Dear Yogi you may want to review the definitions in the previous meditation instruction so that words such as contemplating are not misunderstood. Please read the sutra and commentaries and begin the daily meditations that follow.
The Sutra
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu abide contemplating the body as a body? Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut (a secluded place) , sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, sets his body erect, and establishes mindfulness in front of him/her, ever mindful he/she breathes in, mindful he/she breathes out.
Breathing in long, one knows: “I breathe in long”; or breathing out long, one knows; “I breathe out long.” Breathing in short, one knows; “I breathe in short”; or breathing out short, one knows; I breathe out short.” One trains thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.” One trains thus: “I shall breathe in calming the bodily formation”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out calming the bodily formation.”
Just as a skilled turner or his apprentice, when making a long turn, understands: “I make a long turn”; or, when making a short turn, understands: “I make a short turn”; so too, breathing in long, a bhikkhu understands: “I breathe in long…he trains thus: “I shall breathe out tranquilizing the bodily formation.”
Commentary
“…gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut…” – this statement indicates that quiet and isolated places where there is solitude are conducive to meditation practice. This is one of the reasons we go on retreats where the environment supports deep meditation. We want to be as far from sensory distractions as possible. If it is not practical to go to the forest, a meditation center, or a comparable environment, we can find a quiet place in our home where we will not be disturbed. It is best to choose a time to meditate when no one else is up and around. At the same time, eventually one needs to learn how to practice mindfulness of breathing even in the midst of a crowd.
“…, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, sets his body erect…” – the ideal posture for meditation is to either sit on the floor using a firm cushion placed on top of a mat, on a meditation bench, or on a straight-back chair. If we sit on the floor we can use any of the four traditional meditation postures (i.e. full lotus, half lotus, quarter lotus, legs bent in front but uncrossed). It is important not to intertwine the legs since it can create pain after a short while. For all the floor positions, it is helpful to sit on the first third of the cushion so our knees touch the mat. This creates a more stable posture.
If sitting on the floor causes pain, we can choose to sit on a chair. It is important to have a degree of comfort in order to practice meditation effectively. We can insert a cushion between our back and the rear of the chair. Our feet should be placed firmly on the ground.
In all positions our posture is straight but relaxed. The vertebrae in the spine are resting one on top of the other. It is important to keep our spine erect to prevent physical discomfort, sleepiness, and having our posture interfere with our breath. It is essential not to bend the head since it is easy to fall asleep from this position. One hand is palm up and placed in our lap with the other hand, also palm up, on top of the first. (Traditionally the right on top of the left.) Alternatively, the hands can be resting on the thighs.
Our eyes are usually closed, although some meditators prefer to keep their eyes open and cast downward with an unfocused gaze. We attempt to remain as still as possible during the entire meditation period, since movement tends to interfere with our concentration.
“…establishes mindfulness in front of him, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out…”
There are two meanings for this phrase. The first refers to the physical space in front of you.
When the mouth is closed and we are breathing through the nostrils, the passage of air creates a sensation. One becomes mindful of the in and out breaths wherever the sensation is strongest. For some the sensation is most prominent inside the nostrils, for others it is at the tip of the nose, some feel it mostly around the rim of the nostrils, and for others it is felt above the top lip.
Although one can use the sensation created by the diaphragm or abdomen as it rises and falls with each breath, it is a grosser level of experience. Try to stay with the breath by the nostrils. However, if after trying this for a while you still have difficulty staying present with the touch sensation by the nose, it is fine to use the rising and falling of the diaphragm or abdomen as the object of awareness.
The second meaning for establishing mindfulness in front refers to keeping the mind and awareness temporally in the present moment. A term I have used to describe this “front” is our “mind space”. It appears to be in the forefront of the mind. It is to breathe in and out aware of what is happening with each breath as it arises and falls away. We do not focus on the breath that has passed or the breath that is yet to arise. We maintain our mindfulness from one moment to the next. Mindful we breathe in and mindful we breathe out.
It is similar to a person sawing a log of wood. His attention will be focused on the point of contact of the saw’s teeth with the log. He will naturally be aware of the coming and going of the saw beyond that point, but will not be paying any particular attention to it.
Practices for Day 1-15
It is essential that you commit to one or two sitting meditation sessions every day. Please sit for a minimum of 20- 30 minutes to one hour at each sitting. Please try to not make exceptions. The momentum is critical to penetrating deeply held perceptual distortions.
Many meditators recite a loving-kindness contemplation before beginning with their formal meditation practice. It creates an aura of peacefulness that supports the meditation process. It is an optional practice but recommended.
The following is a traditional loving-kindness contemplation. Visualize the people to which it refers and allow the phrases to come from your heart:
May we be well, happy, and peaceful.
May no harm come to us.
May no difficulties come to us.
May no problems come to us.
May we always meet with success.
May we also have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet and overcome the inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life.
May our parents…
May our relatives…
May our teachers…
May our friends…
May all persons who are strangers to us…
May our enemies…
May all living beings…
“…Breathing in long, one knows: “I breathe in long”; or breathing out long, one knows; “I breathe out long.” Breathing in short, one knows; “I breathe in short”; or breathing out short, one knows; I breathe out short.”
We are not trying to control the breath. It does not matter what the length of each breath is. We are just aware of whether each in and out breath is long or short. We find that the length and quality of breaths change as we continue with our meditation practice owing to the mental and physical tranquility that ensues.
“He (or she) knows” means that knowing is thorough and not superficial. It is a non-cognitive awareness (see previous definition) of the length of each in and out breath. It is directly experiential. There is no need to have inner dialogue intentionally naming each breath as long or short. You may find, however, that the mind names some breaths as long or short without your intention to have it do so.
Continue with this practice before moving on to the next meditation which follows.
“…He trains thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.”
As we progress in our awareness of the length of the breaths, the following is the next stage of development.
The whole body refers to the breath body. We make an effort to maintain awareness of the entire breath from the beginning, through the middle, to the end of each in breath, and from the beginning, through the middle, to the end of each out breath. The awareness flows with each part of the breath. Two things are always present and never separated – the breath and the awareness of the breath.
We are not trying to follow the breath as it goes into the body and out of the body. We stay focused exclusively on the touch sensation as the breath goes in and out of the nostrils by the tip of the nose (remebner the analogy of the saw striking the wood).
We are also aware of the pause in-between each in and out breath. The pause and our awareness of it are never separated.
As our sustained attention to the flow of breath increases, we will notice more and more details of the process being observed. We will realize that even a fleeting, very short breath has extension in time. It also has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. One may notice that mindfulness is not equally clear during each phase of a breath’s duration. Along with noticing these fluctuations in the application of mindfulness, we make an effort to maintain our awareness throughout the entire breathing process.
“…He trains thus: “I shall breathe in calming the bodily formation”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out calming the bodily formation.”
The bodily formation refers to the physical body. This does not mean that the meditator should make a conscious and intentional effort to calm the breathing or the physical body. The breath body subtly influences the physical body. As we follow the in and out breaths with mindfulness and the breaths become more calm and relaxed, they automatically make the physical body more calm and relaxed.
Sometimes the breathing becomes so subtle and refined that we cannot even feel it. At that time we just maintain our awareness at the touch point waiting to catch the next breath as it arises.
Just as a skilled turner or his apprentice, when making a long turn, understands: “I make a long turn”; or, when making a short turn, understands: “I make a short turn”; so too, breathing in long, a bhikkhu understands: “I breathe in long…he trains thus: “I shall breathe out tranquilizing the bodily formation.”
The Buddha gives an analogy to show how the process of awareness works. To create a leg for a table, a carpenter works with a lathe which is constantly turning. He presses his chisel against the wood in order to cut some of it away to form the shape of the leg. He knows when he keeps the chisel pressed against the wood for a long time cutting more deeply into the wood. He knows when he keeps the chisel pressed against the wood for a short time, cutting into the wood more superficially. Similarly, we know when the in and out breath is long and when it is short. The constant turning of the lathe illustrates the cycle or constant repetition of the in and out breaths.
A Look Ahead
It is at this point that the two main strands of meditation (tranquility and insight) diverge. A meditator who aspires to the deeper levels of concentration and tranquility (the jhanas), will continue to work on calming the breath. Everything will be excluded from the mind except for the breath.
If one wishes to go the direct road of insight, he or she will maintain awareness of all the subtle changes that take place within each breath. Our focus, after developing a sufficient level of concentration, will be on the development of insight.
In the next series of meditation instructions we will discuss how we know when we have enough concentration and tranquility to proceed with the development of insight. We will review the hindrances to concentration and how to effectively work with them. We will also review walking meditation instructions and ways to bring our awareness of the breath into our daily lives.
Please practice diligently – this is such a precious opportunity for all of us.
