Dhamma / Q&A

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:16 Meditation Q&A
02:36 Meditate Together
15:39 What are the ways to be rooted in the present moment, apart from verbalizing mentally?
20:13 When I meditate I will notice that I'm distracted by thought, and I note “that was a thought about the past" or future, but I'm struggling to return to and sit with just sensation without words. Do you have any advice?
22:32 Can mindfulness aid in understanding other people's hidden motives when communicating with them, and help one become less naive or childlike?
24:26 Is the mindful moment I obtain forcefully different from the mindful moment I obtain naturally? Is it correct that meditating correctly creates merits?
28:23 I sometimes feel very low energy, to the point where I can't move and sometimes can't get out of bed. I meditate and try to be mindful most the day but nothing seems to help. Any advice?
33:31 By the same way that I put my attention in the movement of the Stomach while saying mentally rising/ falling, when I feel fear I will say, "fear fear" mentally but should I put my attention in the whole body not on the stomach?
34:48 Can you explain the mental narrator of physical and mental actions? It can sometimes feel very claustrophobic and schizophrenic when the actions I complete are narrated and judged upon in this mind.
36:42 When you have reached the root of just being, what does it then mean that the subject awakens to itself?
38:39 Is there a connection between meditation and loss of memories? I have noticed both loss of memory and planning and picturing the future.
40:04 How do I stop stress eating?
42:53 Is there a reliable way to determine what will lead to true liberation beyond short term personal preference? How can one know what interpretations to trust, given we all start at ignorance?
45:27 Is there a concept of recklessness in the first precept? I go for a long mindful walk every day knowing that there is a chance I might step on small ants and bugs by accident.
46:30 Is reflection useful in meditation for professional growth? Is there any art of reflection?
47:45 Every time I use a mantra to focus on an object, my focus goes on the mantra itself, not on the object but on me saying the mantra in my head, and it's very difficult to focus on the object. Do you have any advice?
55:20 When I meditate, I often get curious about "who" or "what" is directing my attention. This can sometimes cause disturbance as if I don't know myself on a fundamental level. Is this seeing non-self?
56:56 Sometimes when the feeling is intense, I look at myself in third person and the feeling as a separate entity, which then brings some clarity. Are these and other techniques skillful with noting practice?
59:36 When I note my fear, and say to myself "fear, fear" how does it help that the fear goes away? Isn't it much more helpful if I analyze the fear and try to change a belief?
1:02:27 How does one go about mindfully discerning delusions from one seeing everything in an empty perspective?
1:03:24 I've been noting for a long time and I've noticed that in sexual practices, early on a feeling of passion with pleasure would arise, but after noting there is nothing intrinsically pleasurable about the act and the feeling that arises. Sometimes the feeling no longer arises and it seems as if sexual activity is odd and futile and I wonder if it it's possible to partake in the act without the feeling. Is this correct perspective or am I reading too much into it?
1:04:30 How do I really remember something when studying, if only seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking runs in my mind?
1:05:11 As a beginning meditator, what guideposts should one look for to help with progressing in their meditation?
1:08:37 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:54 Meditate Together
15:44 Is it enough for cultivating awareness to know you're breathing in and out?
17:44 How can you help a partner or family member who's depressed but doesn't want to meditate? Other than being a good example for them, is there anything you can do, other than being mindful?
20:08 I am a lay person and do not wish to be enlightened. However, I do wish for a more peaceful life and rebirth. Should I focus on cultivating the brahmaviharas jhanas rather than dry insight noting?
23:40 When doing samatha meditation, are we missing out on the information that we get when practicing Satipatthana vipassana? Is it important to know the types of experiences that we note or only to see the three characteristics?
24:39 Is it normal if by meditation you lose the appreciation and judgement of abstract concepts like love, compassion, honor etc. or am I doing something wrong, or Is it Some mental disorder?
26:55 During my daily meditation practice I experience a lot of Nihilism in daily life. Is this a result of being young, as I'm just twenty-three, or should I do something different?
29:07 I am addicted to Tiktok/music reels and I keep scrolling all day. I am addicted to the point where I neglected my meditation practice for days. How can I stop this addiction and start being mindful?
31:46 It's not intentional, but is it bad karma if I bike or run, etc. since bugs end up dying? I sometimes see them a split second before (unintentionally) trampling them. Would it be better to do it indoors?
33:28 Thoughts are karmically potent. Are mental formations on concepts “studying nature" such as quantum physics, neuroscience.... unwholesome? Does this create attachment, ignorance, delusion necessarily?
35:21 How does one not get depressed by seeing the three characteristics? Besides noting "depressed", can you have a conceptual framework?
37:04 I struggle to tell my husband that he needs to work around the house and children. He doesn't want to do that and we end up fighting. How can I avoid this vicious cycle?
49:04 Is it harmful in some way to meditate without first having strong sila and right view?
53:13 Assuming a situation where due to some bad past actions someone is in a situation where he is always on the run from authorities or has legal troubles, a lot of anxiety. Do you have any advice for meditation?
57:16 When meditating sometimes it triggers anxiety on how unrelaxed the breath seems, when focusing on the breath as an object of meditation. Sometimes I notice I am breathing from the top of the chest rather than the stomach and this also happens. What should I do?
1:00:33 How do we deal with making choices such as choosing clothing, meals, work after seeing the three characteristics? Beyond wholesomeness, what do we base our choices on when preferences fall away?
1:03:43 How can I deal with frightening experiences which come up with intense meditation and rapture, making me resistant In my meditation in order to not experience those things again?
1:06:10 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:57 Meditate Together
15:54 When going through daily life and being mindful, will wise decisions come by themselves or do we have to intentionally try to be wise in some way? Like if I sit being mindful, should I keep doing that until some obviously wise action comes to mind, or is it something you have to actually still deliberately think about?
18:06 I am a lay-person and I am also responsible for my elder mentally-challenged sister. Sometimes, thoughts of getting enlightened before her death bother me. Any advice?
19:04 I've always been unmotivated in life but, after meditating for a while, I no longer feel like it's worth it: to go to the doctor, work, clean, shower regularly, or socialize. Am I doing something wrong?
20:35 I drifted away from my practice, as life was getting too busy and stressful. I noted on this but still succumbed to my luxury desires. They feel like addictions that help me cope. How dol beat this?
23:35 Negative thoughts of harming myself or others enter my mind. These thoughts are often directed toward family members and loved ones. Any advice on how to deal with such thoughts?
25:45 I have psychosis. Now I take Supplements, which helps me a lot, but interferes with practice. I don't want to quit them because of the benefits. Should I continue practice even if it's harder to see clearly?
27:58 There is a tension in the body and a huge anger about the tension. Both are very persistent. Is it reasonable to keep acknowledging the anger, or rather to try to focus on the tension itself?
29:22 Is meditating by listening to the sound of the breath used to gain Samatha or vipasanna?
31:23 In daily life, I recognize that I often don't know what I think, and only when I'm home at the end of the day can I analyse what I might have been thinking. Any advice on noting "thinking" at the moment?
33:06 Can one's diet hinder or help one's daily meditation practice? Would you recommend eating more natural foods over processed ones?
34:10 I find it hard to focus while sitting upright due to a medical condition, and have found that laying on the floor has led to more fruitful practice. Is this appropriate? Not done to escape discomfort.
35:53 What is the next teaching after knowing the five hindrances and noting the senses?
37:15 I find myself using the word "liking" and "wanting" for the overwhelming majority of my practice and rarely using any other words. Is this a problem? Should I be trying to note more of the details?
38:04 After about thirty minutes in meditation, my foot always starts to "Sleep". I don't know what I'm noticing. Any suggestions?
38:42 A number of very coarse people now live directly opposite my front door. On weekends, they loiter about and shout. I experience violent aversion to them.
41:10 What is the difference between sati (reminding oneself) and awareness?
43:07 Should I move more slowly throughout the day with my muscles and joints completely relaxed (as part of maintaining the stillness and equanimity) as it is described in Mahasi Sayadaw tradition?
44:19 What do you think about the Book of the Dead? It said in the book that even a lay-person can achieve enlightenment upon death if they heard its teaching and had faith itn it.
45:14 Should I label Upeksha if I'm not sure whether what I'm experiencing is truly Upeksha? What Is the defining characteristic of Upeksha?
46:33 How does one find a balance between being strategic and logical versus being empathetic?
48:05 With supermundane foresight it is noted as "seeing" if seen. What is the point of the supermundane to Buddhists? I remember it referred to as a distraction to the practice.
51:33 Are monks receptive to compliments or is acompliment a distraction?
54:52 Do I need to decide how to dispose of my earthly possessions before I die? Are they a distraction for those who survive me?
56:21 Does using labeling to prevent running thoughts also lead to Jhana?
58:00 Is it necessary to do walking meditation when I walk a lot at work?

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:59 Meditate Together
16:00 Does this teaching allow for people to be happy in a mundane way? I've been eating in moderation for some time, which is uncommon, and felt happy. I reflected that maybe it isn't beneficial for me to feel this happiness, because it is impermanent and unsatisfactory.
19:29 When I sit to meditate, I keep thinking, "I have no idea what I'm doing anymore." How do I refocus? What intentions should I try generating?
20:52 I feel like mindfulness has made my life worse. I know no matter how successful, I will never be satisfied. I feel less motivated in my career. Advice for lay people who need to work for their family?
26:23 I can never concentrate; neither while studying, nor meditating. My mind is a complete wreck. Where should I start? I am new to meditation.
28:32 I have trouble with indulging in entertainment. I try to be mindful during these times, but I find myself repeating the same cycles. I would rather spend my time in meditation. Do you have any advice?
30:24 Why ts it that we can feel "burned out" after a meditation session?
32:01 How do I deal with heavy feeling Sankharas coming up all over my body? Usually I practice anapanasati, but I wonder if there is any way to help break up the tension. It's so dense now.
35:33 I'm very new to Buddhism and Meditation. When focusing on breath the mind goes from breath to other distractions. Should one focus on the distraction until able to focus again on the breath?
36:36 Is there any benefit in fasting? I've been thinking of doing it.
37:35 Is depression a real experience? Or is this a conceptual extrapolation?
39:05 Is socializing inherently unwholesome? It is inseparable from the realm of concepts, reifying self... therefore delusion. Will this always proliferate ignorance and bad karma?
41:02 Why does action based on craving cause rebirth, but Chanda (wholesome intention) does not cause rebirth?
42:48 Why are unvaccinated indivduals not allowed to attend meditation courses at your meditation center?
44:32 Is it better to hurry through our daily tasks in order to get an hour of meditation in, or should we prioritize being mindful in our tasks, even if it eats into our formal practice time?
45:46 I got asked what we mean by "mind" when I told others about our practice, as in "curing sickness in the mind" or "sending the mind to the stomach". I was unsure. Any advice on how to answer?
48:40 Is working at an online gambling business counter to right livelihood?
51:52 Can we meditate lying down or with eyes open?
52:24 How can one console a person who had their baby but it died before birth? Why could such thing happen?
56:10 I have a social phobia, and every time I am around people, my mind automatically watches the people around me, but I am not watching them directly. My question is: what Should I note?
57:40 Is it recommended to practice Samatha meditation directly before practicing vipassana meditation?
58:46 Is it OK to be aware of the stomach as it rises and falls during meditation? I find when I say the words rising falling internally I go on autopilot and can become distracted.
1:00:36 Some drinks contain very little alcohol (Kombucha, Orange Juice). One would have to drink so much that the stomach evacuates before any noticable effect of drunkenness. Are these foods problematic?

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:27 Meditate Together
15:39 Is it OK to focus on the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path during meditation?
18:52 When applying mindfulness after and during an argument, I note anger, irritation and upset both at myself and others. Should I try to understand my reactions or just try to stop and shun them?
20:06 Is observing the precepts and spiritual practice enough to stop the accumulation of negative karma is this lifetime in lay life, or is there more required?
22:46 While doing mental work that deals with words, concepts, etc. I can note posture but I can't note "thinking", despite most salient object. In theory, is it impossible to note thinking while thinking, because we use the 6th sense to note thinking -- are they exclusive? Should I always note posture when doing mental work because it is not exclusive to thinking?
24:30 I notice that my mind moves from mindfulness to losing mindfulness and back like a yo-yo unless I’m in a state of absorption. Is this the best one can hope for on the eight-fold path in lay life?
25:46 During meditation, I feel a desire to start noting sensations faster and I feel that the need to name sensations slows me down. Can I speed up in noting sensations?
28:09 Can you teach us how Buddhism views addiction? During meditation, I notice I have many different kinds of addictions that feel powerful. Will they diminish with practice?
31:06 I struggle with defilements of the mind. Partaking in my defilements causes me suffering, and aversion also causes me suffering. Is it true that abstinence and mindfulness will get rid of my defilements?
32:51 Since I practice satipatthana, I noticed that I have lesser defilements and more happiness. Does practicing meditation help one to achieve worldly pursuits as well, like building wealth, career, etc?
33:45 What is the suggested response, from the Buddhist perspective, to social injustice in the world?
38:43 Do you know any sotapanna or even arahants? How rare are they? What hope do lay people have if most full-time monks-for-decades haven't attained these?
39:44 I've been obsessed with a person for 6 years and have tried so much to get their attention, impress them... but they don't even care about me and even so, I can't let go. Any advice for unrequited love?
42:01 Are wholesome and unwholesome emotions related to good karma and bad karma?
42:55 Since one does not control the arising of cittas at the moment, do past negative tendencies that produce unwholesome cittas accumulate negative consequences?
44:56 As craving is the cause for suffering, when around non-Buddhists who indulge in craving as a way of life, I feel the pull towards craving (fear of missing out). Should I not interact with them until I get rid of craving?
47:45 If a cula-sotapanna would end up in the animal realm after attaining rebirth as a god, would that cula-sotapanna be able to very easily attain the precious human rebirth?
51:39 In meditation I sometimes don't stop to think or thinking arises and ceases, but I don't notice that and it lasts the whole meditation. What Should I do? Should I go back to the abdomen or watch it?
54:07 I have fear socially, and I become stiff and awkward. I've done a bad deed in the past and I fear how others will perceive me. How am I ever going to be free from social anxiety?
56:12 During my meditation, I find more liking with tracking my breath, the in-and-out of the breath, without saying "rising" and "falling". Is that OK, or should I continue with the noting?

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00:00 Meditation Q&A Starting Soon
01:52 Meditate Together
15:28 To further support my mindfulness meditation practice, can I sleep on my side as the Buddha did for lying meditation? I am not ready for sleeping upright. But I would like to expand my practice of the 8 precepts, if this can help my mindfulness overall.
17:39 I was at a children's dance competition, unaccompanied, with one hour waiting time before the start. How to be mindful and what to note while waiting at my seat? I did not know where to look without appearing inappropriate (ex. closing my eyes, looking down at the floor). There were many people as well as lights and advertisements flashing from different directions.
18:32 Why should we be more precise than noting feeling? Why not "feeling feeling" instead of "rising falling”
20:59 I want to get in better physical shape, but I crave a lot of junk food and sweets. How do I manage my cravings? It seems like just noting "craving" doesn't work.
24:24 Sometimes there Is very strong hatred towards my body and it becomes nearly impossible to not act on these feelings of anger by doing harmful things to myself. How can I get out of this cycle?
26:09 For an activity involving pleasure, can we separate "enjoyment" (in the moment) from the "liking", as in can I still "enjoy" an activity without "liking" (compartmentalising) and "attaching" to it?
29:43 In your booklet, you advised entertainment should be in moderation. Is sexual activity in moderation okay too?
32:21 I lost someone I loved a year ago and I turned to meditation and soon went away from meditation when things got better. I realized that I only turned to meditation when I'm going through a lot of suffering. How can I make meditation a regular habit without it being subject to condition?
35:54 To practice mindfulness in daily life, what is the guiding principle for where one puts attention? Is breath always the anchor, with awareness on other sensations as they arise, exist, then pass away?
36:51 Every time I've tried to meditate I immediately get restless and can't focus on the meditation. I start thinking about stuff I have to do, etc. Any recommendations for people with ADHD?
39:44 Is it OK to utilize craving and desire to motivate oneself? I sometimes feel that the potential penalty of suffering is still worth the boost in energy and action.
41:27 When I am around a girl that I love in my class, I go crazy and lose my mindfulness. If I confess my love to her, there's a high chance her parents would punish me (I am from India). What should I do?
44:09 I feel it's very difficult to practice mindfulness all day without giving into craving. It seems to not improve. What can support my practice?
45:58 I have heard a monk Say it is best to meditate with eyes open slightly as it reduces the images that will often come up in meditation when eyes are closed. Do you see any disadvantage with this?
48:03 Are there gains in life through meditation practice even if one does not become a sotapanna in this lifetime?
50:13 How do we go about letting go of very strong attachments to people we develop?
52:04 Why do I feel guilty If I miss my meditation?
52:45 How do I be mindful when extremely sick and feel like I don’t have the stamina to be mindful?
54:07 Can we meditate on the image of the Buddha? Is it right meditation because seeing Buddha's image brings some calmness and tranquility on the mind?
55:14 Ever since I committed to keep the eight precepts, when I change my mind and go back to just the five, I lose a lot of peace of mind and go back to indulgence. Is this a sign I Should go back to eight precepts?
56:08 Whenever I begin to note the rising, I feel my jaw start to tense up. I note the tension and it relaxes. But the tension always comes back. I find it distracting, do you have any advice?
58:49 I have encountered entities during altered states. Are they generated by my mind? Will mindfulness make them go away?
1:00:41 I've noticed that feelings arise without my effort and it's not up to me, but I sometimes think, "should I consciously cultivate an environment that arises wholesome feelings or I should suffer through?"
1:02:34 In vipassana meditation, there is always a surge of emotions within the body on a daily basis. I observe it and it goes then comes back, over and over. What to do from here?
1:05:13 I’ve been sick with a condition and stuck in my house for a year. I’m someone who still lives a normal Western life, and I have many attachments. How much would you recommend I meditate?
1:06:27 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:07 Meditate Together
15:47 If we're practising in very cold weather would you recommend practising in thick socks or shoes?
16:38 How can someone prepare for the foundation course? I am almost finishing up my at-home course with a decent amount of dedication and concentration, but I feel like I am way behind in my practice as I expected to be at this stage. What are the things a student can lack in achieving strong will and calmness?
19:46 Is it possible to advance on the path to any significant extent by spending 20 to 30 minutes each day meditating? Or do you sooner or later have to increase the time spent meditating each day?
22:42 How do I stay in a meditative state durning a meeting with someone? Should I note seeing, hearing etc., during the conversation?
25:38 My spouse is soon going to leave me. The thought of living mostly in solitude is very frightening. I think this is going to be a hindrance. Do you have any advice?
30:07 When I note, I see that ill will, sensory desire, and restlessness eventually fades away. However, noting does not help with sloth and torpor, why? Should I practice yoga breathing before meditation for energy?
33:03 Is ordination always the most conducive option to practice the teachings?
34:13 When focusing on the stomach during meditation, sometimes I wonder what to focus on. When I focus on the muscles and the movements, in doing this sometimes I skip a breath. Do you have any advice on how to handle this?
37:17 I understand the reason for noting, but sometimes it feels artificial due to using words, as language is a construct and I feel aversion in noting it. I wonder if not noting and just being aware is more natural. Is this attachment to shamatha practice, where there are no words? Will noting using words one day feel "natural"? Should I have faith in this to overcome all my doubts?
43:14 If I have a lot of life challenges (trauma) that I didn’t consciously choose, from the perspective of karma, what is your suggestion on what is the attitude around karma?
45:19 Could you give any specific advice about the best way of meditating when you frequently wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, but your mind is foggy?
47:07 Telling the truth to people can make them angry or defensive and they suffer because of it. If I agree with them, then I am lying to them and they will keep suffering. Do you have advice on dealing with delusions?
48:34 My short term memory is really bad. I have difficult memorizing even small sentences and I have mind fog all the time. How can I solve this?
49:54 I practice Anapana and Vipassana, however I find that my mind wanders much more during Vipassana than Anapana, even though both involve observing sensations. How should I work on focusing better?
51:51 After a recent bereavement, I found it impossible to sit in meditation (breath and body scan). Does this mean that meditation requires a somewhat stable state of mind?
54:32 What advice would you give to someone from India who wishes to pursue the life of a Bhikkhuni in the Theravada tradition?
57:09 How can I increase my level of dopamine by practicing meditation? What kind of meditation can replace low-level dopamine?
59:04 I see that saying "I am envious" kind of gives power to the emotion, while eliminating the label and just looking at it seems to be relieving. Why is that and why would be recommended to use labelling?
1:02:33 Questions & Answers Ends Now

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00:00 Welcome
01:43 Meditate Together
15:35 What meditation techniques do you recommend?
16:59 I have a harder time to remember to note and be mindful when I'm not doing my sit/walk practice while I am moving around my daily activities. Do you have a recommendation on how to come back to the noting?
21:32 There seems to be a fine line between ignorance and trying to attain non-perception during meditation. How can I better tell the difference?
25:52 When I sit and focus on my breath during noting meditation I sometimes experience strong feelings of joy, lightness and expansive consciousness. I often note using these labels. Is that right?
26:57 What is the difference between being content and mindful and actual meditation? Why not just be meditative throughout the day?
29:52 What advice would you give to someone who tries to escape reality a lot?
32:18 I notice that when “seeing”, my mind becomes uncomfortable with the flowing out, and sense of a lack of boundedness; the seeing can just go on an on without a single object. It seems the appropriate response is to note “discomfort” or “uneasy”. Do you have any way to help me with “seeing” being “just seeing”?
34:49 How can we be mindful during the dying process? What happens if one Succeeds in noting the foundations of mindfulness throughout the dying process either partially or fully?
38:22 How do you improve equanimity? While meditating, after some time, the pain causes loss of equanimity.
40:14 I’ve heard you mention before that if you're mindful, you only need six hours sleep. Can you provide more information about why that is?
43:04 How can a person be a renunciate without going into robes?
46:50 What sort of explanation can Buddhism give to a near death experience?
51:15 In life, we set goals to accomplish. The hindrance of liking seems like goals, and I am confused between liking and goals. Can you help me understand the difference?
54:16 When meditating intensely in periods, I experience that people talking to me ask if I understand their questions or become annoyed because I don't react to them. What can I do?
56:43 I probably owe more in taxes than what I have paid in the past, mostly due to negligence or ignorance, not intentional tax fraud. Would it be “dredging up the past" to redo them to pay what I owe?
58:02 After a longer period of vipassana meditation every day I am now not SO constant anymore and I am worried about it and see how uncontrollable it is to be constant. Any advice to get back on track?
59:22 Noticing my thoughts constantly make me tired. Is it okay if I allow all of my thoughts to flow through my mind, instead of noticing them?
1:00:39 Questions & Answers Ends Now

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00:00 Welcome
02:15 Meditate Together
15:17 During sitting meditation, I have noticed that my breathing is not always abdominal and that the more prominent sensation of expansion and contraction varies in its location. I would like to know if I should choose a specific area of the abdomen to focus on or if it is appropriate to pay attention to the more prominent sensation of expansion of the breath, regardless of where it arises in the torso.
16:43 Could you explain the meaning of the term "kaya-gata-sati" and its relation to meditation?
18:05 I get very drawn in to projects that take a lot of time and commitment. The end result feels rewarding and that I've been of value. Should I have spent the time meditating instead?
19:50 In the context of the third precept what is meant by "protected by any relative"? Does it mean a person kept as a virgin by parents, or living with parents or having rent paid?
22:05 How do you explain people who are disciplined, focused, and stoic without any practice in mindfulness? Sometimes I get jealous because I meditate but they suffer less without needing to.
27:19 Does indulging in sense pleasures hinder my practice?
31:00 I used to meditate and left meditation for so long now. I've been trying to get back into meditation, but I find it difficult to be persistent because I prefer to be doing something else. Any advice?
31:54 What are the benefits of keeping 8 precepts in lay life? I hear some people say it is good for spiritual progress and others Say it is unnecessary and extreme. What do you recommend for lay people?
34:23 What is the best way to express gratitude when visiting a venerable monk in person? I feel very shy and unsure if I will say the right thing. I don't want to miss the chance to express gratitude.
37:40 Does one eat and drink out of attachment? That is, if we eat and drink to sustain ourselves and do not Starve to death out of attachment. It does definitely seem like a wrong view; I just cannot think of why.
42:56 My mind is somehow activating during meditation. It is not just thinking or distracted, I think. I try to observe this. Should I go back to the abodomen and ignore it?
46:13 I'm 13 and I see some kids doing very bad things like vaping. I don't want to report them because I don't want to cause them suffering, but isn't reporting them the right thing to do? What should I do?
56:26 I am finally getting the gist of meditation. I want to try to meditate for a longer period. Is it recommended for a beginner without a teacher (e.g., 6 hours)?
57:57 During sitting meditation, I try to note any distractions that arise including happiness, anger, disliking, etc. But I am having trouble proceeding through the touching points. Do you have any advice?
1:00:13 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
02:31 Meditate Together
15:43 In the Satipatthana Sutta we read: when sitting, he discern "I am sitting," and we label "sitting". Would it be correct to infer the following: when you breathe in, you discern "I am breathing in" and we label it as an in-breath. That is, theoretically change the rising and falling of the abdomen to the fact that you know and are aware that your body is breathing in or out in the present moment and label it accordingly.
19:14 If I let every thought come into my mind and mess around with anything they want during my meditation, then when am I going to tame my mind? Didn't Buddha say, “Those who control their mind will be free from the bonds of Mara?"
23:20 Is mindfulness when we note the activities that we are doing? For example, is it sufficient to say "typing at computer", "standing up", “eating apple" etc?
25:17 Would you talk about physical pain from long sits? Ignore it? Find a better posture?
28:51 When I’m anxious, I fidget and pinch myself with my finger nails without realizing it. How do I deal with this habit?
30:30 I've got an intellectual understanding of my own addiction patterns through mindfulness and journalling. How should I break these cycles, though, if they are ruining my life?
35:52 Some images about topics which make me anxious were arising and passing when I was noting the abdomen. Should I note ‘seeing seeing’? But they were arising and passing quickly.
37:16 How can I overcome my fears and take initial step on my goals?
38:55 I severed ties to my father due to a history of conflict and abuse with him. I have cut him out of my life and feel free because of it, but other family keep reaching out to me. Should I let them go?
47:36 Can mindfulness lead one to become more agreeable over time and not assertive enough due to the peaceful mind state it generally produces?
50:26 I have kidney failure and have decided to stop dialysis and die. I have seen Nibbana through practicing the light Jhanas many years back. I stopped meditation and after a few cessations over the last few years, haven't been able to get into Samadhi due to pain, fatigue, lack of integrity and practice etc. How does one die well?
57:11 How can I overcome something if I always fall into indulgence in that moment? In that moment, it's always like "this is going to make me happy" and I fall into it every time no matter what I do.
1:02:03 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:03 Meditate Together
15:35 How can I be mindful without wanting/expecting a future benefit? I often find noting unenjoyable, but my desire for future benefit is why I do it.
18:35 What roughly should be the proportion of time between practicing meditation compared to reading/listening to the Dhamma?
19:28 I may soon get a job where I drive long distance for many hours. What is the best way to stay mindful while driving, while still maintaining road Safety? Is noting "driving, driving" too ambiguous?
20:57 Are retreats neccessary to progress on the path, or can one progress just as effectively without retreats as a layperson?
22:36 My living situation isn't great. There's noise from neighbours TV, music, chatter, etc. With background music I'm undisturbed, but I can't meditate. "Hearing" doesn't work as sound is permanent. Advice?
26:17 I try to be mindful as much as possible during the day using the noting. I notice that whenever I have to talk to my female classmates I Stop noting and lust enters my mind. How can I be more mindful?
29:07 How much sleep is necessary as a layperson? Some Say three to four hours is enough.
29:57 What is the purpose of life? I have heard it is about finding meaning in life. Can you share your perspective so I can find my purpose or meaning in life?
36:12 Can one see evidence of nibbana in their mindfulness practice to help them feel more confident if committing to the practice?
40:42 Can we do meditation at night?
42:15 When meditating and watching thoughts of the monkey mind, that seems like a "higher self". What Is that? Is it just the mind split into two, or something?
43:57 Is Sotapatti Phalla attained at the Same moment as Sotapatti Magga? What is the view in the Mahasi tradition?
47:17 How does one respect and honor his/her teacher?
54:41 Until I can find a Buddhist community, are there any reflections that help solitude? My interactions with people condition me, leave me lost and doubt solitude until I watch your talks to bring clarity.
57:32 How can you tell that it is time to leave an abusive relationship (especially with parents)?
1:01:02 How do I remain mindful when I am procrastinating/don't want to do the work?
1:01:58 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
00:58 Meditate Together
16:32 If I do a two-month-long self-led retreat with your noting practice, is it possible that I can attain stream entry?
19:30 For a beginner in satipatthana Vipassana meditation method and Theravada Buddhism, where does one start to learn the Dnamma and not feel overwhelmed with the vast knowledge?
21:16 How do you let sound just be sound and not react to it?
22:29 I feel the expansion and contraction of my breath not only in the belly, but in the whole body, like a cylinder, in a strong way. Should I focus my attention on the whole body or only on the belly?
24:41 I am forgetful and seem to not know how to pick up on common sense ideas. Can mindfulness help?
25:52 If I don't have the possibility to go on retreat, how long do you recommend meditating daily at home?
27:31 Is there such a thing as too much meditation?
31:14 Walking brings wakefulness and sitting sometimes sleepiness. Is it okay to do 1 hour of walking in the morning and 1 hour sitting in the evening, instead of dividing 30/30?
32:55 Is the purpose of labeling the object of meditation to produce calmness (Samatha), or does it have another purpose?
34:39 What do you suggest when I note “wanting” that arises and then, after noting, it keeps coming back and I note again? Is there anything else to do, or just keep noting the repeated wanting?
36:30 I struggle being mindful outside formal meditation. I try to do as much as I can in formal meditation, but then it seem I am too tired to being mindful outside formal practice, any tips?
38:37 What causes the mind to become convinced of at least one of the three characteristics?
39:56 Do you teach asubha meditation? Is it okay to combine it with the Satipatthana meditation you teach?
40:46 If I recall correctly you mentioned that the Earth is not real, why does one need to be mindful of taking care of the environment?
44:27 I have been dealing with anger issues for the past few months, leading to bouts of sadness. I haven’t snapped at anyone yet and my job deals with bad customers. How can I manage my emotions better?
47:20 I have been working with an abusive father. He is not necessarily evil, but he is a difficult person to deal with. For some reason I feel like I am “giving up" if I leave him. Should I leave him?
50:43 Mindfulness has to do with remembering. Does it mean some people with neurological conditions like Severe amnesia are doomed and can't follow this path?
52:22 Is it helpful to bring up emotionally charged memories in meditation? The heaviness in my heart just seems to never go away. I feel like I need to go through some kind of catharsis.
55:30 If focused mental work mostly excludes mindfulness, is done without defilements, and is wholesome (right livelinood), is it still considered a hindrance to enlightenment? I have heard that an arahant couldn't work.
57:19 Is it normal for compassion meditation to make one sad at first?

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00:00 Meditation Q&A Starting Soon
01:16 Meditate Together
15:50 I have been meditating for about a month using mantras. I see that I am slowly getting dependent on meditation to live a life that I can tolerate... When I think of my meditation journey, I am afraid of depending my life on something. Can always depending on meditation be a good thing? If itis a good thing, how can I cultivate my mind so that I accept this dependence?
20:07 I go to school and all the other kids use harmful speech and do bad things. Instead of talking to them or spending time with them, I remain silent and keep to myself. Is what I'm doing right?
23:48 To what extent should sense restraint be developed before practicing meditation?
25:19 Does labeling have a positive impact on the development of panna? When we are labeling, can we Say we are observing with panna?
27:16 Even with the noting and naming, my mind wanders very often. I just Started this practice a month ago. Do you have any tips if I need to make any adjustments?
29:44 I have ADHD and have problems associated with that. Medication helps me concentrate better and that helps me meditate better as well. Is it wrong for me to meditate while taking medication?
31:48 Is there a way to help with tension? My tension in the jaws is literally moving my head in meditation and I hear my jaw clenching and crackling, and I'm a bit worried about that
32:58 How should we understand Sati? Is it focusing attention on the object to the exclusion of everything else, or is ita relaxed and open awareness in which a small part is focused on the object?
35:25 How does one go about being mindful of others testing and challenging one’s precepts beyond what might be one’s capacity to honor them?
37:08 During meditation, I will occasionally Slip into a state where I dream, but it doesn't have the same qualities as sleep, losing mindfulness. Inevitably it goes away and mindfulness returns. What shoud I do?
38:11 Is there a way to meditate without my legs going numb?
38:56 Can vipassana meditation make you more arrogant and angry? Sometimes I feel I am more angry than before when I did calming meditation or even when I didn't meditate at all.
43:19 While I label, I am also aware of the background of my consciousness. Should I continue labeling or how Should I proceed?
44:56 Should I meditate as much as possible if I have the time? I'm just getting so dispassionate about life through meditation that it feels like there's not much joy or point in engaging in senses too much.
46:32 Would it speed up progress to use willpower and force to keep the eight precepts?
47:22 Did you ever teach meditation to someone with some form of autism? How did it go and did you have to adapt the technique?
49:17 Pleasure and pain are intrinsically neither good nor bad. Why is it bad to suffer? Why should we wish to end suffering?
54:48 Should I note the experience going on as an experience or object of mediation where there is a watcher? Sometimes the experience just Is there with no experiencer.
55:56 Which would be more detrimental to the practice: intentionally killing a mosquito or indulging in a sexual act?
57:11 Mindfulness is better than maximizing pleasure. But being mindful is still all about myself. What is Buddhism's perspective on altruism? Why shouldn't I give altruism priority over my mindfulness?
1:00:00 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A Starting Soon
02:10 Meditate Together
15:46 Is there a stage of letting go that happens together with different stages of meditation? When one gets disenchanted with old habits, will they no longer arise?
18:51 Why do all my Karma, even from childhood, come up in my meditation time? I thought I had moved on from those mistakes and wrongdoings in my later life.
21:41 How long should I note an emotion if it doesn’t go away before returning to focus on the rising and falling of the stomach?
23:04 In walking meditation, I don't notice arising and ceasing of experience when stepping. Should I forget about that and just focus on the movement of walking?
23:54 When I do the metta meditation to a special person, will he receive it? Often I think about a person in meditation, then this person reaches out to me soon. Why ts that happening?
25:15 What are some of the steps one can take to ensure one practices daily?
26:27 Is the study of the texts imperative or Should one focus on the practice?
27:35 I heavily struggle with self-control, and I am unwilling to exert the slightest effort. When I make a choice I betray it hours after, could meditation help?
31:21 When sitting and keeping my hands in the lap I feel discomfort. However, when I hold my legs at the point where they are crossed, meditation is much easier. Is it appropriate doing so?
34:11 Can the insight knowledges be achieved at home by a layperson that practices intensively and holds the 5 or 8 precepts?
35:32 Are the volitional formations habitual? I have overcome wrong view but still slip into delusion alarmingly often.
37:43 How do you know that meditation is actually real and not the mind playing tricks?
41:59 Sometimes there Is rising and falling of experience and there is just the experience without the experiencer, is this right noting practice?
43:27 Should one not stop unwholesome emotions and thoughts when they arise like revenge and just note them as experiences or should one not entertain them and cultivate wholesome thoughts?
45:35 How do you live happily without anxious dependence upon the future?
46:28 Is it ethical to value one’s own Interests over others if done mindfully? To what extent is selfishness compatible with mindfulness?
51:19 Do I need to be a Buddhist to be a bhikkhuni nun?
52:17 If the mind doesn't exist, only momentary mindstates, then when we develop the 7 factors, a mind doesn't have 7 factors, rather, the factors may arise aS momentary mindstates. Is this correct?
54:29 Is the pineal gland relevant to meditation? Buddha usually has a mark between his eyebrows; does this have some value or importance?
56:19 Did the Buddha practice and teach the noting technique as we practice it? The closest sutta I've read, spoken words by the Buddha, is "let the seen be seen, heard be heard, etc."
58:02 In order to protect my pets and plants from pests, I spray them with various insecticides. The pests die when they come in contact with the substance. Is this considered as breaking the precept?
1:03:44 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:52 Meditate Together
15:53 How can I deliver a notion that I aquire in meditation practice with others, in order to deliver a message which is clear, trying to let the person with whom I interact feel a sense of security; in other words "at-ease"?
17:36 What thoughts can help me forgive my enemies and maybe, at some point, help them as well? When you give blessings to all living beings, can you keep your enemies in your prayers?
18:59 My meditation teacher says that all Buddhist monks from the West teach wrong. I used to like meditation, but since he proclaims this one right way to go, I feel a lot pressure meditating. Any advice?
23:45 If I'm seeing a picture in my mind while hearing a song in my mind and thinking about it, should I note seeing, hearing and thinking?
24:14 When I leave the rising and falling to note, say "angry", and then the physical component of "tense" becomes more clear, should I switch from noting angry to tense?
25:16 Is it very important to meditate in the morning and the evening? Morning and afternoon fits my schedule better.
25:55 Is it right to observe the nature of everything to be transient and so everything is 'worthless' or not of high value, but just cause and effects? It feels I am understanding something wrong here.
27:26 I am the victim of discrimination. Tell me how to respect the time I have to go forth until I am fully healed.
29:18 Do we never focus the breath at the nostril cavity because this is Samatha practice? Impermanence is seen in breath; cold in and warm out. So why not valid? This focus point can never lead to Nibbana?
31:04 Is it beneficial to note intentions to move foot during walking meditation?
32:27 How do you balance a worldy life with a spiritual one? I feel like a lot of people in my life rub against the Buddhist lifestyle, how can one balance personal boundaries and social inclusion?
34:17 You mentioned not jumping around with noting. But as one gets more practiced with noting, is it appropriate that one's skill is more developed and thus faster?
34:58 What kind of meditation centres should I seek out in my country when I follow this tradition? Should I look for Vipassana, for mentions of the venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, or anything else?
36:19 How much should one force the attention to stay with some object (e.g. pain or certain feeling, which is disliked) and not let the mind move to another object? Which objects are worth this?
37:49 Can meditation purify someone's mind?
39:09 If meditation is seeing what it is, the reality surrounding me, then how does it help motivate helping others?
43:04 When a line is crossed and people are treating us so badly because we never stand up for ourselves, is it Okay to be firmer than we ever have been before, when standing up for ourselves?
44:37 What's the difference between focusing attention on the movement of belly and having an open, non-selective awareness at the 6 sense doors during Vipassana meditation according to Mahasi Sayadaw?
46:52 I have noticed that noting twice or with two words (like "right foot", “left foot") enables me to notice a sensation arising then passing away; that is: impermanence. Is this to be developed?
49:36 Once we get to days of determination in our tradition more than once, is it possible for our mind-state to become unpure by coming back to a fast-paced society?
52:45 Is working as a psychiatrist and doing compulsory treatment on psychotic patients wrong livelihood since the Buddha says that any forced imprisoning is wrong? What about forced medication?
54:40 What's the difference between focusing attention on the movement of belly and having an open, non-selective awareness at the 6 sense doors during Vipassana meditation according to Mahasi Sayadaw?
55:05 What is the relationship between compassion and no-self? How can compassion arise when there could be nothing inherent to generate the compassion? Is it the mind to generate compassion?
56:39 What does an enlightened being note? Could thoughts arise? If there is an absence of thought, are us worldly practitioners that use thoughts, concepts to navigate life, condemned to samsara?
57:35 Is it a different degree of mindfulness or number of moments of mindfulness in daily life vs formal practice?
58:11 How to overcome falling asleep during sitting?
59:37 Do I correctly understand that attention becomes more open and inclusive (like an open awareness) as one progresses in the stages of perception according to the "Manual of Insight"?
1:01:32 Sadhu...

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00:00 Meditation Q&A Starting Soon
01:12 Meditate Together
15:41 Often during a formal session, I perceive that the mind is shifting altogether and changes structure at the physical level. When this happens, my vision arises inwards. It is possible that this is part of the purification of the mind; that the mind purifies itself at the physical level, when one meditates?
17:55 I am in a community that is catholic and I am not comfortable with things about Buddhism, but I can't really talk about my self without including Buddhism. Any advice?
22:01 Does metta practice lead to piti? I can't distinguish between the two feelings...maybe they are the same?
23:40 Currently put the at home course on hold. Should I continue with your last instruction? I saw In a video you mentioned something about progressing each instruction. Should it be discussed in Discord?
24:27 Why does our tradition dismiss the importance of Jhanas? Can ‘momentary jhana’ (that we practice) achieve the 8th jhana? Should we forget Jnanas altogether?
28:37 Does the timing of the noting of the breath matter? I tend to control the breath as I note instead of noting the rising and falling of the breath.
30:26 While awake and conscious, I experience incredible emotional pain. I want to escape and hide. Can you offer some relief from this?
33:22 How to deal with over-thinking?
35:25 Is it possible to have strong mindfulness and experience strong emotions? Sometimes, it seems that these abate on retreat. But in daily life showing emotion seems to be necessary, at least socially.
38:04 Should all thought be abandoned? Is the assumption: all discursive thought is unnecessary and ultimately everything is "resolved" by letting go and there is nothing in need of resolution through reasoning?
40:38 When noting an experience (like fear), we should also note the physical component (like tense) and also our reaction (disliking). But how to do this, given we can't note three things at the same time?
42:14 Is it possible to stay mindful during the day when your job involves thinking? I find it impossible to think and be mindful at the same time.
43:30 How do I deal with traumatic events that keep coming up during meditation?
47:13 Do you have any advice for dealing with abusive so-called friends? I know neither of these things are important, but we have a lot of fun together & I care for them, but I kind of want to cut them off.
51:31 I’ve experienced a few years of relatively quiet and mindful living. But lately there has been a desire for more activity. Could this be another cycle of Samsara?
52:30 Sometimes when meditating, I experience what I believe are microdreams; images that last a few seconds and the transition is instantanous. I don't fall sleep. Is this significant, or just lack of sleep?
54:27 Would you explain the difference between bhava and jati in the Paticcasamuppada?
56:26 My work requires a lot of analysis and reasoning, thus during meditation I often have to note "thinking" and "distracted". Besides changing careers, what can I do to aid concentration on the present?
59:23 How to deal with denial? Especially when someone realizes that they were in a denial mode? What can meditation teach us about it?
1:01:46 Sadhu...

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00:00 Meditation Q&A
01:52 Meditate Together
15:45 When a song or image or memory is stuck in your head, do you note thinking, or hearing/seeing?
16:13 I am facing a lot of failures in life right now. I struggle to get a job, my parents lost all wealth and need my support, my girlfriend left me. I keep trying hard, but its getting harder. Any advice?
23:21 When I note, I notice I reflexively mouth the words of the noting, making it hard to stay at the stomach when noting rising, falling. Am I doing something wrong or do I accept it as out of my control?
24:40 Does one know when Buddha Meitreya will come? Can we wish to meet him in the Metta meditation?
26:32 Are sankharas the cause of rebirth?
29:22 What books do you recommend I start reading on Buddhism?
31:56 I have an upcoming event that’s making me anxious. I keep thinking about it. How do I stop myself from always thinking about it?
35:28 Following an intensive retreat, I feel anxiety, huge tension in different parts of body and lot of fear. In meditation, it is possible to watch them. But what to do outside of practice? It's overwhelming.
39:51 I think I'm in a position now where I can safely ween off antidepressants with assistance from my doctor. Is this required before I do an at home course, or should I jump right in now?
43:03 I am very scared of cockroaches. Every time I see one I run away. Any advice?
47:09 With mindfulness I was able to keep my environment clean and tidy for the first time. How best may I apply the same to procrastination? I would like to be able to get things done, mindfully.
50:20 Is the noting practice you teach best understood as a form of sense restraint?
51:55 Are existential threats to the environment something we as meditators should think about, or is it another distraction?
54:12 There seem to be studies that show that positivity or good moods can lead to happiness long term. But you said that happiness doesn't cause happiness, that goodness does. Why could those results be?
1:04:54 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:57 Meditate Together
14:54 My dog died. How do I get over the grief and sorrow?
24:50 If I am happy, I note 'happy' and the sensations that arise. But I can’t see/note dukkha in those moments. Thus is dukkha just a concept and not real?
32:10 When thinking doesn't stop for long time, should I go back to the stomach or stay with thinking all the time?
33:23 How to balance concentration and effort?
37:50 How can I return to the practice? I had broken a 2 year long habit of meditation of about an hour or two, but now have not meditated consistently for over 7 months. Any advice? I stay mindful at times.
41:34 I am slowly letting go of media filled with sex, violence and high sensual desires. But whenever I come across it again, my mind becomes turbulent. Am I doing something wrong?
43:23 Awareness, during meditation allows us to notice the rising of thoughts and letting them go. Of course, by thoughts I also mean emotions, perceptions and sensations. Is that the purpose of practice?
46:01 I still control my abdomen rising/falling, with my muscles pulling itin and pushing out; also it is uncomfortable. Does it get more smooth with time?
49:44 A neighbor plays extremely loud music often. The authorities have been involved but it persists. It prevents meditation due to its severity. I fear talking to him. What is a Buddhist to do?
52:55 What basic teachings of Buddhism is recomended to know for practicing vipassana meditation?
53:35 I suffer from the thought that at any point in time, there is immeasurable suffering being experienced by humans & animals. I understand it's a thought but the suffering is true. How to reconcile?
54:22 Are there some drawbacks of using a mantra in vipassana meditation?
55:24 I didn't apologize to someone for reacting angrily to them, because I didn't want to encourage their original and more egregious wrong. Does that sound reasonable? Things seem to have blown over anyway.
56:22 I have been struggling with doubt during meditation for many months, to the extent that I doubt I am doubting, and don't know what I am feeling at some times. Would you have any advice?
57:01 When the rising & falling feels forced, should I say "feeling" and focus on the physical feeling? Or should I say "knowing" and focus on the mental awareness of it feeling forced? Or are both fine?
57:41 Since I started with meditation, I can feel other peoples energy, but they can’t feel bad vibes as strongly as me et cetera. Why can’t they, and why do I become sensitive to other people's energies?
1:00:40 Sadhu...

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00:00 Meditation Q&A
04:09 Meditate Together
15:13 How can I note thoughts that lead me to more confusion during the meditation and correct them later or use wisdom to learn from them? If I just keep noting, do I not get any new insights for myself?
19:06 How do I get rid of lust? The hardest attatchment for me to get rid of is sex. I'm trying to be celibate, but it's very hard because of how over sexualised society is and societal pressure, et cetera.
26:53 Sometimes while working, I get distracted by the hindrance of dullness. I note the tiredness but it takes over and sometimes I’m forced to listen to music to gain energy. How do I deal with this?
28:57 I find the thought of meditation boring. I understand the benefits but the resistance behind the thought of its boringness often prevents me from practicing on my own. How can I overcome this?
31:50 Sometimes I get thoughts about important stuff from daily life and I make decisions during meditation and they are really important. Even if I note, I go back to making decisions. What should I do?
35:16 In meditation sometimes I am angry, and then angry that I am angry. How can one let go or overcome anger or sadness like this? By seeing the three characteristics? When wanting something, is it important why?
40:59 How can I let go of obsessive thinking about a person who rejected me? I feel addicted and my energy goes there during meditation. How can I label it?
44:35 If not in the mind, where do we note the rising and falling of the breath?
45:13 All I can do is 10 minutes per day (5 walk, 5 sit). I made a resolution of it and I am sticking to this to build the habit. I try to never skip, but it's still tough many times. Is it OK for the moment?
49:52 Should we practice reflection about Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Is it helpful?
52:38 I've communicated some thoughtless, stress-induced thoughts to some business partners and I fear it has affected their respect for me. I feel ashamed. How can I overcome this?
55:50 Sometimes I get very tired and it becomes hard to do sitting meditation. Should I switch to lying meditation or just label ‘tired’ and is there any way to avoid sleeping during lying meditation?
56:52 Is there a concept of an eternal self in Buddhism? Or is that impermanent like everything else?
58:04 I might get invited in front of a class of teenage pupils to introduce Buddhism. What could I talk about to make this fruitful? I am familiar with buddhist concepts and have done the at home course.
1:00:04 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
00:59 Meditate Together
15:53 I am trying to let go of an ex-partner who left me and I am able to locate a strong pain in my chest when I try to let go.
19:25 I took a break from formal meditation practice and now find that there is a lot of resistance to starting again. I always tell myself I'll start tomorrow but never do. Can you please give advice?
21:17 When the mind moves to its object during noting, that union of mind and object can be shallow or deep. Until the next object arises, is it beneficial to try to dwell more deeply with the object?
22:45 I meditate but more in the moment than in a designated time. Is this appropriate? I also find that in the moment, I need the peace of meditation the most. Is this acceptable?
26:42 How should we deal with holiday distractions while meditating?
29:12 I always used to experience severe anxiety when I am around people. During meditation I'm able to note my anxiety to some extent and it helps me calm my nerves. When I am in actual social situations, I am not able to note my anxiety like I do while meditating and my body and face reacts wildly announcing my anxiety to others. Do you have any advice to help?
34:03 Even though I understand the wisdom and can see things clearly, I still keep making the bad decisions for myself, falling into pleasures, addiction.
37:23 I heard that when one gets deep in meditation practice, one's past karma can bear fruit. Does this mean there may be events in the world that come about from meditation or are worldly events unrelated?
39:04 I do walking meditation in the forest, and I know that I am killing ants because I am not looking down. Now I feel remorseful because of killing. Should I always look down when I walk in nature?
40:43 Is there a time table when a human passes on and reincarnates?
42:02 Buddhism takes a perspective of experiential reality, not one with concepts. If the body is just a concept, then shouldn't it be fine to kill?
45:20 Sometimes disliking arises but I'm not exactly sure what thoughts triggered it, which triggers more curious thinking. Is it important to map out exactly what thoughts triggered the disliking?
46:27 When trying to cultivate clear comprehension itn daily life, is there any advantage to retaining a peripheral awareness of the breath when doing actions like studying Dhamma?
48:00 Can enlightenment bring about Supernormal powers (abhinna) developed in previous existences?
49:16 What are the consequences of speaking untrue words without harmful or serious intent?
52:26 Should we stay in the city and work with defilements within distractions (noise, people, work, etc.) or go to the forest secluded with better conditions? Ultimately, is there any difference?
54:56 According to Buddhist view, do we know if AI has the potential for consciousness? This is a practical question, what if it's a possible rebirth?
58:23 When I learned about the 12 links I was surprised to see that consciousness results from ignorance. Is there a positive view of consciousness that householders can have?
1:00:30 Sadhu...

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00:00 Meditation Q&A Starting Soon
01:21 Meditate Together
15:23 When I begin to note sensations like “anxious, anxious" or "afraid, afraid" or any bodily sensations, I tend to react way more quickly before I could see those sensations clearly. Am I missing something here? Please advise.
17:34 How long should one stay with uncomfortable feelings before returning to stomach, and should one go back and forth between Stomach and those feelings if they persist?
19:02 Why should we note "calm", "still", or "quiet"? If the defilements stop arising, why can't we abide in stillness, knowing it's impermanent and not note it? This is very important to know what is/isn't the path.
22:52 If I can't feel a touch point, do I stay with the point until I feel something, or just note the lack of sensation and move on?
23:29 Can I note stepping right, stepping left in rhythm with my breath or should I keep noting and breathing separate?
27:11 We are visual creatures. I struggle to know when to note "seeing", as it is a ubiquitous occurrence. You say we must stick to one object, how to mediate the commutation of objects? What is the general principle?
28:04 How does meditation help one to socialize better?
29:27 How do we eradicate the misery and lack of abundance in this planet with the habit of meditation?
33:09 I’m confused about Buddhist morality. If pleasure is not inherently good, then would doing acts toward others that cause pleasure (giving gifts) be no more ethical than doing acts that cause pain?
35:55 Ending the suffering of all sentient beings was the ultimate goal of the Buddha, right? However, it seems unfeasible. So, is taking a bodhisattva vow more or less beneficial to one's progress?
39:05 How do I practice mindfulness towards someone I see daily at work whose actions and words annoy me often?
41:25 Do you have tips on how to deal with stagnation due to contentment?
43:53 What did the Buddha say about dealing with relationships with women in your life?
46:05 How do we make effective decisions with mindfulness? Do we note how we feel or do we assess pros and cons or both? Should I base it on my current state of mind and information, or think about the future?
49:33 When having no time, I worry and I am restless and angry through the day about doing 2 hours a day of formal meditation. I know it's about moments, not hours, but that's not solving the problem. What should I do?
51:53 Is mindful meditation enough to cultivate compassion and metta?
53:33 Often I am aware of multiple things happening in rapid succession and unable to note everything. Would attempting to do so be a hindrance to mindfulness? As mindfulness increases, does this improve?
54:15 What is the optimal duration and frequency of meditation? How does one figure it out?
55:08 Do all relationships eventually lead to suffering?
55:21 How do we stay mindful in the present moment, when the mind is racing with lots of thoughts? The thoughts are moments of anxiety, Shame, guilt and depression.
59:13 Sadhu...

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00:00 Meditation Q&A
16:07 How can I be more patient with my thoughts? I usually tend to catch a thought and day dream everything the thought leads me to.
18:35 During meditation, as soon as I begin to see clearly that every sensation is not me and is not controlled, my body begins to shake. How long will this stage of meditation last?
20:18 I can be quite mindful in the short term, but after several hours, the defilements and hindrances start demoralizing me and I lose my motivation. Is there a practical way to overcome despair?
22:27 Since stopping the at-home course around a year ago, I struggle so much with practicing consistently. I am either "all in" and practice an over an hour per day or hardly at all. Sometimes a week or two goes by without meditation. How can I break this habit of going to extremes? I approach most things in my life this way, and can not seem to find balance.
24:55 I have been practicing Vipassana for 3 years now. Are you saying you can't progress on psychiatric medication like antipsychotics? I think I have made quite a bit of progress. What is your advice if I stay on them?
27:34 Can you go into a bit of detail about ‘substitution of opposites' (tadanga-pahana) or give an example please?
29:12 I feel that I need to lie or I will lose my job. I struggle to get places on time and without an excuse, I'd be out a job. I know this isn't OK but isn't lying sadly essential in the modern world?
30:21 When I do sitting meditation I practice Samatha, but then during day to day activities I practice noting/vipassana. Is this type of practice effective?
31:52 Can mindfulness aid in getting worldly things that might arise out of greed, lust, or anger?
37:23 Do you think alcohol, when used in moderation, can be of medicinal value?
39:12 Is there benefit in learning about the 16 Stages of insight before experiencing some or all of them?
40:25 Regarding livelihood, I've had this idea in my head that there would be too much trying to control other people in managerial positions. Is there merit to this idea? I guess maybe it could vary?
41:34 I have very pleasant days at my job, other days are very unpleasant. I am generally similarly mindful in both situations, and external stimuli are similar. How can this be?
43:57 To what extent can one be said to be "meditating"? Is general mindfulness sufficient to be called meditation?
44:44 I am rather stingy. Should I do something else apart from meditation?
45:57 when should I start noticing more stages of movement during walking meditation or is stepping right stepping left all I need?
46:53 Is tranquil abiding, Samadhi?
48:49 How much practice does it take for an average layperson to be a stream enterer?
52:31 Is it ever beneficial to indulge in pleasurable habits or should they be denied at all cost?
53:38 Do you have any advice on using meditation to get off intoxicants? I don't really have the ability to get into rehab, and it's not a dangerous withdrawal from the vice I have.
54:53 Is regarding things we perceive as unreal useful when in our experience they are 'real enough' that we have to contend with them as we perceive them?
57:46 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:37 Meditate Together
16:07 When I'm trying to note my anxiety even without disliking or avoiding it, the physical sensation caused due to the anxiety overcomes the act of noting, because of which I'm unable to see clearly. May I have some advice?
18:11 During practice, I note I haven't been on the foot or the stomach for long time. How do I reduce the moment of wandering during meditation?
19:28 All teachings say: "See the truth of things and thoughts as it is". By teachings, I 'know' the truth, but its hard for me to 'see' & realize the true nature through meditation. I only note but cannot see. How I can develop the insight to see?
23:53 I've been meditating and being mindful more and more. I'm facing challenges with adhd and not being able to take actions. I'd like to do this without meds. Can you comment or advise, please?
26:19 I often struggle to keep my back straight during sitting meditation so I lean against the wall with a pillow. Is this okay? Do you have recommendations for keeping the back straight?
27:35 Is it unwholesome to read and think about Nibbana? Similarly to reading about the 16 stages of knowledge before starting to practice.
29:27 Is noting enough when dealing with more serious hinderances or should they be actively removed?
31:21 How does one determine if friendships are worth cultivating? Since meditating regularly I notice that my friends cause me to be tired and not be mindful. Should I let go of these friendships?
33:31 I am taking a suplement that helps with schizophrenia, like I can work now and am more active, but I have a problem seeing arising and ceasing of experience. What can I do? I want to stay on it...
36:53 What is the skillfull way to respond to suffering that doesn't end and prevents you from doing positive actions? Grief/loss of mother.. having no one to talk to.. bad actions in past.. etc.
42:29 Sometimes when I meditate, I get a sudden jolt- an energy shock- the feeling I've been driving and waking up to a car crash. I continue to meditate; it's something like a big release. I'm not sleepy. It doesn't happen every time, but over 2 years of meditation it still comes up. Why is this? Is it just the energy system. Should I be mindful when it happens and ends and go deeper?
44:45 Are there any practical tips through meditation to let go of people who still live? For example: people who let go of us or hurt us?
47:37 My last meditation session ended in an extreme experience. I've seen a lot, and felt a lot, but it was scary. I haven't meditated since; it's been two years. How do i get back to myself?
50:00 How can the practice help alleviate symptoms of depersonalization / derealization?
52:26 What is a good metric to tell whether the meditation was productive after meditation?
54:17 How can I tame my mind?
54:58 How can an advanced meditator be indifferent and still make choices? Doesn't choosing one option over another imply/require partiality?
56:46 Any advice on dealing with the staggering and sometimes insurmountable student loan debts being collected these days?
1:02:53 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
00:54 Meditate Together
15:44 I am starting to realize meditation is more of practice, dedication and will power than just knowing or reading about it. No matter how much I learn, until I practice, it's no use. Is this true?
16:25 At times, I need to be stern when giving advice. After speaking passionately and sternly, I feel like there was hidden anger behind my statements. Is it possible to be stern without being angry and producing negative kamma? Is it better to not say anything at all?
18:15 My father is disrespectful of women in general, but acts loving and supportive toward me and my sister, though he enforces traditional gender roles in our household. When we attempt to modernize his perspective, he doesn't change. I find this to be an emotionally draining environment for me. Advice?
20:48 On the topic of Akusala: Can bad karma follow the whistle-blower? Is there a difference if a whistle-blower's intentions come from Metta? How does one who is following the Dhamma do in this case? Does one accept and allow the abuse as part of karma? How can one help along the way so one can achieve Nibbana as quickly as possible?
24:38 What should be our motivation to meditate? I am in a phase of grief right now and I feel I meditate to get over it. But after that, how should I motivate myself to be constant in practice?
26:31 If you've done near all you need to do towards nirvana, are you then waiting on God to bring it about or is it up to you?
28:25 Can anyone follow the Patimokka and don robes and go for alms and live the dhamma, or is formal ordination and training considered necessary before venturing out in solitude?
32:49 What is the difference between renunciation and non-attachment? Which one is the best to practice among the two?
34:04 A part of the non-self teaching is not being in control, however the Buddha also says the wise are the well controlled, can you help me reconcile these two teachings?
36:26 In Thervada, are there 6 or 8 types of consciousness? The formless consciousness/pure awareness (8th), has no object. It's awareness of awareness. If we experience this, do we note "knowing"?
40:36 After some time of Vipassana, I get very tense, and it seems my practice is not going well. Should I stop meditating when so tense? Should I be more focused on the present situation, like the results?
45:49 How do I handle being in a loop of "thinking" and "unsure" in meditation when I am aware I don't have tangible evidence for elements of Buddhism, such as rebirth and Nirvana? I feel it holds me back.
47:06 How do you stop voluntary control of breathing when doing breath meditation?
48:20 Is it OK to do Karate and Vipassana together?
50:11 What do you think about Zen?
50:19 There is a lot of needless arguments and confrontations and anger in my family. Whenever I have to meet someone new, I unintentionally get into a similar argumentative pattern. Can mindfulness help?
52:05 I have been wishing to be a monk. I am also afraid that I will be receiving donations by the lay people and I will owe them. Please clarify this.
55:32 The Buddha describes anger as having a honeyed tip, or crest, and a poison root. What is it about anger and other negative mindstates that can seem alluring for the mind to grab onto and proliferate?
57:59 How does mindfulness help with changing bad habits?

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
01:45 Meditate Together
15:43 I am struggling with ADHD’s symptoms of not being able to take necessary action. There is habitual procrastination and resistance. How do I break the pattern and do the work as needed?
18:37 I was riding in a car with my dad. I didn't want to lose the concentrate on the risings and fallings, but I also wanted to enjoy looking at the beautiful landscape. How can I have both?
22:14 Do you have any tips for keeping up with a meditation schedule while doing some travelling?
24:48 I need stimulation for work/study. Caffeine, techno music, L-tyrosine, exercise. Mindfulness helps observe "bored, distracted, aversion" but doesn't help motivation. Should I abandon daily stimulation?
27:21 I am frequently distracted in meditation. Since distraction is a hindrance, can I still have insight from it; like seeing non-self? Should I go back to the abdomen after some time of distraction?
28:27 When is it reasonable to do more sitting or even skip walking without cultivating aversion?
29:37 If wrong views arise, like believing in self, seeking pleasure is good, idle chatter, lust, alcohol, etc. Should we just note "thinking, wandering, confused, wanting"? Is reasoning/reflection required?
32:15 I often experience tiredness and drowsiness during meditation, even stumbling during walking or nodding off when sitting. Is it beneficial to sleep more, in the short term?
35:39 Why don't desires such as wanting to eat, drink, or teach meditation, cause rebirth?
37:08 What sort of qualification should one have to be authorized to create a space that teaches the meditation technique you teach? I'm thinking of creating one here in my city, in Brazil.
40:09 I have feelings for someone and want to take action. As I understand, I should note "wanting", then not act? It seems wrong for me to isolate myself and avoid contact when this would make me happier.
42:55 How to deal with self-blame and perfectionism? They create physical sensations, and it is really hard to be with them as they don't go away.
45:10 Can progress in insight meditation eventually cause an attitude of indifference to one's own life? Or does it only bring peace?
47:08 When I notice myself liking something, should I make a note of liking or the object of liking?
48:00 How do you stop feeding into anxiety and just feeling dizzy and off-balance?
49:12 Is it beneficial to try and abstain from indulgences we are addicted to, before we have progressed to the point of letting them go?
51:35 What are the Vipassana jhanas, and do they differ from the Vipassana you teach?
56:16 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
00:59 Meditate Together
15:35 When I note a wholesome thought, it disappears. Should I keep noting or let the thought stay for a while?
17:44 I am a twenty-three-year-old student, and it's hard to let go of sensual desires and thoughts. Usually I end up having tasty food and watching media overnight. I feel I have no patience with my desires. Advice?
22:09 When I meditate I see vivid images and re-plays of places I've been, almost like a dream. I have strong unpleasant reactions. Why are these images coming up? I practice the ways from your booklet. And why are my reactions so overwhelming? When memories come up outside of formal meditation, I am not having overwhelming reactions to them in this way.
25:58 I have become less social due to meditation, there is no longer desire. A meditative life seems incompatible with socializing. A life in solitude seems more appropriate. Do you recommend this?
26:48 I make cancer imaging agents at a biopharma company. My colleagues give animals cancer and then inject my product. Animals are then killed for further testing. I don’t participate directly, but am I producing negative karma and is this considered wrong livelihood?
30:14 Are there differences between Goenka vipassana meditation and the Mahasi method?
31:09 I feel an impulse to check news every fifteen minutes constantly. Is this an addiction? If so how can I overcome it?
33:57 Is there a danger for someone with OCD, who does rituals to "undo" the unwholesome mindstates that they become aware of, to just adopt a different type ritual by learning this practice (noting)?
35:32 When I'm being anxious and trying to note it, it gets amplified. Do I need more practice to see it more clearly? Any advice?
37:54 You mentioned in an earlier discussion that incorrect labelling during meditation could lead to delusions. I am now fearful of noting imprecisely, in case I delude myself. Please may you advise?
42:24 I have meditated for around six years; I have reached the point where I am ready to detach further, materially, to the next level. I live very minimally; I wish to devote more time to meditation as well. Advice?
44:44 What are your thoughts on doing yoga and other breathing exercises and postures popular in yoga?
45:02 Can you suggest some ways to practice Mindfulness in our day to day life as a commoner. Unlike monks, common folks like me have attachments and bonding in our day to day lives.
46:41 The Buddha said, "It's better to live one day to see risings and ceasings..." meaning the Buddha used this technique to practice meditation and to become englightened?
48:51 How does one deal with manipulative people who tend to pull you in arguments constantly?
50:00 Is the purpose of noting to realize that "I am the awareness that is noting?" -- So it creates a distance between the real I, and the experience?
51:10 Is Nibbana lasting happiness (because of understanding)? Family and friends are worried and ask why I meditate. I answer ‘lasting happiness' or 'peace of mind’. I wondered if this is the ultimate goal.
53:23 Can noting the fear of death when it arises someday lead up to me being free from it?
54:53 How do I know when my path, for example regarding a job, is right for me? When there is lot of resistance coming from externals, how do I know if this is a phase or I should stop and change direction?
56:44 Can a Buddha endure a difficult meditation over some time by observing how it is progressing through five stages of grief?
58:04 What is the antidote to conceit?
59:18 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:09 Meditate Together
16:14 I feel kind of selfish when I practice meditation, and I think about all of the suffering people in the world, what can I do to change this view of mine?
25:02 What is jealousy and do you have any advice of how to let go of jealousy?
27:17 Whenever I think of a certain person who is still alive, I feel angry and afraid, even though I haven't talked to him in several years. How can I learn to let go of these feelings?
29:58 I have noticed consistently that I am more meditative during a new moon, and I feel like meditating for much longer then. Should I take advantage of this or simply stick to the normal practice?
32:33 I've had trouble seeing where meditation goes from being practical to spiritual. Should I be acknowledging any Buddhist elements when meditating or is it just OK to focus on it separately?
34:17 My sister has lost her daughter this year and is still sad 6 months later. What is the best thing to say?
36:50 After the at home course I got off track. I intend to meditate, but it almost never happens. At least not so frequent. Do you have any tips?
38:13 Often I cannot sense a rising and or falling movement. Even when laying down. Is it OK just to say: feeling, feeling, or pressure building/releasing
39:43 Given that the breath is a neutral meditation object, are there drawbacks to conceiving of it as metta during meditation? Can putting such a conceptualization on the breath ever be helpful?
43:14 My family owns a farm and sometimes they expect me to kill chickens to consume it. This puts me in a difficult situation as someone serious about the practice... but I still need to eat. How can I proceed?
44:41 How do we let go of our idea of a self?
46:24 I am doubting if meditation is about concentration, like concentrating or fixing on momentary experience. Maybe "concentration" is a wrong translation... am I wrong?
48:55 Lately, noting is feeling pretty effortless to me. Is this of any meaning and relevance?
50:04 I have a hard time letting go of unpleasant feelings and it perpetuates them, makes them worse and I cling. How can I stop/help this so I can let go?
54:51 How to observe the breath as it is repetitive and monotonous?
57:31 As a layperson, would daily morning and/or evening chanting be beneficial to my practice?
1:00:06 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
00:50 Meditate Together
17:25 Should one note “distracted” or the experience which one is distracted by...for example an image that arises in the mind. Should I note “distracted” or “seeing”?
17:58 How to note thinking while not interrupting my thoughts? I use my mental voice to think, but when noting my thoughts I also use the same mental voice, so it interrupts my thoughts. Any advice?
19:12 Is noting "aversion", "laziness", or "procrastination" too vague? If it's an activity that hasn't happened yet, "disliking" doesn't seem appropriate. For example, having to study, wake up from bed, take a cold shower, etc.
19:52 How long should practice sessions be? Is there a minimum or maximum limit? I was wondering how many sessions I should do to cover 2 hours of practice.
22:10 Sometimes distraction arises so rapidly that I don't get to note it, I do only notice when it's already gone. How should I try to note this and do you have advice on maintaining concentration?
23:54 I made my mother suffer when she was alive, and I now feel guilty. How can I remedy this matter?
25:19 What is the difference between noting and focusing on your breath?
29:31 How does one better deal with jarring experiences during meditation? I was stung by a hornet during walking mediation and the feeling of pain, aversion and reaction to get away seemed to arise all at once.
31:00 Should the mantra always be an adjective?
32:05 When you note an object of experience, such as thinking or a state of doubt, is it still proper practice to then return back to your abdomen rising and falling?
32:50 How can meditation practice help one overcome states of addiction particularly to internet and pornography, which are too easily accessible today?
38:52 What is the physical aspect of a reaction, such as liking or disliking? If a reaction, like disliking, arises after an experience like pain, should the mind remain sent out to where the pain was?
39:31 If the self is an illusion, what "moves" me?
39:58 A question which has been really frustrating me is what caused desire to arise in the first place? Why would desire just arise a long long time ago (before this life)?
41:10 I wish to ordain more than anything, but would it be wrong for me to leave my home and do so if I feel as though I would neglect the duty of a householder that my forefathers left salons
44:25 If meditation is pure noticing and noting, how will I meet insight? Since I believe it will require some active thinking, should I journal my meditation sessions after the practice?
46:58 How can I be more indifferent towards suffering without being gloomy?
49:28 Is keeping reminders to be mindful throughout the day around you and in your phone as wallpapers and notifications beneficial generally?
51:41 What are some techniques for overcoming catastrophizing the future?
52:41 Is there an awareness separate from the 6 objects of consciousness? Does it arise in dependence upon the 6 objects or can it exist independent from them (for example, pure awareness)? Or is awareness the 6th?
55:23 Did the Buddha ever advise against having children? They can be an obstacle to practice but they can also create a good practice of giving and creating more opportunities for human vessels for dharma.
58:49 Can this practice be a hindrance alongside other spiritual practices?

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
15:15 For a first time meditator, why does anxiety increase in the initial days or negative thoughts increase more after daily meditation practice? Can you give advice?
18:39 Is practicing meditation once per week for 30 minutes too little or enough?
19:40 I built a habit of jumping around too much in meditation. I fall back into it easily, and I have this idea that it has to be difficult and I have to be 100% single pointed and perfect. How can I break this?
21:37 Due to chronic back pain, sometimes I can hardly walk at all and the pain level is really high. Should I still do walking meditation then or double the duration of the sitting meditation?
25:23 Is chanting the word Buddha a part of Vipassana Meditation?
30:06 I have free time all day long. I feel a sense of emergency to practice intensively, yet I keep myself busy with futile things because I know what I will have to face will be very unpleasant. Do have any advice?
31:32 I benefit each time I do walking and sitting practice but still face difficulty in sticking with a daily practice and often go weeks without practicing mindfulness. Do you have any advice?
33:08 I've heard people saying, and I also feel this sometimes, that they have been meditating for decades and haven't got anywhere. How can one deal with this?
35:39 During mediation, how do you approach noting an emotion when you are not clear of what it is you are feeling?
37:06 I hear the constant noise of a highway, should I continually note that even if I can't return to the rising and falling of the stomach?
37:43 I have schizophrenia and Iam on medication. I practice your vipassana technique. Can I still progress if still not So quickly? I may have a problem seeing arising and ceasing of experience.
39:18 My mother is passing away right now in my house likely within hours. Do you have any advice on what I can do to help deal with it?
41:08 Should you speak up when somebody talks badly to you or if you see someone talking badly to someone else?
44:45 Is intensive practice much more efficient than 2 hours of daily practice?
46:10 How can we have motivation to practice and surround ourselves with people that are also practicing? Specially here in Brazil, there are very few people that identify as Buddhists and very few practice mindfulness.
48:37 Can you explain the importance of continuity of mindfulness? Why is it detrimental to be mindful 3-4 minutes here and there throughout the day, which is my case?
51:07 I want to be kind and build a relationship with my mother, but I get a somewhat cold reaction, which ruins my mindfulness and I become emotional. I have decided to somewhat isolate from her, is this skillful?
54:58 I have practiced meditation for many years, rarely talking to anyone. My verbal language skill is becoming weak. I cannot speak with confidence any more. Can the silence in meditation cause this?
56:44 I notice many people have issues with the feeling they are controlling their breath. I experienced that as a teenager but not since I started formal meditation. Are there any important lessons there?
57:48 What is Vipassana Jhana?
59:48 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
16:17 I do a combination of risings fallings, counting the breaths, watching the mind, listening to the silent sound, aware of the body or body scanning. Is that OK?
19:34 How do I make the effort to stay mindful and note throughout the day with judging myself and causing emotional pain?
21:22 I am dealing with very strong laziness paired with anxiety lately, and this makes me skip practice. Then I feel very bad and depressed and so next morning is worse. How can I break that spiraling?
24:31 How do you meditate to accept death?
26:30 In daily walking in the street, I have trouble noting three movements (lifting-moving-putting). Is it just impossible or can this three-fold noting come with practice? I feel this kind of noting can be beneficial.
28:00 Does one know for sure when one gets Sotapanna?
29:01 What is your view on music in general on the path? I listen to it a lot but sometimes wonder if it's a problem or indulgence. Is it okay?
30:46 How to deal with intrusive anxious thoughts according to the Buddhist perspective? Noting such thoughths in meditation makes them weaker. But it's impossible to note them all the time in daily life.
32:44 I need to go to a meditation center to do an intensive practice. The center does not teach the noting technique, but I will go ahead and practise it. Do you have any advice? At the end of the course, may I report to you?
34:11 How often should one use guided meditations?
35:51 I know it's not your tradition, but can loving-kindness meditation be beneficial?
37:00 I have some non-attachment for someone I care about and the difficult situation they are going through. It seems the non-attachment is from aversion to the feelings but also I realize the feelings are unskillful. Am I doing something wrong or is there something I should focus on or look for?
40:22 In Brazilian Portuguese, "mindfulness" is translated as "atencao plena", which means "full attention", is that a bad translation of the term?
44:33 What should I do when noting hindrances gets too fast? Noticing becomes faster than pronouncing labels. It's like labeling with words slows down the process.
45:26 After about two hours of vipassana meditation a day, I get tired and my mind is tense. Should I increase the time of meditation slowly?
46:55 Is it skillful to sometimes selectively be mindful of whatever is pleasant in the present moment, as a way of encouraging presence, or could that lead to unskillful attachment?
49:31 How are hindrances different from fetters? Can we use fetters as objects of meditation in Dhammanupassana?
50:58 If sensual lust is possible only in material realm, how is Ruparaga different from Kamaraga?
52:59 Been noting sexual urges, have been trying to restrain myself from musturbating but I still fail. Granted I've had some success differentiating the feeling from the female, but it still overtakes me. Do you have any advice?
54:59 I live and sleep next to a busy street where traffic noise is constant. I do not dare to move because I do not have enough money to. Any advice on how to reduce the stress the traffic noise causes me?
57:42 When I am about to engage in a pleasurable activity, I don’t want to note, because it reduces the pleasure I experience. How do I deal with this?
1:01:16 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
16:16 When walking while very anxious or stressed, and when it's not feasible to stop walking and note the stress, what's best to note? The walking or the emotions?
17:25 When walking in the street I was instructed to note the "walking" and also to note all other predominant phenomenon, like "thinking", "seeing", "drowsy", etc. Why are the rules different when doing formal walking meditation practice where you are supposed to ignore all the other phenomenon if you decide to keep walking (or to actually stop to note the other phenomenon), and why isn't the street walking mindfulness described above considered true mindfulness? Can my mindfulness still improve from doing it?
21:25 When noting, should one use a verb or noun? For example, sometimes when noting "thinking", it's like I mindlessly just noted and it may continue, but when I note "thought" I recognize that there is a just thought.
22:57 During meditation I sometimes have feelings that I’m not sure how to describe and give a label to. I've just been noting them as “feeling” as I become aware of them. Is this okay?
23:52 When I note, I become relaxed and somewhat enjoy it sometimes, and I'm not stressed as if there is a distance between the emotions or experience and witnessing (noting)? Is this possible?
25:05 When a question arises in relation to Buddhism and the practice, should one note it and leave it, or should one make an effort to find the answer even though the questions seem like distractions or excuses?
25:44 Sometimes in deep meditation I get a feeling of being sucked in by “emptiness”. It's such a scary and strong experience (feels like dying) that I can't even note it. Any advice?
28:38 How does one deal with the perspective that there are other sentient beings who are suffering, and leaving them behind on the path of Nirvana is unbearable? Is this just a perspective or is there validity to it?
31:16 Almost all of my relationships are messed up lately because I've been mentally weak from life challenges. There's a chance it's going to hurt me financially. What should I focus on to get through this?
36:11 Sometimes I am distracted when I practice and it can stay long and doesn't go away. Should I use the distraction to see, for instance, non-self, like I cannot control this?
39:04 I've been sitting cross-legged for at least a year and my knees are still high up. I've been using pillows. Should I start my sitting with some space between my legs and the pillows, like an inch or so?
41:08 Through the practice, I feel much less angry, less stressed and I worry less, which I am greatly thankful for. But I wouldn't say that I feel much happiness. Doesn't this practice lead to happiness?
44:14 People in the invisible world are existing parallelly with us in this visible world. They can see us but can't talk to us. I often feel that my deceased Mom is present with me. It this correct?
45:05 How can I become more austere? I sometimes am discouraged when seeing people who are very disciplined, whether it's in a meditative sense or in other ways, like people in a military boot camp, etc.
47:26 How do you know that Samsara exists?

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditation Q&A
00:13 Welcome
15:50 There is a lot of stress, restlessness, and distraction during the practice in the evening and rather than always noting it and continuing to practice, I may stand up and fulfill the craving before the bell rings at the end of the session. What should I do?
17:26 While doing sitting and walking sessions, at what point should one decide to stop the formal practice (walking or sitting)?
19:13 When I note the rising and falling of the abdomen, it's impossible to finish the word before something new happens (hearing, thinking...). Do you have advice?
20:04 I'm feeling trapped, I feel no drive to work to spend day after day earning a living. Embracing Buddhism seems the right direction but not practical in my circumstance, what do I need to do?
23:44 When your attention is focused on the abdomen (anchor), is it correct, at the same time, to be aware of the whole feeling of the body sitting (proprioception of the body) in the background constantly?
25:32 How does one know if they are practicing correctly?
28:49 After noting for a while I have noticed that it's like the senses are separate and independent of one another. For example, when I note seeing, a feeling arises and is independent from the seeing. Is this correct?
30:12 I spend a lot of time alone indoors, often with a family pet. I've begun practicing meditation and feel a sense of peace but also of isolation. Should I be leaving the house more? If so, where to?
34:42 I have a tendency of just reacting to questions asked of me. Any recommendations for catching myself and responding with more meaningful and honest answers when interacting with people?
37:33 Meditating outside has increased my motivation to meditate a lot since I got a meditation tent to avoid insects. Is it recommended to meditate outside in nature rather than indoors?
40:17 I experience confusion while noting. For instance if I think about walking somewhere I might note “walking” instead of “thinking”. Any advice how to become more precise in the noting practice?
41:52 What should we do when we die? Should we just keep noting what's most prevalent, for as long as possible?
43:30 Do you have any tips on how to establish a momentum of mindfulness? How can I be mindful in every moment without a break, and not forgetting to be mindful? Is it possible to do this before becoming a sotapanna?
46:31 Can mindfulness help with a tendency to go to extremes, such as with food, entertainment, exercise, even meditation? I swing between going overboard and obsessing or avoiding altogether. How can I find a balance?
49:35 Why is art, like painting and writing, not allowed for monks/folks who wish to pursue the path?
54:17 If self identity is false what is then the entity that subjectively experience life? what does "I" mean when we say for example "I'm hungry" etc.. ?
56:39 How should I communicate about my meditation practice to my friends and family? I'm afraid they might see me as weird.
58:40 What does Buddhism suggest we do or not in regards to creation? For example, building a home in a video game such as Minecraft? Is this in line with the values or do we lose touch with reality?
1:00:09 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:11 Meditate Together
16:00 I want to meditate and have been following the initial precepts of Buddhism, yet I have a deep aversion to starting meditation. Days go by thinking about it but never starting. How can I change?
17:18 I recently practiced Metta during meditation to all of my friends and family, alive and deceased. Shortly after, I experienced a deep bliss. I tried to to think of defilements, but couldn't. What was this?
18:43 I broke a precept. Is this a deterrent to my meditation practice? How long should I wait to restart my practice?
20:20 Meditation now relieves me of a lot but somehow some things of the past that I forgot or never noticed suddenly come up, like something I did or said. It causes a panic. Is my mind now seeing clearly?
23:01 I found a meditation group, and the teacher gave me a meditation on love-and-kindness. I didn't join, because I found it easier to meditate on breath. Am I missing out by not being connected to a sangha?
27:30 Is exercise a hindrance to a proper meditation practice?
29:50 When meditating on the points around the body, when should I return to the first point? How far from the meditation object do I need to drift before I shoot to go back to the first point?
30:49 Do we ever go beyond noting? Would an enlightened being keep noting? I find noting very beneficial - but is ita preliminary to being able to rest in pure awareness unconditionally without a mantra?
32:03 I don't know if Nibbana is cessation of suffering, compassion to all beings in this life, or a pure land where sensing continues. With this confusion why, and how can I, continue to pursue it?
33:58 When you meditate, should there be a constant effort to maintain awareness of your meditation object? Or can one just let things be, even if one’s degree of awareness is quite dim?
34:55 What would you advise for meditation and study? After much study, and having a consistent meditation practice, is there any need to study? There are boundless books which makes me feel I am unlearned.
37:19 When doing daily chores, is it required to come back to the stomach before changing noting objects, as we do in formal meditation?
38:42 If emotional hurt becomes before anger, what should be noted? I can't seem to separate the mind states of the hurt and feelings.
39:43 Can you please expand on the difference between tanha and desire for enlightenment?
43:01 When I close my eyes and meditate, and I reach the state where I visualise the space, I start to focus on my eyes. I move my eyes, and this keeps changing the structure of the space. How do I prevent this?
44:03 Should I meditate for one hour and sleep for 7.5 hours, or meditate for 2 hours and sleep for 6.5 hours?
46:21 When you note an object of experience during meditation, are you supposed to conceptualize and understand that object? For example, that your feeling is anger, doubt, etc.? Or can you simply note “feeling”?
47:14 Putting the question to the limit, theoretically, if someone read your booklet, watched all your teachings and practiced diligently, could they achieve enlightenment? Or would they need to study more?
48:53 What is the method to go from the 4th jhana to the formless Jhanas?
49:29 Does intellect help with becoming enlightened? I've heard stories of the Buddha or his disciples being incredibly intelligent.
52:04 Is mindfulness the same as alertness or the same as memory sati?
52:33 Is subtituting sleep for meditation for about a week optimal?
53:29 I care a lot of what people think about me. Should I completely ignore what others think about me or is there a right amount of care I should have when it comes to what others think of me?
55:12 How should I do dhammavicaya analysis of qualities?
56:11 How can we engage in right view? Are brahmaviharas important?
58:08 Because of Buddhism I have become asocial. Could you advise how to start a meditation group? Should we just meditate? Vipassana, metta, and/or guided? Study the sutras? Do we need a qualified monk?
59:33 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:57 Meditate Together
14:06 When noting rising and falling for a few minutes, is it ok to just watch the rising and falling without noting it?
15:50 I am struggling with discipline. It's been two months without meditation, and motivation has faded away. I just can't avoid distractions like media, movies and I keep doing the same mistakes. Can you give advice?
19:34 When meditating before sleeping, should I lie on my back or front?
20:48 I find myself avoiding worldly things and spending much time in solitude. It feels tiresome and difficult to be around people now. How does one deal with this tactfully?
22:28 After practicing Vipassana for three years now, I become more angry and upset. Anger can arise and stay for a long time. What can I do except noting it?
28:34 Can I do walking meditation in a small room where I can only do about 3-4 steps before turning?
29:26 How do you stay focused in meditation when you see your family suffer terribly financially and not being able to help?
32:28 I've had a hard time in my late teens and early 20s with false starts and setbacks. Others around me are progressing and I feel stationary with limited options. As a buddhist, should I just "accept" this?
34:53 With analytical meditation, can one achieve any result?
35:13 What is your advice to a person for whom part of his self-identity is a belief above the mind in the creator, and seriously loves and practices the words of the Buddha?
40:01 Is being ‘enlightened’ akin to being ‘a breeze in the wind’, so to speak? I'm concerned that the end goal would remove my sense of character and ultimately feel that I've lost the self I am.
43:15 Are all dhammas maya? If so, why; If not, why?
47:27 Can a lay person progress on the path without sense restraint?
49:07 How do I stop getting caught up in happy feelings, on one hand, and suffering on the other?
50:38 Is it possible for Westerners to become a monk? Do we need to save up enough money for a lifetime before we can ordain?
53:32 How do you be mindful of your thought? When I note “thinking”, the thoughts I had have already gone and I'm simply trying to be mindful of noting “thinking”.
54:23 In the stories (Jatakas), people became sotapannas or even arahants just by listening to one of the Buddha's sermons. Why can I not grasp the teachings even when I try all day to internalize them?
57:12 What importance do Jhanas have? They seem conceptual and not practical. Are there specific practices (like mantras) or do they arise spontaneously? If so, any advice how to practice them?
59:36 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:35 Meditate Together
15:32 When in doing walking meditation a feeling arises like sadness or wanting, should I stop and say "wanting wanting" or "sad sad" or should I keep walking?
17:20 Can we take a break between the walking meditation and the sitting meditation or it's better to take the break after the round of walking/sitting meditation?
18:22 How to be free from bad habits, and how to make meditation a habit and be focused?
19:09 When I get a thought that makes me anxious, the thought occurs quickly before the feeling of anxiety. By the time I become aware, the thought has already passed. Do I note thinking or just anxiety?
20:08 During meditation when I feel sadness, I also feel tension in my head, but the tension does not disappear, creating sadness (it's like a feedback loop.) How should I practice, in that case?
21:36 Should I note "knowing, knowing" when I realize Iam reacting to a thought, a feeling or something I heard or saw? Sometimes, my reacting seems fast and numerous.
22:27 When we are fixated on a thought or sensation that bothers us, should we make that our object of meditation?
24:30 What is the difference between habits and addictions?
25:09 Can we meditate and be aware with open eyes?
25:37 How should we note, when there are many things to note?
26:17 "Blaming the problems due to unknown past life actions" -- Wouldn't it lead to wrong view and blind faith?
29:46 Can meditation result in better physical health?
33:26 I can't help but be skeptical about reincarnation, yet wish it to be true. Can you explain in detail how and why reincarnation is a real phenomenon, rather than wishful thinking?
35:57 Is the point of meditation to be emotionless?
36:38 How do you note without pausing the meditation to take note? I am very forgetful.
38:00 Does it help to meditate at a Buddha relics exhibition?
40:16 How should one deal with outside noises? "Hearing, hearing", "losing patience", "angry angry" -- is this the correct way?
40:49 It is extremely hard to reincarnate into a human. And then, being a human is suffering. Please clarify this.
45:20 I can't get away from wanting fear to leave. I could maybe let it come if it wasn't so constant, but the sheer percentage of my life spent in terror is really unbearable to sit with. I'm so sick of it. Do you have any advice?
48:50 The meditations are helping me a lot with my anxiety and in dealing with people but the only problem is: I can't deal with difficult people the way I used to. I've become a little too soft. What do I do?
51:06 How do I gain insight through meditation? Is it through contemplation or through noting the experience?
52:26 What is the highest or most extreme mental state one can reach through prolonged practice of mediation?
53:02 Could meditating in front of a Buddha figure that is not placed appropriately above waist height be the cause of struggling with intense fear and invasive thoughts during meditation?
58:10 What to do if I fall asleep while meditating?
59:05 When do I know it's time to drop the mental noting and simply be aware?
1:00:28 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:54 Meditate Together
15:44 What would be your advice on overcoming doubt after being exposed to differing views regarding the Dhamma and meditation? How does one know one is on the right path?
19:32 How does one deal with apathetic/laziness in meditation and regular life?
20:54 I find myself getting more irritated by my neighbours than I used to. I am trying to be mindful of this, but it seems to be getting worse. Will deeper meditation help?
23:57 As a frustated suicider, believing "my death will end it all" comforts me; the idea of rebirth is incredibly disturbing. How do I cope with that?
25:37 Should one see themselves from a third person point of view when noting, or should whatever is being noted be seen as something separate from the observer?
27:27 Sometimes, while noting, I am unable to come up with the right words for my experience in the present moment. How should I deal with those situations?
28:43 What to do when things fall apart? I mean, what to do when yout life changes drastically and you feel you have no control over what happens next?
30:53 I struggle to deal with the ever-changing nature of things and my lack of control; how am I to keep my composure as my world burns to ashes?
34:06 Is it proper technique to fully put the mind awareness with the object of meditation being noted similar to how the mind is in the stomach when noting rising and falling?
36:32 I have found that I am able to achieve a very deep meditation by letting go wholly. I do this by thinking that nothing matters, even if I were to die, I don't care. Is this a healthy way or escapism?
39:06 When is seeing "clearly" clearly enough? Sometimes superficial experiences are just layers of something deeper, like a traumatic experience. Should I look as deep as possible?
40:18 Would it be a problem if I meditate laying down or in a more comfortable position?
41:24 What advice would you give to be more consistent about meditation?
42:27 Can referring to oneself in the 3rd person help lose the sense of self?
43:22 Is praying effective? I have been praying for my late mother to reincarnate into a peaceful place, but I am not sure if it has any effect for her.
48:17 Being lucky to find Buddha's teachings, I feel a huge sense of duty towards past lives to become enlightened; it's similar to the preassure society puts on us to be great. Advise, please.
49:04 How to advance with meditation? Should we maximise the amount of time meditating? For example, 30min sitting meditation morning/evening, being mindful throughout day. Should I aim to meditate hours?
50:22 Is the complete cessation of grasping what we call enlightenment? Is enlightenment only possible at the moment of death?
51:33 Does organ donation after brain-death (with the harvesting of organs under intense medical treatment for organ conservation) interfere unfavourably with the dying and rebirth process?
55:05 Is wanting to become enlightened ironically keeping us from doing so?
57:03 Should negative thoughts be challenged? When doing so it seems to cause more conflict. Is it best to just observe and not react?
58:29 I am a Hindu. But we Hindus consider the Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So if I want to do Buddhist practices, do I have to change my religion? Isn't it still worshipping Lord Vishnu?
1:03:46 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:35 Meditate Together
18:44 It sometimes seems to be very difficult to stay aware of each moment, almost if I stumble during this process. This creates a wrong view that if I always live in the present moment, I don't live life fully; and also create procrastination to meditation practice. Can you please assist me in redirecting this view?
26:48 When one experiences a feeling, for example being nervous: where should one's awareness be? - because it's a feeling, and doesn't necessarily have a location.
27:51 How could we adapt walking meditation for people in a wheelchair?
28:23 I feel as if I'm just saying the rising and falling in my head rather than really acknowledging the experience. Any advice? Also how does one know if one is truly acknowledging the experience.
30:12 What is a good way to bring "listening" down to just "hearing"? When meditating around others in conversation, I find it hard not to listen and understand the ideas being spoken.
31:00 I have social anxiety and PTSD that makes it hard to socialize with strangers. Are meditation and exposure therapy a good remedy?
32:22 How to handle relations with a loved one trapped in a domestic violence relationship? I suffer greatly not knowing if I'll see them again and I battle with feeling let down when plans don't materialize.
34:55 I sense fear of failure in my material goals that are not harmful to anyone. I see good people motivate to "chase dreams" and I find it good. But I am worried about not achieving anything. Any advise?
37:26 When I encounter pedestrians while walking my dog, I tell myself ‘this is the last time I may ever see this person.' Is this a practical application of understanding impermanence?
38:33 I understand that Buddhism can be summed up by "don't cling to anything". But my problem is aversion because of a life-long habit of getting angry. Do we deal with aversion the Same way as clinging?
40:02 Is shaving your head a practice of not being attached to physical appearance and if so would it also be recommended for people who are not monks.
40:59 Meditators don't think a lot but have sharp minds. Scientists and politicians think a lot to have sharp minds. What’s the difference?
44:48 There are so many theories and idea thaught/spoken by you I agree with - It feels enlightening & comforting but very difficult to incoporate all of it in real time in my life. How can I do better?
46:05 Sometimes there is wanting in my meditation, which is unpleasant or even suffering; is this seeing the second Noble Truth?
47:34 I have a problem seeing impermanence. It seems like experiences are sticking together. What to do? Should I, in walking meditation, do it more slowly?
48:28 Should you approach meditation ina different way, if you've already distorted your mind with drugs?
49:29 Is it normal to get to a point where there is no need to speak to anyone?
50:53 I'm going to college this fall, I only watch Dhamma talks during my free time and practice Vipassana and I don't know what I should say when classmates ask me what I'm interested in. Any advice?
51:59 I am scared that I will experience war with all its horrid consequences in my lifetime. Any advice?
53:37 Is it OK to use a back rest while doing sitting meditation?
54:12 On ultimate level, non-attachment and non-grasping leads to liberation. But on a conventional level, it can lead to maladaptiveness to the high demands of society. How to eliminate wrong view?
56:57 When meditating for a while seeing experiences clearly as they are, you come to a point where you don't "feel" anything - a blankness - do you then observe this too, or be aware of this moment?
57:55 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
02:29 Meditate Together
15:28 Is it suboptimal if the "ing" on "rising" is sometimes partially concurrent with the very beginning of the falling motion? Seems unavoidable unless I anticipate end of rising motion, stretch the "ing".
16:30 It seems like I have to meditate over 3 hours a day to not feel depressed or neurotic, etc. Is this a potential sign of inefficient practice?
18:09 Sometimes I feel in meditation as if my soul or some energy inside me is getting pulled up, like I feel as if lam miles above my body, is this normal?
19:43 How do I deal with anxiety about meditating? I'm a naturally anxious person and sometimes during meditation my mind tells me if I keep meditating it will make me go crazy. Is that even possible?
21:54 Will my laziness and apathy subside if I focus on the sensation while noting “lazy, lazy, lazy’?
23:27 I can't think and be aware at the same time. So if I mentally note "rising "during the whole rising, I can only be aware of words. How do I do this? Seems like I can only be aware if I don't think of the words at the same time.
24:32 Mindfulness gives meditators sharp minds and wisdom. Do scientists, inventors, and politicians also have mindfulness, or do they have to think a lot to have best minds?
26:08 What advice could you give someone who lucid dreams very frequently and wakes up exhausted as if they just lived another life? Sleeping less doesn't help because that person will dream within.
26:58 Can you touch on step 12 of Anapanasati called "gladdening the mind" and please elaborate on how to practice it?
27:18 Now I am full of sensations but no equanimity, and when I watch the sensations they are always intense. I can't use breath as it triggers migraines. How do I get over this state and feel motivated?
28:46 Today's society expects us to indulge in sensual pleasures and to achieve worldly success. How does one deal with this?
29:35 Can meditation or the theory of Buddhism help with me paranoia?
30:49 Learning from books and talks, I think I have understood and can live as per the dhamma, away from sensual desires. But I keep failing. I took one vacation and found enjoying myself a lot, unmindful. Do you have any advice?
31:56 I want to fully believe in Buddhist practices, but I am having trouble understanding how Karma is not simply blind faith. Can you help me understand?
32:58 How do we help ourselves not react so strongly to thoughts that provoke us? I notice when I react to thoughts, but the compulsion to react is so strong that I find myself reacting even when I'm aware of it.
34:23 How do we not judge thoughts as good or bad?
35:02 As far as I understand this is Mahasi tradition. I would like to continue practicing Samatha, but also to explore this tradition. Can I do both?
35:35 When I note the touching, I am aware of the object as it is, but right after there is the image that my mind uses to recognize the object. Should I note this also? Is it defilement? A need for security?
36:20 The rising and falling seem fluid, without any pause between, so I can't fit the "ing" on rising in before the beginning of the falling, is this maybe too obsessive?
38:45 How does one deal with intense sensations all over the body when they are overwhelming?
39:28 Why does Samsara exist?
39:45 In work and daily life, in general, is it advisable to be passive or to go with the flow of things more, instead of trying to manipulate or control situations, etc. even if it's somewhat affected?
40:59 Is it possible to study mindfully as one is reading? It's not possible note reading cause the mind is occupied with the study material.
42:28 Will I be able to feel the uniform subtle sensations throughout the body with the mahashi method?
44:05 How can a Westerner can become a monk? What steps do you need to take?
44:54 How does one approach cravings?
45:45 Does making a determination help you achieve mundane things?
46:24 I had a tooth pain when I started meditation. One hour into meditation the pain was gone. Was that probably because I forgot about the tooth pain or the power of the meditation?
47:33 How does one approach and deal with cravings to watch pornography?
49:54 I'm not living in reality when playing video games and wish I was with others in the "real world", sadly. I have no friends near. I'm mindful of this but if I don't play, I'm lost. What do you suggest?
50:29 I am a simple graduate, unemployed, non-native English man, non-vegetarian and 34 years old. Can I learn and adapt this program for a peaceful life?
52:07 When you are noting an object, if another experience pops up, should you Start noting the new experience or should you keep noting the current object until it disappears?
53:17 Can making a determination be a substitute for insight meditation?
54:49 Does mindful meditation take you to the various attainments that are mentioned such as sotapanna, etc., and finally attain nibbana?
56:14 I try my best to incorporate the simple life, without passions and attachement, however I am realizing I'm too attached and kind of afraid to let go of the usual way of my conventional self. How do I move on?
57:29 Is mantra meditation the same as how we chant mantras a few hundred times for deities so that they grant our wishes as it is done in Hindu tradition?
1:00:02 End

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:18 Meditation Q&A
02:09 Meditate Together
15:44 We strive to not experience birth again, but suppose we fail: how can I keep meditating, when the mind and the body are not together after death? How does this process work? Will we keep noting the hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, thinking without a body?
17:59 I have practiced daily for several years and have been to over 10 satipattana retreats. In meditation, after 15-20 minutes my head starts shaking quite intensely, and my breath speeds up, then stops. Any tips?
20:48 In walking meditation is it OK to perform turning in either direction? While walking, should the forward motion remain constant and fluid between steps or should one slightly pause after each step?
22:15 When I meditate and a thought arises, I visualize it. Should I label this as seeing or thinking?
22:44 Sometimes when I note, I hear the noting in your voice instead of my own, like how you might say, "thinking, thinking" in your video, is this wrong, or acceptable?
23:28 I try to note informally throughout my day, however, as soon as I finish noting, thinking returns repeatedly, to the point that noting "thinking" feels like suppression rather than mindfulness. Do you have any advice?
25:40 Do you have any thoughts on self-sabotage? I think I very easily fall into it. Is it something that can be overcome through mindfulness alone?
28:16 Sometimes I don't know what kind of feelings pop up, like I say to my self, "rising, falling, thinking, angry" and I get overwhelmed by my feelings and emotions. So I don't know what to say when I meditate. Do you have any advice?
30:09 I tried to keep my mind in the present moment. Wandering thoughts popped up, and I followed them. I did have some good ideas for my work, but I lost the present moment of mindfulness. Why did this happen?
32:20 In my Vipassana meditation, I get more tense and distracted, which can last the whole hour. Also I can't calm myself anymore. Can I do something about that?
36:09 When sensuality arises, different images and thougNts arise in my head. As I note seeing or thinking they disappear and reappear rapidly. How should I switch between noting them and the stomach?
37:39 Any tips for keeping the focus on the breath?
38:29 Is it wise to meditate in a cold isolation tank? Is warm better?
40:26 Before meditation they say 'relax your muscles’ -- I don't understand how to. I sit in a comfortable position, but get uncomfortable less than in 1 hour. Any advice?
42:42 For progress, one needs study and practice. In terms of studying, how should one go about learning Buddhism? Does one need to have a lot of intellectual knowledge to reach Nibbana?
44:42 Does meditating every time you feel "bad" create aversion to the "bad" feelings? Or does the mindfulness perhaps outweigh the negativity of whatever encouragement you are giving the aversion?
46:45 What is a way of letting go of bitterness? The feeling of bitterness, the thought of bitterness, the practice of bitterness; what is an expedient way of letting these things go?
49:10 For a few months I have been learning to sit upright without support. I have to adjust my position very frequently. Should I continue or find another position for sitting meditation?
49:58 Do you have any advice for having a need to "properly" express oneself, or come off a certain way? To be "understood"? I imagine this is a pretty difficult attachment to overcome completely
53:35 What exactly is "right thought" from the noble eightfold path?
55:51 After 40 minutes of sitting meditation in full lotus position, my legs become numb. This is an obstacle to sitting longer, and I wish to do many hours. Should I sit through the pain? What can you advice to overcome this?
58:45 I'm sure you get this a lot but I quit smoking today, and was wondering if you have any advice on keeping strong?
1:01:52 Sadhu...

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Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:21 Meditate Together
15:35 I've become very apathetic and tired of my ambitions. Can you please advise on how to deal with disenchantment of worldly pleasures?
19:19 While meditating this week, I started getting waves of euphoria throughout my whole body that lasted about three hours. It felt good, but don't understand why it happened. Do you know what causes this?
22:09 My mind is often focused on the mantra rather than the experience. Instead of my mind being at the stomach, it is actually with the mantra. Is this a sign of wrong practice?
24:15 Has the statement "we have no control" an exception in the present moment? Otherwise, how would it make sense to say "try to see clearly!"? Or in what way can you try something without control?
26:04 Sometimes while I'm meditating, I fall asleep, but somehow I keep meditating while dreaming. I say to myself, "dreaming". Is there somewhere I can read serious texts about this?
26:59 How do we approach thoughts that cause us to react with fear or anxiety?
28:15 There is a colleague at work who saps my positive energy. I'm finding it hard using this as a lesson. Can you offer any advice?
32:02 What about practicing mindfulness as you have taught, but not using any labeling, mantra whilst doing so? So when I'm walking, I'm only aware of that I'm walking, but not thinking "walking" "walking"
35:42 Is there such thing as "the dark night of the soul" in Buddhism? I hear a lot of people talking about this on various forums and it's putting many people off meditation.
38:43 Is noting a form of thought construction, and does this lead to becoming and rebirth because the meditator is trying to control the experience by labeling it, rather than just watching?
43:21 Can you perhaps explain more about the Jhanas? How can one really know that one has entered Jhana stages?
45:15 Is taking valerian root (often used as an herbal sleep aid) breaking the fifth precept?
48:07 How does the virtue gained from meditation compare with virtue from non-meditative practice like Five Precepts? Weren't non-meditative practices responsible for instant realization during time of Buddha?
51:41 Is it normal along the path of a non-practitioner to break the Five Precepts? I try, but I fail to keep them.
54:28 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
16:01 Are Vipassana 10-day noble silence retreats beneficial and if so, how should one prepare?
17:37 When one has to walk fast or do something quickly, how can you be mindful? Do you note faster, e.g right stepping left stepping. It feels rather chaotic than mindful.
18:49 While meditating, when the mind wanders, is it better to note remembering for past memories and imagining for future expectations, or should one just note thinking?
19:29 I heard a bad memory play out in my mind from when I was a child: my mother shouting nasty names at me whilst drunk. I watched myself block it out. How should I note?
20:52 How does rebirth happen? What is the process from the last moment of this life to the first moment of next life?
23:27 How is believing in rebirth different to believing in a creator god?
26:14 How do the concepts of no self/no living entity/no soul and rebirth/kamma reside together?
28:44 Is only practicing meditation correct Buddhism? Or is chanting Buddha's Lotus Sutra and Diamond Sutra also correct Buddhism?
31:29 I have gotten increasingly sensitive in my bodily sensations through Vipassana practice over a few years. I find my sensitivity being very distracting in my life. How does one manage this?
33:21 While meditating, I often find myself in an unpleasant mind-state, and I try then to reflect on the moments that brought me there. Is there any use for such reflection, perhaps outside of meditation?
34:39 All things are anatta, still one should strive to be mindful. Strive implies control and so is a contradiction. How can this be eliminated? How can it than be that an eradicated fetter cannot arise again?
36:35 Do we have to choose between the meditative mind and the creative mind?
38:13 Since experiences only last for moments, how can impermanence be realized? In my understanding, the realization requires memory of experiences. Memories are concepts. So, is impermanence just a concept?
40:52 What are the differences between the concepts of nibbana and complete extinction?
41:38 Is it unwholesome to listen to music as a layperson? Is it also unwholesome to become a musician?
43:25 Are there any different meditation techniques or practices that you would recommend in addition of the practice of satipattana?
44:50 Is there a benefit to try to see clearly and do noting during daily activity as often as possible? Is it advised to do this as much as possible?
46:20 I struggle to apply Buddhist teachings to my life. For instance, I run a business and a client is refusing to pay for services rendered. I'm being mindful, but should I fight it or let it go?
48:53 Do you have any advice for how to handle when a friend has insulted you? Should one ever set boundaries or even ultimatums, as opposed to just cutting a friend off completely or, on the other hand, being a doormat?
50:06 Would eating meat affect our practice?
50:24 Is all desire bad? Such as the desire to become pure?
51:17 Is thinking concepts like in a job, compatible with awareness of emptiness in principle? From experience, when there is mindfulness of thought, the thought dissolves. How to integrate with daily life?
52:29 How does the practice note "love"? I see it as the mechanic that allows us to notice our existence in our experience and so not just an emotion.
53:46 What is the most difficult challenge in monastic life?
56:14 Is meditating sitting up on the bed due to health conditions acceptable, versus not doing it at all?
59:23 What are your thoughts on meditation on koan and concept of sudden awakening?
1:00:14 I'm in Stoney Creek. How can I meet Buddhist peers so to have some lay friends? I have been & will continue to go to Wat Khmer, but would be nice to find some people from my background and age.
1:02:40 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:09 Meditate Together There will be no audio during meditation. Feel free to post questions in the chat.
16:05 I have observed that when I start doing regular practice, I start to wakeup early in the morning to the point that sometimes I wake in the middle of the night. Do you think this is because of the practice, and how to mitigate this?
23:08 How can you work with anxiety during meditation?
26:14 Mahasi Sayadaw prescribes noting "intending" before any bodily movement. Should we adopt this practice?
27:15 How’s does one cultivate concentration with mindfulness?
29:41 Does "sati" in meditation not mean more like memory in background like in a context, not fixing on momentary experience?
31:28 In sitting, I correct my posture about 10-20 times in 30 minutes. I note these movements as "adjusting". Should I do anything else, like strive to limit these movements or experiment with cushions?
32:26 Is it correct to return to the stomach when there is nothing pressing in one's awareness? There is never close to a perfectly single pointed awareness of the stomach in my experience.
33:36 With mantras, is it helpful to be more specific by using a wider range of words to describe what you're feeling/thinking etc or is it best to keep it simply to "liking", "disliking", etc?
34:34 Is there any utility to simply using meditation to relax if you're overwhelmed? (providing one does not get attached to using it as such)?
36:17 I have recently lost my job and have been feeling anxiety over my next steps. Is there a direction or specific kind of job one should aim for as a Buddhist?
39:49 Iam suffering from stress induced increased inflammation in body which is causing swelling in nerves, which meditation can help me in this situation?
42:24 I have no thoughts, feelings, or sensations, but experience pure unimpeded awareness of emptiness and rest in it. What should I note and why? I find silence is perfect as it is, noting was mind training.
45:27 Is it okay to smoke nicotine free vapes just for aesthetics and cool smoke effects? (it has no intoxication or side effect)
47:13 I meditated almost everyday consistently for about 2 years. However, just recently I have not meditated consistently or practiced formal for days at a time, but stay mindful. Should I worry about this?
49:58 Is having casual sexual intercourse with different people considered breaking the sexual misconduct precept? And are energy exchanges of the people engaging in the act a real thing or concept?
52:07 When one lives around people who are still attached, how can one avoid being exploited or asked too much of?
53:46 Do you have any advice for how to find a balance between being careless about the world's problems and being overly concerned with worldly problems?
54:56 When I drive should I note "driving" or "seeing"?
55:47 I was in relationship with a girl but my relationship ended as I was not good enough, I feel deep regret when I try to meditate or concentrate, I get into same regret. How I can get over it?
57:15 Is joking considered breaking the 'do not lie' precept? Yesterday I made up a joke and told my brother to see his reaction but I was self conscious and worried if this is right, we both had a laugh.
58:36 Can we establish a relation between Buddhism and modern medicine? Do they have more differences or similarities?
1:00:32 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:13 Meditation Q&A
15:42 Does the practice have the potential to lead the practitioner to a point at which he/she no longer needs to consciously interact with hindrances and negative emotions such as bitterness and sorrow?
17:29 Recently I have been happy due to some material success and I am starting to indulge in them. I can feel myself drifting from the path. I feel weak and no discipline. How do I tackle this situation?
18:56 When I feel physical pain it is easy to make it a meditation object for long periods of time. Should I eventually let go of it if I find i have noted it for a long time or can you stay with it?
20:04 Is it beneficial to mediate on love - love for world hardship and one's "enemies"?
20:33 What are the long-term benefits of an intensive meditation course? Is the wisdom gained forgotten once practitioners go back to their ordinary lives?
22:03 Is it alright for someone to meditate overnight if they do not feel tired? Will that be harmful to physical health?
24:30 Is it possible to create philosophical arguments for Buddhism and if so would it be beneficial?
26:01 You've warned against becoming an ignorant practitioner and said we should study. What is meant by studying in this context? Can you recommend any material?
27:59 Is it bad karma to avoid people who you don't trust because you perceive that they don't keep the precepts well? Or is it good karma, because then you have a better environment to practice?
31:46 Why can I meditate much better and feel more relaxed on an empty stomach? My thoughts and concentration are so erratic when I eat food.
33:58 Can you offer any advice on how to maintain my meditation posture when my mind tries to trick me out of it? I find it difficult to keep my back straight and be still.
35:04 How do you practice aniccasanna? Is it just awareness that things change or that they're inconstant?
35:49 Is laying meditation okay? I often spend small amounts of time during the day to center myself and ease down and I do laying mediation.
36:40 How does a Buddhist deal with violent people? Especially when running away or de-escalation is not an option?
37:24 I've recently decided to quit smoking weed and not consume alcohol. Would it be considered breaking the precept if one smokes intoxicated flavours in a vape pen mainly for aesthetic and smoke effects?
41:49 What is your view on practicing the jhanas?
42:02 Is one liability for the influence one has on other people as in a public figure even though one just wants to live their life and is not saying people must engage in what he engages in?
44:40 How can we sit still and meditate for hours on end? the longest I have meditated is about three hours, but I would really like to try and meditate for longer and still retain awareness.
45:34 After starting meditation, I lost contact and cut ties with friends and members of my extended family (uncles, cousins...). Is there any benefit in maintaining a relationship with one’s extended family?
48:25 Why am I so dissatisfied with my practice or lack thereof?
49:56 I feel I've absorbed a lot of heaviness after interacting with people. This hinders any social interaction and meditation practice as well. How can I deal with this situation and find a better way?
53:14 What is a simplified list of the benefits of meditation when the thought “what's the point of this” arises?
53:41 How can we be sure if a memory of a past life is truly a memory, not just something fabricated by the mind?
55:02 Why did the Buddha say that all experiences are preceded by mind? Given people think the brain produces experience.
56:56 How do I practice samadhi meditation?
57:36 Sometimes when listening to guided meditations my mind shuts off. After 30 minutes, I do not recollect everything. I was not sleeping just have no recollection of that time. What is this?
58:22 How do we handle the differing opinions of others in the modern world? Is it appropriate to cut off all sources of this? Would that be avoiding reality?
59:37 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:22 Meditation Q&A
17:16 Sometimes I get surprised, and my mind gets excited a lot - and this comes into meditation. I can observe this state, but why am I not able to contain the excitement at that very moment?
23:33 How do I increase a sense of urgency? I'm depressed, lonely, in a rut, but I just don't feel the fear, the terror, that once had brought me into Buddhism. How to stop this torpor, this nihilistic apathy?
25:55 When a song repeats on loop in our head, should we note singing or listening, because it seems to be both?
26:59 How do sankharas of past life manifest in the present life? How does the practice help in getting rid of sankharas of past life?
32:29 I do the risings and fallings. I also do the body scan. Were they both taught by the Buddha?
36:42 There is a carpet in the middle of my path when doing walking meditation. How should I notice when stepping in the small bump where the carpet begins?
38:13 I've been meditating for a year but I can't meditate for more than 15-20 minutes max. How do I increase the duration of my sessions?
39:10 How important is it to keep the precepts, and how would the practice of someone who keeps the precepts differ from someone who practices without keeping the precepts?
40:58 Now that I meditate I see that I am this conciousness. Am I this conciousness If there is no self?
43:24 In what proportion should time be invested in the practice and study of Buddhism?
44:56 When one gets angry, at that instant, I don't want to be mindful. How does one change this attitude?
46:23 When we leave the primary object to note a distraction, do we finish noting the last rising or falling before the distraction?
47:52 Why do images from movies and online videos come back to my mind constantly? Does it happen to everyone? Is my mind very weak? A strong meditator doesn't have this problem, correct?
50:31 Are dreams directly correlated with a busy mind?
51:23 Life is nothing more important or meaningful than risings and fallings. Is this correct?
53:10 I'm being mindful more and more lately. How do I keep up with daily life and planning while also always being mindful in moment?
1:00:40 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:01 Meditate Together
15:25 How can meditation help people with severe drug addiction (cocaine, heroin)?
21:22 Does this practice lead to happiness? Is freedom from suffering the same thing as happiness?
23:35 When I get sudden news of surprise or shock, I get happy or dull immediately. Why cannot my mind be still even in that moment? How to develop such an ability of a reactionless mind?
25:19 What is a path to tackling papanca?
26:36 You've said that physical exercise is not to be pursued, but what about stretching of limbs? You are able to sit "cross-legged" as Buddha prescribed. I can't yet.
28:21 What is the right way to meditate to increase short term memory, to increase focus and concentration?
30:03 When I do walking meditation, when stepping right, I don't note experience arising and ceasing. I experience more like the experience goes on. What can I do? Should I be more concentrated?
31:24 Two nights ago my mother passed away in her sleep. Do you have any advice on how to deal with the emotions? I've only slept 3 hours since I found her. I'm struggling with mindfulness.
36:50 Could you please say something about impatience during meditation? Do I note impatience? Should I also note perseverance?
39:59 Should you not sit in a full lotus when meditating?
40:56 I quite often jump from noting one thing onto another. The mind cannot stay noting one thing. Any advice?
41:58 When during meditation, there's a conviction that "I can't do it", "I'd better do something else", or "I can't do it today". Is this torpor? Should I also note believing as these thoughts are very real?
43:40 Can a guarded mind repress emotions? I can catch myself seeing images in the mind and it would stop the abstraction and relation to it. Is there any sense in playing out the abstractions?
44:43 Sloth and Torpor are not leaving my mind. For the last 10 months, this hindrance has been obstructing me to cultivate meditation. Please advise on how to deal with it.
45:46 For an intensive course, I could manage to sleep for six hours and eat one or two times, but I have the idea that I would not stand at all the lust that is usually very intense and unbearable in me. Any tips?
46:33 How does one overcome depression and or the feeling of being trapped when meditating?
47:41 Does the physical world exist independent of experience?
49:25 Does microdosing psychedelics (taking a Sub-perceptual dose) interfere with the 5 precepts?
53:34 Why is it said that Nibbana has no cause? Isn't it seeing things clearly the cause of Nibbana?
55:07 Does microdosing psychedelics (taking a sub-perceptual dose) interfere with the 5 precepts?
57:15 I feel quite stubbornly attatched to beauty and pleasures as a good thing. Is this the famous clinging (upadana)? When I feel "stubborn" like a mule Should I note "clinging"?
58:25 Since the mantra is a thought, is it better to make sure the mind is not too full of other thoughts in order to be mindful?
1:00:32 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
15:50 I try to note the nature of thoughts during meditation, but thoughts about a few problems in my life seem to overpower and make me feel stressed, and I can't seem to simply ignore them. How should I handle it?
19:32 Should I limit how many times I note something in order to go back to the breath? For example, should I note "distracted" three times even when the distraction continues on?
20:00 When I meditate with my eyes half open, the eyelids are twitching, and I can't get them to rest. Are there any advantages to meditating with your eyes closed? I think Buddha said ‘with his eyes closed'.
21:03 Is noting "wanting", the same as noting "craving", and "wishing"?
21:52 I love meditation but most of the time I'm not in the mood to meditate because I feel good. How can I overcome myself and meditate?
24:38 When doing labeling, how do we know if we are doing it right? Does it also eventually lead to concentration of mind?
27:26 I notice that there is a resistance to meditation arises when I want to start it, sometimes preventing me to meditate. Once I'm meditating, this resistance ceases. What can I do about that?
28:23 When noting a distraction like "hearing" because of a car going by, should we Stay with it until that particular car has gone or should we stay with the hearing in general?
29:19 How do you drive out loneliness especially when you see other people having friends and beautiful times while you are not able to do that?
30:45 How do you forgive yourself and overcome guilt? How do you forgive others who have physically hurt you?
33:31 How can we be sure that the habit of meditation will continue in our next lives?
35:34 Should we label the same object multiple times to do repeated contact anupassana?
36:33 I don't kill cockroaches anywhere else, except at my home. When killing cockroaches and mosquitos, I feel very bad. If I don't, they are harming to my health. What should I do?
37:47 How can we lay followers make the most of Buddhist practice, if we are unable to leave to a monastery?
40:44 Is watching a momentary experience not too much fixing on momentary experience, and to completely ignore the context of experience?
43:52 Can I chew nicotine gum while taking the 8 precepts?
45:23 How should one react to confrontational situations where if you don’t defend yourself, you'll probably get injured or killed? Is it fair to engage in conflict in this situation?
46:59 How does one know that you are equanimous? Also, how can one remove reactive thoughts and patterns that relate to monitoring one's meditation, during meditation?
49:35 Can one continue with their daily life as a lay person after “enlightenment” or what should one do?
50:56 Is thinking and imagining the same concept?
51:35 Does a death and a rebirth occur right after each other? Is a rebirth then dependent on conception at the exact time of death?
54:05 We focus on taking care of the mind (meditation) but there is less emphasis if any on training the body (physical exercise) except walking. Why is that? Is Sports a kind of wanting and an issue?
56:53 Can everyone become a Buddhist?
59:52 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:34 Meditation Q&A
15:20 In walking meditation, can we note a distraction right away, or should we always note stopping and standing before noting the distraction? Is concentration more encouraged than in sitting meditation?
16:10 How much should I let go of control when meditating? Currently I very gently rest my attention on the belly and allow and notice when it is moved to the next object. Is this ok?
17:51 There are some times during the day where I have 15 spare minutes I want to use to meditate. Should I do walking 15 minutes, sitting 15 minutes, or walking 7' 30" and sitting 7' 30"?
19:00 When meditating and noting, I seem to ‘slip away', that's not to say I stop noting or I'm unconscious. I know I've kept noting but it's like being elsewhere or at one with things. What is this?
20:44 Is it correct to note the four elements during walking meditation, or should we always stick with "stepping-right, stepping-left", "standing", "stopping" and "turning"?
22:42 In one of your old videos I think you said we should focus on one point of the stomach whilst noting "rising" and "falling". Should we focus on a specific point, or in the whole sensation?
23:23 I have this unusual fear of evil spirits during meditation, which is not present otherwise. Only during meditation it comes up. Can these beings possess my body in meditation?
28:41 I fear commitments, plans, obligations and daily meditation schedule. They heavily weigh down on me and make me worried and nervous. I feel I'm not free and often overthink and over eat. Any advice?
30:18 Is the physical a product of the mental? Should we understand the world in this way?
31:23 Can you please say something about the pattern: "why does it always happen to me?" What could be the underlying thoughts and emotions?
32:32 How does the at home meditation course work? How long is it, how much time does it require, etc? What benefit does it have over attending these meditation Q&A sessions?
34:40 Why do I get hooked onto songs and movies? It keeps running in my mind when I meditate. How can I handle this?
37:02 How much attention should we pay to dreams?
38:31 Is this technique not too much fixing on single objects?
39:47 Is living in the streets a good lifestyle for a serious meditator?
40:48 My friends suggest it may be good to kill beings, even people, so they move through samsara to a higher form. "Won't killing a spider give them a possible chance as a human?" How should I respond?
44:50 We shouldn't do drugs or drink coffee, but what about sugar? Should I drink only water or also Coca Cola, for example?
46:44 Walking is good, thus we do walking meditation to help the body. Why not use other wise health modalities to aid the body to be able to meditate better, longer reaching?
48:30 I feel motivated for certain tasks and actions and feel resistance when it comes to others. Any suggestions for how being mindful can help with duties, tasks when I'm unmotivated?
49:49 Do new beings enter samsara or has there always been an unquantifiable amount of "us"? Was my being always around or did I enter into the wheel at some time?
51:19 I can't focus on my breath as the main meditation object because it makes me more frustrated and it's too subtle. What other object can I use as the main meditation object?
52:51 I have trouble relaxing. I feel that I am an uptight and rigid person. What meditation can I do to change this?
54:26 Is meditation as important as keeping the precepts? Is there a connection between keeping the precepts and meditation?
56:14 I'm mindfull when I wake up for about an hour then I lose that state for the entire day, can you please advise on what to do?
57:04 I find I am alone in the practice. I think I need a teacher. Should I try the at home course?
58:14 I dissociate often due to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). I've always found meditation challenging, because I end up just dissociating during the practice. Any advice?
59:18 Tomorrow is Buddha’s Birthday! Thinking about the Buddha at all times keeps my mind at presence instead of wandering to the past or future. Is it ok to think about the Buddha at all times?

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:25 Meditation Q&A
09:58 How do you drop the desire of Samadhi during meditation?
11:44 When travelling there are so many things happening at once. How does one use noting in really distracting environments; or just keep as the meditation course prescribes?
12:49 What are some ways one can go into seclusion with the aim of practicing meditation?
13:59 Is it common for meditation to bring up old buried feelings which can manifest in anger, resentment, Sadness, etc.?
16:40 I have committed to practice two hours of sitting meditation everyday. I have found that some days, I have to stop my other important work to fulfill my commitment. Am I overdoing it?
18:03 What does one exactly do when practicing insight meditation?
19:18 I do not feel a lot of progress in meditation, though I practice it everyday and this drives down my motivation. How to stay motivated on this path and not give up?
20:43 I suppose it is very important to be mindful during death. What experiences can I expect during and after death? Do the near-death experiences agree with the wisdom of Buddhism?
23:20 Can you please clarify the third precept?
27:38 I get lot of past memories, especially with my ex-partner. It's disturbing me a lot and stops me from being truthful to practise. How to subdue such thoughts?
29:23 I find Vipassana can bring about great calm and even long periods of no thoughts or feelings besides the rising and falling. I feel guilty that this is happening because It's pleasant. Any advice?
30:14 Can you please explain the difference between Anapanasati and Satipatthana? Are both Vipassana meditations? Is there a particular cause the Buddha gave both practices to his students?
32:42 I imagine fantasy worlds in my head as a form of escapism, and daydream often. When experiencing escapist thoughts, do I say “imagining”? I’m curious about Buddhist views on imagination.
33:57 Can you see the three universal truths in walking meditation?
36:26 I am considering doing an intensive course. What is the role and purpose of prostration? It would feel fake or forced. Would it be mandatory in the intensive course or is it possible to train without?
37:29 Could you list some tangible benefit in the now of the practice? I'm lacking energy and faith in putting a lot of effort. I wish I could be regular and have more determination and energy.
38:30 What would you recommend for a beginner meditator to do this summer?
39:19 I have tinnitus which is a constant ringing in the ear. Can you give me any advice for living my daily life with having this constant discomfort?
40:27 Sometimes I have emotions or feelings and can't I quite find the right manta to express it. Would "confused" suffice until it becomes more clear upon further meditation?
41:30 Could you say precisely how noting "liking" and "wanting" can break through the craving and lust? How can one eradicate it and lead to abandonment of it? It seems really an impossible goal to me
43:22 What are your thoughts on the concept of the citta as defined in the Thai Forest Tradition, for example, as a pure Observing or Awareness? Is this something that should be considered in the practice?
45:33 If I can't find a teacher, should I still do noting practice?
48:02 I have just pure hatred for every person. No matter how far I investigate myself, others never fail to disappoint. I cannot break this pure hatred. Is there any way?
50:15 I'm finding insects to be a difficult pest to handle. I ask them to leave but this seems futile and not in line with reality. How do I handle pests in my home without killing them?
53:55 How important is a sangha for the development of spirituality? I have no friends who are into spirituality and everyone I know and see thinks I'm strange.
55:35 How does one respond to the atrocities occurring in Ukraine as well as other areas of the world? It can be emotionally overwhelming even when noting sad, sad, etc.
58:02 Is there a meditation center in India which teaches meditation as taught by Mahasi Sayadaw? So far in my research, I have not found one.
59:26 Is "right compassion" just observance of another person's suffering?
1:01:46 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:28 Meditation Q&A
19:27 In the height of stress and worry is the focus still on the stomach? But what else?
20:35 Should we practice loving-kindness metta meditation? Is this distinct from noting meditation (vipassana)? Is metta (love) a concept? Or is it as ‘real’ as all other objects of experience?
22:29 Is it really necessary to use this technique of mental notation? Is it not possible to cultivate mindfulness without this device?
25:31 Will practicing samatha have any effects on vipassana?
26:01 When one feels nervous, it contains tension in the body, a fast heartbeat, rising and falling of the stomach. Should I pick one of those to note or should I note the feeling nervous as a whole?
27:23 How to practice when facing a non-accidental death?
29:51 Throughout the day, is it better to note consistently, or accurately in an ultimate sense?
31:46 I find it hard to be mindful when thinking. I say to myself "thinking" but the thinking disappears when I do so. Even when hearing, I say “hearing”, but I can't comprehend what the other person is saying. Do you have any advice?
34:02 How do I meditate to deal with living alone?
34:54 Is better to meditate in the belly or nostrils, in the long term?
35:40 How do I meditate with intention to increase my will power and taking actions?
36:48 I am wondering if, when doing Buddho meditation, we are still to focus on the breath and the 4 things to be mindful of due to it, or only focus on the Buddho?
38:54 If I notice I was distracted, but the distracting object has passed, should I dig back to examine whatever distracted me?
40:19 I want to take on the 6th precept. Is it permissable to to eat my one meal in the evening, after 6pm, instead of in the morning? It seems appropriate Since this is our family dinner, a tradition.
42:36 I am beginning to see good results from my noting practice, so I want to help people. Is there a specific amount for how much I should try to engage other people into practice?
45:51 The more one meditates the less one sees entertainment, possessions and modern fast life as satisfactory or as a goal. What life goals are sensible for a meditator to bring purpose?
47:13 Is it unwholesome or even lying to use the "Appear offline" option on Discord or similar websites? I just don't want the pressure of people expecting a timely response, or to Say something, etc.
48:31 How can I bring myself to doing what I Know needs to be done? Procrastination and laziness and resisting work has become a pattern. How do I break this pattern, because it’s made my life stagnant?
49:32 Is it okay for me to eat one meal a day? I'm 14.
50:44 Even as one starts practicing vipassana, one gains confidence about its effectiveness. What doubt is removed as one attains ‘Sotapanna’' stage?
51:46 Once one has entered deep samadhi and comes to have clear, powerful knowing, how does that transfer to permanent Nibbana? It always passes away eventually.
52:46 I recently started suffering from Tinnitus after a panic attack. Can the power of meditation help me in coping with this condition?
53:47 How does samsara and kamma pass onto another being after death if the Buddha taught non-self?
55:25 How do you understand the exact same thought-scenario (repetitive thought) appearing endlessly - coming from a place of anger? I feel like using metta is suppressing it. It just comes back again and again.
57:14 If our aim is to be aware at all times, thus reaching Nibanna, would not the lengthy meditation sessions cultivate the patience, the attention that we need?
58:26 I have a wooden tile from Thailand depicting the Buddha. As I fix my eyes on this tile, I start walking backwards, Am I breaking some rules? I feel I am progressing nicely.
1:00:48 How can I forgive my doctor's past actions, whose cortisol injections gave me Tinnitus? Can meditation help?
1:02:29 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:19 Meditation Q&A
18:41 In terms of some kind of goal or momentum: how often should I be noting outside of sitting/walking? Should it really be moment-to-moment throughout the day? I struggle hard with this.
20:21 When I watch certain actors on TV, my head pings like a pin ball machine. I’ve noticed it’s only certain actors this happens with. Any idea? Should I say "pinging?"
20:57 If someone wants to learn this meditation technique, how important is their religious background? (if they believe in God).
24:03 If we note whatever arises, but also can't possibly note everything, how can we ever gain requisite concentration for mindfulness? Letting some stuff pass without noting feels arbitrary. Is that okay?
25:42 I can't calm my mind with a 15 minute meditation after a stressful day at work. How long do you recommend for meditation after work?
27:38 How do we know if our positive results from this technique are a result of temporary concentration we've built or are from actually seeing clearly?
30:52 I cannot sit because of back problems. Can I continue my noting practice while lying and walking and still get the same results?
32:13 Does "do not kill" apply to plant life? Would it be wrong to kill an insect by removing it from a house plant it was relying on?
33:27 If someone acts rudely, and you start thinking about them negatively, is it ever advisable to introduce countering thoughts, e.g. pitying them or giving benefit of doubt? Or Should we just be mindful?
35:34 I keep falling back on my bad habits. Do you have any advice?
37:49 My practice feels arbitrary -- I sometimes ignore minor things and just keep noting whatever I'm on, sometimes I note absolutely everything that arises. Somehow both ways seem incorrect. Please advise.
38:58 Is there any space in which you should reflect on certain thoughts arising especially if they are repetitive, perhaps trying to show you something you are ignoring or just keep on noting?
41:12 I feel like my antidepressive medication is in the way of going deeper in my meditation. What do you think?
45:03 I'm afraid of public speaking. How do I get rid of the fear?
46:59 Is it correct that, If meditating devotedly and correctly, you will be protected by the law of karma, you will not be hungry or sick, no fear of being outdated, and your physical appearance would improve?
49:48 I am 6'5" tall, and when people look at me, I get nervous sometimes. Any advice?
51:51 I studied music and I have musical instruments. Could I use them to inspire and encourage people, for the benefit of others? Throwing everything away or selling it seems a waste. What would you recommend?
54:59 When I say "thinking thinking" when images pop in, it stops the thinking in its tracks. Is this correct? Should this happen, or is this myself trying to stop thinking even though I'm not actually trying?
56:17 How can one remove addiction from one's life?
57:15 It seems staggering how much we are harming other beings inadvertently. Is there a sutta about this? It seems more prominent than ever with COVID, microplastics, carbon footprint, etc. Any advice?
1:03:06 How can I remove my suicidal thoughts and concentrate on the present?
1:05:31 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:16 Meditation Q&A
20:26 Is it important to have a meditation teacher, or someone to talk to regularly about your practice? I don't have a teacher to talk to, weekly. Should I try to get one?
21:38 I feel isolated. I stay at home, unsure where to go or who to see. Meditation has left me conflicted. I can accept my situation, but feel Iam deprived of a happy life. Should I look outwards or inwards?
23:52 Will Samatha meditation be easier after practicing Vipassana?
24:41 I was meditating 15-20 minutes, but when the meditation gets longer I'm more hesitant to practise and miss some days. However if I go back to 10 minutes, it seems that I won't miss any. What should I do?
26:10 I have emotional flashbacks, childhood trauma memories, but without images. They are extremely intense, but short, like a flash. Too short to see them clearly. How can I deal with them?
28:17 I feel a general animosity towards all people that mindfulness isn't supposed to help get rid of, but I don't want that. Any suggestions?
29:14 How does one deal with the fear of death? Or rather being killed?
30:13 How do you keep your back straight in sitting posture? Is the body relaxed, or are you holding your back in place?
31:15 Since starting the practice, I have lost interest in pursuing material success. But If I don't pursue material success, I feel like my family will be very unhappy. Any advice?
34:08 When we meditate we say rising falling and we focus on our stomach moving, is that all we are doing? Time goes faster doing that, but after I don't feel anything, not happy or unhappy. Is that right?
35:29 I keep falling back into patterns and habits and all, just because I am doing of all this alone - is it wise to find a community? It's hard in my position. I consider joining a temple. What do you think?
36:42 Lately I've been unable to meditate for any length of time. I have been living in chaos. Is there anything I can do to purify myself to better be able to meditate?
38:12 Should the practice of metta bea regular part of one's meditation practice?
38:47 How long is your at-home online meditation course? Can I talk with you weekly without actually doing the course? Just doing my normal daily practice.
39:31 Why is it said that if one meditates regularly, it is highly likely that they will encounter the technique in future lives? Should we take solace in this?
41:06 I'm not a Buddhist; I don't have a religion. Would meditation still help me in my death?
42:46 Can seeing clearly be attained by being mindful of our daily actions and feelings rather than with meditation?
43:57 Is killing any specific living being worse than another? Do specific living beings have more intrinsic worth than others?
47:09 How can one deal with fear of Nibbana?
48:42 Do meditators always have to look solemn, look formal, not allowed to laugh, to be happy, or get excited?
50:39 Can a non-enlightened person have their sense of self completely vanish?
51:38 If Buddhism is about self liberation, it appears inherently selfish. What is the point of being compassionate, loving or caring instead of being self-centered?
55:17 Is it necessary to dissolve negative feelings associated with those past memories, as they can trigger and affect one's present? And since they will show up anyway in the moment of death?
56:55 Is gratefulness a wholesome state?
57:29 Does anger manifest as violent perceptions only? Are there other sankharas to note for anger?
57:55 What is the root cause of the desire for praise and how does one overcome this wish to be thought well of?
59:34 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:33 Meditation Q&A
16:30 I'm struggling to find peace and accept issues in my surroundings. There have been children breaking my property and I confronted them but lied and said I was visiting. Was I wrong to lie?
18:15 I want to practice noting all the time, but can I do this with a good conscience, when there is so much suffering in the world?
19:21 Is it necessary to mentally repeat even if we are observing and not reacting or judging in that moment?
21:37 Sometimes I find it hard to find the correct word to label an experience. What should I note?
22:25 I find it useless to note whatever arises at any given moment, never seeing anything through. It just results in flitting around, fickle mindedness, never seeing experiences clearly. Please advise.
24:58 Can we react wholesomely to certain objects during meditation? For example, when we feel unsafe, create the thought "I'm safe"?
27:16 When trying to remain present in daily life, there are so many objects I could pay attention to. What should I choose? Or is it more of a relaxed presence with whatever is arising?
28:39 Being totally aware of my state of mind is mindfulness and/or enlightenment. I know that my mind Is now sad, happy, angry, jealous, or compassionate, etc... Is this understanding correct?
30:36 Some people are torturing me in the most evil and pernicious of ways. What should I do?
31:42 How to meditate and be mindful in sleep?
32:01 Is it better to investigate suspicions that have been eating away at your thoughts, or wait for things to present themselves to you naturally?
33:33 The Internet today is made to be addictive as much as possible, to keep a person's mind occupied all of the time. How to break free from this cycle and the fear of missing out, which comes from trying to avoid it?
35:22 When noting a feeling like fear, I usually imagine the thing that brought it up and i feel the feeling to the end until it dissolves. Is this the right way of practice?
36:24 How many hours of sleep do advanced meditators need? Does deep meditation regenerate the body like sleep?
37:40 How to deal with chronic suicidal thoughts with mindfulness? I find it really hard to stand back and just observe them with kindness.
40:12 When you have a negative thought, and you are aware of it, but the mind keeps generating more negative thoughts... how can you break the cycle?
41:37 How should a lay person approach planning ... since it is experienced that most of the times the day does not go as planned ... is it useful at all?
44:09 Does mindfulness help regulate and process emotions rather than repressing them?
45:24 I'm chanting "Buddha" at all times, in meditation and daily activities. If Ihad an accident and died suddenly, my soul is inclined to go to Buddha’s realm. Is this practice correct?
51:25 Since noting fear and other unwholesome emotions have somewhat dissolved and I'm mostly so happy but I still feel some sadness when someone else is sad, Is compassion taking the suffering of others?
55:57 I have too much anxiety, especially while public-speaking or doing an important task in my life. Yesterday, this happened very strongly, and my heart rate went very high. It felt like I would die or want to die. Do you have any advice?
58:51 Do you have any advice for estrangement / strained relationships with family, etc.?
1:01:57 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:35 Meditation Q&A
19:26 Do I need to look for the three characteristics intentionally during meditation?
23:26 I get very drowsy during evening meditation recently, and I'm not really returning to the breath. I'm just meandering around. When this happens, should I do standing meditation instead of sitting?
24:45 During meditation, I have trouble Separating pain from the disliking of it. They feel one and the same. It’s easier to separate my preference when, for example, eating food. Any guidance?
26:36 What do we actually practice during meditation?
27:30 With Sattipthana meditation do we also see the Four Noble Truths?
30:40 If my senses are fallible, how can I be sure I’m seeing clearly?
35:17 Is it good to note 'Anicca' if pain disappears after we stay with it for some time?
36:45 If I take whatever interrupts rising-falling as a new object, I can never see anything through. Even if I see through an object despite other objects in my awareness, I still can't return to rising-falling much. Please help.
38:12 I quite often catch myself rehearsing conversations with others, constantly talking to people in my mind which I can't stop. I note it but can't find the right label for it. Any suggestions?
40:09 Why doesn't "noting until an object goes away" apply to the rising and falling of the stomach? Is this not different techniques for arbitrarily different objects, such as the rising-falling and distractions from the rising-falling?
41:56 I am constantly hemming and hawing about the practice. Is it better to just be confident in practicing potentially somewhat incorrectly? How much forgiveness is there to the practice?
42:37 Does one note knowing or stay with the Silent mind when achieved?
43:12 When I meditate deeply what I realize is that what I am is awareness, awareness of phenomena rising and falling. Can this be defined as belonging to me and myself?
44:57 Does Mahasi-style noting practice develop both concentration and insight simultaneously? Is this why there is no need to do extensive concentration practice (Samatha)?
46:13 Does "stream entry" or any attainment alter how one senses reality, such as changes in visual perception, or changes in how you hear sounds?
47:55 Are there dangers to “secular” Buddhism given it doesn't believe in rebirth, since escaping Samsara is a reason Buddha taught the Dhamma?
50:44 Are other forms of Buddhism, such as Mahayana and Vajrayana, "wrong view" or just another way of interpreting the truth?
53:19 When the idea of pure awareness arises and I note it as being not real where do I go from there? Is there any goal in meditation?
54:42 Is practicing Tibetan visualization meditation helpful?
56:26 Do you recommend any particular suttas for practitioners to read?
57:26 I want to leave my ADHD medication (Ritalin) and it has been daunting. Should I attempt to stop abruptly and note my symptoms with meditation? I deeply fear not being able to get through work.
1:01:40 During meditation I sometimes have an overwhelming feeling that I am disappearing, to a point where my heart starts to race and I feel a strong rush which makes me stop out of fear. What should I do?
1:04:23 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:15 Meditation Q&A
17:27 I occasionally have temper tantrums. It is then very difficult to be mindful. I often regret afterwards. What can I do?
18:21 When I am mindful while indulging in sensuality, I find it unsatisfying. But if I am not mindful, it seems satisfying. This leads to a view that it is mindfulness that makes sensuality ‘unsatisfying’. How to proceed?
19:43 How can we choose one thing to be mindful of and also not ignore anything that arises in our field of awareness?
19:58 When I am mindful while indulging in sensuality, I find it unsatisfying. But if I am not mindful, it seems satisfying. This leads to a view that it is mindfulness that makes sensuality ‘unsatisfying’. How to proceed?
20:21 How can we choose one thing to be mindful of and also not ignore anything that arises in our field of awareness?
20:57 How does taking whatever interrupts you from your current object as your object not conflict with "choosing" (purportedly one of many) objects to be your object?
21:51 How does "note what's most prevalent in my awareness" jibe with "If I'm taken away from an object at all I should note whatever it was that arose"? The latter seems to dictate that I flit from object to object.
22:26 I find that sometimes I'm very neutral and emotions are mostly quiet about most things since this practice. However, it has become apathetic and kinda lifeless and demotivated. Any advice?
23:29 I feel a lot of fear due to the war and all the news. I'm trying to note my fear and just observe it, but I feel I need more guidance. It’s affecting my life on multiple levels now. Please help.
25:07 I have been diagnosed with ADHD but don't wish to take medication for it. I believe mindfulness can help. Any advice to on delaying with resistance work and tasks and not procrastinating everything?
27:08 How important is sense restraint for the practice?
28:26 I recently had an experience while meditating where I lost the ability to note or even know that I couldn't note, and I couldn't remember how/when it happened. Did my mind disappear somewhere?
29:05 I am new to meditation. Some members of my family are becoming open to what I am doing. Can I show others how to meditate? Is there a danger in this?
30:39 When I am outside, lust and related thoughts of fear and anxiety arise with great strength. When I am inside my room or during formal mindfulness meditation they are weak / not frequent. Any advice?
31:51 We don't want to put things in a category to say "this is good" or "this is bad". But when I eat and it tastes good, I'm already putting this in a category. How to avoid this?
33:04 How do I become stronger in Metta practice?
33:40 When I meditate, after some minor trembling in the body my hands begin to tingle with a pleasurable warmth. Is trying to let this feeling spread throughout the body beneficial?
34:37 Is noting "arising and falling" of the stomach a must or can one focus on the "in and out" of the breath in meditation?
36:29 When I'm in a sitting position my body aches too much, it distracts me a lot from the practice... is this part of the practice? Is it OK to shift or shall I keep observing to the point of pain?
37:28 What should I know about Vipassana retreat before jumping into it?
38:45 Comparing myself with others makes me disheartened, like I am so far behind them. This leaves me unmotivated to work towards my goals. Any advice on this?
39:43 My unforced breath cycle when resting is rather long, by years of asthma exercises and woodwinds playing, several seconds between breaths. Should I note "waiting" if nothing clear appears in my senses?
40:17 I find myself having the knowledge that things are unsatisfying, but still desiring something to satisfy. Any advice?
41:59 Is it OK to share the Dharma and personal experiences with a friend? I recall you saying you not allowed to Share personal experiences about the Dharma.
43:09 When you say there is no “cause and effect” and "it's just an experience". Does this mean the arising of these States is spontaneous?
44:29 Is it OK to sacrifice legs and spine during meditation by not moving them, for getting detached and letting them go in irreversible damage?
45:45 Is uttering "Om" encouraged in Buddhism or is there any other singular chant for meditation?
47:00 Is it impossible to have high career goals and be detatched at the same time, especially when it includes high meat intake and an aggressive mindset for completing our goal?
48:21 How to let go of the fear that World War Three has actually started?
48:46 What monasteries would you recommend for a Westener who wants to join the Theravada Buddhist path?
49:37 Are the pure life of a lay person and the pure life of a monk the same or different? How so?

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Meditate Together
00:36 Welcome
00:47 Meditation Q&A
15:18 I feel calmer and less prone to hindrances, yet it's hard to stay with the stomach regularly, too much going on to note whatever arises & also get through prescribed exercises. Can I ignore non-hindrances?
16:58 Can we ignore other objects when noting the rising and falling of the stomach if they don't have a "pull" that takes us away from the stomach?
17:29 Do you have any tips for drifting away from people you know deep down are not good for you, but you're attached to?
19:36 When I have wanting, I see an image in my head and then I feel tension in the body, so I started to note "seeing" and "tension", never "wanting" anymore. Shall I note "wanting" instead?
20:05 When I play a song in my head, for example, shall I note "thinking" or "hearing"? What about when I imagine something? Shall I note "thinking" or "seeing"?
20:37 Is it valuable to mediate while extended fasting? Is it like physical exercise where you need food energy in order to bring positive benefits?
21:49 When I meditate, the experience is mostly pleasant. Is it supposed to be pleasant?
22:29 Can you tell me what "all beings are heir to their karma" means? I'm doing your noting practice, but I suffer from a distracting feeling of responsibility.
25:18 When it comes to informal practice in my non-sitting life, should I make effort in trying to focus on individual sensations or have an open awareness?
26:14 If I watch a sensation - like a thought - until it appears to fall away, and upon returning to the breath it immediately comes back, is that a sign I didn't stay with it long enough?
29:06 I'm a professional musician and almost always I have musical "mental worms" playing, I use the tactic of imagining an ending and it works, but soon the worm starts again, annoying my meditation. Any hints?
31:33 Sometimes when meditating, I don't know how to note a certain sensation or a feeling, and I find myself trying to come up with a word to label it. Should I say something like 'confusing'?
32:53 Every Saturday, practicing meditation with you and the group, I find it more mindful than when I meditate alone every day. Is meditating in a group more effective than alone?
35:04 I sometimes experience health anxiety I scan & check my body. This doesn't happen while meditating, but I can catch this occurring while being mindful, and I feel anxious. How to label this and stop it?
35:52 How do you begin to let go of addiction?
36:35 I get lots of minor distractions during meditation; how do I distinguish the minor from major distractions? I can ignore some but not others.
37:31 I have a lot of resistance to work/duties. What can I do when, with mindfulness, I am still not able to get around to doing it?
39:18 I often get stuck finding a word to describe what I feel, and it is distracting. Should I just notice this?
40:19 I begin walking meditation by remembering walking, but after a while the mind focuses on the sensation of the sole of the foot. Is that OK, or should I return to remembering "walking"?
41:15 Are there any specific teachings, meditations or chants on "letting go of" or renouncing romantic relationships in one's life?
43:21 Since I've begun to practice Vipassana, I don't feel good in daily experiences with people. I only feel comfortable when I meditate. Is this normal?
46:48 Is it possible to be mindful of the effect of a drug? Or is it impossible to be mindful in a situation like that?
47:56 Are there any alternative forms of meditation (including mindfulness) that have the ability to improve digestion issues?
49:30 I'm new to Buddhism. Where should I start? I feel overwhelmed with all the different teachings and terminology.
50:22 Stoicism calls a person "sage". Is this the same as an enlightened person in the Buddha's teaching?
51:14 Any advice if parents discourage one from practicing meditation and want a person to follow their religion without examination?
54:27 Sometimes I come across a dilemma whereby I am not clear about practicing compassion in Buddhism. I find this hard, as my feelings are numb since meditating, and I don't want to look like I don't care.
59:48 What's the distinction between trying to "catch absolutely everything" and "not ignoring anything"?
1:00:47 Having almost no thoughts and realizing the impermanence of being an observer, makes me freak out. No-one to note, nowhere to go. Can you give me advice on how to calm down in such a situation?
1:02:19 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:31 Meditation Q&A
21:12 When noting, does the wording matter or is it all about trying to be present, such as when eating, should I note “eating” or “tasting”?
23:21 I usually use your meditation technique everyday. Would combining this with other meditation techniques I did previously potentially hinder progress?
26:52 Should you specify the feeling you experience? For example, if there is anxiety, should I say “anxiety” or should I say “feeling”? Sometimes I’m not even sure what the feeling is.
28:14 A long time ago, I lied. Guilt repeatedly comes up in meditation, and I keep saying to myself "guilt, guilt"... Is it beneficial to tell the truth to the person I lied to, even if this happened long ago?
29:57 Do I break any of the precepts by refusing to give money to a friend in need who has a gambling problem?
34:36 Is noting the end goal, or when one has been noting for a long time and is able to be present without the act of the mind, should this person still note?
35:25 Is noting loneliness counter-productive?
38:03 Sometimes when meditating, a strong feeling arises and I say, "feeling, feeling" but then there occurs a burning sensation by the heart where the feeling is. Should I say "burning sensation" or "feeling"?
38:56 How do I pick the right word for noting? You often advise to be specific, but where do I draw the line for judgement? For example, you instruct to note "pain" but that could also be a type of "feeling".
40:13 In the four foundations of mindfulness there is dhammas. In dhammas there Is the noble eightfold path. How can I note it? There is also the four noble truths. How to note them?
41:31 There are multiple feelings when meditating. My legs feel extreme pain, sounds, stomach is rising and falling. So what should I focus on? Should I just focus on what is most prominent at the moment?
42:18 In walking meditation, should we only be aware of foot movement and ground contact, or can we also be aware of bending the knee or moving the leg forward, for example?
43:48 If I walk listening to a dhamma talk with the phone, would it be better to practice by noting "walking" or by noting "hearing"?
46:07 I find it easier to note in English, because the words are usually shorter than in my native Spanish, for example "thinking..." would be "pensando, pensando". Does it matter to use the native or the second idiom?
47:05 About what percentage of sitting meditation should be spent on the points of the body and what percent on the rising, falling?
48:10 Can I keep saying kaya vedana citta dhamma in my meditation and daily activities? I find it helps me in meditation. Would you please explain more of its benefits?
50:03 In sitting meditation, should we abandon the stomach for every different experience that comes up? Sometimes I only get to note a single rising before something else comes up.
50:35 What is the relationship between impermanence and suffering?
52:27 Do you have advice on how I can incline people that are greatly suffering to meditate in your tradition? My brother has been diagnosed with a very severe form of anxiety, and he could clearly benefit from it.
54:35 Should we have a fixed time for meditation, for example: daily morning 7am, which we should not change often?
56:32 When we are noting, is what we are noting always a mental perception?
56:55 Does seeing clearly mean to clearly see the three characteristics in all experiences?
57:13 I feel by meditating, I draw closer to enlightenment. However, I also feel myself becoming unsure why I wish to leave samsara, is enlightenment worth arriving at? Is practice itself the true purpose?
58:23 Ever since noting my feelings are somewhat numb, a loved one passed away and even though I was crying inside I was quiet. I thought I'd be more sad than I was, does this mean I don't care?
1:00:36 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
20:15 My mind is so full of fear and anxiety that I can barely perform in my daily lay life. Mindfulness alone is probably not enough for me. Is there any other Dhamma that can be helpful?
23:46 Since I finished the at-home course, I have given up on physical exercise. Now, aches and pains arise in the body, which I simply note. Is this foolish? Earlier, I would have gone to the doctor by now.
25:11 In meditation, I try to think about the Buddha to keep my mind from thinking about the past or the future. In daily activities, I do the same. Is this mindful? Is this correct?
27:29 How can one best approach internet addiction? Is there anything in particular to look out for; to be mindful of?
30:46 When there is a lot going on, i.e. hearing, stray thoughts, bodily feeling, etc. should one note "distracted", "knowing", or either / or? Or is "distracted" more earmarked for a lot of thinking?
31:25 How do I meditate when my heart is pounding? Do I say "heart, heart" or is it stress/anxiety?
32:38 I've been meditating for a while and managed to let go of feelings such as guilt and anger but I sometimes feel lost as in "What now?" What is enlightenment really? It confuses me. I don't know what I'm looking for.
34:23 In daily life, should I stop everything I am doing and say to myself "fear, fear, fear" even if I am in the middle of something?
35:47 I cannot stop masturbating and I can understand it is some compulsive attitude. Could you help me somehow?
39:06 When we don't meditate, do we need to note things all day from the moment we stand up to when we go to sleep? I find this difficult.
40:19 Is it a good or bad habit to meditate if I notice myself getting too distracted or generally don't feel good?
41:34 I have to think about the past in order to love my mom. If I keep my mind at the present, I feel indifferent towards my mom (she died). What can I do?
46:17 Is it bad for the practice if I recorded how many hours I meditated a week?
47:39 Is it under certain conditions possible to do the foundation course at home?
48:36 Is it okay to meditate with music on?
49:31 How will I know if becoming a monk is the right path for me? I feel like I can't take up meditation as a lay-person without going "all in." Is it just more challenging to be mindful in lay life?
53:41 You talk many a times about noting concept and noting reality. While doing daily chores like while brushing, should one note "brushing, brushing" or "friction, friction"?
54:53 Is mindfulness applicable to any activity? Like intense studying, socializing, doing excercise? Could mindfulness interfere?
57:02 Does it matter if I do laying meditation or sitting meditating? I prefer laying.
58:44 During meditation, how do I return to that experience I had that felt like I was launched? Whenever I notice the build up of the event happening something happens and pulls me back down before I go.
1:00:38 If I cannot sleep, or have insomnia, should I meditate to reflect on the feelings of tiredness, fatigue, and so on?
1:02:55 Sadhu...

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How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:27 Meditation Q&A
18:21 Advice on letting go of striving for relief when painful sensations arise?
20:00 I've been suffering from a debilitating anxiety and depression, especially recently. What would you recommend I do during practice and beyond to get better?
23:01 You often recommend to meditate in Dhamma talks by noting "hearing", but in this way I can't actually grasp the teaching. Why do you recommend it in Dhamma talks instead of understanding the instructions?
24:27 Is it better to observe the respiration or do the rising-falling?
25:46 How can I motivate and remind myself to meditate daily? I often just procrastinate; noticing a day later, and motivation declines. I still want to integrate meditation into my day.
27:21 When I sit, sometimes "wanting to stop meditating" stays very long; it can stay the whole hour. It becomes a kind of suffering. What should I do?
28:44 Please clarify the differences among concentration, meditation, and mindfulness. In meditation, I have concentration on the risings and fallings too.
30:10 If I'm trying to listen to someone, noting ‘hearing', there are inevitable gaps between sounds. Do I switch to another object or do I continue to note ‘hearing’ in the absence of sound?
33:30 Many times, when I'm meditating, I fall sleep but I continue meditating. I have some dreams, but I'm almost aware during them. Is it good or bad? Should I try to not sleep like that?
34:44 After 2 years of Vipassana, it has become harder for me to meditate. I am tired from it and have litle aversion towards the practice. I did about 2 hours a day. What should I do? Should I do less than 2 hours?
35:47 What's the difference between doing things concentratively and mindfully?
38:23 Is "Sati" like a guard at sense doors; to see what to let in and what not to let in?
39:54 In daily life, I'm more able to practice; for example "lifting" "placing" etc... But I don't know why I expected this to be more "mystical" or "revelating". Is really lifting "just" lifting what we see?
42:39 Are there any dangers associated with meditation?
45:39 Serving alcohol isn't bad, but what if an employer wants an employee to emphasize alcohol to customers? E.g. a sale on some type of alcohol - at what point does it become “business in intoxicants”?
47:07 I have a chronic bloating. Can meditation help? And how?
48:13 What do we do when we are ina continuous loop of feeling like doing nothing and feeling even worse due to maybe lack of discipline?
49:02 Is falling in love with someone unwholesome? Even if you are in a relationship with them?
50:04 Is failing to attain stream-entry in this life a wasted opportunity? Does progress we make in this current life pass over? The idea of failing to reach Sotapanna greatly affects my practice.
52:28 What is the purpose of observing the points around the body? Is it just to stop getting bored with watching the rising-falling, or is there another purpose to it?
54:01 How can I handle feelings of unfairness or injustice? I want to simply note on these but I feel they require action as they directly impact my life.
55:41 What does it mean to contemplate internally and externally? Aren't we observing our experiences just internally?
56:30 What does noting certain emotions and states do; I mean technically? You seem to advise that quite a bit, but I'm not sure how this is working. Please could you explain a bit more?
58:15 How to deal with dogmatic Christian parents who want to enforce their views on their adult children and cannot accept that they have different views?
1:00:38 Sadhu...

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How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

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Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:34 Meditation Q&A
11:53 Does this practice also lead to attainment of jhanas?
12:43 If you become aware of that craving that was present a few seconds ago, should you note "craving" or "knowing"?
13:35 Recently, my daily meditation and mindfulness are failing because of my crushing obsession with a movie actor. The images of this movie actor appear in my mind overwhelmingly. What should I do?
15:28 Should one use "distracted" when liking or disliking is prominent, but there is thinking along with the liking/disliking?
16:08 Is noting about saying words mentally? Do we actually say things like "seeing, thinking..."? Or do we just imply it without saying anything?
16:59 Should we know that striving is suffering based on the long term results of it or based on the feeling that arises with the wish?
18:11 I am facing potential jail time or conviction of criminal charges because someone recorded me and lied and said I sent a video to them and threatened them. I cannot stop thinking about it. Help.
19:59 Why can I not hold to the noting especially in times when the mind is racing? Is it just that I haven't practiced enough?
21:04 I practise Vipassana as taught by SN Goenka....but in daily life, I'm not able to apply it. I get carried away in the moments. It feels as if I'm attached to my suffering.
21:55 If we come to a state of clarity, what if that reveals a reality of more suffering, pain, evil, and chaos than if we had remained in a less perceptive state?
24:00 When I am deep into Photoshop art, there are no thoughts to the past nor the future. My mind is totally present. Is this called mindfulness? What’s the difference with the mindfulness in meditation?
27:21 Are there any long term dangers of legs getting numb and spine getting tired by meditating for long?
28:47 Since finishing the at-home course, I am not able to motivate myself to meditate. Any advice?
29:27 I've taken your advice to note "knowing" when I notice myself comparing myself to someone else or unwholesomely judging someone else. Is there anything else to look out for with regards to conceit?
30:55 How can I be mindful in teaching, driving, doing house chores, and talking to people?
32:19 What's the Buddhist relation to thoughts in general? Are there thoughts that are true or are thoughts never true, since they are only concepts? Is reality the experience of having a thought?
33:53 I came back to this method after a time, but now thoughts are difficult to note. My physical actions are easy, but thought feels "far away." Perhaps I should restart an at-home course?
35:13 I have started doing more meditation at home 3 times for 2 hours each time. Is it normal that the perception of time to change? Yesterday "feels" like 3 days ago?
39:13 Sitting meditation and listening to Dharma talks, I have to put on long sleeve clothing. Sometimes, passing-gas happens, and I feel guilty or even sinful. How to handle this appropriately?
41:23 Can over indulgence and getting bored by our addictions lead us to permanent motivation to meditate?
43:34 Can we theoretically get to enlightenment by only using your booklet and not consulting a teacher?
45:45 If one is meditating and noting various thoughts and feelings rising and falling, and some instances or few seconds of nothing in-between, is those in-between states increasing a sign of progress?
47:37 If I am reborn as a human, how will I find the teachings of the Buddha if I am in a society that doesn't believe or know it?
48:42 How can we meditate to overcome anxiety, disappointment, and ruminating on a problem like insult and anger?
49:51 When noting, "rising, falling," follow by, "sitting," I find myself wanting to note "sitting, sitting,” in time with the breath. Is this mixing objects, or can it be beneficial?
50:56 Is there a distinction between how samatha feels - e.g. there is nothing but a white disc - and how our awareness of whatever arises in vipassana feels? I think I'm being overly scrupulous in my practice.
52:46 Can we eat meat if we are getting malnourished and underweight on vegan diet and how to prevent constipation after eating meat?
53:55 Is being our own light by growing on our experience is better than listening to any preacher?
55:15 The most common distraction in practise I note is planning. Either for work or house chores. I return to rising & falling as soon as I notice it. Any tips on how to deal habitual persistent planning?
56:41 Does the concept of impermanence rely upon the concept of permenance?
57:30 If a person hates me, is that my bad karma in the past causing him to hate me in this life, or could it be that he has just created a bad karma to me now? How do I know this?
59:19 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
04:45 Meditation Q&A
16:27 I have constant weird body and mind sensations all day and even worse at night - Piti rises as soon as I close my eyes... nimittas, then samadhi; up and down, uncontrollable, leading to jhanas - at night. How to stop this process and sleep? The more I note the more Piti rises, leading to samadhi - I am unable to rest. I only have a few months of very intense practice and I am scared - it deeply affects my daily life. How to deal with this?
20:24 How do know you are not craving/clinging to the peaceful state/clarity you get after practice?
20:58 Can you elaborate what seeing clearly means? If I have strong feelings for someone, I note "feelings, feelings" but I don’t get the concept of seeing clearly.
24:32 Sitting meditation, walking meditation -- Do we have standing meditation and lying meditation? If yes, any different techniques?
25:04 Should I always be noting while meditating? When I follow the breath, the inhale, space, exhale, Space... There's a knowningness of the experience of the breath. Should I note rising, falling. Why?
27:01 When I experience anger, even if I noted it and see it clearly, I have the feeling of repressing it and that it will come stronger eventually. What's the difference between noting and repressing?
29:23 If I’m able to focus on my breath while doing everyday chores, is this OK, or should I focus on on other bodily sensations?
30:06 I'm in a constant state of emotional pain in my heart, that has been in almost a static way for decades. Would Vipassana give me an insight or possible catharsis?
31:35 Can we continue to live a peaceful life like a monk as ordinary people in this material world by practicing mindfulness?
33:20 Are having worldly desires and meditation "at odds" with each other?
34:18 Is there a difference between "single point/object meditation" and “awareness/mindfulness meditation"?
35:51 Why do you separate the mindfulness and samatha practice when from what I have read from the Suttas- the Buddha keeps mentioning jhanas as a result of mindfulness?
37:48 I experience a blank mind. Where I feel my mind goes silent and I can't think. I have a feeling this is due to detachment from reality and not meditation. Will meditation over time fix this?
39:14 How can mindfulness help with the sluggish sense of lazyness? I find myself not motivated to do anything - So what causes, triggers the motivation to arise? The energy to work, practice, cook and clean?
41:33 When practicing throughout the day, I remember my father and my chest contracts and I feel sad. Often I note it even between breaths then continue noting next arising. Is it skillful or suppression?
42:24 Instead of meditating on the risings and fallings, I meditate on either The Lord Buddha and/or Master Yuttadhammo and his voice of preaching the Dhamma. Is that OK?
43:30 Can we chant mantras like "om mani padme hum om ami dewa rih" like at any time of the day .. is there any kind of other restrictions while chanting mantras?
44:23 Does awareness of the breath fall under single point meditation, that does not aid one on the path to enlightenment? Is mindfulness a ‘better’ meditation?
45:50 Explaining the practice it's clear what is body, feelings, emotions and thoughts. It's less clear how to explain the fourth, "dhammas" it seems those are "other exercises". How to explain it simply?
48:52 How to go through tough times?
51:32 When I am really concentrating on watching a movie that I like, is thata form of mindfulness?
52:11 What are some good books to read on the topic? I've been studying the Dhammapada for about a year now.
53:16 Are there Arahants in this age? Can Dhamma practitioners still become Arahant in today's world?
54:45 When my little sisters are at home, they often fight and are very loud, so I usually meditate when they are not at home. What would be your advice?
55:22 Do nimittas fall under the dhamma category?
55:40 We are always aware. What is the difference between awareness in meditation, and awareness in waking life?
57:03 How do we progress in the rupa jhanas? Are we meant to stay fixed on one particular jhana until we master it?
57:47 When the aversion for a task seems unbearable, i find the courage (like resolute war attitude) being more effective than just midfulness. Why is that? Maybe I have misinterpreted what mindfulness is.
59:46 How many lifetimes does it take to attain the Jhana for the average person?
1:02:42 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:25 Meditation Q&A
15:52 I'm addicted to YouTube. I keep watching videos until 3 AM. How can I stop?
20:19 Do you have any advice for dealing with a depressed / suicidal friend? I always get self-conscious when they express these feelings, like I want to say the perfect thing to help them.
23:54 As someone with O.C.D. and on medication, can I still benefit from meditation?
25:05 Should I practice sense restraint as a lay person? Would it be beneficial to my practice?
26:34 Why do I feel like I’m watching my life happening when I’m mindful? The "no-self" thinking is really scary to think about.
28:38 While I'm meditating, I try to focus myself on my breathing and try to note it. But many times it becomes So Shallow and slow that I'm not able to note it. What should I do?
29:42 I have stopped watching pornography 2 years ago, now I have desire to watch It again but I have so much shame, guilt and fear of watching it because of people saying how bad it is. What should I do?
30:52 How important is it to do meditation half walking and half sitting. Can we not do just sitting?
32:24 In one of your videos you explain that the concept of "personality" is an illusion. But what about talent and intelligence - are these just habits too? How does this concept apply to animals?
35:23 How can I mindfully navigate emotionally charged interactions with family members?
37:16 What are your thoughts regarding the use of noise-canceling headphones while meditating?
39:58 Your answer regarding the YouTube addiction question made me really think. So is the correct approach to mindfulness understanding? Because usually we are just told "be mindful". Is it the right attitude? Being mindful of your experiences in order to understand them?
41:15 What are the benefits of walking meditation?
42:52 I think I have a shopping problem where I buy (materialistic) things I don’t need. How do I stay mindful for that?
44:30 I have a vocal injury and have felt that I have lost a large part of myself since I cannot make my music until it goes away. I meditate daily and realize this is not a good way to live. Any advice?
48:43 I often find that I'm too ambitious with the practice and exhaust myself, but I'm also afraid to let go of the ambition. Any advice to untangle this?
50:15 How does one be mindful of the feeling of numbness, when you're too numb to be mindful?
51:10 I am confused with what are my responsibilities towards my parents as a layman practitioner. Am I obliged to fulfill their wishes?
55:41 Is doing the at-home meditation course first before I apply for the Foundation Course necessary? I live in Ontario and would like to apply for the Foundation Course.
57:49 I experience a large amount of pain and numbness and the entire sit then just becomes me watching the pain, noting disliking, pain, etc. Am I OK to just adjust my position after a bit of observing?
59:10 While meditating, I find it easier to detach from persistent hindrances when I think critically about them. Is this worth something or am I getting lost in concepts, when I should only be noticing?
1:01:35 How do I deal with the guilt I feel when I realize that I am so far on my spiritual path, but the people around me are somewhat uneasy and suffering, and I try to help them but I can’t seem to?
1:06:04 Sadhu...

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How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

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Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:22 Meditation Q&A
15:09 I sometimes struggle to discern between noting the disliking of an object and the wanting it to go away. How should I handle this? Might I be overthinking it?
16:21 When I do sitting meditation, I try to go to the sitting, but I seem to be stuck on the rising and falling. Any advice?
16:57 I've struggled with keeping the 5th precept. Is it worth meditating at all, or do I need to get a hold of that first?
18:50 When I am in a dark place, I feel like it's never going to end. Is it normal to feel that way? Although I am aware that it's temporary.
21:12 I am stuck in the realm of hungry ghosts... is there a quick way out of here?
22:31 For beginners, how much would you recommend the time duration for meditation?
23:58 When I sleep less, my thoughts go all over the place and become negative. How do I maintain my thoughts and meditate in this state?
25:50 How should I approach boredom? I find myself bored, even with the things I enjoy or the things I do which I think have the most meaning; alcohol helps with that, but is not good for me, as I know.
28:02 When I meditate, I feel as if I get distracted by throat-clearing and swallowing, and find that it removes me from the mediation itself. How do I fix this?
30:05 How do I meditate properly when I'm sleep-deprived and tired?
31:18 I got diagnosed with heart problems. I see death getting closer, I note worry, but how can I know all work was not vain? Will I be able to practice after death? What does death "cancel" and what doesn't it?
35:22 While doing meditation, when will I know that I am enlightened?
36:17 Today, I sat for meditation, and when I came in, my brother began to play loud music and I found myself listening to it, I noted the pleasure and the experience. ts this still meditating?
37:08 I’ve been depressed and emotionally drained for a long time. I feel like nothing helps me. I even became resentful towards my practice. What can I do to break this cycle. How to ease this suffering?
40:51 Should I focus on the stomach or breath at the nostril during Vipassana meditation? Please advise.
41:45 When I do vipassana meditation, I start breathing fast and it stays so the whole hour. Should I try to breathe more normal, longer breaths?
42:30 I have been following the precepts, trying to live a life of simply being. I however feel this is making me alone, which I am trying to accept but it feels backwards. Where am I going wrong?
44:30 All I know is suffering. Will meditation help me if I dedicate myself to it, and what will I be without suffering? Less myself?
46:30 When a bodily itch arises during meditation, should I relieve it by scratching or just be with it?
47:03 I see aversion quite often! As an example: thinking to practice and working in general. I note the aversion but then I lack the energy to keep going; the discipline. I give up quickly. How to push myself?
49:59 What should one note while waiting for the ‘feeling’ of the touching point to arise? Is it okay to note ‘waiting’ without having to go back to the breath?
50:42 I want things I can't or shouldn't have, I feel I haven't had enough time free to do many things. Do I need to be in Samsara for longer before I am ready to be enlightened?
52:57 The Buddha said that the most important supports for meditation practice is good company and good friends. I have trouble discerning what that means. Do you have any advice for finding good friends?
56:48 When I go to sleep, I feel myself falling asleep, then I see images before falling into lucid dream. Tibetan monks speak on sleep mindfulness, and I was wondering if that's a type of meditation.
57:32 Is vipassana the only way to cultivate Right Speech and Right Action, or is there something else that you recommend, such as particular Suttas or recitation?
1:01:20 How can we prepare for the death of a loved one through vipassana meditation?
1:04:58 Can we stand up in the sitting meditation when drowsy or when we are really restless and do standing meditation?
1:05:26 I have been having trouble cultivating my vital energy. Any tips on conquering the urges of the body?
1:06:04 How can one deal with depression and lots of aversion to meditation? I feel sometimes like meditation will lead me to annihilation, Nibbana. This prevents me from fully applying myself. Any advice?
1:07:07 I get agitated and impatient during meditation. I’ve tried noting it but it only made me more fixated on it. What am I doing wrong?
1:08:03 How to not be obsessive about mindfulness?
1:09:28 Sadhu...

Our podcasts: https://podcast.sirimangalo.org/

How To Meditate Booklet: https://htm.sirimangalo.org/

Our Meditation Community and At-Home Meditation Course signup page: https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/

Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support

This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:34 Meditation Q&A
16:52 When I meditate, I feel my Chakras flowing through my genital organs and consuming all around me. I think this is a byproduct of my massive attractiveness of the opposite sex. Any advice?
19:33 I have a stable meditation practice using the breath as the object. I have read that there is no-object meditation, where you rest in awareness itself. Is this superior? Could you explain it?
21:16 Do we need a relaxation step in Vipassana meditation?
22:11 How do I get through boredom during meditation?
22:47 How can I learn Vipassana meditation? I only find instructions for shamatha meditation. Could you recommend any books?
23:49 How do you avoid overestimating your practice and thinking you're more advanced than you are?
26:17 I would like to do a meditation retreat this summer, is there any meditation center you would recommend that are located in Canada?
27:03 It generally takes 10-15 mins for me to calm down once I start meditating. What is the best type of meditation which can cause calm in the mind?
28:47 I’ve been meditating for long. It helped me to see things more clearly. However, since I’m dealing with a chronic illness lately, my practice is causing me more emotional and physical pain. Any tips?
31:14 I often see different colors and movement of light during closed eye meditation. Should I note this as seeing?
32:06 I talk to myself aloud, because I remember something that made me angry, or something else. When I become aware of it, should I just do the same thing, noting and saying “talking talking"?
33:17 Is it possible to reach deep states of meditation while doing walking meditation? Also, is it important to focus on steps only? What about arm movement and breath while walking?
35:50 How to deal with oppression when there is no choice but being obliged to do something?
37:36 Do you see a problem in using medical marijuana regarding the practice?
38:32 Any suggestions on aiding another on healing their strong emotional reactions that are detrimental to those around them?
39:30 My mind is not racing with worries and fearful thoughts; just a repetitive music that plays in my head. But my body is very uptight, tense, and not relaxed. How ts that possble and what can I do about it?
41:51 Even when I’m very successful with my noting, I fail to make any connections that are not post-fact intellectualizations. Can you elaborate on the mechanism of how noting leads to seeing clearly?
44:13 When meditating I am mindful but when I don't, I have trouble being mindful all the time. What do you suggest?
45:58 Is there a way to increase concentration for when I'm preoccupied with lay responsibilities?
47:00 Is it wrong in your opinion to follow the Anapanasati Sutta? Or if not wrong per se, is it incomplete?
48:57 Should we note thought and mental state separately? For example, this is thought as of now, and this is mental state as of now?
49:42 I am a student and I need to study for my exam but I can't keep my focus and I don't want to study. What Should I do even if I study and forget it fast? Pease help and also I'm bit of shy.
50:46 I know you should let go of jhana but can you please tell how to get jhana? How long it takes to get jhana?
52:43 It's so different when I am focusing on meditating and when I focus on something else. When I am meditating I feel like I am focusing by force. Is this normal?
53:56 Should I note “I am in unpleasant situation” or “unpleasant feeling has arisen in me” or “this is unpleasant feeling”?
55:34 When meditation is carried on for a longer period time (formal or informal meditation), the mind gets tired and lots of thoughts arise. It becomes hard to see clearly. Is there something I should do?
56:23 When noting, how should I call the thoughts or feelings that are unknown to me, when I don't know if they are sadness, confusion, etc.?
57:41 I've been noting things other than "rising, falling" with the intention of removing these distractions so I could return to "rising falling”. I realized this may be wrong practice. Is it?
58:41 Is Noting Vipassana meditation or related in any way?
1:02:37 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
00:46 Meditation Q&A
16:44 I have issues with anger in my meditation, and I know that if I could see clearly that people are just acting out of ignorance, I would accept their bad behavior, but I can't see it. Any tips?
23:48 If we have a song In our mind, how do we note this without increasing the desire to listen to music? How does this relate to guarding the sense doors?
26:39 How could one note the resolute renouncing of a pleasure? Having chocolate in front of you and deciding, resolving "let's not." -- What causes this renouncing attitude? Is it possible to cultivate it?
29:11 Does meditation cause different change in different people? I find myself laughing at life more because so many things are overreacted-to. Is this a sign that my practice could be proper?
31:27 How can I use the Buddha's teachings and meditation to overcome my chewing tobacco addiction?
32:39 Lately when I meditate, after I concentrate very well and follow my breath, a feeling of heaviness and solidity comes over my whole body, and I feel incredible equanimity. Is this a jhana state?
34:01 How to deal with a persistent fight-or-flight response, felt ceaselessly for more than 2 years, without known cause, even after meditation?
37:37 I had a vivid dream that I was angry at my mom and shouting at her (I used to be angry at her) but I accepted her long time ago and did the internal work. Could it be the emotions are still repressed?
40:15 Where is the line drawn between fighting drowsiness as a hindrance and falling asleep?
42:19 What is a good way to deal with boredom? I find that boredom leads me to do things that I know are wrong (thinking lustful thoughts, negative thoughts, etc). How should I address being bored?
44:39 My colleagues keep asking about learning mindfulness. They won't read the booklet, but want something to be organised for them. I don't feel they respect Buddhism, so I'm not sure how to approach this. Can you offer any advice?
48:22 How can! be more mindful in the way I speak? I talk all the time without meaning, sometimes.
52:05 Could you explain what Vipassana meditation is? How do we practice this meditation corectly? As I know, every other meditation gives us temporary benefits without helping us understand our mind.
52:52 I’ve noticed that my emotions are not as intense anymore; be it anger, liking, and sometimes fear. The emotions feel very light. Is this cause of the detachment?
55:34 I react to aversion with sleepiness. And sleepiness seems a huge habit so mindfulness at the moment is not enough to be effective, what could trigger a wholesome chain reaction? What is a good habit to build?
59:08 Do you teach the stages of insight as described by Mahasi Sayadaw? Is this something we should study?
1:00:40 How do! do intensive meditation? Can I do it without guidance?
1:02:08 I’ve been doing laying meditation for about a year and even during that time I tried sitting but just ended up doing laying and I’ve continued even until now? Is this okay or should I persist to sit?
1:03:25 Practice, to me, is quite tough; challenging not to give up. I tried to search what causes effort but I didn't get the four-fold definition of right effort. Could you explain it related to practicing?
1:07:41 When we say, "note the state until it goes away", how long do we mean by “until it goes away"? Can it last for a few minutes? Can you Say, "bored" "bored", etc for many minutes?
1:09:25 Is it important to relax the body when meditating?
1:11:02 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:25 Meditation Q&A
10:43 When I'm noting, I only seem to notice pain and itching. What could be done about that?
11:37 I am having problems falling sleep (somniphobia). You have talked about sleep before in relation to meditation and the amount of sleep needed. Any advice?
14:22 As soon as I concentrate on the breath, I feel like I'm controlling the breathing. Do you have any suggestions?
15:16 What should I note when I don't know the right word for the feeling or experience?
16:01 I sometimes move between "hearing, feeling, distracted, impatient" quickly, should I latch onto one or make a general note on it all?
16:45 When I hear something instead of Staying at the ear, I notice that a recognition of the sound arises (car driving by, people talking). Should I just note "knowing" or keep with "hearing"?
18:05 When meditating, you come to some realizations. Are these realizations again just concepts in another form?
19:07 Recently I’ve noticed that my mind is troubled by a lot of jealousy, which I know is unskillful and causes suffering yet I’m still experiencing it. How can I work on this to purify my mind and heart?
20:49 When noting, should you wait until one sensation passes away before you note a new sensation?
22:17 How do you start with meditation?
22:55 In deep meditation I saw visions which I believe are my past life memories. I saw that in my previous life I was married and was fed up at the end. I don't want to do the same in this life. Do you have any advice?
24:31 How do you meditate properly when you're in difficult situations in life or when you're just having a bad day?
26:34 How do I break the patterns of procrastination and a strong aversion to all duties and tasks, big or small? It’s causing a lot of stress and has impacted my life.
27:44 Could it be a result of my practice that I have recently moved, have stabilised my life and feel more at peace? If so, is this attainable by all those suffering at present?
30:02 I killed a mosquito the other day. I felt terrible for such an action. What can I do to remedy this? What are the karmic consequences?
31:39 I'm quite keen to indulge in sensual pleasures, noting "pleasure" and “wanting” don't seem to change this very much, should I expect a change or what Is then the purpose of meditating on the pleasure?
33:37 When you mention problems are only problems because it’s our perspective, is no experience inherently positive or negative?
35:32 Why ts idle speech an unwholesome action?
36:59 Is more lucid dreaming an indicator for progress?
37:47 I'm finding many many benefits in informal meditation, quality is improving. Could you list some higher quality great appreciable powers that formal meditation has, not acheivable by the informal one?
41:15 How can we “translate” the bramavihara into today’s reality? How can we practice those qualities?
42:23 How does passion help to attain Nirvana quickly?
42:56 I know I shouldn’t say “how do I", but how do I actually gain clarity in life; more specifically, how do I remain at peace while I’m on the path to self discovery and making a career by working hard?
46:12 Is it of benefit to join a Buddhist community to help with the practice? It feels like it would have a potential for attachments.
48:59 I don't wish to worship Buddha. Is this only for some traditions? When joining a session recently I felt uncomfortable when he was being praised. Is this OK?
50:07 How you you deal with sites and videos that say to overcome fear and anxiety and you need to face the fearful stimulus, but you don't know where the negative emotions are coming from and you still feel bad?
51:55 Could one become an arahant by meditating as a lay person?
52:18 I would like to try an intensive course but being keen on pleasures I think I might not succeed very much, but I could try, in your opinion how many days would be a doable goal?
53:49 How do we come to know the truth about the rebirth Karma? For instance, how do we know that beings who are close to enlightenment won't be reborn as animals? Is this something possible to know?
55:58 What can a person do if you have excessive sexual desires? I meditate but it’s a consistent problem for me.
57:28 I'm currently following a meditation, and I know it takes time to get results, but how can I know I'm doing it right or wrong?
59:08 How can I balance mindfulness with decision making? Having to factor in the future impact of the decision moves me away from the present. Can a decision be made entirely in the present moment?
1:00:34 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:48 Meditate Together
10:03 Can you please elaborate on the mechanism of how seeing clearly cultivates wisdom? I’m not trying to over-intellectualize, I just feel like I’m missing this part of the technique.
20:11 When my job makes me anxious it is hard to be mindful of this feeling while meditating. I find it unclear and difficult to focus on. Can I help myself see my anxiety more clearly?
21:51 Is there an auditory meditation? Listening to every little detail around me makes me feel present and my thinking goes away.
23:02 When I note an emotion, is it a must to note the exact emotion one feels like “liking or hating etc.?” All this time I’ve just been noting “feeling” without specifying the type of feeling.
24:11 How can I rise above my fear of flying? I am flying from Toronto to British Columbia in November, and I am very nervous. How can I use meditation to overcome this fear?
26:39 I am sometimes oversensitive to the suffering of others, is there an approach I should use for this experience?
27:40 Is something being the "most prominent" conceptual? Technically nothing is the most prominent, because only one thing can be experienced at once, right? Maybe I overthink this.
28:48 Is it possible for an experienced meditator to spend at least 1 minute with no mental noise or thoughts?
29:40 Can I use the note overwhelmed regardless of if I'm upset about the overwhelming feeling or not? Sometimes there's a tinge of disliking, others it feels like I'm overwhelmed in the sense a computer is.
30:43 Is it good to designate notings for certain experiences so you don't have to think about it in the moment? Or is that antithetical to noting things as they strike you or is it too obsessive?
32:40 Can a Sukkhavipassaka (yogi who performs vipassana only) attain the Phala (the fruition)? How is the consciousness process of it?
35:45 How to deal with negative and hurting people?
36:55 I want to be happy. Is this a realistic wish?
38:57 What is the root cause of compulsively seeking mental stimulation?
39:48 How do you know which meditation objects suit you best?
40:56 Since I started practicing this meditation, my confidence regarding intimacy with women has decreased a lot. Is there a way to balance lust and spiritual progress?
42:26 My family tends to trigger huge anxiety and worry in my mind, it gives me enormous pain and confusion as I do love them dearly. How can I work on this issue to help free the mind and heart?
43:31 My mind feels very fuzzy. I sit down to meditate but just feel distracted. I used to have OK mindfulness. Can I ever get back to that state?
45:01 Can a person want something without desiring it (there is no longing for it but rather a preference for it)?
46:15 Should we ever structure practice towards investigating particular fetters? For instance, should a Sotapanna practice differently from an Anagami?
46:54 Since I am on a new medication for schizophrenia, I have problems with meditation. It's harder to see clearly. Should I go back to just old medication?
48:04 What does the Nirvana state actually feel like?
48:19 What is it called to be content with what you have; to not desire more?
48:58 My house has lots of insects. My wife wants me to call pest control and get the house and the surrounding area to be sprayed. I would like to know if this would have a negative impact in terms of karma.
50:29 Do you think the blissful nature of deep conscious presence to be quite intoxicating? And the pursuit of presence through meditation to be addictive?
51:34 Are marital sexual habits positive or hurtful for meditation? Does constant release of sexual energy decrease ability to focus?
53:29 There seem to be parts of my mind that are resistant to sensations arising one after the other during meditation. I feel I can't control that. Is there anything that I should do besides keep noting?
54:39 When the Buddha said something to the effect of "don't concern about the specifics" does that effectively mean noting broad and general?
55:34 If a doctor is asked to end a patient’s life by the patient due to extreme suffering and incurable illness like a cancer, would that be bad karma for the doctor to perform the duty?
59:09 Is "trying" an adequate noting? I.e. trying for happiness, to change experience in some way, etc. Are wanting, disliking, etc. better?
1:00:06 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
00:48 Meditate Together
12:14 Can you talk about the dangers of conceit in spiritual practice? What is the right balance between knowledge and over-confidence?
18:42 How does one not use meditation to be more comfortable in samsara but rather to be above and beyond it all?
20:42 I have relatives who have stolen my money and ruined my life and eventually future. I have turned to alcohol for many years. Where do I go from here?
23:05 Is there a rational reason why feeling compassion for all forms of life is right other than doing it for your own well being?
26:23 After having practiced for a few months now, I seem to constantly be aware of the amount of idle chatter in my everyday thinking. Is this to be expected?
28:18 I usually sleep during meditation. How I do stay alert? How to focus more?
29:23 I try to focus on my breath but my attention tends to stick to the "black screen" of the visual sense. What should I do?
30:21 How does one become aware of the Four Noble Truths or let them guide you during meditation?
33:37 Is goodness (wholesomeness) a concept or an absolute truth? I am struggling with how to perceive the precepts.
36:29 I'm left-handed. Is it appropriate if I start the movements with my left hand or foot in prostration and walking meditation?
38:40 If I lower my dose of antipsychotic medication, then the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (no will, motivation, drive) get worse, and then I can't function so and it gets harder to meditate, what would be the best thing to do?
41:08 My body moves involuntarily during meditation; head rotates, neck contracts, stretches and I do some yoga. Why does it happen? And for how long will it happen?
42:23 For a month-long period I was devoid of thoughts but suddenly came back to more thoughts. Is this due to a lack of intensive practice or is another reason?
43:38 As a beginner in meditation, what is the recommended amount of time to meditate-for and build-up-to, over time?
44:59 How can someone apply Buddhism while also having ambitions?
46:11 What is meant by noting the four elements of the body in the Satipatthana Sutta?
47:24 How can you note "thinking" without stopping to think? I can note emotions, and other states of mind, but I'm unable to hold two thoughts in my mind - noting and thinking. The thoughts dissipate.
48:33 I sometimes meditate and think back on the negative parts of my day. I struggle to overcome the negative side and be to critical of myself. Any tips?
51:11 How do you handle rage?
53:06 I am seeing a lot of irony with my experience and thinking. Insights can cause a deep laughter when I see the irony. Is this irony another form of thinking?
54:08 How realistic is it for a lay person to lose attachments? Or at least loosen them? It seems so hard without the structure of monastic life.
55:05 My son is 5 and suffers with autism. His school has introduced a meditation corner and he has asked me to set up a meditation area at home. What is the best sort of setup to have for him?
56:37 I want to introduce Buddhism to my son, who is still very young. Where should I start?
1:01:14 How do I control my emotions?
1:02:36 I had an experience of emptiness; there was no me, self. Is this seeing Nibbana?
1:03:11 How should you deal with peer pressure for unwholesome activities, e.g. drinking alcohol?
1:03:59 I feel like there is something wrong with sharing your experiences / talking about meditation to other people. But I do it. Am I right in thinking that it's wrong?
1:05:09 Sometimes anxiety is more powerful than me and I feel like it is killing me. I get panic attacks over and over. I just can't overcome it. Can I?
1:07:54 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
10:20 In daily life I'm having hard times facing boredom without watching phone or listening music. Could you explain what's the proximate cause of boredom and what to make sure to note that surrounds it?
14:08 I am having a hard time finding a rational reason to forgive myself for hurting other people. Any advice?
20:24 In the past, while meditating, I've "explored" my memories. Is this bad practice or simply an experience to embrace?
21:51 Should I meditate with eyes slightly open?
22:15 How do we deal with problems that seem to conflict with the practice as a lay person? For example: disciplining someone at work, indulging in social activities, or having relationships.
26:03 How does one overcome sloth and turpor? I feel it is a major hindrance to practice for me.
29:18 Within a meditation, say one hour, in general how much time should be Samatha-bhavana and vipassana-bhavana, respectively?
31:26 Do I need to independently convince myself to meditate or is seeking external stimulus such as these talks appropriate?
33:57 What makes noting a distraction different from holding onto it?
36:06 The Satipatthana Sutta mentions several elements in regards to body. What is meant by those elements and how can we note them?
37:22 What is your motivation to meditate daily, and how do you remind yourself everyday and not to skip it? Sometimes I say to myself, I will skip meditation, but afterwards I feel bad everytime.
41:12 If we should accept the reality as is, how does one look at hard work and doing what needs to be done for the present moment and the future without aversion and resistance?
43:42 Since starting meditation I feel like I am losing interest in material things. I am afraid I might end up being a failure because of this, any advice?
48:19 How can one support themselves while fully focusing on the practice?
51:44 I am an alcoholic. Please, do you have any advice on how to stop?
53:58 Why am so lost and confused about life yet, at the same time, why do I feel like I am more aware than most people? Why can't I ever find the right words to explain myself or my questions?
58:30 What should I note when people are talking, but I'm anxious, stressed, disliking my experiences, etc.? Is it even possible to see the anxiety, stress or disliking clearly in these situations?
1:00:18 What else can I do, besides noting and adapting my food habits, when at certain points at my practice (childhood) anger, accompanied with digestion issues (e.g. gastritis, diarrhea) shows up?
1:03:48 I fear losing my possessions, ones of personal value to me, and it's a great struggle to live without these attachments. Can this be done or may my nature be too strong?
1:05:17 I worry that using noting in my meditation is re-enforcing ‘self’ rather than penetrating the selfless nature of the rising phenomena in the moment. I know I could note ‘doubt’. Am I complicating it?
1:07:31 Related to the boredom question you said “it's very powerful, more than you think, even few moments", are you are referring to noting the liking of phone/music, to noting the boredom or noting in general?
1:10:08 I eat when I am bored, and I am attached to food. Mindfulness of the body and mind helps, any advice?
1:12:17 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:44 On the topic of... Foundations of Mindfulness
34:27 What is the overall objective of satipatthana, as in the usefulness we are to get from being mindful? I don't mean that "it leads us to liberation” but what use does mindfulness itself do for us?
37:22 When there are several distractions at once, should I choose to note one first, and then go after another, or should I just note what is the most prominent in each moment?
38:20 Would we need meditation if the whole world was peaceful? What did people do before meditation was discovered, and is there something higher than meditation that we haven't discovered yet?
43:19 How to deal with friends who are not into meditation? Many friends invite me to dinners where they consume alcohol. I personally do not like to go there, but I will have to go because of friendship.
47:48 I can do walking meditation way longer than the sitting meditation. Should I keep it this way?
49:13 I’ve been meditating for many years now, but recently I feel I’m somehow "regressing" and I’m not experiencing the benefits. My mind is all over the place and I’m suffering more. Is this normal?
53:51 Whenever I try to clear my mind and focus on breathing, I find myself hyperventilating and getting anxious. How does one relax into mindfulness as a beginner?
57:02 What do you think of enduring pain during the meditation?
58:01 Is it possible to meditate while going through daily chores like during work, exercise, eating etc.? How does that look like?
58:33 How do I know when to start walking meditation, as a beginner?
59:11 If I evoke a negative emotion out of someone even if it wasn’t my intention, am I karmically responsible or am I only responsible for my state of mind?
1:03:10 How do I develop a constant state of awareness?
1:05:15 As a meditator, am not inclined to trying new things/activities. Does this mean I have a fixed mindset and should I cultivate growth mindset?
1:10:15 Sadhu...

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00:00 Welcome
01:30 On the topic of... Moments
13:24 While doing walking meditation, it is instructed to look after the sensations on the foot. Is it right that while noting 'thinking' we should look after the sensations in the brain?
14:34 I've never faced depression before. I can have metta towards others but I have a great amount of hatred towards myself and my situation. How can this hatred be abandoned?
18:16 How do you be in the moment when something pleasing and wonderful happens after many years. I’ve been lonely and I’m scared to let go, thinking, when will I get this feeling again?
21:00 Is it good to precede meditation sessions by visualizing loss of what you treasure in life, as well as death? Isn’t this right view or Pranja/wisdom (mindfulness of loss and death)?
22:37 Does it matter whether we sit on a cushion, a blanket or on the bare floor?
24:18 How can I deal with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Could it be karma, a consequence of my careless behaviour in my youth?
27:19 Is it better to note fast to eventually go through the stages of insight? Or can I just note in the speed I prefer and that will take me all the way?
32:19 Are you saying that by noting without rational thinking that understanding and wisdom will come in time?
33:45 How does one not get more attached to pleasure if they experience it regularly in Samatha meditation?
35:22 Whenever I try to stay away from things that distracts me a lot I have a fear of missing out and the temptation increases and takes me away from my object of focus. Any tips on overcoming this feeling?
36:20 What is the difference between breathing as in Vipassana and breathing as in Samatha? Both techniques look pretty similar to me.
38:40 When noting thoughts, the thoughts I try to note stop because of the noting. Any tips?
39:51 How can meditation help with depression?
44:44 Are mindfulness and awareness one and the same?
46:03 Should we try to meditate as much as possible?
47:40 How do I deal with loneliness that stems from not having a romantic partner? I always wanted a partner but don’t have it and that makes me feel lonely and sad.
48:38 Would following the five precepts be the best antidote to guilt and shame for everybody?
49:14 Is meditation on its own "useless" if we don’t practice precepts and ethics?
51:05 How does one deal with the rawness of one's emotions as one meditates? As I open up and begin to avoid distractions in my life, I see more of others' suffering and get so angry at them being in pain.
53:10 Should I note paranoia? Or feeling uneasy in public situation such as awkwardness? Social anxiety?
54:22 Is it possible to tackle addiction through meditation? If so, how?
55:44 You have said you should not expect any results from the practice; how do I know I am practicing correctly?
59:31 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
04:07 On the topic of... Non-Self
31:39 I'm recovering from losing someone. The practice is extremely painful. Is it wrong to go to samatha at this time? My suffering is unbelievable and I'm desperate for respite. I want to let go. Any advice?
37:29 Meditation has uncovered hostility I have for people who I used to associate with. I feel like I also have allowed it to fester. How can I reign it back, aside from being mindful?
38:59 I read that all taints are removed for the one who knows and sees. What should I see exactly, to understand non-self? Is it pain?
40:53 I have been meditating myself in a room for 4 years. I have struggled for 2 years, sometimes seeing shadows, hearing sounds. Later I realized it's normal in practice. Am I on the right track?
42:53 When there are lots of objects i.e. pain, thoughts, disliking, hearing etc. all coming rapidly, can I note "scattered?" I've designated "distracted" for when I'm thinking a lot. Not sure if that's right.
43:40 Did the Buddha specify that there is no self?
46:13 Would you say that being a narcissist, and therefore void of positive emotion, one still could get benefits from your noting technique?
47:52 My first meditation left me feeling sick and nauseated the rest of the day. After several more meditations, the sick feeling is dying down quite a bit. Was this normal or was I doing something wrong?
50:02 Sometimes there is no inclination to label an ongoing phenomenon. There is just the knowledge of it as either pleasant/unpleasant/neutral physical or mental feeling. Is the naming always necessary?
51:35 Why do I feel pressure in the forehead when I meditate?
53:08 Does being able to relax during meditation mean I'm not meditating? I have heard that you only feel relaxed during a bad meditation session. Is there any truth to this?
55:02 I feel myself hitting a plateau in my practice. I find it hard to get past the 30 minute mark. Should I try to push through it even if the quality is worse, or try to do multiple shorter sessions?
56:20 If I note problems - as this problem that has nature to arise also has nature to cease, is that noting sufficient to remove disturbance of sensuality, disturbance of becoming, and disturbance of self?
57:47 I feel when I let my attention move freely, but still have the meditation object in my awareness, I get less strain in my forehead. Is this right practice?
58:58 What is the cause of this illusion or misinterpretation of "self"?
1:01:08 Sorry to ask a "how do I" question but how do I not react? It seems so automatic. How can I not be distrubed by experience when the disturbance comes so immediately?
1:03:31 Is non-self fully realised at the Sotapanna stage?
1:05:10 How do I practice being present if I find myself focusing my attention on my thoughts? I try to focus on my surroundings but I always end up focusing more on my thoughts.
1:06:10 I've been meditating for years based on your booklet, and I am interested in reading from the Pali Canon. Is there a specific text in which the practice is outlined, or is it mostly scattered?
1:07:18 Sadhu...

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This talk / Q&A was originally posted on Ven. Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu’s YouTube Channel. To watch it on YouTube kindly click here.

00:00 Welcome
01:57 On the topic of... Freedom
23:50 I've started to feel low energy and tired often. It disrupts my meditation because I feel like I can't hang on and meditate for long. Shall I simply note it or do anything else?
25:03 When should one note "stressed"? Isn't that quite a broad/complex word? Should it be used mostly as a catch-all when you can't think of a more precise word?
25:54 If a feeling mutates slightly should I start a new noting - maybe "knowing"...? Or should I keep noting it the same in the interest of simplicity? I don't think I'm very advanced, so maybe the latter?
26:59 How can we not force equanimity in our noting of objects? I feel like I almost always tend to try to note things calmly, instead of just noting them without any manipulation in my noting.
27:54 I've noticed I sometimes feel peace, calm, or otherwise the absence of stress after noting something. Should I note the feeling everytime or just go back to the rising and falling?
28:49 Does thinking have to be clear lines of thought and seemingly deliberate? Or can it be vaguely reflecting things, or sort of daydreaming, remembering, imagining scenarios, etc.?
29:23 Under what circumstances is it beneficial to change the meditation posture? Apart from switching from walking to sitting halfway through a session.
31:03 After much meditation there has come calmness but also loss in interest or desire for life. Everything in life "just is"... Should there be concern?
31:54 When I become conscious of breathing, my whole body becomes stressed, then I note stress. 3 years later and the mind still tries to control the experience. Am I doing something wrong?
33:08 I've been meditating for about a year and I'm currently experiencing pressure, heat, and movement in my brain as if my brain is moving. I've been noting it as "feeling" as I feel the sensation. Is this normal?
34:47 I understand that the three marks of existence reveal themselves through meditation, but I find myself reflecting on experiences outside of formal meditation by analysing these aspects. Is this useful?
35:40 Sometimes the hindrances are stronger in my meditation than at other times. How do I encourage myself when my meditation feels less effective because of this?
36:28 When I try to do some deep meditation it always feels like I'm leaning to one side and then I have to stop because it frustrates me. How do I correct this?
37:27 Do you have specific advice to improve the five important faculties beneficial for spiritual development? I sometimes get frustrated when can’t concentrate for multiple sessions.
38:42 I have not taken the at home course because I cannot commit to 2 hours a day of mediation due to work and family obligations. Are there other ways I can improve my meditation, apart from a retreat?
39:43 How do you gauge progress during meditation?
40:57 Is the highest sense of freedom the only real victory?
41:25 I am an atheist, but I have a real draw to the monk lifestyle. Do you think there would be any way for someone in a temple as an atheist?
42:18 Is it worthwhile for Theravada Buddhists to study suttas from other traditions, such as Mahayana?
44:35 Is it a good idea to alternate between objects during meditation? Sometimes using the breath as an object, sometimes using a mantra?
45:22 Is noting feelings considered mantra?
47:10 I get bored very quickly when I meditate and want to quit. Any advice?
48:17 Will one feel the pressure of wanting to be free from defilements until they become an Arahant?
49:08 How can we deal with regretting our choices & views, specifically ones made after discovering the peace of mindfulness? It seems to make it harder to accept mistakes after we really know better.
50:19 Once in a deep state of meditation I envisioned Avalokiteshvara coming out of my third eye. Was this a real occurrence or just thought?
53:46 Are there effective techniques to help you through meditation when it becomes agony?
54:53 How can mindfulness help in clinging to being disappointed in ourselves? Is this the ego and can we do anything for this in our meditation?
56:26 Is it true that you need to aspire to attain Nibbana for the path factors to arise?
57:35 Is psychiatric medication a hindrance to meditation? I think you said antidepressants are but are antipsychotic also because they are just normalizing and don't alter your brain?
1:00:29 After many meditations, how long can I experience the silent mind free of mental noise or the gap in mindfulness?
1:01:14 Sadhu...

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Our Website: https://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work: https://www.sirimangalo.org/support