How to be wise

This book will tell you all about the concentration journey. http://static.squarespace.com/static/5037f52d84ae1e87f694cfda/t/5055915f84aedaeee9181119/1347785055665/

Use the 'finger touching thumb' object, because it is much more stable. Don't press it too tightly otherwise you will become aware of the pulse, which is not very stable. Most important info: start with a time where you can focus on the object 100% of the time, not 99%. This is why people spend two years concentrating and don't reach access concentration. As Daniel Ingram put it: 10 seconds of full concentration will do you more good than 1 hour of wishy wahsy concentration. Whatever time you pick, you can't lose focus of the object for even one second. If you do, reduce your time and start again.

LOL!!! Where did you find this video from?

Byron Katie is an enlightened woman, and she has three children. She once told her daughter: 'I'm not your mother, mother yourself.' Although it felt harsh for the daughter, the daughter later said that that was the best gift she got from her mother.

In today's contemplation session, I was focusing on the sensations of my body, and I asked myself: 'What's the proof that I'm feeling that?' It might sound obvious that when you have an itch on you're arm, 'you are feeling that itch'. But with some observation, you will realise that there isn't one proof that that is true. To further inquire, I'm thinking about contemplating the question 'What is a feeling?', although I think it'll take me a while to answer that.

I know that an experience of not-knowing is necessary for an enlightenment experience. How can I have an experience of not-knowing?

Are there things you can do in self-inquiry to increase the chances of getting that experience?

I don't think that would produce an experience of not-knowing that is deep enough. The experience of not-knowing that I'm talking about is the one that always precedes an enlightenment experience. I don't think it can be created that easily.

According to Leo that's fake not-knowing. I'm talking about real not-knowing.

I once heard an enlightened master say: "All pleasure is pain." Can anyone elaborate on what that might mean.

...without scientific discoveries people wouldn't be addicted to technology and would spend more time being. Anyways, scientific discoveries do have their pros and cons. The question is, does the pros outweigh the cons?

@Laputan Machine I also get some satisfaction when I do maths. It's quite different from pleasure I think.

No. Concentration and insight practices are two completely different things. Psychedelics give you a peak experience in insight practices, but are worth nothing when it comes to concentration.

Are you concentrating on the breath for 30 minutes without any wavering? If you aren't, you have to choose a different time length where you don't get distracted from the object at all, not even for one second! Other than that, if you still don't get to access concentration in a month, you're probably doing something wrong.

I just realised in today's contemplation session that the illusion of a self is supported by the belief that 'I am looking at a chair', and 'I am feeling hungry', even though with some investigation it becomes obvious that there is no proof of that.

I reached access concentration in less than a month, and from scratch. How long do you concentrate every day? How many times do you concentrate every day?

Two years! However I look at this, it's too long. People usually enter Samatha states in several weeks of concentration, not years! If you're aiming for samatha jhanas you might want to consider doing a concentration practice instead of meditating, because they will save you a lot of time.

Samatha or Vipassana jhanas?

Have you watched this video? I'm not telling you to stop chasing psychokinesis, but it's a good idea to first detach yourself from it, then to pursue it. That way, you won't really be dependent on the outcome, and you'll feel the same whether it succeeded or failed.

Is it possible to break through to the being level of insights to get relative truth answers.

All of your suffering comes from your mind. Nothing from reality. Get a piece of paper, and write down all of your problems and who's to blame, then for each sentence ask yourself: is it true. And by true I mean literally happening in the world. So think of the situation in each sentence, and strip it of all meanings, beliefs and thoughts, and then ask if that person/situation is really to blame. If you do all that, I guarantee you that all of your suffering will turn into happiness and joy. Good luck.

And how is that answering my question?

@cirkussmile so is that a yes

All of the stress you have comes from the thoughts you have about your mother, and not about your mother herself. I invite you to write down everything you hate about your mother, and to ask yourself whether each one is actually literally true (and by that I mean your either seeing it or hearing it). You'll be surprised at how much of the problems that you thought came from your mother is actually coming from your thoughts. By the way, any meanings you have of a situation is mind-created, so is not actually happening. For example, if your mother calls you stupid, the truth is she didn't actually call you 'stupid' (brainless)! If you actually meditate on it, youll notice that what actually happened is that she made the sound 'stupid', and that's it! The rest is your mind projecting beliefs and meanings about how she called you brainless and so on. Recall every situation where your mother made you feel uncomfortable, and strip all meanings and thoughts off the situation. After a while of doing that, you'll notice that there's nothing your mother can do to make you feel uncomfortable. Good luck ?

No, it wouldn't. The world in your head would be a better place if people were medicated or had glasses, not the real world. Notice the fact that all you have of the image of somebody not wearing glasses whilst driving is just sight. Your thoughts about good and bad aren't actually happening! Start to be conscious of the fact that when you look at a person driving without medication/glasses, what you are literally seeing and hearing is all that is true. Your thoughts and meanings about the situation is not true, because it's happening in your head. So, would the world be a better place with the medication? No, because you are not actually experiencing that. It's just beliefs and thoughts in your head.