Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong noise while practising

I recently moved to a more urban area where the ambient noises are much greater than they've been in the past. Master Lin recommends not practicing while in a thunder storm because it's hard to go into the emptiness. Does the same thing apply to loud noises such as buses, street cleaners and trucks?

Also, how can I know if I've gone into the "emptiness"?

I guess the question is, how much of the ambient noise is truly ambient?

There are also ways to mask noise, some of them fairly inexpensive.

One mental exercise you may wish to do is take some time, as much as you desire, to just listen to every noise and identify it. Do nothing else but listen and identify. Thunder storms are difficult because, like a cat pouncing on your head, the sudden KA-BOOM! is a surprise. Sure, it clears all conscious thought for a second or so, but it also clears your mind of the Password, the Intention, and your call to the Master.

As long as you have a good grasp at a preconscious level of what the noises are, and a reasonable expectation of them, they should not intrude. They are simply the sounds of the city.

I can sympathize. I just moved to Waikiki a few weeks ago and am also coping with the unfamiliar and incessent din of buses, trucks, sirens, people yelling, loud music, all day and all night. Maybe people get used to it. In Buddhism, I was taught one must cultivate equinimity and avoid attachments. That means not labeling things like sounds as "good" or "bad" - they're just sounds. Once one becomes an accomplished meditator, outside noises shouldn't be a distraction. Having said that, in the interest of eliminating as much distraction from my life as possible, I just bought earphones for my Walkman that claim to be "noise cancelling", as well as a set of earplugs.

As far as the "emptiness" goes, as soon as you ask yourself if you're there, you're not. You can't force it - just enjoy the process.