Mindfulness and self questioning

[stn0404]

Hi guys, I am new here and I would like to seek your advice.

Let's say if I am mindfulness and I realised that anger is brewing within me, I repeat anger, anger, anger .. until it goes away.

After it's gone, should I question myself why am I feeling angry, how should I express my unhappiness to the other person?

Should we even ask questions? Or after the emotion is gone, that's it and full stop?

[Hanzze]

What is your opinion?

[stn0404]

I am not sure about that. Should I even ask questions after it's gone?

[Hanzze]

What do you think would be the effect if you question your self, why this was happening and what do you think would be the effect if you just ignore if it is gone?

What would the questioning cause if it is actually not really gone? What would the questioning cause if it is actually gone? What if you simply observe it further, next time if it happens? Would there be lesser speculation about what is liberating and helpfull as if we raise questions without practical observance?

How did the anger come, how did it appeare and how did it passed away? Just the anger.

[DAWN]

Imagine your situation like a situation with other peoples, like an external situation between two other peoples for example, and then analyse that... It will help you do not apropriate the situation, watching in without glasses of subjectivity

[Goofaholix]

You should notice the events that caused the anger to arise, and the events that lead to the anger ceasing. You should notice the constantly changing body sensations and mental activity associated with what you label "anger", you should notice their impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not self nature.

No need to analyse yourself, or get involved in the story (the reason for the anger), or try and work out if it's justified or not, that just helps fuel the anger and keeps it boiling over. If you do the above then gradually you'll automatically be able to let go of the story behind the anger and realise it has no hold over you.

[whynotme]

Hi guys, I am new here and I would like to seek your advice.

Let's say if I am mindfulness and I realised that anger is brewing within me, I repeat anger, anger, anger .. until it goes away.

After it's gone, should I question myself why am I feeling angry, how should I express my unhappiness to the other person?

Should we even ask questions? Or after the emotion is gone, that's it and full stop?

Dear stn0404,

I am not an excellent practitioner, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but IMO, you definitely should ask yourself questions. Thinking is one of the most important of human problem solving tools, also the second part of the 8 fold path, right view lead to right thought. If you read the suttas you can see on many occasions the bodhisattva keep asking himself why he can't successfully do this/that, or what will this/that lead to, etc..? And after that he might find the answers change, adapt his practice.. So you should use your thoughts for the right goal, under right view.

To be honest, some of my practicing is solved by thinking, i.e sometimes I couldn't see the reality, but I asking myself, why did that happen, there must be something hidden, and by that I suddenly 'see' the cause. By using thoughts, you can direct your mind to the mindfulness of dhamma

The main problem with novice is that pure thinking can easily lead to illusions, i.e you can think this is because of that, but in reality it is not. You avoid this by apply thoughts based on observing. The better the observer, the better the thinker. And the calmer your mind, the better you will observe.

Regards

[Hanzze]

Reflextions leading to a peaceful life: Instructions to Rahula at Mango Stone

[ground]

Hi guys, I am new here and I would like to seek your advice.

Let's say if I am mindfulness and I realised that anger is brewing within me, I repeat anger, anger, anger .. until it goes away.

After it's gone, should I question myself why am I feeling angry, how should I express my unhappiness to the other person?

Should we even ask questions? Or after the emotion is gone, that's it and full stop?

From my experience it is best to not do anything. If anger arises let it be, if anger ceases let it be. If thinking about anger arises let it be, if there is no thinking about anger let it be. Whatever arises or ceases just let it be, do not touch it, do neither accept it nor push it away. Let it be.
But in order to be able to "not touch" upon arising there has to be "space" for anger or thinking or questioning to arise if it arises. This space provides "distance" and is imperturbable but it is there as a natural condition. Just relax and observe.

If "Should I do this or should I do that?" arises just let it be. Do not touch it.

He knows without doubt or hesitation that whatever arises is merely dukkha[8] that what passes away is merely dukkha and such knowledge is his own, not depending on anyone else. This, Kaccaayana, is what constitutes right view.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .wlsh.html

[Hanzze]

And what if greed arises? Maybe the intention to open the refrigorator or to log on the have some talks? Any experience of doing "not do anything" and its effects?

[bodom]

When anger is present, he knows, "There is anger in me," or when anger is not present, he knows, "There is no anger in me." He knows how the arising of the non-arisen anger comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen anger comes to be; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned anger comes to be.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nysa.html

[ground]

And what if greed arises? Maybe the intention to open the refrigorator or to log on the have some talks? Any experience of doing "not do anything" and its effects?

Whatever arises, no difference ... whatever ceases, no difference ...

Friend, I am only referring to experience. Just ignore or believe or doubt ... it is totally up to you.

"not do anything" is to be understood as not do anything against nor do anything to support, just let it be, do not touch.

[Hanzze]

"I am only referring to experience." That's what I have asked for. How comes that one opens the refrigorator, or logs on if he is that blessed of being not touched? Had skillfull actions leaded to such a state or just doing nothing (what ever that might be)?

Maybe it is more various. There are fermentations to be abandoned by seeing, those to be abandoned by restraining, those to be abandoned by using, those to be abandoned by tolerating, those to be abandoned by avoiding, those to be abandoned by destroying, and those to be abandoned by developing. MN2 and maybe there are times an situations where one needs to get known of what are fermentations, their causes and effectes fist.

[ground]

"I am only referring to experience." That's what I have asked for. How comes that one opens the refrigorator, of log on if he is that blessed of being not touched? Had skillfull actions leaded to such a state or just doing nothing (what ever that might be)?

If questions arise, just let them be. Do not touch. One question affirmed as being relevant (through being "touched") then thousands of further questions to follow.

[Hanzze]

Some compossings of aggregates seems to be real unchangeing... of those even the Buddha was a kind of worried.

[ground]

"What is the All? Simply the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas. This, monks, is called the All.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

[Hanzze]

Maybe good in adition:

from the The Lion's Roar

...12. "Though certain recluses and brahmans claim to propound the full understanding of all kinds of clinging... they describe the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, and clinging to rules and observances without describing the full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self. They do not understand one instance... therefore they describe only the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, and clinging to rules and observances without describing the full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self.

13. "Bhikkhus, in such a Dhamma and Discipline as that it is plain that confidence in the Teacher is not rightly directed, that confidence in the Dhamma is not rightly directed, that fulfillment of the precepts is not rightly directed, and that the affection among companions in the Dhamma is not rightly directed. Why is that? Because that is how it is when the Dhamma and Discipline is badly proclaimed and badly expounded, unemancipating, unconducive to peace, expounded by one who is not fully enlightened.

The Lost Wallet



It's as if you leave home and lose your wallet. It fell out of your pocket onto the road away back there, but as long as you don't realize what happened you're at ease — at ease because you don't yet know what this ease is for. It's for the sake of dis-ease at a later time. When you eventually see that you've really lost your money: That's when you feel dis-ease — when it's right in your face.

The same holds true with our bad and good actions. The Buddha taught us to acquaint ourselves with these things. If we aren't acquainted with these things, we'll have no sense of right or wrong, good or bad.

[whynotme]

Hi guys, I am new here and I would like to seek your advice.

Let's say if I am mindfulness and I realised that anger is brewing within me, I repeat anger, anger, anger .. until it goes away.

After it's gone, should I question myself why am I feeling angry, how should I express my unhappiness to the other person?

Should we even ask questions? Or after the emotion is gone, that's it and full stop?

From my experience it is best to not do anything. If anger arises let it be, if anger ceases let it be. If thinking about anger arises let it be, if there is no thinking about anger let it be. Whatever arises or ceases just let it be, do not touch it, do neither accept it nor push it away. Let it be.
But in order to be able to "not touch" upon arising there has to be "space" for anger or thinking or questioning to arise if it arises. This space provides "distance" and is imperturbable but it is there as a natural condition. Just relax and observe.

If "Should I do this or should I do that?" arises just let it be. Do not touch it.

He knows without doubt or hesitation that whatever arises is merely dukkha[8] that what passes away is merely dukkha and such knowledge is his own, not depending on anyone else. This, Kaccaayana, is what constitutes right view.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .wlsh.html

Thanks,

If I have a work need to be done by tomorrow or I will lose my job, how can I relax and observe?

Regards

[reflection]

You shouldn't question yourself, you shouldn't question why you feel angry, but it is very useful to question why there is anger in the first place. If you do this you'll see it's always coming from a sense of self, you either want to prevent something, change something, correct something for you think you will be better off. So don't look at the shallow end like "he said this but it was like that and therefore I have all reasons to be angry" or whatever, no not like that. Instead, look deeply, why does anger arise in the first place? What do you want to get get out of it? If you look deeply you'll see you also get angry because you like being angry.. Anger is also an attachment sometimes.

So I'd not say it is that much about watching anger rise and fall and how it feels, but really get to why anger arises, and how can you overcome it skilfully, and how to prevent it arising again in the future.

With metta,
Reflection

[whynotme]

You shouldn't question yourself, you shouldn't question why you feel angry, but it is very useful to question why there is anger in the first place. If you do this you'll see it's always coming from a sense of self, you either want to prevent something, change something, correct something for you think you will be better off. So don't look at the shallow end like "he said this but it was like that and therefore I have all reasons to be angry" or whatever, no not like that. Instead, look deeply, why does anger arise in the first place? What do you want to get get out of it? If you look deeply you'll see you also get angry because you like being angry.. Anger is also an attachment sometimes.

So I'd not say it is that much about watching anger rise and fall and how it feels, but really get to why anger arises, and how can you overcome it skilfully, and how to prevent it arising again in the future.

With metta,
Reflection

Thank you reflection,

I know what you meant by really get to why something arises, when one really gets into something one can reconstruct the experience and observe it with a highly concentrated mind. But the later, I am more than welcome you sharing how can one overcome it skilfully and preventing it arising again in the future. I am not really good at this.

Regards