Vipassana meditation query

Bunks

Can anyone who follows this practice tell me if you think it's ok to run with a virtuous / skillfull thought that may arise during mindfullness meditation?

For example, this morning I was following the breath then a though about non-judgement popped into my head and I ran with it as I felt it was a good thing to focus on rather than just coming back to the breath.

Jeffrey

Vipassana both refers to a specific movement, which is what you are asking I think, and it also refers to the meditation that pretty much every Buddhist does including Shikatanza and Dzogchen meditation.

I think you want the specific vipassana movement so I will just briefly say that in general vipassana as is practiced in my Tibetan Buddhist sangha you don't get rid of or follow thoughts. It is said that it is like a dinner party where you welcome each guest but do not linger with any of them.

fivebells

It depends on your level of concentration. If you can watch the thought process and not get caught up in the world created around it, what you're proposing might be a sensible thing to do. Strictly speaking, that is not Vipassana, though, because there is no attention to the suffering in the thought, or its causes and conditions, or the path to its cessation.

jll

if you want to meditate, you DONT run with any thought ,
good or bad.
that is not meditation, that is indulging in thinking.

Bunks said:

Can anyone who follows this practice tell me if you think it's ok to run with a virtuous / skillfull thought that may arise during mindfullness meditation?

For example, this morning I was following the breath then a though about non-judgement popped into my head and I ran with it as I felt it was a good thing to focus on rather than just coming back to the breath.

karasti

Sometimes I have really good, or interesting thoughts come up, and what I do is basically bookmark them. Like if I have a good thought on a possible resolution to a problem with a kid, I'll set a reminder of "Eli's homework" and then continue with meditation and come back to the thought when I'm done. It works fairly well.

footiam

Bunks said:

Can anyone who follows this practice tell me if you think it's ok to run with a virtuous / skillfull thought that may arise during mindfullness meditation?

For example, this morning I was following the breath then a though about non-judgement popped into my head and I ran with it as I felt it was a good thing to focus on rather than just coming back to the breath.

It it leads to attachment, probably it is not encouraged.

fivebells

jll said:

if you want to meditate, you DONT run with any thought ,
good or bad.

You're right with respect to concentration meditation, which is what most people need to start with. In insight meditation, you do condition your mind to run with certain thoughts: those concerning suffering, its origin and cessation, and the path to its cessation. And letting your mind follow a virtuous thought is not concentration practice in its own right, but it could be good ethical training, or lead to a more positive attitude to stability of mind (which might be the case here) so it is not necessarily harmful to the development of concentration.

Jeffrey

As I understand: The nature of mind *is* vipassana. Some meditations just give more potential to notice that without distractions. But you can't get 'more' awareness (some call it mindfulness). You just notice and appreciate what is already there. It goes on forever.

pegembara

Bunks said:

Can anyone who follows this practice tell me if you think it's ok to run with a virtuous / skillfull thought that may arise during mindfullness meditation?

For example, this morning I was following the breath then a though about non-judgement popped into my head and I ran with it as I felt it was a good thing to focus on rather than just coming back to the breath.

Right effort is a factor of the path. It is to be encouraged but there are further steps to take.

"And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (iv) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html

Jeffrey

Right effort has a joyful quality also and you have to remember Sano's lute string.