Follow-up to Neutrality in Meditation
This is somewhat related to a post I made previously:
https://inselfyoga.com/page/view-discussion?id=83
The update is as follows:
I've been noticing for while the texture of consciousness of mind states during meditation. Sometimes the mind is so jumpy that it is impossible to study the texture, however when I successfully work with the mind, calm it down, separate out the different features (like desire, aversion, thought formations, feelings, and so on) it is interesting to investigate the texture of the mind.
Recently I had a meditation where I was shifting back and forth between neutrality and distrations. The thing about neutrality is this: it carries a vibration. I like to compare mind states to the gears of a vehicle. The drive gear represents desire and grasping. Reverse gear is comparable to pushing away, aversion, disliking. The car moves in drive and reverse. In Neutral gear, the mind is not exactly moving but it is vibrating. From a neutral mind state one can easliy slip into drive and reverse. In "drive" and "reverse" one is shifted right back into samsaric thinking patterns and feeling.
I was pretty happy with being able to stabilize the mind in neutrality because that gives a basic foundation to really study the mind. There is some relief there and one can stay there for awhile but it requires maintenance.
In this recent meditation while I was established in neutrality, a couple of times there was a shift to total stillness. The car analogy is useful here. Shifting into that stillness was like being in park or neutral gear and then turning OFF the ignition. Upon turning off, there is NO VIBRATION WHATSOEVER.
Those shifts didn't last more than a moment or two but the contrast between vibration and NO VIBRATION was obvious. Without vibration, the mind was KNOWN to be clear even though conventional vision was absent. It was KNOWN to be refreshing in the absence of conventional feeling. It was KNOWN to be a beautiful stillness in the absence of vibration. Perhaps I could go out on a limb and say that the texture of consciousness disappeared.
Meditation continues to be interesting and I am increasing hopeful as I persist in the Buddhist practice.
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I was pretty happy with being able to stabilize the mind in neutrality because that gives a basic foundation to really study the mind. There is some relief there and one can stay there for awhile but it requires maintenance.
In relation to the paragraph above, it seems that there is an observer and a mind or mindspace. And yet there is no report about the observer. This gives the impression that there is only mindspace. Is that the description?
From another angle, it seems that there is a place like say a vast ocean, and it has turbulence and then it does not have turbulence and there is something else which is involved in the turbulence or the lack of it. Is that incorrect?
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The solid sense of identity comprised of an entity that persists birth after birth is eroded. Consider a layer of rich black dirt on the grounds surface. It seems to be one big thing called top soil. Then the individual particles separated and wash away over time and it can no longer be regarded a a collective thing called the top soil.
This does not clarify if or why this sense of identity is again formulated or again appears after it is eroded. Why, if it is washed away over time, does it reformulate?
The sense of identity is comparable to topsoil. It functions as a solid thing with purpose, but meditation reveals over time that the form used, the feelings felt, the opinions and thoughts held dearly are constantly changing, coming and going, typically without ones permission. What was once regarded to be a solid identity, a ME, is now seen as a constantly changing, coming and going of mental factors.
Now seen?
By what/whom?
Normally, for something to be seen or perceived, there must be an observer and then a condition or object seen?
If the seer is merely a passing phase of whatever, then how is it that this passing ephemeral whatever makes declarations about consciousness over a certain time, as for example Buddha’s life of declarations about his Way, or some other Buddhists teacher who is declared to be enlightened?
To put it bluntly, does the sense of identity erode once and for all or not? If it does not then state that it erodes and then is reformulated. In your example, that dirt is no longer a collective thing, our experience is that it somehow again becomes a collective thing anyway, and that such erosion followed by formulation reoccurs repeatedly. Hence it is reasonable to conclude that there is some other influence which causes the erosion and reformulation and that other factor is superior/permanent even though it is unknown.
What was once regarded to be a solid identity, a ME, is now seen as a constantly changing, coming and going of mental factors.
Seen by whom?
By the passing phase of mental energy which is itself the same solid identity?
In effect, this means that a figment of temporary imagination/perception does see, does perceive.
What a declaration?
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This does not clarify if or why this sense of identity is again formulated or again appears after it is eroded. Why, if it is washed away over time, does it reformulate?
The sense of identity keeps reformulating until one becomes an arahant and attains nibanna. There is another analogy in Buddhist suttas that describes the sense of identity like the skin of a pig. Through the practice, the sense of identity is "skinned" off and it can never attach or stick back. I am not qualified to elaborate on this.
Even the sense of identity which we currently use and identify with is constantly arising and disbanding. To believe this, you have to experience it with keen mindfulness.
Seen by whom? The cognizing feature of mind essence, sees.
If the seer is merely a passing phase of whatever, then how is it that this passing ephemeral whatever makes declarations about consciousness over a certain time, as for example Buddha’s life of declarations about his Way, or some other Buddhists teacher who is declared to be enlightened?
Even a yogi who attained nibanna is required to live out the rest of the current birth, reaping good and bad consequences based on his/her prior actions in samsara. This is called nibanna with residue.
To put it bluntly, does the sense of identity erode once and for all or not?
I guess it is more accurate to use the skinning of the pig analogy. In this case, the stickiness, the binding of the pigskin to the pig body is totally loosened and it stays on the pig body until the death of the creature form. I'm sorry to use such a crude example.
What was once regarded to be a solid identity, a ME, is now seen as a constantly changing, coming and going of mental factors.
Seen by whom?
Seen by the innate congnizing nature of mind essence.
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I've answered the best I know how and I'm sure there are some inconsistencies with actual Buddhist doctrine. I shared the experience for the sake of sharing what actually happened. I try not to overthink stuff that happens in meditation. Talking about it and trying to make sense of it eventually causes me to lose touch with the actual experience and the guidance it was meant to yield.
Discussions about the permanence of the sense of identity usually become combative on this forum. There is no need for that. We need to get direct experience and follow where it leads. Disputing with words fuels speculation which circles round and round.
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Anyway, corself can't do nothing more than that because sense of Identity does all the attachments and impetus to the opinion and idea formation.
Sense of identity, does all of that. The goal of practice is to directly SEE all attachments, ideas, feelings, etc. as impermanent, stressful, unsatisfactory and not comprising a permanent identity.
Core self is not a term I use any more. Mind essence is the term used in Tibetan Buddhism to describe the pure mind which is unobscured by attachments, ideas, etc. This mind essence is indivisible from its cognizing ability to KNOW.
I'm not a scholar and my memory may have distorted things I've read. All I can claim as "my own" is the experience I initially shared.
Corself is only a helpless witness and compelled donor of energy mostly.
I think I agree that coreself or mind essence, is a witness but I wouldn't say it is helpless. It seems to be able to encompass everything though its innate ability to cognize.
By rephrasing Marcia, the sense of identity has lost magnetic polarity, and has become neutralized.
Sense of Identity is no longer magnetically attaches itself to ideas, opinions and objects, it just floats around.
Ani, this seem strangely related to the example of the pigskin (see response to Michael) which remains on the pig but is not really attached and is just a loose covering.
Now based on the degree of neutralization of sense of Identity, different levels of meditative zones and texture of mindspace are experienced and no. of thoughts reduce considerably or cease altogether.
This seems to be a reasonable conclusion although I'm not sure it applies to when the "ignition is turned off."
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Very important post in my view
Neutrality and vibration are very sensitive topics you touched upon
When vibration comes, we talk in terms of frequency. Tuning in to frequency in the key to texture change in consciousness.
I have been working on some related topics over a year now. I will publish it, there has been lot of astral resistance to not publish it, as usual I have to mow it down with great force to write.
Neutrality and texture of consciousness is the prize awarded for hardwork and endeavor in studying the consciousness and psyche, day and night.
I am grateful to your article.
Neutrality is prized, when reading the article some the neutral zones got activated in the psyche from memory, it has prized indeed. Neutrality in consciousness doesn't happen so often or atleast memory doesn't throw it around as often as it throws mud and dirt in the mind space.
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Ani, I had sort of placed the neutrality practice on a back shelf and then it resurfaced. So much of practice is to simply be persistent and to keep track of major developments. I lost track of this for awhile or maybe I needed to practice more to take the next step. I'm glad some stuff reactivated for you. Sharing meditation experiences can really be helpful. Things are always happening but people are reluctant or don't know how to put it all in words.
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Here is the sutta reference to the "pig skin"f comments I made in this thread. It's a cow body, not a pig's, which does not alter the meaning. The application of this makes sense to me, but I will not comment further. The source text is given for those who are interested.
A graphic simile of removing a cow's skin from it's body
From the Majjhima Nikaya 146
§ 114. [Ven. Nandaka:] “Just as if a skilled butcher or butcher’s apprentice, having killed a cow, were to carve it up with a sharp carving knife so that—without damaging the substance of the inner flesh, without damaging the substance of the outer hide—he would cut, sever, & detach only the skin muscles, connective tissues, & attachments in between. Having cut, severed, & detached the outer skin, and then covering the cow again with that very skin, if he were to say that the cow was joined to the skin just as it had been: would he be speaking rightly?”
[Some nuns:] “No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because if the skilled butcher or butcher’s apprentice, having killed a cow, were to… cut, sever, & detach only the skin muscles, connective tissues, & attachments in between; and… having covered the cow again with that very skin, then no matter how much he might say that the cow was joined to the skin just as it had been, the cow would still be disjoined from the skin.“
“This simile, sisters, I have given to convey a message. The message is this: The substance of the inner flesh stands for the six internal media; the substance of the outer hide, for the six external media. The skin muscles, connective tissues, & attachments in between stand for passion & delight. And the sharp knife stands for noble discernment—the noble discernment that cuts, severs, & detaches the defilements, fetters, & bonds in between.” — MN 146
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Marcia Beloved ,Can you please advise good Buddhist books from your experience on being the meditation?
I use mostly bhikku boddhi authored books and book on acharya mun.
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Some books that have helped and influenced my practice are:
An Unentangled Knowing (sometimes titled Pure and Simple) by Upasika Kee Nanayon
The Path to Peace by Ajahn Chah (this is small book which is probably an excerpt from a larger book of his collected teachings, such as:
Food for the Heart by Ajahn Chah
Being Nobody, Going Nowhere by Ayya Khema
Who is My Self by Ayya Khema
When Awareness Becomes Natural by Sayadaw U Tejaniya
Present Fresh Wakefulness by Chookya Nyima Rinpoche
Carefree Dignity by Tsoknyi Rinpoche
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Great, thanks for the recommendations!!
