Ask an Assistant Teacher

Do you have questions about your practice that you'd like to ask an assistant teacher? Email your questions to at-questions@ca.us.dhamma.org. Please avoid theoretical or philosophical questions. 

Please include your phone number and the best time to reach you. Depending on their relevance for a general audience, questions and answers may also be published in the "Ask an Assistant Teacher" column in the monthly California newsletter without any personally identifying details. 

December 2019

Question: In the recent months I have been consistently falling asleep during my evening sit about 30 minutes into my sit. I do work a lot and I am physically and mentally tired at the end of the day so I am not entirely surprised, but I am wondering if you have any advice on how to prevent this from happening. I’ve also had a generally difficult time staying focused during both morning and evening sits. Any advice is much appreciated.

Answer: Sloth and torpor are as old, or older, that the teaching on the Buddha. There are several approaches to this difficulty that many old students face. On a purely practical level we have seen that sitting earlier in the evening is preferable to late at night. Of course this depends on one’s schedule and responsibilities. Another important factor is posture. Goenkaji says in the 10-day discourse, “Choose a posture that is suitable to you that allows your back and neck to stay straight for a longer period of time.” This simple instruction cannot be over emphasized. We find that as soon as the shoulders roll forward and the head falls forward, we become less attentive, often drowsy, or even asleep. Being aware of our posture is a very good tool and will aid in staying more alert. In addition not wrapping up too much so that we are overly comfortable is recommended.

We also accept that today we lead exceptionally busy lives, over-stimulated, with often insufficient sleep and this combination will impact anyone. Goenkaji has made it clear that one pillar of practice is effort and you are making effort. As long as you are trying you are making progress, although this is often hard to discern, but it is certainly true. We often find our minds drift off during daily practice, and this is to be expected.When we realize we are not with either the breath or awareness of sensation with anicca, we simply start again.

Question: How do I stop creating mantras by having to remind myself what I’m doing; like “observe sensations”, “scanning downward”, “scanning upwards”. I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing unless I remind myself. I also can’t stop creating images of my arms, legs, etc. while I’m trying to observe sensations. My eyes also move to “see” the body part I’m trying to observe sensations in.

Answer: You are in the process of strengthening the mind's faculty to feel sensations. While it is getting used to that task, it may try to pull in these other things but they are not needed. The goal is to reorient the mind to just feel the sensations and not deliberately add in these extra tools the mind is trying to use. When you are aware any of these things are happening, that is in itself a great success, just keep trying.

You are correct that there are materials for old students both written and audio at https://www.pariyatti.org/ ( login info for the "old student" section is oldstudent / behappy ). However, you will not find written technical instructions for how to practice Vipassana in this tradition. These instructions are only conveyed during courses.

All the points you bring up are normal and common experiences for students who are beginning their practice of Vipassana. It is great that you are aware this is happening. Slowly with practice and intention to just feel sensations on the body, the mind will ease off the verbal words, the imagining and the eye movement. The important thing is that one is not deliberately trying to activate the verbal or visual mind while moving the awareness. I can relay some tips for each of these challenges.

First regarding eye movement, of the three points you raise this is the one you will want to make the most effort to actually stop doing as soon as you realize it is happening. Relax the eye muscles and reorient your effort to just feeling sensations on the body. This can be the same as how one normally feels any bodily sensation like the clothing in contact with the skin for example. It is the effort of trying that is more important, so try not to worry that this movement of the eyes may persist for a while.

You mention concern about "creating mantras" to direct the mind's attention. All you need to do is make the effort to not label or describe deliberately. When you are aware that it is happening, just return the attention to feeling without labeling or describing, with gentle patience and no judgement or frustration. It is the repetition that will eventually allow the mind to move awareness without being verbally directed. A part of the mind might continue to be verbal but just don't try to do this deliberately and let it be in the background. It is not a problem at all if you forget the location of where you were on the body. You can either just start again from the top of the head, or make a good guess where you were and start from there, or first use Anapana, awareness of the direction of the breath, for a short time to sharpen the mind's concentration.

Regarding visualizing the body, this is similar and possibly connected to the eye movement. The mind can just feel without following along visually. Your ongoing effort to orient the mind to just feeling physical sensations rather than emphasis on the moving/visual aspect will help. Similarly as with the verbal narrator, your effort only needs to ignore any visualizing you may be doing and be sure you are oriented in your body feeling sensations (for example, not imagining the body in front of you). A part of the mind may continue to "see" a map of the body as you move your attention. This is normal, don't worry about that. Continue to ignore the visual and just give importance to feeling sensations. Again with repetition, the mind will get more fluid about moving the attention more comfortably.

It may be encouraging to know that from what your write, it sounds like you are practicing properly and you now have a heightened awareness of what the mind is doing while it is learning to strengthen this aspect of the feeling mind.

You might also appreciate the opportunity to meditate with old students together at group sittings if there is one near you, or return for a one-day or three-day old student course. There is an old student section of the website that lists group sittings: http://www.vaddhana.dhamma.org/ On old student courses, you can also continue to get in-person guidance from an Assistant Teacher if you have more questions.

November 2019

Question: My question is about the Anapana technique. I’m wondering what the instruction is for where to place the attention during the gap time between the in-breath and the out-breath when there is no sensation above the upper lip and below the nostrils? I ask this because this seems to be the moment my mind is most likely to wander.... nowhere to focus attention.

Answer: As an old student, you can primarily focus on the breath as it comes in and goes out and don't need to focus on the sensation per se. The sensation below the nostrils and above the upper lip now simply becomes a place to park the awareness as the breath passes over it. So even if the sensation is not distinct or clear, just find a place that works to fix the attention and observe the breath passing over that area. Goenkaji tells old students to do this in the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip, but encourages us to narrow it down if possible. There is an area of indentation that runs from the base of the nose to the upper lip (the philtrum) and it can be helpful to focus your attention in a spot in this smaller area. As long as you are aware that the breath is going out when it is going out and coming in when it is coming in, then you are practicing Anapana. If the awareness becomes indistinct of the breath at its top or bottom, you can always give it a little pull or push to help you be more aware of it. If you also have distinct awareness of sensation where the breath is passing over, that’s fine because it can further help you to concentrate, but it’s not essential. The direction of the breath is most important.

For Anapana, it's not necessary to practice it during your Vipassana sitting unless you want to sharpen your mind for a few minutes. The main practice is Vipassana.

Question: I have recently completed my 4th 10-day course and find during the course I am very focused and motivated. After the course (2-3 weeks) my focus and motivation lessens. Now, a month later, I am finding it challenging to sit for even an hour a day. I am feeling distracted and then that leads to a feeling of disheartening.

Do you have any advice for keeping the momentum going?

Answer: You are not alone in your experience.

During a course so many distractions are removed and there are so many hours to practice. When we come home life happens and there are so many distractions and it is natural that these pull our attention away from meditating. But even during courses, we learn to work with distractions, internal or external.

So use the practice at home just like you do during a course. Treat the distractions, whatever they may be, like background noise. You know they are there but give more importance to the awareness of respiration, i.e, Anapana, or the sensation. When the mind gets distracted by anything, as soon as you realize it, smilingly bring it back with patience, working on developing equanimity. This is the truth in the moment: my mind has wandered away. Accept that and start again. Again it wanders, again bring it back with patience and acceptance.

This is right effort. Being with the reality as it is and training the mind to come back to the truth of the moment with whatever sensations are manifesting themselves is an essential part of the effort. From moment to moment there is change, anicca. The type of sensation doesn't matter. The wandering mind comes and goes. It doesn't matter. Just accept it. As soon as you are aware the mind has wandered bring it back to wherever you left off and if you're not sure come to the area you last remember. Simply redirect your attention when you are distracted and give more importance to the breath or sensation than the distractions.

During a 10-day course Goenkaji talks about strong determination. In our daily practice that strong determination isn't applied to sitting without moving, instead it’s applied to have the determination to keep meditating. Keep trying.

May you get the best fruits from your daily practice.

October 2019

Question: I am an old student, and I just completed my fourth course.

Every time that I finish a course and go back home, my practice is very strong. I am able to go very deep, and I experience the free flow all over, as well as bhanga. When I do Mettā, I really experience the feelings of love for all beings.

However, this only lasts for the first five days or so after the course ends. After that, I tend to start struggling in Anapana, and my awareness becomes less and less sharp each day, until it again reaches a point where most of my hour is simply trying to calm down my mind in order to begin scanning.

Is there eventually a point where your practice begins to mirror more what you experience during a course? Or is it always two steps forward and then two steps back? I am trying not to crave the pleasant sensations, but rather just to feel like I am progressing.

Answer: Vipassana is the observation of the reality as it is from moment to moment with the understanding of change (anicca) along with equanimity.

What is the very most important thing to understand and observe is ALL sensations have the same characteristics! In the field of mind and matter they all arise to pass away. Sooner or later ALL of them change. It doesn't matter whether they are subtle, dense or neutral.

There is no "correct" sensation. There is just sensation. Our job is to just observe that truth with equanimity.

As you have experienced during a course distractions are greatly diminished and the hours of practice are greatly increased so concentration and the ability to observe sensations also increase. In daily life things/situations are different.

When meditating at home and the mind is agitated or has wandered away, just bring it back. Bring it back with all the kindness you would have toward a sweet puppy/kitten. Again, it wanders and again with patience you keep trying. Treat the "chatter" as you would background noise. Know it is there but don't give it importance. Give more importance to whatever sensation you are experiencing. ANY sensation. Use Anapana as needed but as soon as you feel any sensation begin Vipassana. You can also vary how you work, part by part, simultaneously, taking big chunks (whole head then move, trunk, back etc.).

Like this keep working, accepting of the truth as it has manifested itself in this moment. Work on developing equanimity, observing with a balanced mind, without frustration or disappointment. Keep trying.

Remember to send Mettā to yourself first. May I be free from ill will, anger etc. May I develop love and goodwill, peace and harmony.

May wisdom arise as you continue on the path. It is a long path but well worth the effort.

Question: I have some questions on how to help my family members (parents, grandparents, siblings) who don't meditate yet.

I will be visiting my family soon. They have not done any Vipassana courses yet. They are open to practice but don't want to spend 10 days in a center yet. I have two questions:

1. Can I share any online resources or Goenkaji's recordings with my family, like the 10 day Hindi discourses, or some Anapana instructions that are publicly available? I thought it might be good to sit together and listen with family.

2. Is it advisable to guide them myself on Anapana meditation? I know I cannot guide well since I am a beginner/intermediate practioner. But it may be easier for them to start. Is it worth trying?

Answer: One of the big challenges an old student has with family is how to figure out how to skillfully inform them of the opportunities of a ten-day course without overwhelming them and turning them off. Very often, the most inspirational aspect for family members is when they view positive changes in someone from the family who has taken courses and continues to practice.

One risk of giving our family members too much information is that they can get turned off or misunderstand. For example, you certainly could share ten-day course videos with them (they are available for viewing on Dhamma.org for example) but without having the context of the course experience and the practice of Anapana and Vipassana it is hard to know what people will glean from them.

As for teaching someone in your family Anapana, you certainly could. Goenkaji has given us permission to teach very close family members Anapana. But, many people who experience this instruction like this are actually discouraged and make wrong decisions based on too little experience. Anapana is taught and practiced over three days on a course, so 15 to 20 minutes of a one-time instruction doesn't really give the true sense of what Anapana is.

So, you have these options and proceed with caution in applying them, keeping in mind that the best magnet to Dhamma is the positive changes you yourself have made.

September 2019

Question: When I am super stressed I can never get beyond focusing on the nostrils. My mind is drifting all the time. Do I start moving up and down my body anyway? Or stay the whole hour on the nostrils because I cannot focus?

Answer: Your question is a good one. How can you get the best benefits from your daily practice? When you sit down to meditate and you notice you are feeling stressed out relax. If you notice your eyes are closed but tense relax them. Bring you attention to your nostrils and observe the natural normal breath as it comes in and goes out. If you have any distractions such as background noise or internal chatter just accept that is what has manifested itself in the moment but give it no importance. Accept it. No worries. Give all importance to observing the direction of the inhalation and exhalation of the breath. Just observe. When the mind again wanders, gently and with patience bring it back. Once your mind has calmed enough to feel sensations begin your Vipassana practice starting at the top of the head and move down. When again the mind wanders accept it and begin in the area you were before the mind wandered. You can come back to the breath whenever you need to. May you get the best benefits from your continued daily practice.

Question: I am writing for advice about how I should go about resuming my practice. I did a 10-day course about 5 years ago but have not kept my practice consistent. I would like to change this and fully resume. How do you recommend I go about this?

Answer: The best way to get back to regular practice is to first sit another 10-day course if you can. If you don't have time for a 10-day, attend a 3-day or a 1-day course as a refresher. It is also helpful to attend a group sitting of Vipassana meditators in our tradition in your area on a weekly basis, or as often as they are held.

To establish your daily practice, it is important to establish a routine. Many meditators find it best to sit for an hour in the morning when they first wake up. For your second daily siting, try picking a time in the afternoon or evening that works with your daily schedule. Try to stick to these times.

Lastly, don't beat yourself up if you aren't sitting twice daily for one hour. Do the best you can and keep trying!

August 2019

Question: I would like to ask a question about the 5th precept. I would like to know why the 5th precept exists. Is it because drinking makes it more likely for us to mess up the other 4 precepts? Would the occasional drink in social situations also be a bad idea?

Answer: You nailed it right on the head. When intoxicated, or even having taken a small amount of intoxicants, someone is much more likely to break the other four precepts. It's a very important reason to refrain from intoxicants.

Another reason is that intoxicants prevent us from seeing reality as it is. They either prevent us from observing our sensations with equanimity and wisdom, or they create an altered sense of reality that blocks our ability to work with reality as it is.

However, the most important thing to remember about the Buddha's Teachings is that they are voluntary. He pointed the way, but we have to walk it ourselves. Goenkaji has wonderfully articulated the Teachings of the Buddha in a way that lay people like us can relate to and understand. But with every step of this Path, we decide for ourselves how we want to walk on it and in this way we learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. This is a Path of self-discovery and self-generated wisdom via the practice of Vipassana.

Those of us who have decided to devote our lives to Dhamma and the practice of Vipassana have found the Five Precepts to be remarkably life supporting and life changing but each one of us decided for ourselves that this was the right way for us to go personally. There is no room for forcing or moral judgments in Dhamma.

Question: I have a question about dealing with frustrations that arise in daily life. Practicing Vipassana has taught me to observe regular frustrations and as a result of practice, I have become much calmer and better at handling the frustrations in daily life. I move on much quicker after frustration occurs and am less agitated in general life!

My question is about giving feedback to others when something frustrating occurs that could be avoided or prevented.

Is it okay to gently confront the causes of frustration (miscommunications, bad service, an incompetent worker, etc.) when it happens? Does practicing Vipassana mean standing by and waiting for my own internal frustration to pass or should I be proactive if something unwanted happens that could have been prevented in the first place?

For example, if one is waiting for a long time, practicing patience, checks on the status of a car at the mechanic, and learns that it will be a much longer wait and all could have been avoided with communication, is it within the scope of practice to give feedback? ...or should a Vipassana meditator simply wait and accept it?

This is a common situation in life! Waiting, wasting time, hunger, errands, etc. Should Vipassana meditators speak up or just sit and practice patience?

Answer: I understand your question and know what you're talking about. Life is so full of waiting! However, I love how Goenkaji explains during the ten-day discourse that Vipassana doesn't turn us into vegetables where anyone can come and just cut us up.

There is nothing in the Buddha's teachings or Goenkaji's guidance that says Vipassana means we have to wait, for example, for a mechanic to take his/her time with our car! Or any other kind unnecessary waiting. What Vipassana helps us do is advocate without spreading and multiplying the agitation and frustration we naturally will feel in certain situations. It's so easy to dump our negativity on the people we're communicating with in these situation, but with Vipassana we begin to see that our reactions do not help us or the other people.

It's patience, loving-kindness and equanimity that help us to face inevitable difficulties with more calm and balance. And, it doesn't mean that we have to play a role of sweetness when firmness is required either. What matters is what's going on inside. So rather than waiting until you can't stand it anymore and going up and inadvertently blasting the person with pent up frustration and negativity, instead give yourself the time you need to observe that frustration enough to be equanimous with it, and then go up and find out what's going on.

July 2019

Question: I am writing for advice. I want to make sure that when I choose not to generate feelings of anger, that I am not actually repressing anger.

Sometimes, when something inconvenient happens, I feel that I should be upset, but performing anger feels pointless. Not only does it feel like a tiresome waste of energy, it doesn't make me feel better. But, even though I recognize the futility of responding with outrage or anger, I'm not sure whether my body suffers as a result. I don't know whether I'm internalizing an unacknowledged anger.

How can I cultivate the awareness to discover the needs of my body in such moments? How can I know whether I truly accept a negative situation, and that I'm not repressing my feelings?

Answer: Your Vipassana practice helps with these difficulties. Have you been able to maintain a regular practice since your last course? Without a regular practice, it is very difficult to avoid repressing anger because then it's simply an intellectual exercise. Certainly, we strive to control our external actions so trying to restrain expressing anger in vocal or physical way is important. But it's the practice of Vipassana that helps us to observe these sensations and this helps in the moment, as well as later when we sit down to meditate. The way to cultivate the increasing awareness of the sensations of our anger in a productive and positive way is via the practice itself. It's a long, slow path, but worth it.

Question: I recently completed a ten-day course at Dhamma Vaddhana.

1. In my daily practice I have been having trouble with feeling the mindfulness at the top of my head. I try doing Anapana but I am still not getting a strong enough feeling. Should I try doing Anapana for a few days to sharpen my focus?

2. Volunteering- I would like to sign up for volunteering at a course. Can someone help me set that up?

3. Can you recommend literature that will translate the different chants in English?

Answer: It is fine to start your meditation with Anapana, but is not a requisite. If your mind is agitated, Anapana will help calm the mind. In this case, practice Anapana for a few minutes and then start with Vipassana.

You mention not experiencing a "strong enough feeling" at the top of the head. This is not unusual and it is not necessary or expected to feel a strong sensation. Any feeling you experience on the body is a sensation regardless of its characteristic (subtle, dense, tingling, prickling etc.) ALL sensations have the same characteristic of arising and passing (anicca) sooner or later. Goenkaji tells us it is a choiceness observation. Our job is just to observe whatever sensation manifests from moment to moment regardless of the type or way it is manifesting.

Sometimes we may find it’s difficult to feel sensations in some or all of the parts. This too shall change! If no sensations are felt you can try observing larger chunks of the body. In this case, as soon as you have felt any sensation in an area continue to move your attention to the next area. Keep your attention moving. There is no need to stay in an area. Just feel any sensation and then move away from it. For example, you can be aware of the whole head: feel a sensation anywhere there and then move down to the neck. As soon as you feel a sensation anywhere there on the neck area, move down to any arm (try the upper arm, then the lower arm, then the hands in, big chunks.) Then move to the other arm and approach it the same way. Then move on to the trunk and then move down to the legs. Continue to work in this way and then when you can you can, start going back to observing smaller pieces again.

In regards to volunteering at any of the centers, you can go to their scheduling page and choose the course you would like to serve. The scheduling page for Dhamma Vaddhana in Twentynine Palms is: https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/schedules/schvaddhana. The scheduling page for Dhamma Mahavana in North Fork is:

https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/schedules/schmahavana. The scheduling page for Dhamma Manda in Kelseyville is: https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/schedules/schmanda

As for recommended literature, Parayatti is a great resource for Dhamma literature, morning chanting, etc. Below you will find some contact information. The username is "oldstudent" and the password is "behappy" for ALL our old students sites, including on pariyatti.org Pariyatti

Pariyatti exists to bring people into contact with the teachings of the Buddha. We provide resources in the Theravāda tradition, and support Pāli language students and Vipassana meditators, in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught by S.N. Goenka. We serve meditators, scholars, educators and the public by providing ready access to hard-to-find titles, a large collection of online ...

pariyatti.org

June 2019

Question: I recently attended a 10-day course, as well as one last fall. Since my last retreat in this spring I have managed to practice every day for roughly 25-40 minutes at a time. During the retreat I struggled with noticing sensations both on my body and beneath/within my nostrils. At times sensations were more noticeable and I had less blank or hazy spots compared to now, but it was still a challenge to really observe anything other than what felt like empty space. It is as if I am hovering over a particular area like my shoulder or my thigh but not really noticing or feeling or penetrating any sensation unless it is very gross like pain or tightness. I assume my mind is still quite dull so I have been trying to focus more on my breath and the area beneath my nostrils (Anapana) when I practice instead of doing Vipassana, however, my breath is so subtle that trying to notice any sensation is extremely difficult and I find myself feeling like I am not doing the practice correctly and frustration tends to ensue. What is more noticeable for me is the rising and falling of my abdomen and I find myself, especially lately, being more aware of my abdomen than my breath during Anapana. Is this okay? What do you recommend I do for practice?

Answer: It's important to use the area below the nostrils, above the upper lip when practicing Anapana as you learned in your 10-Day courses with us, with the awareness of the breath passing in and out. You don't need to focus on the sensation of the breath when observing respiration. Instead, while keeping your attention fixed below the nostrils, above the upper lip, know that when the breath is going out, it is going out and when coming in, that it is coming in.

However, the general guideline is that when you can begin to feel any sensation in the area below your nostrils you should have sufficient concentration to benefit from shifting to scanning your body using Vipassana, feeling sensations and understanding the change taking place that sensations are indicative of. If, when observing respiration you find that it is too subtle, rather than observing at the abdomen, work with firm intentional (slightly hard) breathing.

In Vipassana be careful not to dismiss anything that you actually feel and attempt to look for anything else in a particular area. Employing bare awareness you place your attention on a particular part of the body. You are not imagining that part of the body. Therefore the sensory report that you receive that confirms you are attending to that part of the body and not some other part is, by definition, sensation. At times it may be a loose defused awareness, perhaps just a feeling of awareness, or it may be a distinct physical sensation that presents itself there. In any case, as soon as you feel any sensation, move your attention to the next part of the body, don't linger in any part looking for something else, i.e., something special.

Vipassana is to accept the reality of the moment understanding the impermanent nature of the sensations you actually feel. Cultivate this practice with perseverance and recognize that the frustration you report is produced when you don't experience what you think you ought to be experiencing, or what you want to experience. This is not Vipassana observation. In Vipassana, the observation has to be a choiceless acceptance of the reality of the present moment as it is, not as you would like it to be. I know it's somewhat glib to repeat this to you here but this is the inescapable nub of the practice. As difficult as it is, it is still doable and the resultant benefits will accrue with development. Keep at it.

May 2019

Question: When are the best times to practice meditation each day for someone with a busy schedule?

Answer: Excellent question. Vipassana is a practice and like any practice, to get proper results, one has to create the time to do it, and do it properly. We are all so busy. Most students who want to include Vipassana in their daily lives find that getting up earlier than usual, and sitting for 1 hour, is doable. You should always strive to sit for 60 minutes with a few minutes of Metta at the end.

It is true what Goenkaji says, that you will find over time you need slightly less sleep than before.

It is also good to have one place that you use to meditate as this too strengthens the routine and creates a beneficial atmosphere.

Most students find a two hour practice daunting, and those who develop a strong two hours a day practice do it over time as they realize the benefits they receive. If you miss some sittings do not get discouraged and quit, simply start again. It is always beneficial to look for a weekly group sitting in the area you live. Many students have found this very helpful.

Question: So far I've come a long way in my practice now. Before I would sit for 20-30-40 minutes, now I am in the habit of sitting for an hour. Also, before I would meditate in different places, and I now have a designated sitting spot. I am using the Dhamma app to log my hours and I have downloaded, "A Meditators Handbook: How to Untie Knots" and need to continue reading that.

What I want to work on now is being more diligent about sitting in the morning and in the evening. So many times I am not getting up to my morning alarm to start the day early with my meditation and many times in the evening I make the decision to skip my 1hr sit. I definitely recognize the benefits of practice; I am better able to recognize moments of anxiety/restless thoughts and find my breathe. So I want to continue strengthening my practice and growing in Dhamma!

Answer: You ask a common question, basically how to develop a consistent two hour a day practice. You have already begun the process by developing the habit of sitting for an hour, and having a designated space. I wish there were some magic words to help with the next part, which is getting on your cushion twice a day. Remember Goenkaji’s advice to set aside the same times daily—that can help with being more disciplined. But the greatest help is making that strong determination to get up in the morning and sit, and to stop at the appropriate time in the evening for that hour. Once you do that, the benefits that begin to be noticeable in one’s life give added support to the strong determination. And once it becomes a habit, it no longer requires such determination. May you be successful!

April 2019

Question: I recently completed my 10 day Vipassana course in Dec-Jan 2019 at Occidental, CA.

As per Goenkaji's suggestion, I am trying to practice 5 minutes in the morning and night in addition to my regular practice. But it takes me least 20 minutes to go in one direction itself. I'm not sure what I can practice in 5 minutes. Please guide me.

Answer: Very good that you are continuing to practice at home after your recent course. Goenkaji's instructions are to practice Vipassana an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon/evening. After your Vipassana hour you then practice five minutes of Mettā. Here you send loving kindness and goodwill out to others. For example: "May all beings be happy. May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be free from suffering."

During your Vipassana practice, it helps to vary your speed. At times observe larger areas or smaller. Flow where you have uniform subtle sensations, then come back part by part. In the event you are agitated or unfocused, you may use Anapana for a time.

If by meditating for 5 minutes in the morning and evening, you mean when you first go to bed, and before you get up as Goenkaji advises, then just observe sensations anywhere, no need to try and sweep or work in order at this time. You are just giving the mind the opportunity to develop a little more awareness of anicca via the sensations at the end of the day, and then before you get out of bed to start the day.

Question: When meditating, should I try to focus on my breath and the sensations at the same time? Or just one at a time?

Answer: On a course, new students start by only focusing on the breath and then awareness of sensations is introduced during the Anapana period. For old students, they may experience sensations while focusing on the breath. Instructions are to ignore them elsewhere but fine to also be aware of them in the small area of rings and below the nostrils while working with the breath.

After Vipassana instruction, students may return to Anapana when and as needed. Some like to start a session with Anapana and then switch to Vipassana. At other times, going back and forth can be helpful.

I suspect your question is about sitting during the one hour of daily practice at home. There is no "right" answer. You may focus on one exclusively at some times but at other times, shift your awareness back and forth, for example, to fight off drowsiness or to keep the attention moving. Some like to start with breath then switch to moving with sensations after some time. No need for rigidity in your practice but keep experimenting with what works well for you.

March 2019

Question: I have really been putting in the effort to sit both in the morning and evening. The evening sit has been hard to make a habit because my mind gets so stubborn, not wanting to work.

I feel like my mind wanders a lot during my sits. It wanders for too long, maybe because my concentration is lacking. I can hardly do a whole body scan because my mind wanders so quickly and for so long. I realize that part of it is mental/physical sluggishness and I can work on having a strong posture and work on anapana, but it's like am I ever gonna get any Vipassana done? Lol if I'm just always doing anapana.

Also, I do my sits on my bed usually because that's where my blankets and pillows are. I did it on my yoga mat a couple times though, but it's part of the same problem with my mind being stubborn not wanting to put in the extra effort...

Answer: There are a few things you can try to help your meditation.
Firstly, you may find it very helpful to invest in creating a little corner somewhere where all you do is meditate. Set yourself up in that permanent little space with a comfy bottom cushion, a shawl or blanket just for meditating, and support pillows that stay in your meditation area. This helps to reinforce to the mind that now it's time for meditating. Beds are for sleeping. It is generally not helpful to meditate on a bed--it's easy to get too cozy, fall asleep or just space out. Also, having a little muscle tension in the body by having to sit up and support ourselves can assist in maintaining more alertness. When having difficulties concentrating enough to practice Vipassana, try working more quickly. A lot more quickly. Take big chunks--the whole head, the trunk of the body and arms, the legs--as soon as you feel any sensation in that area, move. You will move quickly and if you do this for a few rounds you will find that the mind gets tricked back into being in the body. As you slow down and start working part by part, don't look for distinctness--be satisfied with indistinct sensations and as soon as you feel one, move further. This helps to keep the mind more engaged. Working too slowly can often result in being distracted when the mind is not able to feel distinct sensations and we're stuck on looking for them. You may find it helpful to use a group sitting recording. You can download the Dhamma.org app onto your phone and get group sittings there:

Dhamma.org on the App Store - itunes.apple.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dhamma-org/id1127952631?mt=8

Dhamma.org - Apps on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dhamma

And finally, remember what Goenkaji always says: "Start again!" and "Smilingly bring the mind back!" Developing and maintaining this attitude when practice Vipassana and Anapana is part of the mental retraining.

Question: I would appreciate some clarification on the precept to avoid taking any intoxicants. In the Day 2 discourse of a regular 10-day retreat, Goenkaji says that this precept exists because if one takes an intoxicant, then they are more likely to break the other four precepts. I have listened to Dr. Paul Fleischman's talk for old students, in which he explains that alcohol dampens one's faculty of awareness therefore, alcohol is detrimental to one's progress in Vipassana, which is a practice for developing one's faculty of awareness.

However, what about marijuana or psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin? These substances have therapeutic value and often contribute to the development of my insight. Does the precept to avoid taking any intoxicants apply to these substances as well?

Any clarification on the bounds of this precept would be much appreciated.

Answer: Yes, the precept does extend to the substances you mention. We do not dispute the notion that use of these chemicals are being therapeutically for some. However, since they are chemicals, they do wear off, and although some may claim the insights remain, in Vipassana we work with the unconscious mind trying to slowly change habit patterns long ingrained in our mental behaviors. Unfortunately having an insight is not enough to change habitual mental reactions.

Growth in Vipassana is based on your own experiential wisdom. We find most serious old students come to a personal realization about intoxicants and find it easy to leave these things behind. Use your practice, observe the sensations, come to your own conclusions.