When we do the counting meditation practice, the most important thing we place our mind on is the number. Our breathing is the mechanism for us to do the counting, but don’t worry if the breathing is shallow or rough, long or short; this is not so important. However, in the practice when we follow our breath, we may notice the entry and exit points of the body, the flow of the breath through our nostrils, into the throat and expanding the lungs, and then our abdomen rises. It might seem like one continuous flowing river of breath, though in reality this is actually not the case. In fact the air is merely drawn in at the nostril, and an expansion of the lungs with the expansion of pressure gives us this impression.
Paying attention to the body where you notice the movement of breath (whether that is the nostril, navel, chest, etc.) helps us to intensify or become more intimately aware of the ‘touch’ of the breath, a kind of poetic license towards the breath. Some meditation techniques use this poetic license to visualise the breath, e.g. breathing in good air, and then exhaling negativity or ‘bad’ air. Some, applying the same method to attend to the breath, perhaps after some time, might become a little bored or fall asleep, just as someone can no longer focus on the television or another activity that when they are already tired. Something might initially engage our attention, though after a while we ‘get used to’ the television and fall asleep. In this case, using some poetic expression about the breath can help maintain our focus on the breath. How do we keep a child’s intake of water up and ensure that they’re still interested in plain water? It is obvious that plain water is the most healthy and purest form of hydration; it comes conveniently from our taps, it’s cool, fresh and cheap, but ‘it’s boring’…so, to serve the body’s need for fluid, we might add flavour. The trick might be to ensure that we don’t forget the purpose of the flavour, or become addicted to it. Similarly, when we are at work, no matter how ‘mundane’ the task might be, if we can only appreciate the task with some poetic license, we can transform the ‘boring’ task while appreciating the peace in that practice.
When we get exhausted with television or entertainment or sleepy, then we experience the ‘need’ for some peace. We don’t get used to enjoying the state of peace if it is a ‘real’ peace. When we live in a place that has experienced peace without any conflicts for a long time, there can sometimes be a longing for a ‘challenge’ which then perhaps leads to conflict because the citizens have been unable to appreciate the peaceful state and it has become ‘boring’. Conversely, in mainstream society, people might feel worried that they will lose the ability to respond to challenges or ‘be in control’ or even stuck in a rut if they are not moving towards something or dealing with a so called challenge.
We hope to give our children the chance of enjoying a place that has a safe environment, with good neighbours, clean water, healthy food or clean air, and have a deep appreciation of this very existence (whether positive or negative). We might call this a neutral experience. This neutral experience is also an important element to help us advance in our meditation. We can extend this deep appreciation in our day to day life even to ‘boring’ tasks, such as vacuuming or cleaning the floor, if we appreciate the floor and acknowledge the person(s) who built the floor, made the tiles or wove the carpet, produced the glue for the carpet laying, the natural elements of the tile, etc. Within this single vacuum is a doorway to compassion. With this deep appreciation we can have compassion even for something like our shoes, the path in which we walk, and how smooth it has been made if we simply concentrate on the task of walking, particularly if the action we are doing may benefit others (in doing something useful for others, then this is even better). We can utilise this poetic touch to bring a positive benefit. For example, if we wish to encourage a child to stay at home and do some useful activity to keep them safe, then this is serving two purposes. We make our profit and bonus one if we appreciate the present moment and benefit others in the process.
Last week, I spoke about the Nepalese cook who carried out her duties with a very pure mind, and with one single action was able to achieve attention to the duties as well as compassion towards those in her orbit at that time with an economy of effort. This kind of mind is definitely not greedy; not a lazy mind, nor an angry mind. There is a story about Bodhidharma (Bodhidharma brought Buddhism to China from India) who was travelling one day and encountered a hunter. He asked the hunter, ‘How many birds you can hit with one single arrow?’ The hunter considers this, then replies that if he is doing very well, he might be able to hit 2 birds at a time. Bodhidharma says to the hunter he can bring down all the birds in one single action. This analogy exemplifies the ‘pure’ mind that can concentrate with single pointed awareness. That kind of mind is able to tie up everything that needs to be done in an economy of effort and with a clear focus. You might notice that when you arise from a good, restful sleep in the morning, sometimes in this early morning state you are able to solve problems more easily, or ‘everything makes more sense’ in the light of day. You are able to view things from a wider view, and plan things in a more economic way rather than fixing things one single thing at a time, with less idea of that wider and clearer view.
We often prefer to stay up late or be entertained, but this is not the foundation for the pure mind. We do appreciate living in a house that is built of a good foundation, one that has good footing, making it very stable. This ensures the columns can be laid well, allowing the roof to be solid and secure, etc. So too, if we can allow our minds to have the foundation of a peaceful and stable platform, we are able to withstand the peaks and lows of our existence much better as well as achieving a high quality in tasks even while we are very busy.
Another way to test out if you are experiencing this pure mind can be when you come to the aid of others. For example, consider as well if you wish to help another person or thing. You might find it easier to side with the one you know well or judge one in a certain way. We might ask ourselves, who do we sympathise with? Is it the victim or the perpetrator? A pure mind would sympathise or have compassion for both. So we can use this neutrality to test and recognise if we have a pure mind in these circumstances. This may not mean that the perpetrator would go free. If a person has committed a crime that the legal system recommends a ruling on, the perpetrator will face punishment. However, even in this case the legal system is still acting from the view of this punishment contributing to the rehabilitation of the person with a hope to release them back into society. If someone is skilled with the engagement of this pure mind, or is relaxed and happy, then they are less likely to cause harm to another. So if you do not take a position on a judgement, or side with one or another, but rather, view the person(s) or circumstances from all sides equally, then this can be trusted as a pure mind. This pure mind would still apply if someone murdered another, even if we knew the perpetrator and sided with them due to our relationship with them. The pure mind would still sympathise with both. This doesn’t mean that compassionate action cannot effect the required corrective action. Another example is to consider what force is needed to break soft ground. This might require only a little force. Conversely, how do we break hard, dry ground? This might require more effort and more force to achieve the task.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 January 2009 17:15