A highly regarded teacher in the Theravada tradition, Joseph Goldstein suggests two meditations for the Third Foundation of mindfulness. Apply them throughout the day whenever they are relevant.
The first meditation is to be used when we feel that we are struggling in our meditation practice or in our life, when we are feeling a lack of ease, or when we are “efforting” in some way.
At that point we stop and become mindful of the mind state that is present. We ask our self “what is coming up right now?” The struggle becomes feedback that something that we are not aware of and are not accepting is going on. This exercise isn’t about fighting or struggling it’s simply about noticing that something is present in the body/mind that is disturbing our peace.
By paying bare attention and accepting what mind state is present, all struggle ceases and the mind feels at ease once again.
The second meditation concerns our emotions. When emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, excitement or happiness arise, we tend to identify with them and they become filters on our experience. We take these moods to be our “self.” It is as if we are looking at the world through colored glasses. Everyone and everything is seen through the “color” of the afflictive emotion. The mind is “colored” by anger, lust, greed, etc.
By applying mindfulness to these moods and emotions we see how they affect our relationships with others. We see how they are affecting and coloring our awareness. We begin to experience these mind states as free of self. Instead of feeling that “I’m angry, sad, or happy,” the mind states are objectified and the experience tends to be more like noticing that “an angry mind state is present, a sad mind state is present, or a happy mind state is present.”
When the mind is identified with its moods (it’s me!!), it is not peaceful or clear. It really is a form of delusion (believing something to be true despite all the contrary evidence). When we train the mind to recognize its moods and not get lost in them, we move closer to the experience of freedom. The freedom from being held hostage by these mind states.
SATIPATTHANA SUTTA
MINDFULNESS OF CONSCIOUSNESS #4
Sutta
“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind as mind internally, or dwells contemplating mind as mind externally, or one dwells contemplating mind as mind both internally and externally.
Or else one dwells contemplating in mind its arising factors, or dwells contemplating in mind its vanishing factors, or one dwells contemplating in mind both its arising and vanishing factors.
Or else mindfulness that “there is mind” is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That is how a bhikkhu (us!) abides contemplating mind as mind.
“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind as mind internally, or dwells contemplating mind as mind externally, or dwells contemplating mind as mind both internally and externally.”
First, internally:
This next very deep and subtle meditation takes a high degree of momentary concentration and mindfulness. Here, consciousness itself is taken as the primary object of attention. The goal is to directly realize that consciousness is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and selfless. For this meditation it is not necessary to recognize whether any state of mind is skillful or unskillful, or exactly what state of mind is being experienced.
While practicing sitting meditation, begin by following the breath. When you become aware that your attention has moved to another object of awareness, you immediately reflect back to observe that not only is the breath (a sense consciousness) no longer the object of your awareness, but the moment of consciousness that was noticing the breath has also disappeared (thought consciousness).
What is actually present at this time is a moment of consciousness that is taking the memory of the previous moment of consciousness that had the breath as its object. In other words, to conduct this contemplation we keep using our current moments of consciousness to realize that the prior moments of consciousness, along with their objects, have totally vanished. In other words we are continually “looking back” at the vanishing objects of consciousness.
As another example, if your attention is caught by a sound, that sound becomes the object of consciousness. If during the very next moment the mind identifies the sound as “bird,” that perception is the next object of consciousness. Immediately reflect back to observe that not only is the previous sound no longer the object of your awareness, but the moment of consciousness that was noticing the sound has also disappeared.
What is actually present at this time is a moment of consciousness that is taking the memory of the previous moment of consciousness that had sound as its object. Once again, we keep using our current moments of consciousness to realize that the prior moments of consciousness, along with their objects, have totally vanished.
If we work diligently with this meditation, we will directly experience the lightening speed with which each moment of consciousness along with its object arise and pass away. We will further recognize how this impermanent process is beyond our control and is, therefore, an unsatisfactory experience. Finally, we will discover that each act of consciousness is conditioned by contact, the senses, memory, etc. and that it rises and falls from moment to moment without a self behind, in control of, or as part of the process. This insight translates into the recognition that there is no “one” who is conscious or aware. But there is consciousness and awareness!
Please do not give up on this meditation process. It leads to some key insights.
Next, externally:
One of the values inherent in observing externally is to avoid the trap of becoming self-absorbed in our own experience.
As we become mindful of our various mind states, we can recognize what words, facial expressions, and body postures accompany them. When we see others expressing the same words, facial expressions and body postures, we can, by inference, determine what type of mind states they are experiencing. In fact, neuroscience has determined that we possess “mirror neurons” whose function is to key off of others’ emotions and cause similar emotions to arise in us. For example seeing someone eating may give rise to hunger; someone yelling at us may cause anger to arise; and of course we often yawn when others yawn!
From time to time, for short periods of time, we want to mindfully infer what mind states are arising in others. We want to do so without judgment or reactivity. When others are experiencing certain mind states in our presence, such as anger, it can trigger similar mind states in us. By becoming mindfully aware of the mind states in others (paying bare attention without judgement), we can short-circuit any potential reactivity.
In addition, this external mindful observation can be the basis for the arising of compassion for the suffering that the other person may be experiencing.
If we do react to the other person’s mind states, we can become mindfully aware of our own reactive mind state. Once again, we stay with that experience until we see it pass away, and experience the mind filled with temporary freedom, calm and peace.
Finally, internally and externally:
We want to become aware of mind states without identifying with them. When we look at these states internally, we usually feel that “I am having these mind states.” When we look at them externally we usually feel that he or she is experiencing these mind states. Now, we want to simply be mindful that there is a particular mind state arising.
We want to dissolve the barrier or boundary between self and other. This comes from seeing the selfless nature of mind states.
There is a sense of freedom in the direct realization (arising from our own direct experience) that mind states arise from causes and conditions, and do not define who or what we are or who or what anyone else is either. Yes, we are responsible for our actions, but we are not those actions, those words, or even those thoughts. What we are can never be defined!
Please take time to practice these exercises. They are valuable in developing insights into the selfless nature of all things. There is only one of us and we are continually manifesting our inherent Buddha nature, which can never be added to or diminished.
