Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and the First Jhāna

 

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RIGHT MINDFULNESS Establishing Mindfulness of Body 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 lying down, one is aware: “I am lying down.”. . . One is just aware, just mindful: “There is body.” And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection Practicing in a prone position is not essentially different from practicing in the other three primary bodily postures: sitting, standing, and walking. The instruction is simply to be fully aware of all the bodily sensations that arise and pass away in your experience. The most common form of doing this is the body scan, wherein you systematically focus on all bodily sensations from head to toe or from toe to head. Daily Practice In addition to practicing while sitting, standing, and walking, become familiar with meditating while lying down. The particular challenge there is to avoid falling asleep. In the other three positions muscle tension helps prevent this, but when you are prone it is very easy to doze off. You will find the ability to practice lying down especially valuable if you are sick and stuck in bed.      RIGHT CONCENTRATION Approaching and Abiding in the First Phase of Absorption (1st Jhāna) Having abandoned the five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, one enters and abides in the first phase of absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with joy and the pleasure born of seclusion. (MN 4) One practices: “I shall breathe in experiencing rapture";  one practices: “I shall breathe out experiencing rapture.” 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) Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Feeling and Abiding in the Second Jhāna Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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