I started my first 9 to 5 on the 6th of the month, which changed everything. By July 10th, I had stopped all formal sits, but increased off cushion practice. I started having trouble sleeping, and this would continue until 6 weeks into the job, when my body would finally adapt to the schedule. Despite this, I had stellar job performance, due in huge part to all the training I had done in recent months.
Throughout the month, I struggled with understanding the path itself, particularly the intersection of Right Lifestyle and Right View. Many false dichotomies arose: Buddhism vs Secular Materialism, Insight By the Nature Method vs Insight By Organized Training, Right Effort vs stressful striving, etc. Richard told me that once the mind is free of hindrances (which is roughly where I was at at this point), the task is to investigate the eightfold path as a whole.
I began to question the way forum participation was causing unneeded stress, and decided to take a break from it. I noticed that despite huge improvements in multiple areas, the intensity of my libido and obsessive thinking had not abated. This would set the stage for later techniques that would begin to work (in September).
On July 23rd, I was having a conversation with DreamWalker when he said that “selfing processes have 3 characteristics: permanency, satisfactoriness, and self-ness.” A voice inside my head whispered “stop organizing your reality.” Objects in my visual and auditory surroundings started rapidly vibrating out of synch with the rest of the field. This marked the beginning of my first meditation shift involving big change to walking around perception, and the fifth major shift overall.
Throughout the month, I struggled with understanding the path itself, particularly the intersection of Right Lifestyle and Right View. Many false dichotomies arose: Buddhism vs Secular Materialism, Insight By the Nature Method vs Insight By Organized Training, Right Effort vs stressful striving, etc. Richard told me that once the mind is free of hindrances (which is roughly where I was at at this point), the task is to investigate the eightfold path as a whole.
I began to question the way forum participation was causing unneeded stress, and decided to take a break from it. I noticed that despite huge improvements in multiple areas, the intensity of my libido and obsessive thinking had not abated. This would set the stage for later techniques that would begin to work (in September).
On July 23rd, I was having a conversation with DreamWalker when he said that “selfing processes have 3 characteristics: permanency, satisfactoriness, and self-ness.” A voice inside my head whispered “stop organizing your reality.” Objects in my visual and auditory surroundings started rapidly vibrating out of synch with the rest of the field. This marked the beginning of my first meditation shift involving big change to walking around perception, and the fifth major shift overall.
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