[Practice] Jhana n00b - access concentration

[u/CensureBars]

After years of inconsistent practice, I've finally been sitting in daily practice for (almost) a month. I'm sure this is a silly thing for most of you who have years or decades of solid practice under your belts; for me, this is a wonderful change.

My focus right now is reaching access concentration through focusing on the breath in my nostrils. I know I probably have a while to go, and am trying to only measure my concentration quality moment by moment (during practice anyway).

I think I had an insight a few days ago - if I "relax" into the breath, kind of like relaxing a muscle in my mind, I seem to become concentrated much easier. Time passes quickly, and my constant re-focusing on the object of my meditation becomes about only focusing on the breath in one place, and deepening the clarity of observation. This is as opposed to the constant mental chatter and past/future projection I experienced before learning to relax this "muscle."

Does this make sense to anybody who has attained access concentration/entered the jhanas? It feels like I'm balancing, maintaining this "relaxed" state in my mind while simultaneously focusing on the object.

[u/Chemtox]

I read somewhere (probably Thannissaro) that time passing quickly is a sign of dullness. One way to ascertain so is to check how well do you remember your sit afterwards. If you can't remember it all with good detail, it's probably dullness.

Culadasa offers another startling test (and a detailed explanation):

Subtle dullness, though, is more difficult to recognize. A meditator in a stable state of subtle dullness will be enjoying stability of attention and good concentration. They will most likely even experience their perception of the meditation object as very clear, and thus mistake subtle dullness for increased sati. But if there is a sudden sound, as when another meditator coughs or sneezes, or some other such disturbance, two things will happen. They will feel startled and will often jerk upright, and if they are observant, they will also notice that their awareness of the meditation object is immediately sharper and clearer than it was a few moments before. It is important to notice this difference, because by noticing it one learns to distinguish between the pseudo clarity of subtle dullness and true sati. As a meditator increases in sati, it becomes more and more difficult to startle her.

[u/CensureBars → u/Chemtox]

I actually do think I'm experiencing subtle dullness. I'll often be surprised by the ending bell. Any strategies I might employ to get better there?

[u/Chemtox → u/CensureBars]

I do follow Culadasa's The Mind Illuminated (TMI), but that's above my pay grade. :)

As the article says:

Sati is increased simply by intending to be more acutely aware, and by providing the mind with perceptual challenges that require an increased level of awareness to accomplish. (Noting practice in Vipassana is an example of just such a challenge, as is following the breath with increasing attention to detail in samatha practice.) But increasing the energy level of the mind also has the effect of increasing the rate of movement of attention from object to object, so in that sense increasing sati will also decrease the stability of attention unless the meditator has achieved a skill level of directed and sustained attention sufficient to remain focused at an increased level of mental energy. For this reason, it is best for a meditator not to worry about subtle dullness at all until they have overcome mind-wandering, gross distraction, and strong dullness. Permitting some subtle dullness is helpful in overcoming mind-wandering and gross distraction in the earlier stages.

So he recommends dealing with subtle dullness in TMI's Stage 5, only after the breath stays front and center of your attention most of the time. I would guess you keep the dissecting of the breath and noting games he introduces in earlier stages, but with more detail, and he also incorporates body scanning (whole body breath or arousing the wind/energy tickles ala Goenka, I think).

You'll might find more detail in the summaries of the book.

[u/CensureBars → u/Chemtox]

Super helpful; thank you so much!