breakthrough!

[befriend]

i have practiced tranquilizing bodily formations in my bhavana. as is explained by buddha in the suttas. NOT commentary. i relax the tension in tightness in my mind, which releases the craving after i say my metta phrase. i have been doing this for a short while and have discovered the root cause of my mental illness. i subconciously burried what all my anger is from. in high school i had chronic terror syndrome from social anxiety for more than 2 years. and this caused a mental illness and has made me worry about trivial things. to the point where i couldt even walk without being afraid i would trip on a stick! or walk down the stairs. practicing how bhante vimalaramsi teaches from the suttas, brings all this emotional stuff to the surface, and now my worries are leaving. i feel very grounded, and now healing is beginning. metta is very healing. when you go on a retreat with bhante the majority of students enter jhana withing short time. i have had insights into impermanence so strong, hunger pains did not phase my mind because i saw them as not self. the buddhas teachings are alive and well. i plan on learning more about the connection between buddhas original teachings and healing mental illness caused from trauma. bow to buddha it is nearly impossible to find a being he has not helped

[Ben]

Hi befriend,
I do not mean to rain on your parade, so to speak, with my following comment.
Considering your disclosure of having a mental illness, I hope you continue to coordinate your practice under the guidance of an experienced guide or teacher. And i hope you are also seeing a medical or allied health professional regarding your mental health condition.
All the very best,

Ben

[befriend]

ive been working with therapist for a while, no one knew what caused my illness they said it was genetic, or they didnt know. now i know. ive been on medicine so strong it had a 10 percent chance of killing me. i dont need to put a bandaid on a severed limb, i need to heal the root cause of my problem. you know yourself from buddhism everything has a root cause, now i am healing that cause, trauma from high school. this is psychotherapy in conjunction with buddhas original sutta teachings. i dont see the problem. thank you for your concern. let us not turn this topic into another vehicle for argumentation. what i experience directly in meditation is also adheres to what is now being discovered in psychotherapy, constant trauma can tweak you out.

[DNS]

Excellent, glad to hear of the healing process and effects of therapy, meditation, and metta.

Just curious though, why do you mention "NOT commentary" in all caps? Are you now a student of Bhante Vimalaramsi?

Do you still have plans to study and practice with Achan Sobin in Thailand? His methods include Burmese vipassana and teachings from the Commentaries.

[befriend]

the progress ive made practicing with vimalaramsi is incredibly deep and in accordance with the suttas. the practice speaks for itself, if anyone wants to critic it, try it out for youself first. how can you argue with the suttas?

[Ben]

ive been working with therapist for a while, no one knew what caused my illness they said it was genetic, or they didnt know. now i know. ive been on medicine so strong it had a 10 percent chance of killing me. i dont need to put a bandaid on a severed limb, i need to heal the root cause of my problem. you know yourself from buddhism everything has a root cause, now i am healing that cause, trauma from high school. this is psychotherapy in conjunction with buddhas original sutta teachings. i dont see the problem. thank you for your concern. let us not turn this topic into another vehicle for argumentation. what i experience directly in meditation is also adheres to what is now being discovered in psychotherapy, constant trauma can tweak you out.

No argumentation, befriend. Just concern for your welfare.
kind regards,

Ben

[manas]

the progress ive made practicing with vimalaramsi is incredibly deep and in accordance with the suttas. the practice speaks for itself, if anyone wants to critic it, try it out for youself first. how can you argue with the suttas?

Hi befriend

like yourself, I have found that for me, drawing the Teachings directly from the suttas is powerful and effective. But I've got a 'live and let live' attitude regarding the many practitioners who see things a little differently. Let everyone just do their own thing, doesn't bother me. As students, we have no reason to contend with anyone. Just practice, never mind that everyone seems to have a different point of view about what the most pure mode of practice (or whatever) is.

Anyway, since working with the suttas is inspiring you, here is something that you might find encouraging from Ajahn Kukrit:

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I also greatly admire Bhante Vimalaramsi too, by the way, and have benefitted from listening to him on youtube. SadhuX3

[befriend]

im just letting people know what happened. im not going to tell everyone i had a breakthrough and not tell them how i did it.

[mirco]

Yes, I have seen that this is an 'old' thread.

the buddhas teachings are alive and well

Glad to hear that, glad to read all of your report.

.... did not phase my mind because i saw them as not self.

So, that means fourth jhana and up?