Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Establishing Mindfulness of Mind and the Third Jhāna

 

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RIGHT MINDFULNESS Establishing Mindfulness of Mind 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 mind is devoid of desire, one is aware: "The mind is devoid of desire." One is just aware, just mindful: "There is mind." And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection The mind is merely aware of an object, either a sensory or mental object, much like a mirror reflecting accurately whatever comes before it. Emotional states, such as desire, co-arise every moment and flood the mind, often distorting or coloring what is seen, heard, felt, or cognized. Sometimes desire is present, sometimes it is not. Here we are being encouraged to notice when it is not.  Daily Practice Our emotional life flickers moment by moment as quickly as our mental life does, and the stream of consciousness is permeated by a stream of attitudes, intentions, and views. By noticing when desire is present and absent, we learn to recognize that it is just a passing state that sometimes occurs and sometimes does not. Practice "not clinging to anything in the world," including the presence or absence of sensory desire. RIGHT CONCENTRATION Approaching and Abiding in the Third Phase of Absorption (3rd Jhāna) With the fading away of joy, one abides in equanimity; mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, one enters upon and abides in the third phase of absorption, on account of which noble ones announce: "One has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful." (MN 4) Reflection Remember that jhāna practice is not something that can be undertaken lightly or sporadically and usually requires the protected conditions of a retreat center and the guidance of an experienced teacher. The jhānas are mentioned a lot in the early texts and form the core discussion of right concentration. But mostly we just hear the standard formula repeated in various contexts without much detail on how to practice. Daily Practice The transition from the second to the third phase of absorption has to do with the mellowing of joy, which is an almost effervescent energetic upwelling of pleasant bodily sensation into an experience of mental and emotional equanimity. The body still experiences pleasure, but the mind settles into an even and balanced awareness of the pleasant feeling tone that is not attached to it in any way. Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Be Good to Others

 

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Be Good to Others Goodwill is not a Pollyanna kind of wish, thinking that everybody’s going to be good, therefore I’ll be good to them. It’s because people are not going to be good many times that you’ve got to be good to them. Thānissaro Bhikkhu, “A Heart Bigger Than the World” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

To go, to Move, to Lie Down By Clark Strand The winning poem from the Tricycle Haiku Challenge uses the season word “blanket” as a powerful symbol of dislocation. Read more » Tricycle Meditation Month 2026 Awakening with Zen Koans with Haemin Sunim Start the new year exploring your true nature through Zen koan meditation with Tricycle’s free 31-day Meditation Month. When you sign up, you’ll get weekly video teachings, daily meditation prompts, and access to an online sangha for community support. Join today to start from day one.  Join now » Follow Us Forward today's wisdom to a friend »

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Buddhism

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When Hope Meets Peace...

A profound moment, quietly captured on video — a gentleman stands before Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, and suddenly, words fall away. His eyes fill. His hand presses to his heart. And then, overcome by something deeper than explanation, he breaks down and embraces him.

We may never know what was carried in his heart at that moment.

Watch the video in the pinned comment.

Perhaps it was hope he had been searching for, long and silently.

Perhaps it was peace he had forgotten was even possible.

Perhaps it was simply the relief of realizing — I am not alone.

Whatever it was, it was real.

It was human.

It was unmistakably beautiful.

Moments like this are why the Walk for Peace continues across the United States — not as a protest, not as a demand, but as a gentle presence. A living reminder that peace does not arrive through force or noise, but through compassion made visible.

This walk is for the hearts that are tired.

For those carrying grief they’ve never spoken aloud.

For those who need to know that peace is still possible…

That hope still exists…

That loving-kindness has not disappeared from this world.

Peace and compassion begin when we truly see one another — with softness, without judgment, without the need to harm through words or actions. We choose to listen more than we speak, to understand rather than to win. And when differences arise, we do not turn away; we reach out instead.

Love does not need to be grand to be powerful — only sincere.

Compassion does not need to be loud — only consistent.

When the heart becomes calm, peace is born within.

And from there, it spreads — quietly, steadily —

from one human heart to another.

This is why we walk.

The Walk for Peace is a 120-day, 2,300-mile pilgrimage across the United States, begun by Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and heading to Washington, D.C., to spread peace, compassion, and loving-kindness through quiet presence rather than slogans or demands. Accompanying them is Aloka the Peace Dog, a rescue dog whose steady steps and gentle spirit have become a beloved symbol of the journey. As of now, they have already walked over 70 days along this sacred path, moving through multiple states while touching hearts with each step.

#WalkForPeace

#AlokathePeaceDog

#buddhism

#kindness

#compassion

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San Francisco Buddhist Center