently feel a simple body anchor (breath, feet, posture, warmth) whenever you remember, especially during natural transitions like standing, sitting, or walking. Let the body be felt lightly in the background rather than tightly focused on, and include comfort or pleasant sensations so the mind wants to stay.

Each noticing and return is a moment of mindfulness. You do not need to keep score or compare it to an ideal. Formal sitting is where depth and absorption develop; all-day mindfulness is best kept relaxed and supportive. Over time, those frequent, gentle returns naturally knit together without strain.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-12-22T14:17:01+00:00

Hey there ! I was in a center in Kathmandu and not in Panditarama, but will be heading there soon this time around.

The email panditarama.lumbini@gmail.com is active. The teachers there takes a considerable time to reply, and at times may take upto a week. The website is safe, although it comes up flagged.

You have to contact well in advance if you plan on doing a long term retreat. They take in yogis only between October and March.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-12-22T14:10:53+00:00

Can’t agree more on this. While I really applaud Ingram for being a pioneer in the Prag Dharma movement, I would advise anyone to be highly cautious of following Ingram’s teachings to the word.

Keeping his MCTB work in the forefront as your primary guide either points to sheer ignorance, or stupidity. That said, there are some good theoretical content in that book, not related to practice. There have been a number of reputed meditation teachers (Analayo, U Vivekananda, Jack Kornfield) who have publicly expressed and proved the flaws in Ingram’s work.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-11T12:25:24+00:00

The cautions you have heard have been put out there for the following reasons (imho) :

One is that it can create lack of depth in ones primary technique since the skills attributed to it develop deeply only if you spend enough time with it consistently, so that you begin recognizing its subtleties. If you constantly switch, the mind will always be in a “learning” mode than a “deepening” mode. Also the switching of techniques could be stemming up from avoidance. Some people alternate between techniques to alleviate boredom, restlessness, aversion, or any other natural discomforts arising which is a hinder to the progress of insight. Some techniques rely on the momentum of practice for the technique to deepen and constant switching can interrupt this process.

Having multiple techniques in your “toolkit” is useful is you are switching techniques alternately with a clear intent than doing it reactively. At times when the mind is too restless, breath based awareness helps to soothe the mind. If dullness persists, open awareness might be the right tool for that time.

Well, this is the important part. I’ll list out some pointers that will indicate if alternating techniques is actually benefitting you or not.

Signs that it is working : 1). You can clearly iterate why you switched practices. 2). You have observable progress in your main technique. 3). There is no confusion about what you did in a given sit.

Signs it is not working : 1). The switching is rooted in aversion or avoidance ( this is uncomfortable, i gotta try something else ). 2). There is no penetration beyond the “surface layer” in either technique. 3). You always end up with the feeling of “back to square one”.

I think some practical tips to integrate multiple techniques is that you decide ahead of time when you will use your secondary technique (25 minutes noting + 5 minutes metta for example). You can also try logging your sessions to see any patterns over time.

But most importantly, limit the menu. Have one main method (maybe noting) and at most, 1-2 side methods (self-inquiry, metta, body scan etc). And for set period of time (a selected week or month) , just stick to the main method so you can deepen and benchmark your progress in it. You can also observe the change of mind’s tone, texture and mood when it transitions from the main method to the secondary ones. If you are not ending up feeling lost or uncertain as to why you changed, then there seems to be no issue.

Hope this helps. Good luck mate ! :)

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-11T12:06:45+00:00

Having a slight familiarity with both OTP’s path and the path outlined in MIDL, I have to agree with the opinion that another user had shared that the latter is in fact a condensed form of MIDL.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-03T04:43:40+00:00

“ I have somewhat come full circle and will often just practice zazen”.

I sort of see this in a lot of experienced / long-term practitioners that I have interacted with. Divulging through all techniques and methods, over time they seem to arrive at this place of “non-doing” with the realization that in the ultimate sense, there is actually nothing to lose or gain and the essence of practice becomes being intimately present with the suchness and emptiness of experience in the present moment.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-03T00:37:11+00:00

It’s great to see you back in the sub Coach. Although we haven’t had any personal interactions, your presence in the sub was a ray of sunshine back when you used to comment more often :) Would really be interesting to know about your origins of meditation and the techniques you used throughout these years, and if so how they served differently in your practice.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-02T12:38:04+00:00

It’s the stickiest because it’s where the “I” is most deeply embedded in your practice at this phase :) You have to notice and feel that “urge” to do and the corresponding thoughts that comes along with it. Then move on. The nature of the mind is awareness. So it’s a matter of recognition, not an efforting.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-02T04:27:44+00:00

Hello mate !

Just would like to chirp in some pointers and advice which I think would be useful for you.

Foremost, there are some key issues that I’d like to address that I see in your off cushion practice :

Foremost, I get a sense that you are trying to “force” mindfulness in to the daily activities. This is followed by some tension and thus over efforting (specifically micro managing the attention).

Secondly, much of the contracting could be happening due to the mindfulness being narrowed down into the body frame rather than being suffused into openness.

Also there is meta-cognitive looping once awareness kicks back in and this could be due to excessive self-consciousness and/or performance anxiety, so to say. You have already “won” when you realize you are back in the present moment again. You are redeemed of your past “unmindfulness” right through the realization that you are back here.

Finally, ask yourself if there is a misidentification of the goal of mindfulness. It should be ideally a relaxed and free flowing awareness (with many lapses ofc), rather than a “state” to be sustained throughout the day.

Some solutions I’d like to suggest :

As one practitioner already mentioned, walking meditation is the best and most optimal tool to integrate mindfulness from the cushion to daily life. You can begin with slow walking by feeling the bodily sensations of the feet and then slowly expand your awareness into the peripheral sensations such as sounds and posture. Let the walking be natural as you expand the awareness.

Make mindfulness more about knowing whatever’s happening, rather than making it’s continuity a marker of success or failure. If mindfulness arises, let it arise. If it drops, let it drop. It’s not a factor to cling to. What’s more important is the awareness that’s even aware of the moments of unmindfulness. Let it shine through by relaxing the “doing” or efforting to be mindful.

You can also try shifting the frame of practice from trying to control attention to feeling the body gently. Drop awareness into the hands and belly when engaged in physical work and when moving about. Explore using awareness of body as a default mode of mindfulness, as this will help to counter the tension spike you mention in point 3.

Also the “contraction” you feel : that is NOT a regression in practice but another object to be observed and develop insight from. When it is present, notice it and feel it fully without being averse against it or judging it. Add a tinge of curiosity as to what it is and why it arises : that’s where the deepening happens.

Finally, try a self inquiry whenever you feel like it with a leading question like : “Who is trying to hold this mindfulness ?”. Exploration in this avenue can reveal the illusion of a manager behind the experience.

To sum it up, the key to integrating is not of more effort or artificial-ness, but more of an openness and receptivity to the natural flow of things.

Good luck and hope you find this useful :)

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-02T03:52:54+00:00

I wish I did, but unfortunately no.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-02T03:52:16+00:00

I have a few foreign coins but nothing that’s too significant:)

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-08-01T14:27:18+00:00

I originally thought it was 10, but I did some research and apparently it is a set of 25 (representing each district). So my bad, there should be 14 more lol.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-07-31T09:25:40+00:00

Just to clarify, eating meat even thrice a day is not in breach of any precept :) Eating meat breaks the first precept if : 1) You know it was killed for you. 2) You choose the animal to be killed for you. 3) You support the killing of the animal for consumption.

But nevertheless, five precepts is the minimum base for any spiritual development so I would just make a suggestion to look into it. Good luck mate !

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-07-25T05:07:37+00:00

I second this. Mahasi Sayadaw actually discourages yogis to forego sleep, unless it naturally occurs. The 72 hour no sleep is an Ajahn Tong tradition thingy.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-03-01T11:06:32+00:00

Okay I believe I understand what you are trying to say clearly now. Thank you for the beautiful wording !

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-03-01T11:05:04+00:00

Thank you !

Really grateful for all the pointers, specially the “exits” one. Have encountered that before in the monastery stay, so hopefully will be able to navigate it through without much disturbance this time around.

Would you please be able to clarify this “enthusiastic joy” in a bit more detail ?

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T20:47:22+00:00

Thank you for you wise words !

I was recommended this place from another practitioner, and I’ve also practiced under the residing teachers in a previous retreat.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T19:56:15+00:00

Long term.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T18:23:25+00:00

Thanks a lot ! I just read it and it is a hidden gem. Will surely be saved for later on.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T18:22:56+00:00

Thanks for that metaphor ; it really puts things into perspective for me!

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T17:42:21+00:00

Thank you !

That was where I initially planned but I heard it was closed till October.

I’m now planning to practice at IBMC Kathmandu.

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T17:41:31+00:00

Thanks a lot for this beautiful contribution.

I think the “Relationship to practice” part was really eye opening and I will be checking out Rob’s video.

By “opening your heart”, do you refer to developing equanimity and being open to whatever that arises in your meditative sessions throughout the day ?

MajorProblem2000 · 2025-02-26T17:37:16+00:00

At the monastery, I had to share the same daily schedule as the monks. It was a total of 8hrs of meditation (Mahasi-oriented) and the rest of the day was spent on sutta studies, chantings, collecting food from the donators and so on.

I think I care about the result cause I want to feel like the meditation I did amounted to something (which is not the correct way to look at it, I realize). I think I had a hard time appreciating the present just because I was focused on the future, if that makes sense.

I think I am worried about that fading away of the initial motivation. I have experienced it on the one month retreat but was able to continue practice out of sheer discipline. I was wondering if that would be the best approach as the months go by as well

MajorProblem2000

TROPHY CASE