A 'Basic' Question

On the cultivation of insight/wisdom
nameless
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Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by nameless »

I'm not an expert, just speaking from my own experience.

In vipassana, you note each event as it arises. For me, at some point I realized that fear for example, doesn't arises directly from the stimulus. So say that I'm afraid of dogs, the process at first seems to be see dog -> fear. But through meditation and observing in more detail what arises, it becomes something like see dog -> remember bad experience with dog -> anticipate bad experience will be repeated -> fear. And while it seems that remembering for example, happens automatically as well, it is in fact an active process which requires some "doing" on my part. So I guess for your situation, meditation might help you discover what lies between the stimulus and the fear, which might in turn reveal a better way to respond to it.
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salty-J
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Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by salty-J »

I think it would be great to get rid of the fear of death! I'll try it tonight! Most nights I lay in bed, relaxing until I start gasping for breath (I need to the sleep apnea people but still...), acutely aware of my body's twitching as my conciousness gets hazy, until I am struck with this intense falling/spinning sensation, which causes me to sit up gasping for air, feeling the inevitability of death as clearly as the plastic on the keyboard and the tingling sensation in my right cheek...I'd like to get past that! :tongue: Metta meditation is supposed to prevent nightmares, and I have found on nights when say the metta meditation I got out of Mindfulness in Plain English, I haven't had the death-panic. :clap:
"It is what it is." -foreman infamous for throwing wrenches in fits of rage
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Spiny O'Norman
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Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by Spiny O'Norman »

salty-J wrote:I think it would be great to get rid of the fear of death!
It certainly would be! I think in a way the fear can become more intense as we reflect on impermanence and invevitability of death. Though like everything else the fear passes, and so it can be dealt with.

Spiny
rowyourboat
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Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Collective

Maybe you need to not 'drop' the mindfulness when you stop meditating but carry doing it after you 'finish' your (sitting) meditation as well..

with metta

M
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
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salty-J
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Location: Los Angeles, California

Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by salty-J »

rowyourboat wrote:Hi Collective

Maybe you need to not 'drop' the mindfulness when you stop meditating but carry doing it after you 'finish' your (sitting) meditation as well..

with metta

M
If only there were an easy way to pull that one off! :(
"It is what it is." -foreman infamous for throwing wrenches in fits of rage
rowyourboat
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Location: London, UK

Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Salty-J

The only effective way I have found out to do it is to constantly remind myself why I need to be mindful.

with metta
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
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salty-J
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Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by salty-J »

rowyourboat wrote:Hi Salty-J

The only effective way I have found out to do it is to constantly remind myself why I need to be mindful.

with metta
I hear ya, if I could only remember to remind myself of why I need to be mindful, I'd be back on track! Well, half-joking, anyway. I remember to practice mindfulness fairly often, compared to a year ago, say.....so I'd say it's working, slowly, but still.....
"It is what it is." -foreman infamous for throwing wrenches in fits of rage
rowyourboat
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Location: London, UK

Re: A 'Basic' Question

Post by rowyourboat »

Yeah, I think that's where the yawning chasms of endless samsara come in..!

:thinking:
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
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