Mala Day 7: Reporting

 Sat cross-legged on bed. Did 30 mins. Drowsy at close to end of session. Sat straighter.   I still felt the soothing calm of the resonant sonorous humming undertone.  Got some background thoughts but still felt calm and pleasant. Whenever sounds or thoughts distract my attention, I gently let them be and return attention to the recitation undertone (humming). Occasionally, the attention goes to the fingers moving the beads, especially when it gets a little stuck, or, when the gurubead comes. But eventually attention goes back to the humming undertone. 

To prepare report for my master.

Dedicated merits to all beings and some metta.

Summary of week 1 (Sept 11 to 17)

1. Sitting is quite pleasant and calming.
2. Easier to stay on object of meditation as compared to other meditations (eg metta and breath).
3. The thing most pleasant about this technique is the undertone humming sound. The vibration is felt in the chest and head and sometimes permeates the body. The mind is just blank. Because the feeling is so pleasant it is easy to stay in it.
4. Unfortunately, when I use up the breath and take the next inhale, that calm is broken. But it comes back again with the next round of recitation and stays until the breath runs out again. So this process repeats itself until my handphone timer sounds at the 30th min.
5. Because of the pleasure felt in this meditation, the 5 hindrances rarely comes up. Restlessness is the easiest to let go - just come back to the humming undertone and the hindrance falls away. No force needed - it is quite natural - the mind prefers the soothing vibration than the restless thoughts.
6. But for sleepiness - I had to straighten my spine and sit up straighter - and that helps.
7. No issues with ill-will as I practice metta on and off the cushion - and I also smile a lot. Something I learnt from my TWIM meditation practice.
8. Sensual craving is also not an issue. The mind is quite contented with the pleasure from this meditation.
9. When not sitting in meditation, and craving or resistance arises, the mind sometimes sees that the dukkha is caused by the craving and the resistance. The mind then sees the anatta in the object of craving and that brings a big relief.
10. The mind sees that when trying to control a feeling, there is dukkha.
11. The mind also sees anicca - the feeling and thoughts arise on their own without the me causing it to arise, because of this seeing, the mind then sees anatta. The thoughts and feelings are not me or mine.
12. Unfortunately, the insights are only seen briefly. They do not sustain throughout the day.