1989-04_13 Anapanasati_ Full Awareness of Breath Series - Tape 9 Q&A 5

Talk: 19890413-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-anapanasati_full_awareness_of_breath_series_tape_9-33812 Start_time: 00:36:24 Display_question: Is my sense of something watching a quality of awareness? Keyword_search: focus, concentration, watching, aware, awareness, simple, nose, awareness, quality, sensation, feeling, practice, samadhi, overload, mind Question_content: Larry: Anything else on anyone's mind? I'm interested in an ongoing way about how people are using the breath in daily life, whether it's helpful, whether it's not helpful, in what ways? Yes. Questioner: This is not about that. Larry: It's okay. Questioner: I'm glad for what you said about <inaudible> as long as you're aware of the focus because I would become disturbed that it's just where I'm at. It’s the level of concentration that I’m at. Larry: That's right. Questioner: Sometimes I have this sense of something watching, and I let it in. I used to be real concerned about it, and I let it in. So, it's just something watching. And I wondered at one point if that was a quality of awareness. Larry: Are you feeling the sensations touch the nose? Questioner: Yes. Larry: Keep it simple. Sorry, I'm not going to answer it. Questioner: But then something else happens. And it may be just another… Larry: Something else. Questioner: Yeah, but it might be awareness that I'm misinterpreting or overinterpreting. Larry: Okay. One of the most important things in samadhi practice is not overload the mind with too many things to do. I don't know if it's a special kind of awareness or… Questioner: I understand. Larry: Yeah. The main thing is, are you feeling that point? Something knows it. Stick with that. Stick with… Questioner: <inaudible> simpler… Larry: Now… Questioner: … always like that. Larry: I understand when it's like that. But, later on, when we look at the mind itself, they're going to be a variety of mind states, including what you're talking about. And they themselves become the object of attention. They become the meditation. The breath recedes in the background and is used as an anchor to help pay attention to all kinds of mind states, some of which are quite subtle and exotic. Questioner: But if it's an interference… <inaudible> Larry: Well, it's not an interference unless you make it. So, it's just what it is. End_time: 00:39:07