Does The Function Of Senses Pause During Mediation?

[With English interpretation] Ven. Pomnyun Sunim's Answer to Do the function of senses pause during mediation?
Selection from Sunday Meditation with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim. meditation q&a [Week 9] (June 7, 2020)

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Transcript

What is the awareness of meditation?

As the awareness of meditation deepens,

Is there a shutting down of the senses?

The awareness of meditation is not only the awareness of the senses,

But also the awareness of the mind.

So when the hearing function ceases,

Or is it the tension that has become more acute?

The mind is not aware of the awareness of the senses,

But it is aware of the awareness of the mind.

So your senses do not become dull or stops,

Or actually become sharper?

You can actually see better.

You can hear the other persons better.

You can smell better.

And you can taste better.

And your sense of touch becomes much more sensitive.

The mind is not aware of the awareness of the senses,

But it is aware of the awareness of the mind.

Meditation is a way of learning how to not react emotionally to an external stimulus.

So it's not a dulling of the senses,

It's actually trying to maintain peace of mind by ceasing or interfering from reacting emotionally to an external stimulus.

What is the awareness of meditation?

For example,

This room I'm in is a little warm.

What is the awareness of meditation?

So when I go deep into meditation,

It doesn't mean I don't feel the warmth.

I still feel warm.

In a way,

I might be even more sensitive to the warmth.

But when I feel the warmth,

I feel the warmth of the mind.

I feel the warmth of the mind.

But meditation,

The sense of mindfulness,

Allows me not to translate that warmth into a like or dislike.

I just recognize warmth as warmth.

When you do meditation and you focus on the breathing,

What you're practicing is developing the capacity to interrupt the natural and automatic transition of stimulus into emotions.

That's why you're practicing.