Dear all,
As i have come to the understanding that I can not "do" meditation, instead it just happens, as a result of right understanding and right attitude. So what constitues my daily practice now is first to make a suggestion to the mind to be aware as much as possible of what ever object comes, and in particular the activities of the mind, i.e its different states, the way it functions, or simply its thought process. Of course, we are naturally aware to a certain degree of all our activities, aren't we ? What it's added here is the understanding that what is being aware of is just objects, not me, I etc..., in other words, right view.
The good thing with this way of practice is 1. I can practice any where, at any time so may be more often than formal walking and sitting; 2. much understanding can be generated even in the midst of hassle.
The difficulties are: 1. to keep awareness continuous, not lost in thoughts 2. the tendency to slips from bare awareness (and subsequent understanding) to intellectualization.
I have faith, though, that with time and practice , the mind will become more skillful at recognizing its dark shadows, and continuity of awareness will happen more often.
I used to practice walking and sitting intensively before, but this has changed over the time, as I see less and less the difference between the awareness (from vipassana pov) while in front of a computer or or talking to my friend and the one sitting on a cushion, providing right view is present. What varies is objects, not awareness. Well may be there's more calmness on a cushion, to be fair , so I try to sit 1 hour in the morning (when i can) for stillness but don't stick to it. In certain circumstances, (when being alone and not having to think, or before sleeping) the attention goes to the bodily postures or the elements.
That said, I am still on the testing period of this new way of practice. I have no doubt of the way, nevertheless, much adjustments need to be done, that means much understandings to occur so that it can become more smooth and actually yield result (more & more free from difelements I guess, but that's also a wanting to be aware of !!)
So the challenge for me is a reasonable amount of periods of continuous awareness through out the waking time (or may be sleeping time too
) and a balance between intellectual understanding and direct insight.
D.F.