3.1. A Note on Noting
Noting is purposefully generated inner dialogue for the purpose of focusing attention.
If you find that you're mind-wandering aimlessly or have unskilful inner dialogue, noting is certainly better than that.
But if you find that your awareness is steady and continuous, then just knowing experience is objectively better, faster and more accurate than noting.
Think of noting like training wheels on a bicycle—they are useful when you're unsteady on two wheels. But once you are able to balance by yourself, they are just going to slow you down.
Each time you note something, you're effectively creating a mental experience which conceals whatever else is happening, momentarily blinding awareness—like a post-it note covers the object it is pasted on.
At a certain point of practice, any inner dialogue is an obstacle to progress, so please use noting judiciously when necessary, and stop noting as soon as it's not needed.
Instances of Noting in the Pāḷi Canon
Noting is not a modern invention, the Pāḷi texts are filled with instances of speech which is clearly mental not verbal.
The indeclinable particle iti is a speech marker in Pāḷi, much like we would use quotation marks in English to signify spoken words, or a verbal thought.
"What a remarkable thing", he thought to himself.
Iti is frequently used in contexts where nothing is being said, it merely demonstrates what to think in the given situation. There are countless examples. Here is the first one in the Majjhima Nikāya:
atthi me ajjhattaṃ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti.
He knows, "This blemish exists in me".
-- MN5 anaṅgaṇasuttaṃ
Perhaps the most notable example of this is the instructions for ānāpānasati:
dīghaṃ vā assasanto, dīghaṃ assasāmī’ti pajānāti.
Breathing deeply, he knows, "I am breathing deeply."
-- MN10 mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṃ, kāyānupassanā ānāpānapabbaṃ
So don't be afraid of using noting, or skilfully using inner verbalisation, or silently knowing and perceiving without inner dialogue. It's part of and parcel of the Buddha's instructions on how to direct thinking in specific situations.
Meditation on 'this'
We're going to use a simple word, 'this' to understand the difference between noting and plain knowing. You can use any language you like—the Pāḷi is idaṃ, as in idaṃ dukkhaṃ, 'this is dukkha'.
Transcript
The meditation on 'this' is an exercise in open awareness. Just be aware of naturally occurring experiences. All that you're going to add to these naturally occurring experiences is a note, a label, 'this'. With each new experience, simply note it as 'this', mentally label it 'this'. The purpose of noting 'this' is merely a tool to keep bringing attention back to experience, after experience, after experience. 'This' simple refers to 'this' experience which is happening right now. 'This' experience. 'This' new experience. 'This' sight. 'This' sound. 'This' smell. 'This' taste. 'This' feeling in the body. 'This' thought. Note them all as 'this'. That experience has gone, now there is 'this.' Keep noting 'this' with every new experience. --- 'This' is merely an arrow pointing the mind at 'this' thing which is happening right now. With each experience, with each new experience, with each new type of experience, note it as 'this'. You can label everything as 'this'. --- 'This'. 'This'. 'This'. --- 'This' sight. 'This' sound. 'This' smell. 'This' taste. 'This' feeling in the body. 'This' thought. --- Now we're going to make one small change to the meditation. Instead of *noting* 'this' experience verbally in the mind, just silently *know* this experience. Exactly the same as before, just without the note, without the label. Not noting experiences, simply knowing experiences. --- Knowing *this* sight. Knowing *this* sound. Knowing *this* smell. Knowing *this* taste. Knowing *this* physical sensation. Knowing *this* mental phenomenon. Smooth silent knowing. Knowing this. --- Knowing *this* experience. Knowing *this* experience. Knowing *this* experience. --- Noting is helpful in the beginning, but silently knowing is more powerful. Carry on in this way. Knowing *this*. Knowing *this*. Knowing *this*. --- Knowing *this* sight. Knowing *this* sound. Knowing *this* smell. Knowing *this* taste. Knowing *this* physical sensation. Knowing *this* mental phenomenon. --- When you need help, note 'this'. If not, just know *this*. And *this* and *this* and *this*.Hopefully this meditation exercise gives you a clear understanding of the difference between noting and knowing.
Q&A
Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?