Stephan

[Steffi]

Learning to tell the difference between actual sense experience and the interpretations of sense experience.

Meditation

Sit comfortably and upright with the feet on the ground.
Take a few deep breaths.
Feel the pressure of the seat, the feet on the ground.
Feel the sensations of the moving breath.
Do you feel it is too quick or too shallow, nicely deep and calm?
Whatever it is, let it be the way it is. Everything is allowed to be the way it is.
Which thoughts are there? Let them roam freely and notice what they are about.
All thoughts are allowed.
Maybe there is, “Oh, I don’t know whether I’ll ever break this fetter.”
Breathe gently and let thoughts be there, all of them.
Feel the sensations that are following thoughts.
And notice the thoughts that are following sensations.
Hear the sounds that are present.
Cooler fan, traffic, people, maybe music.
Notice the labeling and the comments. Maybe you like or don’t like the sounds. Maybe there
is resistance to the noise of the traffic.
Everything can be the way it is.
How is your mood, what are you feeling?
All feelings are allowed, without making them bigger or smaller.
Notice the thought comments, they are allowed as well. If you want thoughts to disappear,
notice that as well.
Now feel the sensations of the moving breath again and stay with it for a few as long as you
like to.
Then take a deep breath and finish the meditation.

The Most Important Tool

The most important tool for the whole inquiry into the ten fetters is:
To be able to tell the difference between what is actual sensory input and what is interpretation of the sensory input.
The interpretation of sensory input happens quickly. So while inquiring it will always be there. Still it is possible to focus on the sensory input only.

Exercise

Get a coffee mug or cup and put it in front of you on the table. Look at it the way you normally look at something. Always use your senses as you normally would.
What do you see? What is the raw sensory information? What is only seen? Write it down.
What can you not see?
How about three-dimensionality? Can that be seen? Does it look round? How does the opening look without interpretation? Write it down.
What is added by thoughts? Write it down as well.
What did you find?

Thoughts and sensations

Often sensations are taken for something that they are not. For example, a body sensation might seem to be the self.
Also working with sensations, you might find that they are pleasant and comfortable or unpleasant and uncomfortable. Have a closer look.

Pinch Exercise

Pinch yourself so that some mild pain arises and feel the sensation.
Is the sensation is the actual experience of ‘pain’, or the actual experience of SENSATION?
Does the pure sensation itself suggest in any way that ‘it is pain’ or ‘it is painful’?
Does the sensation suggest in any way whether it’s ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant’?
Does the sensation have any attributes or characteristics?
Does the sensation itself convey any sort of information?
There are THOUGHTS ABOUT ‘pain’. Can ‘pain’ as such be found?
Is there any actual experience of ‘pain’?
Is a thought aware of the sensation?
Is the sensation aware of a thought?
Is a thought aware of another thought?
The Difference between an Imagined Experience and an Actual Sensory Experience
Is there a difference between something we imagine and something we experience with the senses?

Watermelon Exercise

Close your eyes and think of a big green watermelon. See it lying in front of you. Look at it carefully.
See the different shades of green, are there some other colors as well?
Then take it into your hands. Feel the weight. Knock on it and listen to the sound. Is it ripe yet? Take a knife and cut it. Feel the slightly sticky juice running over your fingers. Pick up a slice. How does it smell? Then have a bite. How does it taste?
OPEN YOUR EYES
Where is the watermelon?

Fruit exercise

Put a fruit in front of you on the table and close your eyes.
Imagine the fruit in all details, the color, the size.
Then pick it up. Feel the weight, the texture. Are there any soft spots?
Smell it. Peel it and have a bite. How does it taste?

Now open your eyes and look at the fruit in front of you, the color, the size.
Pick it up. Feel the weight. How is the texture? Are there any soft spots?
How does it smell? Peel it and have a bite. How does it taste?

Compare the two experiences. What did you find?

Memory

Let’s look at the memory now. Often we vividly think of something that happened or something that will or should happen. Is that an experience or a thought?

Memory Exercise

What is the memory ‘made of’?
WHEN does the memory appear?
What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?
How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?
Then, look at a thought about the future.
What is the future thought ‘made of’?
WHEN does the future thought appear?
What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?
How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen?
Then let’s compare a thought about past and a thought about the future.
What is the EXACT difference between the thoughts about past and future?
If there is difference, how that difference is known exactly?

Look at what actually going on and not what thoughts say… but what actually is.
If you can’t see it, hear it, touch it, smell or taste it – it is a thought.

Thema