RIGHT MINDFULNESS
Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects
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A person goes to the forest
or to the root of a tree or to an empty place and sits down. Having
crossed the legs, one sets the body erect. One establishes the presence
of mindfulness. (MN 10) One is aware: “Ardent, fully aware, mindful, I
am content.” (SN 47.10)
When the investigation-of-states awakening factor is internally
present, one is aware: “Investigation of states is present for me.” When
investigation of states is not present, one is aware: “Investigation of
states is not present for me.” When the arising of unarisen
investigation of states occurs, one is aware of that. And when the
development and fulfillment of the arisen investigation-of-states
awakening factor occurs, one is aware of that. . . . One is just aware,
just mindful: “There is a mental object.” And one abides not clinging
to anything in the world. (MN 10)
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The second of
the seven factors of awakening is investigation of states. This is a
kind of natural curiosity and interest that emerges when you become
mindful of something. The heightened awareness leads to an increased
inclination to investigate the nature of what is seen. It is like
looking at something under a microscope or through a telescope—once it
has been illuminated, you can begin the process of examining it
carefully.
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Taking a keen
interest in your own experience is not something that happens all the
time but arises and falls away under various conditions, just like every
other mental factor. It is something you can practice doing. It is a
matter of amplifying your attention when it comes to bear on an object
and then taking the awareness a step further, looking more closely or
listening more carefully with open curiosity: What is this?
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RIGHT CONCENTRATION
Approaching and Abiding in the Fourth Phase of Absorption (4th Jhāna)
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With the abandoning of pleasure
and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, one
enters upon and abides in the fourth phase of absorption, which has
neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
The concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of
imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to
imperturbability. (MN 4)
One practices: "I shall breathe in, tranquilizing the bodily formation";
one practices: "I shall breathe out, tranquilizing the bodily
formation." This is how concentration by mindfulness of breathing is
developed and cultivated so that it is of great fruit and great benefit.
(SN 54.8)
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Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering
One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna
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