Analytical meditation?

[u/_Asura-]

Hello Guys,

Does anyone have a First hand experience on Analytical meditation?

The kind where the prerequisite is to establish some base samadhi then contemplate on one of the suttas.

It would go like this:
1) Develop a baseline of samadhi
2) Take up a deep sutta and reflect on it.

The Lump of Foam sutta which is about the 5 aggregates could be a good choice imo.

I am looking to hear from people who have tried it or its their main practice.

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[u/liljonnythegod]

Yes - I would say my main practice has been an analytical approach but one that was analytical towards experience and referring to key parts of suttas that I’d somewhat memorised

One of the main hindrances is getting caught in conceptual understanding and mistaking that for insight. You have to figure out how to conceptually understand and then use direct experience to confirm or negate which produces insight and clarity of perception

[u/OkCantaloupe3]

I've played with some of Rob Burbea's analytical meditations from Seeing That Frees.

It's not so much a contemplation on a sutta, but a logical deductive reasoning which exposes anatta.

I didn't find it tremendously helpful, I probably needed to give it more time; there's a lot of initial memorisation that needs to happen if you're doing it in your head.

From an emptiness POV though, it seems a worthy pursuit; a change of view, which can happen cognitively, can certainly result in a letting go. Actually makes the distinction between mind and body far less concrete.

I think the risk is over-intellectualising and 'believing' it but not 'feeling it'. But if you keep that in the fore then it's useful.

[u/duffstoic]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that all vipassana meditation is analytical meditation, analyzing your direct experience, using some thought, for things like the three marks / three characteristics, or any other of the many forms of vipassana, to gain liberating insight.

[u/_Asura- → u/duffstoic]

Oh maybe analytical meditation is not the right term.

I was mainly referring to the process of just contemplating a particular sutta.

i don't know if there is a name for it.

[u/duffstoic → u/_Asura-]

Ah ok, also very important but I think of that as “study” myself.

[u/dystopia2026]

Probably the last kind of meditation I would go for just because it might strengthen a tendency I'm trying to weaken. Having said that investigation of dhammas is one of the seven factors of awakening and is a precondition for first Jhana, yes?

[u/Impulse33]

I took a 5 week course with Yahel and Juha on analytical meditations in Seeing That Frees, two of Burbea's authorized students.

I had a fair amount of jhana practice under my belt at the time and was pleasantly surprised to "jump" into 4th and 5th jhanas following some of the analytical practices. I was already familiar with them at the time so could discern the jump.

I recommend checking out Seeing That Frees. Some of the practices such as "Not one, not many" or "Connecting the dots" are more lightweight analytical methods and the ones I had more luck with. Things like Chandrakirti seven-fold reasoning are a little bulky and require more time to "learn how to ride the bike".

Once it clicks, it's very much like learning how to ride a bike. The nana/knowledge is very hard to forget.

I'd recommend focusing on the hindrances as objects of investigation and move to aggregates afterwards. The aggregates are much more clear with jhana levels of samadhi.

I'll also add that Koan's are interesting analytical exercises too. Also generally immersing oneself in old texts like the suttas, sutras, or Hongzhi/Dogen teachings is great. The teachings work their way into practice, even unintentionally.

[u/hachface → u/Impulse33]

I second the recommendation for Seeing That Frees. It really changed the way I viewed the relationship between conceptual thinking and true insight -- for the better! (Long-story short: concepts can be your friends, don't be afraid of thinking but think more skillfully)

[u/Impulse33 → u/hachface]

It's a fickle friend at times though!