Feeling hot/hot flashes while meditating

[Coyote]

Over the past couple of days I have felt hot flashes all over my body, even to the point of sweating, as my mind begins to calm down during meditation. I am in a cool room and not wearing heavy clothing - usually something light. What could be causing this?


Thanks and metta,

Coyote

[befriend]

sitting zazen can make you sweat.

[Ben]

Greetings Coyote,
As the mind becomes less agitated and more concentrated, one becomes more aware of what is going on in the mind and body. They're just vedanas rising and falling. It doesn't mean anything. Keep your attention on the primary meditation object and keep going!
All the best,

Ben

[Cittasanto]

Over the past couple of days I have felt hot flashes all over my body, even to the point of sweating, as my mind begins to calm down during meditation. I am in a cool room and not wearing heavy clothing - usually something light. What could be causing this?


Thanks and metta,

Coyote

There are 6 elements.
have a look at the dhatuvibhangha sutta (MN121?)

[Coyote]

Thanks for the replies.

There are 6 elements.
have a look at the dhatuvibhangha sutta (MN121?)

Hi Cittasanto. I read the sutta you mentioned. Very interesting. I wonder if you could explain - do you think that this is experience of the fire element in the body that I do not usually pay attention to?

Metta,
Coyote

[Cittasanto]

I don't know if you need to understand it more than just the element being predominant?
the four great elements can be understood both through the word used and as a practicable noting as
Earth = solidity
Fire = heat
water = cohesion
wind = movement

what does come to mind is the Buddhas advice to Rahula on the elements

"And what is the fire property? The fire property may be either internal or external. What is the internal fire property? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that's fire, fiery, & sustained: that by which [the body] is warmed, aged, & consumed with fever; and that by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, & savored gets properly digested; or anything else internal, within oneself, that's fire, fiery, & sustained: This is called the internal fire property. Now both the internal fire property & the external fire property are simply fire property. And that should be seen as it actually is present with right discernment: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not my self.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right discernment, one becomes disenchanted with the fire property and makes the fire property fade from the mind.

and later (which was actually what came to mind)

"Develop the meditation in tune with fire. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with fire, agreeable & disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind. Just as when fire burns what is clean or unclean — feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood — it is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it; in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with fire, agreeable & disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

Thanks for the replies.

There are 6 elements.
have a look at the dhatuvibhangha sutta (MN121?)

Hi Cittasanto. I read the sutta you mentioned. Very interesting. I wonder if you could explain - do you think that this is experience of the fire element in the body that I do not usually pay attention to?

Metta,
Coyote

[mikenz66]

do you think that this is experience of the fire element in the body that I do not usually pay attention to?

I think, as has has already been said, that, yes, it is partly a matter of discerning things that you were previously not aware of.

Also note that the Pali word dhatu could be translated differently. "Elements" suggests a "thing-ness" --- a body build of little "element-thingies". Thanissaro Bhikkhu uses the translation "properties", which if more "process-oriented" and may be more useful in a meditative context:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... l#sn27.009


Mike