Mindfulness of Phenomena

In the Asheyana path, Calm Abiding practice is supported by one's work with the Eight Renunciations, having developed some space of mind in stepping back from bivalent perceptions.

Here is an extension of the Calm Abiding practice to deepen one's work with the step : "5. Open the Mind." This extension can be used during Calm Abiding practice or outside of defined practices sessions.

Called here "Mindfulness of Phenomena,"  this extension is inspired by the third and fourth of the Nikaya Buddhist Four Establishments of Mindfulness, called, respectively, "Mindfulness of Mind" and "Mindfulness of Phenomena."

What are Phenomena?

For the purposes of Asheyana practice, phenomena are regarded as internal organizations of impressions of knowable and nameable objects of experience, defined by both recalled impressions of the five senses--sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, and related, imagined impressions synthesized from and contextualized by the spectrum of previously experienced phenomena. 

Similar to how feelings of attachment, aversion, or indifference may arise in response to contact with sense objects, feelings of attachment, aversion, or indifference may also arise in response to contact with phenomena.

Phenomena are not the sense objects themselves, although phenomena may appear to 'overlay' one's sensory experience in daily life. Nor are phenomena names or labels for, or thoughts about impressions of objects of experience. Names or labels for, or thoughts about impressions of objects of experience are considered to be noumena. Phenomena can be understood as the 'meaning' pointed-to by the 'word' of noumena.

For an example of a distinct phenomenon, think of a cat. If one had never before experienced a cat, then, having encountered a cat for the first time, at some point, one would likely attempt to understand what makes a cat a cat, distinct from other phenomena, comparing and contrasting the attributes of a cat against other phenomena one had previously encountered.

After discerning to one's satisfaction what makes a cat a cat, one might subsequently encounter similar sense impressions indicating a completely different being with a variety of distinct attributes, yet recognize and know this to be a second cat. Likewise, one might see in one's imagination a novel arrangement of attribute-containing images never before perceived in such a way with one's own senses and yet, still know this to be a third cat. In this way, relating with phenomena can give rise to a sense of 'knowing' what something is and what something is not.

Phenomena As Models of Objects of Experience

In the way described above, phenomena can also be regarded as internal models of objects of experience. Seeing in this way, attributes of models can be applied to an understanding of phenomena--specifically, that all models have some kind of error, and that models can be prone to 'overfitting' to a small set of data--decreasing the model's useful applicability to explain or describe novel situations, or to 'underfitting', decreasing the explanatory power of the model altogether.

Applied to a cat, an increase of error in of one's 'model of cat' could come from incorrectly prioritizing non-distinguishing attributes as being distinguishing, such as knowing a cat by 'has feet' -- As many organisms have feet, this attribute is likely not as distinguishing as other attributes for knowing 'what makes a cat a cat.' Pervasive error could potentially express itself by thoughts, emotions, and actions arising from apprehending 'false positive' knowing--inaccurately recognizing danger in what is harmless or harmlessness in what is dangerous.

An example of overfitting one's 'model of cat' would be knowing 'what makes a cat a cat' only from a singular cat with a singular set of attributes--color of fur, size, shape of face, sound of meow, and so on--and a singular personality. Other, like organisms, which could reasonably be known as a cat, are then incorrectly excluded from one's recognition of 'what makes a cat a cat.' Pervasive overfitting could potentially express itself by thoughts, emotions, and actions arising from non-generalizable knowing, appearing as lack of coherence across one's knowable experience or an inability to apply past knowing to novel situations.

An example of underfitting one's 'model of cat' would be not recognizing the defining characteristics of 'what makes a cat a cat' such that one might never really know--or only vaguely know--what a cat is, as distinct from, say, a lion, a dog, a whale, and so on. Other, unlike organisms, which could reasonably be known as not-a-cat, are then incorrectly included one's recognition of 'what makes a cat a cat.' Pervasive underfitting could potentially express itself by thoughts, emotions, and actions arising from over-generalized knowing, appearing as lack of discernment across one's knowable experience or inability to refine one's knowing when faced with novel or contradictory information.

Working with phenomena as models of experience, one can refine their understanding of various phenomena, developing better precision, accuracy, and applicability of knowing. One can also develop a sense of 'humbleness of knowing' from the knowledge that no model is entirely free from some kind of error and the recognition that avoiding the extremes of overfitting and underfitting is a lifelong practice.

When practicing Mindfulness of Phenomena, one takes present and visual knowing--superimposed over either apparent, internal mental objects or present, external sense objects--as the object of meditation.

Main Practice

During a session of Calm Abiding, while working with the 'Five Points of Practice,' Location, Physical, Sensory, Attention, and Mind, one begins to focus more on the fifth Point of Practice, that of the Mind. One brings one's attention to the aspect of mind which perceives phenomena, allowing phenomena to arise or to subside for as long as arising or subsiding naturally occurs.

• • Drawing back from evaluations or judgements of what phenomena may arise in one's mind, one simply connects with the phenomenal expression of mind--knowing the objects of one's experience.
    
    

  • If what phenomena arise in one's mind are accompanied by strong emotion, such as anger, fear, doubt, or sadness, one draws back from evaluation or judgement, draws back from labeling and categorization, and simply connects with the basic texture of knowing what has arisen, gently returning to openness.
          

  • If what phenomena arise in one's mind are accompanied by strong thinking, such as repetitive summary, analysis, or problem solving, and one draws back from evaluation or judgement, draws back from labeling and categorization, and simply connects with the basic texture of knowing what has arisen, gently returning to openness.
            

  • If no phenomena seem to arise in one's mind, and yet this is accompanied by indifference, boredom, distractability, or impatience, one draws back from evaluation or judgement, draws back from labeling and categorization, and simply connects with the basic texture of knowing what has arisen, gently returning to openness.
        

  • If one becomes absorbed into or detached during this Mindfulness of Phenomena practice extension, one briefly returns to the general Calm Abiding instruction until they are ready to continue working with this Mindfulness of Phenomena practice extension. 
    
    

• • Notice the texture knowing rather than the content of the knowing, the labels of what is known, or internal responses to what is known.
    
    

  • Notice the texture of mind before the arising of knowing.
    
    

  • Notice the texture of mind when the knowing has fully arisen.
    
    

  • Notice the texture of mind when the knowing has subsided.
    
    

  • Notice the difference in the texture of mind between when knowing has arisen and when knowing has subsided.
    
    

  • Notice if there is a sense of confidence or certainty that can be discerned from the arising of knowing, that subsides when the knowing subsides.
    
    

Following a session of Calm Abiding, one can extend Mindfulness of Phenomena into daily life by:

• Bringing the Mindfulness of Phenomena developed during practice to the periods of one's day--waking, preparing for the day, morning, noontime, afternoon, evening, nighttime, releasing from the day, sleeping.
  
  

  • Notice the texture of knowing and unknowing throughout the day. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from knowing into unknowing related to the period of day--was there a discernible trigger?
    
    

  • Notice if there is a sense of confidence or certainty that can be discerned from the arising of knowing during the day, that subsides when the knowing subsides.
    
    

  • Notice how knowing what phenomena have arisen throughout the day can motivate the subsequent arising of thoughts, emotions, and actions throughout the day.
    
    

• Bringing the Mindfulness of Phenomena developed during practice to one's own activities during the day, as well as transitions between activities.
  
  

  • Notice the texture of knowing and unknowing when relating with one's activities. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from knowing into unknowing when relating with one's activities--was there a discernible trigger?
    
    

  • Notice if there is a sense of confidence or certainty that can be discerned from the arising of knowing when relating with one's activities, that subsides when the knowing subsides.
    
    

  • Notice how knowing what phenomena have arisen when relating with one's activities can motivate the subsequent arising of thoughts, emotions, and actions related to one's activities.
    
    

• Bringing the Mindfulness of Phenomena developed during practice to activities involving others during the day, as well as transitions between activities.
  
  

  • Notice the texture of knowing and unknowing when interacting with others. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from knowing into unknowing when interacting with others--was there a discernible trigger?
    
    

  • Notice if there is a sense of confidence or certainty that can be discerned from the arising of knowing when interacting with others, that subsides then the knowing subsides.
    
    

  • Notice how knowing what phenomena have arisen when interacting with others can motivate the subsequent arising of thoughts, emotions, and actions related to others.
    
    

• If one becomes absorbed or detached during this Mindfulness of Phenomena practice extension, one can return to the mindfulness and awareness of daily life until they are ready to continue working with this Mindfulness of Phenomena practice extension.
  
  

  • Notice if one's habits of mind in daily life reflect one's Mindfulness of Phenomena in meditation practice--Be curious what might explain the difference between the two.
    
    

By practicing "Mindfulness of Phenomena," one can begin to see through direct experience how knowing what one is experiencing can motivate one's thoughts, emotions, and actions. One can begin to consider that the perceived phenomena themselves are prone to error, to overfitting, or to underfitting, as fluid models of objects of experience. One can also begin to see for oneself the seeming solidity of confidence and certainty that comes from knowing, and their ephemeral quality once the mind inevitably shifts into unknowing.

The fruition of Mindfulness of Phenomena is called Poise of Phenomena--a good relationship with phenomena, neither overfitting nor underfitting objects of experience, with attention to phenomena as phenomena, spaciously knowing, yet allowing for the possibility of error in arising and subsiding phenomena such that phenomena appear distinct, well-formed, and coherent, giving rise to a balanced and adaptable sense of knowing.

May these words help the good Asheyana practitioner to know the Poise of Phenomena, with full mindfulness. May it be of benefit.