Help: What level of development do i have? sotapanna maybe? how to continue

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
RobertoGaleno
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 9:52 am

Re: Help: What level of development do i have? sotapanna maybe? how to continue

Post by RobertoGaleno »

Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta wrote: Mon May 24, 2021 3:11 pm
Even tho' with no teachers to ask, the right resources (e.g. books, videos, talks, forums ect.) are easily available these days. It would be quite interesting to know what are your guiding materials, up to this point.

:heart:
Thank you for your answer,
I already talk a little about what i did:
I started with Goenka method, observing sensations in my body, because i have stress in my job, very very useful at the beginning, in just a couple of weeks no stress anymore, it was like magic, so fast. Anicca was obvious (sensations raising and disappearing all the time), your body not been yours was obvious, i learned to feel sensations on all my body, but after some time thoughs started to bother me, I can't see the relation between sensations on the body and thoughts or feelings ... so i switched to anapanasati very useful to calm thoughs and to develop concentration, but after a time i realized it can calm me a lot while sitting but not in my real life ... so i switched to vipassana, I started been aware of body all day and in meditation, it somehow helped me to be calm or under control in my day life, then thoughs and feelings and then i realize that desire was the key, so i started been aware of desire, there is anicca in desire too they raise and disappears if you don't feed it, dukkha in desire too (it produces suffering, I don't see dukkha) and anatta too you can se how body (feelings), thoughts and emotion has nothing to see with suffering, just desire, i don't know were is desire i just see in my head, it's somewhere, just by watching used to disappear (small ones), ... so one day no desire anymore, nothing to watch ... how should i continue my practice, what's next?
Information about Goenka's method is available in youtube, I did 10 days retirement at home during lock down. Then I started to watch videos of Ajahn Brahm, he has videos of 10 days retirement too and a lot of videos about, Anicca, Anatta, Dukkha (as someone suggested before), about vipassana ... but he is centered in jhana what he thinks is the key ... I believe that to have a very good samadhi you need very calm life (I have a lot more calm meditations a Sunday after resting the weekend than a friday by instance, I started to suspect that to have real profound shamadi experiences, jhanas, you have to do some kind of retirement in a calm place, without worries, not talking, restrained of sensual objects ... not for layman, at least not easy in my opinion, maybe with a lot of practice ...), I started to think that it's very hard if you have an stressful job and a normal life, so I started to explore an approach less based on samadhi, I started to read Ajahn Chah (the teacher of Ajhan Brahm) material and random videos on youtube about things that interest me, or challenge me, when i have a doubt as i have no teacher I try to answer with videos, articles ...

So not very imaginative, i think this material is very usual and accessible ...
simsapa wrote: Mon May 24, 2021 11:56 pm
For a less scholarly approach, just try to observe what goes on in your mind clearly. Do you notice any desire there? If not, try challenging yourself. Go find a good teacher and do a retreat under their guidance. Make sure it isn't a luxurious experience. At that point, what comes up?
Thank you for your answer,
Yeah I'll try challenging myself i understand that the only way of not fooling yourself is to try and to observe in real life, but a very particular approach, just that, I'm sure isn't the best. :shrug:

I'm going to look for a teacher but isn't easy, to little available and you have to do research before.
Srilankaputra wrote: Tue May 25, 2021 2:53 am
I think a Sotapanna understands that this sense of 'I' or 'Me' is like a reflection in a mirror.
Thank you for your answer,
To understand anatta fully is to become a arahant, so I suppose a Sotapanna should understand partially, but as no one says clearly where is the line has no sense to talk about. It's a matter of opinion I guess, for some tradition or ajahn it would be harder or easier ...
I'll just keep practicing ... a lot to learn so keep working ...
bodhifollower wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 3:40 am Now you should practice insight. Start by contemplating the ugly nature of the body. Practice the 32 parts and keep pictures of skeletons around you. See the body in its true nature of pain, impermanence, and selflessness.
Ask questions and really try to understand.
For example, skin. If I take the skin off my face is it still beautiful? Will it last forever if I take it off my face? If I take the skin off my face is it still myself?
The only way to reach awakening through mind is by getting jhana. Since you don't think you've got jhana it means you haven't. But you can reach awakening through insight by practicing insight. Don't worry about if you are a stream enterer. The only thing you should be worried about is how to practice even more perfectly.

May all your wishes come true.
Thank you for your answer,
Yeah It seems that jhana is necessary, just not worried about (and not looking for very enjoyable experience that just happens from time to time, but doesn't help you too much in normal life), I prefer just to keep improving in my dayly life, feeling better everyday and maybe someday it'll arrive, maybe not (almost sure not, becoming an arahat seems very difficult :| ). It dosen't matter, at least I'm a lot happier than before and thats what matters, maybe next life!! :twothumbsup:

Thank you all :namaste: :namaste: :namaste:
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