… way of approaching the step of gladdening the mind is to think
of the six kinds of delight that the Buddha talks about as being
conducive to the practice. The first is delight in the Dhamma. It’s
similar to recollection of the Dhamma. You think about what a great
Dhamma this is; how it’s admirable in the beginning, admirable in the
middle …
… But
if they see only one or two cases and then go out and say, “This is
the way it is in every case,” they can develop all kinds of wrong
views. Someone who sees the person who behaved in unskillful ways but
goes to a good destination will say, “There are no results of good or
bad actions.” Other people who see someone …
… You might
notice that sensation someplace in your hands or in your chest, at the
point of the sternum, which is a little breastbone that sticks out
between your ribs right in the middle of the chest. Anywhere you have
that sense of fullness, allow it to stay there. Make sure that the way
you breathe doesn’t disturb it.
Then allow it to …
… After all, it’s all about the
middle way, right?” But the question about moderation in observing the
precepts: The precepts themselves already describe a moderate way of
life, a moderate path of practice, so you want to be strict in
adhering to them. That’s how you stay right there in the moderate
spot.
When things start going overboard is when you start …
… Notice what that does to your sense of what’s a comfortable way of
breathing, because sometimes a way of breathing that feels comfortable
when you’re focused on one spot doesn’t feel so comfortable when
you’re aware of the body as a whole. Think of the breathing as a
whole-body process.
There are lots of different ways of approaching this …
… It could be the tip of the
nose, the middle of the chest, the abdomen, anywhere in the body. Then
try to keep that spot open and relaxed, all the way through the
in-breath, all the way through the out-. Don’t squeeze it out. Allow
it to remain open all the way through the breath process. A sense of
fullness will develop …
… But when you put
them together in a particular way, they lead someplace else. They lead
to the end of karma. That’s why they require practices for getting
them together just right.
This element of just right, the middleness of the path, is something
we’re working on all the time. The basic elements are pretty simple.
As when we’re sitting here …
… Now, there are several ways of doing this. One is to banish all the
unskillful members. That’s what you have to do in the beginning: If
any unskillful thought comes up, you just say, “No, no, no. I am not
going there.” Sometimes you have to reinforce that determination with
reasons. As the Buddha said, one of the ways of dealing with
unskillful …
… The Dhamma is admirable in the beginning, admirable in the
middle, admirable in the end. It’s a good path all along the way.
Whatever’s required to make you want to follow it, talk to yourself in
that way. As long as the mind has energy to think, think in ways that
are positive. Try to find food in the path itself. Let …
… It might be down in the middle of the brain, in the area of the heart,
the area of the stomach, or some of the more outer parts of the body
that need to be refreshed. We look for these areas and refresh them
because the qualities of right concentration are pleasure and
refreshment. And you can create those qualities by the way you …
… in different ways. As I said, first there’s just the energy
flowing through the body, then you perceive the breath as originating
in the body, then you allow it to spread smoothly. You think of that
sense of radiating energy from any of the resting spots that Ajaan Lee
talked about—the tip of the nose, the palate, the middle of the head …
… That way, if the mind wants to jump into a
particular situation and say, “We’ve got to help it this way or change
it that way,” you can step back and ask, “Okay, is that really the
wisest thing to do? Or are you just being reactive or operating out of
fear?” In other words, the best expression of compassion or of
equanimity …
… good in the beginning, good in the middle, good
in the end. The Buddha never asked you to do anything mean or spiteful
or ignoble. The path builds on good qualities and it leads to good
results.
So even if you don’t go all the way to the end of the path, it’s a
good path to be on.
… We come out to a place like this,
where you can sit under the trees in the middle of the day and you’re
face to face with your own mind, because it’s the mind that’s going to
determine—when aging, illness, and death come—whether you’re going to
suffer or not. You need to get it under control.
This is …
… So if you feel any discomfort from the breath, think of different ways
of breathing in. Even if you’re not sure that the discomfort is
actually coming from the breath, think about different ways of
breathing to test it; and think about different ways of perceiving the
breath to test that as well. Then look at what the Buddha calls verbal
fabrication – the …
… So hold it just right,
all the way through the in-breath, all the way through the out-.
Try to find what kind of rhythm and texture of breathing feels best
right now. If you’re feeling tired, you may want to breathe in a way
that’s more energizing. If you’re feeling tense and stressed out, you
may want to breathe in …
… It
might be around the heart, around the stomach, in the neck, or in the
middle of the head. Keep directing your thoughts to the breath energy
there.
Ajaan Lee’s image is of holding on to a post. You can run around the
post, and as long as you hold on, you don’t get dizzy, you don’t fall
down. But if …
… Ajaan Fuang once noted that we now have lots of books on meditation, lots of explanations, and in some ways it’s a help, but in other ways it’s a hindrance — a hindrance in that many of our perceptions and memories picked up from books and Dhamma talks clutter up the present moment. They actually get in the way of seeing what’s …
… right above the navel, the base of the
throat, the tip of the breastbone, the middle of the head, top of the
head. Think of breath energy emanating from any one of those spots,
and if anything seems to be getting in the way of its spreading, let
it dissolve away so that the breath energy flows smoothly throughout
the entire body: That’s …
Thinking Your Way to Stillness
January 8, 2009
There’s a common perception that meditation doesn’t involve any thinking. You just force the mind to stay alert in the present moment and refuse to get involved in any thoughts at all. Then it will settle down. That approach works for some people in some circumstances, but not for everyone. This is why the …
