01:02 Meditate Together

16:00 If we see one aspect of reality clearly in mindfulness meditation and come to know suffering, impermanence and non-self and that is sufficient to know reality then why do we have to note of where our attention is when it deviates from noting the abdomen? Should we not just bring our attention back to the abdomen and keep it there again and again without noting or spending time outside attending to the abdomen rising and falling and noting those only?

17:51 If we try to keep the 8 precepts but break them regularly does this weaken our adhitthana? What are your recommendations for transitioning from successfully keeping the 5 precepts to developing the ability to keep the 8 precepts?

20:13 Since I've been living alone for a year, I've noticed my attention span is as short as a goldfish's, which makes it challenging for me to be mindful. Do you have any tips?

21:36 Is seeking suitable external conditions for meditation desire? Only mindfulness of desire leads to maladaptiveness. Particularly, I am referring conditions such as where to live or with whom to meet.

23:20 After a Vipassana session, except for a rare insight such as arising and passing of lust, I soon forget what else happened. My mind wanders a lot. Am I doing something wrong? Should I maintain a diary?

25:10 Is it realistic for a lay person to follow the precepts to perfection? Sometimes not lying could cause problems at work or with family. Not killing can be hard if your house is invaded by termites.

28:53 How do you deal with the closest people who disturb you every day? Do you just note seeing or disliking, or do you actually try to fix the problem? How do you know when to start addressing the issue?

30:59 Is the meditation on the individual body parts a part of the core practice? Is it good and beneficial to do, and if so, should it be done regularly?

32:44 Despite meditating for a while now, I have never been able to attain jhanas. Is it because I'm too distracted and indulge in sense pleasures? What do I need to do to attain deep insight?

35:09 I find it hard to be confident in what I've learned from experience. I often swing back and forth between decisions and determinations. Can you give advice on how to settle a fickle, wavering mind?

36:47 Is playing video games bad for meditation / mindfulness?

39:46 There is so much suffering in the world. What are some ways to share the teachings from the Satipatthana Sutta with people who aren’t Buddhist and have no desire to meditate?

42:53 Which fana should we stay in when not in retreat? For example, can we choose to stay always in Sankharupekkha-nana?

45:15 How do I become more mindful when I am feeling anxious?

46:15 I have OCD and this leads to a compulsion to count things and repeat math equations in my head over and over again. Should I note thinking, counting, or calculating? I notice it's worse when anxious.

48:05 Can bhanga Nana be experienced by someone that practices alone at home, and if so can it be scary?

49:36 The at-home course is on hold. Currently, formal practice is without the touching points, and mostly do the basic beginning instructions, this way I can do much more practice. Is this okay?

50:58 In meditation practice, I notice my aversions to work, struggle and my attachment to pleasure; though I keep noting it, I still find myself dragging my feet towards those aversions. Do you have any advice?

52:32 Just to be sure we are keeping the first precept correctly, what life forms are covered under living beings? We say plants are living but not sentient and therefore do not fall under this precept. But how do we know for sure that plants are insentient? Research shows that plants react positively and grow well in response to loving thoughts and conversely even wilter and die if ignored or treated unlovingly all else being equal. What about viruses, bacteria and other microbes that are destroyed by medical interventions... are they not living forms or are they too considered to be insentient like plants and if so why?

55:00 Can walking meditation be done anywhere (such as inside my home) or is there a requirement that it must be done outside?

56:17 What responsibility does a spiritual teacher bear if based on well intentioned but inaccurate information, sincere students access toward continued progress on the path is restricted? Could there still be traces of clinging and delusion to a particular view on the part of the teacher that causes this? And if yes, could the teacher be a stumbling block to such sincere students that leave the spiritual path as a result?

57:46 What is the purpose of a vipassana retreat? Should I go to it with intent, or a purpose?

58:40 How do I know if a question is a good question to ask, and should we not ask questions in order to surmount delusion and doubt?

 

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