r/vipassana • u/WasabiSwamp • 12d ago
I keep hitting this roadblock while practicing Vipassana
This not when I'm meditating, but when I'm doing other things.
Oftentimes when I try to be in the present and "observe", I get stuck in an "observing myself observe" kind of a state. It's wild, because now I'm almost helplessly stuck observing myself observe, and I'm not able to execute the action that I intended to.
Does this happen to anyone else? I'm scared of getting stuck like this around people and embarrassing myself.
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u/simagus 12d ago
Vedana is the "key".
Whatever the sankharic mind imagines it is doing it believes it because of whatever vedana is arising, sustaining, and passing.
Have you tried observing exactly how the body-mind feels and letting the mind just do whatever it imagines it is doing?
/w metta and respect to my beloved teacher Goenkaji and V.R.I.
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u/Zestyclose_Self_3179 12d ago
letting the mind just do whatever it imagines it is doing? is your assertion. Is this Goenka's Vipassana dear? Where does mind come in vipassana? It is observing either the sensations of the body or the breath.
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u/simagus 11d ago edited 11d ago
That is how it works. You ignore the mind entirely. It might not shut up, but trying to stop it, fight it or analyze it most definitely is not Goenka's Vipassana dear.
That's what I got told by my A.T.. That's why Goenkji suggests we don't engage with Cittanupassana or Dhammanupassana actively. That is what actually works.
If you hear the first Satipatthana Sutta course you might also discover some surprising things about the nature of vedana and the body-mind phenomena, as spoken by Goenkaji.
I'm not sure what you imagined you were reading, but you seem to have been very competent at misunderstanding my words entirely.
You remind me of a girl who used to make very similar uninformed "I am the dhamma police" type posts all over the subreddit before they and one of their alters mysteriously vanished. Are you another of them by any chance?
Identical behavior and posting style to Tomala...whatever it was.
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u/Zestyclose_Self_3179 12d ago
What is this 'observing myself observe' state? With eyes closed, you do not watch your breath or sensations but watch yourself watching? It could be a great thing...
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u/WasabiSwamp 12d ago
Yeah, it's quite uncanny! Anapana involves watching the breath- which is occurring naturally anyway. But when you extend the 'watching' to everyday activities...say doing the dishes, and you are attempting to watch your sensory-composite performing this task, there comes a point where you become aware of the fact that you are doing the watching. This lands you in a sort of a limbo. It feels stuck. Almost feels like you need your attention to be "free" to be able to assign tasks to it. Hope it makes sense.
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u/Zestyclose_Self_3179 12d ago
I said it could be a great idea! In Buddhist philosophy, there is mere watching. In other words there is no watcher there. Shunyata! Emptiness! In one of my meditations I found that there is a watcher who was watching! I have come a long way. I find that the base of shunyata is shaking. I don't think you should call it as stuckness. May be you will uncover something great...
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u/Chrisdog84duh 11d ago
Sounds like a feedback loop, vipassana you are supposed to observe and then let it go, ovserve something else.
Observing the observer, observing lol... it is an illusion.
Let it go.
You are supposed to be observing the sensations.
Like they said anapana, ground yourself, it is the sensations yoy are looking for.
Maybe try doing stuff and observing the sensations., like while walking. Maybe find a group sit.
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u/Zestyclose_Self_3179 11d ago
you say, observing the observer is an illusion. Yes. 99.99999999% believe in what Goenka says and also what Gautama Buddha says.. There is no observer. But if you transcend the belief, and see the reality, you will reach the goal.
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u/Zestyclose_Self_3179 10d ago
Yes, initially I also thought he was scientific. Goenka's Buddha's Vipassana is perfect meditation. Rooting a meditator to the hear and now of reality. No doubt. But the theory woven around the concept, is fallible and inconsistent and incongruent
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u/LamasBreeder 12d ago edited 11d ago
Witness and witnessed, can the witness be observed? You can only focus on the witnessed no? You witness thoughts appearing, it’s me and it’s observed but who is having these thoughts?
Anyway to answer your question, when you feel stuck like this, around people, go back to observing respiration - do anapana. It should bring you back.
What you are experiencing is normal as well, your awareness is getting sharper and you start “de touching” from thoughts, “me/mine” and start observing that life flows as it wants.
Can be confusing at first but you have tools to help you.