Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:51 amIs the sense of an observer in satipatthana....
If there was no sense of "self" in the watcher, every individual mind would be enlightened
before the start of practise. This topic is illogical because the training is gradual. Arahantship occurs after completing the 4th Satipatthana rather than when starting the 1st Satipatthana.
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:51 am... mana? I don't think it is, but I could be wrong.
'Mana' is not generally used (for example, as a "fetter") in this way. So, yes, I agree you could be wrong. "Mana" is one of the seven more fetters at most broken though (per SN 13.1) for arahantship. Obviously, a beginner practising this pre-school Satipatthana of awareness of bodily posture is not an arahant, with a mind free from "mana".
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:55 am"How do
you notice thoughts without an observer to notice? Practically speaking?"
This is not possible until samadhi is developed and the sense of "self" has dissolved into the heightened consciousness of pure samadhi. No act of intention can dissolve the "self". The above question appears illogical because when thoughts dissolve, self dissolves, since the Buddha taught in SN 22.81 that "self" is "born" ("jati") from "thought" ("sankhara"). .
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:59 amBy all means remove the "I am", and just say "walking" - but who or what is aware of "walking"? Who or what is aware of seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking, etc?
For Buddha's sake; the mind (vinnana; mano; citta) is aware.
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:43 pm I asked a straightforward question arising from satipatthana practice. To be honest I'm not very impressed with some of the responses here.
My impression is a "rebellion" is occurring against the Lord Buddha. At the pre-school/kindergarten level of practise described, the Lord Buddha said to reflect: "I am walking"; "I am typing", etc. The Lord Buddha instructed this; similar to how the Lord Buddha appear to explain "jati" as "mental view". But there remains rebelling. When Buddha says "jati" is the "production" or "construction" of "views" of "self" or "beings", rebellion occurs against this "anatta" teaching of "jati". But when Buddha encourages to start our training with a sense of taking ownership (responsibility) of actions and movements, rebelling also occurs against this. When Buddha says: "
Be aware of yourself", there is rebellion. When Buddha says: "
See the self is just dependent originated and is not really a self" there is also rebellion. Rebelliousness without a cause.
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:51 pmOK, so feelings perceptions and thoughts are known. But that implies a
knower
The selfless mind "knows". There seems to be confusion between "
the mind element" and the "
the self delusion".
Dinsdale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:51 pma
subject-object duality if you like.
Sounds like Hinduism and Mahayana.