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On cold showers

My studies on Buddhism are like small pictures, clicking in their places. Its not like discovering something new, or proving theorems. Its more like gathering small pieces, making the whole picture.

In Nov 09 I’ve stumbled upon cold showers. I’m practicing contrast shower in the morning (waking up at 0500) for, and despite being very helpful to wake up, for some reason it’s also helpful for meditation.

Cold showers were applied in the psychotherapy since its very beginning. There’s also Shinto “water Misogi” practice of lustration, when practitioner was standing under the cold waterfall. With my own positive experience, this combination has attracted my attention.

The answer to “what is cold shower and what is it doing” turned out to be simple and obvious. Misogi is considered to be a kind of meditation, and it is exactly so.

In the morning, after the sleep, our mind is clouded even more than during the day. It lacks awareness badly. Cold shower brings that “here and now” feeling to us, awakening and momentarily concentrating on our skin sensations. Brings us to very current moment.

To use cold shower more effectively, when turning it on, release everything. Let everything go. Just feel it. For a moment, just be there.

Eventually, you’ll find this moment amazing.

On contexts

Attending at Vipassana retreat (in S.N.Goenka tradition), I saw a lot of ironic smiles when translator was speaking about “non-sectarian” nature of S.N. Goenka teachings. In Western monotheistic cultures, “sect” usually have a negative meaning - small group of people with their own religion, brainwashed and dangerous. At the East, though, “sect” means just a branch of some religion. Like, Soto, Rinzai and Obaku are considered sects of Zen Buddhism. (Just to note: Goenka’s school is cultist one itself.)

When Goenka was speaking of elements everything consist of - air, water, etc, most people were also amazed and after meditation retreat has started to ask, how it come. According to their knowledge everything consists of atoms, subatom particles, etc. Answer was “those elements are given by S.N.Goenka in metaphorical sense”, leaving people wondering what metaphor is. Concept of 4 elements, which are describing not materials, but more “behavioral nature” (like frozen water is more like “earth” than “water”) has remained unknown for many.

Another less obvious but way more dangerous misunderstanding is about the statement “its the hard work”. Being sure that “work” means “doing something”, many has started to work with “posessing attention” rather than with “observing attention”. Despite constant calls by S.N.Goenka for doing things mindfully, with “equanimity”, many has became captured in playing with their minds, opening chakras, seeing dead relatives, etc.

Cultural differences may cause more serious impact, probably. I’m sure proper practicing of visualization techniques is tricky in our overvisualized and overvirtualized world.

So, practice mindfully. Mind the context. Always be critical to yourself and to. Try to see the influence your mind and your context is making to your practice. It’s important for clear understanding.

Some bookmarks for myself

• Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118), Mindfulness of the breath
• Kayagata-sati Sutta (MN 119), Mindfulness of the Body
• Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10), the Four Paths of Mindfulness
• Maha-satipatthana Sutta (DN 22), the Larger Discourse on the Four Paths of Mindfulness

I’ve made two wrong turns last time. First - reinventing the wheel. Clumsy “avoiding awareness” is simply “ignorance” - root of all evil, as specified in Buddhism. There’s some language barrier and my understanding of “ignorance” was a little bit different before, but still. And the second wrong turn is overlooking practical while searching for spiritual. (So I’m sorry, Toshi, my experiment will be extended for another week)

I lack discipline of thought and patience badly. So much to work on.

Despite initial relieving and positive GTD effect, people seems to avoid it, unless its a habit or forcing/motivating themselves somehow. Why is that? In 9 of 10 cases I’ve heard the answer “I’m scared”. People are writing down things not to deal with them, but actually to write and forget them.

Turning point here is being aware, being consciousness about one’s actions. People tends to push unpleasant things (or things they consider unpleasant) to push to the back of the stage. GTD here is little help - it will be abandoned sooner or later. Extermination of habit of “avoiding awareness” needs much deeper work. Less techy, more psychological, even spiritual.

Despite the fact there’s no Universal Truth cant be spoken with words, there is enlightening words for everyone. They’re not like a whole picture, but more like lacking piece of the puzzle. Clicking into missing slot of our mind, they’re making our life shine with sudden understanding and luminous clarity. Selfishly speaking of me, the most enlightening words, a great source of ease and joy are: “Think That All Phenomena are Like Dreams”.