Kāyagatāsati sutta Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. https://suttacentral.net/mn119/en/sujato The breath is not a distraction. It's the dhammas that arise in th...

Virati(abstinence) is a strength of the heart. The spirit of the whole five precepts is virati, but depending on skill even a broken precept can be used to increase wisdom. imo

Alino wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:14 pm if your mind is quite enought you can develop wisdom with any of your senses.

I find it pretty calming, listening to the birds in the morning. There is a secret to nature sounds or nature in general. There is no playback or fast forward. Its always 'present' .

You could learn to draw your heart inside. The skill of the tortoise. From here it is easier to develop whatever you wish, whether it be metta, anapanasati etc. Once upon a time, mendicants, a tortoise was grazing along the bank of a river in the afternoon. At the same time, a jackal was also huntin...

Sharing some notes on posture. There is no perfect posture. Mastery over posture is only realy achieved through mastery over samadhi. Optimal posture Relaxed erect sitting Least muscular compensation Least intra-discal pressure Least pressure on internal organs It's not about how it looks from outsi...

Even if only just two Dhammas can be understood practically, there is no end to the techniques you can come up with.
Collected-Ness and distracted-ness of mind.

Dhammapada verse 36 and back story. Sududdasam sunipunam yatthakamanipatinam cittam rakketha medhavi cittam guttam sukhavaham. The mind is very difficult to see, very delicate and subtle; it moves and lands wherever it pleases. The wise one should guard his mind, for a guarded mind brings happiness....

Different strokes for different folks; When there is mindfulness and situational awareness, one who has fulfilled mindfulness and situational awareness has fulfilled a vital condition for conscience and prudence. _Satisampajaññe, bhikkhave, sati satisampajaññasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti hirott...

If I may make a suggestion. Use the concept implied by the word 'discipline'. Because this is not a puritanical system. But, indiscipline has deep and far reaching consequences on meditation. Its like eating all the wrong foods and trying to control indigestion with will power.

There is better terminology in Theravada to handle this difference. Kamavacara kusala Samadhi Appana Samadhi Both states dispels the nivaranas. Benefits of Appana Samadhi; nivarana dhammas can be tranquilized for hours or even days afterwards. Benefits of kamavacara kusala Samadhi; you can sweep th...

There is better terminology in Theravada to handle this difference. Kamavacara kusala Samadhi Appana Samadhi Both states dispels the nivaranas. Benefits of Appana Samadhi; nivarana dhammas can be tranquilized for hours or even days afterwards. Benefits of kamavacara kusala Samadhi; you can sweep the...

Just survey the Rupa khandha and nama khanda in your experience. Profound and complex beyond belief, yet if you want to scratch your nose you can.
But, say if you want to learn to pilot an aircraft, theoretical knowledge is probably a great help.

Sadhu!

Think of the lights as a mental artifact that is giving an indication how stable the mind(citta) is. Shimmering light means citta is not stable enough. More stable the citta, steadier the light. Its the absorbtion in to the clear steady light you want to develop. I think.

Wonderful. To my knowledge, the light you see is called the Patibhaga nimitta in Theravada. A counter image of a very calm citta. When the image and the citta converge together it's called Appana or absorption. The experience of totality may be called the Mahaggata citta or Jhana citta. If you are w...