Fast beginner progress?

vivalasteve

Hey guys, I've been browsing this forum for a while and it's really helped my practice, so I've finally decided to make an account and contribute.

I have a question though, with a little background story
Although I'm a beginner Buddhist (less than 5 months) it seems as though I have made a lot of progress to end suffering. Long story short, after a rough spot in my life I began reading a lot about Buddhism, and a lot of the concepts (noble truths, precepts, etc) aligned with beliefs I've had/sort of had to begin with, which is why I became so interested in Buddhism. Ever since I started seriously practicing it and meditating, I remember coming to a blissful 'ah-ha' moment when meditating once and ever since then I've seen a significant change in my thought processes. I feel as though I'm completely free from judgment and prejudices (to be fair, I didn't have much to begin with), and I don't feel negative emotions as much. Even when I do, I can just view them from sort of a third person perspective and turn them around. I also feel a great sense of inner peace, not only mentally but physically as well, especially right after meditation, but it lasts throughout the day.

So my question is that is this progress normal for a beginner and am I on the right track? If so, I don't have any Buddhist schools or anything in my immediate area so you guys are one of my main sources of info, so how can I further my practices even more?

Sorry for the long post, but I'm looking forward to contributing to the site and making new friends now that I finally made an account haha

Thanks!

zenff

“..so how can I further my practices even more?”

You want even more?
That sounds like an obstacle to me.

If I would try and give “advice”, it would sound like this:
Just keep looking for true wisdom without getting narrow minded.
Just keep meditating without chasing “special experiences”.
Try to live your life with a pure heart.

I am curious what everyone else comes up with.

vivalasteve

“..so how can I further my practices even more?”

You want even more?
That sounds like an obstacle to me.

If I would try and give “advice”, it would sound like this:
Just keep looking for true wisdom without getting narrow minded.
Just keep meditating without chasing “special experiences”.
Try to live your life with a pure heart.

I am curious what everyone else comes up with.

I think I worded it wrong, my apologies...I didn't mean more as in greater 'special experiences', just different meditation techniques and such to further my practice because as of now I only do vipasanna meditation, but thanks for your input.

zenff

Would you like to do a vipassana retreat sometime soon?
For me –after a year or so - participating in sesshin made a huge impact.

vivalasteve

I would eventually, but I go back to school in about a week so it would have to wait until summer.

fabianfred

Great to see a young person who is still studying being interested in the Dhamma and especially meditating.
It will give you the ability to pay attention in class and help you avoid bad distracting paths.
Continue the practice and you will have a great life.

Spock

Good stuff
I'd say progress at a state that you are comfortable with In my mind, there is no need to be more or less a Buddhist.

When I've been to my local Sangha for teachings, I'm struck how close my long held views and conclusions to life weren't that different to Buddha.
The difficulty for me is with meditation... for example, I find it quite easy to "let things go", I generally have dealt with negative feelings towards others and at the end of 5 minutes my mind is where I want it to be.

Also, I work in a very "non-skilful" team at work and struggle to deal with situations that deeply frustrating as I've not got sufficient wisdom to deal with them.

Everyone's path is different as is the pace we travel along it, so chill

compassionate_warrior

Keep practicing with no expectations as to the outcome.

Sometimes when meditation comes easily to someone, it's because of past life practice. Be careful to not get attached to your easy progress--beware: ego trap!

Jeffrey

At some point you have to focus on the here and now rather than on 'progress'.

Roger

The Tibetan Lama I personally met told us meditation is not the biggest issue, doing good things for other people and animals is more important.

Perhaps get "out in the field" more and see what happens. Do good things and also see what happens when someone might p*ss you off. The latter (getting p*ssed off) comes with all sorts of lessons; some take months to learn.

Matter of fact I sometimes feel blessed when someone gets under my skin: it allows me to focus more on what I'm doing wrong and what needs improvement. :banghead:

Just a thought. That's the way I test myself. Good luck!

TheJourney

I have progressed extremely fast as well. We've probably learned most of this stuff in past lives, or at least set up conditions which were conducive to us learning it in this lifetime.

Spock

Roger, I like your posting, probably because I wholeheartedly agree.

Maybe that should be the objective test of Buddhahood....to last a week in my office without being p**sed off with someone

TheJourney

Roger, I like your posting, probably because I wholeheartedly agree.

Maybe that should be the objective test of Buddhahood....to last a week in my office without being p**sed off with someone

Or rather accept that there is anger, and don't identify with it.

aHappyNihilist

I think it's possible not to feel the anger in the first place, I don't feel angry in general anywhere near as much as i used to.

Spock

Hmm
Maybe semantics but I don't feel anger, just frustration that sometimes leads to unskilled behaviour.

Any thoughts?

compassionate_warrior

What is underlying the frustration? Anger, perhaps? Examine the frustration.

TheJourney

The only way you can master your emotions is to accept your emotions. When there is anger, there is anger. But it is not you. Over time, once you have learned to accept yourself as you are, you naturally master them. But only by letting them be and accepting them.

Roger

Roger, I like your posting, probably because I wholeheartedly agree.

Maybe that should be the objective test of Buddhahood....to last a week in my office without being p**sed off with someone

Yeah. Thanks Spock. I'm just repeating what I heard as I'm trying to make it my own. It's not a terrible thing to lose your cool. It just means you are a work in progress. Nobody said it was easy.

Actually it's easier to have to Buddhist aspirations than it is to have no idea WTF (sorry) is going on.

Roger

The only way you can master your emotions is to accept your emotions. When there is anger, there is anger.

Ummmm..., I'm not so sure. My guy, (a Dzogchen Lama native to Tibet) said we should reject anger. There's nothing in anger that's worth anything in a positive sense. Just sayin. Small point. FWIW.

compassionate_warrior

@ Roger: There's a huge taboo against anger in Tibetan culture, so maybe that should be factored in, when considering your teacher's statement. (Any other opinions on this?) I've seen videos of HHDL expressing anger, (or: righteous indignation) in speeches after the crisis in Tibet/China in 2008. So I think there may be "healthy anger", and unskillful or inappropriate anger. It's something to consider. Perhaps a good subject for its own thread.

vivalasteve

Thanks for all the replies...
I definitely still feel anger and other unpleasant emotions from time to time, but it's less often. And when I do feel anger or whatever I just recognize what I'm feeling and why instead of just going with it, which I find helps tremendously.

compassionate_warrior

Anger can motivate one to do good works in the world, to address injustice and do compassionate works. maybe sometimes it's a good thing....?

TheJourney

I'm not saying anger is good. I'm saying if you're experiencing anger then you're experiencing anger. There is no denying it. It is already in existence. Don't label it "good" or "bad" it simply is. It is not you, though. It simply is.

Spock

@ Compassionate warrior:
I don't think there is such a thing as "healthy anger" although I do see your point.

For example, I am vehemently opposed to many of the policies and actions of the current government in the UK. I find that they lack compassion and are intrinsically selfish. However, these are common human failings though and to react with anger would not be healthy. To voice disagreement constructively and vocally is far more likely to result in positive change....rather than reacting with anger

compassionate_warrior

Journey: I was responding to Roger's post, where he says his teacher says we should reject anger. I'm not sure we should reject all anger. Anger can motivate us to do compassionate things. Maybe the key is in what we do with the anger. It can be channeled into constructive works.

Spock: you can use your anger to do just what you suggest: to motivate you to bring about positive change. Anger doesn't have to be directed at someone, as in an outburst. Anger can be the fuel that energizes one to launch movements for social change, and the like.

Roger

Hummmm..., thanks guys. You know what? We're (I and the little sangha) are getting taught. Teachers say stuff meant to challenge and push us considering where we are at. The opinion on anger might have been simplified so we get over our present particular obstacles. Just guessing. Then again I just did a 180 in my mind and BELIEVE he was quite explicit about it: anger never beneficial to anything. AWWWGGGGHHH! Will work on it... . :banghead:

Spock

I do know what you mean.... but whilst anger may motivate us to do compassionate things, is it not better to base our compassionate actions on skillfull thought rather than anger?

compassionate_warrior

Hummmm..., thanks guys. You know what? We're (I and the little sangha) are getting taught. Teachers say stuff meant to challenge and push us considering where we are at. The opinion on anger might have been simplified so we get over our present particular obstacles. Just guessing. Then again I just did a 180 in my mind and BELIEVE he was quite explicit about it: anger never beneficial to anything. AWWWGGGGHHH! Will work on it... . :banghead:

It would be interesting to query your teacher in more detail, and see what he says. But again, he may not be able to overcome the cultural taboo against anger. It would be interesting to interview teachers from all the Buddhist traditions on this subject.

compassionate_warrior

I do know what you mean.... but whilst anger may motivate us to do compassionate things, is it not better to base our compassionate actions on skillfull thought rather than anger?

Can't one channel anger into skillful thought? Anger and rage are not synonymous. Are some people confusing the two?

Spock

Ehhhh, reflecting on anger may result in skillful thought....but it is the reflection that leads to the skilful though, not the anger. so, I still think the end behaviour is possible without anger.

Roger

Yeah, I gotta dispense with the idea of anger as being useful. :coffee: When I look at Gautama Buddha he's got a slight smile on his face. If anger were valid and even a small a part of it he'd have a serious or at least not-slightly-smiling expression. Will ask though. Yes definitely interesting issue worthy of asking around.

OOPS! we are waaaay off topic. Sorry!

compassionate_warrior

HHDL said that if you get upset by situations in the world, use that to motivate you to bring about change.

Cloud

@vivalasteve, There are really no beginners. Each comes to the teachings with their own lifestream of conditionality behind them; some will already be ripe for awakening to occur. This was especially prevalent during the Buddha's time. The less deluded and already in line with the Dharma, the easier it is to go the rest of the distance. Some even awaken first and then seek out Buddhism to help them understand what has happened to them. And so it is the same with anything you could call "progress"; very rarely do we come to the teachings from the most delusional state of mind possible.

buddhajunkie

@vivalasteve

What is your practice currently? How long and frequently do you meditate? Sitting only? What type of concentration practice do you do?

Cinorjer

Hey guys, I've been browsing this forum for a while and it's really helped my practice, so I've finally decided to make an account and contribute.

I have a question though, with a little background story
Although I'm a beginner Buddhist (less than 5 months) it seems as though I have made a lot of progress to end suffering. Long story short, after a rough spot in my life I began reading a lot about Buddhism, and a lot of the concepts (noble truths, precepts, etc) aligned with beliefs I've had/sort of had to begin with, which is why I became so interested in Buddhism. Ever since I started seriously practicing it and meditating, I remember coming to a blissful 'ah-ha' moment when meditating once and ever since then I've seen a significant change in my thought processes. I feel as though I'm completely free from judgment and prejudices (to be fair, I didn't have much to begin with), and I don't feel negative emotions as much. Even when I do, I can just view them from sort of a third person perspective and turn them around. I also feel a great sense of inner peace, not only mentally but physically as well, especially right after meditation, but it lasts throughout the day.

So my question is that is this progress normal for a beginner and am I on the right track? If so, I don't have any Buddhist schools or anything in my immediate area so you guys are one of my main sources of info, so how can I further my practices even more?

Sorry for the long post, but I'm looking forward to contributing to the site and making new friends now that I finally made an account haha

Thanks!

It is not unusual to notice a big change soon after beginning your practice. Congratulations! You're on the right path.

Now, you have a long journey ahead of you. You see, there is a next step. Right now, you are practicing the "This is me, being mindful," and "This is me, meditating" stage. Your practice is something you have to choose to do, deliberately. You watch your actions and thoughts and correct them when old habits crop up.

But, like someone learning something like a physical sport, the entire reason for practicing is to get better at it and be able to do it naturally. Instead of "This is me, being mindful," you are just mindful. Instead of "This is me, meditating" any quiet moment is a meditation. You develop what we in Zen call your normal, everyday mind.

Your understanding and practice will continue to unfold as life unfolds. Marvelous, isn't it?

Ada_B

@vivalasteve, There are really no beginners. Each comes to the teachings with their own lifestream of conditionality behind them; some will already be ripe for awakening to occur. This was especially prevalent during the Buddha's time. The less deluded and already in line with the Dharma, the easier it is to go the rest of the distance. Some even awaken first and then seek out Buddhism to help them understand what has happened to them. And so it is the same with anything you could call "progress"; very rarely do we come to the teachings from the most delusional state of mind possible.

I just wanted to repeat Cloud's post as I felt it was excellent. Yes, your whole life (and lives before) have been teaching you the Dharma. Fortunately, in this lifetime you have become conscious of that fact and are finally able to make real progress.

But in my experience, the more progress we feel we are making, the more we look back and wonder what we were thinking before!

Tristram30

It took me a long time to realise that you don't need to quash your emotions, you just need to view them objectively, from a 'third person' perspective as someone said. It's incredible the difference this makes - previously I used to get angry at being angry - now I just accept it and although I am experiencing anger, there is peace underneath it and this guides the way that I respond to the situation.

I think our propensity for anger will inevitably diminish as we progress.

vivalasteve

@vivalasteve

What is your practice currently? How long and frequently do you meditate? Sitting only? What type of concentration practice do you do?

I meditate twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for about 10-15 minutes each, but I try to meditate throughout the day too whenever I'm bored at work or sitting around at home, and usually sitting, yes. I do vipasanna meditation and I don't know what it's called but when I breathe in I think of a positive word and when I breathe out I think of a negative word like anxiety, fear, etc.

It is not unusual to notice a big change soon after beginning your practice. Congratulations! You're on the right path.

Now, you have a long journey ahead of you. You see, there is a next step. Right now, you are practicing the "This is me, being mindful," and "This is me, meditating" stage. Your practice is something you have to choose to do, deliberately. You watch your actions and thoughts and correct them when old habits crop up.

But, like someone learning something like a physical sport, the entire reason for practicing is to get better at it and be able to do it naturally. Instead of "This is me, being mindful," you are just mindful. Instead of "This is me, meditating" any quiet moment is a meditation. You develop what we in Zen call your normal, everyday mind.

Your understanding and practice will continue to unfold as life unfolds. Marvelous, isn't it?

So in order to get to this next step, I just have to keep meditating, being mindful, etc and it will just happen on its own?

mugzy

Let go of expectations.

Cinorjer

@vivalasteve

What is your practice currently? How long and frequently do you meditate? Sitting only? What type of concentration practice do you do?

I meditate twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for about 10-15 minutes each, but I try to meditate throughout the day too whenever I'm bored at work or sitting around at home, and usually sitting, yes. I do vipasanna meditation and I don't know what it's called but when I breathe in I think of a positive word and when I breathe out I think of a negative word like anxiety, fear, etc.

It is not unusual to notice a big change soon after beginning your practice. Congratulations! You're on the right path.

Now, you have a long journey ahead of you. You see, there is a next step. Right now, you are practicing the "This is me, being mindful," and "This is me, meditating" stage. Your practice is something you have to choose to do, deliberately. You watch your actions and thoughts and correct them when old habits crop up.

But, like someone learning something like a physical sport, the entire reason for practicing is to get better at it and be able to do it naturally. Instead of "This is me, being mindful," you are just mindful. Instead of "This is me, meditating" any quiet moment is a meditation. You develop what we in Zen call your normal, everyday mind.

Your understanding and practice will continue to unfold as life unfolds. Marvelous, isn't it?

So in order to get to this next step, I just have to keep meditating, being mindful, etc and it will just happen on its own?

Well, keep in mind that I'm coming at it from a Zen direction. Because of that, I get to quote a story to you.

In China, there were several great laypeople. Perhaps the most notable was Layman P'ang and his family. It is said that each of them was enlightened. His daughter was said to be especially brilliant. Although she was the youngest member of the family, she was very sharp and had a way of having the last word.

One day, the Layman, musing on life and practice, uttered these words of wisdom: "Oh, difficult, difficult, difficult! It's like trying to scatter ten thousand sesame seeds over a tree." The wife right away retorted, "Oh, easy, easy, easy! It's like touching your feet to the ground when you get off the bed." The daughter was not to be outdone. Immediately she commented, "Not difficult, not easy! On the tips of ten thousand grasses, the patriarchs' meaning," What kind of patriarchs' meaning can we find on the tips of grass? If you find that, you will get the true dharma eye.

What this means is, how difficult or easy following the Dharma is, can only be answered by yourself. Hard? Easy? The Dharma unfolds like a flower. My understanding of the Noble Truths twenty years ago was not wrong, but today I have a deeper understanding. Next year, different maybe.

Hope this helps.

buddhajunkie

@vivalasteve

What is your practice currently? How long and frequently do you meditate? Sitting only? What type of concentration practice do you do?

I meditate twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for about 10-15 minutes each, but I try to meditate throughout the day too whenever I'm bored at work or sitting around at home, and usually sitting, yes. I do vipasanna meditation and I don't know what it's called but when I breathe in I think of a positive word and when I breathe out I think of a negative word like anxiety, fear, etc.

....

So in order to get to this next step, I just have to keep meditating, being mindful, etc and it will just happen on its own?

Okay, there's a lot you can do to go deeper into Vipassana.


- Stop doing the "positive word"/"negative word" thing! (Or at least keep that as a separate type of meditation.) In mindfulness meditation, you're supposed to be mindful of what you are feeling, not deliberately trying to take in good thoughts and force out bad ones. In fact, the type of meditation you are doing is not familiar to me as part of the Vipassana tradition.

When you go wordless (or reduce reduce the words), expect to see a much more distracted mind! And that's where the big insights are!

- Include into your practice meditating in blocks of 40 minutes or more. This is a key point since deeper concentration will assist in deeper insight. It is likened to starting a fire by rubbing sticks together. You can't keep putting down the sticks...

- Walking meditation. Do it. It's a great practice, and a great way to introduce deep mindfulness into a normal activity. But it also is useful for...

- Create your own personal meditation retreat: On a day where you have lots of spare time, meditate for around 3 hours. You can do this by alternating between sitting meditation and walking meditation (otherwise your butt and legs may get too sore). When you are comfortable with this, try an 8-hour long "retreat."

- Read an instruction guide on how to do insight meditation. My recommendation is this:

http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/mindfulness_in_plain_english.pdf


There are many more things, but this is a start. Keep us posted.