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**movlabk** · 12-20-2010, 03:32 AM

Greetings travelers,
During meditation, I find it easier to acknowledge and then ignore pain and discomfort in my body than it is to ignore itchiness.
This has become a pretty comical experience, because I find that when I give in and scratch that itch, it moves to another point in my body, like a monkey crawling up and down. Pain, I have read, is an experience that we can use to challenge ourselves, to challenge the emotions (fear of mortality, fear of endless pain, etc.) that come with it, and ultimately can be used to realize impermanence.
I am trying to understand the lessons of an itchy body, but so far, all I can summon is comedy.
It seems to me that the itchy body is a physical manifestation of the monkey mind: pay attention here, no here, no over there. Why does it seem as if pain is something to just breathe through, to not stop and find a remedy, whereas an itch seems to require immediate attention.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Thank you!

12-20-2010, 03:32 AM	#1
movlabk Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 376 Senior Member	Itchy body, monkey mind Greetings travelers, During meditation, I find it easier to acknowledge and then ignore pain and discomfort in my body than it is to ignore itchiness. This has become a pretty comical experience, because I find that when I give in and scratch that itch, it moves to another point in my body, like a monkey crawling up and down. Pain, I have read, is an experience that we can use to challenge ourselves, to challenge the emotions (fear of mortality, fear of endless pain, etc.) that come with it, and ultimately can be used to realize impermanence. I am trying to understand the lessons of an itchy body, but so far, all I can summon is comedy. It seems to me that the itchy body is a physical manifestation of the monkey mind: pay attention here, no here, no over there. Why does it seem as if pain is something to just breathe through, to not stop and find a remedy, whereas an itch seems to require immediate attention. Anyone have thoughts on this? Thank you!
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