Meditation homework Meditation class yesterday:
We are to sit and concentrate on the breath. While concentrating on the breath, things will slide into our attention. For example, our nose will begin to itch. We give attention to the itch. How does it feel? "It's moving! It's getting worse! Oh! It's unbearable now. What does unbearable feel like?" etc. Then, when we have given the itch enough attention, we move to scratching. What does it feel like to lift our arm to scratch? Ahh. how many scratches does it take. What is the relationship between itching and scratching?
Same deal with emotions. Fear, anger, sorrow, joy, stress. bring your attention to whatever slides into consciousness and observe the sensation. Experience the emotion. When it sucks you in completely and you are not merely observing it, but living it, then it is time to identify it with a concept; "fear". A concept is boring and identifying the thing as a concept will allow you to go back to focusing on the breath or giving attention to the next ball of hell that rolls out.
Do this for 20 minutes per day. That was the assignment. I completed today's homework in the basement just now. The thing that arrived at my attention was, "Wow. It smells like cat piss down here." So I meditated on cat piss for a while, cat piss and the weight of the glasses on my head.
2:34:19 PM 
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