Mindfulness of Noumena

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 Noumena,"  this extension is inspired by the fourth of the Nikaya Buddhist Four Establishments of Mindfulness, called "Mindfulness of Phenomena."

What are Noumena?

For the purposes of Asheyana practice, noumena are regarded in two ways: first, as meta-phenomena, or 'phenomena about phenomena', that are applied to phenomena as attributes such as 'identity' for naming and labeling, 'membership' for categorization, and 'relationship' or 'function' for defining how a particular phenomenon or class of phenomena work with or relate to other phenomena. As 'identity' attributes, noumena can be understood as the 'word' pointing to the 'meaning' of phenomena.

A second way to regard noumena are as singular objects of a particular kind of experience that takes place within one's own inner representation of the human noosphere. Noumena experienced within one's inner representation of the human noosphere have varying degrees of internal coherence based upon how one associates these noumena with various phenomena. As associated objects of noumenal experience, or 'ideas', relating with noumena can give rise to a sense of 'thinking' about how some idea is and how that idea relates to other ideas.

As an example of distinct noumena, think of the phenomenon of cat. This cat can be attributed the identity "cat" if one utilizing the English language. This cat can be attributed a membership in "animal" to indicate similarity with another "animal"-categorized noumenon, "dog". One can have a rule attributed to cats, that 'cats like to be petted on the head, chin, and neck.' This rule could accompany one's experience of the outer phenomenon of having petted a cat or seen a cat petted; This rule could also accompany one's experience of the inner phenomenon of imagining what it would be like to pet a cat; Finally, this rule could have no phenomenal correlate in one's experience, simply told to one by another, existing merely as a heard notion or idea in one's own inner respresentation of the human noosphere.

Noumenal experience takes place more in the inner 'speech' or 'verbal' subdomain of general phenomenal experience. General phenomenal experience at the edge of, or outside of the noosphere proper, has its own visual, non-verbal logic.

Noumenal Coherence as the Aggregate Model of 'How Things Are'

Having come into contact with daily life, one develops internal models (ie., phenomena) reflecting their experience and others' guidance on how to relate with the world. One adopts or perceives names and rules attributed to these models, and adopts or generates supporting logics, rationales, summaries, and analyses resulting in an aggregate model of 'how things are' with some workable degree of coherence--intra-coherence for how a noumenon is related to personally-known phenomena and inter-coherence for how noumena relate with each other within one's internal repesentation of the human noosphere. In addition, there is extra-coherence, or how one's noumena inter-corroborate with other representations of the human noosphere.

Applied to the idea of "cat", the notion of intra-coherence is that, as one's phenomenal model of what a cat is continues to evolve, the ideas attributed to a cat would change as well in a manner indicating refinement upon past knowledge. However, a lack of intra-coherence related to the idea of "cat" could come from some education on ideas about a cat but with lack of phenomenal experience of a cat to contextualize these ideas, or ground them in lived experience.

The notion of inter-coherence related to the idea of "cat" is that one's rules, logics, and other relational ideas of a cat fit reasonably with one's other ideas. For example, the rule that 'cats like to be petted on the head, chin, and neck' would reasonably fit with the notion that 'cats can be pets fit for human contact,' while it would not reasonably fit with the notion that 'cats are dangerous and deadly to human contact.' However, a lack of inter-coherence related to the idea of "cat" could come from rules, logics, rationales, summaries, and analyses that arrive at contradiction when contemplated in their entirety.

The notion of extra-coherence related to the idea of "cat" is that one's inner representation of the idea of "cat" correlates with either another's inner representation or an information-representation, ie., a book of reference, of the idea of "cat." Thus, the rule that 'cats like to be petted on the head, chin, and neck' would likely be regarded by a reasonable person to fit with the shared notion that 'cats can be pets fit for human contact,' while a reasonable person would likely regard the notion that 'cats are dangerous and deadly to human contact' with some confusion or suspicion. However, a lack of extra-coherence related to the idea of "cat" could come from a lack of corroboration of ideas and understandings between one's inner representation and either another's inner representation or an information-representation.

Working with noumenal experience, one can refine their understanding of various noumena, developing better coherence in thought and speech. One can also develop a sense of 'humbleness of thinking' from the knowledge that developing coherence in thinking is a lifelong practice.

When practicing Mindfulness of Noumena, one takes present and verbal thinking 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 noumena, allowing noumena to arise or to subside for as long as arising or subsiding naturally occurs.

• • Drawing back from evaluations or judgements of what noumena may arise in one's mind, one simply connects with the noumenal expression of mind--thinking upon the ideas present in one's experience.
    
    

  • As one can recall the instruction, periodically and gently return from noumenal experience to the felt sense of the breath, as in the general Calm Abiding instruction.
    
    

• • Notice how what one was thinking about affects the felt sense of the body. Is there tension and holding? Is there openness and lightness?
    
    

  • Notice how what one was thinking about affects the other senses--sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Is there focus? Is there diffusion? Is there ignoring?
    
    

  • Notice how what one was thinking about affects the emotions--is there anger? Is there lust? Is there boredom and indifference?
    
    

  • Notice if there is a sense of annoyance, dread, or defeat if what one was thinking about or how one was thinking could be regarded as inconsistent or incoherent. 

• • Notice if there is a sense of clarity, confidence, or certainty if what one was thinking about or how one was thinking could be regarded as consistent or coherent.
    
    

  • Rest using the general Calm Abiding instruction before returning to Mindfulness of Noumena practice.
    
    

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

• Bringing the Mindfulness of Noumena 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.
  
  

  • Gently and periodically interrupt thinking throughout the day to notice its texture. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from thinking into unthinking 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 coherent thinking during the day, that subsides when the thinking either subsides or encounters inconsistency.
    
    

  • Notice how thinking throughout the day can motivate the subsequent arising of speech, emotions, and actions throughout the day.
    
    

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

  • Gently and periodically interrupt thinking when relating with one's activities to notice its texture. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from thinking into unthinking 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 coherent thinking when relating with one's activities, that subsides when the thinking either subsides or encounters inconsistency.
    
    

  • Notice how thinking when relating with one's activities can motivate the subsequent arising of speech, emotions, and actions related to one's activities.
    
    

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

  • Gently and periodically interrupt thinking when interacting with others to notice its texture. Is there anxiety? Is there relief? Is there clinging? Is there openness?
    
    

  • Notice if and when the mind has shifted from thinking into unthinking 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 coherent thinking when interacting with others, that subsides when the thinking either subsides or encounters inconsistency.
    
    

  • Notice how thinking when interacting with others can motivate the subsequent arising of speech, emotions, and actions related to others.
    
    

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

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

Note: A distinction between Mindfulness of Noumena extension practice and the practice of Contemplation:

• In the former, one practices looking mindfully at one's noumenal experience without a particular purpose in mind. In the latter, a particular idea is brought to mind with the purpose of seeing how the idea meets with one's experience.

By practicing "Mindfulness of Noumena," one can begin to see through direct experience how thinking about what one is experiencing or has experienced can bring sophistication to, and consistency across one's thoughts, speech, and actions. One can begin to consider how perceived noumena contribute to an aggregate, fluid model of 'how things are' within one's inner representation of the human noosphere, and yet, are subject to incoherence. One can also begin to see for oneself the seeming solidity of confidence and certainty that comes from developing some consistency in one's understanding of 'how things are', and their ephemeral quality once the mind inevitably shifts to the possibility of another understanding, given new information.

The fruition of Mindfulness of Noumena is called Poise of Noumena--a good relationship with noumena, neither stuck in bias nor rejecting of consistency, with attention to noumena as noumena, spaciously thinking and speaking, yet allowing for the possibility of further refinement towards greater coherence such that noumena appear distinct, well-formed, and timely, giving rise to a balanced and adaptable approach to thinking and speaking.

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