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

 

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 sitting, one is aware: “I am sitting.”. . . One is just aware, just mindful: “There is body.” And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection

The Zen meditation practice called zazen means “just sitting.” This is a form of the early Buddhist practice described here. The idea is to always do only one thing at a time. Not sitting and reading, or sitting and watching TV, or sitting at your computer—but just sitting. This is an exercise in being rather than doing. The only activity you are doing while sitting is “being aware.” Aware of what? Aware that you are sitting.

Daily Practice

Spend some time every day, either regularly or adventitiously, just sitting. At first the tendency might be to “sit and think about stuff,” or “sit and remember,” or “sit and plan.” But this is a mindfulness of the body practice, so it involves being aware of all the microsensations of the body as you sit. There is a lot going on when you just sit and take the time to notice. Notice it all without clinging to anything in the world.

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) Breathing in long, one is aware: ‘I breathe in long’; or breathing out long, one is aware: ‘I breathe out long.’ This is how concentration by mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, so that it is of great fruit and great benefit. (A 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

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Via Daily Dharma: The Mind Illuminates Itself

 Dismiss all the thoughts which bother your mind. Train yourself during many days, many months, many years, to retain this pure mind. One day, when your empty mind has become crystallized, suddenly it will be illumined by its own intrinsic wisdom. At that instant you will realize the state of pure awakening.

Sokei-An Shigetsu Sasaki, “Return to Your Original State!”

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation \\ Words of Wisdom - May 22, 2022 💌

 
 

The interesting question is, "How do you put yourself in a position so that you can allow ‘what is’ to be?" The enemy turns out to be the creation of mind. Because when you are just in the moment, doing what you are doing, there is no fear. The fear is when you stand back to think about it. The fear is not in the actions. The fear is in the thought about the actions.

- Ram Dass -

The Hope Speech | Sir Ian McKellen | Figures of Speech

Via Gay Buddhist Fellowship - San Francsco|| New GBF talks

 

[GBF] new GBF talks

New talks have been added to the audio archive at the GBF website:

2022_05_15 Frank Ostaseski Belonging.mp3

2022_05_08 Francisco Gable .mp3

Metta

Enjoy 700+ free recorded dharma talks at www.gaybuddhist.org

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

RIGHT EFFORT
Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

Whatever a person frequently thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders unhealthy states, one has abandoned healthy states to cultivate unhealthy states, and then one’s mind inclines to unhealthy states. (MN 19) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to restrain the arising of unarisen unhealthy mental states. One restrains the arising of the unarisen hindrance of sense desire. (MN 141)

Reflection

There are two popular conceptions that may well be wrong. One is that we have free will to do whatever we want, and the other is that we have no control over what our unconscious minds throw up into consciousness. This text speaks to the ability to use our powers of conscious intention to influence what rises into awareness from preconscious or subconscious realms. There are ways to guard against unhealthy states.

Daily Practice

When sense desire arises, it has the effect of hijacking the mind and driving it in unhealthy directions. See what you can do to guard against certain kinds of content arising. One example is learning not to follow the "clickbait" that keeps popping up on your computer, urging you to go to specific websites. An internal example is to stay mindful of thoughts arising and passing away, seeing them as impersonal events, without following the content down the rabbit hole.

Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna
One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States

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Via Daily Dharma: Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Action

 When our minds are peaceful, our bodily actions will be peaceful, and we will convey an ambiance of love, care, and mercy.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Fostering Peace, Inside and Out”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

 

RIGHT LIVING
Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings

Harming living beings is unhealthy. Refraining from harming living beings is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the harming of living beings, one abstains from harming living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, one abides compassionate to all living beings. (M 41) One practices thus: “Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings.” (MN 8) A layperson is not to engage in the livelihood of trading in poison. (AN 5.177)

Reflection

The guideline calling for laypeople to earn their livelihood in ways that do not inflict harm on themselves or others can be taken literally, as in not producing or deploying pesticides, but the scope of what is meant by poison can be expanded beyond a physical substance to include a wide range of mental toxins as well. For example, trading in misinformation or prejudice, or conducting all sorts of unethical enterprises could also be considered toxic.

Daily Practice

Take stock of what you do for a living and inquire into how much harm it may cause. If the answer is “none” then take joy in that and carry on. But if your profession causes harm, even from subtle toxic activity, be aware of that and do what you can to diminish the harm. It is a blessing to engage in a harmless profession and even more of a blessing to do work that actively contributes to the welfare of others.

Tomorrow: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given

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Via Daily Dharma: Braving the Unknown

 As spiritual practitioners we need to have some curiosity about the unknown. When unexplored territory frightens us, we need to ask ourselves, “Where’s our sense of adventure?”

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, “Open Stillness”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Bodily Action

 

RIGHT ACTION
Reflecting Upon Bodily Action

However the seed is planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing good deeds, bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too bodily action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) When you wish to do an action with the body, reflect upon that same bodily action thus: “Would this action I wish to do with the body lead to both my own affliction and the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you know that it would, then do not do it; if you know that it would not, then proceed. (MN 61)

Reflection

Not only is it wise to think before you speak, it is also important to think before you act. Another way of putting this is to act consciously instead of automatically, from habit. Conscious action is mindful action, and there is no activity that can't be done mindfully rather than mindlessly. Every action is accompanied by an intention, and this practice trains us to pay attention to this aspect of experience.

Daily Practice

Try going through your day as if you are holding a mirror up to yourself in your mind and you are able to see what you're thinking and reflect what you're about to do. Take that extra moment to be aware of yourself, aware of your actions, and aware of their impact on the world around you. This practice involves bringing mindful awareness to intention—to the impulse to act—in the moment before you follow through into action.

Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings
One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

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Via Daily Dharma: Let Your Thoughts Come

 All meditators have thoughts arising during their practice—it’s what you do with them that matters.

Bob Sharples, “Do the Thoughts Ever Stop?”

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Bros | Official NSFW Trailer [HD]

Via Facebook // Dr. Who

 

Via Lion's Roar / Pico Iyer

 

My Flight From the Real

Pico Iyer thought he would find what is truly real by going off to a monastery, but he was really fleeing it. Dropping his spiritual romaticism, he found it in ordinary life.

Via Lion's Roar

 

US president Joe Biden, White House extend warm wishes to Buddhists with second annual Vesak celebration

On Monday, a second annual Vesak celebration was held at the White House honoring the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.

Via Lama Rod Owens

 

 

Dear Friends, 

As we move deeper into the spring, we are experiencing an awakening of the natural world into the vibrancy of summer. 

We are also experiencing an awakening to the struggle of so many folks around us to be well, safe, and cared for.

We are still deep in the apocalypse, and while I am confident that we are moving in a direction of profound rebirth into a more compassionate and loving world, we still must do the work of meeting the intensity of the violence around us with an open heart that allows us to do the essential work of grieving and dreaming the world we most need to see. 

I offer the following prayer that I have shared often on my platform to you for your practice. Prayer is an essential practice for me. I begin and end my day with prayer. May this prayer nourish and tend to your brokenheartedness.

Here is what my prayer sounds like right now: 

I evoke all those beings and sources of refuge who have ever loved me to come sit with me because it is now that I feel most alone. 

I evoke the Blessed Mother, the Sacred Father, Spirits of Light, the essence of wisdom, my teachers and elders, the communities who have always caught me when I have fallen, the ancestors who have never stopped holding me, all the elements, including the sacred earth, who help me to stand, silence which wraps me in the space to be with my heart. I call upon my own innate compassion.

To all those I have evoked, I offer my grief and what seems like my perpetual mourning in this body. I offer my fear, my numbness, and I offer my inability to dream beyond my shutting down. Most of all, I offer my fatigue. I am tired. Today precious earth, let me lie upon you and remind me of my body and my heart.

I want many things, but I need only one thing now- to give up what I cannot hold to you. I pray that I evolve past my belief that my pain is mine alone to carry.

To my sources of refuge who have been evoked, you have taught me over and over again that this is not the truth. You have taught me over and over again that it is not my pain but our pain. You remind me that my worship of isolation is not conducive to my liberation.

I want to be free, and so I offer what I struggle to hold to you right now, knowing that you are only here to share this heaviness with and to love me. I am afraid of the world. I am afraid of people. I am afraid of what I must do to survive in the world. Even these fears, I offer to my sources of refuge.

Today my precious sources of refuge, in your love, offer me rest. In your love, never abandon me. In your love, haunt all others who feel lonely and tired.

Please continue to haunt me in this life, in death, and into all my lives to come until one day I become a source of refuge for other beings.

Yet it is also my prayer to become a source of refuge for beings right now in this life. May I and all others in this realm and beyond be blessed forever.

I dedicate this labor to my descendants, who will one day lead me into my ancestorhood. 

These are my prayers right now.

With love, Lama Rod

Video: Going to the Edge - Exploring Death and Radical Resiliency During the Apocalypse In this 49 minute video, Lama Rod Owens explores the radical practices of skillful mourning, self-care, and refuge practice to support resiliency in the face of death and uncertainty.

Watch

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from False Speech

 

RIGHT SPEECH
Refraining from False Speech

False speech is unhealthy. Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech, one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech.” (MN 8) When one knows covert speech to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, one should on no account utter it. (MN 139)

Reflection

This text makes a distinction between overt and covert speech—that which is open and public and that which is whispered in private. The point is that all false speech is harmful, even if it is uttered covertly, even if nobody else hears it, and even if it is only in your thoughts. The act of speaking falsely injures the speaker, regardless of whether or not the words are spoken aloud and heard by others.

Daily Practice

Practice always being truthful, not only when you speak openly but also in all your private conversations. Take it even farther and speak only what is true, correct, and beneficial when you're talking to yourself or going over in your mind what you would like to say to someone, even if you remain silent. The act of false speech itself causes harm to the speaker; it is not just the effect of the words on other people.

Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action
One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - May 18, 2022 💌

  

I think in relationships, you create an environment with your own work on yourself, which you offer to another human being to use to grow in the way they need to grow. Parents are environments for their children, lovers are an environment for their partners.

You keep working – you become the soil – moist and soft and receptive so the person can grow the way they need to grow, because how do you know how they should grow?

- Ram Dass -

Via FB // Alexandre Kurth - Ciências

 

Durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, Turing foi responsável pela criação da “Bombe”, uma máquina que descriptografava os códigos n4z1st4s da Enigma. Ela é conhecida como o protótipo dos computadores modernos.

 

Graças a sua brilhante mente, foi possível derrotar a extrema-direita alemã. Infelizmente, como naquela época, a homossexualidade era crime no Reino Unido, Turing foi quimicamente castrado e, não aguentando toda a homofobia, ele tirou sua própria vida.

Via Daily Dharma: Not Fooling Ourselves

 When we cultivate the practice of paying close attention to the way we talk to ourselves, we won’t fool ourselves too much.

Norman Fischer, “Beyond Language”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Intention: Cultivating Lovingkindness

 

RIGHT INTENTION
Cultivating Lovingkindness

Whatever you intend, whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will become the basis upon which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop meditation on lovingkindness, for when you develop meditation on lovingkindness, all ill will will be abandoned. (MN 62)  Lovingkindness fails when it produces sentimentality. (Vm 9.93)

Reflection

Believe it or not, lovingkindness is impersonal by nature. The feeling of care for another is not dependent on the specific qualities of that person but can be directed to anyone and everyone. This is what makes lovingkindness unsentimental. You don’t love only if the person is a family member or a friend. And you don’t love difficult people only if they deserve it or you have forgiven them. Lovingkindness rises above the personal.

Daily Practice

See if you can discern, in your own experience, the difference between a feeling of lovingkindness that is laced with a sense of self and one that is not. See if you can sense the difference between the love you have for someone dear to you and the universal lovingkindness you cultivate while doing mettā practice. Personal connections are sentimental in a good sense, while lovingkindness transcends the personal.

Tomorrow: Refraining from False Speech
One week from today: Cultivating Compassion

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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.