Fantastic. Thank you for covering boredom. I sometimes struggle with this in practice and will try your tips. Looking forward to a sleepiness discussion!
Super helpful advices concerning boredom which I experience a lot being retired. I like the idea of getting interested by boredom and you gave us some tips on how to work with it. Thanks a lot. Very inspiring.
Many years ago I went through a rough patch in which I broke my arm with no health insurance and my boy friend broke up with me! I suffered intensely and craved to experience boredom. "Boredom is highly underrated." Years later, at a meditation retreat, I found boredom to be a delicious exploration.
The moment Cortland describes, 'Where did that go?' when he looks for who's bored, that's the whole teaching right there! As what actually happens when you get curious about the experience rather than trying to escape it. Boredom stops being the problem and becomes the doorway
Thank you for the very interesting conversation. I, too, have recently started becoming friends with boredom and with the impulses to get rid of it, and I have to admit that I find it fascinating.
Your conversation also sent me back in time to the days before smartphones. I remember that people would simply smoke cigarettes. If they were standing alone, they would light a cigarette. It was partly to deal with boredom, but also to avoid appearing as though they were just standing there, staring into space and doing nothing.
We have many habits like that—ways of escaping discomfort. It’s very interesting to observe them.
Thanky you Richie and Cort! This was soooo interesting. Can we take these unconcious moments of the day and make them conscious one by one? Great challenge! I'm on it! Blessings to you both!
I really appreciate this exploration of boredom. Sometimes I get restless in the meditation part of doing ngondro, and I find myself fidgeting and looking at the timer a lot. This discussion is so helpful - now I can look at my mind when I do that, and ask "who is the restlessness-er?" (or something along those lines). Thank you for this work!
Fantastic. Thank you for covering boredom. I sometimes struggle with this in practice and will try your tips. Looking forward to a sleepiness discussion!
Super helpful advices concerning boredom which I experience a lot being retired. I like the idea of getting interested by boredom and you gave us some tips on how to work with it. Thanks a lot. Very inspiring.
Many years ago I went through a rough patch in which I broke my arm with no health insurance and my boy friend broke up with me! I suffered intensely and craved to experience boredom. "Boredom is highly underrated." Years later, at a meditation retreat, I found boredom to be a delicious exploration.
I can honestly say that I have not felt bored or lonely since I started deep meditation 15 years ago.
The moment Cortland describes, 'Where did that go?' when he looks for who's bored, that's the whole teaching right there! As what actually happens when you get curious about the experience rather than trying to escape it. Boredom stops being the problem and becomes the doorway
Thank you for the very interesting conversation. I, too, have recently started becoming friends with boredom and with the impulses to get rid of it, and I have to admit that I find it fascinating.
Your conversation also sent me back in time to the days before smartphones. I remember that people would simply smoke cigarettes. If they were standing alone, they would light a cigarette. It was partly to deal with boredom, but also to avoid appearing as though they were just standing there, staring into space and doing nothing.
We have many habits like that—ways of escaping discomfort. It’s very interesting to observe them.
Thanky you Richie and Cort! This was soooo interesting. Can we take these unconcious moments of the day and make them conscious one by one? Great challenge! I'm on it! Blessings to you both!
I really appreciate this exploration of boredom. Sometimes I get restless in the meditation part of doing ngondro, and I find myself fidgeting and looking at the timer a lot. This discussion is so helpful - now I can look at my mind when I do that, and ask "who is the restlessness-er?" (or something along those lines). Thank you for this work!
Thank you very much. Interesting to ask the question: who is experiencing boredom or sleepiness? I will try it!
Do you think that people need to have been instructed on the nature of mind to ask such questions?