Search results for: "The Four Frames of Reference"

  1. The Four Frames of Reference
    When people first come here to stay for a period of meditation, it’s important to keep the four frames of reference in mind as a way of getting the mind into seclusion. But it’s also interesting to note that when the Buddha gave parting instructions to his monks, one of his themes was to stay with the four frames of reference. The … 
  2. Persistence
     … If you’re not focusing directly on the breath, well, at least keep in mind the fact that you’re dealing with feelings and mind states, any one of the four frames of reference. And if you’re going to focus on feelings, don’t just wallow in the feeling. Remember that you’re looking for the cause. That takes you back to the … 
  3. A Well-stocked Memory
     … Usually it’s defined as being mindful of the body in and of itself, feelings, mind, mental qualities—in other words, the four frames of reference for establishing mindfulness, in and of themselves,—ardent, alert, and mindful, putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world. This is the practice leading up to right concentration. Then in that context, there’s the next … 
  4. Everything’s Right There
     … As do the four frames of reference. When you’re working with the body, you have to look for the feelings that are associated with the breath. As for the mind, when it’s right here with the breath, you can ask yourself, “Is the mind in balance? What shape is your mind in right now? What’s the state of your mind?” Is … 
  5. Mindfulness of Breathing: Four in One
     … Those four things correspond to the four frames of reference in establishing mindfulness. Now, if things are going well, you don’t have to think about all four. Actually, you try to bring them all together to be one. It’s when things are not going well—in other words, the mind isn’t staying with the breath or there’s no feeling of … 
  6. In Alignment
     … As the Buddha says, when you’re dealing with the four frames of reference, you can do them all as you’re dealing with the breath. The act of attending to the breath gives rise to a feeling of pleasure. So you’ve got feeling. And the fact that you’re keeping the breath in mind gives you a mind-state of alertness. And … 
  7. Attahi Attano Natho
     … As you focus inside, keeping your balance means being focused on any of the four frames of reference in establishing mindfulness. That helps other people maintain their balance. It’s too bad that that particular sutta doesn’t have an image to go with the opposite side of its message, which is that when you’re helpful to other people, it comes back and … 
  8. Putting out the Flame
     … to ride craving to another house. So you’ve got to get good at just seeing things arising and passing away, looking at things in terms of these frameworks: the four frames of reference, putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world. That’s the recipe for getting the mind into right concentration, but it’s also the recipe for learning how … 
  9. Seclusion Through Mindfulness
     … The way the four frames of reference are listed, sometimes it sounds as if you can either be focused on the body or feelings or the mind or mental qualities, as separate exercises. But the only time the Buddha talks about keeping watch over feelings, mind states, or mental qualities is in the context of breath meditation. In other words, you try to get … 
  10. When You’ve Played Enough With the Breath
     … These correspond to the four frames of reference for establishing mindfulness. The theme all the way through these steps is the interaction among breath, feelings, and mind. In some of the steps, the emphasis is on how the mind can have an impact on the breath and how it can shape feelings; in others, it’s how feelings and the breath can have an … 
  11. The Power of Perception
     … In the Canon, Sister Dhammadinna said—and the Buddha confirmed what she said—that the four nimitta of right concentration are the four frames of reference or four establishings of mindfulness: keeping track of the body in and of itself, keeping track of feelings in and of themselves, keeping track of the mind in and of itself, keeping track of mental qualities in and … 
  12. The Wounded Warrior
     … After all, what they call the foundations of mindfulness, the establishings of mindfulness, or the four frames of reference: These are the themes of Right Concentration. If you stay here consistently enough, it turns into concentration in the mind. Then you can feed off the sense of ease and rapture that comes with the concentration: That’s your food for the mind. And the … 
  13. Active Truth
     … As you stay here in the grove, what are you going to do — are you going to run away?” “No,” he answers, “I’m going stay here and I’m going to focus on the four frames of reference and the seven factors for Awakening. That’ll be the mind’s protection.” In other words, he realizes that his safety lies in looking after … 
  14. Mindfulness Defined
     … clear division between the two. In his teachings, mindfulness shades into concentration, and concentration forms the basis for even better mindfulness. The fourth jhana is where mindfulness becomes pure. The four frames of reference, the focal points of mindfulness, are also the themes of concentration. As Ajaan Lee notes, when mindfulness—the ability to keep something in mind—grows stronger, it becomes the jhana … 
  15. All Three Functions of Mindfulness
     … Remember to stay in the present moment anchored in one of the four frames of reference. Remember to recognize things that are coming up in the mind and learn how to label them as “This is skillful,” or “This is unskillful.” That’s usually not the first thought that comes to us, of course. Lust comes into the mind, anger comes into the mind … 
  16. The Fourth Frame of Reference
     … Each of the four noble truths entails a duty, but nibbana is something beyond the four noble truths, something outside of the framework of the four frames of reference and their attendant duties. It’s not an activity in any way. So it’s helpful to look at this fourth frame of reference as a series of guidelines. When a problem comes up, figure … 
  17. Anupassana
     … One tetrad deals with the breath, one tetrad with feelings, another with mind, another with dhammas—in other words, the four frames of reference in the establishing of mindfulness. In each case, you get sensitive to the fact that that particular thing is being fabricated, and then you play with it to heighten that sense, “Oh yes, this really is something that I’m … 
  18. Negotiating with Death
     … The same with the four frames of reference that we practice in establishing mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, mental qualities. Feeling there is one of the difficult ones, because the word “feeling” in English has lots of meanings. You feel your body. And you also feel pleasure and pain. And also you feel sadness or joy, whatever. So you’ve got three kinds of feeling … 
  19. Slowing Down to Look
     … That’s one of the four frames of reference. You develop that in such a way that you also develop concentration, unification of the mind, stability, steadiness. That state of the mind is the goose that lays the golden eggs. Or to follow Ajaan Lee’s analogy, it’s like having four acres of land. Instead of having to run around asking other people … 
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