1
00:00:00,250 --> 00:00:05,424
While meditating, I start noting the rising and falling like you teach.

2
00:00:06,025 --> 00:00:14,046
But when I completely follow noting the mind, I usually never go back to the noting rising and falling during the 10 to 20 minute meditation.

3
00:00:14,547 --> 00:00:16,352
Do I have to force my way back at some point?

4
00:00:21,023 --> 00:00:31,288
Well, no, but I think what you do have to consider is whether you are prompting.

5
00:00:32,291 --> 00:00:37,243
This is a common problem for meditators.

6
00:00:37,223 --> 00:00:49,841
That makes us prescribe a specific technique of returning to the rising and falling every time you finish noting something.

7
00:00:50,803 --> 00:00:54,388
So you make a kind of a conscious decision

8
00:00:54,368 --> 00:00:59,856
whether or not you'll actually be able to carry it out, to return to the rising and falling.

9
00:01:00,637 --> 00:01:07,546
If you're not able to, if there's more experiences to be noted, then you can note them.

10
00:01:07,566 --> 00:01:11,011
There's no need, absolutely you shouldn't force your way back.

11
00:01:12,273 --> 00:01:14,917
But the problem is that some people actually prompt the next one.

12
00:01:15,478 --> 00:01:17,220
In a sense they're asking the question,

13
00:01:19,057 --> 00:01:19,978
What else?

14
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:21,721
What's there?

15
00:01:22,923 --> 00:01:34,820
They're actually looking to find something as opposed to simply responding to something that is distracting them from the stomach, from the rising and falling.

16
00:01:35,020 --> 00:01:36,141
So you should look at it that way.

17
00:01:36,622 --> 00:01:38,685
If it's not distracting you,

18
00:01:38,665 --> 00:01:54,075
from the rising and falling but the only reason you would acknowledge it is if it's distracted you if it's already captured your attention you shouldn't be hopping from one experience to another

19
00:01:56,249 --> 00:01:58,212
in the sense of looking for the next one.

20
00:01:58,672 --> 00:02:09,407
To avoid this, after you've acknowledged thinking, thinking, your next move should be to return to the rising and falling.

21
00:02:09,427 --> 00:02:19,962
The only reason you wouldn't is if you were in a sense interrupted, noting thinking, thinking, by pain, for example, or by an emotion, for example.

22
00:02:19,942 --> 00:02:31,073
if something else catches your attention while you are in the process of acknowledging the thought or the experience.

23
00:02:31,093 --> 00:02:36,538
Otherwise, the prompting will lead to increased distraction, increased restlessness.

24
00:02:36,618 --> 00:02:40,182
It's not actually conducive to insight.

25
00:02:40,382 --> 00:02:47,569
It's certainly not inclusive to concentration, which is an important part of the practice.

26
00:02:47,549 --> 00:03:01,288
So no forcing, but intentional returning whenever possible, just to keep yourself focused and keep yourself from prompting, from jumping, intentionally.