You sit down for a few minutes, or longer, to practice meditation.

You have chosen the breath as the object of your meditation or you have chosen to repeat over and over some word or phrase that is meaningful to you. Those who believe in God approach meditation in one way, those who do not believe follow another path as do those who are not sure what to believe.

After a few moments, or minutes, you “wake-up” and realize you have drifted off into some distraction and have lost your focus on the breath or your sacred word.

What are the most effective ways to work with distractions? Here are a few suggestions:

1) In the moment you realize you have become distracted notice carefully if there is any sense of self-reproach in that moment and the ones that follow? Is there any tension or judgement of self for having lost your focus again?

If there is, do not judge yourself for having judged yourself. See if you can offer a patient knowing smile towards yourself and gently draw your attention back to the breath or sacred word. Observe any frustration or impatience that may arise without judging yourself for “being a bad meditator”. Just observe the feelings and thoughts that do arise in the moment when you realize you have become distracted yet again.

Observe and notice without judgement and gently draw your attention back to the breath or sacred word, or whatever theme you have chosen as the object of your meditation.

2) Pause for a moment to consider whether the distraction was a thought about the past or the future. You can be sure it was one of the two, for if you had remained focused on the present you would still be focused on your breath or sacred word or phrase.

Pause for a few moments to observe your buttocks sitting on the cushion or chair. Notice the sensations of the body as well, such as the abdomen rising and falling as you breathe in and out or the feeling of your hands whether they are folded or resting on your knees.

Checking in with the sensations of your body always opens the door back to the present.

Once you feel grounded in the sensations of the body in the present moment you can then draw your attention back to the more narrow focus of the breath at the point of the nostrils or to your sacred word. What is helpful about this technique is that you can begin to notice how often the mind drifts off into the past or the future both during meditation and in the active hours of life. Remembering to remember to notice whether it is the past or the future you are thinking about will be helpful. Remembering to then notice any of the different sensations of the body will begin to strengthen the ability to return to the present moment and to remain focused as new moments unfold.

3) Another way of working with distractions is to notice who you were thinking about during the distraction. Was it some thought about yourself? Was it a thought about your wife or husband, child, or parent, boss or co-worker? Were you thinking about some political issue or the politician involved in that issue?

Whoever it was, pause for a moment and offer a loving wish either to yourself or whoever you were thinking of and then return to the object of your meditation. “May I be happy. May I be well”, or, “May they be happy. May they be well.” A simple moment to exercise your skills and develop your talent with loving-kindness is all that is needed. Then return to the awareness of your breath or sacred word or phrase.

Any one of these techniques or a combination of two of them, or all of them, will help as you work with distractions. They are helpful because each of them will allow you to notice another nuance about your inner experience during meditation or in the active hours of your life. These efforts will allow you to accept the fact that the mind often becomes distracted. These efforts will also, over time, strengthen the power of mindfulness so that distractions will begin to happen less frequently.

Over time you will begin to see all the different streams of phenomena that make up the overall sense if your interior experience.

There are the sensations of sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and the passing thoughts of the moment.

There are the words that make up the sentences that make up the inner dialogue of our mind and the distractions we experience.

There are the times of self-judgement and the judgement of others and other interpretive valuations.

There is a general tendency for the mind to skip absent-mindedly into the past or the future?

There is the general sense, either potent or not-so-potent, of “I” and “me” and “mine”

There are the various feelings of anger, fear, happiness, guilt, triumph, desire, and loss.

The mind, the brain, and the body are a vast and intricate web threads that are woven together into the complex quilt or mosaic we individually call “I” or “me” or “my experience”.

Sitting in meditation and paying a bit closer attention to the distractions when we notice we have become distracted is one way to begin to see how much is going on moment by moment in the mind. How much is arising, how much is continuing to be present, how much is fading and being supplanted by the next arising phenomena?

Above all be patient with yourself. There is a lot more happening in your mind and body than you are aware. Any one of the multiple sensations or fleeting clusters, feelings or thoughts can be enough to hijack the mind into one distraction or another.

Be patient. All of this is more challenging and more rewarding than it may appear.

What have you chosen to use as the object of your meditation? Have you chosen the breath, or some sacred word, phrase, or image?

How often do you find you are distracted during a meditation sessions. How do you work with the distractions that do arise?

Send me a note. All clear and constructive comments will be posted.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” Host of MeditationPractice.com will@meditationpractice.com    774-232-0884

Some people believe strongly that God exists.

Some people believe equally strongly that there is no such thing as a soul, or the soul’s journey to God, or God.

Some people are not sure what to believe.

What is important is to ask yourself as honestly as you can a few questions, “What do I believe is the truth of this life?” “Do I really believe what I say I believe, or do I just give my answers to such questions because these are the answers I have always given?”

If you believe God exists, then how do you know that what you believe is true?

If you believe there is no God, how can you be sure your view is correct?

If you really are not sure whether God exists or not, how can you proceed to explore this question to see if there is a way to find out one way or the other?

The more carefully one examines their beliefs, the more they will be able to see that they really are less sure of their answers to important questions than perhaps they let on. The more one examines the foundations of their beliefs the more they will find out the foundations of their beliefs are pretty shaky and generally poorly thought out

This is just as valuable an exercise for believers as it is for atheists.

Certainly there are many people in religion, politics, philosophy, business, and science who will tell you with great certainty what their beliefs are and why they are correct to believe as they do. They will give you their arguments in a confident form as though there could not be any other interpretation.

In fact one of the core traits that an atheist such as Richard Dawkins, or a Christian Fundamentalist such as Jerry Falwell, or a Vipassana Buddhist such as Mu Soeng have in common is how convinced they are they are right and that alternative views are wrong.

In limited questions of science or the history of religion there are many questions that have clear answers where someone is right and those of the opposite view are wrong. But that is not the case with the great question of whether God exists or not.

There is plenty of evidence to conclude that there is no God or at least not one that has any particular concerns whether any of us live or die. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that God, or universal spirit, is indeed the foundation of all existence and is available as a source of strength and inspiration for our personal life.

In my view there are a couple of important points.

Think carefully and honestly about what you believe is the truth of whether God does or does not exist. Look carefully at the foundations of your beliefs to see if they are as solid as you think they are or whether in truth they are a hodge-podge of sketchy assumptions and hazily thought out opinions.

Let your unanswered questions emerge. Give yourself the permission to inquire whether you really believe what you say is true, or whether you believe as you do because someone else told you it was true.

Draw your attention to whatever few core beliefs and values you either are sure are true or you feel are at least worthy of deeper exploration.

Pay particular attention to those core beliefs and ask yourself, “Is there room for improvement in the way I practice what I preach?”

Look carefully at all of your relationships and ask yourself, “Is there room for improvement in the love and respect I offer to others?”  

If the answer to these questions is, “Yes”, then look honestly and sincerely at your life as you search for ways to live your core truths and values with greater integrity and fidelity.

Look carefully at the way you treat friends, lovers, family, co-workers, neighbors, store clerks, and others. Regardless of whether you know the answers to the great questions of life and faith, each of us can find our way forward to the next deeper level of peace and understanding by improving the way we treat ourselves and others.

From this simple practice, great truths will emerge.

Careful, sincere, patient searching for ways to be more faithful to both your core truths and your core unanswered questions will support your practice of meditation in this way.

You will be much more clear about what you really believe is true and those beliefs you either are not sure of or which you come to see need to be set aside. A deeper respect for the subtlety and the confusion that most of us feel with regards the great mysteries of life will engender, hopefully, a true and meaningful humility. The humility to know that one is often wrong and that others are sometimes right.

Sorting out what you truly believe from what you no longer believe, or at least are no longer quite so sure of, is also beneficial.

You will find a few simple beliefs to which you can devote your best and most lucid efforts.

You will be able to gather your energy and concentrate your best efforts to cultivate the full potential of your beliefs and core values.

There is a secret to making progress with the practice of silent meditation. This secret works just as well for atheists as it does for believers and those who are genuinely perplexed.

The secret is this. You do not need to know the answers to the great questions of this life unless you naturally feel you do.

It is enough to commit much stronger efforts to the simplest of beliefs than most people would ordinarily think of doing. A full engagement of the simplest beliefs and values over the long contours of your life will help you unlock the great power of simple views and virtues. A full engagement of the simplest beliefs and values will allow you to reach the highest states of consciousness and wisdom available in this life.

This is the secret.

Please let me know what you are working on with your practice. All sincere comments will be acknowledged and posted.

Peace

Will Raymond will@meditationpractice.com     774-232-0884

Author of The Simple Path of Holiness and Host of MeditationPractice.com

What you believe, what you truly believe, is the truth of this life is important.

For what you believe is the truth of this life will shape every aspect of your practice of silent meditation.

Last week I discussed how one relates their belief in God or universal spirit to their practice of meditation. Please see last week’s post for those comments. This week I want to offer some comments to help atheists as they begin their practice of meditation.

For atheists who wish to practice meditation the process is similar but the words or tones are different. An atheist is one who believes there is no such thing as a soul or God or universal spirit of life. The best examples I know of atheists who practice meditation are the Theravada Buddhists. Other terms for this tradition are Vipassana or Insight Meditation. Other good examples of atheists who are serious about meditation are Zen Buddhists. While I personally do not believe Zen Buddhists are really atheists, I believe I am correct in assuming many Zen Buddhists would certainly not use the word God in the same way that Christians, Jews, Moslems, and Hindus do.

Atheists may naturally choose the breath as the focus of their meditation. What could be simpler? As they breathe in they focus on the sensations of the in-breath. When they breathe out they focus on the out-breath. Or they may simply scan the sensations of the body, or the emotions and thoughts of the mind, as they arise, have impact, and pass away.

Still some Buddhists who are atheists have the same problem focusing on the breath as do believers. Being non-verbal, the breath is too general and too subtle for many atheists to be able to keep their mind focused on it for any length of time. Atheists find they are constantly getting distracted in the same way believers are. To solve this dilemma some Theravada Buddhists also choose the recitation of a word as an alternative to the breath. They recite “Buddho” on the in breath and “Buddho” on the out breath.

Choosing a word or phrase gives the word-and-thought center of the mind something to do. Having a word or phrase is a way to center the mind on one thing as compared to a constant stream of ad hoc distractions.

Many Tibetan Buddhists use another phrase “Om Mani Padme Hum”. This is a phrase repeated in silence or out loud. For some it is a list of values one needs to follow closely. For others the phrase invokes the blessings of Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara both of whom are figures which are viewed as embodiments of perfect compassion.

For modern atheists who do not wish to repeat the word “Buddho”, or some phrase or mantra which seems very close to invoking a form of Goddess worship, there are other choices.

“Love” is one choice that works as well for atheists as it does for believers. “Freedom” is another. Some with a philosophical bent may find the words “existence” or “being” to be relevant. For phrases one might choose something like “I open my mind and heart to truth and illumination” or, “Quieting the mind, quieting the heart”.  What is important is to find a word or phrase that is closely related to your core values.

What is also important is this.

Whether you are one who believes in God, or the universal spirit of life, or whether you believe there is no God is not as critical to attaining high states of consciousness and liberation as it once was believed to be by many spiritual cultures.

What is important is that you develop a high degree of fidelity to those beliefs you do ascribe to, assuming your beliefs are centered one way or another in love, compassion, and high degrees of personal integrity. Regardless of whether you feel called to choose a God centered or an Atheist set of beliefs you will need to make very strong commitments to cultivating the highest quality skills you can with core practices and values of love, forgiveness, charity, courage, humility, and the search for insight and wisdom.

These core values are essential to the attainment of the deeper experiences of peace and freedom that are available in the practice of meditation. It is simple. You will not attain liberation with shoddy efforts with these values. But these core values are general enough they can be adapted to one’s beliefs whether one follows one particular religion or no religion at all.

What do you really believe is the truth of this life? What core values do you have that you know you need to cultivate with greater sincerity and self-honesty about the work you still have to do.

Atheists and believers have the same challenge. When you get stuck you can be sure the way forward is always to be found with greater sincerity and self-honesty about the efforts you are making with love, compassion, and those beliefs you say you have faith in.

What do you believe is the truth of this life?

Where are you kidding yourself about the quality of effort you are making to reform and renew the moral values at the center of your life?

Peace,

Will Raymond will@meditationpractice.com   774-232-0884

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness and Host of MeditationPractice.com

I am at the Natural Living Expo 2013 trade show this week-end in Marlborough, MA.

It is a great and large gathering. Many sincere and open minded people.

I have had the great pleasure of speaking to many people who are interested in meditation but have not quite reached the point where they can practice on a regular basis.

Part of the issue is how busy so many, many people are these days. But there seems to be another stumbling block that gets in the way of many folks.

Over and over again I have heard this week, “I can’t clear my mind”. As a result of not getting to this meditative state, it seems many people feel there is little point to keep trying.

The first thing is this.

If your mind is jumpy and unsettled, don’t try to force it into some imagined peaceful meditative state. It is enough to say within yourself, “Yup, I keep getting distracted.”, “No big deal”, and then come back to the breath or sacred word or phrase you have chosen as the object of your meditation.

What I have noticed is that many people have not had the chance to do the following process for themselves. This process is for those who believe in God, whether their image of God is specific or somewhat general and without form. I can touch on how this process works for people who do not believe in God, next week.

To begin the process I tend to ask, “If you believe in God, what image or phrase comes to mind?” Some might say “Jesus” or “God the Father”, or the “Divine Mother”. Many others would say “energy” or “universal energy”. What is important, in my opinion, is to ask, “What image comes to mind when you think of who God is for you?” The next step is to refine your answer.

When you answer this question simply and clearly you can choose a word or phrase that is closely related to the image you have of the divine other.

The word might be “love” or “energy” or “spirit”. The phrase might be “Jesus draw me ever nearer unto you.”, or “Come Holy Spirit” or “I open my heart and mind to you O holy one.”

What is important is to match the word or sacred phrase to the image or sense of who you envision the creator or divine other to be.

Then you can simply repeat this word or phrase quietly within yourself as you breathe in and out for 5 or 20 minutes, whatever time you have for that session that day.

As you begin each session there is something else you can do. You can see if there is a need to forgive yourself for any poor choices you have made that caused suffering in your life or in the lives of others.

You can call to mind the lives of those you love the most and offer a prayer of good wishes for their happiness. “May my son, or my husband or my mother, (whoever it is that you love the most), may they be happy may they be well.”

Someday you can get to offering love and kindness to those who you feel do not deserve either of these intentions. But for today and tomorrow it is enough to forgive yourself and to offer love to those you love with gentleness and deep sincerity of purpose.

For today it is enough to think, “If I believe in God, what is the image of the divine or the sound of the divine that comes to mind when I think of this divine friend.”

Draw a sacred word or phrase from that image and use this phrase as a way to begin to settle the restless mind and heart.

When you realize you have become distracted, notice carefully if there is any sense of judgment towards yourself for having become distracted…touch that judgement with gentleness and a soothing, patient care. Then just start again with your sacred word or phrase and your breath as you breathe in and out.

If you prefer a simple focus on the breath without any words as you breathe in and out that is fine to.

Be patient with the restless mind. If you get distracted 20 or 50 times per meditation session that is OK. Just know that a few minutes a day is the way to get into meditation.

Over time your mind will quiet and settle and you will have found more of the peace and wisdom you are looking for. You can proceed from there to deeper experiences of both.

But when the mind is jumpy and you don’t want to sit and meditate, this is what I do to cajole myself into doing at least a little bit of sitting.

“Can you sit for two minutes and repeat your sacred word or phrase or follow your breath even if the mind does not settle at all?”

“Yes. I can do that.”

Most of the time I am then able to do a full meditation session. But sometimes, all I really only can do, or feel like doing, is to sit for 2-5 minutes. Even a brief highly distracted sitting, without any noticeable benefits, is still much better than no sitting at all.

What is important is to develop a realistic schedule for yourself and then to stick with it regardless of whether the mind is peaceful or prone to multiple distractions.

Please let me know what you find when you ask the question, “What image of God comes to mind when I think of the creator or universal energy?”

I can help you find the right sacred word or phrase to serve as the focus on your meditation.

Peace to you O Pilgrim.

Will  will@meditationpractice.com

Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness”

Host of MeditationPractice.com

Most people learn the basics of meditation in some introductory workshop or practice group at their local church or meditation retreat center.

What is most important is to be patient as you seek to develop a daily meditation practice, or as you proceed from the good beginning you have made.

Most people will probably not be able to find twenty minutes in the morning and another twenty minutes before dinner to sit and focus on their breath or sacred word.

Their lives are either too busy, or they are not sure there is enough benefit to meditation to make times of silence and stillness a strong priority. Be patient as you continue to discern whether there is sufficient benefit to be gained from meditation and the related practices of Yoga or T’ai Chi to make these efforts a centerpiece of your daily schedule.

Continue to seek out those places in your community where you can go and sit with others for twenty minutes or, if possible, for longer periods. Being around other people who have chosen meditation as an important part of their life will be helpful. This comment is offered assuming that those people are open-minded and mature enough that they are not pushing their style of meditation as the “only true way”.

Continue to seek out people who have been practicing for many years whose personal insights, comments, and general demeanor indicate they have found the peace and clarity you are looking for. Having regular dialogue with a competent instructor will be of real help.

But patience may be needed in your search to find others to sit with. Patience may also be needed in the search for a teacher or mentor. Most meditation teachers are too closely tied to one tradition. They tend to be very Catholic, or very Buddhist, or very Zen, or very Kabbalah, or very Sufi, or very 12-step, or very Greek Orthodox, or very Hindu etc. If one of these traditions is the one you are drawn to that is great. Any reasonably well trained teacher in that tradition will be able to help you get started. Over time you can find the teacher who really is a good match to help you with the intermediate and advanced stages of the journey.

For those who do sit in meditation on a daily basis, or at least on most days, patience is also needed. There will be times when there is real peace and ease to your meditation practice and you will get the sense, “Good, I am really getting somewhere with meditation.”

There will be other times when then session will drag on and on and on. You may need to fidget every few minutes and are constantly losing focus on your breath of sacred word.

It may seem that meditation is both incredibly boring and frustrating and you may start to wonder, “Perhaps this really is not for me, or, I guess I just don’t have the special skill with this that others do. Be patient when such thoughts arise within you.

Every time you are willing to sit in silence and stillness and try to focus the mind is valuable, whether the meditation is peaceful or quite frustrating.

Do not try to force the mind to settle into a state of deeper peace if it just is not happening.

It is enough to continue to maintain your focus on the breath or sacred phrase, or image that is the object of your meditation. If you are struggling in any session or retreat you may wish to turn your attention to different points in the body for a very detailed examination of bodily sensations or a detailed study of the particular emotion-tone you are experiencing.

If you feel a need to fidget, be patient, hold off for another twenty or thirty seconds and try to notice more closely the itch on your cheek, or the pain in your knee. Just observe the details of the sensation you are seeing and notice the minute changes in those sensations. See if you can wait it out until the discomfort subsides. If you still feel a need to scratch or move, then consciously decide in what way you will move and notice the changing sensations of the move as you shift and as you come back to stillness.

For those who cannot sit for twenty or thirty minutes, can you sit for five or ten or two minutes before you get into the daily chores and activities or before you go to bed.

For beginners and those who are more established in their practice remember to remember: patience is one of the most important practices of the path.

It is easy to overlook the value of something as simple as cultivating patience as one searches for esoteric teachings. But it is the cultivation of the simple practices to a higher degree than most generally do that is the secret of practice.

If you have a moment please let me know what is happening with your efforts to practice meditation and Yoga or T’ai Chi. Do you feel stuck? Do you feel you are moving forward?

Let me know if you would like a copy of a chapter from my book “The Simple Path of Holiness. I would be glad to send you an e-copy of either “The Basics of Practice” or “Stillness, Silence, and Emptiness” at no charge.

Will  will@meditationpractice.com   774-232-0884

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness 

Host of MeditationPractice.com

I decided to take a break from the weekly blog about the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. For those who have patiently been reading along and wish to continue with this study please send me an email and I will forward additional reflections on the fourth practice of this series.

I feel the subject of that series is better suited to an on-line course than a weekly blog. I will convert the material I have written and my thoughts on the fourth practice to an on-line course sometime between now and early December.

This post and the ones that follow are offered to those who are still fairly new to practice. They are written especially for the folks who have joined my 4 week series at Say Yes to Yoga in Webster, MA. The series is co-sponsored by Booklovers Gourmet also in Webster.

For the folks in this series, and those who are not but who may have more experience with daily practice, please note the excerpts from my book “The Simple Path of Holiness” and the free on-line workshops on this web site.  Both resources will be of help to people at all levels of practice.

Often people who are new to practice say they meditate while they are gardening or jogging or some similar activity. If this is all the level of interest you have with meditation then it makes sense to continue as you are doing.

But for those who want to explore meditation as a wider range of study it makes sense to find a balance between practicing meditation in times of silence and times of action.

Sitting in silence and stillness is a way to turn the focus from the external world to your interior life. Finding time to sit still in a quiet place, with the eyes closed, or half-closed, is a way of limiting the amount of activity in the body and brain. A person has a chance to be alone with their inner personal experience in a way one does not ordinarily have when the body is in motion and the senses are more actively engaged.

Over time through silent meditation practice and study you will begin to see how much more there is to your inner personal experience that you previously missed.

This activity is also a way to cultivate a new level of personal discipline. Sitting in stillness and silence for a few minutes, or for longer sessions, takes sustained effort. Watching the breath or repeating your sacred words takes sustained effort. Noticing how often the mind is distracted from the breath or sacred words and then gently returning your attention to the focus of your meditation takes effort.

Making these efforts will strengthen the aspect of your mind that is the effort-making force in your life. Cultivating this greater strength and discipline is needed to break through, or outgrow, whatever obstacles you feel may be keeping you from deeper peace and greater freedom.

Steadily seeking to allow the mind and body to settle into a slower rhythym will also prove to be refreshing. You will notice your mind will be a bit more clear and open as you continue to make the effort to be, as Thich knat Hanh says, “Present to the present moment.”

The discipline, renewed energy, and clarity of the mind will serve you well as the session comes to an end and you move on to the active hours of your day.

During the active hours of your day you can continue meditation practice by seeking to be more open to observing what is happening within you and around you. An effort to observe what is happening within you and around you with a simple innocent curiosity will allow you to be more present moment by moment to the realities and choices of your everyday life. This is the way of practicing meditation during times of action.

Making this effort to be more clearly aware during the active hours of your life will further strengthen the effort-making faculty of your mind. When you return to times of silence it will be that much more possible for you to maintain your focus on the breath or sacred words you repeat for longer periods of time.

What is important with both practices is this: Be patient with yourself. As simple as this work seems to be, it generally is more complex and takes longer to experience greater relaxation, calm, and clarity.

This is especially true for people with difficult challenges in their mind, their heart, and their everyday life.

Be patient. Be gentle. Keep going.

Meditation in times of silence and times of action is a critical part of the road that leads to deeper peace.

Please call or email. I am glad to hear of your thoughts or questions regarding your meditation practice.

Will Raymond    will@meditationpractice.com   774-232-0884

Author of The Simple Path of Holiness.

Host of MeditationPractice.com

To recap for those whose may be just joining in, and for those who have been following along these past few months, please read Part 13 of this series, “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Part 13 provides a good summary of the first three of the four practices I have been writing about. Part 14 introduces the question, and offers various reflections on the differences between the terms bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension. Regrettably I don’t think Part 14 is as clear as it could be.

Part 15 is an attempt to simplify the question of the differences between these terms by focusing solely on a definition and practical examples of bare attention.

In this section Part 16 I will continue the effort to simplify and clarify my comments on the terms bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension.

Nyanaponika Thera wrote a book about “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” (Sutta 22) entitled “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation”. His book emphasizes the approach to this meditation developed by certain teachers from Burma as popularized by Mahasi Sayadaw of the 20th century. It is important to note this is only one view of how to engage the practices in “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”.  For example, the views of Buddhist teachers of Thailand who speak to this Sutta are often quite different. It is also important to note that some of the comments and perspectives in Nyanaponika Thera’s book are corrupted by a certain chauvinistic approach to Buddhism that is just as distasteful as chauvinistic approaches to the Bible which are offered by certain Christian teachers. Furthermore, some of his more pointed comments may simply be wrong. More on this at another time.

Having noted these exceptions, I want to also affirm that his way of defining bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension seems the most clear, at least to me. Despite the flaws of the book, it is also clear he has a profound understanding of Buddhist meditation and a passionate care for the well being of humanity and all that live in this world.

Regrettably, I did have to read the book 3 times before I could really perceive what he was actually saying. However perseverance often brings rewards.

Nyanaponika Thera sees mindfulness (also referred to as Right Mindfulness) as a term that has two aspects. Bare attention is the first aspect. Clear comprehension is the second. For me, seeing mindfulness as the general, over-arching term and understanding there are two specific aspects of how to apply mindfulness has helped clarify my understanding of the three terms. Suffice it to say other venerable teachers have their own variations on these points, but having one good set of definitions and working understandings is enough for me at present.

Bare attention (see Part 15 of this series) notes the bare facts of what one is perceiving.

While practicing bare attention one is simply making a brief mental note about what is observed. In the first practice of the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” it might be making a mental note “seeing” or “hearing” or “contact by touch” or “smelling” or “tasting” or “thought”. If a sense impression gives rise to “I like this” or “I don’t like this” or “I have no strong impression about this” a mental note is made to that fact and then one returns to just noting sense impressions. The mind is open and receptive. The mind is neither trying to block impressions from arising, nor is it allowing the mind to get carried away in various evaluations, judgements or actions. One is simply trying to stay focused on naming individual impressions as they appear and pass. Bare attention is focused solely on the microseconds of present experience without elaboration or interpretation or reaction. For a side note bare attention is synonymous with choiceless awareness although it may be used in slightly different ways in different contexts.

The practice of bare attention can also be done and needs to be done with regards to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th practices of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. But comments on these applications will have to wait until I convert these blog notes into a workshop.

As noted above, clear comprehension is the second aspect of mindfulness. When one is practicing clear comprehension they are calling to mind basic teachings of Buddhism and then applying them to understand and process phenomena as phenomena arises and passes away. In this way clear comprehension actively engages the memory as well as the cognitive processing functions of analysis, discernment, and response.

I will see if I can get permission from the publisher of “Nyanaponika Thera’s book, “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation” to use his exact quotes. Until then the above paraphrases will need to suffice.

It is in the fourth practice of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” where clear comprehension is applied. In general, the first three practices are just different foci for the application of bare attention and noting.

The first section of the 4th practice begins with the application of bare attention to note if one the five hindrances are present or are absent. The five hindrances spoken about in the “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” (the 22nd Sutta) are: greed, anger, fear and restlessness, torpor, and doubt.

But the bulk of work in the fourth practice is the application of clear comprehension in this general sequence:

First there is an active engagement of the memory as one calls to mind what one has learned about a proper understanding of Right View, Right Action, Right Effort and related teachings. Endeavoring to gain a working understanding of these core teachings is a preparation step needed before one engages “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”.

Second there is an active engagement of the cognitive functions of investigation and analysis into the causes that lead to arising of hindrances and the causes that facilitate their dispersal. This is followed by a third step as one seeks to apply right effort to actually disperse the hindrance and the causes of the hindrance.

In short:

What are the causes that led to the arising of the hindrance? Then, what are the skillful means to respond to help clear the mind of the hindrance so it is no longer a source of stress. In Buddhist practice, and the practices of other religions, there are a variety of skillful means you can apply when greed, anger, or fear is present. These skillful means will lower the stress level caused by these afflictive emotions by addressing the underlying causes that gave rise to the hindrance in the first place. More on these skillful means will be presented in the posts over the next few weeks.

The final stage of the practice of clear comprehension is to gain the insight needed to prevent eruptions of the hindrance from arising in the future. This general process is to seek to understand the fundamental cause that leads to the arising of all of the hindrances. The goal is to gain the decisive insights with sufficient clarity and apply them with sufficient skill so the hindrances no longer arise in the future. This elevated stage of awareness and skill is the ultimate goal of all practice. For a practical recap:

In the context of the 4th practice of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” one uses bare attention to note “greed has arisen within me” or “anger has arisen within me” or “fear and restlessness has arisen within me” or “torpor or sluggishness of mind has arisen with me” or “doubt as to the truth of the teachings” has arisen within me” or words to similar effect. In bare attention there is no judgement that these experiences have arisen. One does not say, “I am a bad meditator or a bad person,” because I am angry or afraid etc. Neither does one act on, let alone over-react to, the anger, fear, or doubt and the other hindrances. One simply notices that the experience has come up.

After the above noting has been made, the work of clear comprehension is applied to understand why this hindrance has arisen and how can you work to shape and mold your experience in such a way that the hindrance is dispersed. After you have learned to do this, the final stage of practice is to delve deeper to understand what you need to know so this hindrance, and the others, do not arise again.

Once the hindrance has passed, whether it is a minute or a month later, one returns to the practice of bare attention to note, “greed is absent within me” or “anger is absent with me”, or “fear has passed” etc. One also makes this note without judgement but rather to observe the experience of greed, anger, fear, torpor, or doubt being absent.

With this clarification of the definitions of bare attention and clear comprehension as two aspects of the proper application of mindfulness, I can proceed next week to more detailed reflections on the fourth practice of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”.

Please email or call with any questions or constructive criticisms. If you wish your response to be published on the site it will be. If not I can respond with a private note.

Will Raymond will@meditationpractice.com   774-232-0884

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness

Host of MeditationPractice.com

To recap for those whose may be just joining in, and for those who have been following along these past few months, please read the post from 10-6-13 which is Part 13 of this series “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Part 13 provides a good summary of the first three of the four practices I have been writing about. Part 14 introduces the question, and offers various reflections on the difference between the terms bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension.

The differences between these terms are more important than semantic hair-splitting.

Understanding the differences between these terms and the different ways they are applied is an important prelude to how one uses different tools of practice at different points of practice. Looking back at Part 14, though, I can see I attempted to cover too much ground and that I may have further muddied the waters, rather than cleared them.

If you do read Part 14 and have questions, please just send me an email or call and I will be glad to discuss the questions you have. In the meantime I want to see what I can do to simplify the descriptions of bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension.

As noted in earlier posts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study these Buddhist approaches to meditation. These basic practices can easily 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.

It is easiest to think of bare attention on the context of the five senses: touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell. In terms of Buddhist descriptions of the senses the mind is the 6th sense. But commenting on how to apply bare attention to the mind as the 6th sense might only confuse things for the present. This is an important subject to return to at a later time but for now let’s just focus on applying bare attention to the impressions arising in the mind from the five senses.

The first way to think of bare attention is that it is a simple noting of the first micromoments when a new impression arises in the mind. Bare attention in this application is an attempt to see the difference between the initial sense impression as compared with the later stages of feelings, labels, concepts, memories, judgements, thoughts, and reactions that arise from the sense impression.

The goal is to stop at this very first link in the chain of arising experience.

For example, you see several people whom you know walking down the street. The impression arises from sight, or possibly sound if you hear them talking. The mental note is “seeing” or “seeing and hearing”. The words you use are up to you. What is important is to see if you can stop before the next stage of experience arises where you think, reflexively within yourself, “I like these people”, or “I don’t like these people”, or “I don’t have much of an impression about who these people are”.  See also if you can pause before memory is activated and kicks in with the name…”Oh that is Peter, or Juan, or Monica.”

See if you can pause before you notice and subjective thoughts like, “O that person is Caucasian”, or “That person is “African American”, or that person seems poor, or that person seems to be wealthy. Or that person is attractive or that person is quite homely.

See if you maintain a disciplined focus on just the bare facts of the initial sense impression: “seeing” or “people”.

See if you can forego the usual proliferation of feelings, labels, names, thoughts, and judgements etc., which naturally arise from sense impressions when the mind and memory and feelings and language faculties of the mind are fully triggered and engaged.

Please do not think that I am saying this is some easy thing to do. What I am saying is that it is possible to develop the acuity of mind to restrain the tendency of the mind to proliferate from initial impressions into feelings of “like”, “dislike”, or “neutral” and all the steps or perception that follow after that.

If the sense impression does give rise to a feeling, or the name of the object you are seeing comes to mind (as it most probably will) then the following step can be taken:

Apply bare attention to the feeling and simply note “feeling has arisen within me” or “feeling of like” or “feeling of dislike” or “neutral feeling has arisen in me”. Then return to the bare attention of whatever sense impression might be present at the moment. The limiting of bare attention to sense impressions in the nano-seconds before feelings, thoughts, and desires arise in the mind is a primary application of bare attention. Making a bare mental note of feelings, thoughts, and desires that do arise and then returning back to a bare noticing of sense impressions as soon as you are able is another application of bare attention. Bare attention can also be applied to the other practices of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. But those details need to wait until later posts. The means described above offer a good beginning to this practice.

If you are meditating with your eyes closed the predominant impressions will most likely be related to sensations of the breath or the body, all of which tend to be touch impressions. On occasion the sense impression might be the sounds outside the center, or the sound of someone on the meditation class coughing or breathing too loudly etc., or the sound of the teacher offering some guided meditation.

While you are on retreat, the process can continue as you get up from the cushion or chair but generally on a more selective and less detailed basis. When you return to the active hours of your life, the application of bare attention can continue as you go through the day, but the practice will be even more selective as you go to work and discharge the other responsibilities and activities of everyday living. But when possible slow the process of perception down. Look closely when a new sense impression arises. See the arising or a feeling or “I like” or “I don’t like” or “I have no strong reaction” arises. See if you can catch the swiftly moving river of perception to notice that your memory digs up the distinguishing characteristics of the object and then applies a name or general label to it.

Regrettably, my ongoing studies to understand the differences between bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension continue to proceed slowly. I am surprised how differently various writers define these terms. They also suggest variations on how to apply various aspects of these tools to meditation practice.

But the above definition of bare attention is a good working definition. I will have to spend more time understanding how different teachers define the similarities and differences between bare attention, mindfulness, and clear comprehension. I will also have to spend more time understanding how different teachers apply these tools in the context of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”.

I do wish this was simpler process. But a detailed comparative study of Nyanaponika Thera’s book “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation, Venerable Analayo’s work “Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization”, B Alan Wallace’s notes in a Tricycle article (spring 2008), and Joseph Goldstein’s commentary on CD is a valuable process. I understand there probably is no single correct set of definitions or process of application. Nevertheless, as arcane as this inquiry may appear to be, I can tell I certainly am learning a great deal by studying the varying nuances and practice instructions of these very competent scholars and teachers.

More next week

Please call or email with any questions or constructive criticisms.

Will Raymond  774-232-0884  or will@meditationpractice.com 

Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness”

Host of MeditationPractice.com

To recap for those whose may be just joining in, and for those who have been following along these past few months,  before reading this post, please note the blog from 10-6-13 which is Part 13 of this series “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Part 13 of this series provides a good summary of the first three of the four practices I have been writing about.

As noted in earlier posts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study these Buddhist approaches to meditation. These basic practices can easily 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.

I did not realize when I started writing an introduction to “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” how vast a subject it is. It is easy to see how one could misunderstand how much material there is to work with. The Sutta, which is #22 of “The Long Discourses of the Buddha”, is only 15 pages long (Wisdom Publications translated by Maurice Walshe).

While the subject matter is profound this Sutta is not a dense read and can be read in one or two sessions. But what was not so evident to me at first is the fact that these fifteen pages cover almost all of the Buddhist teachings in condensed form.

There are several modern commentaries that write about this Sutta at length. The writers are all very senior monks or lay teachers with excellent scholarly skills and are very skillful practitioners of the teachings in this Sutta.

“The Heart of Buddhist Meditation” by Nyanaponika Thera, “The Direct Path of Realization” by Venerable Analayo, and the recorded talks of Joseph Goldstein are the three works I have studied closely in addition to a careful read of the Sutta itself. I believe Joseph Goldstein will soon publish a book on the subject. I look forward to reading it very much. An interview with Alan Wallace from Tricycle (Spring 2008 Page 60) is also quite informative on the differences between Mindfulness and Bare Attention.

Each of these authors offer important insights. Each of these books, in my opinion, also skips over some key aspects of actual practices of this Sutta. Perhaps they assume a person is reading their book in the context of regular personal interviews with a skilled teacher who could fill in the gaps. That certainly is an appropriate assumption. Perhaps they feel the subject is so basic that most people understand more quickly than I do as to what they are saying. In this regard, I realize my slowness is not a basis for criticizing their well-regarded work. Still, I was often left confused about how to actually engage the practices or understand the philological studies and definitions they present.

One example of the issues that surfaced for me is this: In Nyanaponika Thera’s book “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation” (Samuel Weiser Inc.) he devotes a significant amount of time making the distinction between Bare Attention and Clear Knowing (See chapter 2). It is a focus on a better understanding of what Bare Attention is and how to engage this practice, at least in preliminary form, that is the subject of this blog post. (Of course I realize this blog post is, like all my others, much too long. Thanks to anyone who perseveres with this process where I am working through certain questions by writing about them. At some point I will need to simplify this series and cast it into a separate book).

Here are some quotes from Nyanaponika Thera’s book:

“Bare Attention is the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception.”  (page 30)

“Bare attention consists in a bare and exact registering of the object.” (page 32)

“Bare attention is concerned with only the present” (page 40)

From the various descriptions, I gather that Bare Attention is a process of making a brief, general mental note about the phenomena being experienced. One makes a bare observation shorn of interpretations, if possible, and a brief mental note about what is arising in the mind. But how exactly is one to make this note. How does the noting process change when focused on sense impressions, for example as distinct from feelings or desires?

Nyanaponika Thera touches briefly on what system of noting to use but does not further delineate the specific details of the mental noting system.  Venerable Analayo, unless I missed something, also does not go into any detail of the specific mechanics of mental noting to be developed. More importantly, how to engage Bare Attention in each of the different practices of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is not, in my opinion, as clearly delineated as one might hope. This is important because at some point Bare Attention gives way to Clear Comprehending as the primary way of processing the material noted. This is especially the case regarding the fourth practice.

Joseph Goldstein’s comments on the specifics of Bare Attention in the talks I heard were more extensive and I could gain a better sense of the specific ways he uses the mental-noting in his mindfulness practice. But at key points in his presentation I found his comments a bit hard to follow. This is unfortunate as I feel his commentary on this Sutta, is among the clearest and most accessible of anything written on the subject.

One source for extensive commentary on a system of mental-note making can be found in “Living Dharma” by Jack Kornfield (Shambhala) pages 55-66. These pages cite comments from his profile on Mahasi Sayadaw who is a pivotal figure in the 20th century revival of the Burmese approach to “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. The system Mahasi Sayadaw uses for making mental notes is very extensive but may be so detailed as to be quite intimidating or overwhelming to many who are new to practice. Certainly, he does say this is used mostly for intensive practice while on retreat and that it needs to be attenuated for practice in everyday life.

Many may feel the subject is too arcane for serious reflection and study. But for me that is not the case. Often knowing the nuts and bolts details of a practice allows me to better understand how to actually engage a practice, especially one as subtle yet profound as the use of Bare Attention in the various stages of “The Four Foundations of Practice”.

I will continue to search for simple clear ways to discuss this issue as we continue to reflect on the first three practices, and as we prepare for the work of the fourth practice. I will continue to search for ways to understand the differences between Bare Attention and Clear Comprehending and Mindfulness.

For now the following is an interim solution as to how one can view and engage the practice of Bare Attention. This approach is far from perfect, but one which at least provides a bit of clarity and useful direction until a more comprehensive articulation can be developed.

When a new sense impression arises in the mind, you can make the general note, sight, or sound, or taste, or touch, or smell. Take a moment to notice that very, very quickly the label or name of that object is fetched from memory as to what the specific sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell is. This happens so fast it is likely you will not see any time between the moment the sense impression first arises in the mind, and the time that you remember what it is and apply the appropriate label, i.e. to name the phenomena in question.

But one of the first ways to approach the practice of Bare Attention is to begin to realize there is a gap between when a sense impression first arises in the mind and the time it takes the mind to remember the label or name and apply it. The practice of Bare Attention will allow you to see this process as a series of stages each of which you can study with care.

For some examples: I am walking down the street. I see someone. It is someone I know. Their name is Steve or Susan. Before the name of the person is re-cognized, I make the mental note: “seeing.”

I am sitting in a meditation center in the city. I hear something. I know it is a siren. Before I re-cognize that the sound is indeed a siren, I make the mental note: “hearing”.

I walk through the food court of a mall. I smell something. I know it is the smell from Cinnabon. Before I re-cognize that the smell is a cinnamon roll, probably from Cinnabon, I make the mental-note: “smelling”.

One can further refine the practice in this way. One can see even that making a note seeing, or hearing, or smelling is a cognition. Even making this general a distinction indicates the discriminating and remembering mind has been engaged. After all the mind has determined which of the five senses has been engaged with sensory input. Is this really Bare Attention?

One could simply make the more general note: “sense impression”. This note distinguishes that a sense impresion is different from feeling, or thought, or general state-of-mind. But, is this really Bare Attention?

Still one can further refine the practice in this way. Even making a note distinguishing a sense impression from a feeling or a thought or a general state-of-mind is a cognition. Is it not an indication the discriminating and remembering mind has been engaged? After all the mind has noted the difference, and named the difference, between a sense impression and either a feeling, or a thought, or a general state-of-mind. Is this really Bare Attention?

One can further refine the practice in this way. One can suspend all language-based mental-noting and labeling and discursive thought. One can simply dwell in a state of open wordless awareness. This seems to me to be Bare Attention though I am sure the earlier preparatory stages of practice also are covered by the term.

In this way I believe I can see that one way to engage Bare Attention is through a series of  progressive refinements. The noting becomes more and more general as the focus of the mind becomes more and more finely honed and less and less specific discriminations are made. The goal being that the mind settles into a very concentrated state of wordless, calm and tranquility. This concentrated state of mind is another central feature of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”.

The question of how to define Bare Attention as compared to Clear Seeing, and Mindfulness is a good one. It was from a question from the friend who helps with the proof-reading of this blog that the importance of the question was clarified to me.

I am very grateful for her efforts and for this interesting question .

Please call or email with questions or corrections you may have. I am glad to know what your thoughts on these subjects are.

Will Raymond 774-232-0884  will@meditationpractice.com

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness

Host of MeditationPractice.com

The phrase “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” is an English translation of the “Satipatthana Sutta”. This is the 22nd Sutta from the “Long Discourses of the Buddha”. The translation I am working with is the one by Maurice Walshe which is published by Wisdom Publications. These are among the oldest Buddhist writings of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which in turn is the oldest form of Buddhism we have knowledge of. Tibetan and Zen Buddhism are much later variations of Theravada Buddhism.

As noted in earlier parts of this series, one need not be a Buddhist to study these Buddhist approaches to meditation. These basic practices can easily 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.

To recap for those whose may be just joining in, and for those who have been following along these past few months, the first three practices of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” are:

1) Mindfulness of Bodily Sensations which is defined as those phenomena that arise from the body’s sensory systems of sight, sound, touch, smell, or taste. This includes the observation of the bodily sensations arising from the breathing process which is one of the most common introductory practices of Buddhism.

2) Mindfulness of three basic feelings: satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and neutral or non-descript feelings. There is an important distinction made between whether these feelings are arising from experiences that arise from sensory experiences and self-centered thoughts or whether these feelings arise from non-sensory experiences and selfless thoughts, actions, insights, or advanced states of concentration.

3) Mindfulness of mind-states which refers to an awareness of the general quality of the mind state in any given moment. Is the mind riddled with aching hunger and excessive desire, or is the mind free from aching hunger and excessive desire? Is the mind filled with anger, resentment, harsh judgments, and thoughts of aggression? Or, is the mind free from anger, resentment, harsh judgments, and thoughts of aggression? Is the mind filled with self-centered preoccupations and self-images? Or is the mind in a more relaxed state of selflessness or emptiness? Is the mind hazy and sluggish or is the mind clear, alert, and energetically engaged? Is the mind distracted and jumpy or is the mind concentrated and able to stay with the object of attention without distraction?

There is not a lot of action called for in these first three practices. The first general goal is to find a middle ground. This middle ground is to have enough stability of mind where you are not swept into action if the mind is filled, for example, with excessive desire, fear, torpor, or anger yet neither are you repressing such feelings from arising. The second general goal is to examine the arising and passing of these experiences without judging whether we are a bad meditator, for example, if we are angry, or a good meditator if we are filled with thoughts of loving-kindness. The third general goal is to notice that these experiences are all in a state of change and transition whether that change and transition is quick or very slow. Noticing the impermanence of all phenomena is an essential part of all Theravada Buddhist practice.

It is like we are sitting on a high mountain perch watching a very broad valley below as the weather changes from sunny to cloudy, from dry clear days to days with passing rain showers. It is like we are watching the sky and clouds drift through the afternoon sky. It is like we are watching the seasons come and go. It is like we are allowing the weather and the seasons and all the changes of the daily weather and to be what they are, and to see what they are with “choiceless awareness”, as they come and go.

The goal is to cultivate passive, non-judgmental observations of the different streams of impressions coming in through the senses, the different feelings that arise from the sense impressions, and the various thoughts and general mind-states that arise from that which happens around us and within us.

When the mind is hazy, to do what we can to observe the haziness with as much energy and non-judgment as we can. When the mind is clear, to observe the clarity and focus for as long as it is present and to notice when it is supplanted by whatever thoughts arise next such as anger, irritation, restless desire, self-centered preoccupation, worry, and when these states in turn are supplanted by something else.

Seeing when the body is tense and when it is relaxed.

Seeing when feelings of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or those of a non-descript nature, arise and pass.

Neither chasing pleasant sense desires, nor trying to “get rid” of annoying or irritating feelings.

Neither chasing after pleasant spiritual states, nor trying to get rid of difficult states of either a sensory or non-sensory nature.

The effort that is needed, once again, is to find and maintain a certain degree of balance and stability. The work is to cultivate a state where one is not driven to act out on unwholesome thoughts and desires, but neither is one trying to repress or block them from arising. This state of passive and non-judgmental seeing is not one of weakness. Rather it arises from a strong and very open state of confidence where one is able to face the all that is within one’s self as the inner drives, desires, memories, feelings, and conflicts are allowed to surface into personal consciousness. Those who believe in God do this practice in faith that God will sustain them through this process. Those who are non-theists engage this practice in faith that the teachings of the dharma, and the support of the community, are sufficient for the tasks of the day.

The time for shaping and molding the interior states and patterns of behavior begins in the 4th practice of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. In this fourth practice one is working to ameliorate and disperse the underlying conditions that give rise to the unwholesome and unskillful states and choices. In this fourth practice one is also working, in the context of Right View and Right Effort to cultivate wholesome states and to make skillful choices.

And it is not as though one needs to perfect the passive, non-judgmental, beholding of experience before one transitions to the fourth practice. Rather it is enough to begin to really understand what “choiceless awareness” and “bare attention” really means. It is enough to really notice the arising and passing moment by moment throughout times of meditation and in the active hours of the various streams of sensation, feelings, thoughts, and mind-states. It is enough to notice the impermanence and transitory nature of all experiences and phenomena within us and around us. It is enough to notice which thoughts, actions, desires, and choices invariably lead to suffering and which invariably lead to liberation, however delayed the experiences of liberation may be.

It is enough to notice the mind is not a single, general entity, but rather a very intricate composite made of many streams of sensations, feelings, desires, memories, language, concepts, conflicts, core truths, and values.

It is enough to strengthen that part of the mind we call “The Watcher” so that we may see in ever greater detail, and ever greater depth, the changing streams of experience within us and around us of that which we refer to as “The Watched”.

As we engage the work of the fourth practice, we return again and again to any one of the first three practices. We return always glad to be a beginner, always glad to progress to deeper and deeper levels of skill and insight into the true nature of all that seems to come into existence and all that seems to pass from existence.

Please let me know what you think of any one of these blog entries. One of my goals with this work is to meet others who want to study these practices with ardent dedication. Another goal is to meet and compare notes with those who are already teaching or who aspire to a career in teaching the way of liberation.

Peace

Will Raymond Author of the Simple Path of Holiness  774-232-0884

Host of MeditationPractice.com