Persistent Agitation?

Zenshin

So its mental health awareness week here in the UK and the hot thing among mental health professionals is mindfulness. My GF has undertaken a couple of taster sessions of National Health Service mindfulness and though she enjoyed the second one she said the first one made her agitated.

So I was sat doing metta practice this afternoon and I noticed that some agitation came up so I turned my metta on it with an attitude of acceptance - anyway it lessened to the point where it became something rather remote and distant. It struck me that my GFs agitation was probably the beginnings of an awareness of the all pervading disatisfaction of this realm. Good old fashioned dukkha.

Your thoughts and comments are as always welcome.

Chaz

Lonely_Traveller said:

It struck me that my GFs agitation was probably the beginnings of an awareness of the all pervading disatisfaction of this realm.

Well, that or just plain, old, agitation. But then, What I see as agitation may be different than what you're talking about.

I'd call any discursive thought or emotion, "agitation". Any movement of mind would, in my thinking, be considered agitation.

Or are you talking about something more "emotional" in character - anger, jealousy, etc?

Awareness of agitation can be the beginning of the realizition of the nature of mind, which is a part of samsaric existence. Realize the nature of mind and you realize the nature of samsara. If you realize the nature of samsara, Lobster is likely to make a joke of it

Jeffrey

Agitation means that you are clinging to clarity. Dullness means you are clinging to openness.

Zenshin

Well personally if it was me and I were doing Vipassana I'd just take the agitation as the object of meditation, doing Samatha I'd just return my attention to the breath once I'd notice the agitation.

Horses for courses I suppose.

AllbuddhaBound

With acceptance, a person can learn how to deal with just about anything. When we see these people who are feeling physical and emotional pain, you can struggle with it all you want but it rarely results in the end of suffering. Acceptance, patience and compassion.