Search results for: "Focus"

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  2. An Environment for Practice
     … When things come up in the practice, what are the things to focus on, what are the things not to focus on, what are the real important issues in life? The Buddha once made the point that a large part of wisdom lies in knowing which questions to answer straight out, which questions need to be reformulated, which ones have to be dropped, which … 
  3. Pitching Your Tent in the Present
     … Lay claim to it and focus all your attention on developing it. It’s only when you’re content to stay here and focus here that you’ll find that the Buddha is right, these potentials are right here. And the results are not quite for the asking, but if you put in enough work and attention, they’re all your own.
  4. Friendship
     … In fact, that’s a more useful place to focus, because it means you can focus anywhere in the body. Notice how the breathing feels. Try to explore what feels best. Sometimes long breathing feels good, sometimes short. Sometimes heavy, sometimes light. Fast, slow, deep, shallow. You’ve got a whole hour to explore here. Try to notice how the breath affects your experience … 
  5. Put Your Books Back on the Shelf
     … Luang Phaw Phut was saying that when people would come to meditate with Ajaan Sao, he’d say, “Okay, repeat Buddho or focus on the breath.” And they’d ask him, “What is going to happen when I do this?” And he’d say, “Don’t ask. Just do it.” “What does Buddho mean?” “Don’t ask, just repeat it.” Whatever questions, “Don’t … 
  6. Equanimity & More
     … When you have equanimity for all beings, it’s not just saying, “Well, who cares?” It’s more to focus you. There are a lot of things you cannot change in the world, but there are some things that are within your power, and the path is something that’s within your power. It’s something you can do. That, the Buddha says, is … 
  7. Your Sketches vs. the Buddha’s
     … You can focus on certain aspects of them and see that they follow certain patterns of behavior that are constant. But if you focus on that, what happens? You get attached to these things, whereas if you look at them as being inconstant, stressful, and not-self, you have to arrive at the value judgment: It’s not worth it. So as a way … 
  8. Evaluation
     … One, it’s the one thing you focus on. And two, you’re trying to make that one thing fill your awareness. This is where the evaluation comes in. How do you breathe in a way that feels good throughout the body? Think of the breath as a whole-body process. Sometimes you hear it said that you have to focus on the spot … 
  9. Self-Hatred
     … This is why we have one object to focus on. If you find one object not enough, give yourself two objects in the present moment. You can focus on the breath in two different parts of the body at the same time. That pretty much ties up your hands. You can’t go running off someplace else. You’ve got two things you’ve … 
  10. Doing, Maintaining, Using
     … What kind of breathing really feels good for the body right now? You can focus on the body in any one spot: the tip of the nose, the middle of the chest, at the abdomen. Those are the three main spots, but there are a lot of other spots in the body where you might be able to notice that now the breath is … 
  11. Delight in the Breath
     … Can you focus there? ** **You’ll find that some parts of the body are more sensitive than others. So you focus attention there. Ask yourself: What would feel really good right here, right now? Even forget the idea that it’s “breath.” You say: “What would be a sensation in that part of the body that would feel good?” And the breath will provide … 
  12. The World Is Swept Away
     … So try to keep your focus right here. The irony of it all is that the more “right here” you are in your focus, the longer-term the happiness that comes from your actions. As you get more and more skillful at this one point, it has ramifications that go out in all directions. The process of change is something that’s happening right … 
  13. Looking for Happiness Inside
     … The part of the mind that wants to direct this and say, “focus here, focus there,” gets thrown into sharp relief. And you ask yourself: “Who’s talking to whom in here?” You start questioning the very, very basic movements of the mind, until you see an opening where there are no movements of the mind at all. That may sound very abstract, but … 
  14. Sources of Lasting Happiness
     … But the Buddha’s main focus was on your karma in the present moment, because the mind is very active. We’re not just sitting here passively receiving impressions. The mind is trying to figure things out: what to do now, where to focus now, how to interpret things. It plays a huge role in shaping how you experience things in the present moment … 
  15. Tap, Tap, Tap
     … So you have to look and see, “Where’s the intention? How do I filter these things? How do I decide what to focus on, what not to focus on?” That’s the kind of thing you can watch directly. Our knowledge of the world outside is very uncertain. We take educated guesses, we gamble on which sources of information are reliable, which ones … 
  16. A Divine Seat
     … Here again, the Buddha says, feelings can come and go willy-nilly, but you can also induce them by the way you focus on them, by the way you place labels on them. You’ve probably noticed this yourself. If there’s a pain that comes in, and you don’t know where it’s coming from, you get upset by it. But if … 
  17. Stay
     … Then, as you focus there, you’ll find patterns of tension building up as you try to keep it there. Okay, learn what you can let go of without losing your focus. When the Buddha talks about spreading ease and rapture through the body, sometimes it’s more a matter of allowing certain patterns of tension to relax, relax, relax and then the relaxation … 
  18. Staying in Position
     … To do that, you focus on the breath. Try to notice where you feel the breathing process. It can be anywhere in the body. Choose a spot where the sensations tell you clearly that now the breath is coming in, now the breath is going out. Allow the breath in that spot to feel comfortable. That’s getting into position. Both sides of the … 
  19. Inner Discontent
     … When you find that the mind is beginning to lose its focus, what can you do ramp things up so that the focus stays continuous? It’s these little things that make all the difference. So there is something to be content with right here. Content yourself with what has to be done right now, where you are in the practice, what the task … 
  20. “My Way”
     … In particular, the Buddha asks you to focus that power of observation on your actions—your thoughts, your words, and your deeds—to see where they’re coming from and what they lead to. If they don’t lead to something good, then you can change. The Buddha himself said he got on the right track when he learned how to divide his thoughts … 
  21. Full, Focused Attention
    Try to let go of all other thoughts and focus on thinking about the breath. Pose a few questions in the mind: Where do you feel the breath? Where do you feel the process of breathing? Pay attention right there. Try to develop a quality of intentness in what you’re doing, giving it your full attention. Be very careful to keep this in … 
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