The Four Focuses of Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Yesterday we had a great meditation session followed by an excellent discussion.  After an hour of sitting we discussed the chapter 8 of the book, "Mindfulness bliss and beyond," The Four Focuses of Mindfulness. This is a well known sutta called "Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference (also translated as The Four Foundations of Mindfulness). The simplest definition for mindfulness is "to keep something in the mind" or "remembering." We discussed the components of contemplation of body, feeling, mind, and mental qualities in detail (Please see the above figure in the-handout given).

The five spiritual faculties

The five spiritual faculties were also a subject of discussion. Thery are faith (conviction), effort (vigor/energy), mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.   We used a simile of a hand (see the figure above) and we discussed how the strongest digit is the thumb and that it should be like the faith in the ptactice. The role of mindfulness in the center as the middle finger balancing the other four factors were discussed. It is important to have some amount of faith about the path to arrive at  wisdom one day.  The difference between investigative faith (Akarawathi saddha) and blind faith (Amulika saddha) were also discussed.  The goal of the Buddhist partitioner is to develop faith through investigation and direct knowledge as a result of the practice.  We also discussed the differences between Faith follower and Dhamma follower and the stream enterer.  The faith follower has strong faith on the path and its results.  He is the one who knows the arising and falling away of the five aggregates. The Dhamma follower has developed more wisdom than the faith follower.  He sees the arising and passing away of the five aggregates.  One who  both knows and sees the arising and passing away of the five aggregates is a stream enterer.  The stream enterer  also has all the components of all the five faculties well developed.  The advantages of being a stream enterer  and how attaining this level  avoids lower realms were discussed.

Wisdom (paññā)
We also discussed three levels of wisdom (paññā) and it is shown in the figure below.

• Study (Pali: sutamayā paññā,)
• Reflection (Pali: cintāmayā paññā)
• Meditation (Pali: bhāvanāmayā paññā)

  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism#cite_note-13

We collected $950 from voluntary donations and it was rounded up to $1000 and a money order will be posted to The Sati Saraniya Buddhist Hermitage from the meditation group.

We decided to visit the Sati Saraniya Buddhist Hermitage as a group in the summer.
Much merit to all who participated in this meritorious deed.

The next meeting will be in April and the members will receive a email notification soon.

March meditation sitting on Sunday, the 17th of March, 2013 at 3 PM

Sati Saraniya Buddhist Hermitage.

Dear Group Members,

We will be having our March meditation sitting on Sunday, the 17th of March, 2013 at 3 PM. Please make an attempt to arrive at 2:45 PM. If you need transport  (from the West end of Toronto) please let me know. I have sent an email to all the members with place of the meeting and the agenda. Hope you can make it.

We will be sending the donations we have raised as a group so far after the March meeting to Sati Saraniya Buddhist Hermitage (see the picture above and visit the web site too if you like).  We have raised $ 820 (from November to February). Much merit to all of you in the Hi Five group for your generous donations. 

May you be well, happy and peaceful.

With Mega Metta.

"The Beautiful Breath"- 16 Steps of Anapana-sati Meditation

(Please click on the picture to enlarge)

Yesterday we had the February sitting of the Hi-Five meditation group at the Mississauga Buddhist temple.  This time we had 28 participants.  After taking the five precepts and meditating for one hour we discussed the seventh chapter of the Ajahn Brahm's guidebook for meditation, "Mindfulness, bliss and beyond". Then we shared some of our personal experiences so far on meditation. We also briefly discussed the summary of previous chapters that we have covered. We spent some time discussing the five hindrances and how it can be the nutriment for ignorance.  We also discussed a question raised by one of the members on "outer-body experience" as described in Near Death Experience (NDE). The book by Pim van Lommel on "Consciousness beyond life" and his research was mentioned at the discussion.  This work indirectly supports rebirth.  According to him consciousness which is non-local (no specific location of the brain) can survive death.

However the main focus of the discussion was the 16 steps of breath Meditation and the handout that was given is posted above. We all agreed that this should be the focus of our practice which is conducive to ultimate freedom from suffering, the Nibbana.  We all agreed to keep up with the daily practice as much as we can at home in spite of our daily duties with families and work schedules.  The once a month gathering is just to inspire us to keep us focused on the path and to discuss experiences to clear doubts among the "Kayana Mittas" (best translated as true friends in  Dhamma).  The path to ultimate happiness as Buddha said all begins with a "Kayana Mitta."

We hope to meet again in March.  The location and the time will be posted here and will be sent by  email to individual members. (Please click on the hyperlinked words or phrases if you like to read further).

Mindfulness as the gate keeper

(Please click on the picture to enlarge)

Today again we had 15 participants for the sitting and the discussion. We discussed chapter 5 and 6 after our usual one hour meditation session. Chapter 5 talks about the setting up of the gatekeeper at four differnt stages of meditation (see the above picture).

Instructing the gatekeeper: At the beginning of each stage (see the above picture) you tell the gatekeeper something like "Now is the time to be aware of the present moment (in stage 1)" and other appropriate commands for the respective stages. Tell the gatekeeper this, only three times. Trust the gate keeper to know the job after that.  Do not repeat the command too many times for it not to become an internal chatter in the mind.

Here is a copy of a PDF file sent by one of our members Windsor Viney for the group

Instructing the Gatekeeper

Say to yourself three times at the start of your meditation:

at stage one

I will be aware of the present moment, and I will not go of into the past or the future.

at stage two

I will be silently aware in the present moment, and will discard all inner speech.

at stage three

I will be aware of the breath in the present moment, and discard all other perceptions

and thoughts.

at stage four

I will be aware of the whole breath continually, and disregard anything other than the breath.

In the Chapter six we discussed three other different methods to freshen up the meditation.
1. Loving-Kindness meditation
2. Letting be
3. Walking meditation

Most of the discussion was centered around the loving-kindness meditation.  Here Ajahn Brahm uses a slightly different method (Please read pages 65-72) from what we have all been accustomed to over the years. We all decided to give this a try during our practice at home.  We hope to discus the results of this method during the next sitting which is scheduled for the 17th of February in Mississauga.  The date, time and place for this will be sent to all the members by an email.

Related posts (with sutta) showing mindfulness as a gate keeper:

1. How to protect your Mind...just like a well protected fortress...

2. Train your mind like a fortress...

Stages of Meditation

(Please click on the flow diagram to enlarge)

The five hindrances: Like a "bowl of water" (mind) with different contaminants

The Five Hindrances- Like a "clear a bowl of water" (still mind) with different contaminants or situations. (Please click on the picture to enlarge)

In the December Hi Five group meeting we discussed chapters 3-4 form Ajahn Brahm's book, "Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond" after the sitting meditation. Here is another useful post on this subject:

The five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. In Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55) Buddha give 5 beautiful similes to illustrate the mind obstructed by the five hindrances.  The mind when covered with the five hinderances is like clear a bowl of water (still mind) with different contaminants or situations.

1. Sensory desire kāmarāga: - Imagine a bowl of water mixed with lac, turmeric, dark green or crimson dye. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

2. Ill will -vyāpāda - Imagine a bowl of water, heated on a fire, boiling up and bubbling over. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was

3. Sloth and torpor - thīnamiddhā - Imagine a bowl of water covered over with slimy moss and water-plants. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was 

4. Restlessness and remorse - uddhaccakukkucca - Imagine a bowl of water ruffled by the wind, so that the water trembled, eddied and rippled. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was. 

5. Doubt - vicikicchā - Imagine a bowl of water, agitated, stirred up muddied, put in a dark place. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55)

What gets in the way of our right concentration or stillness: The Five hindrances

We just had the second meeting of the Hi Five meditation group. Once again 16 meditators were present. We meditated for an hour and then discussed chapters 2 and 3 of Ajahn Brahm's book  "Mindfulness bliss and beyond" . We all agreed that the five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. We have to use the antidotes for each one of them as and when they come up during meditation.

According to the book (page 47),

Type of Hindrance and How to overcome it:

1. Sensory desire - Just take the attention away from the five senses little by little and apply it to the breath or the mind.

2. Ill will - Do some loving- kindness.

3. Sloth and torpor - Remember to “give value to awareness.”

4. Restlessness and remorse - “Contentment, contentment, contentment” or practice forgiveness.

5. Doubt - Be confident and be inspired by the teachings.

The  "Mindfulness bliss and beyond"  book also says: "Whenever you meditate, apply the solutions methodically. That way, the obstacles you experience won’t create long- term barriers. They’re things that you can recognize, overcome, and move beyond. 

We discussed the above points from the book and shared and discussed other individual problems during meditation. We also emphasized the importance of daily practice of meditation at home for us to progress as a group. We also decided to get together next month for our group sitting.  The place and time for this will be sent by email to all the members soon.