<blockquote>
  <p>I've tried having equanimity towards the sensations, and remaining with them. I've tried tightening the breath, focusing sensations more closely on a specific area close to the nostrils. Yet, I've not managed to rid myself of this dullness, and I wonder if I should keep meditating while it is within my mindstream. Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The Vipassana method, as in <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/4.11-Pacala-S-a7.58-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pacalā Sutta</a>, based on sensations to fight sleepiness is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <blockquote>
    <p><strong>“Nothing is worth clinging to”</strong></p>
    
    <p>When this was said, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna said this to the Blessed One:
    “In what way, bhante, in brief, is a monk freed through the destruction of craving, that is, one who has reached total perfection, the total security from bondage, the total holy life, the total consummation, the highest amongst gods and humans?”</p>
    
    <p>“Here, Moggallāna, the monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to.
    And, Moggallāna, a monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to, thus: he directly knows all things [he directly knows the nature of the all].
    Having <strong>directly known the nature of all things</strong>, he <strong>fully understands all
    things</strong>.</p>
    
    <p>Having <strong>fully understood all things</strong>, he knows <strong><em>whatever feelings there are</em></strong>, whether <strong><em>pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant</em></strong>.</p>
    
    <p><strong>As regards to those <em>feelings</em></strong>, <em>[Section on <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Disillusionment and Revulsion (Nibbida)</a> follows]</em></p>
    
    <p>he dwells contemplating <em>impermanence</em> in them;</p>
    
    <p>he dwells contemplating <em>dispassion</em> [fading away of lust] in them;</p>
    
    <p>he dwells contemplating <em>ending</em> (of suffering) in them;</p>
    
    <p>he dwells contemplating <em>letting go</em> (of defilements).</p>
    
    <p><strong><em>When he dwells</em></strong> contemplating <em>impermanence</em> in them, contemplating <em>dispassion</em> in them, contemplating <em>ending</em> in them, contemplating <em>letting go</em>, he <strong><em>does not cling to anything in the world</em></strong>.
    <strong><em>Not clinging</em></strong>, he is <strong><em>not agitated</em></strong>; being not agitated, he himself <strong><em>surely attains nirvana</em></strong>.</p>
  </blockquote>
</blockquote>

<p>You can also try <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitarka" rel="nofollow noreferrer">initial</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicara" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sustained</a> application of attention as per <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/46.6-Sankhitta-Dhamma-S-a8.63-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta</a>. Also see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/18254/295">this answer</a>.</p>

<p>Also see: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries</a> compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-17T06:19:32.907Z
2017-01-17T06:19:32.907Z
2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>I'm wondering about clarity within meditation. I seem to have diminished greatly the agitation I experience, but there is a degree of mental sinking, of mental tiredness which I have a hard time eliminating. This tiredness seemingly makes the meditation session a meditation on the feeling of lethargy and laxity, and I am having a really really hard time ridding myself of this dullness. I've tried antidotes of uplifting thoughts, I've tried having equanimity towards the sensations, and remaining with them. I've tried tightening the breath, focusing sensations more closely on a specific area close to the nostrils. Yet, I've not managed to rid myself of this dullness, and I wonder if I should keep meditating while it is within my mindstream. Any advice would be appreciated.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-03T05:42:32.790Z
In addition to the excellent answer by @Lanka, I find mindfully breathing in through the left nostril, and exhaling through the right for a period of 10 minutes or so will help with dullness - it is a special type of pranayama yoga. I have tried to stay with the dullness, and it does eventually pass, but I've gained no special insight from sitting with the dullness. I maybe wrong, and maybe the right thing is to do nothing and just observe.
Buddho
<meditation-hindrances>
Clarity During Meditation
# Clarity During Meditation

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-02)

I'm wondering about clarity within meditation. I seem to have diminished greatly the agitation I experience, but there is a degree of mental sinking, of mental tiredness which I have a hard time eliminating. This tiredness seemingly makes the meditation session a meditation on the feeling of lethargy and laxity, and I am having a really really hard time ridding myself of this dullness. I've tried antidotes of uplifting thoughts, I've tried having equanimity towards the sensations, and remaining with them. I've tried tightening the breath, focusing sensations more closely on a specific area close to the nostrils. Yet, I've not managed to rid myself of this dullness, and I wonder if I should keep meditating while it is within my mindstream. Any advice would be appreciated.

**Tags:** meditation-hindrances

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In addition to the excellent answer by @Lanka, I find mindfully breathing in through the left nostril, and exhaling through the right for a period of 10 minutes or so will help with dullness - it is a special type of pranayama yoga. I have tried to stay with the dullness, and it does eventually pass, but I've gained no special insight from sitting with the dullness. I maybe wrong, and maybe the right thing is to do nothing and just observe.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-17. Score: 0

> I've tried having equanimity towards the sensations, and remaining with them. I've tried tightening the breath, focusing sensations more closely on a specific area close to the nostrils. Yet, I've not managed to rid myself of this dullness, and I wonder if I should keep meditating while it is within my mindstream. Any advice would be appreciated.

The Vipassana method, as in [Pacalā Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/4.11-Pacala-S-a7.58-piya.pdf), based on sensations to fight sleepiness is:

> > **“Nothing is worth clinging to”**
> >
> > When this was said, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna said this to the Blessed One:
> > “In what way, bhante, in brief, is a monk freed through the destruction of craving, that is, one who has reached total perfection, the total security from bondage, the total holy life, the total consummation, the highest amongst gods and humans?”
> >
> > “Here, Moggallāna, the monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to.
> > And, Moggallāna, a monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to, thus: he directly knows all things [he directly knows the nature of the all].
> > Having **directly known the nature of all things**, he **fully understands all
> > things**.
> >
> > Having **fully understood all things**, he knows ***whatever feelings there are***, whether ***pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant***.
> >
> > **As regards to those *feelings***, *[Section on [Disillusionment and Revulsion (Nibbida)](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/20.1-Nibbida-piya.pdf) follows]*
> >
> > he dwells contemplating *impermanence* in them;
> >
> > he dwells contemplating *dispassion* [fading away of lust] in them;
> >
> > he dwells contemplating *ending* (of suffering) in them;
> >
> > he dwells contemplating *letting go* (of defilements).
> >
> > ***When he dwells*** contemplating *impermanence* in them, contemplating *dispassion* in them, contemplating *ending* in them, contemplating *letting go*, he ***does not cling to anything in the world***.
> > ***Not clinging***, he is ***not agitated***; being not agitated, he himself ***surely attains nirvana***.

You can also try [initial](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitarka) and [sustained](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicara) application of attention as per [Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/46.6-Sankhitta-Dhamma-S-a8.63-piya.pdf). Also see [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/18254/295).

Also see: [The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html) compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera


---

