The Worldly Winds

These 8 “Worldly Winds”, described in the Lokavipatti Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya 8.6) provide a framework for noticing life’s up and downs.  They point towards the themes of “impermanence” and “no inherent self.”

Throughout our days, we are blown and swept along by these gusts and gales of change and identity:

Pleasure and Pain

Loss and Gain

Praise and Blame

Disrepute and Fame

Each set names qualities that bend and shape us.  Unfortunately,  we aren’t as flexible and resilient as the proverbial willow tree which meets strong winds with resilience.  Our attachments and tendencies to cling can lead towards rigidity, clinging and avoiding tendencies. 

 When we meet challenges and adversity with greater ease, perspective and equanimity, we increase the odds for Sailing With the winds, and enjoying what life brings.

These winds remind us that change and impermanence are forces that create our lives moment to moment and day by day.  There’s no denying it.  Just when everything is going smoothly;  we’ve paid the bills, emptied the trash, prepared food for the day, and have some free time to enjoy being with nature or a favorite book or project….we are met with a request, or a printer which needs ink,  or the insistent inner voice reminding us of something we need to fix, buy, or reschedule.

It never stops!  There’s no escape!  The cycle of acquiring (things, status, experience) and losing (time, initiative, inspiration, resolve, prestige, a head start on a project) is like a revolving door.  It can keep us trapped and feeling confined to a life of tedium and dullness. 

This teaching of the Worldly Winds can be liberating.  It reminds us that these are forces of Impermanence, and that we can meet them as such without taking it personally.  Its not about us.  Things happen.  “Its like this now” is one way we can meet it.  When we don’t get caught up in reacting, or in becoming identified with, or averse to, any one of the qualities, we have a chance to realize the possibility of more spaciousness.

I invite you to explore for yourself.  Choose one of the pairs as your theme for a day or two.  When things happen, notice:  “this is pleasant, or this is painful” and choose not to get carried away by, or identified with “the Story”.  Simply “its like this now’. 

What is possible as you Observe from a witness standpoint, rather than react from an enmeshed point of view?  According to the Lokavipatti Sutta, this can lead to release from suffering and stress to freedom and liberation.

The Wakeful Body

Meeting Emotions Mindfully

For the Mindful Monday guided meditation sessions I am drawing on the wisdom of this book: The

Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a path to freedom by Willa Blythe Baker. In this blog I describe

the framework of this somatic-oriented approach.

(It isn’t necessary to buy the book, although you may want to look at a copy from the library. If it “speaks to you”,

you may want to own it.)

Mindfulness involves being aware of the present moment in a deliberate, focused way. Our experience

of the present moment is felt through the body. This includes input from our five sense doors (smells,

tastes, sounds, images and sensations), and the information we receive internally that informs our

movement, posture and ability to register input from our subtle, energetic body.

Lama Baker invites us to deepen into these experiences as she shares her evolution as a meditator and

as a yoga practitioner. At first these disciplines were separate, then she realizes over time how they

overlap. She presents this mind/body spiritual path through Tibetan Buddhist teachings (which is what

she studies, practices and teaches).

The topics fit into a framework she created under the acronym GROUND. We are invited to consider our

“conceptual body” which is how we think about the body vs. our “experiential body” which is our

embodied sense of self, our present-moment, sensory, energetic experience. We are often more in

touch with our conceptual body than with our experiential body.

G is for “ground”: ways to be grounded in the physical, Earth body, the place where we begin and end,

where we can go for refuge. Pausing in the midst of our busy lives allows us to access our present-

moment experience. The sensations we experience are happening NOW, not in the past or the future.

Paying attention to the feelings of heaviness, contact with the floor and the seat help us connect with

the force of gravity, and encourage the mind to draw into the body (like salt dissolving into a vase of

water). Can you experience your body as an extension of the earth?

R is for “relaxation” S-L-O-W-I-N-G down supports our ability to be curious, to notice things with fresh

eyes, to have a different experience. Taking time “off” electronic devices (even for an hour or two) can

support the intention to relax into your day. “Letting go” of tension in the muscles of the face and jaw,

the neck, shoulders and belly invites letting go of rigid thoughts and ideas. Noticing where and how the

body holds tension reminds it to relax and find ease.

O is for “open” Here we begin investigating the subtle, or energetic, body. It is the invisible force that

moves through us and which “moves” us. It requires sensitivity and receptivity to explore, and to

experience the joy that is available through deeper connection with the body. The subtle body is

sometimes called the “prana body” which refers to the “life force”, or energy, that moves around the

body through various networks or pathways.

One of these pathways is “the mother channel” which is the largest, and extends from the crown of the

head to the base of the spine. You can experience it by closing your eyes and dropping down into the

core of the body. Float down into your core so that you are inside your energy light body. Imagine a

column of light from the crown of your head to the base of your spine. As you enter that column, you

can encounter an open, endless sky in the core of your body. Can you connect to the feeling of your

breath as you see/feel/experience that core? Can you breathe into the sky-like mother channel in the

core of your body, and breathe out into that channel? Continue taking long, slow, deep, gentle inhales

and exhales into the core of the body for two to five minutes. Then rest with eyes open, heart open,

mind open. Notice what you are feeling.

To be continued:

U is for “untangling”

N is for “nurturing”

D is for “dissolving”

Compassion: The Second Brahma Vihara

There is a previous post (January 15, 2022) with an overview of the Brahma Viharas. The first of the four is LovingKindness, please see the blog post about this quality from September 4, 2021.

Today's post is for the second Brahma Vihara, Compassion

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The second Brahma Vihara, Compassion (Karuna in Pali) follows Metta, the first of the four Brahma

Viharas, and extends it to those who are in pain and suffering. As we become more sensitive and tuned

in with mindfulness, we notice the subtle and not so subtle manifestations of suffering in people around

us, and in ourselves. We train ourselves to use that noticing as an opportunity to develop compassion,

rather than judgment, fear or aversion. We practice meeting life’s challenges and difficulties with the

intention to offer care and wishes for well being. Over time this practice becomes more automatic. It

helps us stay present during uncomfortable or unpleasant moments, rather than avoiding, shutting

down, or exaggerating our response. With the help of equanimity (the fourth Brahma Vihara), we

balance our attention, staying in the moment with things as they are, feeling our feelings and allowing

them to move along.

As you read this you may be thinking, ugh! I just want to get away from those unpleasant moments and

feelings at all costs. I don’t want to stay with them and become overwhelmed or immobilized by them.

I encourage you to notice that urge, and to experiment with staying present. How do you do that? By

getting curious and interested in noticing what is here: what are you sensing in the body now (may be

hot or cold, contracted, heavy, clammy, agitated). Doing this helps take your mind off the habitual

“story” you may tell yourself as you face a difficult moment. Shifting your focus to “what is actually here

in the body in this moment?” creates the opportunity for a different experience. It allows things to

continue to move and flow, rather than to get stuck in predictable loops of thought-emotion-sensation-

reaction.

As I write this, I am aware of an on-going theme that causes me suffering: having a “to do list” that is

overly ambitious and creates a sense of pressure and tension in my body. What might be possible if I

were to pause and simply notice and allow that to be known?

After a few moments: I feel tightness in the back of my neck, I have a sense of being alone with this, a

need to push others away as I gallantly meet my (self-imposed) obligations. I am aware of the ways I

make it more difficult, feeling unsettled and at odds with myself and the world. With that awareness

things begin to shift, reminding me to bring compassion for myself, and all those who are dealing with

similar inner conflicts. I let go of the story “I am so burdened, if only…” and notice the colors out my

window, the still air, the smells of summer. I am grateful to experience this shift, and to offer it to you.

I hope this encourages you to notice the next time you experience pain or suffering, and to meet it with

compassion. What is here and what is possible when you bring compassionate awareness to it?

Divine Abodes/ Brahma Viharas

For the first months of 2022, we will be drawing on four heart-centered practices for inspiration and focus during our weekly Mindful Monday guided practice sessions.

Loving Friendliness (Kindness) Metta

Compassion Karuna

Appreciative Joy Mudita

Equanimity Uppeka

These are the four heart-centered qualities of the “Heavenly”or “Divine”Abodes (the place we reside and make our home). They are drawn from Buddhist teachings connecting wisdom and insight with qualities of the heart, towards finding peace and freedom from suffering. These Brahma Viharas, together with wisdom practices, are often described as the two wings of a bird. We need both to fly.

These are relational qualities. They form the foundation of all respectful, healthy, and dignified societies, communities, families and relationships. They can be cultivated in all moments and events that touch our lives, from the easy to the difficult.

These ennobling qualities are the embodied expression of the awakened heart, and describe the deepest emotional and psychological freedom and maturity of a human being.

I try to shift my focus to one of these four qualities when I notice myself being pulled into reactivity, looping thoughts or compelling emotions. This helps me stay in my body, in the moment, with less judgment and aversion. They reconnect me with the heart, with the ground, with my essential nature as a human being on a spiritual path. They remind me that how I interact with others is an opportunity to practice, as well as a mirror for how I treat myself.

These qualities are present in each of us innately, and can be developed and brought to the fore through conscious and deliberate intention. Being reminded by listening to talks, reading books or articles, being in the presence of others who are kind, compassionate, joyful and equanimous, are ways we can keep our intentions alive.

You may want to take a moment now to reflect on times you have naturally extended kindness and care, appreciative joy, or a balanced perspective to a challenging person or situation. How did it feel to do that? What was it like when you were the recipient of any one of these qualities? This can help remind you of the inner potential we all have for being in the world in a responsive, liberating way. It is reassuring to remember that we already have these qualities within, and that they can be developed and expanded with our kind and caring attention.

I look forward to spending time on these four uplifting qualities of the heart in 2022 as we continue to face the losses brought on by the pandemic, the stark reminders of the injustices and inequalities inherent in our capitalistic, consumer-oriented society, and the effect our lifestyles are having on the future of the planet as we know it. There are ways to meet all of this without losing heart and hope, by holding the intention to “do the right thing” even when the outcome isn’t within our control. These four qualities help us to do that.

I am grateful to:

Christina Feldman Boundless Heart: the Buddha’s path of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity Shambala, Boulder, CO 2007 as a major source of inspiration and knowledge

Sharon Salzberg (various books)

for their focus on these qualities, they each provide a source of inspiration and knowledge.

Equanimity

October 2021 Equanimity Parami #10

Mindful Monday Meditation class offered weekly from 12 noon until 12:35 p.m. is open to all, by donation (to the Family Food Pantry).  We have been meeting weekly since January, 2019.

If you’d like to be on the mailing list for Mindful Monday Meditation, please send your email address to: debennis50@gmail.com.  Thank you.

In our guided practice sessions, for 2021 we are exploring 10 qualities of the heart as taught by the Buddha. (You don’t have to call yourself a Buddhist to benefit from this, it is being taught as a secular, non-religious practice and is relevant and beneficial for all human beings who want to create lasting sources of happiness and freedom).

 Called the Paramis, these practices help us to bring Mindfulness into all aspects of our lives, individually and in relationship with others, both in our formal practice and in our daily lives.

I am using these sources as references:

Creating a life of integrity: in conversation with Joseph Goldstein Gail Andersen Stark 2020

Parami: Ways to cross life’s floods Ajahn Succito 2012 https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/parami-ways-to-cross-lifes-floods/

A Whole Life Path: a lay Buddhist’s guide to crafting a dhamma-infused life Gregory Kramer 2017

Pay Attention, for goodness’ sake: practicing the perfections of the heart Sylvia Boorstein 2002

For a description of the previous Paramis, refer to earlier blog posts, thank you.

Equanimity

Equanimity is the last of the ten Paramis, and it influences each of the other qualities of the heart we’ve been investigating.

Equanimity keeps us in balance, helps keep us from getting carried away when we’re inclined in a certain direction.

Take generosity, for example. We might be inspired to be generous with our time or our resources, and give more than is ideal or healthy for us. Equanimity helps us remember to approach our enthusiasm with moderation so we don’t overextend or burnout.

Equanimity can be defined as “non-reactivity”, “even minded”, “impartial”, “composed”, and the ability to remain calm and undisturbed in the face of challenges, changes, conflict. This quality of the heart allows us to step back and see things more clearly, rather than getting caught up in our reactions and conditioning.

Equanimity is not the same as indifference which may lead to shutting down and not caring. Rather, equanimity invites us to open to what is with care.

Remembering to bring this quality into the picture when we are overwhelmed will be helpful. It invites us to ask “what is happening here?” and to realize “This is how it is right now” without being identified with it.

We could try the phrase “May I open to this moment fully. May I greet it as a friend” from Sylvia Boorstein, a therapist and Buddhist teacher on the West coast. This creates an opening, a choice point where we can step back and notice rather than continuing on automatic pilot, with a tense body and restricted breath.

One of the ways we can practice equanimity is by silently repeating phrases while we’re walking or brushing our teeth, or sitting and breathing. Feel free to try these phrases, or compose your own:

• May I see the world with quiet eyes.

• May I offer my care and presence without conditions, knowing they may be met with gratitude, anger or indifference.

• May I find the inner resources to truly be able to give.

• May I remain in peace, and let go of expectations.

• May I offer love, knowing I can’t control the course of life, suffering or death.

• I care about your pain, yet I cannot control it.

• I care about my own pain, yet I cannot control it.

• I wish you happiness and peace, yet I cannot make your choices for you.

• I love you, but I know that all beings have their own journey. You have yours, and I have mine.

Meeting situations with equanimity invites qualities of loving-kindness and compassion to arise. When we aren’t busy rejecting or embellishing what is happening, when we allow ourselves to “just be” with it, the heart naturally opens in tenderness and care.

Equanimity, along with the other Paramis, offers us a key to awakening and to liberation from suffering.

LovingKindness

September 2021 Loving Kindness Parami #9

Mindful Monday Meditation class offered weekly from 12 noon until 12:35 p.m. is open to all, by donation (to the Family Food Pantry).  We have been meeting weekly since January, 2019.

If you’d like to be on the mailing list for Mindful Monday Meditation, please send your email address to: debennis50@gmail.com.  Thank you.

In our guided practice sessions, for 2021 we are exploring 10 qualities of the heart as taught by the Buddha. (You don’t have to call yourself a Buddhist to benefit from this, it is being taught as a secular, non-religious practice and is relevant and beneficial for all human beings who want to create lasting sources of happiness and freedom).

 Called the Paramis, these practices help us to bring Mindfulness into all aspects of our lives, individually and in relationship with others, both in our formal practice and in our daily lives.

I am using these sources as references:

Creating a life of integrity: in conversation with Joseph Goldstein Gail Andersen Stark 2020

Parami: Ways to cross life’s floods Ajahn Succito 2012 https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/parami-ways-to-cross-lifes-floods/

A Whole Life Path: a lay Buddhist’s guide to crafting a dhamma-infused life Gregory Kramer 2017

Pay Attention, for goodness’ sake: practicing the perfections of the heart Sylvia Boorstein 2002

For a description of the previous Paramis, refer to earlier blog posts, thank you.

Loving Kindness

It is the natural inclination of the heart to be open and responsive to feelings of care and kindness towards ourselves and towards others.  Unfortunately, that natural tendency is often blocked and overshadowed by preoccupations, busyness and emotions such as fear, worry, guilt and confusion.  This teaching invites us to work and play with these qualities of the heart, which can help us reconnect with this natural radiance. 

When I am reminded of this quality through things I hear or read, it lights me up and inspires me towards feeling happier.  It is a lovely counterbalance to the conditioned tendency to get lost in the judging and comparing mind, which is never satisfied with what I’m doing, what I’ve accomplished, or who I am.  It is exhausting to be caught up in feelings of being “less than” or “better than” and looking for evidence to support those conclusions.  On the contrary, it is a welcome invitation to live and breathe with a focus on positive qualities in myself and others, and the kind acts that occur all the time. 

We can consciously connect with qualities of Loving Kindness by bringing to mind times we received “acts of goodwill” from others.  It may have been a clerk, a receptionist who smiled and treated us kindly, a driver who yielded, a friend who offered kind words of support, a co-worker or neighbor or someone we volunteer with who reached out with encouragement, understanding, assistance or praise.  It may have been a family member who sought us out for advice or to share something special.  Making time to reflect on these generous, kind, and simple acts is a way we can activate qualities of kindness within ourselves.

Connecting with memories and images of personally receiving acts of kindness and care, or of witnessing others receiving kindness and care, allows us to access those qualities within ourselves, which allows us to more easily extend them to others as a practice.

Sometimes it is helpful to use a few phrases, repeating them over and over silently as you sit, or as you engage in an activity like walking, washing dishes, preparing a meal.  Some common phrases that have been used include:

“May I (you) be safe and protected.”

“May I (you) be happy and peaceful of heart.”

“May I (you) be healthy and strong of body.”

“May I (you) live with kindness and ease.”

We can use these phrases first for ourselves, then for different categories of people, such as:

Teachers, mentors, those who have supported and encouraged us.

Friends and loved ones.

Strangers

Difficult people

Ultimately, we begin to realize that loving kindness can extend to all beings without exception, the way the sun shines on everything, not picking and choosing which things to light up.  Extending lovingkindness to all beings invites us to recognize the commonality we share, that we all want to be happy, that we are each burdened by wounds and hurts from the past, and that we are each deserving of kindness.  Through this practice we can realize liberation from a self-centered focus on “what do I need and want” to a more universal awareness that we’re connected and dependent on one another.  We are invited to realize our higher selves as we integrate this practice of Lovingkindness into our lives.

Resoluteness

Resoluteness

Mindful Monday Meditation class offered weekly from 12 noon until 12:35 p.m. is open to all, by donation (to the Family Food Pantry).  We have been meeting weekly since January, 2019.

If you’d like to be on the mailing list for Mindful Monday Meditation, please send your email address to: debennis50@gmail.com.  Thank you.

In our guided practice sessions, we are currently exploring 10 qualities of the heart as taught by the Buddha. (You don’t have to call yourself a Buddhist to benefit from this, it is being taught as a secular, non-religious practice and is relevant and beneficial for all human beings who want to create lasting sources of happiness and freedom). 

 Called the Paramis, these practices help us to bring Mindfulness into all aspects of our lives, individually and in relationship with others, both on and off the proverbial cushion. 

I am using these sources as references:

Creating a life of integrity: in conversation with Joseph Goldstein Gail Andersen Stark 2020

Parami: Ways to cross life’s floods Ajahn Succito 2012 https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/parami-ways-to-cross-lifes-floods/

A Whole Life Path: a lay Buddhist’s guide to crafting a dhamma-infused life Gregory Kramer 2017

Pay Attention, for goodness’ sake: practicing the perfections of the heart Sylvia Boorstein 2002

For a description of the previous Paramis, refer to earlier blog posts, thank you.

Resoluteness can be described as: tenacity, perseverance, determination, carry-through.  It is a quality that supports each of the other paramis, and can lead towards setting and achieving one’s aspirations. It is supported by faith in the practice, previous experience, teachings we’ve received, and by observing others who we admire.

Resoluteness can help us to clearly and truthfully identify our aspirations, to bring precision and clarity towards seeing what is needed to achieve them.   Asking “what is needed here” helps keep the mind state focused and resolute.

We can notice what supports the quality of resoluteness in our day to day lives, and what undermines our moving towards achieving our aspirations.

The application of resoluteness can be practiced on a wide range of things.

As Joseph Goldstein reminds us, for a quality to be considered a “parami”, rather than simply a “wholesome state”, it needs to be practiced with an aspiration for awakening.  This may be confusing, and I invite you to investigate the subtle difference between these motivations for practice.

What does it mean to recognize that ordinary everyday tasks and conversations can be done with an aspiration for enlightenment (waking up)?  How does that broaden and deepen our perspective and our practice?  For me it means being aware of the impermanent nature even of wholesome states.   It helps when I recognize the tendency to identify “this is me, who  I am”, forgetting that this too will change, come and go, ebb and flow.

Resoluteness is a quality that supports  our formal (ie sitting) practice in terms of bringing a dedicated effort to our intention/aspiration to sit for a certain period of time (20-30 minutes is a worthy goal).  Without resoluteness we are likely to give up and get up after a short period of watching our mind wander and deciding “I just can’t do this”.  With resoluteness we stay with it, trusting (having faith) that our efforts will lead to increased skill and familiarity with our minds.

Truthfulness

Truthfulness

Continuing with the Paramis,  ten qualities of the heart based on Buddhist teachings,  we’ll be exploring Truthfulness, number seven, for the month of July.  Each of these qualities is supported by the others and they all work together.

To learn more about the paramis, please look at my previous blog entries which include the list of sources I am drawing on.

Paramis:

Generosity — Dāna

Morality — Sīla

Renunciation — Nekkhamma

Discernment or Wisdom — Pannā

Energy, or Courage — Viriya

Patience — Khanti

Truthfulness — Sacca

Resolve — Adhitthāna

Kindness — Mettā

Equanimity — Upekkhā

Truthfulness begins with being honest about ourselves.  We often indulge in self-delusion, seeing ourselves as better or worse than we actually are.  Noticing this tendency, and interrupting it, gives us the chance to be better aligned with who we are, and to move into our lives with greater ease and accessibility to others.  Living in the extremes of being identified with feeling bad about ourselves, or soaring on delusions of grandeur, keep us from meeting the moment with integrity.  There is a lot to learn about our minds, and it can be tricky.  It requires careful monitoring and a willingness to see clearly and honestly.

In the process we can watch for the “defilements” (unwholesome tendencies) of our minds, which include greed, hate, delusion, conceit, wrong view, doubt, torpor, restlessness, shamelessness and recklessness.  Notice the arising of any of these mind states and what causes it to arise.  What allows it to subside?

Once we’ve examined ourselves in this way we are ready to notice our patterns of speech with others, including exaggerations, unkind humor, or participating in gossip.  Look for things that are “almost true” in ordinary speech.  Be interested about habits and motivations that are at work and often unnoticed.

As I apply this teaching to my daily interactions I notice a tendency to exaggerate what I’ve done in my favor, rather than simply reporting “the facts”.  How interesting to notice, and how subtle.  I look forward to bringing curiosity to these habits as we shine the light on the topic of truthfulness this month.  I hope you’ll join me for the investigation.

“Remember to look with interest, not judgment”.  Joseph Goldstein

Patience

When I think about the opportunities that being patient offers, this is what comes to mind:

A chance to slow down, pause and reconnect with my intention to be peaceful, present and kind to myself and others.

Letting go of the belief that I have control over how others operate, and how things unfold.

Being willing to step back and make space for the mystery of being.  Being rewarded by what is then made visible or more accessible.

Putting aside the “to do list” in favor of simply being present with the moment and with myself.

Facing irritability and other emotions that are typically kept at bay by being busy, efficient and focused on goals.

Decreasing the sense of pressure and urgency to “figure it out” now;  permission to proceed at a slower pace, to take the time that things need, to challenge the internalized sense that it has to happen NOW.

How practicing patience supports the previous 5 Paramis:

Patience itself is a form of generosity, it is a relinquishing of my agenda in favor of negotiating how things proceed with the world, and with others.

Patience supports development of ethical conduct.  By slowing down and paying attention, I have more tools for examining what I am doing or saying.  I can take responsibility for my thoughts, words and actions more carefully than when I’m moving  quickly and prone to say or do something I will regret.

Being patient is a form of renunciation, consciously choosing to do less, to move slower, to live with less pressure and need to accomplish and acquire.  Self-worth can be affirmed by simply being connected with others and the environment I live in.

Patience invites wisdom, by slowing down, experiencing emotions, thoughts and body sensations as they happen rather than being on autopilot, we are better able to see things clearly and respond appropriately and self correct our course as needed.

Bringing patience into practice requires energy and effort.  When we’ve organized our lives based on rushing, acting on impulse (buying, making snap decisions, saying whatever comes to mind), it requires patience to reset our internal, and external pacing and expectation regulators .

Fifth Parami: Energy

Fifth Parami:  Energy

In our Mindful Monday practice sessions, we are currently exploring 10 qualities of the heart as taught by the Buddha. You don’t have to identify as a Buddhist in order to benefit from this, it is being taught as a secular, non-religious practice which is relevant and beneficial for all beings who are seeking reliable sources of happiness and freedom. 

 Called the Paramis, these qualities help bring Mindfulness into all aspects of our lives, individually and in relationship with others, both on and off the proverbial cushion. 

I am using these sources as references:

Creating a life of integrity: in conversation with Joseph Goldstein Gail Andersen Stark 2020

Parami: Ways to cross life’s floods Ajahn Succito 2012 https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/parami-ways-to-cross-lifes-floods/

A Whole Life Path: a lay Buddhist’s guide to crafting a dhamma-infused life Gregory Kramer 2017

Pay Attention, for goodness’ sake: practicing the perfections of the heart Sylvia Boorstein 2002

Buddha is as Buddha Does: the ten original practices for enlightened living Surya Das 2007

We began in January with Generosity, and have investigated teachings and practices related to Ethical Conduct, Renunciation and Wisdom.  Each of these qualities supports and strengths the others, they are interdependent.

In May we are exploring the Parami of “Energy” which refers to exertion in mental development and encompasses qualities of courage, strength, vigor, perseverance, and vitality. 

“Energy” (viriya in Pali) is the willingness to stay with what is, rather than trying to avoid, distract, deny or blame. We face, or “lean into” things as they are, whether its our wandering mind, our irritable mood, a change of plans or direction, reacting (once again) in a way that is harsh or judgmental, being critical of ourselves or another.  It requires energy and courage to stay on course and move through the resistance and obstacles that we encounter.

For example, we can bring investigation and curiosity to behaviors that distract the mind.  We can ask “what am I wanting to distract myself from?  Am I attempting to retreat from boredom, or unpleasant body sensations, restlessness or fear?

When we meet a difficulty, can we approach it as a challenge and feel energized and inspired by it?  Can we step outside our comfort zone and face and approach the difficulty rather than retreating from it?

For example, during a recent conversation with a friend,  I courageously initiated acknowledging that I hadn’t been as available as she would have liked, rather than ignoring that truth, which allowed us to clear the air and bring more honesty into the moment.

Working with energy is a powerful force that requires a gentle touch.  And it rests on the previous (and upcoming) Paramis. In this case I’m referring to last month’s focus on Wisdom, and how that quality guides us in discerning when to push through and when to back off.

Working skillfully with energy or effort is taught as involving 4 approaches depending on the situation:

Preventing the arising of unwholesome mind states

Abandoning unwholesome mind states that have arisen

Cultivating the development of wholesome mind states

Maintaining the wholesome mind states that have arisen.

As Joseph Goldstein teaches “Every pattern of our lives should be investigated in light of ‘is this wholesome or unwholesome?’ Then we can apply the appropriate energy to either abandon or develop what we discover”.

This requires careful tracking of the moment to moment arising and passing away of thoughts, emotions and body sensations, and the resolve to stay connected and deliberate in choosing what to energize and what to ignore to allow it to fade into the background.

For example, many of us exert more effort than necessary in our sitting practice.  This leads to tension in the body which interferes with relaxing and quieting the mind.  By paying closer attention we may discover that “less is more” and enjoy deeper states of being without the strain of overexertion.

Mindful Monday Meditation class offered weekly from 12 noon until 12:35 p.m. is open to all, by donation (to the Family Food Pantry).  We have been meeting weekly since January, 2019.

If you’d like to be on the mailing list for Mindful Monday Meditation, please send your email address to: debennis50@gmail.com.  Thank you.

Paramis 4: Wisdom

In our guided practice sessions, we are currently exploring 10 qualities of the heart as taught by the Buddha. (You don’t have to call yourself a Buddhist to benefit from this, it is being taught as a secular, non-religious practice and is relevant and beneficial for all human beings who want to create lasting sources of happiness and freedom). 

 Called the Paramis, these practices help us to bring Mindfulness into all aspects of our lives, individually and in relationship with others, both on and off the proverbial cushion. 

I am using these sources as references:

Creating a life of integrity: in conversation with Joseph Goldstein Gail Andersen Stark 2020

Parami: Ways to cross life’s floods Ajahn Succito 2012 https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/parami-ways-to-cross-lifes-floods/

A Whole Life Path: a lay Buddhist’s guide to crafting a dhamma-infused life Gregory Kramer 2017

“Wisdom is that force in the mind that illuminates how things really are, so that we see clearly”.

This fourth Paramita builds on our practices with the first three (Generosity, Ethical Conduct and Renunciation).  I find it encouraging to be reminded that we all possess wisdom, and that it can become more available through practice.

As I read about this quality,  I am reminded that Wisdom isn’t about book knowledge, but about being guided by our innate ability “to know” through our instincts and our  embodied awareness.  What is required is for us to pay attention in a deliberate, conscious way, rather than being pushed and pulled  by each thought, impulse and reaction that crosses our minds.

This requires practice, and constant reminders to notice and to investigate what is underneath our surface habits and patterns of thoughts, words and behaviors.

For example, while we are sitting in formal practice, our minds can become lost in thoughts about what we have just been doing, what we are going to do when we finish sitting, how to handle a dilemma, a decision that is pending, whether we need to go to the market or can wait until tomorrow ad infinitim.   We may think “once I figure this out I’ll be able to settle down and concentrate”, but it usually leads to the next thought, the next predicament, and we remain trapped in a never-ending spiral of thoughts.

Instead, with wisdom as our guide, we can choose to meet the thought with a curious, kind investigation of how it feels in the body, what is the energetic “felt sense” somatically, as we notice the thought and our present moment experience.   Rather than being swept into the content of it, can we gain perspective by taking an interest in the awareness itself?  And does this create more freedom?

Joseph Goldstein suggests we tune in to wisdom by noticing the difference in the quality of the mind when paying attention to whatever is arising (deliberate, focused, one-pointed), vs. the quality of mind when we are lost in the content of our thoughts (scattered, lost, has a life of its own).

In daily life, try inviting the wisdom factor by pausing and asking yourself “what do I understand here?” Allow space for investigation and for the wisdom to manifest, don’t try to force it. 

By pausing to ask “what do I see clearly here in this situation?” we invite clearer seeing and understanding of the forces that are operating.   We may see more clearly the forces of desire, ignorance, impermanence and reinforcing the concept of “self”.  It can help us release our attachment to “I, me, mine”,  and to recognize the law of cause and effect (karma) as it unfolds moment to moment based on causes and conditions.

The happiness that results from these wisdom practices isn’t limited to the ordinary, worldly happiness of getting what we want or avoiding what we don’t want.  It can lead to the lasting, transcendent happiness that comes from recognizing the limitations of the conditioned mind, and realizing the freedom from suffering that is possible.

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Thank you.