Poll on Frequency of Practice

[conebeckham]

He'd tell ya, DeepBlue, but then he'd have to kill ya.

[pemachophel]

Deep Blue Hung,

Since last August, I've been mainly doing the approach, accomplishment, and lay-jor of Pegyal Lingpa's Pema Sangwai Thigle (i.e., Red Vajrasattva). Yig-ge gya-pa's just don't accumulate that fast. All things being equal, I expect to finish some time this fall.

[deepbluehum]

Deep Blue Hung,

Since last August, I've been mainly doing the approach, accomplishment, and lay-jor of Pegyal Lingpa's Pema Sangwai Thigle (i.e., Red Vajrasattva). Yig-ge gya-pa's just don't accumulate that fast. All things being equal, I expect to finish some time this fall.

That sounds like a mahayoga practice, though I'm not familiar. I'm partial to this style. You get a feel something's going on.

[dharmagoat]

It would be interesting to conduct a poll on the types of practice we are all doing.

[conebeckham]

My "formal practice" (which is what I considered this poll to represent) is the Two Stages of Secret Mantra, as well. This probably goes without saying.

I'd guess that for most of us practicing in Tibetan Vajrayana traditions, that would be the case. But it's possible that those practicing in the Tibetan traditions devote their formal sessions to "formal" Mahamudra or Dzokchen sessions, or Samatha/Vipassana, or whatnot.

I think a poll would be interesting, too...but we could likely guess what our Pure Land comrades, our Zen comrades, our Thera comrades would largely be doing with their formal practice time. Affiliation tells a great deal of the story.

So, perhaps a good question would be, what Tradition one follows?

[deepbluehum]

Two stages, dzogchen, anuyoga yidams, yantra yoga, thogal. I have a busy practice calendar.

[Stewart]

Why have you chosen to list 'Dzogchen' and 'Togal' separately?!

[greentara]

!

Pema Chophel, It is wonderful. One pointed effort till it becomes effortless.

[lisehull]

I practice about 25 minutes of sitting meditation a day, unless I do a deity practice, such as Green Tara or Chenrezig. I find that 25 minutes of calm abiding or vipashyana is long enough, in that I get really fidgety and worried about when the timer is going to go off. Any ideas on how to feel more comfortable with longer sitting, or should I just be content with what I am doing?

Lise

[Stewart]

Use the feeling of being 'fidgety and worried' as the object of your Shamatha, rest your awareness on the experience, as you get caught up in it again gently bring your awareness back to simply resting on the feelings. With practice, they will lose their power, and you won't grasp at them.

[lisehull]

Hi Stewart, thanks for the suggestion. Will give it a try.

Lise