::How To Meditate I - What is Meditation ::

Simple and Ordinary Mindfulness Meditation

“… When we become aware of our body and mind and accept the truth of them, that they are impermanent, do not persist and are beyond control, then we will be liberated and abide in the greatest happiness.”
Luangpor Pramote Pamojjo



Dhamma (Pali) or Dharma (Sanskrit) means the plain, undistorted truth that the Buddha taught.

Dhamma as taught by the Buddha is simple and easy to practice. It is about ourselves and how we can be free from personal suffering. As suffering beings we are deluded about the truths of our body and mind. However, if we practice the Dhamma, we turn our attention to our body and our mind and unveil their true characteristics. Our suffering lessens as we gradually come to understand the Dhamma more and more.


click-> Simple and Easy Mindfulness Meditation

 

The three aspects to watching the mind effectively

There are three aspects to watching the mind, three tendencies to remember to avoid if we are to practice effectively.


The first is to avoid intending to know in advance. We just need to know the feelings that temporarily arise in the mind after they do. Let the feeling occur naturally first and then know that it has. If anger arises, know that it has. If greed arises, then know that it has. If the mind has wandered off, know that this has happened. Why must we know after the fact? This is because many of the feelings that arise are defilements of mind (i.e. anger, desire; see glossary for more). Only one mind arises at a time, so a defiled mind cannot arise at the same time as a non-defiled mind. For example, anger cannot exist in the mind at the same moment that the mindfulness (see glossary) notices the anger. e de led angry mind drops o and is replaced by a non-defiled mind – the one that is mindful of what just happened.
It is important to not watch intently and wait for what will arise next. Let a feeling arise first and then know that it has. A good way to demonstrate this is to imagine a rabid dog suddenly darting at us. We feel terrified. We then should know that fear has arisen. We didn’t intend for this occurrence beforehand.

Of course we should still get out of the way of the dog! We do not proceed to let the dog bite us and see what happens after that. Anyone who says they will just leave it up to their karma, is making new karma – stupidity! We do what is appropriate so that we are not harmed. If we are with a friend, we just need to run a little faster than our friend and we’ll be fine (laughter). Or we can practice the art of sacrifice and run slower than our friend. But that is another topic altogether. As I am speaking here, many people here have their minds wandering out. Some are wandering to me, some are wandering in thought, and some have wandered home already!
http://www.dhamma.com/to-see-the-truth/

 

Laughter the best medicine.
Daddy...How Was I Born?



A little boy goes to his father and asks "Daddy, how was I born?"

The father answers, "Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, where your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said...

Scroll down...You'll LOVE This....






You've Got Male!!

 

The Dash by Linda Ellis(Very touching !)

simpletruthstv :-
Uploaded on May 26, 2009
The Dash movie launched Simple Truths into the limelight, and has been viewed over 30 million times. See what everyone has been watching, and check out our blog for inspirational videos and articles, http://blog.simpletruths.com, and click on the link to receive a FREE newsletter! http://www.thedashmovie.com/land.html

 

"If I were limited to sharing only one word of advice for creating real joy, real serenity and real freedom in your life, that one word would be meditation. There's REAL POWER in the silence." - Chuck Danes

 

Wrong E- Mail Address
Here's a LESSON to be learned from typing the wrong email address:

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years before.

Because of their hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minneapolis and flew to Florida on Friday, and his wife was flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel, and unlike years ago, there was a computer in his room, and he decided to send an email to his wife.However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without noticing his error, sent the email to the wrong address.

Meanwhile...somewhere in Houston .. a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a Minister who was called home to glory after suffering a heart attack.The widow decided to check her email, expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and then fainted.

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and then glanced up and saw the computer screen which read...

To: My Loving Wife
Date: Friday, October 13, 2005
Subject: I have Arrived!
Dearest Love:

I know you are surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now, and you are allowed to send email to your loved ones. I have just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow, and look forward to seeing you then.
Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

PS ...... Sure is freaking hot down here!!

 

Benefits from meditation
Meditation benefits not only your mind, but also your body and soul.It has numerous advantages that would take a whole book to write about.Here we will mention the most important benefits and the most overlooked benefits that meditation provides.The Most Important Benefits of Meditation
It is very useful to read about meditation benefits if you are still unsure whether you want to start meditating. These benefits will help you decide if meditation can contribute to your well-being and improve other aspects of your life.
The benefits of meditation manifest on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Some of them appear quite fast, and others take some more time. This depends on the amount of time devoted to practicing it, the levels of earnestness and concentration, and on the inner ripeness of the meditating person. It is not enough to meditate once a week or once in a few days. Regular daily practice is required for attaining results.
There is evidence of the many rewards of regular meditation from people who meditate, and also from researches of scientists. Here are some of them
Physical Benefits

• A deeper level of relaxation.
• Deep rest accompanied by decreased metabolic rate and lower heart rate.
• Decreased high blood pressure.
• Improved flow of air to the lungs.
• Increased levels of energy.
• Decreased muscle tension.
• More easily falling asleep and sleeping soundly.
• Improved state of the immune system.

Mental Benefits

• Decrease in restless thinking.
• Increased ability to stay calm in every situation.
• Greater creativity.
• Decreased anxiety.
• Decreased tendency to worry.
• Decreased depression.
• Decreased nervousness, irritability and moodiness.
• Enhancement of self-confidence.

Spiritual Benefits

• Peace of mind.
• Emotional and mental detachment.
• Heightened awareness of the inner self.
• The ability to look within, beyond the body, mind and personality.
• Discovery of the power and consciousness beyond the ego.
• Discovery of one’s true being.
• Attaining self-realization and spiritual awakening.

----> http://www.dmcboston.org/benefits/

 

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The Practice of Recollection

by Bhikkhu Mangalo| July 15, 2016
The Buddha called recollection “the only way.” Quite simply, recollection is remembering to establish the attention with full awareness on the present, on the here and now, so that you may reunite with reality and find your own true being.

The best way to start is to see where one starts from. Let us take a look at the mind of an ordinary worldly person. What we find is a grasshopper mind, a butterfly mind, chasing its fancies and impulses of the moment, the prey of stimuli and its own emotional reaction to them—a reaction that is largely a purely conditioned and blind one. A chain of linked associations, hopes, fears, memories, fantasies, regrets, stream constantly through the mind, triggered off by momentary contact with the outside world through the senses. It is a blind, never-ceasing, never-satisfied search for satisfaction, bewildered, aimless, suffering. This is not reality, but a waking dream, a sequence of concepts and fantasies.

The world is split up into recognizable identified forms, each of which has its name, and on the basis of these names—conceptual images of the reality around—the mind spins its web of thought in which it entangles itself. Objects change, but their “name” remains the same, and the mind, left clinging to empty names and images, loses touch with reality, trying to find in the products of its own imagination the satisfaction and security for which it thirsts. No wonder the mind has been called an “idol-factory,” and no wonder that the Buddha described such a mind as a restless monkey swinging from branch to branch in the quest for satisfying fruit through the endless jungle of conditioned events. The futility, unreality, and frustration inherent in such a mode of existence is startlingly self-apparent once one begins to see it clearly.

It is the purpose of Buddhism, and of religion in general, to reunite one with the Reality one has thus lost sight of due to one’s ignorance in seeking the happiness for which one thirsts where it is not to be found—in the shadows and illusions of one’s own mind. That modern man allows his mind to continue this blind, tormented rat-race in undisciplined confusion is perhaps the wonder of wonders in an age that likes to consider itself “scientific.” Man has amassed a phenomenal amount of information—concepts all of it—about the forms and names that inhabit the universe, and he has harnessed and disciplined forces of nature in a way that would have staggered his forefathers. To gain electrical power he will build structures of enormous size and cost in both money and labor, damming back great rivers in midstream, yet still his knowledge of reality fails him, and his own nature escapes him, while he, almost unbelievably, omits to expend the slightest labor to stem and discipline his own thoughts, even when he half perceives they delude and torment him.

Taking our own thoughts, mere images of reality, for reality, we allow the emotions to be aroused by them. These emotions produce more thoughts in the desire to satisfy this disturbance, and the vicious circle is complete.
Down through countless generations a few, going against the stream of human patterns, have undertaken this task, often in the face of almost incredible privations and discouragement, at first blind, and often teacherless. Some broke through triumphantly, some stumbled through after great sufferings, yet all in their different languages declare a unanimous find—there is a “something,” by knowing which one knows all. It is the Uncreated, the only lasting Reality; it is our own true Being, and its “discovery” is, all are agreed, the supreme happiness, beside which all the suffering of ages is suddenly quite insignificant. And in some strange yet certain way, those who find It find the Deathless, they step outside of both birth and death. This is beyond the senses, though in it resides the power by and in which we see and hear and think. It is veiled by the flow of ignorant thoughts, by which we see not what is, but what we think about it. It is the old story of the man who, seeing a piece of rope hanging from a tree in the twilight, mistakes it for a snake and is panicked.

So it goes on. Taking our own thoughts, mere images of reality, for reality, we allow the emotions to be aroused by them. These emotions produce more thoughts in the desire to satisfy this disturbance, and the vicious circle is complete. Without ignorance of reality one would not think about it, without the stream of thoughts there would be no distressing emotions, the mind would be at peace, and then there would be no need to think.

The Stopping of Conceptual Thought
The first step, therefore, is to cut off the chain of associated concepts and words that flood the mind, holding it with recollection on the present, on what is. Thus in a famous verse, the Buddha used to say,

Don’t chase after the past,
Don’t seek the future;
The past is gone The future hasn’t come
But see clearly on the spot
That object which is now,
While finding and living in
A still, unmoving state of mind.

This is the beginning of mental discipline, and the remembering to do so is recollection. Without this recollection the stream of thoughts takes over again, agitating, distressing and befouling the mind like muddy water in a lake on which the wind is blowing up waves. Clarity of vision, peace of mind and self-recollection are lost in a single instant. It is for this reason that the Buddha called recollection “the only way.” Or as he vividly described it by a metaphor, Whatever streams flow in the world, Recollection is their damming-back.

As it is said in Zen, “The mad mind does not halt; if it halts it is Enlightenment.”

The practice of recollection is a gradual training. Perfection of self-recollection is the “art of arts and the science of sciences,” to which a due apprenticeship is necessary. To train one’s own mind, “ours” as it is, is even harder than training a dog or horse, for the mind is no less headstrong, and has all the ingenuity and trickery of man to help it find ways to break loose. Yet this is a far more worthwhile training, bringing already in early stages great peace and joy, and in its train innumerable riches. With an unrecollected, self-willed mind there is little hope of happiness—even the simple happiness of a peaceful, purposeful and balanced life, how much less the supreme goal of life.

What Is Recollection?
What then is the “practice” of recollection? How does one go about it?

Recollection is, quite simply, remembering to establish the attention with full awareness on the present, on the here and now. It is the “unsupported thought,” the “fast of the mind,” the true “noble silence.” As each object arises into consciousness, through whichever of the six entrances (the five senses and the imagination), it must be seen as it is, without welcoming it or rejecting it, without dinging to it or trying to push it aside— just “letting it go as though it were a piece of rotten wood,” as the great Huang Po puts it. This is the real meaning of the “Middle Way” of Buddhism, to see each (and every) object as it arises, with a mind that is “alert, fully-conscious and self-recollected, avoiding either attachment or aversion to anything.” “Do not like, do not dislike, all will then be clear.” The Buddha used to define recollection and full consciousness as “seeing the arising, presence and passing of all perceptions, feelings and thoughts.” He often used to say that his teaching “in brief” was “To see only the seen in what is seen; and in the heard to hear only what is heard.” It is all the same.

But when we try to do this, what do we find? We find that, at first, to do so for even a few minutes is quite impossible; the mind is swept away by a stream of erupting thoughts and a restlessness that makes it quite impossible to be clear and detailed enough to avoid reacting to the thoughts and objects that arise. One just cannot begin. It is for this reason that the Buddha, in his wisdom, compassion and “skill in means,” taught the practice of recollection as a gradual method of training, whereby, from the initial chaos and confusion of an undisciplined, wild-dull mind, the mind can be weaned from “whoring after strange gods,” to be still and know THAT WHICH IS.

The Foundations of Recollection
First, though, a word of warning. Proper samadhi, or stillness of mind, the last step on the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path leading to Realization, is only possible with proper recollection, the step before it. Similarly, this recollection is dependent on the steps preceding it, which comprise, in brief, right understanding, morality, and determination. There must be at least a good foundation of understanding to realize the futility of the transient and conditioned in the light of the Unconditioned— and of all objects—when one is looking for “me,” the subject.

Without at least a good foundation on a moral attitude to life, recollection is being built on sand. An evil conscience is indeed like muddied water in which nothing can be seen clearly “as it is.”
Else the mind will not be able to detach itself enough from inking about the ever-changing objects, so as to practice poised self-recollection in the here and now. It will want to be off thinking of its “idols,” for where one’s treasure is, there will one’s heart be also. Similarly, without at least a good foundation on a moral attitude to life, recollection is being built on sand. An evil conscience is indeed like muddied water in which nothing can be seen clearly “as it is.” Without peace of mind there is little hope of stemming the flow of thoughts, not with all the determination in the world—even so it is hard enough. Of course none of us is perfect—far from it— and we all fail to live up to what we know we should be, but without at least a sincere and manful effort to put the basic Buddhist precepts into practice, one is just accelerating and braking at the same time. Later, increased self-awareness and peace will bring greater self-control, but at least the sincere will and effort to goodness must be there, and a sincere regret (and if possible restitution) for any evil done.

Above all the mind must be starting to turn away from the old patterns, which is the true meaning of “repentance”— metanoia…

If one perseveres in the practice, one comes more and more to see the unreality of the “me” concept, which cuts the foundation away from all mental illness and distress.
Related to this question is the Westerner’s preoccupation with the concepts of psychology—”making the unconscious conscious” and the like, so that he even starts to look for “upsurges from the unconscious,” “problems presenting themselves for solution” and so forth. It should be impressed most firmly that psychological analysis is not a part of the practice of recollection, the sole purpose of which is to see more clearly, without thinking discursively about it, what is, at each moment, now in the present. Analysis deals with concepts. Meditation aims at stilling the mind and watching what is, dispassionately. No thoughts—no “me,” no “me”—no neurosis. Just, moreover, as the mind refreshes itself in sleep, or when by occupational therapy it is kept off its preoccupations, and just as a cut in one’s finger if cleaned and left to rest is cured by “nature,” so the mind will best cure itself by rest, and by being kept clean, clean of emotional stimulants and harassing preoccupations. Nothing effects this so well as the practice of recollection. If one perseveres in the practice, moreover, one comes more and more to see the unreality of the “me” concept, which cuts the foundation away from all mental illness and distress. No device or way of looking at things, and no amount of “making the unconscious conscious” will deliver one from (for example) “insecurity,” so long as it is for “me,” this body and mind, that one is seeking security. They are impermanent, and no juggling will alter that fact or lend them a false security. Once the idea of “me” in the body drops out, the whole problem drops out with it. For this reason, during the practice of recollection at least, psychological analysis is best put aside. The “me” thought itself is the problem—not its preoccupations, nor the forms it takes.

The Western need to intellectualize over one’s own meditational practice is one of the main reasons why Westerners usually find it much harder, and take much longer, to complete a course of meditation than do their Eastern equivalents. Many Easterners, by simply and conscientiously getting down to it in accordance with their instructor’s guidance, will complete a course inside a few weeks. Most Westerners tend to take at least double the time.

Basic Breathing Exercise
The best way to start the practice of recollection is, as the Buddha clearly describes in the “Discourse on the Practice of Recollection” (Satipatthana-sutta), to sit down and establish the attention on the one most visible constant function of the body—the breathing. This is a semi-automatic function (samskara) that is always present with us in normal life, and which is emotionally quite neutral. For these reasons it is the ideal object of use for learning to become recollected, and to hold one’s attention on what is going on now, in the present, and here, in us. Most people agree that in practice (theoretical considerations quite apart) the most conducive position to sit in, if one can manage it, is cross-legged. This need not be in the famous “full-lotus” position, with the feet lifted back up on to the opposite thigh, nor even in the “half-lotus” position—which can cause many people almost as much pain as a “half-nelson.” The simple “easy” posture, with the legs just placed crosswise on the floor is quite sufficient, and if necessary a strategic cushion can be placed under a troublesome knee.

If sitting cross-legged is not convenient, however, it is of no great importance. Nowadays even many meditation instructors in the East do their meditation sitting in a chair. The only important considerations are that one should have an alert, upright, perfectly straightbacked posture which can be held without indescribable agony for a minimum of one hour or so. While doing the practice one should be sitting still (without fidgeting) and relaxed but alert, with the hands either in the usual position to be seen in statuettes of the Buddha in meditation, or simply lying lightly cupped one inside the other. The head should be held upright, the eyes closed, and all muscles, in so far as is possible, relaxed and easy. Once taken up, one should try to avoid unnecessary readjusting of the posture for the given period.

The proper place to concentrate the attention on the breathing is at the face wherever it is most prominent. This varies slightly from person to person. Some find the best spot is just above the upper lip, others just at the tip of the nose, others again on the inside of the nostrils. It is immaterial. What is important is that it should be wherever one, oneself, finds it most clear. A few experimental breaths should soon establish that. The attention should be on the physical sensation of the touch of the air, not the concept of breathing. Nor should the breathing be interfered with or deliberately regulated. At first, this may be a little difficult, and in the preliminary states it is not easy to dissociate pure attention from control. However, in that case one should just try to avoid unnecessary and unnatural control of the breath in any way, and just breathe easily, naturally and at a normal rhythm, but with the mind held on the sensation of the touch of the air. At first, too, it may well be found difficult to catch this touch of air clearly. Press on regardless. Practice and persistence will greatly improve this. One should try, moreover, to be aware of the sensation of the breath from the time it starts the inbreath until it stops, and then, again, from the start of the outbreath to its end. As one breathes in one should repeat, “In,” and as one breathes out one should repeat, “Out.” This is a check to see that the mind is really doing the practice and not wandering.

Distractions
Before he has been going on with the practice for very long, the beginner will find a constant tendency for the mind to be torn away from the observation of the breathing, thoughts and memories of the past, hopes and fears for the future, imaginations, fantasies, intellectualizations on theory, doubts and worries about one’s meditation, pictures and shapes in front of the mind’s eye, and distracting external stimuli such as noises, pains, itches, impulses to move, etc., all tend perpetually to beckon the mind aside into “interesting sidelines.” There is no need to be unduly upset or discouraged by this. After all, it is the state of mind to which one has been long accustomed. Discipline has only just begun. Rome was not built in a day. Indeed, if it were so easy as all that to govern the mind, enlightened men would be a penny-a- dozen. The Buddha has pointed out that the mind, when one starts to try to withdraw it from its evil resorts, is like a fish taken from its native water and lying thrashing on the bank. Here we have it in practice—but everyone finds, or has found, the same problem. Enlightened people are made from those who do not despair, but persevere in bringing the mind back to heel, just as one does with an overexuberant puppy one is patiently but firmly training to obedience. Here, as everywhere, one should try to take the razor’s edge of the Middle Way. There should be the determination to press on—but a calm determination—not the sort that moves in fits and starts between the poles of despair and fanaticism. This merely shows an overstrong ego involved in the question (“I want to be a good meditator”). A relaxed determination is what is needed—or as the classic Buddhist commentators describe it, the perfect balance between peace (samadhi) and energy (virya). These two, like discrimination (prajtta) and faith (shraddha), should be perfectly in balance.

If one patiently perseveres in catching the thoughts—like bringing the puppy back to heel each time he wanders—this is meditation, and things are going very well.
The way to deal with these distractions is to notice immediately, or at least as soon as possible, the fact of distraction, identifying it with an appropriate word, such as “Thinking.” Then the mind should revert to its proper activity— noting the sensation of the breath…. All tendencies to wander should be noted as soon as possible after they have arisen—when one is more practiced one can even catch them before they arise, by the feel of the mind starting to turn— but one should not jump at them, or jerk the mind in so doing. The noting should be done neither too fast nor too slowly— the middle way, that is—immediately, firmly and dearly, but not overhurriedly. This only further agitates and distracts the mind.

It has been well said, “There is no need to be afraid of rising thoughts, but only of the delay in becoming aware of them.”

If one patiently perseveres in catching the thoughts—like bringing the puppy back to heel each time he wanders—this is meditation, and things are going very well. What is not meditation is, on the one hand, to be lazy about it and sit daydreaming and, on the other, to get upset and full of despair over the feeling that the mind will just not stay put.

Another sort of thought that can be a great distraction at times are so-called “running commentary” thoughts such as, “Now I am not thinking of anything,” “Things are going very well now,” “This is dreadful; my mind just won’t stay still”— and the like. Often these take the form of wondering what one is going to say in one’s report to one’s instructor, and virtually imagining the whole conversation. All such thoughts should simply be noted as “Thinking,” and, as Huang Po says, just “dropped like a piece of rotten wood.” “Dropped,” notice, not thrown down. A piece of rotten wood is not doing anything to irritate you, but is just of no use, so there is no point in hanging on to it…. Nor is there any need to try to retrace the links in a chain of associated thoughts, nor to try to ascertain what it was that first started the chain. Any such impulse should itself be noted simply as “Thinking,” and the mind should revert to the breathing. However badly things have just been going, one should take up again at the only place one can—where one is— and go on from there. Psychological analyses are also “Thinking.”

This practice of the Basic Breathing Exercise should be continued for one- hourly stretches (or for whatever period the instructor may recommend).

In between sessions the following basic walking exercise should be practiced—also for hourly stretches—alternately with the breathing exercise, turn and turn about.

Basic Walking Exercise
Between sessions of the sitting practice the meditator should find a quiet stretch of ground where he can walk up and down relatively undisturbed. It need not be long. If one’s room is not too small, it can easily be done there, or along a corridor, garden path, or hall. It is best, for this exercise, if one walks deliberately much more slowly than one usually does. Something about the speed of a good slow march is ideal, but of course one should walk nonetheless in as simple and natural a manner as the speed allows…. During this period of walking up and down, the attention should be on the movement of the feet and legs. One should note, as the right foot begins to rise from the ground, “Lifting”; as it moves forward, “Moving”; and as it places again on the ground, “Placing.” Similarly for the left foot, and so on.

In exactly the same manner as during the sitting, breathing practice, all distracting thoughts or sensations should be noted in the apposite manner. If one happens to look up at something while walking, one should immediately register “Looking,” and revert to the movement of the feet. Looking about one and noticing the details of objects, even those on one’s path, is “lust of the eyes” and is not part of the practice.

Related Posts...
Advice for Someone Who is Dying
by Ajahn Chah
https://www.lionsroar.com/the-practice-of-recollection/

 

Bhikkhu Mangalo
Background

Name Phra Bhavanawachirawidesa V. ( Mongkol Kuakool ) Buddhist Name Mangalo Surname Kuakool

Place of Birth 16 Moo 7 Baan Thatnoi

Sub-district Thatnoi

District Khuangnai

Province Ubonratchathani 34150

Oradination (Monk)

Wat Thatnoi Sub-district Thatnoi District Khuangnai Provice Ubonratchathani Post Number 34150

Preceptor (Spivitual) Phrakhrusrirattanasophon (Present Time Phrasiripattanaporn)

Date of Ordination May 28, 1988.

Education

Dhamma Class 1/1990

Dhamma Class 2/1989

Dhamma Class 3/ 1988

Pali 5 Wat Yangnoi District Khuangnai Province Ubonratchathani 2000

Faculty of Buddhism major in Religion B.A. Second Division from MCU. 1998

Master of Art (M.A.) First Division, in Linguistics from Nagpur University India 2002

2012 until present time: Phrakhru Palat Suwatthanawachirakhun Head of Monks/ First Vice President of Board of Directors of Wat Nawamintararachutis of Cambridge-Boston Raynham, Massachusetts U.S.A.

Present Address

Wat Nawamintararachutis of Boston U.S.A.

(NMR Meditation Center)

382 South St. E. Raynham, MA 02767-5130

Phone: 508-823-1800, 508-823-5069

Fax: 508-823-1775
:- http://watnawamin.org/about/mangalo-bhikkhu

 

Mahasati Meditation: Using Movement of the Body to Generate Self- Awareness

It is possible that some people who are familiar with other forms of meditation may wonder why we practice by moving our bodies. To better understand the rationale for this practice, it is helpful to first examine how a more familiar form of Theravada meditation is practiced. The most familiar form of Theravada meditation in this country is anapanasati, which begins by developing mindfulness through watching the breath. Mindfulness means attending to what is happening in the present moment in a non-evaluative manner. At the beginning, the anapanasati practitioner is attending to the body in the present moment by watching the breath. The breath anchors the practitioner in the present moment because it can only be observed in the present moment. Once a sufficient level of mindfulness and concentration has been established, the anapanasati practitioner takes the next step which involves broadening the scope of his or her awareness to include mental phenomena as well as the body. These mental phenomena include feeling states, thoughts, and emotions.


This step is referred to as the development of vipassana or insight. According to traditional Theravada practice, this is the source of wisdom. It is through clearly seeing, in a nonjudgmental way, the action of our mind in the present moment, that our perception of ourselves and the world is changed, and we become able to lay down the burden of suffering that we had been carrying around. According to Theravada tradition, it is vipassana, not the initial concentration-on-the-breath, that leads to enlightenment. For the anapanasati practitioner, the breath serves merely to anchor him or her in the present moment so that sufficient self-awareness can be developed for the practice of vipassana.


The same process is cultivated in Mahasati meditation, however, instead of the breath, Mahasati meditation uses larger movements of the body as the initial object of meditation. It is attention to the movement of the body that anchors the Mahasati practitioner in the present moment and facilitates the strengthening of self-awareness. But, the basic process is the same. Once a sufficient level of awareness has been developed, the scope of awareness is broadened to include mental phenomena. The broadening of awareness to include the mind as well as the body can be compared to adjusting the beam of a “maglight” flashlight so that the light changes from a narrow focus that only illuminates a small area, to a broader beam that sheds light on a wider area. But before the beam can be broadened, it must have a certain level of intensity or the more dispersed light will not be strong enough to allow us to see anything clearly. This is why meditation begins with awareness of the body (either through the breath or bodily movements) – it anchors us in the present moment and helps to increase the intensity of awareness so that it can eventually illuminate both mind and body when its scope is broadened.
It is also important to understand that, while Mahasati meditation is not as familiar in this country as mindfulness of breathing, it is firmly rooted in the ancient traditional teachings on meditation. One of the principle discourses on meditation that is ascribed to the Buddha is the Satipatthana Sutta. This sutta includes an admonishment to be mindful of the body, and to know when the body is moving, when it is sitting, when it is standing, when it is walking, and when it is lying down (a translation of this section of the Satipatthana Sutta is attached). Mahasati meditation is based on this foundation. While its practice is relatively new to this country, its roots go far back in time. We practice Mahasati meditation as it was taught by the great Thai meditation master Luangpor Teean, but meditation techniques of this type have been practiced for many centuries in Southeast Asia.


Some may say to themselves, if Mahasati is based on the same principles as anapanasati meditation, why not just stick with the more familiar method. The answer is that Mahasati meditation has several important benefits that make it an especially powerful way to develop the broader self-awareness necessary for the practice of vipassana. By working with grosser movements of the body, our initial awareness is less tightly focused. It is therefore easier to expand the scope of self-awareness to encompass mental phenomena as well. By being aware of the movements of the body while watching the mind, it is also easier to clearly see that the action of the body is distinct from the action of the mind, which is one of the first milestones in the development of panna or wisdom. It is also easier to carry Mahasati meditation over into our daily lives. This is because it is practiced in a more natural manner, with our eyes open and our bodies in motion. Mahasati is also advantageous in that it relies on a less tightly focused state of concentration and is therefore less likely to lead to what is referred to as an “attachment to calmness.” This is an obstacle to progress on the path that occurs when a practitioner becomes attached to the pleasant feeling of serenity that accompanies deep concentration and fails to adequately cultivate vipassana.


This being said, it is perfectly alright to practice mindfulness of breathing and Mahasati meditation side-by-side. Practitioners may find that the two methods complement each other. Awareness can be applied to the breath for a time, and then to the larger movements of the body used in Mahasati meditation. The important point is to cultivate vipassana – not allowing oneself to be seduced by the easy, but temporary, calmness that can come from meditating on the breath. Lasting calmness comes through the understanding that is gained through the insight of vipassana.

:- http://mahasatimeditation.org/2013/...ement-of-the-body-to-generate-self-awareness/
Luangpor Teean V1

 

Luangpor Teean V2(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V3(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V4(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V5(with English translation)

Mongkol Khantibalo
Published on Jan 25, 2009

 

Luangpor Teean V6(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V7(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V8(with English translation)

Luangpor Teean V9(with English translation)

Mongkol Khantibalo
Published on Jan 25, 2009

 

Luangpor Teean V10(with English translation)

Mongkol Khantibalo
Published on Jan 25, 2009

 

Mindfulness Meditation - Change Your Brain In 8 Weeks

David McGraw
Published on Oct 13, 2017
Can listening to a Mindfulness Meditation really create measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress, in just 8 weeks? YES! New research, led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital reported the amazing results of their study... (read their findings here https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...) Living in the present moment and practicing mindfulness can completely transform your life. The practice of mindfulness is all about observing your thoughts for exactly what they are: thoughts! By being mindful, you begin to realize that your thoughts do not define you or control you - they simply are. Being completely present in the moment and focusing your awareness on the here and now means accepting and understanding that each and every moment in your life is meant to be experienced right now - because tomorrow really never comes. There are many benefits to practicing a regular mindfulness meditation. Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily life can help you lower stress, help you focus better, boost your working memory, enhance cognitive flexibility, help you better handle emotional ups and downs and even help you improve your relationships. Mindfulness can also help you be more empathetic and compassionate so that you can live a better quality of life. All of these benefits are available within a simple little practice. The more you practice mindfulness, whether it is through a beautiful meditation like this or through an everyday act, the more self aware and non-reactive you will be. This stability of the mind can help you ease away stress and anxiety, as your mind begins to disentangle itself from negative thoughts, reactions and judgments. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and turning off the endless chatter in your mind. Mindfulness is being aware of thoughts, but not judging them. By observing your thoughts in this kind of detached manner, you can let go of all cares and concerns. Now, it's time to take a moment to turn off the mind, simply get as comfortable as you can possibly be and let's begin.

 

Karen Kissel Wegela Ph.D.
The Courage to Be Present


How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness is important; how do we develop it?
Posted Jan 19, 2010
Cultivating mindfulness is the key to overcoming suffering and recognizing natural wisdom: both our own and others'. How do we go about it?

In the Buddhist tradition and in Contemplative Psychotherapy training, we nurture mindfulness through the practice of sitting meditation. There are many different kinds of meditation. For example, some are designed to help us relax; others are meant to produce altered states of consciousness.

Mindfulness meditation is unique in that it is not directed toward getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment. We could say that it teaches us how to be unconditionally present; that is, it helps us be present with whatever is happening, no matter what it is.

You may wonder what good that is. After all, don't we want to suffer less? Aren't we interested in tuning in to this natural wisdom, this brilliant sanity, that we've heard about? Aren't those changes from how we already are?

Well, yes and no. On the one hand, suffering less and being more aware of our inherent wakefulness would be changes from how we experience ourselves right now, or at least most of the time. On the other hand, though, the way to uncover brilliant sanity and to alleviate suffering is by going more deeply into the present moment and into ourselves as we already are, not by trying to change what is already going on.

The sitting practice of mindfulness meditation gives us exactly this opportunity to become more present with ourselves just as we are. This, in turn, shows us glimpses of our inherent wisdom and teaches us how to stop perpetuating the unnecessary suffering that results from trying to escape the discomfort, and even pain, we inevitably experience as a consequence of simply being alive.

As we've seen in earlier blog postings, the man called the Buddha taught that the source of suffering is our attempt to escape from our direct experience. First, we cause ourselves suffering by trying to get away from pain and attempting to hang on to pleasure. Unfortunately, instead of quelling our suffering or perpetuating our happiness, this strategy has the opposite effect. Instead of making us happier, it causes us to suffer. Second, we cause suffering when we try to prop up a false identity usually known as ego. This, too, doesn't work and leads instead to suffering. (See earlier blog entries for more on these ideas.)
Mindfulness, paying precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experience as it arises and subsides, doesn't reject anything. Instead of struggling to get away from experiences we find difficult, we practice being able to be with them. Equally, we bring mindfulness to pleasant experiences as well. Perhaps surprisingly, many times we have a hard time staying simply present with happiness. We turn it into something more familiar, like worrying that it won't last or trying to keep it from fading away.

When we are mindful, we show up for our lives; we don't miss them in being distracted or in wishing for things to be different. Instead, if something needs to be changed we are present enough to understand what needs to be done. Being mindful is not a substitute for actually participating in our lives and taking care of our own and others' needs. In fact, the more mindful we are, the more skillful we can be in compassionate action.

So, how do we actually practice mindfulness meditation? Once again, there are many different basic techniques. If you are interested in pursuing mindfulness within a particular tradition, one of the Buddhist ones or another, you might at some point wish to connect with a meditation instructor or take a class at a meditation center. Still, I can provide one form of basic instructions here so that you can begin.

There are three basic aspects worked with in this meditation technique: body, breath and thoughts. First, we relate with the body. This includes how we set up the environment. Since we use meditation in preparing ourselves to work with others, we use an eyes-open practice. That makes what we have in front of us a factor in our practice. Very few people can dedicate a whole room to their meditation practice, so they choose a corner of a room or a spot in their home where they can set up a quiet space.

 

(cont.)
If you like, you can make a small altar of some kind and decorate it with pictures or photos and sacred objects from your own tradition. You might want to light candles and incense as reminders of impermanence, but you can also have a plain wall in front of you. As long as you are not sitting in front of something distracting, like the TV or the desk where your computer lives, it doesn't matter too much what is in front of you.

Once you've picked your spot, you need to choose your seat. It's fine to sit either on a cushion on the floor or on a chair. If you choose a cushion you can use one designed for meditation practice like a zafu or gomden or you can use a folded up blanket or some other kind of cushion or low bench. The point is to have a seat that is stable and not wiggling around.

If you choose to sit on a chair, pick one that has a flat seat that doesn't tilt too much toward the back. If you are short, like me, you will want to put something on the floor for your feet to rest on, taking a little bit of weight. You don't want your legs dangling uncomfortably. If you are very tall, with long legs, make sure that your hips are higher than your knees-either on a chair or on a cushion. If you don't do that your back will start to hurt pretty quickly.

Okay, once you have your seat and your spot, go ahead and sit down. Take a posture that is upright but not rigid. The idea is to take a posture that reflects your inherent brilliant sanity, so one that is dignified but not stiff. The back is straight with the curve in the lower back that is naturally there. I was once told to imagine that my spine was a tree and to lean against it. It works for me; you can see if it works for you.

Sitting on a cushion, cross your legs comfortably in front of you. There's no need to contort yourself into an uncomfortable posture. Just simply cross your legs as you might have done as a child. Notice again that you want your hips higher than your knees. If necessary, add more height to your seat by folding up a blanket or towel.
Hands rest on the thighs, facing down. The eyes are somewhat open and the gaze rests gently on the floor in front of you about four to six feet away. If you are closer to the wall than that, let your gaze rest on the wall wherever it lands as if you were looking that distance in front. The gaze is not tightly focused. The idea is that whatever is in front of you is what's in front of you. Don't stare or do anything special with your gaze; just let it rest where you've set it.

Let your front be open and your back be strong.

Begin by just sitting in this posture for a few minutes in this environment. If your attention wanders away, just gently bring it back to your body and the environment. The key word here is "gently." Your mind WILL wander; that's part of what you will notice with your mindfulness: minds wander. When you notice that yours has wandered, come back again to body and environment.

The second part of the practice is working with the breath. In this practice rest your attention lightly (yes, lightly) on the breath. Feel it as it comes into your body and as it goes out. There's no special way to breathe in this technique. Once again, we are interested in how we already are, not how we are if we manipulate our breath. If you find that you are, in fact, controlling your breath in some way, just let it be that way. It's a bit tricky to try to be natural on purpose, so don't get caught up in worrying about whether your breath is natural or not. Just let it be however it is.

Again, sit for a few minutes with the posture and the environment and with your breath. In and out. In and out. Sometimes this is quantified as 25% of your attention on your breath. The idea isn't to get it "right," but instead to give you an idea that you're not channeling all of your attention tightly on to your breath. The rest of your attention will naturally be on your body and the environment.

Finally, the last part of the practice is working with thoughts. As you sit practicing, you will notice that thoughts arise. Sometimes there are a great many thoughts, overlapping one over the next: memories, plans for the future, fantasies, snatches of jingles from TV commercials. There may seem to be no gaps at all in which you can catch a glimpse of your breath. That's not uncommon, especially if you're new to meditation. Just notice what happens.

 

(cont.)
When you notice that you have gotten so caught up in thoughts that you have forgotten that you're sitting in the room, just gently bring yourself back to the breath. You can mentally say "thinking" to yourself as a further reminder of what just happened. This labeling is not a judgment; it is a neutral observation: "Thinking has just occurred." I like to think of it as a kind of weather report: "Thinking has just been observed in the vicinity."

How long should you practice? If you are new to it, try to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and gradually increase to 20 or 30 minutes. Eventually, you could extend it to 45 minutes or an hour. If you want to sit longer, you might want to learn how to do walking meditation as a break. We'll get to that in a later posting.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, remember that mindfulness meditation is about practicing being mindful of whatever happens. It is NOT about getting ourselves to stop thinking. Repeat: it is not about getting ourselves to stop thinking. It is easy to fall into believing that that is the goal. Many people have a mistaken idea that becoming blank is the goal of meditation. Perhaps it is in some approaches, but it's not in mindfulness meditation. So once again: if you find you are thinking (and you will), include it in what you notice. Don't try to get rid of your thoughts. It won't work and it's the opposite of the spirit of the practice. We are trying to be with ourselves as we already are, not trying to change ourselves into some preconceived notion of how we ought to be instead.

Happy sitting!
:- https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo...nt/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation

 

Mantra Meditation Mantra is ancient verse or hymn, generally written in Sanskrit, which when uttered creates a magical vibratory effect on

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A Mantra is a hymn or verse which when chanted creates a vibration that has an effect on the mental and psychological consciousness. A Guru traditionally gives the Mantra but in absence of a guru the practitioner can select the mantra. The important criterion for selection of a mantra is, it must have verbal and phonological appeal to the mind when enchanted verbally.


Chanting the mantra creates powerful vibrations, which attract divine forces as directed to the right 'Chakras'. The enchanting of Mantra mystically heals the spiritual, physical and psychological part of the body. It is important to utter the mantra properly and rhythmically so that the words carry a meaning to the enchanter and listener and both can enjoy its essence.

Mantras have specific meaning in ancient philosophical context. But the power lies not in the meaning of word but through the vibratory effects of the sound that is produced when uttered verbally. When mantras are spoken mentally, they also produce tranquil effect.

A Mantra should not be confused with religion. A mantra is always referred to Hindu gods but people from other religion can also enchant it for the peace of mind. Mantras have an important role in Buddhist religion and meditation. A mantra should not be enchanted in a translated form as this will have no vibratory effect and the strength of mantra also goes.

To perform a Mantra Meditation it should be repeated for a fixed time each day. Repeating a mantra too much is not right for a sensitive or psychic person as it might adversely affect their mind. Normally a Mantra is uttered for about ten to fifteen minutes a day but there is prolonged enchanting of Mantras during puja and havanas.


Mantra Meditation has various forms. Transcendental Meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is an important example of Mantra Meditation, where the practitioners are provided with personal mantras.

Mantra Meditation is easiest and safest for any person and can be practiced by anyone at any time under any condition. The most common way of practicing Mantra Meditation is 'Japa'. Japa literally means 'rotate'. It is performed by repeatedly uttering the Mantra with the rotation of Japamala. A Japamala is a collection of 108 prayer beads, tied together in a string where each bead is turned after mental or audible recitation of the mantra. Using a Japamala for Mantra Meditation is very effective. It anchors the mind with meditation and does let it distracted by wave of thoughts. The Mantra uttered with the rotation of Japamala provides the person a concentration of mind and it cannot be out of control. This is the reason why Japamala meditation is recommended for the beginner practitioner of Mantra Meditation.

(Last Updated on : 06/02/2014)
:- https://www.indianetzone.com/11/mantra_meditation.htm