at a wall

[daverupa]

I am confused about what I should be doing during sitting meditation, if not anapanasati. Should I be learning about metta techniques, or should I be contemplating on aspects of the four foundations? Or should I get a step by step book on vipassana meditation?

Have a look at MN 125 for a basic shape of the progression. You'll notice that the instructions call for sitting down when it comes time to specifically address the hindrances with satipatthana for the purpose of jhana, but prior to this there are instructions for vigilance and mindfulness which are to be done walking around as well as sitting.

Guarding the sense gates and applying right effort to obstructive mental states, while using the breath to calm things down for yourself, can be called anapanasati if you like, though I tend to use it in a specific way in order to clarify its prerequisites. Everyone has to build it up, no one starts at the end:

"But how do you develop mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, Arittha?"

"Having abandoned sensual desire for past sensual pleasures, lord, having done away with sensual desire for future sensual pleasures, and having thoroughly subdued perceptions of irritation with regard to internal & external events, I breathe in mindfully and breathe out mindfully."

"There is that mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, Arittha. I don't say that there isn't. But as to how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is brought in detail to its culmination, listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

Since right intention has good-will as part of its definition, I see metta as a foundational approach rather than a practice among practices to choose among. Samma-, which is usually what people are translating as 'right' (samma-sati = right mindfulness, for example) is something I see as meaning 'integrative' because there is feedback between all aspects of the Path. There isn't right & wrong mindfulness, there's mindfulness which is integrated with the Path and there's mindfulness which isn't.

Observe:

"Monks, the establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch after myself.' The establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch after others.' When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.

"And how do you watch after others when watching after yourself? Through cultivating [the practice], through developing it, through pursuing it. This is how you watch after others when watching after yourself.

"And how do you watch after yourself when watching after others? Through endurance, through harmlessness, through a mind of goodwill, & through sympathy. This is how you watch after yourself when watching after others.

[kirk5a]

I need time to take this in. Getting frustrated with all the books and online literature regarding meditation.

Understandable. You might consider revisiting the "why" of meditation in order to get some perspective on the "how" - namely, less stress. As the suttas say:

He attends appropriately, This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of stress.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

[Spiny Norman]

I now practice with my eyes open, and do my best to follow the breath and not "go off contemplating" or "falling asleep."

If you're feeling stuck what sometimes helps is to change your approach for a while - maybe meditate with eyes closed from time to time, or focus on a different aspect of the breath, or use a kasina.

Thank you, maybe I need to back up and examine what it is I am approaching, and look at the whole game plan.

Dave indicates satisampajanna --> satipatthana}anapanasati --> jhana; describing sitting satipatthana before anapanasati. Hmm.

I need time to take this in. Getting frustrated with all the books and online literature regarding meditation.

Yes, it's difficult because there are so many different interpretations and approaches. There is for example no concensus on how the 4 tetrads of anapanasati should be interpreted - I've read 5 or 6 commentaries, and they all say something different.

I've reverted to a fairly simple approach, which seems to work for me.

[no mike]

Have a look at MN 125 for a basic shape of the progression. You'll notice that the instructions call for sitting down when it comes time to specifically address the hindrances with satipatthana for the purpose of jhana, but prior to this there are instructions for vigilance and mindfulness which are to be done walking around as well as sitting.

Guarding the sense gates and applying right effort to obstructive mental states, while using the breath to calm things down for yourself, can be called anapanasati if you like, though I tend to use it in a specific way in order to clarify its prerequisites. Everyone has to build it up, no one starts at the end:

"But how do you develop mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, Arittha?"

"Having abandoned sensual desire for past sensual pleasures, lord, having done away with sensual desire for future sensual pleasures, and having thoroughly subdued perceptions of irritation with regard to internal & external events, I breathe in mindfully and breathe out mindfully."

"There is that mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, Arittha. I don't say that there isn't. But as to how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is brought in detail to its culmination, listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

Since right intention has good-will as part of its definition, I see metta as a foundational approach rather than a practice among practices to choose among. Samma-, which is usually what people are translating as 'right' (samma-sati = right mindfulness, for example) is something I see as meaning 'integrative' because there is feedback between all aspects of the Path. There isn't right & wrong mindfulness, there's mindfulness which is integrated with the Path and there's mindfulness which isn't.

Observe:

"Monks, the establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch after myself.' The establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch after others.' When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.

"And how do you watch after others when watching after yourself? Through cultivating [the practice], through developing it, through pursuing it. This is how you watch after others when watching after yourself.

"And how do you watch after yourself when watching after others? Through endurance, through harmlessness, through a mind of goodwill, & through sympathy. This is how you watch after yourself when watching after others.

Thank you, this progression makes sense.

[no mike]

I need time to take this in. Getting frustrated with all the books and online literature regarding meditation.

Understandable. You might consider revisiting the "why" of meditation in order to get some perspective on the "how" - namely, less stress. As the suttas say:

He attends appropriately, This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of stress.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

Thank you. How ironic, when my source of stress has been meditation.

[no mike]

Yes, it's difficult because there are so many different interpretations and approaches. There is for example no concensus on how the 4 tetrads of anapanasati should be interpreted - I've read 5 or 6 commentaries, and they all say something different.

I've reverted to a fairly simple approach, which seems to work for me.

Yep. Lots of different instruction out there, confusing to navigate.