Sample Session

Shinzen and Jimmy explore his recent awakening experience and what to do next.

July 26, 2023 :: JIMMY WIGHTMan

SOME INSIGHTS FROM THIS SESSION:

  • The Cosmic Joke: The ordinariness of authentic stream-entry experience.

  • View of No Self experiences:

    • Splitters: Depending on your approach to practice, there may be different flavors of No Self experiences.

    • Lumpers: If there is maturity of practice in any approach, No Self experiences are fundamentally the same process. (Hint: Shinzen’s a lumper.)

  • Classic pitfalls and advice upon awakening experience:

    • Don't fixate this enlightenment.

    • Continue the six elements of systematic practice.

ABOUT JIMMY

Jimmy Wightman lives with his family in Brighton, Sussex, UK, where he is a meditation teacher.

About ten years ago, I started playing with meditation while looking for a solution for my insomnia and depression. In 2016, I got serious about my practice and learned Vedic meditation (also known as Transcendental Meditation). 

I found a sense of peace and happiness that wasn't previously available. I started going on weekend retreats, doing advanced courses, as well as reading about meditation, Buddhism and spirituality.

After completing two teacher training courses, Jimmy started teaching mantra meditation. He also continues to experiment and try new approaches to meditation.

After reading Shinzen's book "The Science of Enlightenment," I just felt that Shinzen was enlightened - the real deal! I’ve since completed the Foundations course and started teaching SHF, and I'm currently in Pathways. I prefer a secular, scientific approach to teaching these days. 

Last month, Jimmy returned home from a retreat called The Hero's Journey, an “enlightenment intensive” where he worked on a koan "who am I?"

 It's a very intense retreat where you work from 6am-10pm in a dyad format. Towards the end of the third day, there was a shift into a completely new way of experiencing the world.

When the session was over, the leader asked to see me. "Tell me who you are?" he asked. And it happened! He asked a few more questions and confirmed I passed the koan - Satori! I haven't stopped laughing and crying since then.

Since the big shift, meditation is completely different. At the moment I rest effortlessly in what's there. Right now, using a mantra or technique seems odd. It almost gets in the way. It doesn't feel like there's anywhere to go. Source is right there whether I meditate or not. I couldn't switch it off if I wanted to.

I wanted to talk with Shinzen in order to receive guidance on how to practice and teach from this completely new place.

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