One of my teachers told me long ago, Never stop a thought, and it took me a long time to really understand that, but we don't want to put mind at war with itself with one half thinking and the other half reacting to that.
Cessation of thought is more like stop thinking in the first place than trying to stop thoughts that are already thunk. I've heard a lot of stories about it. Some people say let the thoughts drift by like clouds and other things. All good, a nice way of saying, but since this specific meditation is nothing more than awareness of the breath, keeping it simple, that is the sole intention. However, unintentional thoughts 'just happen', and the naked truth of the situation remains within the bare awareness of this experience as it is for you.
Sometimes it's very mundane and sometimes much more remarkable. It's just that there is no desire for remarkable things, so no one tries to make it happen - though they do happen unintentionally - or consequentially, rather. In other meditation techniques you do something to elicit some sort of spiritual experience, but this one is just awareness of the truth as it is for you, and by its very definition, no one really makes the truth happen (though there is some nuance to that). In addition, you cannot know the truth as you experience it as acquired knowledge. In that sense there is no truth at all, but the fact that this moment is 'like this' is completely certain. Yet, 'this' is changing momentarily and the truth as experienced by you can never be set in stone.
On another layer, the underlying nature of 'this experience' is more tangible and can be something you know is true as an understanding or wisdom. 'This' is impermanent, for example, remains constantly true. Thus there is not only the immediate truth of ones experience, but also ones insight into the underlying nature of that. Now we get to universal truth: impermanence is true for everyone without exception. That's nature's way. There is no way of making anything permanent, and any attempt to do so will not work. This illustrates how there is 'a way' which is universal and not different ways for different people. That does not mean breath awareness and mindfulness as a whole is the only effective way of meditation. It's just a way that works because it is consistent with natures way. The truth as it is and nothing else. On one level it is individualised. On another level it is universal.
For another example, Ramana prescribes self inquiry as direct exploration of the truth with no imagination, no volition etc. It's bare attention directed upon yourself as the origin of attention. I am a harsh critic of what teachers say (as any resonable person would be), but Ramana's teachings withstand my analysis by remaining highly consistent. I'm not going to say Ramana's approach is going to work for some but not others. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but it coheres to something which is universal and anyone who persistently gives it an honest 100% will get the results.
However, that's just to point out that I'm not a breath awareness hog who says this works for everyone and nothing else works. What I say is nature works in her own way and not in different ways to suit different individuals, and if meditation is difficult or impossible for you, this one is the duck's nuts. If you discern otherwise, then of course the main and most critical thing is going by one's own discernment.
The only reason I'm specific to breath meditation is that's what I studied and trained, so I understand it (though some think I don't, so you'll have to assess that for yourselves). In the long-term, the overall meditation extends feeling the nose-breath to exploring every millimeter of the body and most intricate facets of the mind, and beyond that. Insights into nature's laws are gleaned from exploring the life-form/being all the way through, and it purifies entirely as light of pure consciousness awareness peers into the most subtle layers of being. Indeed, 'graduates' of Ramana would also do well to commence this seemingly trivial undertaking - they can take the back row as new novices
Lol.
It is a very refined practice in the way I describe it. More like a very close investigation than some lackluster general awareness. In the Buddhist meditation sutta (satipatthana), they word this '
ardent awareness'. They also say '
mere awareness' to mean 'nothing but awareness' (I'm sure there're scholars who'd disagree).
Again, I started saying one thing and ended up somewhere else, and no longer know where I am. I must try to stay on track and not get lost like this.
Of course the actuality isn't coming as an answer, like what I say is true and you can take that to the bank, and I'm not claiming to be right because I know too well this is a discovery, and talking is all an abstraction...
P.S. It's not supposed to be just talking. Remember the 3 parts of knowing I laid out earlier? The third part; finding out for yourself, is essential. Without that, this is all mere jibber jabbering of a lunatic, or at best, if I may be so presumptuous, it plants a seed that might flourish in a later season... though I loathe to be so presumptuous.
Threaded Mode