đź“–The science of enlightenment: how meditation works
- authors
- Young, Shinzen
- year
- 2018
- In Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism, images are used to substitute vision; mantras are used to substitute thoughts; mudras are use to substitute bodily sensation.
p.27 #quote
a person’s baseline of focus can be elevated through systemic practice.
- Meditation trains concentration. Concentration can be used to achieve Flow state at will. (p.30)
- You can extend you lifespan by living every moment richer/bigger. You do that with concentration.
- Functioning Bodhisattva: someone who practices meditation primarily so they can better serve others.
- 4 dimensions of concentration:
- concentrate on small things (breath in nostrils)
- concentrate on big things (the whole body)
- concentrate on one thing for long period of time
- momentarily concentration (concentrate intentionally on what demands attention)
p.39 #quote
People who are successful with meditation experience an elastic identity. They are able to better take care of themselves but can also extend their identity out to include a oneness with others. That ability naturally evolves into a desire to serve others.
p.44 #quote
A salient feature of suffering is that it distorts behavior.
- Meditation is part of all religions
- Meditation has both calming-concentrating aspect (samatha) and a clarifying-dissecting one (vipassana).
- Samatha is pleasant, Vipassana produces insights.
- Coffee is compatible with meditations and helps to keep you alert. Tea helps to stay awake.
Sensations
physical body emotional body physical sound mental talk physical sight mental images - another dimension: intensity
q
The Fundamental Theorem of Mindfulness: Concentration + Sensory Clarity + Equanimity + Time = Insight + Purification
- In meditation, purification can happen without you being consciously aware of it. You know it happened because you behave differently at daily life. (p.99)
- In Christianity, impurities are called sins. Getting rid of them is catharsis. When we remove sins, we experience “theosis” (one with god). Apotheosis—someone who claim they are god.
- It’s not that we don’t have self, it’s that self is not a thing. Self is doing. It’s a verb, not a noun. (p.107)
- Even when we try to avoid all discomfort, sometimes it can happen to us on the scale comparable to what monks put themselves through (e.g., slowly dying from a cancer).
- Spirit and material world. Spirit is material world experienced to the full.
p.130
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour —William Blake
- “path” to enlightenment
- ordinary consciousness
- subconsciousness
- there can com some visions or mystical experiences (good or bad) (or may not come). In either case, you great them with concentration, clarity, and equanimity.
- the source
- Note when experience or part of experience vanishes (label “Gone”). Gone is the label for any abrupt decrease.
- Arhat—someone who has complete enlightenment.
- Arhat has the same enlightenment level as Buddha. Buddha differs in that he substantially advances the enlightenment practice and changes the humanity.