Key concepts

Question 1

how do you generate samatha and/or vipassana?

Answer 1

stable attention (samadhi) and mindfulness (sati)

Question 2

what are the 5 characteristics of samatha?

Answer 2

1. effortlessly stable attention (samadhi)
2. powerful mindfulness (sati)
3. joy
4. tranquility
5. equanimity

Question 3

what are the 5 most important insights (vipassana)?

Answer 3

1. impermanence
2. emptiness
3. nature of suffering
4. causal interdependence of all phenomena
5. illusion of the separate self (no-self)

Question 4

how do you experience impermanence (vipassana 1)?

Answer 4

stable attention (samadhi) and mindfulness (sati) to investigate phenomena (dhamma vicaya) with persistence and energy (viriya)

Question 5

how do you experience emptiness (vipassana 2)?

Answer 5

stable attention (samadhi) and mindfulness (sati) to investigate phenomena (dhamma vicaya) with persistence and energy (viriya)

Question 6

how do you experience nature of suffering (vipassana 3)?

Answer 6

stable attention (samadhi) and mindfulness (sati) to investigate phenomena (dhamma vicaya) with persistence and energy (viriya)

Question 7

how do you experience causal interdependence of all phenomena (vipassana 4)?

Answer 7

stable attention (samadhi) and mindfulness (sati) to investigate phenomena (dhamma vicaya) with persistence and energy (viriya)

Question 8

how do you experience illusion of separate self, i.e. no-self (vipassana 5)?

Answer 8

requires the first 4 insights (impermanence, emptiness, nature of suffering, causal interdependence of all phenomena) with a mind in a state of samatha, deep tranquility and equanimity

Question 9

what are the 3 ways attention move spontaneously?

Answer 9

1. scanning
2. getting captured
3. alternating

Question 10

how do you master directed and sustained attention?

Answer 10

exclusive attention to one object (AKA single-pointedness) to overcome tendency for attention to alternate.

Question 11

why is sustaining attention trickier than directing attention?

Answer 11

Directing attention is voluntary, whereas sustained attention requires the part of the mind that works entirely unconsciously.

Question 12

why do we need both attention and peripheral awareness?

Answer 12

When one or the other doesn’t do its job or there isn’t enough interaction between the two, we respond to situations less effectively.

We may overreact, make poor decisions and misinterpret.

It helps us see things more objectively

Question 13

what are some differences between attention and peripheral awareness?

Answer 13

attention analyzes our experience while peripheral awareness provides the context.

attention processes information more thoroughly, but is not as quick or reflexive.

peripheral awareness doesn’t process information thoroughly, but it’s quick and reflexive.

Question 14

What happens if attention is operating on its own without awareness?

Answer 14

1. Strong concern for self (understandably since attention’s job is to evaluate importance of things for our well-being)
2. Objects of attention can be easily distorted by desire, fear, aversion and other emotions
3. Leads us to identify with external objects (“my” car) or mental states “I am hungry”

Question 15

What can observe the overall state of mind as well as the activities of the mind?

Answer 15

peripheral awareness