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

Reflection Mindfulness can be practiced in any position. Sitting and walking are the most familiar positions, but you can also practice standing or lying down. It is simply a matter of “establishing the presence of mindfulness” in the same way you do in sitting practice. Notice the same emphasis on being just aware, just mindful of the bodily sensations without mental elaboration. Can you stand to practice without clinging to anything in the world? Daily Practice When you find yourself having to stand in place for any length of time, such as waiting in line or watching an event, take the opportunity to practice mindfulness. Turn your attention inward, to the flow of your direct experience, and notice, for example, all the micro-adjustments made by your body to maintain balance. This in itself can become a compelling practice, as you notice how much is going on that you normally overlook. 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) Reflection Absorption practice begins by finding the sweet spot in the center of the mind, the place where there is neither too much energy (restlessness) nor too little (sluggishness), neither wanting (sense desire) nor non-wanting (ill will) something or anything. When these hindrances, along with doubt, are abandoned temporarily, the mind naturally settles down into a state of tranquil alertness and equanimity. Daily Practice Sit quietly and comfortably in a peaceful place and allow everything swirling around in your mind and body to gradually settle down. Like dust settling in the air or particulates settling in water, there is nothing to force or make happen. Patience will be rewarded by the experience of deeper and deeper modes of peacefulness, clarity, and stability of mind. Don’t try to measure anything; just let it all be what it is. 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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Via Daily Dharma: Forgiveness and Compassion

 

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Forgiveness and Compassion If you’re not ready to forgive the person who’s harmed you, then don’t go there, but have compassion for those you have harmed. Ven. Robina Courtin, “Purification Is a Psychological Process” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

What We’re Listening To By Frederick M. Ranallo-Higgins and Wendy Biddlecombe Agsar Here are a few of our favorite podcasts that no Buddhist listener should miss. Read more » Dhamma Wheel 365 Days of Practice to Your Inbox Commit to a year of contemplative study with Tricycle’s first-ever daily email course, created by Buddhist scholar Andrew Olendzki.  Enroll now »

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - April 21, 2024 💌

 

When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.

The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.

- Ram Dass -

Rise of the queer power couple: New book offers intimate glimpse into 14 extraordinary love stories - LGBTQ Nation

 

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

 

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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 all five unarisen hindrances. (MN 141)

Reflection Having gone through each of the five hindrances one at a time, we now regard them as a group. At all times, and in no particular order, we want to become sensitive to the harmful effects of sense desire, ill will, restlessness, sluggishness, and doubt, and to work actively to restrain their arising. With the development of certain skills, we can position ourselves wisely so that the conditions that feed these unhealthy states will diminish. Daily Practice Cultivate the habit of being sensitive to the five hindrances throughout all activities of daily life. If some particular activity tends to make you restless, like drinking a lot of coffee, you might think about cutting down. If interacting with a particular person provokes your ill will, you might think about seeing them less. It is just a matter of knowing what conditions trigger unhealthy states and working to diminish them.  Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and the First Jhāna One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States 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: Let Go of Insights

 

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Let Go of Insights

It is easy to get attached to any insight we have, especially if it is a profound one, but to be truly free, we must also let go of even our most precious realizations. Santiago Santai Jiménez, “Free from Suffering and Free to Suffer” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE