Clearly the body sent a signal to my brain and thought started because of a sensation.
In one case my body originated a sensation that turned into thought. In another case, a thought turned into a sensation that I felt in my body.
My question is: the Vipassana meditation school tells me that all sensations in the body are the origin to my thoughts, emotions, feelings, and consequently reactions. That is their clear final answer, or so I interpret.
But sometimes I believe that it is thoughts that results in the body having a reaction.
I am a beginner and know nothing. What is your experience? Is it always the body? Or is it sometimes the mind that originates the reactions?
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I've had a lot of strong emotions lately that seem to trigger a precise physical reaction. I don't know if that is actually the case, but that is what it feels like. I'm new to meditation as well. Taking a cue from vipassana, I'm saying "yes" to all of these thoughts and physical feelings. Taking a cue from yoga philosophy, I'm thinking a lot about how it is all just the gunas. I'll be interested to see if their is an expert answer here.
ReplyDeleteI am also new to Vipassana. My learning is that we need to observe what's happening in our body and not to bother about our minds in the beginning. As our meditation goes stronger, truths about our mind will reveal itself.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it's very difficult to look at our minds and Vipassana teaches us just to observe the sensations happening in our body without feeling good or bad about it.
Moreover, it's important to be non judgmental and not slot the thoughts as pleasant or unpleasant.
I will go to BodhGaya in April this year and would be happy to share if I learn something more.
Kristen, good points, yes the gunas... wish I could just feel them without the mind rushing in so quickly!
ReplyDeleteRanjan, I had a glimpse perhaps today in meditation about how it could only happen that the body informs the mind when the mind if finally quiet... so I see your point... it is difficult... the mind is too active! I would very much like to hear about your eperiences in BodhGaya, yes
It appears that the mind-body (or body-mind) connection is a two way street. Thoughts can certainly evoke bodily responses, like anxiety, etc. AND body sensations catalyze a lot of our thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThe teaching of "what to do about it" can be immensely confusing. Because is some instances there IS a positive action to take, and resolution in this sense is immensely wise. While in other circumstances there is nothing "do" because it's all manufactured in the theater of mind, and just further intensified with more thinking and plans to resolve the thoughts.
In BOTH cases however the "right action" (or non action if you prefer) is the same: 1) unconditional mindfulness, 2) courage to face whatever is present, 3) a still mind that see from all angles, and 4) positive action to resolve (or surrender to) what-is.
..the serenity prayer comes to mind. :)
Big bow,
-Patrick
Those of us with a sitting practice hope for the realization of emptiness to solve the problem of inside or outside. No need to enter, no need to leave, verdad?
ReplyDelete@Patrick, yes, that is what I am interpreting (the two way street), agreed. Hmm... surrender to what is, serenity prayer... yes, to stay with it, until maybe by grace the mind will quiet? until maybe I will be able to just have a "direct experience in the body"...? I appreciate your suggestions...
ReplyDeleteSereneflavor, maybe that is what it is, the sitting practice will reveal it in time, OK, are you telling me that the answer is "do your yoga and all is coming", wise lady you!... si, verdad
Yes, I think that it's a 2-way feeding system, but when you are doing a long—more than a few day—sitting you are mostly doing housecleaning from the body, the old stuff!
ReplyDeleteHi Brooks, yes cleaning up is part of it, very true, all those old samskaras... :-)
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that the Tibetan word for meditation can also be translate as "familiarization". What a great concept. The process of becoming familiar with something doesn't evoke effort or tension or strain, it just happens naturally if you spend enough time with it. Same for your mind/body phenomenon. Just sit with it and let the familiarization happen. The mind is not capable of understanding the complexity of the patterns that will emerge, so let it ask its questions but don't worry too much if you don't come up with an answer that will satisfy it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I wonder if we can really even make a concrete difference between thoughts and physical sensations. How are we aware of thoughts? How are they communicated to our nervous system? Is it not just another pattern of physical sensations, perhaps just too subtle for us to be aware of at our current level of practice?
In any event, the fact that you are noticing the links between the two and the different directions of causality is bound to have positive effects in your day-to-day.
Work diligently, work ardently, patiently and persistently. You are bound to be successful :)
Jen, that is amazing indeed, "familiarization" is a very good word. I appreciate your comment, in the end, as per next post, that IS what I am doing, just doing the practice letting it all come... you are quite right that it is really hard for us even to make a concrete defference between thoughts and physical sensations.
ReplyDeleteI have the last sentence resonating with your voice which somehow works better than Goenka's :-) had forgotten the sequence "diligently, adently patiently and persistently" :-)