Time: 8:55am
What: 30 minutes asana / 20 minutes seated practice
Focus: Second Foundation / Exercises 11 - 12 (Sati-)
The following words describe my demeanor this morning:
lazy
sluggish
dull
slothful
Reset my alarm for an HOUR after my usual wake-up time. Had fantasies of not doing asana practice. Instead, chose to practice alongside the instruction of somebody else. External motivation. Like going to class at a studio except it was half an hour and in my freshly painted (yet VOC-free) livingroom. Worked up a sweat. Moments of angst, discomfort, the usual.
After all the jump'n around, sweating, and huff'n and puff'n (not really)...
Seated practice was still and peaceful. Brought awareness to the feeling of peace and calm. Then watched as it transformed into tension. Little bit of clinging me thinks. Fascinating.
Wondered about sensation - which intellectually feels more like a physical phenomena - being classified as psychological. Decided that sensation could be the physical result of activity in the mind (psychological), functions or processes of the body (physiological), or stem from the body itself (physical). What do you think?
1 comment:
Great questions evidencing deep investigation! The 'sensation' aspect of vedana may indeed seem 'physical,' but remember, the perception happens in the brain. Thus, amputees can feel 'phantom pain' in a limb that no longer exists! AND with nerve damage, no sensation arises even when the extremity is tickled or burned, for instance.
SO, vedana is that sweet place that bridges all conceptual dualities between body and mind. They are not seen as 'identical' in Buddhist teachings, but they ARE seen as interdependent.
For me, practicing with vedana deepens the sense of embodiment, while at the same time brings deeper clarity and insight into the mental conditionings that (without mindfulness) determine my actions....
Your parsing of psychological, physiological and physical causes of vedana is spot on.
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