Deconstruction
Learning to deconstruct sensory experience
Last updated
Learning to deconstruct sensory experience
Last updated
Objective - Why?
Sensory Clarity
Builds the foundation for the further development of Sensory Clarity
Recognize the present experience
Understanding one-self
Distinguish one's experience into 6 sense categories
Equanimity
Ability to be with whatever experience arises in an accepting way
Essential Instruction
Recognize the experience
Label it
Release any resistance
Be with for a while
Release attention
Repeat
Observation Method
Choiceless
Observe until Gone
Choiceless + observe for x-seconds before release
Observation Range
All experience i.e., 6 senses
Consider
Find & maintain a comfortable and steady rhythm
Important is the recognizing, non-identifying, relaxing, and not the label
All experiences, negative ones included, are equally welcome
Acknowledgement
In this practice we develop clarity about our experience, that can be divided into our 6 senses (see, hear, feel, taste, smell, mind). You do this by recognizing, labeling, relaxing, and being with the sense-phenomena.
Posture
Settling into one's practice posture
attentive and comfortable
Releasing any unnecessary effort & tension in body & mind
Becoming present
Noticing the current experience
e.g., sights, sounds, thoughts, feelings
Recognize
Choiceless observation
Allow your attention to freely attend to whatever experience it chooses
Notice whatever experience arises in the moment
Nothing else to do but simply recognizing or noticing that there is an experience
Label
Identify which sense-category the sense-phenomena relates to
Label once 'There is' + 'Seeing', 'Hearing', 'Feeling', 'Tasting', 'Smelling', 'Thinking'
e.g., 'There is seeing', 'there is thinking'
Relax
Check if there is any interference, that is, resistance or struggle towards the current experience. If so, release the effort underlying that.
There is no need to check every single time whether there is resistance or not. With time you will be able to notice simultaneously and automatically whether you are resisting or not
Be with
Remaining in contact with the current experience
Nothing special to do but keeping the object in your awareness, that is, knowing that the experience is still there, present.
Duration or Time
Everyone finds their rhythm
Release
Letting go of the sense-object
Repeat
Repeat from step 1 Recognize
Butterfly is the attention
The butterfly chooses freely where to go, where to stay
May go from one flower to another, then back to the flower before or to another
May stay at one flower or go to another
Likewise, your attention chooses freely
Flowers are the 6 sense objects (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting, thinking)
Mahasi Sayadaw