text:
Feeling insane rushes of energy and pressure in the chest and neck during meditation
I am a graduate of Islamic metaphysics and theology with a focus on mysticism and mystical philosophy. I have kin interest in spirituality in general. Recently I started trying out meditation. In the past I have had experiences of energy building up in my chest during contemplating mystical works. And I have had attempts at out of body projection without full success yet. But in either cases massive energy building up in my chest has been a familiar occurrence.
Now recently that I started the Indian style meditation, i.e. sitting in one place, chasing out thoughts and concentrating on heart beats, while gazing at the back of my closed eyelids, I feel massive energy rushing to my chest, building up there and then rushing further up into my neck. At the same time my upper body starts shaking stronger and stronger. More recently, I felt as if my jugular vein was about to explode and I felt mild pain on the back of neck.
I want to know what the heck is this all about? My feeling is that if I continue I may project out of body, as this was the feeling that I had when trying out of body projection back in older days but the pressure becomes almost unbearable. I feel nervous to continue the meditation with these twitchings and sensations.

If this question is about Hindu-style meditation, perhaps it would be better to ask it on Hinduism.SE instead.

@ChrisW I changed it to "Indian-style" because I don't know whether the style is very specific to a particular Indian tradition. Perhaps it could be answered by both traditions.

I think there have been questions like this before on this site -- "I feel X and Y (some unusual sensation) when I meditate" -- I don't really know how to search for them though -- and I haven't found the answers very memorable for some reason, just something like, "Yes that happens sometimes". If someone can answer this question well, or reference a previous question on this topic that's been answered well, then I'll try and bookmark it for future reference.

You can try focusing on the arising, persistence and the cessation of thoughts, feelings, sensations & perceptions in general and when you get these weird states in particular.

There is the case where a monk, when feeling a painful feeling, discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling.' When feeling a pleasant feeling, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.'"When feeling a painful feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a painful feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a painful feeling not of the flesh.' When feeling a pleasant feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a pleasant feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a pleasant feeling not of the flesh.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling of the flesh.' When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling not of the flesh, he discerns, 'I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling not of the flesh.'[...] Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to feelings, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to feelings, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to feelings. Or his mindfulness that 'There are feelings' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves DN22

When you have distracting thoughts you can try following these instructions. for their removal.
I would advise you to keep it simple and just focus on  ie a contemplation or just the arising, persistence & cessation of sensations associated with breathing or the heartbeat.

There are no "good" answers to questions like this just as there would be no "good" answers were to someone ask about why the microwave sometimes heats your dish instead of your food.  It just happens.  You're better off just resetting the timer and trying again.  Eventually your meditation will cook properly.  If you attach to experiences like this, you are in essence eating cold food.

That sounds like the effect of at least one of the Five Hindrances.
Observing where this stagnation is physically or metaphysically and what comes to mind in practice may lead to an enlightenment on an attachment restricting your capacity to continue any further.
A small conditioned limitation, like a fear of spoons can impose on an individuals life considerably. Any of the hindrances may have a similar bottleneck effect.
Attempting to "push through it" can be done, although that would be not unlike taking a hammer to a fine tuned machine; understanding limits is very admirable in circumstances such as what you have described.
While temporary limitation was wise, it doesn't mean to shy away from the practice altogether. Acting within compassionate reason, using unbiased insight for obstacles and striving for perfection are ideals worth keeping in mind.
Cultivate in harmony

While not a question specifically about Buddhist doctrine, this is related to meditation, and your choice of support for your meditation, the beating heart in your case, is irrelevant, so it’s a valid question.
The simple answer is, where your attention goes, so goes your chi/prana/energy. You are focused on your heart, so you feel a buildup of energy there. But there is a “because” in your story, so thank you for providing some your background. The ‘pressure’ buildup is being caused by a block, or blockages, perhaps related to your prior engagement with Sufism. There are practices and techniques to free up those blockages found in both Tibetan and Chinese traditional medicine. Chi Gong for example, or Nei Gong in Chinese traditions. I can’t recommend anyone to you, but if you do some searching around the internet, I’m sure you can find someone near you that practices some form of Chinese medicine, and they might be able to point you in the right direction. With a bit of extra work you’ll be able to clear up those blockages and continue making progress. Good luck!

There are endless spiritual-type experiences that can occur on the road. I know people who have had similar experiences who then attach stories to it and become someone like the 'energy fairy' while bathing themselves in various types of crystals, floral scents and assault their ears with whale noises reaching decibels that would warp a clay Buddha figurine. Hence, if you allow them to solidify by attaching meaning to their occurrence, it will corrupt further investigation. The sensation of energy moving through the body is quite a common event, it's so common that most learned practitioners phase it out.
Buddhism is not generally interested in astral projection, although one can acquire and utilize various siddhis, they are not seen as the fundamental focus of the path. They're things found along the path rather than being the path.
To put it succinctly, Buddhism is the study of the Four Noble Truths and realizing them directly in the here and now.

This is suffering

This is the origin of suffering

This is the cessation of suffering

This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering

It’s just energy. The more you do it, the more it will make sense to you. I believe we observe it to learn from it. Take away any assumptions you have, and release and ask why, or just ride it out. If you’re on your back at the end of an intense meditation and you’ve brought the blood to your pineal gland, you may pump at your heart space, your shoulders will come off the ground and your extremities may do some crazy stuff. Basicallly you feel like you were plugged into an electrical socket. Nothing wrong, just big download of energy. You probably freed your pineal gland and it’s reattaching to source. That can be powerful.

It's normal to have energetic blockages in any meditative tradition, with mild ot more extreme symptoms as yours. If you meditate correctly they'll gradually work themselves out over time. Some cases it's a great help to have expert teachers to advise, but for the most part, they'll take care of themselves.
Meditations where you focus on a particular point in the body, will tend to exacerbate and focus energy into that area. And most people, when they do that, increase tension in the body instead of decreasing it. It is not an easy skill to relax areas that are tight and uncomfortable, the best most people can do is try not to add more tension. Having whole body awareness tends to help, instead of focusing on a point in the body such as the nostrils or head. If you focus more on your belly area for example, that will alleviate the head tension you're feeling.
I discuss the more general problem of energy blockages here in great detail under the section jhāna constipation:
https://lucid24.org/sted/7sb/5passaddhi/index.html


text:
Which of the five hindrance does 'comparison' fall in?
Which of the five hindrances does 'comparison' come under? I mean when the mind starts chattering, "he is better than me, he succeeded where I failed, he got this and I got nothing, he got better of me" etc etc. I don't have ill-will or hate or resentment towards the person, just plain comparison.
And, how to get over this hindrance? I try to develop mudita (empathic joy) but does not find that enough. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Specifically "comparison" sounds to me like (i.e. it reminds me of the doctrine about) one of the 'fetters', i.e. "conceit" -- see this answer -- then see also this Wikipedia.
I think the opposite of mudita is meant to be "envy" -- so see issā where that's identified as one of the "unwholesome mental factors" etc.

As for getting over it, it reminds me of this,  quoting from A Still Forest Pool -- Lessons in the Forest

A Western monk at WatBa Pong became frustrated by the difficulties of practice and the detailed and seemingly arbitrary rules of conduct the monks had to follow. He began to criticize other monks for sloppy practice and to doubt the wisdom of Achaan Chah's teaching. At one point, he went to Achaan Chah and complained, noting that even Achaan Chah himself was inconsistent and seemed often to contradict him self in an unenlightened way.
Achaan Chah just laughed and pointed out how much the monk was suffering by trying to judge others around him. Then he explained that his way of teaching is very simple: "It is as though I see people walking down a road I know well. To them the way may be unclear. I look up and see someone about to fall into a ditch on the right-hand side of the road, so I call out to him, 'Go left, go left' Similarly, if I see another person about to fall into a ditch on the left, I call out, 'Go right, go right!' That is the extent of my teaching. Whatever extreme you get caught in, whatever you get attached to, I say, 'Let go of that too.' Let go on the left, let go on the right. Come back to the center, and you will arrive at the true Dharma."

Re. Ajahn Chah's laughing, thoughts like "he got this and I got nothing" doesn't seem to me the kind of mental habit that a forest monk has trained towards.
The suttas say -- and Ajahn Chah too says, in this quote -- that Buddhism is more about "letting go", rather than about "acquiring".
This article Letting go reminds me that among the first training recommended for a layperson might be acts of generosity or dana.
I think the Pali word that's translated as "letting go" is vossagga, and that it's identified as instrumental in initial stages of meditation.
Perhaps that -- i.e. renunciation, abandonment, detachment as a practice/training/choice -- is a reason why living as a Buddhist monk might be considered right and skilful (c.f. your recent question about "advantageous").

Thankyou for such a detailed answer.

In Abhidhamma, envy must come with Dosa-Cetasika, so it is a kind of "byapada (Angry
hindrance)".

@Bonn The OP says they don't feel "I don't have ill-will or hate or resentment" -- possibly it's "self-pity" then? The answers to What is the difference between 'compassion' and 'pity'? imply that "comparison" (e.g. "you are inferior") is associated with pity.

Thank you. I think I've gotten the point now.

From your description, it sounds like restlessness (part of the hindrance of restlessness and remorse).
Restlessness is about never being satisfied or contented with the status quo.
The remedy for restlessness is contentment and acceptance of the status quo. He is better than me? So what? That's ok. I am good enough. Please watch these videos of Ven. Ajahn Brahm's talks - "Am I good enough?" and "You're good enough".
From Ven. Ajahn Brahm's essay on the five hindrances:

Restlessness refers to a mind which is like a monkey, always swinging
on to the next branch, never able to stay long with anything. It is
caused by the fault-finding state of mind which cannot be satisfied
with things as they are, and so has to move on to the promise of
something better, forever just beyond.
The Lord Buddha compared restlessness to being a slave, continually
having to jump to the orders of a tyrannical boss who always demands
perfection and so never lets one stop.
Restlessness is overcome by developing contentment, which is the opposite of fault-finding. One learns the simple joy of being
satisfied with little, rather than always wanting more. One is
grateful for this moment, rather than picking out its deficiencies.
For instance, in meditation restlessness is often the impatience to
move quickly on to the next stage. The fastest progress, though is
achieved by those who are content with the stage they are on now. It
is the deepening of that contentment that ripens into the next stage.
So be careful of 'wanting to get on with it' and instead learn how
to rest in appreciative contentment. That way, the 'doing'
disappears and the meditation blossoms.
Remorse refers to a specific type of restlessness which is the
kammic effect of one's misdeeds. The only way to overcome remorse,
the restlessness of a bad conscience, is to purify one's virtue and
become kind, wise and gentle. It is virtually impossible for the
immoral or the self indulgent to make deep progress in meditation.

Alternatives:
If you feel like hurting or punishing that person, it is more like ill will, which is remedied using loving kindness (metta).
Remorse is about one's past misdeeds. The remedy for remorse is cultivation of virtue.

It depends on whether it's connected to aversion or longing for ie beauty, honor or fame. It's often going to be a mix of aversion and longing/envy.
Examining these thoughts for basis is a good practice but these thoughts by themselves aren't classed as hindrances, they are called distracting thoughts. See here for their removal.
If you do notice that longing for gain, honor or fame is present in you, then you can contemplate the theme of inconstancy.
If you notice that perception of attractiveness is the basis of your thoughts, ie 'this person is more attractive than me' that is also a perversion of view and you can contemplate the theme of unattractiveness.
The theme of equanimity will counter both aversion and longing.
If aversive to a person one can do the metta, mudita or equanimity depending on the context.
Either way you can contemplate the theme of non-self, that will dismantle the very basis for conceit and the notion of 'I am'. Depending on the circumstances it may or may not keep you focused tho.
You can also just try not thinking about that stuff.
Usually at that time mind is active and excited so if that is the case it is then the right time to cultivate the factors of tranquility, equanimity and samadhi which has non-distractedness as it's power.
When you give attention to the appropriate factors of enlightenment the arisen hindrances which arose due to inappropriate attention will subside and roll away.
You can try various themes and see which keeps you most focused. You can also try ie the perceptions of 'death', 'suffering' or 'non-delight in all worlds'. One can usually find something skillful that is most "hypnotic" and get quite focused.
When you find a suitable theme just stay with it as long as you see fit.

This is very hard to understand the comparison without 4th Jhana experience in Pa-Auk Tawya school and without Abhidhamma knowledge because you need to see the real "trillion mind moments in a second" and you need to study each kind of these minds by yourself.
However, I am going to describe it. If you understand, remember that you understand just the concept, the real mind moment is very fast and you can't catch all real comparison cases without AnāgāmiMagga or 4th Jhāna experience.
Comparison is not only Unwholesome
There are 4 steps of mind moments:

unmeditatable mind process on reality.
unmeditatable mind process on reality's illustration.
meditatable mind process on reality.
meditatable mind process on reality's illustration.

The 1st step  happens immediately after seeing, listening, etc.
The 2nd step happen after the 1st step switching speedy. This illustrations include reality's comparison, eg., direction, personal comparison,  time, etc. This is  at mind door, 6th Āyatana. However, it still depending on the reality objects at 5 doors, so it is unmeditatable because it is too fast and may of them depending on Past Karma.
The 3rd and 4th steps are meditatable. They know  like the 1st and 2nd steps but experienced, faster, lesser Bhavaṅga. You can completely close your eyes, etc., to think of the object.
These 4 steps are consisting of 3 elements...

Wholesome (thing should be developed)
Unwholesome (thing should be given up)
Neither wholesome nor unwholesome (thing should be completely understood on it's state, origins, and effects)

You should be completely understand all kinds of comparison to decide what comparison should be developed, should be given up, or just should be completely understood.
Everyone, included Buddha, has these 4 step,s included some comparisons, but the Arahanta has no 2nd element, included some comparison.
What is the comparison should be given up?
According to below reference, the pride is valuing some elements of aggregates more than "conditioned"--impermanent, displeasure, and uncontrollable.
And the only way to realize in "conditioned" is 4 mindfulness's objects relational analysis (Satipaṭṭhāna). You is going to give up the pride, if you analysis everything at every doors as the smallest elements which causes each others and arising&vanishing trillion times in a second everywhere.
It is not a problem, if you know the direction (comparison), time (comparison), good person (comparison), bad person (comparison) by this right view with wholesome mind because this right view causes the Metta (loving kindness) to you for others.
The comparison is important to live, but analysis it to choose only comparison by  wholesome mind.
Reference:
Sutta. Khu. Paṭisambhidāmaggo Mahāvagge vipallāsakathā

{526.1}   Ime  cattāro  vipallāsā  diṭṭhisampannassa  puggalassa pahīnā   appahīnāti   keci   pahīnā   keci  appahīnā  anicce  niccanti saññāvipallāso    cittavipallāso    diṭṭhivipallāso    pahīno    dukkhe sukhanti     saññā     uppajjati    cittaṃ    uppajjati    diṭṭhivipallāso pahīno     anattani     attāti     saññāvipallāso     cittavipallāso diṭṭhivipallāso    pahīno    asubhe   subhanti   saññā   uppajjati   cittaṃ uppajjati    diṭṭhivipallāso    pahīno   dvīsu   vatthūsu   cha   vipallāsā Pahīnā    dvīsu    vatthūsu    dve    vipallāsā    pahīnā    cattāro vipallāsā   appahīnā   ca  1-  catūsu  vatthūsu  aṭṭha  vipallāsā  pahīnā cattāro vipallāsā appahīnāti.

Translation:

Visuddhimagga KhandhaNiddesa (Path of Purification Aggregate chapter):

That [pride] has the characteristic of haughtiness. Its function is arrogance. It is manifested as vain gloriousness. Its proximate cause is greed dissociated from views. It should be regarded as like madness.

middle discourses 6, majjhima nikāya 6, One Might Wish, Ākaṅkheyyasutta

A mendicant might wish: ‘May I, with the ending of the five lower fetters, be reborn spontaneously and become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.’ So let them fulfill their precepts …
Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘pañcannaṃ orambhāgiyānaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā opapātiko assaṃ tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṃ. (11)

SN (531-546) Uddhambhāgiya – Non-Sensual Bonds

(The detailed Sutta is to be copied from suttas 387-402 (paragraphs 3-33) with necessary changes for Non-sensual Bonds.)

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s Grove in Sāvatthi, and addressed the monks from there:

“Monks, these five are the non-sensual bonds. What five? Greed for material states, immaterial states, measuring, restlessness and ignorance. Monks, for special knowledge of these non-sensual bonds the Noble Eightfold Path should be developed and made much.”

MN 118 PTS: M iii 78 Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing

"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the wasting away of the five lower fetters, are due to be reborn [in the Pure Abodes], there to be totally unbound, destined never again to return from that world: such are the monks in this community of monks.
...
"Mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit. Mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, when developed & pursued, brings the four frames of reference to their culmination. The four frames of reference, when developed & pursued, bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination. The seven factors for awakening, when developed & pursued, bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.

Comparison/assessment is first hindrance (sensual desire). Mind is one of the six senses in Buddhism, so this will include comparison of thought or status or achievement:

AN9.23:1.3: Craving is a cause for seeking. Seeking is a cause for gaining material possessions. Gaining material possessions is a cause for assessing. Assessing is a cause for desire and lust. Desire and lust is a cause for attachment. Attachment is a cause for possessiveness. Possessiveness is a cause for stinginess. Stinginess is a cause for safeguarding. Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and fights, accusations, divisive speech, and lies.

It's first hindrance because sensual desire is essentially thinking, feeling or perceiving "THAT is best for me", which is a comparison.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


text:
Finding a Vipassana Teacher in a pandemic
I have been having questions from time to time about my practise. I do the cushion practise once a day in the morning for half an hour and try to follow the five precepts through the day.
A lot of times through the day I have questions that make me feel like I need to discuss this with someone who is more experienced than I am.
How does one "find a teacher" that can help me customise path & methods for a better practise?
I live in a city called Bombay, in India.
Any help and/or insight appreciated.
PS: I have had the privilege of learning through a 10-day SN Goenka Vipassana Retreat once. :)
-With Love & Chai.

I'd usually recommend the World Buddhist Directory -- http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=mumbai -- to find centres/organisations in your city. There's a "Vipassana International Academy" there as you probably know, have you tried to contact them?

Online chat and calling with my teacher and me in inbox https://m.facebook.com/DhammaComment/

You can discuss your questions here on this site. Most of the times you will get your problems about meditation sorted out.

Ven. Yuttadhammo, who was formerly a moderator of Buddhism.SE, heads the Sirimangalo International Meditation Centre in Ontario, Canada. He was a student of Ven. Ajaan Tong Sirimangalo.
He teaches vipassana meditation, which is very beneficial.
You can find his meditation e-books online:

How to Meditate
How to Meditate II

The "How to Meditate" e-book is based on meditation lessons taught by Ven. Yuttadhammo, which can be found in this YouTube video playlist.
Sirimangalo International Meditation Centre has an online at-home meditation course:

At-Home Meditation Course
For those seeking to undertake a Meditation course at home, please
visit this link https://meditation.sirimangalo.org/course (you may
need to sign up and log in).
You will need access to headphones and a microphone. Further
instructions on how to book an appointment and connect for your
session/appointment are given on the page with the link above. Our
at-home meditation students meet weekly with a teacher. Completion
time for the course varies.
We recommend to read the booklet by Venerable Yuttadhammo on which our
meditation practice is based. It can be found here
http://htm.sirimangalo.org.

And it also has the online Meditation+ program - through which you can ask questions directly to Ven. Yuttadhammo himself:

Meditation+
We call our online meditation group Meditation+ and it is located at
http://meditation.sirimangalo.org.
Here you can join together with other meditators in our tradition to
log in your meditation time and help yourself to establish a regular
practice . You can also communicate with fellow meditators through a
live chat function. Meditation+ can be used on any computer or device
as it is a mobile friendly site.
The site feature the following:

a list of all meditation sessions in progress
a live chat with emoticons
a log of total minutes of the site’s meditation by hour of day for the past month
a list of commitments that can be undertaken by members and tracked for fulfillment
a page to submit questions which Venerable Yuttadhammo answers on the Wednesday night Q & A session on YouTube

For especially dedicated meditators, there is even the opportunity to
meet weekly with Venerable Yuttadhammo via Google Hangouts for private
meditation instruction. (See Schedule tab at Meditation+.) Please
note, booking a weekly appointment must be done from a computer or
other large screen device to display properly.
We invite you to join us.

For students who have already done a course one can use the mobile app: Dhamma.org Mobile App.
Also, some centres have organised online group sittings for old students: https://pamoda.dhamma.org/en/os-vipassana/online-group-sits/

Young householder,
The Power of Judgment and Association with People of Integrity are useful helps, following the Buddhas advices, to find a good teacher. Sure good to do such search in monasteries or other places away from worldly interests, of course, since importand to access a borderland. And at least, not to forget!, the most raw Vipassana training starts with basics, such as performing basic merits, generosity, service. Where ever such can be done for virtuous, there one may find his teacher toward right path soon.
[note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, trade... but to get out of this wheel]

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
How does Emotional Intelligence go along with Dhamma practice?
Emotional intelligence is an ability to deal with one's emotions. I am wondering how does it affect and get affected by the practice of the Dhamma? Does deeper meditative absorption lead to heightened awareness and control of one's emotions and vice versa or are they completely unrelated? Also, does the 'feeling' skandha include feeling of one's emotions? Are there any wholesome emotions one feels as the practice deepens? Are the Brahmaviharas all there is to wholesome emotions?

Good householder,
practicing the Dhamma, walking the path of the real intelligent, is "all" about developing "emotional intelligence".
First of all one should know feeling (emotion), it's kinds, it's origin:

”'Feeling should be known. The cause by which feeling comes into play… The diversity in feeling… The result of feeling… The cessation of feeling… The path of practice for the cessation of feeling should be known.' Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
“There are... Nibbedhika Sutta: Penetrative

Secondly it's very needed to know the different between household and renounciation feelings/emotions, especially for avoiding to make the Brahmaviharas just to another home and to avoid dangerous kinds of practice:

"'The eighteen explorations for the intellect should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to what was it said? Seeing a form via the eye, one explores a form that can act as the basis for happiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for unhappiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for equanimity. Hearing a sound via the ear ... Smelling an aroma via the nose ... Tasting a flavor via the tongue ... Feeling a tactile sensation via the body ... Cognizing an idea via the intellect, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for happiness, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for unhappiness, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for equanimity. Thus there are six happiness-explorations, six distress-explorations, and six equanimity-explorations. The eighteen explorations for the intellect should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"'The thirty-six states to which beings are attached should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to what was it said? Six kinds of household joy & six kinds of renunciation joy; six kinds of household distress & six kinds of renunciation distress; six kinds of household equanimity & six kinds of renunciation equanimity.
"And what are the six kinds of...Salayatana-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Six Sense-media

Third, they have to be observed, making them to a frame of reference:

“And how does a monk remain focused on feelings in & of themselves? There is the case where a monk, when feeling a painful feeling, discerns, ‘I am feeling a painful feeling.’ When feeling a pleasant feeling, he discerns, ‘I am feeling a pleasant feeling.’ When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he discerns, ‘I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.’
“When feeling a painful/pleasant/neither-painful-nor-pleasant... Satipatthana Sutta: Frames of Reference

Then, in regard of the Brahmaviharas (Sublime dwellings), which are better seen as "way of thoughts" or "dwelling of mind" then to be regarded as feeling/emotions, one can bring the gained intelligence (wisdom/insight) and ones heart ("emotions"), where the development of them is of great fruits, can, will, lead even to highers right liberation.
A perfect guide on the matter of bringing intelligence (head) and emotions (heart) together will help further in details if needed: *Head & Heart Together: Essays on the Buddhist Path, with it's heart-essay, right on the topic of good householders question: Head & Heart Together
Bringing Wisdom to the Brahmavihāras, "emotional intelligence.
[Note that this isn't given for trades for the world, stacks or exchange, but for liberation]

The Abhidhamma is useful for this question. I quote from The Abhidhamma in Practice by N.K.G. Mendis.
Starting from the top:

The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in an ultimate sense,
called in Pali paramattha dhammaa. There are four such realities:

Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as that which knows or experiences an object. Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of
consciousness.
Cetasikas, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the cittas.
Ruupa, physical phenomena, or material form.
Nibbaana.

Next we go into the cetasikas:

The second reality or paramattha dhamma is the cetasikas. The
cetasikas are the mental factors or concomitants that arise and perish
together with consciousness (citta), sharing its object and basis.
The Abhidhamma lists 52 kinds of cetasikas. One is feeling (vedanaa),
another is perception (saññaa). The remaining 50 are grouped together
under the term sa"nkhaaraa.

And then we go into sa"nkhaaraa:

Sa"nkhaaraa is a collective term for the other fifty cetasikas. These fall into four groups:

Universal mental factors (sabba citta saadhaaranaa)
Particular mental factors (paki.n.nakaa)
Unwholesome mental factors (akusalaa)
Beautiful mental factors (sobhanaa)

There are 7 universal mental factors (including feeling and perception) and 6 particular mental factors. These are neutral:

The universals and particulars are, in themselves, ethically
indeterminate but become wholesome, unwholesome, or neither, depending
on the state of consciousness in which they occur.

There are 14 unwholesome mental factors and 25 beautiful mental factors.
The four Brahmaviharas are included in the list of 25 beautiful mental factors. Others on the list include mindfulness, faith, non-attachment, shame of evil, fear of evil, right action, right speech, right livelihood, wisdom etc.
The lists are very long, so I will let you take a look at it on the website yourself.

OP: I am wondering how does it (emotional intelligence) affect and get affected by the practice of the Dhamma?

With Dhamma practice, the unwholesome mental factors should become weaker and the beautiful mental factors should become stronger or more dominant. This is the increase of emotional intelligence that comes with the practice.

OP: Does deeper meditative absorption lead to heightened awareness and control of one's emotions and vice versa or are they completely
unrelated?

Your ability to consciously identify and eliminate unwholesome mental factors, and consciously apply beautiful mental factors, increase with the Dhamma practice, including meditation. You get more control over your mind, so to speak.

OP: Also, does the 'feeling' skandha include feeling of one's emotions?

The feeling aggregate is sensing the six sensory media, which includes thought and mind. Emotions are a kind of thought. So, yes.
But unlike externally originated sights, sound and smell which you cannot control, thoughts come out of your mind in a process chain described in this answer. So, you can control it through increasing emotional intelligence.

OP: Are there any wholesome emotions one feels as the practice deepens? Are the Brahmaviharas all there is to wholesome emotions?

No. As shown above, there are 25 wholesome mental factors including the four Brahmaviharas. So, Brahmaviharas are not all there is to wholesome mental factors.

When I read about the Brahmaviharas it said,

These four attitudes are said to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal way of conduct towards living beings (sattesu samma patipatti). They provide, in fact, the answer to all situations arising from social contact.

I think there are additional "emotions", which aren't entirely/directly related to social contact -- things like joy, energy, faith. I'm not sure where courage fits in, maybe virya (strength).
Conversely I once heard "depression" described (from a non-Buddhist source) as "anger without enthusiasm", which I guess is funny.
Also if Brahmaviharas are excellent there's a doctrine about non-excellent emotions, hindrances and obscurations -- and asavas. I like this one for example -- Akkosa Sutta: Insult (SN 7.2) -- about anger.


text:
Does Yogacara deny atoms exist or does it just say that atoms are just appearances?
Vasubandhu seems to make arguments in this article against the concept of atoms to prove all is appearance in consciousness. But doesn't this go against modern science,even if his arguments are logical? I mean modern science says that atoms exist.

This idea is well known in Mahayana literature, one could say it's a standard idea. What the argument is about, though, is not whether atoms exist at all, but whether they exist as something substantial. Similarly, we are not questioning the existance of rainbows, rainbows do happen - they just don't exist as something solid one could touch.
You won't argue that atoms are not solid nor made from smaller pieces of matter. Even the planetary model is a vast simplification. And of course, the elementary particles that atoms are made from - are not substantial either.
The point of the argument presented by Vasubandhu and others is that as you go down to the microscopic level, you won't find any matter, nor anything substantial at all, nor will it be static and stable, as everything under closer examination is a dynamic system made up of something else, of some interactions.

The statement an extended, part-less whole—is incoherent is correct, but it is not against experimental science. It's against Metaphysics or some over-extended theoretical physics which asserts the existence of a building block for matter.
Experimental scientist are still splitting the smallest particle, and they never claim the existence of a part-less whole. They just follow reason and reason tell us that anything spatially extended can be split in half.
What the Buddhist say is... go on split but don't expect to find the final smallest particle, because that small which can't be cut in half but is extended in space doesn't exist and if the part doesn't exist the whole heap is a dream.
Quoted below is Shadtideva ...

As long as a collection of conditions lasts, the body appears like a
person. Likewise, as long as it lasts with regard to the hands and the
like, the body continues to be seen in them.
In the same way, since it is an assemblage of toes, which one would be
a foot? The same applies to a toe, since it is an assemblage of
joints, and to a joint as well, because of its division into its own parts.
Even the parts can be divided into atoms, and an atom itself can be
divided according to its cardinal directions. The section of a
cardinal direction is space, because it is without parts. Therefore,
an atom does not exist.
What discerning person would be attached to form, which is just like a
dream? Since the body does not exist, then who is a woman and who is a
man?

oxford reference

(Skt.). An atom, being the smallest unit of matter posited in Buddhism and defined as a speck of matter which is partless and indivisible. Standard Abhidharma doctrines hold that each paramāṇu is a composite of various dharmas or their ‘seeds’, but this view was criticized by Mahāyāna followers of Yogācāra andMadhyamaka who maintained that such atoms were conceptual fictions as their existence was logically incoherent.

Both is correct according to Theravāda Abhidhamma.
Paramāṇū's elements are exist, when they are arising an still not vanish and still possible to exit when their origins still available to cause them (AbhidhammatthaSaṅgaha Chapter 8 PaccayaNiddesa).
But the Paramāṇū is concept, illusion of those elements. We imagine  Paramāṇū from the elements we known in 6 doors. The concept, illusion, is not exist (AbhidhammatthaSaṅgaha Chapter 8 PaññattiNiddesa).
Why Paramāṇū is not exit?
Because Paramāṇū never arise and vanish, never be, never caused by any origins. It is in only imagination, but never arise and vanish. In MahāsatipaṭṭhānaSutta, the buddha taught students to analysis the body to be Dhātu to purge Paramāṇū into 4 elements which really caused by origins.
If we find the origins of  concept, illusion,  in dependent origination the the practitioner is going to think "there is a thing which has no cause no origin and controllable, self". But if the practitioner analysis everything into elements, they see the truths "every element is depending many origins, and every origin causes many effects. Every elements vanish immediately when it arising because it is depending on uncountable unstable origins. No real self which one can really control."


text:
Is Buddha Nature the original state, i.e. Awareness/ Consciousness without Existence?
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss is described as Brahman by Vedanta but surely that only applies when viewed through the veil of Maya and experienced as the universe. As awareness/ consciousness is always "on", no matter of what state it's in then surely awareness/ consciousness would still experience non-existence, akin to our lack of any experience in deep sleep.
Is Buddha Nature Vedanta's opposite of Brahman i.e. Non-Existence, Consciousness, Bliss?
Knowing that existence arises from Buddha Nature, non-existence, is this why we start to grasp and cling to the dream of there being any existence at all? Not that there is nothing but that there are no-things, no names or forms, no self, just awareness/ consciousness?

When you say "Consciousness is always on" which one is closer to the meaning? 1) It is the same consciousness that keeps changing. 2) Consciousness arises as one thing and ceases as another.

Hi MAGA2020, What i mean when i say consciousness is always "on" is that is it is the one unchanging constant through which all impermanence arise and cease, it is not an active "thing" not our ego-consciousness which gives the illusion of a separate me and you, but an awareness of everything and nothing, if that makes any sense. I cannot accurately describe it in words, sorry.

The Buddha state is beyond description, the Heart Sutra gives clear indications of this.
The other clearest larger transmission I am aware of outside of the Heart Sutra for directly developing the Buddhic mindset is the Avatamsaka Sutra.  Though this text seems unknown to the Tibetans it was widely transmitted in China, Korea and Japan.  This text is also seen as having been influential in the formation of Chan/Zen.
The Hinaya/Theravedan path is indeed very concerned with mental precepts and, as taught by the Buddha, is perfectly fitting for those who work within the scope limitations. The Mahayana is the beginning of removing mental limitations by embracing the concept of Unity (not just my progression or my state or my happiness, but our progression, our happiness).  The Vajrayana supercharges the path by engaging the science of the mind with transformative imagery, sounds, concentrations.   The Avatamsaka Sutra, along with the Vimalakirti Sutra, begin teaching the student to enter the realization beyond name and form, to seed the mind stream with concentrations which are like a highway, or broadband network to the Buddha realization.
Special attention should be paid in the Avatamsaka Sutra to chapters 1-4, 6-12, 17-21, 27, 39.  What is depicted here are not just stories, not just imagery, but direct mind-transmission from the Buddha realm into the reader.  This is like a magical formula conveyed in a sequence of images/words.  When combined with specific body concentrations the adept can learn how mudras and gentle positioning and tensations of the abdomen can activate energetic projectors where light originating from within extends and connects to all beings.  The set of connections, which connect to all times and places, then dissolve into a time-less unity which is the entry into embodied pure lands and the Buddha sphere.
Much of what is here in buddhism.stackexchange is in dealing with the levels of limitations.  Many lifetimes are eliminated as one uses the higher vehicles.  Avatamsaka sutra, when practiced with the view and techniques of Vajrayana, does cross into an infra-zone with Dzogchen.  Realization can be achieved in a single life time.

OP: Is Buddha Nature Vedanta's opposite of Brahman i.e. Non-Existence, Consciousness, Bliss?

Firstly, what is Tathagatagarbha aka Buddha Nature? Is it the same as or opposite to Vedanta's Brahman?
According to this article:

Tathagatagarbha, or Tathagata-garbha, means "womb" (garbha) of Buddha
(Tathagata). This refers to a Mahayana Buddhist doctrine that Buddha
Nature is within all beings. Because this is so, all beings may
realize enlightenment. Tathagatagarbha often is described as a seed,
embryo or potentiality within each individual to be developed.

And it discusses further:

In the religions of the Buddha's day that were the forerunners of
today's Hinduism, one of the central beliefs as (and is) the doctrine
of atman. Atman means "breath" or "spirit," and it refers to a soul or
individual essence of self. Another is the teaching of Brahman, which
is understood as something like the absolute reality or the ground of
being. In the several traditions of Hinduism, the precise relationship
of atman to Brahman varies, but they could be understood as the small,
individual self and the big, universal self.
However, the Buddha specifically rejected this teaching. The doctrine
of anatman, which he articulated many times, is a direct refutation of
atman.
Through the centuries many have accused the Tathagatagarbha doctrine
of being an attempt to sneak an atman back into Buddhism by another
name.
In this case, the potentiality or Buddha-seed within each being is
compared to atman, and Buddha Nature -- which is sometimes identified
with the dharmakaya -- is compared to Brahman.
You can find many Buddhist teachers speaking of small mind and big
mind, or small self and big self. What they mean may not be exactly
like the atman and Brahman of Vedanta, but it's common for people to
understand them that way. Understanding Tathagatagarbha this way,
however, would violate basic Buddhist teaching.

Another article here tries to point the origins of tathagatha-garbha or Buddha-nature to the Luminous Mind in the Pali Canon (which according to Theravada Buddhism, is not permanent or eternal, but is dependently arising - see this answer).
It comments in its conclusion:

In conclusion, when we try to interpret the thought of the
'tathagatagarbha', we should keep several points in mind:

The 'tathagatagarbha' symbolizes the potential for enlightenment (a
principle) rather than a material "essence" of ultimate truth,

... Thus it is
better to take the 'tathagatagarbha / Buddha nature' as representing
"profound existence" derived from "true emptiness" rather than as a
monistic self.

Buddha Nature is said to originate from the concept of the "luminous mind" in Pabhassara Sutta, which is anyway not eternal, not unconditioned and not impermanent (see this answer).
Nirguna Brahman is described in Advaita Vedanta as the substratum of all phenomena in Vivekachudamani 289 and as the material cause of the phenomenal universe in Aparokshanubhuti 45.
So, while Buddha Nature is simply the potential for enlightenment (a principle), it is not the material "essence" of ultimate truth, which Nirguna Brahman is.
So Buddha Nature and Nirguna Brahman are not the same. But they are also not opposite. They simply refer to different concepts. Like oranges and apples - not same, not opposite, just different.

OP:  As awareness/ consciousness is always "on", no matter of what state it's in then surely awareness/ consciousness would still
experience non-existence, akin to our lack of any experience in deep
sleep.

Awareness/ consciousness in Advaita Vedanta is always "on". This is described by Bhagavad Gita 13.14 and Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.11.
However, this is not the case in Buddhism.
The Buddha taught the following, from MN 38:

"Just as fire is classified simply by whatever requisite condition in
dependence on which it burns — a fire that burns in dependence on wood
is classified simply as a wood-fire, a fire that burns in dependence
on wood-chips is classified simply as a wood-chip-fire; a fire that
burns in dependence on grass is classified simply as a grass-fire; a
fire that burns in dependence on cow-dung is classified simply as a
cow-dung-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on chaff is classified
simply as a chaff-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on rubbish is
classified simply as a rubbish-fire — in the same way, consciousness
is classified simply by the requisite condition in dependence on which
it arises. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the eye & forms
is classified simply as eye-consciousness. Consciousness that arises
in dependence on the ear & sounds is classified simply as
ear-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the nose
& aromas is classified simply as nose-consciousness. Consciousness
that arises in dependence on the tongue & flavors is classified simply
as tongue-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on
the body & tactile sensations is classified simply as
body-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the
intellect & ideas is classified simply as intellect-consciousness.

Think about it. How can the silent witness witness anything except through one of these media: eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch or mind? There was never a time, when there was consciousness being aware of something except through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch or mind. There is therefore no independent consciousness.
Consciousness is dependent on and conditioned upon these six media. It does not exist independently connecting all beings. The consciousness in every being may be of a similar type, but it's not the same consciousness.
For example, I can say that every candle has a similar flame, but it's not the exact same flame that appears on every candle. Each flame is different.
Awareness/ consciousness is not always "on" in Buddhism. It depends on the six sensory media.
Also useful, also from MN 38, in which the Buddha makes clear that it is not the SAME consciousness that wanders through one's life:

Then he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to
him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to
him, "Is it true, Sāti, that this pernicious view has arisen in you —
'As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, it is just this
consciousness that runs and wanders on, not another'?"
"Exactly so, lord. As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed
One, it is just this consciousness that runs and wanders on, not
another."
"Which consciousness, Sāti, is that?"
"This speaker, this knower, lord, that is sensitive here & there to
the ripening of good & evil actions."
"And to whom, worthless man, do you understand me to have taught the
Dhamma like that? Haven't I, in many ways, said of dependently
co-arisen consciousness, 'Apart from a requisite condition, there is
no coming-into-play of consciousness'? But you, through your own poor
grasp, not only slander us but also dig yourself up [by the root] and
produce much demerit for yourself. That will lead to your long-term
harm & suffering."

Good householder,
It's maybe good to find correction in regard of fundamental things, spoken on the Sublime Buddha's Dhamma, and the talk Freedom from Buddha Nature, starting with two quotes:

“What is the mind? The mind isn’t ‘is’ anything.”

“The mind is neither good nor evil, but it’s what knows good and knows evil. It’s what does good and does evil. And it’s what lets go of good and lets go of evil.”

...will help a lot, if wishing to get wrong perceptions corrected.
May many "Bodhisattas" have past of present collected strength of effort to go into it and gain more dhammic understanding.
[Note that this isn't given to keep one in the wheel of stacks, exchange and worldbinding trades of all kinds, but to escape from it for real liberation far off of that of "slave- and master-hood"]

Existence, Consciousness, Bliss is described as Brahman by Vedanta but
surely that only applies when viewed through the veil of Maya and
experienced as the universe. As awareness/ consciousness is always
"on", no matter of what state it's in then surely awareness/
consciousness would still experience non-existence, akin to our lack
of any experience in deep sleep.

Consciousness is not always on. Consciousness is conditional.
All conditioned things arise , change and vanish.

Is Buddha Nature Vedanta's opposite of Brahman i.e. Non-Existence,
Consciousness, Bliss? Knowing that existence arises from Buddha
Nature, non-existence, is this why we start to grasp and cling to the
dream of there being any existence at all? Not that there is nothing
but that there are no-things, no names or forms, no self, just
awareness/ consciousness?

Existence does not arise from Buddha's Nature which is the nature of unborn , uncreate and is unbecoming. Existence arises from Ignorance.


text:
What are the arguments Yogacara makes to deny the reality of sensory objects?
Yogacara and Vasubandhu etc deny that matter exists by itself but rather that is comes from awareness and is merely a perception of the mind.what are the arguments Yogacarins make to prove their main thesis?

this is mistaken

Objects or entities or individual phenomena are delineated according to our (learned/acquired) interpretative framework.
Their delineation depends on the scale of observation and the chosen evaluation criteria. They don't exist delineated ontologically.
Same for the concept of "matter". It's just one way of seeing/describing what could be described as e.g. wave functions. None of these descriptions is ontologically primary.
Hence, everything we can observe and talk about are concepts existing in our mental space, referring to reality, approximating reality - but in actual reality you can't unambiguously nail down "objects" and "matter" - real things are a bit more amorphous and complex.
This is called vijnapti-matra (Representation-Only). The Wikipedia article on Yogacara does a pretty good job summarizing various experts comments on the topic: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogachara#The_doctrine_of_Vij%C3%B1apti-m%C4%81tra

They don't believe that.  That's an almost universal misunderstanding.  Yogacara doesn't make any ontological statements about the universe, perception, reality, and so forth.  Their approach was strictly soteriological.  They were exclusively concerned with liberating the mind, not with describing things as they are.  What Yogacara is concerned about is how the mind (store house consciousness and "I-making" consciousness) "perfumes" and "transforms" the sensory gates and how that in turn impacts perception.  You aren't seeing a chair, for instance, but rather your entire life history, memories, prejudices, etc. dealing with chairs.  That means that the chair you see isn't the same chair that someone at, say, the Buddha's time would see even if you were looking at the same object.  Something that you might take to be a pretty shoddy looking recliner, after all, might be a veritable throne to them!
This has very real implications when it comes to liberation.  Our personal histories impact not just our existential lives but even the very way we deal with and perceive the world.  Our habituated, unenlightened perception makes us miss so much of what's actually there.  We don't see the spaces between things, we don't perceive the energy, and we are wholly negligent of the emptiness that is always there.  Hell, we don't even hear properly.  Yogacara training (especially as manifested in Zen koan study) seeks to reacquaint us with what we are missing...not to assert any concepts regarding the nature of reality.

this is also wrong, sorry

Generally speaking, you'd want to state why something is wrong.

i don't know how to answer the question, but i do know you are wrong in yours... sorry, that's all i can help with

Do check out Lusthaus' Buddhist Phenomenology.  You'll discover that this answer is absolutely correct.


text:
Does there exist a Pali Canon sutta that claims that a Bodhisattva can only be a male Brahmin or Kshatriya? If yes, is it possibly apocryphal?
I ask this question as someone on Twitter was arguing that Buddhism is casteist. He claimed that only upper castes were permitted to enter monkhood. I told him this was completely false and shared the example of Upali the barber. He shared the following link: Buddhism: An Atheistic and Anti-Caste Religion? by Edmund Weber.

The standpoint which caste a Buddha should belong to has not been revised in Buddhism up to the present day. It is dogmatised in the Lalitavistara in the following way: a Bodhisattva can by no means
come from a lower or even mixed caste:

“After all Bodhisattvas were not born in despised lineage,
among pariahs, in families of pipe or cart makers, or mixed castes.”

Instead, in perfect harmony with the Great Sermon, it was said that:

“The Bodhisattvas appear only in
two kinds of lineage, the one of the brahmanas and of the warriors (kshatriya).”

I corrected him that the document referred to Bodhisattvas and not ordinary monks who could grow to become full Arahants. He claimed that the religion was still casteist as only Brahmin and Kshatriyas could become Bodhisattvas. What does the Pali cannon say regarding this? Can you share any studies done on this by scholars?

Perhaps this is similar to this topic: Can the Buddha ever be a woman?

Related: Did Gautama Buddha endorse the caste system?

List of the named Buddhas

In countries where Theravāda Buddhism is practiced by the majority of people, such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, it is customary for Buddhists to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the 29 Buddhas described in the Buddhavamsa. The Buddhavamsa is a text which describes the life of Gautama Buddha and the 27 Buddhas who preceded him, along with the future Metteyya Buddha.[2] The Buddhavamsa is part of the Khuddaka Nikāya, which in turn is part of the Sutta Piṭaka. The Sutta Piṭaka is one of three main sections of the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism.

I note that in this table the class (varṇa) of all 29 is listed as either Kshatriya or Brahmin (except 3 which aren't listed).
So the answer seems to be "yes" if you include the Buddhavamsa -- which I imagine is the only text which says that.

Along with the Apadāna and the Cariyāpiṭaka, the Buddhavaṃsa is considered by most scholars to have been written during the 1st and 2nd century BCE, and is therefore a late addition to the Pāli Canon.

It doesn't   write after, it is sāriputta's literature. If one considers the age of canon by the writing style, it is going to be weird like "Sāriputta can't have his own speech style. Everyone who was in the same time with Buddha must speak like Buddha only." While the fact is everyone in same age has his own speech style.

The following sutta quotes from Gihi Sutta and Sundarika Sutta show that a person of any caste, social class or background can become an Arahat. The Therigatha has numerous examples of women who became Arahats.
From the Gihi Sutta (AN 5.179):

In the same way,
wherever one is born
among human beings —
noble warriors, brahmans,
merchants, workers,
outcastes, or scavengers —
if one is tame,
with good practices,
righteous,
consummate in virtue,
a speaker of truth,
with conscience at heart,
one who's abandoned birth & death,
completed the holy life
put down the burden,
done the task
fermentation-free,
gone beyond all dhammas,
through lack of clinging
unbound:
offerings to this spotless field
bear an abundance of fruit.

From the Sundarika Sutta (SN 7.9):

Then Sundarika the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and said to him:
“Sir, in what caste were you born?”

“Don’t ask about birth, ask about conduct.
For any wood can surely generate fire.
A steadfast sage, even though from a low class family,
is a thoroughbred checked by conscience.

However, is it true that only a brahmana or kshatriya can become a Buddha?
I think it's the other way round. The Mahāpadāna Sutta quoted by that paper simply implies that the bodhisattvas (the beings intent on awakening) tend to have a karmic background that usually results in favourable birth destinations, rather than stating that the bodhisattvas can NEVER be of lower castes.
For e.g. professional basketball players tend to be tall persons, but it does not mean that ONLY tall persons can become professional basketball players.
We can relate from the Tamonata Sutta quote below that the bodhisattvas tend to be persons in light who are headed for light, by virtue of their good conduct and mindset:

"And how is one the type of person in darkness who is headed for
light? There is the case where a person is born into a lower class
family — the family of a scavenger, a hunter, a basket-weaver, a
wheelwright, or a sweeper — a family that is poor, with little food or
drink, living in hardship, where food & clothing are hard to come by.
And he is ugly, misshapen, stunted, & sickly: half-blind or deformed
or lame or crippled. He doesn't receive any [gifts of] food, drink,
clothing, or vehicles; garlands, perfumes, or ointments; bedding,
shelter, or lamps. He engages in good bodily conduct, good verbal
conduct, & good mental conduct. Having engaged in good bodily conduct,
good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct, he — on the break-up of
the body, after death — reappears in the good destination, the
heavenly world. This is the type of person in darkness who is headed
for light. .....
"And how is one the type of person in light who is headed for light?
There is the case where a person is born into an upper class family —
a noble warrior family, a priestly family, a prosperous householder
family — a family that is rich, with much wealth, with many
possessions, with a great deal of money, a great many accoutrements of
wealth, a great many commodities. And he is well-built, handsome,
extremely inspiring, endowed with a lotus-like complexion. He receives
[gifts of] food, drink, clothing, & vehicles; garlands, perfumes, &
ointments; bedding, shelter, & lamps. He engages in good bodily
conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct. Having engaged in
good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct, he —
on the break-up of the body, after death — reappears in the good
destination, the heavenly world. This is the type of person in light
who is headed for light.

Additional quote from "Buddhism in a Nutshell" by Ven. Narada Mahathera, to show that people from not-so-favourable backgrounds joined the monastic order, and became arahats or otherwise important members:

It was the Buddha who first attempted to abolish slavery and
vehemently protested against the degrading caste system which was
firmly rooted in the soil of India. In the Word of the Buddha it is
not by mere birth one becomes an outcast or a noble, but by one's
actions. Caste or color does not preclude one from becoming a Buddhist
or from entering the Order. Fishermen, scavengers, courtesans,
together with warriors and Brahmans, were freely admitted to the Order
and enjoyed equal privileges and were also given positions of rank.
Upali, the barber, for instance, was made in preference to all other
the chief in matters pertaining to Vinaya discipline. The timid
Sunita, the scavenger, who attained Arhatship was admitted by the
Buddha Himself into the Order. Angulimala, the robber and criminal,
was converted to a compassionate saint. The fierce Alavaka sought
refuge in the Buddha and became a saint. The courtesan Ambapali
entered the Order and attained Arhatship. Such instances could easily
be multiplied from the Tipitaka to show that the portals of Buddhism
were wide open to all, irrespective of caste, color or rank.

Note: AN8.65 doesn't mention bodhisattva at all, but does confirm that people of all circumstances can "reappear in a good destination", which is perhaps what your point was?

@OyaMist Yes. Usually bodhisattvas can be related to, as persons who are in light and headed for light, by virtue of their good conduct and mindset.

Virtue and learning I was fain to test;
Henceforth I doubt not virtue is the best.
Virtue excels vain gifts of form and birth,
Apart from virtue learning has no worth.
A prince or peasant, if to sin enslaved,
In neither world front misery is saved.
Men of high caste with those of base degree,
If virtuous here, in heaven will equal be.
Not birth, nor lore, nor friendship aught avails,
Pure virtue only future bliss entails.

— Stories of the Buddha’s Former Births
Book 5 Pañcanipāta
362. Silavimamsa Jātaka

At the end of his life, the Buddha unwittingly got involved in political intrigue when Varsakara, a minister of the Magadha kingdom, asked him for the secret of the strength of the Republican states. Among the seven unfailing factors of the strength of a society, he included “sticking to ancient laws and traditions” and “maintaining sacred sites and honoring ancient rituals”.

— Digha Nikaya 2:73

How does this answer the question?


text:
if deities are merely creations of mind,how can there be purelands?
relying on Guru Rinpoche is nothing but a skillful means for realizing and empowering ourselves with the phenomena of our own pure, joyful, and powerful perceptions and experiences, which arise from our own peaceful and open Buddha nature that we all have inherited. If we believe, then Guru Rinpoche will always be with us. He is not an individual person of a particular time or place. He is (or represents) the Buddha, the Buddha nature and its expression. In other words, he is the true nature of the universe and the pure character or expression of that universe. Whenever we allow our mind to connect with our inner truth, that truth will always be there to be reached, and then the manifestations or expressions arisen from that truth will always arise as pure and divine manifestations or appearances. If we let ourselves be inspired and see that very ultimate peace and truth, which we all have, through the support of and/or as Guru Rinpoche, we will realize and become Guru Rinpoche and his qualities and expressions.
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche wrote:
In the case of deity meditation, it is the mind consciousness that creates the body of the deity. It is thus a mentally created body, and thus, so to speak, unreal. When, however, the karmic imprints of this visualization get stored in the all-base and become more clear and more stable, it is actually possible to meet the deity one day, or Guru Rinpoche, for example, face to face! This is the result of deity meditation with in-front visualization. [From Everyday Consciousness and Primordial Awareness, p. 39]
Kunga Rinpoche, wrote in "Drinking the Mountain Stream": The deities of the tantric vehicle's extensive pantheon, the male and female personifications of psychic processes as "herukas" and "dakinis", are **"produced" by the yogin through the practice of controlled visualization until their reality overshadows that of the superficial apparent world.**When the yogin is able to visualize his own personal deity to the point where the visualization seems to have a life of its own, and when he's able to see the his environment as divine, he then practices the "divine pride" of direct identification of his own body and mind with those of his personal deity.
all these quotations from masters indicate that dakinis,herukas and even guru rinpoche are not existant in the sence of having a mindstream and cognition and actually existing in some heaven.Rather they are appearances or creations of the individual's(Yogi or yidam practicioner) mind.
but obviousely there are purelands as many people have visions of amitabha etc picking them up to go there etc Dawa Drolma had visitation to the pureland of avalokiteshvara guided by Tara.are these then just appearances of her own mind?like Nimittas?

Not sure if i see any conflict here. Basically those masters said it within the context of deity meditation, which is what a meditator should be doing or implementing. They are not talking about the ontological nature of existence of the deities themselves.

Deities are not completely creations of one meditator's mind. Meditator receives instructions from his/her teacher about how the deity looks, based on traditional description - so in some sense the deity exists in those descriptions and in the minds and stories of meditators passing the idea of the deity on, from generation to generation. So in a certain sense the deity exists over the lifetimes of many meditators who carry it on. And in some sense the character of the deity, the mood or style of the deity (as it's described and is then visualized) is an active force that conditions the meditator's mind.
So in a certain sense the deity actually has independent existence and plays an active role. It's not just meditator's imagination. Once you get seriously in touch with a traditional deity cultivated by thousands of meditator's over the course of many centuries you may realize that this imaginary entity nevertheless has power far beyond your own.
Now, to get to the purelands. The reality we perceive - the world we find ourselves in - is a result of our interpretation. Our reference point, our imprints, our selective attention, our associations, and our mental cycling - are the ingredients our world is assembled from. Correspondingly there are infinitely many worlds we can find ourselves in, some drastically different from a world of an average human.
These worlds can be dark&troublesome or high&pure, depending on the mind of a sentient being assembling that world. Sentient beings sharing a common mindset create a common world they can share.
Purelands exist as a continuum of worlds in the total range of assemblable worlds. So I see nothing strange in the fact that experienced meditators of the past visited other worlds, or were guided by deities helping them visit their world.
Perceiving our world as the only reality, and assuming that our own existence is more substantial than existence of deities is only a habit we are unwittingly cycling in.


text:
Does freedom from birth and death mean there is no freedom to experience birth and death without desire?
As I understand the cycle of birth and death produces suffering but ,once the truth is realized, there is no suffering ,so living in this world shouldn't be any longer a problem .So is freedom from birth and death here mean only that there is no binding to the cycle or that there is no longer a possibility of experiencing the cycle forever ?.
This may induce another question if one can be reborn fully aware of the truth ,if that is no-longer a possibility then how can this be considered true freedom ?.

Existence is suffering. Cessation of existence is a realization of the truth of the cessation of suffering.

“Just as, mendicants, even a tiny bit of fecal matter still stinks, so too I don’t approve of even a tiny bit of continued existence, not even as long as a finger snap.” AN1.329

“One perception arose and another perception ceased in me: ‘The cessation of existence is nibbāna; the cessation of existence is nibbāna.’ Just as, when a fire of twigs is burning, one flame arises and another flame ceases, so one perception arose and another perception ceased in me: ‘The cessation of existence is nibbāna; the cessation of existence is nibbāna.’ On that occasion, friend, I was percipient: ‘The cessation of existence is nibbāna.’” AN10.7

When you say;

the cycle of birth and death produces suffering but ,once the truth is realized suffering has no power ,so living in this world shouldn't be any longer a problem.

You are slipping by the definition of suffering as all conditioned phenomena;

Monks, there are these three kinds of suffering.[1] What three? Suffering caused by pain,[2] suffering caused by the formations (or conditioned existence),[3] suffering due to change.[4] It is for the full comprehension, clear understanding, ending and abandonment of these three forms of suffering that the Noble Eightfold Path is to be cultivated..." SN45.165

Even the existence of what can be grasped with wrong view to be an Arahant or personal and belonging to an Arahant, that is classed as suffering.
The Arahants are disenchanted with suffering and thus with the breakup of the body do not take up another body and their consciousness does not become established in any sphere of existence, they abandon all being;

These two Nibbāna-elements were made known
By the Seeing One, stable and unattached:
One is the element seen here and now
With residue, but with the cord of being destroyed;
The other, having no residue for the future,
Is that wherein all modes of being utterly cease.

Having understood the unconditioned state,
Released in mind with the cord of being destroyed,
They have attained to the Dhamma-essence.
Delighting in the destruction (of craving),
Those stable ones have abandoned all being. Iti44

Existence is a truth and it's cessation is also a true principle to be realized and when known as it actually is, it is known to be the highest bliss also called Asoka [Sorrowless] state.

It's hard to see the unaffected,
for the truth is not easily seen.
Craving is pierced
in one who knows;
For one who sees,
there is nothing. Ud8.2

Cessation of the conditioned depends on the unconditioned element, if there was no unconditioned then the cessation principle wouldn't be possible.

There is that dimension, monks, where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor staying; neither passing away nor arising: unestablished,[1] unevolving, without support .[2] This, just this, is the end of stress. Ud8.1

There is, monks, an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated. If there were not that unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, there would not be the case that escape from the born — become — made — fabricated would be discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, escape from the born — become — made — fabricated is discerned. [Ud8.3] (https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.8.03.than.html)

When cessation principle is realized it is known as pleasant and any existence in the light of it is categorically known as suffering.
It is as if a tired person was offered a seat just to have that seat pulled out from underneath him, not knowing better, might think; 'This good person is offering me a seat out of kindness, why don't i accept?'. So he accepts, time and again, not understanding as it actually is, that it is out of cruelty and for the purpose of suffering that he is offered a seat.
If later the tired person the was offered a stable relief then he would discern the cruelty in what was previously offered and if offered to take a seat would pass on the offer, discerning the deal as suffering.
Therefore the mind of one who has realized the cessation principle realizes the truth of suffering, the truth of arising of suffering, the truth of it's cessation & the path to the cessation; and thus inclines to Nibbana which is the utter extinguishment of the conditioned & of the causes which beget the conditioned existence.

There he said to the monks, "This Unbinding is pleasant, friends. This Unbinding is pleasant."
When this was said, Ven. Udayin said to Ven. Sariputta, "But what is the pleasure here, my friend, where there is nothing felt?"
"Just that is the pleasure here, my friend: where there is nothing felt. AN9.34

Now it's possible, Ananda, that some wanderers of other persuasions might say, 'Gotama the contemplative speaks of the cessation of perception & feeling and yet describes it as pleasure. What is this? How can this be?' When they say that, they are to be told, 'It's not the case, friends, that the Blessed One describes only pleasant feeling as included under pleasure. Wherever pleasure is found, in whatever terms, the Blessed One describes it as pleasure.'" MN59

There is no birth with full awareness of the truth, and
once the truth is known there is no longer a possibility of experiencing the cycle forever.

Does freedom from birth and death mean there is no freedom to experience birth and death?

There's no such a thing as the "freedom" to experience birth and death. If one hasn't attained enlightenment, one'd have no choice but to experience birth and death! It's like as long as there's still oil in an oil lamp, the fire will continue to burn, or at least the potential to burn continue to exist nevertheless. But once the oil's been completely drained/exhausted, there's nothing left there for the fire to consume and carry on its existence. Hence the freedom from birth and death means one's broken free from its chains for good, not that one is free to break the chains and then put it back on again from time to time if you feels like doing. It's like saying the freedom from lust is to take a break from it, but then one's free to re-engage some hoochie coochie from time to time if s/he feels like it!

That implies that Buddha was never enlightened until his body died .If enlightenment is there,there is no possibility of delusion ,thus there should not be any fear of any experience.

No, it doesn't. Using my oil lamp analogy, it simply means that once the fuel has been drained, the lamp doesn't immediately stops, but will only stay bright just a little further until all the residuals have been completely exhausted.

So residuals still exist after enlightenment ?.What are residuals to you ?.Desires ?.

Nope, all desires have been burned up, including that weird desire to occassionally popping back in Samsara from time to time. It's the Five Aggregates of Form, Feeling, Perception, Volition, and Consciousness (in short the physical body and its mental aggregates) that still need to run their course. It's just absurd to assume that immediately after enlightenment, you all of a sudden drop dead and your body just magically vaporizes away!

Good so aggregates are not desires ,thus experiencing aggregates after enlightenment should not be a problem anymore .

Thus when the aggregates are empty of desire ,birth and death should also by empty of desire ,they become just a possibility and not a binding anymore.

Notice that only aggregates AFTER enlightenment are not desires. And once they've run their course in the last birth, there simply is no more "fuel" for coming back. In order for a new birth to start again, there's got to be a fuel source to kickstart it. No more fuel, no more new birth.

Fuel ,what is that to you ?

The fuel is Avijja, or Ignorance. By the way, are you saying that enlightened being continue to wander on in this Samsara? If this is your position, please provide backup literature and suttas references?

So some ignorance was still in Buddha before death . No am suggesting that if they are unbounded by Samsara ,that doesn't necessarily mean that Samsara isn't freely available to enter or leave .

No, I already said only the Five Aggregates are the residuals, not Ignorance, all the more reason to support that He will not com back after His last birth. But hold on, by saying "Samsara is freely available to enter", there's gotta to be some self, or identity to enter, otherwise, what is it that enter Samsara? It can't be the enlightened ones for they've completely rid themselves of all sense of "I", "mine", and "myself"! Also, is this your own theory, or it has backup supports from suttas references? If it does, care to provide the sources?

Available to nothingness,Buddha realized nothingness while still in the world.Thus the world became no longer prison ,if the world isn't available to nothingness then nothingness is limited and this contradicts the teaching.

I'll have to repeat the question again, I don't care about your reasoning, for anyone can cook up his own reasoning. You'll have to back up your claim with evidence from the suttas. If you don't have any, then you're only entitled to your own opinion.


text:
How to maintain a Buddhist practice through dark times?
Buddhism has slowly entered my life since the last 25 years. Though born a Hindu in India, I have always been open to practices that would help me answer my fundamental question about the meaning of life and, more specifically, how to attain the end of suffering and final release. I followed many traditions but none satisfied me. Meanwhile Buddhism, specifically Theravada Buddhism, sort of grew into me owing to its very scientific and rational approach to liberation, to Nibbana, sans gods and the like. For the last year or so, I have been intensively doing Samatha Meditation, Anapanasati specifically, and have been putting ~4 hrs on workdays and 6- 10 hours on weekends in sessions of one to one and a half hours. Initially, I went through a lot of physical problems, mainly severe flu-like symptoms, but I persisted and these have thankfully subsided now. At the moment, however, I am feeling very downcast and it appears that I am lost. There seems to be darkness all around, yet I am persisting with my intensive practice. These 'dark nights' make me so despondent sometimes that I feel that I may be having too much of bad karma that is obstructing my growth. My only motivation is Nibbana, nothing else, and I would go to any length to reach it but then something is not allowing me to move forward. Some time back, before the pandemic started, I was planning to go to Myanmar for a long retreat but CoVid- 19 simply poured cold
water over my plans.
Could someone guide me in this hour of distress?

i feel no hour of darkness, but never meditate... want to swap?

Hahaha! Nope! That is not a choice for me.

The first thing I noticed in your question is the ultra long hours you put into meditation.
You might find this advice from Ven. Ajahn Chah useful.
From "The Teachings of Ajahn Chah: A collection of Dhamma Talks":

Q: Is it necessary to sit for very long stretches?
A: No, sitting for hours on end is not necessary. Some people think
that the longer you can sit, the wiser you must be. I have seen
chickens sit on their nests for days on end! Wisdom comes from being
mindful in all postures. Your practice should begin as you awaken in
the morning. It should continue until you fall asleep. Don't be
concerned about how long you can sit. What is important is only that
you keep watchful whether you are working or sitting or going to the
bathroom. Each person has his own natural pace. Some of you will die
at age fifty, some at age sixty-five, and some at age ninety. So, too,
your practice will not be all identical. Don't think or worry about
this. Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then
your mind will become quieter and quieter in any surroundings. It will
becomes till like a  clear forest pool. Then all kinds of wonderful
and rare animals will come to drink at the pool. You will see clearly
the nature of all things (saṅkhārās) in the world. You will see many
wonderful and strange things come and go. But you will be still.
Problems will arise and you will see through them immediately. This is
the happiness of the Buddha.

Regarding your depression, I'm not sure whether what you're going through is a "dark night of the soul" experience. For this, please see this answer and this answer.

From the comments section for this question:

OP: In being mindful during waking hours too, do we have to be mindfully aware of all the activities that come up during the day,
physical as well as mental, or is it equally appropriate to bring the
attention continually back to breathing as far as possible?

Please see "Chapter Six: Daily Life" by Ven. Yuttadhammo. That should answer your question.

Ven. Ajahn Chah is right. We meditate every mind moment. However, the last quote doesn't mean like that because in Visuddhimagga KhandhaNiddesa PaññāCatuka described like 'VipassanāÑāṇa, included Knowledge of Misery (adinava-ñana), is wholesome only' and 'Wholesome has no mental pain (which coming with worry, fear, too much stress, sad, angry, envy, scary, hatred, stinginess)'. We are feeling happy and happier while meditate all meditation. If we feel stress in Vipassanā, we will meditate Samatha for relaxing and keeping wholesome mind.

The idea of dark nights of the soul does find mention in many Christian mystics' works and if it actually points towards an impending dawn, I'd be more than happy to bear the present agony. Regarding Ajahn Chah, I've read many of his works, including 'A Still Forest Pool' . I definitely have to learn the art he is hinting at.

@Bonn I have removed that quote on adinava-ñana as I do not know enough about it. Thank you for the information.

Channa and many Bhikkhus in Tipitaka suisided themselves because of this, so in 3rd Pātimokkha, the Buddha taught Ānāpānassati instead and in many Suttas the Buddha taught Ānāpānassati before Vipassanā, such as DN22, to let the practitioner meditates Samatha and Vipassanā together switching. The real Ādīnava comes with happiness.

One question though: in being mindful during waking hours too, do we have to be mindfully aware of all the activities that come up during the day, physical as well as mental, or is it equally appropriate to bring the attention continually back to breathing as far as possible @ruben2020?

@SushilFotedar Please see "Chapter Six: Daily Life" by Ven. Yuttadhammo. That should answer your question.

I have gone through this advice by Ven. Yuttadhammo. Thanks for going to great lengths to help out. I am obliged dear friend.

I am in your state. I am sick as well. I want to be a monk but I can't.
The difference is I don't feel bad because I can see my effort when looking back to check what I did.
I can say I never sit  as much as you, and I can say if I can practice as much as you doing, I am going to be very happy and proud of it surely.☺
I understand the chance to meet Dhamma is extremely difficult, every practitioner doesn't want to miss this chance. However, you are trying and you still not giving up, so don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Samatha is for happiness, Vipassana is for serious considering. Both are helping each other, but Worry is for lost.
Relax. ❤♡♥

Thanks @Bonn for the encouragement. Love and Metta.

While sitting meditation is good, it shouldn't be your sole activity of cultivation. Obviously a sick and frail body won't get one very far. You'd need a strong healthy body to take on the task too. So don't forget your daily physical exercise regime. The best ones are outdoor cardios like jogging, biking, hiking, etc. Also try to incorporate some walking meditation to your training, not just sitting meditation. Remember, if you don't take care of your physical body, you'd basically open up the door for Sloth-and-torpor/thīna-middha and Restlessness-and-worry/uddhacca-kukkucca, 2 of the Five Hindrances to invade and hinder your progress.

I think, though I have a healthy body, some rigorous exercise daily would be helpful. Thanks friend.

There is lot more benefit from sincerely observing precepts, giving into generosity and tune ones life, while being all around observant, especially on reflection, rather the foolish modern compensation meditations, even in retreats, for householders. Get engaged in services in monasteries and try to fix the issue of gross defilements! To be very straight forward. If physical locked down, good housholder, there might be ways out there but so far my person coild offer such only here with plenty of work and task, done to be with Sila, as kammatthan, all around the Gems, headed toward Nibbana, an allbaround Vipassana and awakening camp...
[Note that this isn't given for trade, exchange, stacks or what ever binds here, but to escape from it]

I guess you are having problems due to discontentment, it's difficult to figure out the particulars because you don't say much about what issues you are having. Here are some Sutta excerpts you might find helpful;

[Kamada:]
So hard it is to do, Lord,
It's so very hard to do!
[Buddha:]
But still they do what's hard to do,
Who steady themselves with virtue.
For one pursuing homelessness,
Content arrives, and with it joy.
[Kamada:]
So hard it is to get, Lord,
This content of which you speak!
[Buddha:]
But still they get what's hard to get,
Who delight in a tranquil mind.
The mind of those, both day and night,
Delights in its development.
[Kamada:]
So hard it is to tame, Lord,
This mind of which you speak!
[Buddha:]
But still they tame what's hard to tame,
Who delight in senses at peace.
Cutting through mortality's net,
The nobles, Kamada, proceed.
[Kamada:]
So hard it is to go, Lord,
On this path that gets so rough!
[Buddha:]
Still nobles, Kamada, proceed
On paths both rough and hard to take.
Those who are less than noble fall
On their heads when the path gets rough.
But for nobles the path is smooth
— For nobles smooth out what is rough! https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn02/sn02.006.olen.html

At such times, monks, as the mind is sluggish, that is the wrong time to cultivate the enlightenment-factor[1] of tranquillity, the enlightenment-factor of concentration, the enlightenment-factor of equanimity. What is the reason? A sluggish mind is hard to arouse by these factors.
[...]
"But, monks, when the mind is sluggish, that is the right time to cultivate the enlightenment-factor of investigation-of-states, the enlightenment-factor of energy, the enlightenment-factor of rapture.[2] What is the reason? A sluggish mind is easy to arouse by these factors. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.053.wlsh.html

“Bhikkhus, possessing three qualities, a bhikkhu is practicing the unmistaken way and has laid the groundwork for the destruction of the taints. What three? Here, a bhikkhu guards the doors of the sense faculties, observes moderation in eating, and is intent on wakefulness.
“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu guard the doors of the sense faculties? Here, having seen a form with the eye, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the eye faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. Having heard a sound with the ear … Having smelled an odor with the nose … Having tasted a taste with the tongue … Having felt a tactile object with the body … Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty. It is in this way that a bhikkhu guards the doors of the sense faculties.
“And how does a bhikkhu observe moderation in eating? Here, reflecting carefully, a bhikkhu consumes food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the support and maintenance of this body, for avoiding harm, and for assisting the spiritual life, considering: ‘Thus I shall terminate the old feeling and not arouse a new feeling, and I shall be healthy and blameless and dwell at ease.’ It is in this way that a bhikkhu observes moderation in eating.
“And how is a bhikkhu intent on wakefulness? Here, during the day, while walking back and forth and sitting, a bhikkhu purifies his mind of obstructive qualities. In the first watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, he purifies his mind of obstructive qualities. In the middle watch of the night he lies down on the right side in the lion’s posture, with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and clearly comprehending, after noting in his mind the idea of rising. After rising, in the last watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, he purifies his mind of obstructive qualities. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is intent on wakefulness.
“A bhikkhu who possesses these three qualities is practicing the unmistaken way and has laid the groundwork for the destruction of the taints.” https://suttacentral.net/an3.16/en/bodhi

There is the case where a monk remains focused on unattractiveness with regard to the body, percipient of loathsomeness with regard to food, percipient of non-delight with regard to the entire world, (and) focused on inconstancy with regard to all fabrications. The perception of death is well established within him. He dwells in dependence on the five strengths of a learner — strength of conviction, strength of conscience, strength of concern, strength of persistence, & strength of discernment — [...] he attains [...] the immediacy that leads to the ending of the effluents. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.163.than.html

"Endowed with seven qualities, a monk pursuing mindfulness of breathing will in no long time penetrate the Unprovoked [release]. Which seven?
"He is a person who imposes only a little [on others]: one of few duties & projects, easy to support, easily contented with the requisites of life.
"He is a person who eats only a little food, committed to not indulging his stomach.
"He is a person of only a little sloth, committed to wakefulness.
"He gets to hear at will, easily & without difficulty, talk that is truly sobering & conducive to the opening of awareness: talk on modesty, contentment, seclusion, non-entanglement, arousing persistence, virtue, concentration, discernment, release, and the knowledge & vision of release.
"He lives in the wilderness, in an isolated dwelling place.
"He is a person of much learning, who has retained what he heard, has stored what he has heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning & expression — proclaim the holy life that is entirely complete & pure: those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his views.
"He reflects on the mind as it is released.
"Endowed with these seven qualities, a monk pursuing mindfulness of breathing will in no long time penetrate the Unprovoked."

If you want i can give more info explaining these.

What you have suggested seems to be true, I think. The weight of my subconscious expectations with the inevitable discontent may be pulling me down. Letting go might be helpful. Thanks friend.

I would advise to add the practice of the four brahmaviharas as well as the contemplation of death, of unattractiveness and to develop other supportive meditations. It will be easier to smooth things out when it gets rough and it doesn't take much time.

You can check out these notes which are essentially sutta excerpts with little commentary; development of perceptions https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kZxstsAvjhj9Svc47RUKRIyKQMuHMD4adIvr_7pp2uI/edit?usp=drivesdk

Overcoming the hindrances https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qVz1XtntivxPRsxycsrH0_sgILcMbcghdpxoKuxlLYo/edit?usp=drivesdk

I'll definitely go through these. Thanks a lot.

My only motivation is Nibbana, nothing else

You have the right goal. This Dhamma expounded by the Buddha is only for that goal and that goal only. If one seeks this Dhamma for any other reason, for debate, for advancement of intellect, etc., they have grabbed a great snake from the tail or the body and therefore will suffer death or deadly pain. MN22
The question you should ask yourself is, "Am I in the Path to Nibbana"? From your symptoms it sounds like you have taken a different path than the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering
In Buddha's dispensation, Right Concentration is the concentration that is equipped with seven factors - Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort and Right Mindfulness. MN117
Today the Buddhist meditations have been lost to the world and instead have been replaced with breathing concentration that doesn't lead to Right Liberation.
Buddhist meditations are about contemplating on Dhamma, reflecting on your own self to see the Dhamma within you. Then you see the what the Buddha meant through your own experiences. And what you realize is a link in the dependent origination through your own experience.
The start of the Noble Eight Fold Path is by developing the (the Noble) Right View. For that, you have to contemplate on Suffering, the Origin of Suffering, the Cessation of Suffering and you will be back again in the Noble Eight Fold Path as the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
When you practice this way, what you gain is the unwavering Faith (saddha) in the Buddha. He knows within that this Noble Eight Fold Path is the Right Path and no matter what others say you are determined to Develop this Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path is to be developed. There are Four Developments in the Noble Eight Fold Path. Namely Development of Body, Development of Virtue, Development of Mind, and Development of Wisdom.
That is the Path you need to take to attain Nibbana. For a person taking this Path, he is never lost; never has dark times because he is always with the Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Sangha.
Listen to this great explanation of the Noble Eight Fold Path and try the meditation exactly as explained. See if that makes a difference for your current situation.
With Metta

Thanks a lot @ahtisarw. I'm sorry for seeing your suggestion a little late, but sure I'll try to understand my problem along the lines you have suggested. It does seem that something needs to be corrected. Thanks again.