45. Sensations are Endless

[Question is asked…]

“So basically, this is another kind of meditation.”

[what the questioner is describing].

What happens when you ‘note’,

is that you’re not actually 6R-ing.

It’s the opposite.

35:48–37:58

You’re not letting go.

You are not releasing and relaxing.

When you put your attention

on every sensation that you have,

you have to understand:

This is endless.

Whatever sensations in your body,

that you’re trying to put your attention on,

there’s always going to be more,

and there’s only going to be deeper,

and there’s only going to be more sensitive.

And if you take that route,

you’re basically practicing the opposite

of what we’re practicing.

You’re practicing to go in,

and to focus on,

and to hone-in,

whereas, we’re teaching to open up the mind,

releasing and relaxing.

And so, as you do this

[Natural Samadhi meditation]

you’ll notice your whole body,

perhaps, with the Mettā, for example,

but you won’t focus on

any particular sensation.

I know because I practiced

this kind of meditation [‘noting’]

before, in the past, as well.

And that is one of the things that I noticed:

The more I focused

on a particular sensation

in a particular place,

the more I ‘noted’,

the more I noticed that there was a universe

of more things

that I could ‘note’

that I could put my attention and focus on.

And that is just not letting go.

It’s focussing on a particular point.

And that will narrow down the awareness.

It will not it will not open it up,

into a Sampajañña,

like an open awareness.

So, this is why

there’s a little bit of confusion, I think.

I’m not here to speak praise of one practice

or the other,

I’m offering my humble experience

and practice in this.

So, that it’s clear,

these are two very different approaches.