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Fri May 18 11:16:10 EDT 2012

Yesterday

Before sitting around midnight, 30 minutes, I was quite on edge.  Even
when it's no big deal to feel bad these days (which is an awesome
develepment btw.) there is plenty of unsatisfactoriness going on.

I went the samatha route.  Not sure where I got, maybe 2nd jhana as I
think there is at least some effortlessness going on.  After that I
eventually ended up in equanimity.  The "investigation" feels really
more natural than abiding in the bliss.

Self dissolved at some point.  I'll try to explain the experience.  I
was looking out the window at the garage.  Doing so there was no
sensation of observer, however focusing on the curtains through which
I was looking created a clear sense of "me sitting in the room
watching outside".  I kept focusing on those sensations until they got
re-interpreted as just sensations.  No trace of me, just sensations.
Accompanied by a great sense of relief and equanimity and a clear
seeing of the absence of suffering caused by this disappearing of the
out-there / in-here distinction.

After the sit, the sense of self returned when I went to bed.

Main feature of the sit: clear feeling of non-separation /
selflessness.  This has been quite reproducable lately.  That feeling
itself changes.  My fear towards it does no longer kick me out of it.

On to interpretation.  Did I reach SE?  Am I now cycling?  How can
this experience of non-separation be so clear and at the same time not
be permanent?  I've plenty of separation-based behaviour and story
going on during the day.  I end up in unsatisfactoryness and with
almost no exception I can then sit for 15-30 minutes and end up in
equanimity feeling very good after that.

It seems obvious that I need to continue doing this, trying to note
more in the process.  Noting really is quite a powerful technique.  It
seems to make it easier to come back to a central point instead of
getting carried away without focus.  It keeps the attention "switched
on".




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