I was wondering if anyone here uses a journal to document her/his spiritual journey, discoveries, etc.
I am interested to ask myself specific questions, related to the Dhamma obviously, which could raise more awareness, in addition to the meditation practice, to my tendencies.
So most specifically, I am looking for a set of questions/contemplations that I could do at the end of the day, some sort of personal inventory. Not to dwell in regrets, remorse or anything like that, but to help me choose specific dhamma talks and practices to progress on the Path.
āOne who has chosen the conquest of the five hindrances for a āworking-groundā should examine which of the five are strongest in oneās personal case.ā
Iāve used Journalling for a long time - decades, and have found it to be an invaluable aid. This is especially since I have lived in seclusion, and needed to use all the ātricksā available to achieve distance and perspective. As such, it was a simple method to put some distance between Self and observation.
Initially I found it extremely beneficial for mind training. Writing out the circular thinking processes, gave them a form, that I could view detachedā¦ so it was much more obvious to observe what was going on. Through this method mindfulness can grow. As one becomes more aware of the different patterns of thinking, it becomes more automatic, until 24/7 mindfulness becomes a way of life.
There are many many ways to use Journalling as an aid, and some great ideas given above. All I would like to add, is to feel free to use it creatively. It is a great tool, and it can be adapted in so many ways to reflect your needs at the time.
Perhaps you could find a way to incorporate the various anussati ārecollectionā practices into your journalling. For instance, recollecting and reflecting on your sÄ«la āethicsā and cÄga āgenerosityā each day. The Buddha also encouraged us to to frequently reflect on the inevitability of death.