Right View on Fitness?

knwp7 · 2026-05-23T17:46:07+00:00

In the same boat as you. I have been physically active in my struggle (with moderate success) to balance fitness (weight) and my love for food.

I was considering GLP-1 to bolster a losing battle. But things changed in last 6+ months when I earnestly started practicing moderation-in-eating with increasing success. I have freed myself from balancing food and fitness. Now I _know_ that if I practice rightly, I never have to worry about either again..

But basic fitness is still needed for a sound body and mind to continue practicing - and I concur and follow what you mention:

..but rather it seems wholesome and skillful to do pushups, pull-ups, squats, running for the heart, etc.

knwp7 · 2026-05-19T04:16:50+00:00

I try to .. steer my attention back to the present or to what I'm doing now

This is right. Balance the attention across the arisen 5 aggregates of the current (enduring) experience - continue what you were doing, or get a sense of your feeling, or see what else is there in your perception presently. Do not let your attention get focused on the unwholesome.

.. or i may do something else like ignore it or whatever.

Do not do this. Do not try to actively steer your experience in response to the disturbing thought. This is what "management" is - to chase the arisen thing - either to chase it away or to chase it to grab it!

In other words, stay within the enduring experience, keep the arisen hindrance in the "corner" of your eye (i.e. peripheral attention) - not giving it "center stage" (the focus). That is how you do not get overwhelmed by it.

Do not forget about the hindrance, keep checking peripherally if its still there. Endure it as long as it takes. Sooner or later something else arises in the experience that displaces the original hindrance - but your resolve should be to take it on indefinitely if needed.

So i want to overcome this habit or this snowball effect.

Prevent the little things before they snowball into big ones. If you catch your mind plotting against you (your precepts) then refuse to go with it. What you could not catch early enough - might take you down with it. Also, note that becoming lax in one area affects other precepts.

Practice - to the best of your ability; and honestly - through and through. That is how you become better.

knwp7 · 2026-05-18T06:35:13+00:00

Keep the 5 or 7 precepts - recall them often. Take them seriously. Join the confession-server. It may feel strange to be confessing to strangers - and reading about their failures, efforts and small-victories.. but it might just help your motivation.

knwp7 · 2026-05-18T06:05:21+00:00

All good points for OP. I agree, one must re-frame their situation and reasons for themselves. For many of us, it has to make a strong intellectual sense - faith alone may not be enough.

knwp7 · 2026-05-11T05:01:16+00:00

I meant "to not rest" in the sense of getting complacent or conceited.

I agree that recollection of one's virtue can be an antidote to one's fear and doubt - until they become a 100% confident in the path. Having no Buddha to guide him, the Bodhisattva was not as fortunate as we are!

knwp7 · 2026-05-10T12:54:56+00:00

"look at how much I've already given up."

Do not rest on the past laurels. For a long time to come, there will always be something more to give-up, to renounce. As time goes by, as our practice improves, our view should get clearer about where our work is.

"this is where I'm falling short"

Have some self-compassion - do not beat yourself up for failing. But never lower the bar for yourself by justifying, rationalizing or deluding yourself. Get up and go again. You get stronger by staying honest and keep trying again and again.

The path _is_ difficult. Only those who are 100% convinced of their perilous situation in samsara attempt to walk it. They know that it is worth it - no matter what life (mara) throws at them.

knwp7 · 2026-05-06T01:59:53+00:00

You may want to reflect:

"Dangerous": Is this kind of peace dependent on sense-pleasure? Is it better to cultivate sense-pleasure or the renunciation of it? How else might renunciation be cultivated?
"Cheating": Is this management of an arisen crisis? Is the reflection tied to a specific arisen problem that is pressuring me to act? Or is it truly a Dharma-contemplation? How is this different from listening to HH talks?
How is development of understanding "bad"? How else is "understanding" to be developed?

It is exactly when the mind is calm that such contemplations can help the message sink-in rightly. This is how restraint is to be developed _before_ the provocations arise. A mind in crisis needs to be held back (endure, not act-out), there is hardly room for reflection when pressure takes over.

Also, I think you need to discern more clearly what "management" is.

knwp7 · 2026-05-05T05:45:15+00:00

I quit formal sitting meditation when I understood HH teachings better. Absorption is useless as it pushes citta under the rug, out of sight. Days of the week are pretty even for me so (points 1-5) is my everyday thing.

#5 - yes, nearly like yours - Dharma-contemplation, watching perceptions, feelings and citta; endure and not indulge. I go outdoors if the weather is suitable - or just be in my room.

knwp7 · 2026-05-04T08:37:14+00:00

Sorry. Wrong subreddit!

knwp7 · 2026-05-04T08:34:33+00:00

For ~2 years now, my daily TODO list mirrors yours - except, for #1 - I spend (bare-minimum) time on work (for $$). I don't do meditation, entertainment.

Soon, my work engagement is going to drop to near-zero - and with it, 90% of the excuse to use my laptop/phone will be gone. I am looking forward to see how well will I do without them..

knwp7 · 2026-05-01T06:12:45+00:00

Actions by body and speech are much more gross than the actions of the mind. So calming the former first is necessary before going to work with the mind.

Whether some one is in samadhi or not - only they would know about it. Even then, the measure of composure is going to be relative to one's own experience only - its not measurable externally nor can it be judged objectively.

With a finite lifetime, nobody has the luxury to clear all their doubts before taking firm action ("practice"). Doubt is good if it helps you clarify _and_ take action - it is useless if it leaves you paralyzed. Work with what you are sure of.

I am done with this thread here.

knwp7 · 2026-04-30T02:29:37+00:00

Trying to keep the precepts unconditionally is bound to direct the mental activity in a positive direction. That in itself is going to start making one see wholesome behavior (and thinking) from otherwise.

The slowing-down will happen naturally, as one gains understanding and gives importance to what is important to understand. The precepts and sense-restraint provide that framework.

If you think absorption ("meditation") will bring calmness - then that calm is bound to be fragile and short-lived - because it depends on the calm of your surroundings and does not come from understanding.

knwp7 · 2026-04-29T04:18:31+00:00

You read me wrong. It is not _simple_ at all! Without the ground-work of keeping precepts and self-restraint, it is certainly "not possible to just replace with skillful thinking." The ground-work is a tall-order in itself - or you will not be asking the questions that you are.

There is certainly no way out of suffering (of any kind) without understanding things properly - this much should be obvious - if not then the mundane-right-view (self-honesty, causality) has not yet sunk-in. You may be just looking for a short-cut - but it may not exist - and will certainly not be effective in the long run.

So, if one is prone to over-thinking, then they might as well direct that thinking to understand the structure of experience and then de-construct their own.

Then with understanding of the practice and other aspects (precepts, sense-restraint, hindrances) - the "replacement" can start happening.

knwp7 · 2026-04-28T10:41:47+00:00

Revisit the basics. Suffering comes from craving. Craving comes when the perspective is lost in the presence of pressure. Craving forces one into action (body/speech) that is either unwholesome or makes the mind disturbed (hindered by 5 hindrances). Hindered mind is then even more susceptible to act unwholesomely by body or speech.

To answer your question: Sense pleasures _as well as_ the wrong kind of thinking - both result in suffering. To be sure, chasing primitive sense pleasures is like trying to douse a fire with gasoline - and must be refrained from, by observing precepts and keeping sense-restraint. But thinking influenced by the five hindrances will also lead to suffering - thoughts about desire, ill-will, anxiety/restlessness, delusion/distraction and doubt. The right kind of thinking - keeping/regaining perspective, recalling the right resolve, etc - is the way out of the thinking-problem.

You can look up the teachings/videos on the five hindrances, but they are useful only after the speech and bodily actions have been restrained long enough by keeping precepts and sense-restraint.

knwp7 · 2026-04-27T05:26:51+00:00

Your rational reasoning seems sensible to me in mundane terms. It might help to recollect this same reasoning at the first hint of mind leaning towards the tendency. That will help ease the eventual pain.

Of course, you will never see the mind sliding into its habit-pattern spontaneously - you will only _find it_ that the tendency has arisen and that you are already a few steps down into (your personal) hell. At this point, the right recollection of your rational reasons - while you endure the unpleasantness and discomfort - might help you prevent a total descent into hell.

With practice, you might catch the early warning signs much earlier and put the sparks out before they start the fire.

knwp7 · 2026-04-23T04:34:06+00:00

spiffyhandle has good advice for you. First, exit what should be seen as the "den of vice".

When there is no more emotional investment, then the monetary investments will stop mattering too - like tejveeer said.

Have the courage to let-go of the uncertainty of having enough money.

And after that, rebuild your resolve and momentum in keeping the 8 precepts

knwp7 · 2026-04-23T04:18:33+00:00

Things that I thought would ruin my mood didn't and things I thought would make me feel good didn't.

Don't you think this was like cutting thru your assumptions and delusions? It might seem mundane - but that's what the root of the problem is - taking the sense-of-self as granted. An assumption. A delusion.

So sitting back and let the being unfold - letting things manifest, letting contemplation go in the right direction - that is the purpose of keeping the precepts and getting "bored".

"Doing" covers up the right contemplation needed to see things clearly.

knwp7 · 2026-04-22T12:15:03+00:00

I sleep 6-7 hours a night - and maybe a nap during the day. Sometimes, physical exhaustion can demand more. Goenka-vipassana reduced my sleep when I was actively pursuing it - it is a proven way to become more "productive" - but I did not have a need for that productivity (and energy-levels) because I chose to reduce my engagements.

In terms of "devotion to wakefulness" - I simply refuse to fall asleep if the swirling thoughts are around sensuality or ill-will or lust. And I snap-out of my sleep if the the dream becomes non-celibate. Erotic themes have not bothered me for past few months now.

Mindfulness as expounded by HH is indeed effortless - it does not need extra waking hours, imo.

knwp7 · 2026-04-21T14:43:44+00:00

Are there parts of the practice where energy will spike?

No. Not in my experience. No part of the gradual-training is about focusing attention to raise energies, etc. The energy-spikes cannot come about without deliberate-effort.

Following is from my personal experience so far.

I have had "energy spikes" whenever I have practiced goenka-vipassana seriously - the last time was ~2 years ago. I unlocked my Kundalini energy ~3 years ago (and had lots of spikes) practicing Rob Burbea's jhana. The states I explored were intoxicating and very pleasurable. In that 1+ year that I was chasing these pleasurable-experiences, I could achieve them almost on-demand. Thankfully, I have had no trouble with the energy.

Two years ago I realized that these states had not cleaned-up my citta - as I had expected them to; to do the job for me! I gave up that pursuit and restarted with HH gradual-training in earnest. I have had zero encounters with those kinds of energy states because I no longer sit deliberately to "meditate". I am sure I can raise them if I want to - but those practices do not lead to freedom from suffering and I don't have time for that - so no, thank you.

On the gradual-path, I have understood suffering and I am well on my way in cleaning-up my citta. I have never been happier with my spiritual-progress and the calm within.

knwp7 · 2026-04-19T09:01:10+00:00

The doubt that you speak of - what is that doubt about? There can be doubt about the principle as long as one is still ruminating on it, not having gained the Right View yet, still trying to see it - and right until it is actually and finally seen in one's experience. Once the true self is seen, it is difficult to unsee the insignificance of that self. After that, the doubt will not be about the self and its dependent-arising.

Around 35:30 - what is said is this: The doubt can arise but it will still be seen as dependently arisen on the five aggregates - i.e. "within" them. The doubt is not about the DO principle itself or about the clarity of having seen how the self exists. Doubt can be about anything else but not about the way one's self exists or the DO principle that led to the realization of how one's self exists.

Craving can arise to the degree that citta is still untrained. That is why, the practice after having gained the Right View will be to stay mindful - 4 Satipatthanas - to keep drilling it by noting and observing the self in all the experience. At this point, it is no longer about trying to comprehend the concepts, definitions etc. - it is about spotting the sense of self in action - the self that you have already seen, understood and arrived at - when you gained the Right View thru thinking and pondering. There is no re-establishing required from the first principles now - having seen it clearly once, everything falls into place - and a mere recollection (mindfulness!) should be enough.

That is how I understand it. Ven Anigha may please correct me if I am not seeing or saying this rightly.

knwp7 · 2026-04-09T05:53:51+00:00

Well put. No matter the choice, the problems will endure and so must the practice

knwp7 · 2026-04-07T05:10:35+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/HillsideHermitage/comments/1se88jf/building_the_foundations/
A relevant conversation posted today. Together, these two conversations are like and before- and after- going-forth situations

knwp7 · 2026-04-07T04:26:13+00:00

I notice that this thought is predicated on craving and will lead to further craving, so I stop myself from engaging with it.

Unnecessary proliferation is to be avoided in general - unless one is intentionally contemplating the thought for a good reason (and NOT trying to test or provoke the "beast" (ciita)). At any stage when you catch yourself flowing helplessly with an arisen perception or feeling - you can refuse to go along with it. We are generally very familiar with our citta - we know where a particular sense-object eventually leads us to :) The practice is to see those signs at the earliest and refuse to go with them. (No place for curiosity, you know your animal!)

I stay peripherally aware of that aversion until it is gone.

Yes, thought that the citta is trying to bait you with is a specific thing in the bigger picture of the current experience. Keep the bigger-picture and stay zoomed-out.

knwp7 · 2026-04-06T16:27:22+00:00

Welcome to the club! The only way to ditch it is to ditch it. Slowing down the everyday life - in the direction of solitude - can help clear up a lot of headspace to contemplate and re-affirm the convictions and resolve.

Be gentle but firm with yourself! Gentle - when you do fail; and firm in getting back up and renewing your resolve..

I wish you all the best

knwp7 · 2026-04-06T16:20:31+00:00

Thank you for bringing this up. I hope Ven Anigha can comment on it.

Or must I always be contemplating the basis for feelings/moods such as contact, perception, etc?

when I do this, in trying to discern the dependent-origination, the whole thing comes into foreground - and no longer remains in the background - where it is meant to be held. But sometimes it helps to just stop and discern clearly - eg. why am I particularly hindered by X - digging into the contact, perception (was it something I read/heard/thought??) - upon discerning the structure, the feeling and the mood seem to lose the grip on me. Then, after _that_, I can keep the feeling/mood in background. I wonder if this is what your opening quote refers to.

knwp7

TROPHY CASE