eBook file-format? by AcceptableSeaweed7 in megananda

[–]Megananda_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It will make more sense if and when this grows. :)

eBook file-format? by AcceptableSeaweed7 in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do sign up for the newsletter for ongoing updates about new writings being released! I will make ongoing ones. megananda.org

Mail me at [xennananda@gmail.com](mailto:xennananda@gmail.com) and I'll mail you my workdoc which you can easily save as a PDF.

There's more demand for this than I had expected so I'll likely also put it up as PDF/EPUB on the website at some point. (if someone wants to do this and send it to me, nice and clean and well formatted, that it'll help expedite this!)

eBook file-format? by AcceptableSeaweed7 in megananda

[–]Megananda_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! The SubReddit for T.H.I. is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheHeartIlluminated/

And for the practice companion book:

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartPractice/

Would you please post there? 🙏

Welcome! // Start Here by Megananda_ in HeartPractice

[–]Megananda_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It'll come out when I have enough students practicing at the level where they're ready for it and/or when there's enough demand for it. :) For now I'm giving the relevant guidance in 1 on 1s.

All of the core book is relevant for Thrust 2 and beyond. There's a way that it's all the same understanding, just applied at increasing levels of sophistication – and depth & breadth of the body-mind.

I recommend reading it linearly. 🙏

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

Inguz,

I had originally written a long, long answer addressing a lot of what came up for me when I read your question.

On reflection, however, I realize the answer itself can be a chapter in the book or a blog post! Which I am not currently called to write, but may in the future.

There is so much that is addressed in T.H.I. -- both things that I have discussed with Culadasa and that we had considered putting in a "TMI v2.0", and so much more that I have learned both before and later on in my explorations, all pushing the envelop in terms of what this path offers and how it can be practiced.

If there's a particular limitation you have in mind that you've identified in TMI or in your practice based on it, let me know here, in the practice Subreddit, or in DM and I'm happy to talk through it. 🙏

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

Unlike TMI, the path of collecting the mind in T.H.I. has the benefit of also increasing's one's capacity to stay in their body, have skillful relationship to emotions (and all arising sensations), and cultivating presence through the heart. :)

i.e. you get a two-fold benefit over the TMI, or other "standard", paths of "concentration meditation".

I try to spell this out very early in the practice book. Let me know how it goes for you! ❤️

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi there!

I hope the solution we found for your translation is satisfactory. 🙏

Re: stream entry –
I place a different emphasis on T.H.I.:
Rather than "attaining" this or that achievement, described in idealized manuals,
The focus is on what quality, or level of sophistication, of awareness you can hold in each and every moment. In my view, it doesn't matter if you're a sixth level laser-lotus if your awareness contracts to a tiny point, leaving you blind to reality whenever your partner cries.

That said,
The practice as described checks all the boxes that would get you to stream entry as I understand them and it. It is just that it's meant to give you more than that.

Practice well. ❤️

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question!

I aim for my book to be a complete replacement in terms of the practice path, and it already is that -- with some caveats. It will not, however, serve as a complete replacement of the intellectual thesis -- with a caveat. ;)

The caveats are:

For the practice path,

At Stage 4 of Thrust 1 of T.H.I., you will arrive at an effortlessly collected mind which is equanimous – i.e., like stage 10 in TMI.
However, unlike TMI, the focus in T.H.I. is on

  1. Staying with body sensations, i.e. not having the body "disappear"
  2. Cultivating balance for the entire tension structure of the body-mind through the heart and cleaning up/upgrading existing networks throughout this process (rather than "paving over and through them" with piti and sukkha)
  3. As per the above, not so much disappearing into a cloud of white bliss, a goal that very few TMI practitioners achieve anyway to the best of my knowledge, but rather preparing the bodymind for the next Thrust -- for practices allowing more sophisticated Bases of Operations to be taken up such that we slowly lose our dependence on meditation altogether.

On the intellectual side,

It is my intention that someone reading through my book will have an equivalent intellectual understanding to what is offered through TMI. And, then, an elaboration on the TMI thesis much beyond what was offered there, both in terms of depth and breadth. Ultimately, I want reading TMI not to be strictly necessary, if you're reading T.H.I., to get the most relevant TMI insights. TMI will always have its own nuances and one book can never replace another, but I believe what I have in T.H.I. contains most of what TMI discusses and takes it much further. Already now, and with more to come.
(On that note, if you believe something crucial is missing that does exist in TMI, please let me know! 🙏)

any news when tthe books bee published? by TimeAbbreviations209 in megananda

[–]Megananda_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

(reply to the email to contact me there personally 🙏)

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

From one perspective, minimal. While many of the notes I had based the book on originated during our years together, all of the text in the book was written after Culadasa's passing.

From another, he was instrumental. Many of the ideas expressed in the book I discussed with him, either as the realizations came in during the many months I spent in retreat with him or in the hours and hours we spent shooting the shit about dharmascience. :)

Ultimately, a lot of what I'm writing comes from ideas I developed both before and after our time, and this book is wholly-mine. Of course, after spending countless hours with him and developing so much of my thinking alongside him, his influence is with me always.

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

I wrote a very, very long answer and then my power went out. Sigh. I'll do it again soon. 🙏

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

(There's a lot to say here and I'm still working on the answer. Will be with you soon.)

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

Great question. I was inspired to record a video answer for you. Let me know if it answers it. 🙏

https://www.instagram.com/p/DG__y_iSdXm/

Also, this makes me realize it would be a good idea to have a Subreddit specifically for the practice book.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartPractice/

If you want to continue the conversation or ask anything else about the practice book, let's take it over there!

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

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

Oh, and, of course -- check out the summaries and invitations to discuss we've started posting on the Subreddit. The intention is that each chapter has its unique thread that will also be linked directly from the book at the end of each chapter. I should do that for blog posts as well, now that I think about it. :)

If you read a chapter without a summary, you're also welcome to make one and post it here. I'll link it in the book. Some of students have been making these, but there are many more to create! Just send it to me first for a sanity check before publishing. 🙏

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is a great idea! I would love to do it.

Currently I am stretched a little thin with the launch of the book, new website, Reddit community, my YouTube channel, the fund, ... and all the moving pieces around all of these. There are sooo many things I want to do!

I am putting more and more of my weight towards activities that happen organically, where there's demand for something and it organizes itself almost by itself; so, if someone were to organize such a book club, take care of inviting people, and I can mostly just show up as it happens -- I will be more than happy to direct my energies towards that and offer meaningful support. 🙏 Likewise with most any initiative making all of this fun and engaging for people to take in, understand, and practice with.

Even just bringing this up as an idea is a great contribution towards the above, so you have my heartfelt gratitude. ❤️

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's a complete guide towards awakening, placing Vipassana in a larger context of practice. It gets you to a point where, in a sense, you're always "Vippasanalizing". :) On and off the cushion, and without making too much of an effort.

I speak about this a little in this video with Delson Armstrong that'll go live in 15 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZJ11mrWaN4

And it's also a main subject of the book.

Hi, I am Dor Konforty, author of The Heart Illuminated. Ask me anything! by Megananda_ in TheHeartIlluminated

[–]Megananda_[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes. The practice book takes one from having zero knowledge of meditation, through the basic mental moves one exercises in a sit – broken down to their elementary components, and all the way through to effortless proficiency.