♦ HOW TO MEDITATE Ongoing Snippets of INSTRUCTION

♦ HOW TO MEDITATE:
Ongoing Snippets
of INSTRUCTION.
Continue to Sit
in "Is-ness" 

Continue to SIT a simple Meditation at home regularly - Continue to SIT - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT - 
Getting smoothed-out and quite simplified - Becoming a Simpleton, do things in a Simple way - keep it Simple.
                 HOW TO MEDITATE

" Mind-FULLY " 

Ongoing Snippets

of INSTRUCTION in

Mindfulness Meditation 

-- whispering to yourself to simply sit there --

HOW to MEDITATE ~ Mindfulness Meditation:
Getting smoothed-out and quite simplified - becoming a simpleton - whispering yourself to simply sit there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Experience whatever you 'experience'. Sit be still. Be Here. Use Sounds in the surround or sensations in the body to 'cue' you, to awaken you from being lost in thought-runs and head trips and then you're going 'Intellectual' and busy talking in your head, where else ...Wake up, gently come back to Breath. Start Again. 

Easy Breath, Long breath or Short breath. Again. Keep repeatedly, keep going back to the cool breathe on inhale, warm touch of breath on exhale nose or belly rise and fall. Simply getting used to CALM sitting very still.

Mindful Attention to body & back posture, belly-breath-sensation & all other minutiae & happenings.

The whole point is NOT to shut the mind down - but to cultivate 'non-reactivity' to phrnomena stimulay - to simply 'know' that

there is 'thinking' happening without getting involved into the 'thinking-drama', or then you become

the 'thought' - and you're caught. When you do 'wake up'& amp; notice you are in 'thought-land' you simply

unapologetically go back to gently being with sensation of breath at the nostril or belly again.

Allowing 'Attentive-Awareness' to clarify & strengthen. Nothing to hurry here - nowhere to go.

Just sit & just witness. Repeated regular sittings will build a 'meditation region' in the mind by itself.

______________________

For now - sit at home daily or every-other day -
working towards steady, ongoing 1/2 hour sits.
( no longer )  Work-out sits on a straight back
chair, feet flat on the floor -- or sit on the floor
on a hard floor cushion, legs crossed.. Breathe 
Non-Doing - The 'Doing' of Doing Nothing.   
Simply training yourself to gently sit there.
This is like quietly watching the grass grow.
Breathe... Your body/mind will gradually settle in.
DO NOT sit longer than prescribed - use a timer.
Week One: Sit in silence for 5 minutes every day. 

Week Two: Sit in silence for 15 minutes every day.
Week Three: Sit in silence for 20 or 30 minutes
every day or every other day. Choose one plan. 
 -------------------------------------------------------------- Experience whatever you 'experience'. Sit still.
Use ordinary sounds as they occur in the surround
or ordinary sensations in the body as they occur. 
Please DO NOT TRY any pain management work
at this basic stage: just sit, breathe, relax and simply breathe...

to 'cue' you, to awaken you from being lost in thought-runs & trips. Wake up, come back to the breath.

Again. Keep repeatedly going back to nose or belly rise and fall. Simply getting used to sitting very still.

Mindful Attention to body & back posture, belly-breath-sensation & all other minutiae & happenings.

The whole point is NOT to shut the mind down - but to cultivate 'non-reactivity' - to simply 'know' that

there is 'thinking' happening without getting involved into the 'thinking-drama', or then you become

the 'thought' - and you're caught. When you do 'wake up'& amp; notice you are in 'thought-land' you simply

unapologetically go back to gently being with sensation of breath at the nostril or belly again.

Allowing 'Attentive-Awareness' to clarify & strengthen. Nothing to hurry here - nowhere to go.

Just sit & just witness. Repeated regular sittings will build a 'meditation region' in the mind by itself.

______________________

The "SELF-Idea"

is just that ~ an ‘Idea’

 

... Getting familiar with the new 'idea'

of even questioning

the existence of a 'self' - allowing the new 'dharma-language' to speak with you  / to you, and then begin to seriously doubt 'yourself'as a 'self' ~  ( I certainly hope no therapists hear me say this, it's so 'spiritually incorrect' ) -- Doubt yourself ? !  Well, yes. With confidence, courage & trust, that's where we're going. We've all had a 'self' ( and been 'had' by a self ) for such a long time -- it's really about time we bravely Inquire & Question into it !  This thing called in Buddhist literature: The 'Self-Idea'.

 

"Self" is just the 'story' of 'me' . ongoing, endless, tedious ......with lots of distortions -- either way, it's still just a 'story' ... the self-published version, the vanity press version, the movie version, the made for TV version, the Fox news version, the straight to video version, the tabloid version, the N.Y.Times bestseller version, the cable pay per view or the Larry King version, the in-development version, the ready to pitch script in the trunk of my car version, my profile version, my blog version, my Mother's version...

 

Imagine a time, in the not too distant future, not in a galaxy far far away - but right Here & Now -- Imagine when you tell your 'Story' for the very last time ! ( even you don't want to hear it anymore )  You'll see thru it, you'll fully understand it as un-real & empty, you'll let it finally go, you'll be free of the limiting "Story of Self" at last!  What a relief ! ...Whew !   ( you can do this ! )

 

"Experience a truly liberated

present moment of an infinite Now !"      

 

"The Desire For Awakening

is The Only Allowable Desire" 

 ~ Buddha (500 BC)

 

"Full 'Awakening' itself is the only

 ultimate purpose of human life ~

then all other 'purposes' will be

obvious, clear, potentially possible

and artfully filled with 'meaning' & 'grace'.

It'll just be there ! A natural, skillful

compassion will effortlessly radiate. 

Even lesser 'Awakenings' come more -

and are still number one.

Everything else you do in between

is lovingly, patiently a 'temp' job,

 

~ Bhante Akasa-Maitreya

 

Instead of 'trying' to become

something other than we are,

we realize fully what is already here.

 Pure 'Is-ness'.

 

"Don't seek 'Answers' --

Live the 'Questions' themselves

instead.."  ~ Rilke

 

__________________________

 

continue to SIT at home regularly .

continue to SIT at home regularly .

continue to SIT at home regularly .

continue to SIT at home regularly .

_____________________________

 

 

... and if you didn't sit what you ‘think’ is 'often enough',

that's OK too ... Heck, it's ALL part of the 'practice'

 

HOW to MEDITATE ~ Meditation: Getting smoothed-out & quite simplified - becoming a simpleton.For now - sit at home daily or every-other day - in 1/2 hour work-out sits on a straight back chair or cushion. Breathe naturally. The doing of Doing Nothing. Simply training yourself to merely sit there.  Experience whatever you 'experience'. Sit still. Use sounds in the surround or sensations in the body to 'cue' you, to awaken you from being lost in thought-runs & trips. Wake up, come back to the breath.

Again. Keep repeatedly going back to nose or belly rise & fall. Simply getting used to sitting very still.

 

Mindful Attention to body & back posture, belly-breath-sensation & all other minutiae & happenings. The whole point is NOT to shut the mind down - but to cultivate 'non-reactivity' - to simply 'know' that there is 'thinking' happening without getting involved into the 'thinking-drama', or then you become the 'thought' - and you're caught. When you do 'wake up' & notice you are in 'thought-land' you simply unapologetically go back to gently being with sensation of breath at the nostril or belly again. Allowing 'Attentive-Awareness' to clarify & strengthen. Nothing to hurry here - nowhere to go. Just sit & just witness. Repeated regular sittings will build a 'meditation region' in the mind by itself.

_______________________

 

 

'HINDRANCES' to meditation ( they're not really, they ARE 'the meditation' ! )  Anguish, Suffering, Struggle, Seductive Distractions, Curious Sensations & Difficulties: Desire, Longing, Wishing, Wanting, Grasping, Attachment, False Security, Flash Impulses, Fear, Anger, Judgment, Resentment, Denial, Confusion, Boredom, Dullness, Sleepiness, Restlessness, Doubt, Ambivalence, Rejecting, etc etc ~ plus the Amazing Seemingly 'Spiritual' Distractions, Notions & Fascinations of all kinds... 

 

"The HINDRANCES TO CLARITY" they're called...  the distractions, difficulties & intrusive visitors to a 'sublime' meditation That Will Eventually Find and Embrace A PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE OR OBSOLESCENCE WITHIN YOU -- As Our Developing 'Observation Practice' Continues. HOW ?  By widening & strengthening the field of Awareness itself and creating internal space -- anywhere from a deep 'comprehending' - to an empty experiential 'realization-understanding' that naturally integrates with what the Dharma teachings really have to say.. and give it plenty of time.. nothing to buy into, nowhere to go..

 

Simple 'Naming' of Mind-Experiences :: MAD :: SAD :: BAD :: GLAD :: SCARED :: JUDGING :: WANTING :: EXPECTING ::REJECTING :: LOST :: HOT :: COLD :: TIGHT :: LOOSE :: TENSE :: RELAXED :: CLEAR :: CONFUSED :: DULL :: ALERT

Now that you know at last about the Simple 'Naming' of Mind-Experiences -- difficult or delightful -- so only, let 'them' just come to you, don't go search and psychologize !  That's just more doing 'intellect' - not 'bare-awareness'. Wake yourself up, passively non-reactively witness, observe & let it go...

____________________________

... and if you didn't sit
what you ‘think’
is 'often enough',

that's OK too ...
Heck, it's ALL
part of the 'practice'
 

 HOW to MEDITATE ~ What's Meditation Getting smoothed-out, getting simplified, becoming the village simpleton. Ha Ha, Hee Hee Getting Nice  also....

HOW to MEDITATE ~ Meditation: Getting smoothed-out , simplified - becoming Nice -- For now -- Sit at home daily or every-other day - in 1/2 hour work-out sits on a straight back chair or cushion. Breathe naturally. The doing of Doing Nothing. Simply training yourself to merely sit there.  Experience whatever you 'experience'. Sit still. Use sounds in the surround or sensations in the body to 'cue' you, to awaken you from being lost in thought-runs & trips. Wake up, come back to the breath.

Again. Keep repeatedly going back to nose or belly rise & fall. Simply getting used to sitting very still.

 

Mindful Attention to body & back posture, belly-breath-sensation & all other minutiae & happenings. The whole point is NOT to shut the mind down - but to cultivate 'non-reactivity' - to simply 'know' that there is 'thinking' happening without getting involved into the 'thinking-drama', or then you become the 'thought' - and you're caught. When you do 'wake up' & notice you are in 'thought-land' you simply unapologetically go back to gently being with sensation of breath at the nostril or belly again. Allowing 'Attentive-Awareness' to clarify & strengthen. Nothing to hurry here - nowhere to go. Just sit & just witness. Repeated regular sittings will build a 'meditation region' in the mind by itself.

_______________________

 

 

'HINDRANCES' to meditation ( they're not really, they ARE 'the meditation' ! )  Anguish, Suffering, Struggle, Seductive Distractions, Curious Sensations & Difficulties: Desire, Longing, Wishing, Wanting, Grasping, Attachment, False Security, Flash Impulses, Fear, Anger, Judgment, Resentment, Denial, Confusion, Boredom, Dullness, Sleepiness, Restlessness, Doubt, Ambivalence, Rejecting, etc etc ~ plus the Amazing Seemingly 'Spiritual' Distractions, Notions & Fascinations of all kinds... 

 

"The HINDRANCES TO CLARITY" they're called...  the distractions, difficulties & intrusive visitors to a 'sublime' meditation That Will Eventually Find and Embrace A PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE OR OBSOLESCENCE WITHIN YOU -- As Our Developing 'Observation Practice' Continues. HOW ?  By widening & strengthening the field of Awareness itself and creating internal space -- anywhere from a deep 'comprehending' - to an empty experiential 'realization-understanding' that naturally integrates with what the Dharma teachings really have to say.. and give it plenty of time.. nothing to buy into, nowhere to go..

 

Simple 'Naming' of Mind-Experiences :: MAD :: SAD :: BAD :: GLAD :: SCARED :: JUDGING :: WANTING :: EXPECTING ::REJECTING :: LOST :: HOT :: COLD :: TIGHT :: LOOSE :: TENSE :: RELAXED :: CLEAR :: CONFUSED :: DULL :: ALERT

Now that you know at last about the Simple 'Naming' of Mind-Experiences -- difficult or delightful -- so only, let 'them' just come to you, don't go search and psychologize !  That's just more doing 'intellect' - not 'bare-awareness'. Wake yourself up, passively non-reactively witness, observe& let it go...

____________________________

 

 

CONTROL& LETTING GO

& CALLING OFF THE STRUGGLE
 

"The most difficult thing for spiritual seekers to do is to stop struggling, striving, speculating, seeking and searching.  Why?

Because in the absence of struggle you don't know who you are: you lose your 'boundaries' - you lose your separateness - you lose

your 'special-ness' - you lose the 'dream' you have lived all your life.

 

It is only when your love and desire for Truth outweighs the personality's compulsive need for 'security' - that you can begin to stop struggling and now be swept up into the arms of an ever unfolding revelation of the Truth and Freedom of Being.  "Me ? - give up control & being right ?"

 

If you were able to give up 'control' absolutely, totally, and completely you would be a spiritually free being... In its most elementary form the desire for control feels like a clenched fist in your gut ... and when you get close to this closed fist you find it has a protector.

The protector of our elemental sense of control is rage .. Many people never get to their rage because right above it is fear ...

The desire to control is, ultimately, our unwillingness to be awake.

 

“ There is a very simple

Secret to being Happy.

Just let go of your

demand on this moment.

Any time you have a demand

on the moment to give you

something or remove something,

there is suffering. Your demands

keep you chained to the dream-state

of the conditioned mind.

 

One of the main impediments

to ‘enlightenment’ is the 'belief'

that it is too rare a thing.

What the world needs now

is not more Buddhists,

but more Buddhas.

 

If we can let go of control,

surrender to our own true nature,

relax into the moment just as it is,

without a trace of resistance,

then we are ourselves

the awakened Buddha."

 

 ~ Adyashanti  2003

 ___________________

 

 

"You hang on to this, you hold on to that -

tenaciously ! TENACIOUSLY…

Like a jungle monkey with a closed fist

in a coconut trap --Your fear, your rage,

your resentment, your need to control -

You argue and complain, defending

your suffering anguish

Just bars in a prison that you build

for your soul - Open your hand and let go … " 

~ Old Buddhist Story

 ________________

 

 

"The main thing to notice is those "story lines" that come up with sadness or anger. If I can see these as they occur - I can acknowledge them and their sticky quality. Then I can refocus my attention back to my breath. When I do, there is a kind of spaciousness that appears; and in that spaciousness I become aware of the body sensations associated with the 'thought' storyline and the sadness. These strong sensations are very interesting, even though they are very hard to endure. There is the Buddhist phrase "Be with as is", meaning to just observe the body sensations without labelling, judging, or 'trying' to change them. See them, let go and do not pursue..."

 

Watching again an older video of nun Pema Chodron yesterday - she always uses the term "Sheng-pa" (Pali: Sankaras ) to denote

the STICKY QUALITY, the way we get hooked by our 'storylines' and our emotions and, if we are unaware, our behaviors follow.

 

 "This is one way to begin understanding the 'fundamental problem', which according to Buddhism is a type of 'ignorance', or delusion -- that keeps us from perceiving reality correctly and acting accordingly. So we get 'hooked' by anger, sorrow, judgment, jealousy & desire. The more hooked we are, the more self-absorbed we become, and the less connected we are with the world and with others -

(including our loved ones)."  She goes on to say ..

 

"When we are aware of the 'sheng-pa' we can compassionately just "touch and go" the thoughts, then enter back into awareness

of breathing. Within that spaciousness we can simply be with our body sensations. This is a form of 'Metta', or loving-kindness,

toward oneself.  It takes a lot of courage, because the body-sensations are painful, distressing, and frightening. But compassionate attention allows us to slowly transform from a life of reacting-to and being controlled by 'story' -- and move bit by bit toward a wiser, more pro-active way of living. And it's a practice that can be done anywhere, anytime.

What Pema-la says - is over time we begin to appreciate this practice as a way of loving even the parts of ourselves that we had split off, hated, judged, disowned. We become more integrated."    2001

___________________________

 

 

“IT”It’s nature.

 

“Life moves, undulates,

breathes in and out,

contracting and expanding.

This is it’s nature.

The nature of What is. 

Whatever is -- is on the move.

Nothing remains the same for very long.

The mind wants everything to stop

so that it can get its 'foothold',

find its position, so it can

figure out how to control life.

 

Through the pursuit of material things, knowledge, ideas, beliefs, opinions, emotional states, spiritual states, and relationships, the mind seeks to find a 'secure' position from which to operate. The mind seeks to nail life down and get it to stop moving and changing. When this doesn’t work, the mind begins to seek the changeless, the 'eternal', something that doesn’t move. But the mind of thought is itself an expression of life’s movement and so must always be in movement itself.

 

… ING

“Think-ING”

When ‘Thought’ is Thought-ing -

Thought is Gerund-ing, Verb-ing

When there is Thought, that Thought

is always moving and changing --

And so:There is really

no such 'Thing' as Thought.

There is only Think-ing, so Thought

which is always moving ( as think--ING )

cannot apprehend the Changeless.

When Thought enters into the

Changeless it goes silent.

When Thought goes silent,

the Thinker,

the psychological “Me”,

the image-produced Self,

just disappears.

Suddenly, it is gone.

You, as an ’Idea’, are gone.

Awareness remains alone.

----------------------------------------

There is no 'one' who is aware.

Awareness 'itself' is itself.

You are now no longer the 'thought', nor the 'thinker', nor someone who is aware. Only Awareness remains, as itself. Then, within awareness, thought moves. Within the changeless, change happens. Now Awareness expresses itself. Awareness is always expressing itself: as life, as change, as thought, feeling, bodies, humans, plants, trees, cars, etc. The changeless is changing. The eternal is living and dying. The formless is form. The form is formless. This is 'nothing' the mind could ever have imagined.”  ~ Adya

_____________________________ 

 

 

From Q & A

with Sri Ramana Maharshi:

South India, somewhere

in the 1930's or 40's ...

 

QUESTION ~

 

"What is this "Awareness" and how

can one obtain and cultivate it ?"

 

Ramana:

 

"You are Awareness.

‘Awareness’ is actually

another name for You. 

The 'you' that is not you.

Since you are awareness  i  t  s  e  l  f  --

there is no need to 'attain' or cultivate it.

All that you have to do is to give up

being aware of the other multitude

of distracting things. If one gives up

always superficially being aware

of 'them' - like hoards of clutter -

then pure awareness alone remains

 

Unless you make tremendous efforts, you will not be convinced that 'effort' will take you nowhere (anywhere). The 'self' is so self-confident that unless it is totally discouraged it will not give itself up. Mere verbal conviction is not enough. Hard facts alone can show the absolute nothingness of the self-image.

 

Nature is seamless. Any 'divisions' are simply for the convenience of the mind, which needs 'comparison' in order to understand. But nature, herself, is actually of one fabric much like our nightly dreams. A dream comes up as a single event only to melt back into emptiness in the same way. Like clouds in the sky. You will never see a 'dream-fellow' walk right out of a dream and keep going.

 

It is said that Non-Self is beyond the mind

and yet the 'realization' is within the mind.
The mind just cannot "Think" it. 

It cannot be thought of BY the mind and yet -
the mind alone can realize it. 

How are these contradictions

to be reconciled ?"                   ~ Sri Ramana
 
_______________________
 _________________________

____________________________

    

 

 

 

 

--------------------
 

"After all, maybe the "SELF-Idea"

is also just an 'Idea' -- maybe it too
is just an(other)idea -- maybe

not even your idea -- and
that's part of the reason
that Self of yours is

not working out,
maybe... ! "

 

DOUBT YOURSELF ! ... Getting familiar with the disturbing new 'idea' of even questioning the existence of a 'self' - allowing the new 'dharma-language' to speak with you / to you, and then to begin to seriously doubt 'yourself' as a 'Self' ~ I certainly hope no therapists hear me say this, it's so 'spiritually incorrect'. Doubt yourself ? !  Well, yes. With confidence, courage and trust, that's where we're going.

We've all had a 'self' ( and been 'had' by a self ) for such a long time -- it's really about time we bravely Inquire and Question into it !  This thing called in Buddhist literature: The 'Self-Idea'. "Self" is just the 'story' of 'me' . ongoing, endless, tedious ... with lots of distortions -- either way, it's still just a 'story' ... the self-published version, the vanity press version, the movie version, the made for TV version, the Fox news version, the straight to video version, the tabloid version, the N.Y.Times bestseller version, the cable

pay per view or the CNN version, the in-development version, the ready to pitch script in the trunk of my car version, my profile version, my blog version, my Mother's version...

 

Imagine a time, in the not too distant future, not in a galaxy far far away - but right Here and Now --

Imagine when you tell your 'Story' for the very last time ! ( even you don't want to hear it anymore )

You'll see thru it, you'll fully understand it as un-real and empty, you'll let it finally go, you'll be free

of the limiting "Story of Self" at last!  What a relief ! ...Whew !   ( you can do this ! )

 

"Experience a truly liberated
present moment of an infinite Now !"      

 

"The Desire For Awakening
is The Only Allowable Desire" 
~ Buddha (500 BC)

 

"Full 'Awakening' itself is the only ultimate purpose of human life ~ then all other 'purposes' will be obvious, clear, potentially possible and artfully filled with 'meaning' and 'grace'.  It'll just be there ! A natural, skillful compassion will effortlessly radiate.  Even lesser 'Awakenings' more & more - are still number one.

Everything else you do in between is lovingly, patiently a 'temp' job."                            ~ Bhante Akasa-Maitreya

 

Instead of 'trying' to become something
other than we are, we realize fully
what is already here --- 
Pure 'Is-ness'.

-

"Don't seek 'Answers' --
Live the 'Questions' themselves, instead.."  ~ Rilke

_________________________________
 

Continue to SIT at home regularly -  Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - Continue to SIT at home regularly - etc..
______________________________

 ... and if you didn't Sit for how often
you 'think' is 'often enough', that's OK too ...
Heck, it's ALL part of the 'practice'
-- YOUR practice.

---------------------- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTROL & LETTING GO

& CALLING OFF THE STRUGGLE
 

"The most difficult thing for spiritual seekers to do is to stop struggling, striving, speculating, seeking and searching.  Why?

Because in the absence of struggle you don't know who you are: you lose your 'boundaries' - you lose your separateness - you lose

your 'special-ness' - you lose the 'dream' you have lived all your life.

 

It is only when your love and desire for Truth outweighs the personality's compulsive need for 'security' - that you can begin to stop struggling and now be swept up into the arms of an ever unfolding revelation of the Truth and Freedom of Being.  "Me ? - give up control & being right ?"

 

If you were able to give up 'control' absolutely, totally, and completely you would be a spiritually free being... In its most elementary form the desire for control feels like a clenched fist in your gut ... and when you get close to this closed fist you find it has a protector.

The protector of our elemental sense of control is rage .. Many people never get to their rage because right above it is fear ...

The desire to control is, ultimately, our unwillingness to be awake.

 

“ There is a very simple

Secret to being Happy.

Just let go of your

demand on this moment.

Any time you have a demand

on the moment to give you

something or remove something,

there is suffering. Your demands

keep you chained to the dream-state

of the conditioned mind.

 

One of the main impediments

to ‘enlightenment’ is the 'belief'

that it is too rare a thing.

What the world needs now

is not more Buddhists,

but more Buddhas.

 

If we can let go of control,

surrender to our own true nature,

relax into the moment just as it is,

without a trace of resistance,

then we are ourselves

the awakened Buddha."

 

 ~ Adyashanti  2003

 ___________________

 

 

"You hang on to this, you hold on to that -

tenaciously ! TENACIOUSLY…

Like a jungle monkey with a closed fist

in a coconut trap --Your fear, your rage,

your resentment, your need to control -

You argue and complain, defending

your suffering anguish

Just bars in a prison that you build

for your soul - Open your hand and let go … " 

~ Old Buddhist Story

 ________________

 

 

"The main thing to notice is those "story lines" that come up with sadness or anger. If I can see these as they occur - I can acknowledge them and their sticky quality. Then I can refocus my attention back to my breath. When I do, there is a kind of spaciousness that appears; and in that spaciousness I become aware of the body sensations associated with the 'thought' storyline and the sadness. These strong sensations are very interesting, even though they are very hard to endure. There is the Buddhist phrase "Be with as is", meaning to just observe the body sensations without labelling, judging, or 'trying' to change them. See them, let go and do not pursue..."

 

Watching again an older video of nun Pema Chodron yesterday - she always uses the term "Sheng-pa" (Pali: Sankaras ) to denote

the STICKY QUALITY, the way we get hooked by our 'storylines' and our emotions and, if we are unaware, our behaviors follow.

 

 "This is one way to begin understanding the 'fundamental problem', which according to Buddhism is a type of 'ignorance', or delusion -- that keeps us from perceiving reality correctly and acting accordingly. So we get 'hooked' by anger, sorrow, judgment, jealousy & desire. The more hooked we are, the more self-absorbed we become, and the less connected we are with the world and with others -

(including our loved ones)."  She goes on to say ..

 

"When we are aware of the 'sheng-pa' we can compassionately just "touch and go" the thoughts, then enter back into awareness

of breathing. Within that spaciousness we can simply be with our body sensations. This is a form of 'Metta', or loving-kindness,

toward oneself.  It takes a lot of courage, because the body-sensations are painful, distressing, and frightening. But compassionate attention allows us to slowly transform from a life of reacting-to and being controlled by 'story' -- and move bit by bit toward a wiser, more pro-active way of living. And it's a practice that can be done anywhere, anytime.

What Pema-la says - is over time we begin to appreciate this practice as a way of loving even the parts of ourselves that we had split off, hated, judged, disowned. We become more integrated."    2001

___________________________

 

 

“IT”
It’s nature.

 

“Life moves, undulates,

breathes in and out,

contracting and expanding.

This is it’s nature.

The nature of What is. 

Whatever is -- is on the move.

Nothing remains the same for very long.

The mind wants everything to stop

so that it can get its 'foothold',

find its position, so it can

figure out how to control life.

 

Through the pursuit of material things, knowledge, ideas, beliefs, opinions, emotional states, spiritual states, and relationships, the mind seeks to find a 'secure' position from which to operate. The mind seeks to nail life down and get it to stop moving and changing. When this doesn’t work, the mind begins to seek the changeless, the 'eternal', something that doesn’t move. But the mind of thought is itself an expression of life’s movement and so must always be in movement itself.

 

… ING

“Think-ING”

When ‘Thought’ is Thought-ing -

Thought is Gerund-ing, Verb-ing

When there is Thought, that Thought

is always moving and changing --

And so:There is really

no such 'Thing' as Thought.

There is only Think-ing, so Thought

which is always moving ( as think--ING )

cannot apprehend the Changeless.

When Thought enters into the

Changeless it goes silent.

When Thought goes silent,

the Thinker,

the psychological “Me”,

the image-produced Self,

just disappears.

Suddenly, it is gone.

You, as an ’Idea’, are gone.

Awareness remains alone.

----------------------------------------

There is no 'one' who is aware.

Awareness 'itself' is itself.

You are now no longer the 'thought', nor the 'thinker', nor someone who is aware. Only Awareness remains, as itself. Then, within awareness, thought moves. Within the changeless, change happens. Now Awareness expresses itself. Awareness is always expressing itself: as life, as change, as thought, feeling, bodies, humans, plants, trees, cars, etc. The changeless is changing. The eternal is living and dying. The formless is form. The form is formless. This is 'nothing' the mind could ever have imagined.”  ~ Adya

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From Q & A

with Sri Ramana Maharshi:

South India, somewhere

in the 1930's or 40's ...

 

QUESTION ~

 

"What is this "Awareness" and how

can one obtain and cultivate it ?"

 

Ramana:

 

"You are Awareness.

‘Awareness’ is actually

another name for You. 

The 'you' that is not you.

Since you are awareness  i  t  s  e  l  f  --

there is no need to 'attain' or cultivate it.

All that you have to do is to give up

being aware of the other multitude

of distracting things. If one gives up

always superficially being aware

of 'them' - like hoards of clutter -

then pure awareness alone remains

 

Unless you make tremendous efforts, you will not be convinced that 'effort' will take you nowhere (anywhere). The 'self' is so self-confident that unless it is totally discouraged it will not give itself up. Mere verbal conviction is not enough. Hard facts alone can show the absolute nothingness of the self-image.

 

Nature is seamless. Any 'divisions' are simply for the convenience of the mind, which needs 'comparison' in order to understand. But nature, herself, is actually of one fabric much like our nightly dreams. A dream comes up as a single event only to melt back into emptiness in the same way. Like clouds in the sky. You will never see a 'dream-fellow' walk right out of a dream and keep going.

 

It is said that Non-Self is beyond the mind

and yet the 'realization' is within the mind.
The mind just cannot "Think" it. 

It cannot be thought of BY the mind and yet -
the mind alone can realize it. 

How are these contradictions

to be reconciled ?"                   ~ Sri Ramana
 
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