Upāsaka Cattasallā (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cattasalla) wrote2019-03-05 08:00 pm
cattasalla) wrote2019-03-05 08:00 pm
Entry tags:
putting energy into the knowing mind rather than the doing mind
Lately, I've been looking at the role of the knowing mind versus the doing mind in my mindfulness meditation. I think, too often, I tend to identify the two, even while trying to do samādhi practice. I don't have a sense of separation between the part of the mind that creates the thoughts, and the part of the mind that's aware of the thoughts. The part of the mind that chooses actions, and the part of the mind that's aware of those choices and their results. Curiously, the only times in the past I think I've really been able to separate the two is when I turn around and take awareness itself as my object of awareness, and rest in that. So this is what I've been working with lately.
I listened to an Ajahn Brahm talk on the topic recently, and one thing from it struck me in relation to my practice today. He speaks of taking energy out of the doing mind (saṅkhāra) and putting it in the knowing mind (viññāṇa). And that really is an effective description of what I'm doing when I'm being "successful" at mindfulness meditation. There is still some degree of doing going on, there are thoughts being generated or the attention is going to particular places, but instead of being actively involved in directing it, I'm taking my energy out of it, and instead focusing on the knowing of it. My energy, my effort, is being put into being aware rather than acting (or thinking). And that framing is helping me understand the practice of mindfulness so much better! So now, instead of approaching it like I'm trying to do something about my doing, I'm putting my effort into knowing and letting the doing just happen, which is the reverse of when I'm involved with something.
I listened to an Ajahn Brahm talk on the topic recently, and one thing from it struck me in relation to my practice today. He speaks of taking energy out of the doing mind (saṅkhāra) and putting it in the knowing mind (viññāṇa). And that really is an effective description of what I'm doing when I'm being "successful" at mindfulness meditation. There is still some degree of doing going on, there are thoughts being generated or the attention is going to particular places, but instead of being actively involved in directing it, I'm taking my energy out of it, and instead focusing on the knowing of it. My energy, my effort, is being put into being aware rather than acting (or thinking). And that framing is helping me understand the practice of mindfulness so much better! So now, instead of approaching it like I'm trying to do something about my doing, I'm putting my effort into knowing and letting the doing just happen, which is the reverse of when I'm involved with something.