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Using the right words

edited March 2010 in Meditation
Hi,

I do vipassana but have a problem, I do not always know which word to use for certain processes. Is there literature that describes processes and gives it names? Otherwise perhaps indirectly?

Regards,

Justin

Comments

  • edited March 2010
    Hi Justin,

    This is how I understand it:

    In vipassana meditation, every raw sense data of moment-to-moment experience can become the object of mindfulness. An example, perhaps, will explain it better: When you hear a sound, the mental note could be "sound"; but labels such as music, siren, chirping, bang, voice, scream should normally be avoided. The idea is that names are concepts; remembering the name of a thing is not the same as directly experiencing it. So, no matter what you hear, it is "sound" ... that is about as real as it can get. If you give the sound a name, then it becomes "conceptual" thinking. With clear seeing, you will know the object (here "sound") for what it really.

    Mental objects are more complex; here you have to note, for example feelings like "pain", "anger", "joy", etc... Keep it simple... make your own list of words you are comfortable with.

    But there will come a time when you will dump this "noting" technique altogether, and just experience things as they are. That takes a lot of practice... I have not reached there yet, LOL.

    I hope if I have got things a bit wrong here, the more experienced members will correct me.
    :)
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