Restlessness and mental clock watching
Restlessness and mental clock watching
Last night I was trying to follow Goldstein's Vipassana guided meditation and about 45 minutes into it I found myself getting just terribly restless and pondering the amount of time left, etc., It was almost like being bored, but being anxious at the same time. Any advice for dealing?
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
so was I the first time.
keep going
keep going
Where knowledge ends, religion begins. - B. Disraeli
http://www.buddha-vacana.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.buddha-vacana.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-
Sanghamitta
- Posts: 1614
- Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:21 am
- Location: By the River Thames near London.
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
Seconded.Keep going. Keep at it. It will get easier, but it takes time.
The going for refuge is the door of entrance to the teachings of the Buddha.
Bhikku Bodhi.
Bhikku Bodhi.
-
Collective
- Posts: 217
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:12 am
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
Focus on the restlessness?
It helps me to think to myself 'Well what else would you be doing that's so interesting Mr. Hero? Rescuing women from 30' tall gorillas on skyscrapers? Fighting Nazis off the trail of the Lost Ark? Got a date with the American president? Nahh...didn't think so'.
Then I start to settle with an attitude of 'it can wait - 20/30/45/60 (whatever) minutes ain't that long in a 24 hour day. In light of the long term benefits I'll get, I can spare that'.
It helps me to think to myself 'Well what else would you be doing that's so interesting Mr. Hero? Rescuing women from 30' tall gorillas on skyscrapers? Fighting Nazis off the trail of the Lost Ark? Got a date with the American president? Nahh...didn't think so'.
Then I start to settle with an attitude of 'it can wait - 20/30/45/60 (whatever) minutes ain't that long in a 24 hour day. In light of the long term benefits I'll get, I can spare that'.
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
I don't know how long you've been practicing, but 45 minutes can be a long time if you're either new or haven't practiced in awhile.
-M
-M
-
Cittasanto
- Posts: 6646
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
- Location: Ellan Vannin
- Contact:
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
Hi Adam & Collective,
remember there is appropriate attention, here is a list of sutta's & essays, cut & pasted from Access to insight on the topic. it is at the bottom of the general index page.
Yoniso manasikara (appropriate attention; wise reflection). See also the first six of the Ten Recollections; Questions.
What things should one attend to with ~?: SN 22.122
A remedy for a mind consumed by unskillful thoughts: SN 9.11
As a condition for right view: AN 2.125-126
As the key to abandoning greed, hatred, delusion: AN 3.68
As an important quality to develop: Iti 16
As a means to ending the asava: MN 2
"The Seven Factors for Awakening" in The Wings to Awakening (Thanissaro)
"Untangling the Present: The Role of Appropriate Attention" (Thanissaro)
remember there is appropriate attention, here is a list of sutta's & essays, cut & pasted from Access to insight on the topic. it is at the bottom of the general index page.
Yoniso manasikara (appropriate attention; wise reflection). See also the first six of the Ten Recollections; Questions.
What things should one attend to with ~?: SN 22.122
A remedy for a mind consumed by unskillful thoughts: SN 9.11
As a condition for right view: AN 2.125-126
As the key to abandoning greed, hatred, delusion: AN 3.68
As an important quality to develop: Iti 16
As a means to ending the asava: MN 2
"The Seven Factors for Awakening" in The Wings to Awakening (Thanissaro)
"Untangling the Present: The Role of Appropriate Attention" (Thanissaro)
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
-
Goofaholix
- Posts: 4030
- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:49 am
- Location: New Zealand
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
This is normal, this is what it's all about. This restlessness is what drives you a lot of the time causing a lot of your suffering and you aren't aware of it, meditation is your chance to be aware of it and gain freedom from it.adamposey wrote:Last night I was trying to follow Goldstein's Vipassana guided meditation and about 45 minutes into it I found myself getting just terribly restless and pondering the amount of time left, etc., It was almost like being bored, but being anxious at the same time. Any advice for dealing?
Just notice it, don't fight it but don't give into it either, carry on with your meditation.
In time you will gain freedom from it.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
Re: Restlessness and mental clock watching
I want to thank you all this has been very helpful.