[TypeTeasiaDer]

I've started to be able to catch myself when I'm thinking and feeling and have been noting the quality of thoughts, what I'm wondering is if one should note greed as greed, lust as lust, derision as derision etc. Or should one just note a thought or feeling as desire, aversion or a neutral feeling.

Your help, as always is appreciated.

[OWDavid]

hi L.T.

the suttas instruct as follows, that is, both of the methods you mentioned:

And how does a monk remain focused on feelings in & of themselves? There is the case where a monk, when feeling a painful feeling, discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling.' When feeling a pleasant feeling, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.'

"When feeling a painful feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a painful feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling not of the flesh.' When feeling a pleasant feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a pleasant feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling not of the flesh.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling not of the flesh.'

"In this way he remains focused internally on feelings in & of themselves, or externally on feelings in & of themselves, or both internally & externally on feelings in & of themselves. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to feelings, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to feelings, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to feelings. Or his mindfulness that 'There are feelings' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves.

C. Mind

"And how does a monk remain focused on the mind in & of itself? There is the case where a monk, when the mind has passion, discerns that the mind has passion. When the mind is without passion, he discerns that the mind is without passion. When the mind has aversion, he discerns that the mind has aversion. When the mind is without aversion, he discerns that the mind is without aversion. When the mind has delusion, he discerns that the mind has delusion. When the mind is without delusion, he discerns that the mind is without delusion.

"When the mind is constricted, he discerns that the mind is constricted. When the mind is scattered, he discerns that the mind is scattered. When the mind is enlarged, he discerns that the mind is enlarged. When the mind is not enlarged, he discerns that the mind is not enlarged. When the mind is surpassed, he discerns that the mind is surpassed. When the mind is unsurpassed, he discerns that the mind is unsurpassed. When the mind is concentrated, he discerns that the mind is concentrated. When the mind is not concentrated, he discerns that the mind is not concentrated. When the mind is released, he discerns that the mind is released. When the mind is not released, he discerns that the mind is not released.

"In this way he remains focused internally on the mind in & of itself, or externally on the mind in & of itself, or both internally & externally on the mind in & of itself. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the mind, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the mind, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to the mind. Or his mindfulness that 'There is a mind' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the mind in & of itself.

Satipatthana Sutta regards

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

Thanks Element, very helpful

[allvideO]

Hello LT,

Hope this can complement the Sutta given by Element,

"Contemplation of Feelings"

[Cerilopasei]

This might also be helpful:

'Liberating Emotions' by Ajahn Sumedho

http://buddhismnow.wordpress.com/201...ajahn-sumedho/

[FjFHQLJQ]

Kaarine, Aloka, thank you very much, they were both very useful. The Ajahn Sumedho text was mind blowing (sounding like an old stoner!).

[soajerwaradaY]

Thanks for this link Aloka-D. my list of homework is getting longer and longer. This last link is really something

[anolbom]

If you intend to do ‘Cittanupassana’, I would have advice as follows:

You should see that your mind thinks (not you think). If the mind is greed, lust or desire, then aware that the mind is greed, lust or desire (as the case may be). No you in such thinking and knowing. There is only the mind working by itself. Those greed, lust or desire come and go by themselves. Those greed, lust or desire are not your mind (as they come and go temporarily), and are not you as well. Your mind is not your body and not you. (This way is to practice separate aggregates.)

Once you aware that your mind is thinking, thinking will disappear for a short moment. Then, your mind thinks again. During you aware that your mind is thinking, you have ‘Sati’ (awareness). Sati is also subject to the three ‘Samannalakkhana’, i.e. ‘Anicca’, ‘Dukkha’, and ‘Annatta’. So, we cannot control ‘Sati’ and we cannot hold ‘Sati’ for long. However, we can practice our mind so that Sati could occur automatically, faster and more often.

As I mentioned in another thread that you should practice to aware your mind and body as real time, if you wonder whether what to do next, then be aware that your mind wonders at such time. Then wondering will disappear as Sati comes, Sati will not appear at the same time with Moha (delusion), Dosa (angry) and Lobha (wanting). Wondering is a kind of Moha and then Lobha (wanting to know) may follow. At this stage, please practice to have more and more ‘Sati’ in each day. You should also see that your mind works by itself (‘Annatta’), and unstable (‘Anicca’).

If you practice this for a certain period, e.g. one or two weeks, you should see that your mind thinks and then you aware that your mind thinks. Then your mind thinks and you aware that your mind thinks. Question is who aware that your mind thinks. In fact and by natural, one mind occurs and ends rapidly, but we never notice this. Once you aware that your mind is thinking, the one which aware is not you but it is another mind which occurs after the mind which thinks. After the mind (which thought) ended, the mind (which aware that the previous mind thinks) occurs. The mind which thinks could be called ‘doer’, and the mind which aware could be called ‘knower’.

You may see some of us talking about ‘knower’ and ‘doer’ in other threads in this BWB.