“Interest and Investigation” with Alex M this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

I was recently on retreat, and one theme that came up for me during the practice was differentiating between "investigation" and "interest."

Investigation, and specifically "Investigation of Dhammas" is the second of the seven factors of awakening. These factors are said to arise sequentially, with mindfulness preceding investigation, and investigation leading to energy, joy, calm, concentration, and finally equanimity. Investigation is thus an important quality for us to develop in our practice, helping us develop the energy necessary to sustain mindful attention.

However, I have often struggled with balancing the exertion I experience associated with investigation. This is especially true in the early days of a retreat, when I find myself working with sleepiness. I can often be tricked into thinking I can just "investigate" my way out of sleepiness, which can result in a lot of striving and judgment.

Indeed, drilling in too much with investigation can be a condition for the arising of sluggishness in the mind. Joseph Goldstein writes in Mindfulness, "If the concentration is much stronger than the energy, we sometimes fall into what is called 'sinking mind.' It is a very pleasant, dreamlike state, in which there is a calm, floating feeling, but not much alertness."

This sinking mind is one I have become quite familiar with over the years. One tool I have found for working with it is to back off "investigation" in favor of "interest." Alex Haley has suggested relating to this like riding a bike. On a bike, one knows the overall feeling of the body, the sense of balance, speed, and direction, and is very alert to surroundings. But one does not attend constantly to every motion of the leg, or think too directly about just "how" it is that one maintains balance. Allowing the mindfulness to be an open, restful, and attentive interest supports the kind of mindfulness that leads to sustainable energy and avoiding sinking mind.

Please join us this Sunday to explore investigation and interest more, and discuss your own practice. All are welcome to join this exploration on Sunday! Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight