Search found 1419 matches

by sunnat
Fri Apr 19, 2024 12:22 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Is Ignorance intertwined with wisdom?
Replies: 2
Views: 55

In relation to feelings : Bhikkhus, that one shall here and now make an end of suffering by abandoning the underlying tendency to lust for pleasant sense-organ-feeling, by abolishing the underlying tendency to aversion for painful sense-organ-feeling, by extirpating the underlying tendency to ignora...
by sunnat
Fri Apr 19, 2024 12:43 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Momentariness
Replies: 28
Views: 322

When anicca is truly known by means of insight meditation, as opposed to ideation or book knowledge, momentariness is also known as continual change, a flux, or stream, of processes. On a gross level the verses quoted refer to samsara. Rebirth, again and again.
by sunnat
Tue Apr 16, 2024 10:34 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Guarding against the nonchalance of the worldly attitude
Replies: 73
Views: 1971

I once took lsd while meditating and had an absolute downer, a bum trip extraordinaire that went on and on. Never again. Certainly not a middle path thing. With an extensive experience of psychedelics and (later) meditation I can understand what appears to be a thoughtless naivety regarding the inte...
by sunnat
Sat Apr 13, 2024 2:07 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: What is the difference between ignorance and wrong view?
Replies: 11
Views: 341

To put it simply, for the meditator intent on liberation, to be ignorant is to not be aware of truths like what the breath is doing and other changing processes like constantly changing (anicca) feelings. The abandoning of ignorance is becoming aware of anicca. The result of that is true knowledge, ...
by sunnat
Wed Apr 10, 2024 11:21 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Ajahn Chandako to James - Transition to Laylife
Replies: 23
Views: 1638

A different way to look at it is as a lesson Perhaps he can be seen as someone who has fallen through the cracks. When he was most in need of guidance it was not understood and he ended up in a situation he was incapable of dealing with correctly. There are self correcting mechanisms built into the ...
by sunnat
Wed Apr 10, 2024 7:44 am
Forum: Samatha Bhāvana
Topic: Do we need to make an effort to control or should we not try to control our breathing during meditation?
Replies: 19
Views: 747

Re: Do we need to make an effort to control or should we not try to control our breathing during meditation?

The section posted is preceded by an introduction telling how a monk approaches the breath meditation with a constant, thorough attention to anicca. First ‘atapi sampajano satima’ is established, then the breath is noted in whatever state it is in, short long deep etc. It’s not possible to have a co...
by sunnat
Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:55 am
Forum: Samatha Bhāvana
Topic: Do we need to make an effort to control or should we not try to control our breathing during meditation?
Replies: 19
Views: 747

Re: Do we need to make an effort to control or should we not try to control our breathing during meditation?

When these topics arise it reminds me that as a youngster I came across the free food of the hare Krishna groups and inevitably saw their book ‘chant and be happy’. Whether it’s counting beads while reciting a mantra or controlling breath the result is the same. While distracting the mind in this wa...
by sunnat
Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:20 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Is the nature of the mind is ignorance?
Replies: 31
Views: 725

The mind is a sense organ. When the mind, mind-objects (thoughts, delusions etc) and mind-consciousness occur together, there are mind-feelings. Mind-feelings are things like wanting or not wanting or the subtle neutral usually ignored feelings. These (wanting, not wanting and ignoring) are conventi...
by sunnat
Mon Apr 08, 2024 2:20 am
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Identity View
Replies: 317
Views: 11094

Re: Identity View

‘how’ becomes truly known to any one who practices insight meditation. ‘I feel…’, ‘my feeling is…’ etc ‘my money’, ‘my child’, etc are usual ways to I-make. With practice it is noted that all these things are changing and disappearing, yet the knower of this remains, so it becomes easy to say : ‘aft...
by sunnat
Sat Apr 06, 2024 9:04 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Getting through guilt and other emotional difficulties
Replies: 26
Views: 788

Re: Getting through guilt and other emotional difficulties

It’s simple. There is no complicated trick. The tendency is to do whatever it is that one tends to do, or is used to doing. Whatever one does in response to anything is in line with what the habit is, so that habit needs to change if that alignment is not with The Dhamma. It’s an ongoing process of ...
by sunnat
Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:24 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Getting through guilt and other emotional difficulties
Replies: 26
Views: 788

Re: Getting through guilt and other emotional difficulties

Thank you, it might help to look at it this way. Somewhere you do know. If you study truth as it is, it makes sense that at some time you will come to know a truth. The tendency to try to figure it out before the fact is possibly a part of the barrier one erects in order to not know. Maybe. However ...
by sunnat
Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:55 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Getting through guilt and other emotional difficulties
Replies: 26
Views: 788

Don’t worry about it. Relax. Keep it simple. Whatever you’re feeling, thinking etc is what is happening at that time. Just train to be aware and equanimous. As much as you can calmly see to be what is truly happening at this moment, now, without getting caught up in it, just continuously, moment to ...
by sunnat
Mon Apr 01, 2024 4:56 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 465
Views: 76472

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

A wise position is to be respectful of elders. As such, a wise position is to assume an bhikkhu who appears to misrepresent The Blessed One is not at fault, but rather, with humility, widen one’s own perspective and try to understand. For example, after considering context ( which I haven’t done, bu...
by sunnat
Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:38 pm
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: Anapanasati
Replies: 5
Views: 705

One pointedness?

The introduction to anapana in this book https://archive.org/details/UChitTinKnowingAniccaAndTheWayToNibbana/page/n14/mode/1up In these courses the technique you are talking about starts with the development of one pointedness : awareness of breath and the touch of the breath, in the area below the ...