In Part 6 of this series on “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” I am continuing my commentary on the meditation practice called mindfulness of the body, which is the first of the practices from the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” As noted in earlier parts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study this Buddhist approach to meditation. While the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is the English translation of the name of a Buddhist Sutta; the “Satipatthana Sutta,” the basic practice can be adapted to your current beliefs whether you are one who believes in God, one who does not, or one who is not sure what to believe.

Please read the earlier posts of this series, at least the previous one or two posts, to be aware of the principal themes and practices offered so far.

In addition to the comments offered in previous posts, there is another way to improve both the quality of mindfulness and the degree of detailed awareness that arises from sustained application of mindful awareness of the sensations of the body.

This additional effort is to begin, or continue, your diligent study of Yoga, T’ai Chi, or some equally subtle form of exercise. Exercise and the study of the body during exercise is one practice of mindful awareness that is not explicitly mentioned in the original Satipatthana Sutta of the Theravada Buddhists. It is a form of practice that can and needs to be integrated into daily practice whether you are a Buddhist or a Christian or follow some other path that focuses more on the mind than the body.

The form of subtle exercise I am most familiar with is Hatha Yoga. Although I am still at a basic level of competence with Yoga, I know first hand how the study of Yoga affords excellent opportunities to deepen the practice of mindful awareness of the sensations of the body.

The first benefit is that one begins to understand how complex and intricate the human body is. You will see levels of detail of the muscles in the body that you previously were not aware of and this will expand your mindful awareness of the body. You can expand that awareness to learn more about how the respiratory, circulatory, neurological, digestive, and immune systems all work together. A wide range of insights will arise from this clear, detailed awareness of the many systems of the body. It is a basic tenet of Buddhist practice that deeper levels of insight will arise quite naturally, over time, simply as a result of a sincere and consistent practice of mindfulness and related efforts with virtue, compassion, and concentration. It is for this reason this form of meditation practice is also called Insight Meditation, or in Pali, Vipassana. The steady arising of insight into more and more subtle aspects of suffering, freedom, and joy is the primary goal of all this practice.

The second benefit is that as one performs the various Yoga asanas, they can begin to see how stiff certain muscles, joints, and connective tissues have become. In short, one can see how much work they have to do to restore health and lower the stress in their body. Over time, as one becomes more competent with the asanas, one is able to stretch the muscles and other tissues. By opening these muscles and lubricating the joints, you will create the capacity for better circulation of oxygen-rich blood and energy into those gridlocked parts of the body. This irrigation of the cells clears out the gunk in the cells that is the residue of stress. This too, will contribute to overall health and a general sense of ease and well being.

Greater awareness of the intricate lattices of muscles, joints, nerves, connective tissues, and organ systems of the body will allow you to increase the skillful application of your exercise. The conscious rhythmic breathing and more rigorous circulation of oxygen-rich blood throughout the cells of the body, especially in those tight and sore muscles, will have cumulative health benefits.

However much time you have for such efforts, be as consistent as you can be. These efforts will lower the overall level of stress in the body and strengthen the immune system. They will also increase the general level of energy available in the body and enhance the quality of the energy in the body and mind. Many times after work I have felt I was quite tired. But when I have been able to perform 20-30 minutes (or more) of Yoga, I definitely become invigorated with fresh energy. Actually, I have learned I am just utilizing the energy in the body more skillfully.

After you have developed some skill and consistency with these forms of practice, you will also notice your general mood is often lighter and more generally positive and accepting.

One reason for this is that Yoga, like any form of sustained exercise, results in the release of endorphins in the brain, spinal cord, and many other sections of the body. (If you google “endorphins” you will see many articles that explain the details of this phenomena. The article on endorphins listed on WEB MD is a good example of very readable information from a generally well respected source.)

What is important is this. If you are stressed, tired, bored, or generally feeling crappy after a long day at work, you may not feel much like sitting down on the cushion for meditation. As noted, if you have the time and setting where you can do some Yoga or T’ai Chi, these exercises will improve your health, enhance your mindful awareness of the body, and lower stress.  All of these effects will serve as a very useful prelude to your meditation sessions. The body will be quite a bit more relaxed in a very natural way. Good, brisk walking or more traditional forms of calisthenics or dance will have a similar effect.

The more relaxed the body is, the more relaxed the mind can become. All of this will help you progress to whatever is the next deeper state of peace and clarity of mindfulness, insight, and concentration you are capable of. In this way, a more positive engagement of the body, and a more mindful awareness of the body, will serve the over-arching goal of helping you deepen your meditation practice.

As noted while these practices are not specifically referenced in the Satipatthana Sutta, they are a very logical and very needed addition to the practices outlined in this Sutta.

All too often Buddhist practice is focused on the mind, with the body being something to observe, neutralize, or overcome. There is little attention paid by many Buddhist teachers to explore how exercising the body in healthy and subtle ways supports the deepening of peace in meditation. The same can be said about Catholic and Orthodox commentaries on meditation. Integrating the physical exercises of Hindu and Chinese cultures such as Yoga or T’ai Chi will prove to be a very helpful support to people practicing Buddhist, Catholic, or Orthodox meditation.

These kinds of suggestions are just as relevant to those practicing meditation in other traditions such as Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Native American Indian, and New Age.

The integration of Buddhist practices of mindfulness with Hindu or Chinese forms of exercise is a good example of how the best features of the world’s meditative traditions can be grafted together. The integration of best-in-class practices from different traditions will create a more complete approach to meditation than any one culture has to offer as an individual religion.

It is good to love one’s neighbor. It is also good to be humble enough to learn from your neighbor.

Will Raymond

774-232-0884

In Part 5 of this series on “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” I am continuing my commentary on the meditation practice called mindfulness of the body, which is the first of the practices from the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” As noted in earlier parts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study this Buddhist approach to meditation. While the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is the English translation of the name of a Buddhist Sutta; the “Satipatthana Sutta,” the basic practice can be adapted to your current beliefs whether you are one who believes in God, one who does not, or one who is not sure what to believe.

Please read the earlier posts of this series, at least the previous 1-2 posts, if you wish to see the general themes and practices offered so far.

There is another aspect of mindfulness of the body that is outlined in the Satipatthana Sutta. This aspect is described this way: “He abides contemplating arising phenomena in the body, contemplating vanishing phenomena in the body.”

(Quote from: The Long Discourses of the Buddha Translated by Maruice Walshe Wisdom Publications Boston 2012 Page 339)

In other words, the practitioner is aware of the changing sensations of the body as those sensations arise and as they pass away. This is done during formal meditation practice, and to the extent that common sense and circumstances allow, during the active hours of the day as well.

A good example is the arising of the sensations of hunger around the middle of the day when it is time to eat, or at any other time you notice the pangs of hunger arising. Once you sit down to eat the food, the sensation of hunger goes away for a while. Instead, another sensation will arise such as the feeling of “being full,” or being satisfied or dissastisfied with your meal, or the feeling of having “eaten too much.”  After a while these sensations of being full or being bloated will also pass away as the food is digested. At some point the sense of needing to urinate or defecate will arise and new sensations will arise from the sensations that which are triggered from the expelling of fluids or waste from the body, and those feelings will pass away when you are done, and other sensations of relief or lightness will arise. Before too long the feelings of thirst or hunger will again develop and the cycle will repeat itself.

Another good example is during meditation when many experience the arising of an itch on the cheek or nose that becomes a surprisingly strong sensation. If you are able, simply observe the itch without scratching it until at some point you notice the sensation has gone, either because it just faded away, or the mind got hijacked by some distraction which caused the sensation of the itch, or at least the awareness of the sensation of the itch to fade from the screen of consciousness. In this way you can observe the entire cycle of one set of sensations with a detached mind, without having the need to intervene in the unpleasant sensation. Simple practices of this kind, when reasonably possible, will noticeably increase your discipline and mindfulness. But, if the sensation is truly unbearable, then scratch the itch and return to stillness,noticing the various sensations of the scratching and the sensations of coming back to stillness.

It is a most instructive practice to begin to notice the changes in the sensations of the breath and the other sensations of the body as they arise, expand, have impact, fade in intensity and then disappear completely from awareness. This is a good introduction into noticing the impermanence, or transitory nature of all phenomena. This is a central practice of Buddhist meditation: to notice that the sensations of the body, the feelings of the mind, the thoughts of the mind, and the general tone of consciousness of mind, are all in constant transition. The transition may be very slow, as in the case of an old ache in the shoulder or neck that you have had for years, or it may be very fast such as the changing sensations of drinking or eating or exercising.

But beginning to notice that the sensations of the body, the feelings of the mind, the thoughts of the mind, and the general tone of consciousness or state of mind, are all changing all the time is one of the practices needed to cultivate insight. The practice of observing the changes in body sensations, emotional feelings, thoughts, and the general tone of consciousness is a foundational practice of the Satipatthana Sutta of the Theravada Buddhists.

I may disagree with central conclusions that Theravada Buddhists develop from this study of the impermanence of all phenomena. But I can tell you the basic practice of observing these changes will noticeably strengthen your ability to be in the moment and to develop the most skillful responses to the choices that need to be made moment by moment. This basic practice of noticing the arising and passing of sensations, feelings, thoughts, and general tone of consciousness will greatly strengthen the stamina and the depth of penetrating insight of your mindfulness.

You can engage this practice as a prelude to Insight Practice and/or Concentration practice. You will begin to be able to peer into the foundations of the mind and the self. Perhaps you will agree with the conclusions the Theravada Buddhists have developed from these observations, perhaps not. But I guarantee you will be further along in your efforts to see the causes of suffering and to cultivate ever more creative ways to diminish suffering.

After discussing the basic practices of observing the body, feelings, state of mind, and thoughts in the next several installments of this series, I will return to the role that the study of the impermanence of phenomena plays in Theravada Buddhist meditation.

Peace and All the Best,

Will  Raymond

774-232-0884

In Part 4 of this series on the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” I am continuing my commentary on the meditation practice called mindfulness of the body, which is the first of the practices from the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” As noted in earlier parts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study this Buddhist approach to meditation. While the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is the English translation of the name of a Buddhist Sutta; the “Satipatthana Sutta,” the basic practice can be adapted to your current beliefs whether you are one who believes in God, one who does not, or one who is not sure what to believe.

Before proceeding with more standard reflections on Theravada Buddhist teaching with regards to mindfulness of the body, there is an important cautionary note to be offered.

One section of practice from the Satipatthana Sutta which comments about mindfulness of the body is entitled, “The Reflections on the Repulsiveness of the Body.”  This passage reflects one very troubling aspect of Theravadan Buddhism that is also commonly present in teachings on Christian Contemplative Prayer as well.  Regrettably, as many Buddhists and Christians and others seek to tame the sexual drives of the body, they often do this by depicting the body in ways that can be described as very unhealthy.

For example: from an interview with Achaan Jumnien: “If lust is a problem, use the contemplation of the repulsiveness of the body until you can see its true nature more clearly, unhindered by desires.”

(Quote from: Living Dharma Jack Kornfield Shambhala Publications Boston 1996 Page 277)

For another example: from an interview with Taungpulu Sayadaw:

“On contemplation on the thirty-two constituent parts of this…body, it will be realized there is nothing worth protecting, no desire that is satisfying, no lasting self that is to be found in this impersonal collection we call body and mind. Indeed, it will be seen as loathsome personified, absolutely unclean and undesireable.”

(Quote from: Living Dharma Jack Kornfield Shambhala Publications Boston 1996 Page 191)

Buddhist monasteries founded in a celibate lifestyle have endured in one form or another for 2500 years, often under very oppressive social conditions. So, this extremely negative and life-negating view of the human body has at least served to help people establish and maintain their mindfulness and celibacy, but one wonders at what personal and societal costs? To balance the above citations, it is also important to add that some modern Buddhist commentators have presented more moderate and healthier views in their public talks on the subject of the body and the sexual drives. Still, unhealthy and life-negating views such as the ones above are present throughout much of the Theravada Suttas and commentaries. They are also very, very common in the literature of other spiritual cultures as well.

By suggesting these Suttas and related commentaries as being well worth sustained study, I want to also strongly emphasize the importance of keeping an eye out for such negative comments. It is important to read these comments to see what they are revealing about some of the shadow drives and life-negating underbelly of some forms of Buddhist monastic culture. It is important to be aware when one is reading any spiritual literature to see whether the writer has a healthy view of the human body and sexuality or an unhealthy view.

If one wishes to live a celibate lifestyle, then hopefully there are better ways to establish and maintain a healthy celibacy rather than viewing the body as loathsome and repulsive. In fact, as I wrote in the “Simple Path of Holiness” in the Chapter “Freedom and Intimacy Part 2,” I believe there are healthier ways to establish a celibate life-style. And, in that chapter, I presented specific practices regarding my thoughts on how one can do this. I will return again to these considerations later on in the discussions of the “Contemplation of Mental Objects,”  which is the fourth section of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness. For now it is enough to know that the arising of sexual desire, is an example of one of the mental objects considered. So too is the general subject of how to prevent unwanted sexual urges, or any other unwanted desire, from arising.

For those who have chosen to live a sexually active lifestyle, it is important to examine one’s views of their own body and sexual drives and to make choices regarding sexual partners and practices that are healthy and life-affirming.

Being fully aware of what a particular passage of spiritual literature is saying about the body and sexuality is another excellent way to cultivate mindfulness and insight. Such observations will allow you to see and to study some hidden aspects of a spiritual culture that are usually glossed over by their apologists.

Being fully aware of one’s own views of the sexual attractiveness of their body and their confidence or lack thereof as to whether they are a skillful satisfying sexual partner is another excellent way to cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness. Examining the nature and origin of all one’s sexual desires, fantasies, and practices, those one acts upon, and those one does not wish to let others know they have, this practice of mindfulness of the body and mind is also more than a little instructive. But, further discussions of these ways to practice mindful awareness of the feelings that arise regarding the sensations of the body can also be deferred to later posts in this series.

For now it is enough to note that Freud was wrong about many of his comments on human sexuality. But he was right about how uniquely instructive it is to examine carefully and to speak openly with a trusted mentor about the feelings and perspectives one has about their body, their sexual drives, and their level of sexual confidence. No other single introspection will tell you more about the base structures of your psyche and self-esteem than this one. As you learn more about how you view your body and your sexuality this will help you learn how to make healthy choices with regards to a celibate or sexually active lifestyle.

However, as noted, for now I think it makes sense to keep going with a presentation of the basics of observing the sensations of the body which is, again, the first of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.”

Peace,

Will Raymond

774-232-0884

In Part three of this series on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, I am continuing my commentary on mindfulness of the body, which is the first of the practices from the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” As noted in earlier parts of this series, one need not be or become a Buddhist to study this approach to meditation. While the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is the english translation of the name of a Buddhist Sutta; the “Satipatthana Sutta,” the basic practice can be adapted to your current beliefs whether you are one who believes in God, one who does not, or one who is not sure what to believe.

Mindfulness, or being “in the moment” are such widely used terms in both popular and educated progressivist culture, they have become almost cliche. What is important is how little time most of us spend actually being grounded in the present moment. Many people who are beginners, and even those with fairly significant familiarity with meditation, often allow their mind to drift into the future with anxiety and uncertainty, or to the past with resentments or regrets. I am not saying a person should not think of the future or the past when it is enjoyable, beneficial, or necessary to do so. What I am saying is that when one decides to think of the future or the past that they make a conscious choice to do so, and not because their mind has wandered or “jumped” into the future or the past. What I am also saying is that when a person decides they want to stay in the present moment, moment-by-moment, for extended periods of time that they have the skill, focus, and discipine to do so.

Developing the skill, focus,and discipline, to stay in the present moment for extended periods of time is a key point of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” Learning to observe the breath and body, as well as the emotions, thoughts, and general state of consciousness in greater and greater detail are like calisthenics for the mind. It will become easier to stay in the moment without wandering off. This works the same way for the mind as it does when after steady running exercise you can run two miles a day fairly easily when before you used to only be able to manage a few hundred yards. Another key part of this process is to engage this work of observation and “gazing” at the moment with more compassion, and with a gentler tone to your compassionate gaze.

In fact if one were to chart the progression from one stage of mindfulness to progressively deeper stages of mindfulness, peace and insight these advances in practice would correspond directly to progressively more tender tones of compassion and acceptance.

So it is not just the intentness of mindful watching, but the lightness and tenderness of the tone of the watching and the compassionate element of the watching that is important.

Learning to do this with less impatience and less harsh judgement of one’s self and others are equally important parts of this work.

You will begin to see there is much more happening in each moment than you were aware of. Having a wider circle of awareness is the simplest way to define the expression “expanding consciousness.” You are simply noticing a wider range of sensations, emotions, and thoughts in any particular moment than you did before. You are broadening the circle of phenomena that you are consiously noticing. You are becoming more awake.

If the focus of your meditation is on the breath as it passes in and out of the nostrils you will begin to see there are many more micromoments of sensation throughout the cycle of each breath at the tip or entry to the nostrils. This is especially noticeable as your breath slows and becomes refined. The inbreath is long and slow, the point at the top of the inbreath, before you begin to exhale, also has many fine micro-sensations as does the long slope of the outbreath. At the bottom of the outbreath, the pause before the next in- breath may become, over time, longer were there is very little in the way of sensation. In these moments, with so little going on, it can be harder to maintain one’s awareness without some thought or desire jumping in and “hijacking” the mind. But if you can hang in there and maintain your awareness during this pause, your mindfulness will become that much more established.

This is just as true if you are observing the rising and falling of a single point in the abdomen if the abdomen is your focus of awareness of the breath.

If you are having a hard time staying with the breath in just one of these places, then allow your awareness to monitor the different sensations in both the nostrils, and the abdomen, and the chest until you are able to stay with the breath. Having multiple points of awareness of sensations caused by the breath will allow the mind to calm and center on the breath and the moment. As this happens you can proceed to narrow your range of awareness to just two points of the breath, and then to one.

If you favor the body scan, as compared with just observing the breath, then you can move your awareness randomly from hand to knee, to breath, to buttocks. to legs, to chin, to ear etc. Or you can do a more systematic study of every joint of every finger on each hand and other micro-studies of various parts of the body. The first key is do this mindfully without the mind drifting into recollections of what happened last week at work, or what you need to do next month etc. The second key is to begint to notice how many sensations of the body there are that you did not previously notice.

The beauty of practicing mindful awareness of the breath and the body is that you can do these exercises in both formal sitting meditation and, just as naturally, in the active moments of your life. It is the seamless way this practice can carry over from the meditation session to the active hours of one’s life that is a primary benefit of this overall approach.

Another way to practice awareness of the body is to notice if your posture is upright or perhaps a bit slouched, or maybe even quite slouched. You can dedicate 5-10 minutes of sitting practice just to improving the quality of your posture, or you can make the entire session about maintaining a posture that is upright but not rigid.

When you get up from the cushion you can monitor the sensations of the body and your posture as you stand up and move on to whatever is the next task you have.

As you go through the day, what is important is not to strain to try to observe every sensation as you move your body or breath. Rather the goal is to develop a level of awareness of the breath and the body in the present moment. You can observe the sensations of the body and the breath while at work, while taking a shower, while cooking food, while having intimate relations, while grocery shopping or in the midst of any other activity. There is no need to try to have some profound meditation experience during the times of formal sitting practice or during the active moments of your life, unless some profound experience naturally arises. Rather the goal is to have an innocent curiosity about what is happening now and to develop the abiliy to stay in the “now” for longer and longer periods of time without the mind being hijacked by some thought or desire.

Like the young boy in the movie the Karate Kid, you may be wondering, “Is there any point at all to this tedious ‘painting of the fence?’ ”

Yes, there is great and profound benefit to doing this most basic of exercises with more and more clear awareness and attention to detail and with more compassion and less judgement. Steady consistent practice will strenghten the stamina and quality of alert focus of the mind. Over time you will see more and more subtle ways to care for your body and to preserve health or respond to sickness. Over time you will learn more ways to clear your mind so you can see and respond to whatever is happening more skillfully.

You will become ready for more subtle and important ways to practice both Insight meditation and deeper concentration exercises.

In the next installment I will present other aspects of practice from the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness with regards to observing tne mindfulness of breathing and awareness of the body. The first of which is to begin to notice the impermanence of the sensations of the breath and the body and what lessons can be learned from seeing the arising and passing of all sensations.

Peace,

Will

In Part 1 of this series I offered an overview of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” which is the 22nd Sutta from the Long Discourses of the Buddha. One does not need to be a Buddhist to benefit from this Sutta. The basic practices can easily be adapted to any form of belief whether one is a Christian, an atheist, a Muslim, a capitalist, a Jew or whether one is not sure what to believe.

In Part 2 of this series I will focus on the 1st of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” which is mindfulness of the body. Most introductions to Buddhist meditation focus in mindfulness of breathing, which is one aspect of the body. It is unfortunate that these general introductions do not explain that mindfulness of breathing is but one aspect of the mindfulness of the body, and that mindfulness of the body is only one of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” I believe, a more complete introduction of all four of the foundations, and grounding that introduction more clearly in the context of the 22nd Sutta so that people actually read this Sutta, would be helpful. I believe this is especially the case for those students who favor a comprehensive orientation when studying a particular form of meditation.

Mindfulness of the breath can be a bit too hard for many to follow because their mind is too active. Having a mantra they can repeat over and over again is helpful to them as the mantra or sacred phrase gives the language centers of the mind something to do. What is possible is to link the repetition of the mantra to the inbreath and the outbreath. After a few weeks or months (or years) when the mind begins to calm it is possible to drop the mantra as the mind will be disciplined and focused enough to focus on the wordless awareness of the breath. Or you can keep going with the mantra. Whatever decisions you make in this regard, it is very useful that you also be more and more aware of the finer aspects of the breath and the sensations in the body that arise and pass as you breathe in and out.

While it may seem to be picky, different Buddhist teachers focus on the breath as it enters the nostrils, or the breath in that point of the abdomen where you feel the rising and falling of the abdomen most clearly as you breath in and out.

Either point of focus is fine. Whether you use the breath alone or the breath with a mantra is also fine. The general idea is to pick one aspect of the breath as a narrow focus as one of the ways to cultivate a more moment-to-moment awareness of the body.

If the breath is short and fast, let it be short and fast. If the breath becomes slow and refined, let it be slow and refined. What is important is to just be as aware of the inbreath and the outbreath as you can be.

If you wish to progress a bit more quickly there is another trick you can use. When the mind wanders, which for most of us happens pretty often, take the time to notice if you tense up. See if you have any feeling that you have “screwed up” because you can’t do something as simple as follow the breath for a few minutes. If you have tensed up or judged yourself in any way, then offer yourself a gentle gift of compassion and non-judgement before you return to the breath. See if you can “let go” of the tension a bit more. If you can’t you can’t, but if you can be at least be open to learning how to “let go” that will be good enough.

One of the primary benefits of this practice is to observe how tense the body may be.

Another way to practice mindfulness of the body is to expand the circle of awareness from the breath to do what is called a “body scan.”  With this scan of the body you are moving the attention to observe all the different sensations of the body you can feel. Whether you are sitting cross legged on a cushion of in a chair, turn your attention to every sensation of the hands and legs that you can. You can do this either in a random way of moving the awareness around the body, or you can systematically scan, in detail, every nook and cranny of the body beginining with the toes, all the way up the ankle, calf, knees, thigh, hips, fingers, hands, lower and upper arm, elbow, shoulders, spine lower and upper back, neck, jaw, face, eyes, ears, base of skull, and crown of head .

Whether you focus just on one point of the sensations of the breath in the nostrils, or scan every detail of the body you will be making progress. You will begin to see there is a lot more happening in the body than you were aware of. You will already, in a basic way, be expanding the circle of awareness and consciousness.

You will begin to see that the breath and the body are always with you. Whether in formal meditation practice or in general mindfulness during the work day, the breath and the body are always present. This awareness of the body will be a help to “remember to remember” to be in the moment you are living now. As simple as it may sound, as common a cliche as “being in the moment” has come to be, actually being disciplined to be in the moment more often and to be aware of what is happening in the moment will prove to be of enormous benefit. Over the course of this series, these benefits will be presented in greater and greater detail. Over the course of this series you will see that “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” will help you see more and more of what is happening in “real time.”

The awareness of the breath in particular, and the awareness of the body in general is a good place to begin.

I will offer more thoughts on the mindfulnes of the breath and the body in the next part of this series.

Suffice it to say that one general goal is to really see where the body is tense, and where the muscles are tight and sore. Observe these places and experience without judgement. It is enough to begin to see how amazingly intricate the “City of the Body,” is. Over time you will begin to see it is unbelievably intricate and subtle.

It is enough to patiently and compassionately see where you are tense and where you are calm. Over time you can learn to de-stress the body and the mind.

Where is there illness? Where is there health and well-being? These are other important aspects of the body to explore with greater acceptance, calm, and awareness as you seek to tend to the needs of the body more and more skillfully.

Peace,

Will Raymond  

For a brief background note, “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is the 22nd Sutta (discourse) from “The Long Discourses of the Buddha.” The original language these discourses were written in is Pali. “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term the Satipatthana Sutta. The Long Discourses of the Buddha is a translation of the Pali Phrase the Digha Nikaya. Pail is a simplified version of Sanskrit and it is the language used in the writing of the original Buddhist texts.

Wisdom Publications offer a volume of “The Long Discourses of the Buddha,” translated by Maurice Walshe. This translation is considered by many senior scholars and teachers to be the best English translation to date of these important Buddhist texts.

One way to think of these Four Foundations is to view them as a separate ways to study four different aspects of the mind/body continuum: sensations, feelings, general State of mind, and specific thoughts and desires.

The Satipatthana Sutta is the most systematic exposition of mindfulness training in the Buddhist suttas. It is one of the most important suttas in the Pali Canon. It is a seminal text of Theravada Buddhism, which is better known in the west as Vipassana Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is the oldest form of Buddhism we know about. It is the primary tradition that Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, & Bhante Gunaratana were trained in.

Another way to think of this work is that it offers four different ways to further develop mindfulness and insight in both formal silent meditation practice and in the active hours of life.

The first foundation is to be mindful of the sensations of the body.

The second foundation is to be mindful of the feelings, although the Theravada Buddhists are not using the term feelings in quite the same way we do in modern times. I will expand on these comments later in this series. For now it is enough to be aware they are referring to one of three very basic mood tones. Is the basic mood tone satisfying, unsatisfying, or neutral?

The third foundation is to be mindful of the states of mind. Is the state of mind relaxed and open, or tense and constricted? Is the state of mind clouded and hazy, or clear or lucid? There are a number of other basic descriptive terms referenced in the Sutta.

The fourth way is to be mindful of mind-objects. This term mind objects refers to different perceptions, thoughts, urges, or hungers of the mind. These mind objects might be the presence or absence of one of the five hindrances, or one of the ten fetters. Other categories are the presence or absence of one of the seven factors of enlightenment, or the six aggregates.  One of the benefits of a careful study of this Sutta is that it is necssary to gain a better definition and understanding of these different terms, all of which are central to Buddhist practice, as one seeks to apply the teachings of this Sutta.

There are many important nuances and aspects to each of these four fields of study as one seeks to apply these skills during times of formal meditation and in the active hours of one’s life. Over the next few weeks, I will offer what I hope are useful comments on each of these four aspects of the mind/body continuum.

What is helpful is these practices can be adapted to your meditation practice whether you practice is a God Centered Path, an atheist path, or a practice centered in “not sure what to believe,” path. Although I can also add that many orthodox Theravada Buddhists would not agree with my views on this point as they are committed atheists. All I can say about this is to offer a suggestion that you be just as wary of Orthodox Theravada Buddhists as you would with anyone who thinks their form of Orthodoxy is the “Only Way.”  Over the next few decades and generations, the limitations and narrowness of each of the world’s orthodox traditions will become more and more apparent. What we need to be careful of is to not get so carried away with reform that we miss the irreplaceable value of the various ancient orthodox traditions of the world. But neither should be be blind to the simple fact that orthodox Buddhists might be just as mistaken about some aspects of their teachings as Orthodox Jews, Christians, Muslims, Scientists, Atheists, or Hindus.

In closing, I think a careful study of the Satipatthana Sutta, is a great way to understand how Theravada Buddhists think and talk about sensations of the body, core emotional mood tones, states of mind, and the various thoughts and appetites generated by the mind and body.

As I have looked into various commentaries on this Sutta, I feel I am gaining a far better understanding of both basic and advanced applications of Theravada Buddhist practice.

As I have become more familiar with how to apply the teachings in this Sutta, I continue to be impressed at the depth and sophistication of this ancient work.

Peace,

Will Raymond

It is my impression that most people who teach meditation skip some very important steps when they talk to students about unconditional love or forgiving those who have harmed them.

It seems to me that most teachers either in their talks or books launch too quickly into their views on the value of unconditional love and the practice of offering compassion to all who live. What I feel is more helpful is to take the time to talk to people about whatever levels of anger, or aggressive urges, or thoughts of revenge they may be experiencing. Take the time to find out about the situations in their past or present which they are struggling to deal with. To the best of your ability find ways to acknowledge that their feelings are either completely reasonable or at least understandable. Don’t try to launch right away into some discussion about how they need to “pray for their enemies” or ” to offer love and compassion” to their antagonists during silent meditation.  I am not saying these are not good and proper suggestions. What I am saying is that part of what is happening when people are hurt, angry, and confused is that they need someone to listen to them and to see things the way they are seeing them. Over time as people feel supported and acknowledged it will be far more possible for them to engage the work of diminishing serious resentments through talk therapy, silent meditation, prayer and the like.

The real danger is that if a person is told to let go of their anger before they are able to do so, this attempt will likely lead to only greater levels of frustration. Many will feel they are being told that there is something wrong with their feelings or that they should just let the person they are angry with  “get away with it.” The conflict between what they are feeling is in direct contrast to the moral and spiritual messages they are being given. This conflict can be quite trying. Some may try to repress the anger or rage they are feeling because they think they “should” do so.  This will only add stress to their psyche and can create a pressure cooker experience within the person where sooner or later they will lash out with even greater anger or aggression than before.

All of these suggestions are offered with the assumption that a student realizes the need to develop better coping skills with difficult people and situations and is moving in the direction of learning how to love and forgive more freely. It is just that helping them get to the point where they can offer love and compassion to all who live requires, in my opinion, more patience that is commonly used and a series of preparatory steps that are commonly skipped.

What I feel is most practical and helpful is to ask a student to make a list of the people they love and with whom they have little or no conflict. Helping a person offer love and good wishes during meditation to those people they love or at least like is an excellent way to help them begin what might be a long process. This very simple practice will allow a person to think about ways they can improve the quality of the love, respect, and friendship they offer to those they care about the most.

As a person learns to improve the love, respect and friendship they offer to those they care about, the experiences that arise from these efforts will generate sufficient momentum that will allow them to begin to widen the circle of people they offer love and best wishes to during their meditation. Slowly, patiently as you work with them, and walk with them, and be someone who is a “safe person” for them, they can then learn to forgive people who are harder to forgive.

The goal is to offer unconditional love and forgiveness to all who live and this is an essential skill to be willing to learn if one wishes to reach the deepest experiences of peace in meditation. It is just that it is important to help people move towards this goal gradually, and at a realistic pace given the feelings that may be active within them at present.

Peace

Will Raymond  will@meditationpractice.com

The practice of silently offering unconditional to all who live is an established practice in many traditions of meditation. I believe it is described in greatest detail in the Buddhist Vipassana practice of Metta which is the first of the Bramavihara practices.

Before relaying the details of that practice I want to offer a note of caution that I highlight in the chapter on Affirmation in my book the Simple Path of Holiness. That cautionary note is this: don’t try to force yourself to forgive those people with whom you are angry and resentful. The day will come when you will want and need to learn how to forgive and offer love to those people who by all ordinary reckoning deserve neither love or forgiveness. But that day does not have to be today or tomorrow. It is enough that you focus on learning how to offer love and best wishes to those people you love and care about the most.

It is enough to basically know who you do not wish to forgive and those people towards whom you may harbor powerful resentments. Hate them for as long as you feel it to be necessary. Just do what you can to make sure you do not act on any aggressive urges unless a situation develops where violence is the only way to defend yourself or others from imminent attack.

As you learn to improve the quality and clarity of love to those you love and to those who you like and those whom you only moderately dislike, you will develop insight and skill.

As you learn whatever is the next level of non-violent conflict resolution skills for you to learn, you will develop additional insight and skill.

These insights and skills will allow you to find creative ways to work to soften the resentments or harsh feelings towards those people you now call “despicable”.

What I have been taught, and someone reminded me again recently, when you start your practice of silently offering unconditional love and forgiveness make sure you spend good quality time offer these wishes towards yourself. A greater degree of forgiveness of self, or affirmation of self, will go along way to allowing your mind and body to relax into the deeper states of peace that are possbile with practice.

Spend a few minutes, or half and hour, or more, with the following prayers:

May I be happy, May I be well.

May I learn to forgive myself for the foolish choices I have made that hurt me or others.

You can then proceed to those you wish to pray for:

May they be happy. May they be well.

May they come to know the joy, health and prosperity that all men and women seek for their life and for their family and community.

After a while let go of the words and simple see if you can feel yourself simply offering a silent gift of compassion and best wishes to those you are closest to an then to wider and wider circles of people you know.

Over time you will be able to make some breakthroughs and dissolve the resentments you hold towards others, even those you may feel are truly evil.

As more people learn the gift of offering love to all who live, the world will change.

If enough people take seriously the responsibility of this silent practice, we as a species  may be able to significantly mitigate the terrible catastrophies we are hurtling towards as a result of unbridled anger, fear, harsh judgement, insipid selfishness, and run-a-way technology.

Sit quietly alone or with others. Silently offer the best quality love and forgiveness you have towards your own life and to as wide a circle of people as you possibly can.

When you can make the breakthrough to offer love to all who live and all how ever have lived, and all who ever will live.

This is a Prayer for a Burning Planet.

Will

I studied meditation with a variety of Catholic and Buddhist teachers. Catholic Centering Prayer and Buddhist Vipassana meditation are the forms of meditation I studied the most.To a lessor extent I am familiar with Hindu, Greek Orthodox, and Sufi traditions as well. I have also known quite a few people in various recovery or 12 step programs who had strong views on spirituality.

Most of the teachers and lay people who had developed their views on spirituality had at least one trait in common. They tended, not so surprisingly, to believe that their beliefs were correct and they were not interested much one way or the other in my doubts or questions.

For example those following traditional or Orthodox Christianity would invariably say that the suffering and violence of the world was not God’s fault. When faced with the inevitable question, “How could an all powerful, all seeing, all knowing God allow the violence, suffering and natural disasters in the world?” They would say, ” God created the world and humanity perfectly. Humans defied God’s will and law out of sin and rebellious disobedience. It is this sin and rebellion that caused the fall of man and ushered in evil, violence, suffering, disease and the rest.

Indeed this view permeates all of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim views on this most important question, ” What is the relationship between divine love and power and human suffering?”

When I consistently voice my concerns that this core teaching never made any sense to me, most would add something like, ” God has a plan for every life, we often cannot see what that plan is?”  So I thought if a woman is raped and murdered this is somehow part of God’s plan for her life?

What I never felt happened regardless of who I was speaking to is this: my views, my questions, my doubts, were not important or somehow missed the point. In short if I did not agree with them the fault was with me not in their teachings.

What I learned from these countless experiences is this. Find out what are the most important doubts and unanswered questions a person who is studying meditation may have. Help them to articulate their doubts and questions more clearly and to refine their questions.

Assuming that a person is asking their questions not as some intellectual game or some way or avoiding any real searching, help them to honor their doubts and give them ways to explore how they can find answers they are looking for.

Honor your doubts and unanswered questions. They are among the most important resouces you have to work with.

The same goes for your truths. Honor your truths with the integrity with which you live your life.

By honoring the truths you have found and the doubts and unasnwered questions you have, this is a powerful set of tools that will help you find the way forward to whatever is the next level of understanding and peace that is available to you.

What is important in all of this, is to resist the temptation to try to control the answers people will come to in their search. Rather, the work as a meditation teachers is to help people search for truth, in ways that are true for them.

It is to support this approach to teaching meditation that I wrote, “The Simple Path of Holiness.”

Will Raymond  will@meditationpractice.com

In the old style of meditation the teacher says: “This is what we believe. If you think carefully about these matters you will come to believe as we do. This is our sacred book, and most important commentaries on truth and liberation. Read these books carefully and you too will come to understand that our sacred books are true.”

In the new style of meditation the teacher begins by asking questions: “What do you believe?” Are there any beliefs about whether God exists or not that you are completely sure are true? If so what are those beliefs? How do you know they are true?”

“If there are no beliefs that you are sure are true, are there any spiritual, philosophical, or ethical beliefs you feel may be true, which you are willing to explore further? If so what beliefs about spirituality, atheism, or ethics are you willing to explore more carefully to see if they are true for you?

In the new style of meditation the teacher is seeking to help the student find out what is their vision of life, truth, love, and ethics by asking some very basic questions:

1) “Do you believe God exists, or do you believe there is no God, or are you really not sure one way or the other?

2) “In such matters what are your most important doubts and unanswered questions?”

3) “What is the center of your moral compass?”

4) “What changes do you wish to make in your life?”

5) “From where can you find the inner strength needed to make the changes in your life that you have been unable to make so far?

Depending how the student answers these question, will determine what manner of meditation practice is best suited for them. For meditation can be of great benefit to those who believe in God, those who do not, and those who are not sure what to believe.

It needs to be added that for this approach to meditation to work, the student must freely choose to embrace high standards of sincerity, honesty, open-mindedness, and personal integrity in their search and in their dealings with all other people. Assuming a person freely embraces these high standards and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to them, they are a good candidate for meditation practice. If a person has no interest in such a commitment then there probably is no need for them to spend much time thinking about meditation one way or the other.

The teacher’s responsibility is to have a wide range of knowledge of many different meditation practices and beliefs so they can help the student find the style and resources that work best for them.

Peace,
Will