MCI4 Meditation course, introduction: formless meditation

MCI4 Meditation course, introduction: formless meditation by Suvannavira

Looked at the body breath metta
Can call them active practices
Active means something we try to do
Concentrate on the body the breath
Develop metta

Now we will do receptive practices
We aren’t trying to do anything
We are trying to be receptive

To practice meditation
To continue practicing
To get real benefits from practice
We need to balance active and receptive practices

In the early days of the order people did active practices
Emphasis on getting concentrated
On breaking through / overcoming hindrances

Some started to get more dissatisfied
Started to experiment with receptive practices
Tried just sitting
Remember sleeping thinking dry concentration
Danger just sitting = drifting
(Sinking and drifting)

Meditation without form
Arrive at question
What are we trying to do in receptive practices?

We are still trying to do something
Only we don’t decide what
That’s why it is formless
It doesn’t have a form or structure
No stages
No object

Rather no specific object
Or everything is our object
We try to be as aware as possible
Aware of everything
Aware of anything that happens
Aware of thoughts sensations images
Aware of smells and sounds

Two ways we can do this practice
Try to be aware of everything all at once
Or just let our attention / awareness go where it wants.
Our awareness / attention is always changing its object of awareness

So if we start thinking, try to be as aware as possible of our thought
Start feeling, try to be as aware as possible
Of sounds, as aware as possible

Like watching internal tv
So we are being active
Just not doing anything
Or rather our doing is watching
Watching without control
Being receptive to everything that is happening

DO IT

What did we focus on?
Thoughts sensations images sounds

Try to bring this receptive quality into other practices
Into life
How to do that? Ask them what they think

We can just sit as well. When?
1/ before starting meditating, when we feel restless
2/ after meditation, called sitting on when we are already concentrated
3/ on retreat when already concentrated

TRY JUST SITTING NOW OR AT END OF CLASS - 2 minutes

One more thing. Doing nothing
Helps us develop receptivity too
Spend some time each day doing nothing
Not reading thinking watching your phone etc ….
10-20. Get a cup of tea. Comfortable chair. Do nothing.
Waste time
Don’t get too strict, don’t make doing nothing into something!

Bring receptive quality into all meditations
And everyday life
A good balance to always being directed by thoughts
Of always having something to do

End of course
Now four more
Four weeks on each of these practices
To go deeper into them
To respond to your experience as you start to practice them regularly

Meditation course, MC1/4, Introduction, mindfulness of the Body

Meditation course, MC1/4, Introduction, mindfulness of the Body, by Suvannavira

1/ Who am I

Don’t have to be Buddhist

Ethics meditation wisdom

Change in our depths, change in how we see the world

What meditation is not

Getting what we want: love wealth health success

chakras and mantras

My meditation is: time of no thinking

Developing awareness

General: understanding > higher state of consciousness > wisdom

but need specifics

awareness, understanding, higher states of consciousness, wisdom

Four practices: then four courses, one on each, five courses in everyday life, wisdom

Communication, objectifying

Not knowledge but direct experience, intuitive knowledge

6/ today’s meditation practice
7/ why do this practice?

8/ what are we trying to do, beyond the technique?

9/ What is good posture

10/ common misconceptions or dangers
11/ positive signs of progress
Basics learn then we have difficulties, excellent!

THE BODY

value of intention and practice, not spontaeous at the beginning, new habits

Tips:

Listen to your body

Look for enjoyment

Warm attitude

Be open to all parts of yourself

First arrow second arrow

12/ how to respond to difficulties?

Sleep, thinking, over concentrated

easiest, most pleasant part of the body, hardest, most enigmatic part

13/ discuss our experience, what can I do to help you express your experience?
16/ what is the question for reflection?

18/ what else can they do during the week?
Meditate every day

Same time, same place, commitment, beauty, not too long

Body in every day life

All the time, mindfulness breaks, relax, pleasure, energy (ie what happens when it works).

Mindful activity, walking ….

Next week, on basis of the body, the breath.

Meditation course, MCI2/4, Introduction, Mindfulness of Breathing

Meditation course, MCI2/4, Introduction, Mindfulness of Breathing by Suvannavira

0/ Intro, raise awareness

Higher state of consciousness

greater understanding > wisdom

Change yourself, / and personal relations, relations to the world

Meditation as microscope, a new world emerges

1/ overview of course
2/ review of last week and h/w
3/ todays practice
4/ it’s place in Buddhism

Buddha gaining Enlightenment

Simplest practices are the most advanced, very steep

5/ why focus on the breath?
Physical, emotional, spiritual dimensions
6/ not technique, not forced concentration, but awareness
7/ leads to dhyana
8/ real meaning of concentration
9/ resistance to meditation
Value of light awareness

Light awareness in meditation, light awareness in life

10/ hindrances and antidotes
11/ meaning of integration and commitment
12/ difference dhyana and vipassana

13/ misconceptions and dangers

Dryness = lack of emotional connection, absence of receptivity

(Sleep, thinking, forced concentration).
14/ signs of progress
15/ what is it beyond the technique
16/ importance of connection with our body

DO MEDITATION IN TWO PARTS

17/ discuss our experience, why is it important: objectify and greater awareness
18/ how to help them express it
19/ question for reflection
20/ practice during the week ahead
21/ what to do outside practices
22/ return to why we meditate
23/ end with a wish

Meditation course, MCI 3/4, introduction, Metta Bhavana

Meditation course, MCI 3/4, introduction, Metta Bhavana by Suvannavira

Overview
Review last week – the Breath, how did the week go, did we use the breath to change our state?
Today’s practice

Meaning of metta

warm attitude,

open attitude

friendly

intention to help

desire for happiness

with awareness

understanding

gratitude

forgiveness

Rejoicing in merits

unattached, wanting nothing in return

universal but not equal

Putting ourselves in the shoes of others

Kindness

See what is good and bad, person as a whole, dear to someone, bad as poisons to overcome

Mother’s love for only child

Very strong positive emotion

Benefits? Your thoughts. Surprising
-Self view, feel good about yourself
-No enemies, not in such a relation to others, not trying to harm, not being harmed
-Energy, not blocked, not trying to forget, make abstract, ignore
-Reality, not stories, identity, real communication, strong bond, stable relations

Resistances
Hindrances and antidotes
Dangers and misconceptions, nagas vs. ideas about ourselves

Stages of practice – explain them
The how
-Words, intention
-Pleasant physical sensations, energies, attraction
-Images, of kindness, love (mention sex?)
-Memories, inc gratitude, moving words, happy times
-In place of the other, imagination
No effort of will / connection to body / be creative

Developing intention

Develping by practice

What we give attention to we become
Repeat stages we do in more detail

DO PRACTICE in 2/3 parts (cover in two weeks?),

Discuss experience
Favorite stage?
Question for reflection
Practice during the week
Outside formal practice
Set up for next week

MCI4 Meditation course, introduction: formless meditation

MCI4 Meditation course, introduction: formless meditation by Suvannavira.

Looked at the body breath metta
Can call them active practices
Active means something we try to do
Concentrate on the body the breath
Develop metta

Now we will do receptive practices
We aren’t trying to do anything
We are trying to be receptive

To practice meditation
To continue practicing
To get real benefits from practice
We need to balance active and receptive practices

In the early days of the order people did active practices
Emphasis on getting concentrated
On breaking through / overcoming hindrances

Some started to get more dissatisfied
Started to experiment with receptive practices
Tried just sitting
Remember sleeping thinking dry concentration
Danger just sitting = drifting
(Sinking and drifting)

Meditation without form
Arrive at question
What are we trying to do in receptive practices?

We are still trying to do something
Only we don’t decide what
That’s why it is formless
It doesn’t have a form or structure
No stages
No object

Rather no specific object
Or everything is our object
We try to be as aware as possible
Aware of everything
Aware of anything that happens
Aware of thoughts sensations images
Aware of smells and sounds

Two ways we can do this practice
Try to be aware of everything all at once
Or just let our attention / awareness go where it wants.
Our awareness / attention is always changing its object of awareness

So if we start thinking, try to be as aware as possible of our thought
Start feeling, try to be as aware as possible
Of sounds, as aware as possible

Like watching internal tv
So we are being active
Just not doing anything
Or rather our doing is watching
Watching without control
Being receptive to everything that is happening

DO IT

What did we focus on?
Thoughts sensations images sounds

Try to bring this receptive quality into other practices
Into life
How to do that? Ask them what they think

We can just sit as well. When?
1/ before starting meditating, when we feel restless
2/ after meditation, called sitting on when we are already concentrated
3/ on retreat when already concentrated

TRY JUST SITTING NOW OR AT END OF CLASS - 2 minutes

One more thing. Doing nothing
Helps us develop receptivity too
Spend some time each day doing nothing
Not reading thinking watching your phone etc ….
10-20. Get a cup of tea. Comfortable chair. Do nothing.
Waste time
Don’t get too strict, don’t make doing nothing into something!

Bring receptive quality into all meditations
And everyday life
A good balance to always being directed by thoughts
Of always having something to do

End of course
Now four more
Four weeks on each of these practices
To go deeper into them
To respond to your experience as you start to practice them regularly

MCM ¼ - Meditation course, middle level – the body

MCM ¼ - Meditation course, middle level – the body

Entering the world of the body!
Mindfulness of body is foundation of all meditations. Why?

What it is not: Bells, mantras, chakras, yoga, getting what you want, my meditation is…,

In general meditation is:
Raising level of awareness
Higher state on consciousness (not Krishna consciousness)
Understanding > wisdom (and compassion).
Value of communication for developing our awareness

How do we raise our level of awareness?
Not a big abstract?
Give more attention to specific objects,
Open up to things we usually ignore.

Start with being more aware of the body
And leaving world of ideas.

Ideas are valuable.
Basis of human civilisation.
Sets us apart from the animals.
But by themselves they limit us.

We receive ideas about ourselves from:
Parents, school, friends, CMI from different countries.

Different theories, religions, therapies.

Ideas like what’s cool and not cool,
Good to be independent,
Good to love your family,
Strong people never cry etc ….

Q What are our ideas about ourselves?
Ideas can include plans and strategies.
Q Are they enough?

They are limited because don’t include all of us.
Start with awareness of body.
Sensations in hand different from idea of the hand.

What do we get from being more in touch with the body?

Pleasure
Energy
Stability
Confidence
Relaxation
Contentment
Положительные эмоции
Physical dexterity

But awareness also opens up other parts of our experience.
Simply sitting eyes closed and being aware,
opens us up to other aspects of our experience.

Bits gets hidden or ignored.
We often try to ignore responses that are painful,
Or we don’t know how to deal with.
Or try to forget them.
And we lose energy.
We’ll come back to this theme later.

Or maybe sexual attraction to a married woman.
Выход есть?

1/ get in contact with more parts of ourselves.
Useful mindfulness of the body to do this.

2/ get into relationship with these parts of ourselves.
Called integration in psychological sense.
Energy gets freed up.
We don’t really know what they are.
We fear them, like a wolf at the door.
Our unconscious mind.

3/ change our relationship to these parts of ourselves.
When they’ve come to light.
We have reclaimed their energy.
We’ve become whole.
We are able to concentrate.
We can act with energy and power.

So this is what we’re trying to do.
Trying by meditation practice in general
And by starting to give more attention to our body.

The purpose of this course is starting to practice in everyday life.
What can we do?
A/ practice the mindfulness of the body meditation each day.
B/ try to maintain awareness of the body throughout the day.
This is very difficult.
C/ have times when we focus on the body.
Not a coffee break but an awareness break.
D/ look to enjoy simple activities performed with awareness.
Feeling the sensations in the feet, With each step.

Try all these next week. We’ll start with a review of what you did, And what effects did you feel.

Next week we’ll look more at the ideas,
The world we are trying to leave.
1/ stories we tell ourselves.
2/ ideas we have about ourselves and others.
3/ where these ideas about ourselves place us in hierarchies.
4/ our identity. Who we believe ourselves to be.
5/ the strategies we use in life, the habits we cultivate.

Enough for now.

Interconnectedness P4/1

Interconnectedness P4/1, by Suvannavira

Recap: Principles, or universal laws
Precepts, negative or positive, which we can practice
Practices, specific to our personal situation

Q has what we have already learned affected our life? If not why not? If yes, how?

Now fourth theme
Looked at from three angles
1/ Principle of interconnectedness
2/ precept of generosity
3/ precept of not taking what is not freely given

1/ interconnectedness:

Buddhism teaches the principle of interconnectedness
All things are interconnected

In other words this is the teaching of anatha or no self
Danger of misunderstanding no self
We conclude ethics is not important
Or develop what sangharakshita called alienated awareness

Anatha or no self means
A/ no fixed permanent self
Buddha’s challenge: find something in your experience that you can point to
And say this is my self

B/ no separate self
We experience ourselves in here
And others as objects out there
This is a delusion teaches Buddhism
Insight can be described as overcoming the distinction between self and other

Indra, the King of the Gods in Hindu Mythology, possesses a number of treasures, one of which is a net made entirely of jewels. According to the Buddha in the Gandavyuha Sutra, “All the Jewels shine in each, and each of them shine in all.”

The universe is just like this. As such, one cannot fully understand any one part of the Dharma unless one understands the whole.

Additional material: Refuted idea of the self found in the Pali canon, Reincarnation and rebirth
Q what is our experience of being interconnected or lack of connection

2/ now the positive precept of generosity

A common misapprehension is to think of insight and egolessness in abstract, even metaphysical terms rather than as comprising concretely-lived attitudes and behaviour. But realizing the truth of egolessness simply means being truly and deeply unselfish. To contemplate the principle of egolessness as some special principle that is somehow separate from our actual behaviour will leave it as far away as ever. If we find it difficult to realize the ultimate emptiness of the self, the solution is to try to be a little less selfish. The understanding comes after the experience, not before. from Sangharakshita Complete Works - volume 15: 'Pali Canon Teachings and Translations' p. 339

With open handed generosity I purify my body
I don’t know which word is better, generosity or Dana?

If we are interconnected, when we give to others we also give to ourselves
We aren’t an isolated individual
Even an isolated family or country
Broadest expression of this spirit is given by the bodhisattva vow
To gain enlightenment for the sake of all living beings
For the bodhisattva
Practising the perfection of wisdom
Gives without any perception of:
Giver, gift or recipient

What do we mean by generosity
Not just Dana
Dana to the teachers of the dharma
Six dimensions of generosity
Each higher than the previous one

I/ material things, what we usually think of as Dana
Ii/ time and energy, this is a gift
Iii/ knowledge and culture
Iv/ fearlessness, we sometimes feel secure just being in someone’s company or thinking of them
V/ life and limb, we might have to risk our lives for someone else’s sake
Vi/ the gift of the dharma itself as highest form of Dana.
Giving others the means to find liberation.

Q what is our relation to generosity?
Which form of generosity do we find easiest to practice, which hardest?

3/ finally the negative precept
I undertake the training principle of not taking what is not freely given

This precept doesn’t just refer to theft
It also refers Taking up someone’s time when the don’t want to give it
Indeed any form of manipulation of one ego getting what it wants,
Against the wishes of another,
Goes against this precept

If we allow ourselves to be manipulated by someone else,
then we are encouraging someone else to not follow this precept.
How can we know if we are manipulating someone?
It is a fault people rarely own up to.

Sangharakshita said you can’t emotionally manipulate a spiritually mature person.

We can ask ourselves, are we giving the other person an entirely free choice?
If not then we are not following this precept.
It can be very subtle.
We can see practicing this precept as staying in the gap or intermediate point, the gap.
The fundamental principle of Buddhism, at least from the philosophical point of view,
is that everything arises in dependence on conditions.
For us what is most important is that craving arises in dependence on feelings.
Or greed, hatred and delusion arise in dependence on
pleasant feelings, painful feelings and neutral feelings respectively.
But there is an intermediate point, a gap, between feeling and craving.
We can stay in this gap,
we can stay with feeling,
and have a conscious choice about what to do.
Meditating and developing a meditative state of consciousness helps us stay in the intermediate point.
When we stay in the intermediate point, then we are not taking Anything that is not freely given.

Q When do we feel most strongly manipulated?
In the family, at work or somewhere else?
How can we free ourselves?

Q How can we manipulate others less, how can we be aware of manipulating others?

Q What is our experience of being given an entirely free choice?
What is our experience of giving someone else an entirely free choice?

During the week: How can we give more Dana, how can we manipulate less?
How can we recognise our interconnectedness more deeply?

Introduction to Buddhism, 22.01.25

Introduction to Buddhism, 22.01.25

Introduce Suvannavira, Triratna, happy to be here, Buddhism

Introduce yourselves, city, why here, why am I a Buddhist?

Introduction to Buddhism, try meditating, question for reflection and sharing.

What does it mean to be a Buddhist? Taking refuge or Going to Refuge to the Three Jewels.

What are they? Buddha Dharma and Sangha.

1/ Buddha, first to gain Enlightenment.

Under Bodhi Tree, at Bodhgaya, full moon night in month of May, over 2500 years ago.

Enlightenment: common word, specific meaning in Buddhism, beyond words to describe.

Realisation of reality, absolute reality, direct, face to face, all transforming.

Escaping from the round of birth and death, and rebirth.

The Perfection of wisdom and compassion, which are inseperable.

Pinnacle of the evolution of the Individual.

2/ Dharma, the teaching of the Buddha, which leads to Enlightenment.

People often ask why we need Buddhism, we have our own culture.

Dharma also that reality itself, which Buddha realised.

3/ Sangha, spiritual community on the path, practising the Buddha’s teaching.

Many traditions, so many Sanghas.

Importance of real communication, of being totally honest.

Just as jewels are most valuable in material world,

Buddha Dharma and Sangha are most valuable in spiritual world.

To be a Buddhist we Go for Refuge to these Three Jewels, expressed by practising Dharma.

How to practice the Dharma?

One of many teachings is the threefold path of ethics, meditation and wisdom.

1/ Start at the end, wisdom, the development of wisdom.

Buddhism offers us practices for the development of wisdom.

For us this starts with questioning what we really believe.

What really makes us happy, will death be the end or is there a heaven, and many more.

2/ Meditation means being ready to improve our state of mind.

Meditation practices teach us to relate differently to our own mind,

and they invite us to experience higher states of consciousness,

which are by nature more aware states of consciousness.

3/ Buddhist teaching on ethics, where ethics is not the same as our morality,

invites us to relate differently to other people and the world, and ourselves in everyday life,

whether we act with our body, our speech or what we do with our mind.

Practising ethics supports our practice of meditation.

Practising meditation supports our practice of wisdom, of seeing what is true and false,

and living by what is true frees us from suffering.

So the threefold path of ethics, meditation and wisdom.

Now we will try meditating.

Leave the world of ideas for a direct experience of the body, access to deeper energies and emotions.

Watching the body, not doing something, trying really hard to concentrate or falling asleep.

Question for reflection and sharing.

Have you every believed in something, then stopped believing in it?

Principles of Buddhism: Third principle, P3/3 - Contentment

Principles of Buddhism: Third principle, P3/3 - Contentment,
by Suvannavira.

Our third principle is “Contentment”.
Principles are universal laws.
They are the way things really are,
The dharma.
We can try to live according to these principles

We have looked at the principles of:
Awareness and truthfulness,
Now looking at contentment.

We also have precepts.
General things we try to do.
And not to do.
To live by these principles.

We also have practices
Specific thing we try to do
With our character and circumstances
Goal of classes is to come up with practices

1/ The negative precept is
I undertake to refrain from sexual misconduct.
2/ The positive precept / version is
With Stillness, simplicity and contentment
I purify my body
It is as called a promise in Russian.

Last time we looked at the noble striving.
Search for the unborn, the deathless,
Also called enlightenment.
We asked what meaning the Nobel striving had for us.
What are the practical consequences for our lives?

This week we’re going to look at what we can do if we don’t feel ready for such a big step.
What practices can we do?

A/ guarding the doors of the senses.
This teaching comes from the Pali Canon.
It means reducing stimulation.
The more we give our attention to something,
The stronger it becomes in our mind.
The less we give our attention,
The weaker it becomes.
So guarding the doors of the senses.

B/ staying in the intermediate point.
Buddhism / the dharma tells us,
That romantic love and sexual attraction are the strongest cravings.
We often feel the strongest craving in the sexual sphere.
That’s why love can easily flip into hatred.
And we have crimes of passion.

The dharma also tells us that
Craving arises in dependence on feeling.
If we feel pleasant feeling the craving follows.
But there is an intermediate point
Between feeling and craving.
Where we can be aware of our feelings,
But without experiencing craving.
We experience our feelings but we don’t act on them.
At least we have the choice to act in them or not.
We stop being a slave to our passions.
We can reflect on the consequences of our actions,
Before acting, before doing something.

Another way of staying in the intermediate point is by feeling bored.
If you feel bored don’t start doing something,
Don’t try to escape the feeling.
Just experience the boredom,
And see what happens.
Stay with the unpleasant feeling.
Stay in the gap between feeling and craving.

We can bring this approach also to feeling pain,
As we saw with the principle of awareness.

Q how have you found reducing stimulation and feeling bored? Has it led to a richer inner life?

We can practice the positive precept,
The promise,

With stillness simplicity and contentment,
I purify my body,
By refining our states of mind.

How do we refine our states of mind?
Some things are quite practical.

1/ we can spend time in nature.
Going to the dacha.
Change our environment.

2/ being alone and doing nothing.

3/ enjoying art, meaning fine art.
The arts in the broad sense of the word.
What does a great artist communicate by his art?
In essence he communicates his higher state of consciousness.
He communicates his greater awareness.
We can be positively affected by this,
By being in contact with his art.

4/ friendship and communication.
Spiritual friendship is characterised by communication.
Open and totally truthful communication,
Often about our inner world.
Real communication can have a deep and positive effect on our state of mind.
It can liberate deeper energies.

So all these approaches can lead to us experiencing greater contentment.
Both negative and positive approaches.
As well as them leading to greater stillness and simplicity.

Q what helps you most in experiencing contentment?

Next time we’ll take a step further and look at what it means to be an anagarika.
An anagarika means someone living without a home.
Why is that part of Buddhist teaching.
Well find out next time.

Five principles P0 - introduction

Five principles P0 - introduction

We are looking at five principles in Buddhism.
But firstly what is a PRINCIPLE?
According to an online dictionary:

1/ a fundamental truth or proposition,
Serving as the foundation for a system of:
Beliefs,
Behaviour,
Chain of reasoning.

2/ a general scientific theorem or law,
With numerous special applications
Across a wide field.

Here we are not looking at scientific principles,
Rather Buddhist principles.

These principles express:
A/ at the highest level,
the way things really are,
They express reality,
That the Buddha first in our world saw,
Sitting under the Bodhi tree
When he gained enlightenment.

B/ at the middle level,
The true nature of our mind,
Which we can gain access to,
Which we can experience in meditation.

C/ at the lowest level,
Which actions are skilful,
Which actions are wise,
Which lead to greater harmony in ourselves and in the world,
Which are of benefit for ourselves and others,
which lead to happiness for ourselves and others,
And which actions do not.

So it’s very important to know these principles.
But knowing them is not enough.
We have to put them into practice.
We have to make the conscious decision to put them into practice,
To live by them.

To do this every principle has a PRECEPT.
In fact they all have two versions of each precept:
1/ a negative version.
That which we are trying to stop or reduce doing.
2/ a positive version.
That which we are trying to do or develop in its place.

It is worth saying precepts are not commandments.
Precepts are not something we have to do.
No one has ordered us to follow them.
Following the precepts is something we can chose to do,
As a means to move closer to reality,
As a means to meditate more deeply,
As well as a means to get the benefits of skilful action, of wise action.

The precepts relate to body, speech and mind.
In western thought the person is divided into body and mind.
Maybe the person is divided into body, mind and soul.
In Buddhism the person is divided into body, speech and mind.
So the precepts relate to the person as a whole.
Nothing is left out.
There are precepts for the body, for speech, for the mind.

We can think of following the precepts as a skill we develop over time.
We don’t have to do everything at once.
We don’t know now what we’ll be capable of in the future,
As a consequence of our current practice.

Finally we have PRACTICES,
We have specific practices.
Precepts are not principles,
But they are still general.
Practices are specific.
What we in our situation choose to do in the conditions we are in.

So we have the principle of raising our level of awareness.
We have the negative precept of not taking substances,
Which cloud the mind.
We have the practice of not drinking alcohol.

The goal of this course is to find practices,
So we can follow the precepts.
And live by the principles,
To help us move closer to reality,
And experience all the benefits that that brings.

Notes on what is Enlightenment?

What is Enlightenment?

It is hard to say what it is, Buddha said it was beyond words

We can be sure it is very far beyond where we are now

Even though the Buddha also said all can attain it who make the effort

But we can say something about an important staging post

When we develop insight, knowledge and vision of things as they really are

One becomes Arya, noble,

One enters the stream leading to Enlightenment

From that moment we can’t fall back, E is assured if if not in this lifetime

So how to we become Arya, Stream Enterants, important question

By breaking the first three fetters, which bind us to Samsara, conditioned existence, the W of L

In all ten fetters to break to reach E

What are they?

1/ Satkaya Drsti, literally true/real body view

Usual translation, personality view

Я такой человек, always have been and will be

Such views can be individual and collective, I’m Russian, we are like this

S calls this the fetter of habit, living on autopilot, doing what we know, not trying anything new

Antidote, be creatively minded

2/ Vicikitsa, doubt and indecision

Not a sincere doubt when we want to find the truth

But refusal to make a decision, to commit (to GFR to a teacher and path)

S calls this the fetter of vagueness, wilful ignorance

Antidote, commitment, GFR

3/ Silavrataparamasa, dependence on ethics and religious observances as ends in themselves

They are necessary, but depending on them is a fetter, building your ego around themselves

Also doing outer form of practice as enough without recourse to personal experience

Examples, you must sit in a particular posture for meditation, or recite an exact number of mantras

That in itself ie enough for effective practice, no regard to personal experiences

S calls this the fetter of superficiality, on the surface, no depth, no personal experiences

Antidote, clarity, clear thinking, self knowledge and awareness

Summary; we need creativity/trying something new, commitment/GFR, clarity/self knowledge

Notes on the 12 links

12 links

Salute the shine, time dedicated to spiritual progress, not worldly interests

Homage to the three jewels with body speach and mind

Mindfulness of the body, foundation of practice and development of awareness

Report back, expressing our experience to become more aware of it

Mindfulness of feelings, shorter,

report back, three parts of the body, pleasant or painful, one word to describe each

3 qualities; interest/ curiosity, closeness/warmth, freedom/spontanaeity

to overcome distraction, abstraction and control

12 links

Unite / integrate knowledge and personal experience

To become whole, unify our will and energy

See how conditioned co-production works in our lives

Looking at feeling, craving , attachment in our lives, one concrete example

Maybe easier to start at the end

What attachment are we considering?

What is the craving behind it, powering it?

What is the feeling we crave for?

Importance of expressing personal experience, listening to others, and learning from them

Full awareness > transformation, how to transform myself > full awareness

Themes

Material things and satisfaction

Views, which ones are we attached to

Ethics and practices

Ourselves, душа

Refuges and precepts to close, now we have the teaching dedication to practice it

to transform ourselves and our lives on all levels and in all dimensions

Notes on teaching the Metta Bhavana meditation

Notes on teaching the Metta Bhavana meditation

About me; meditation 1990, OM in Triratna 1994, teaching 2002

Practice of meditation; like a musical instrument, states of mind and qualities, enlightenment

-- Capable of new experience we can’t now imagine, we often limit ourselves, need faith, intention

-- And need to be rooted in current experience, discover who we really are,

Hidden by; controlling our emotions, avoiding pain, ideas about ourselves, external activity

Working on yourself; means how we change;

Developing an emotionally and positive concentrated state of mind not by wilful suppression of unpleasant emotions and escaping unpleasant feelings but by:

-- Choosing to focus on the positive not the negative

Developing our awareness to be able to make those kinds of choices.

Not on autopilot.

Means we can take responsibility for our mental and emotional states.

Not blame others for what we feel.

-- Leads to states of openness, receptivity, love and compassion

Which allow positive, creative communication and improved relations

In conflicts capable of keeping positive states, aware and concentrated

Thinking quickly to make good decisions

Why continue coming?

How to practice in everyday life, how our everyday lives support our meditation

Единомышленники, spiritual friendship, support

Hindrances arise over time, after a few months and 10 years ….

Spiritual development is a long path, many stages, different needs later

Highest development of meditation is E, path to E is called the Dharma, essence of Buddhism

Triratna; international Buddhist community practising together

While meditating;

What happens to the experience of your body, your feelings, emotions, thoughts while meditating

What are the effects, changes

We can share experiences afterwards

Tip, don’t spend the while meditation thinking about it

Emphasis, exploring experience and discovering change

Notes on teaching the Mindfulness of Breathing

Notes on teaching the Mindfulness of Breathing meditation

About me; meditation 1990, OM in Triratna 1994, teaching 2002

Practice of meditation; like a musical instrument, states of mind and qualities, enlightenment

-- Capable of new experience we can’t now imagine, we often limit ourselves, need faith, intention

-- And need to be rooted in current experience, discover who we really are,

Hidden by; controlling our emotions, avoiding pain, ideas about ourselves, external activity

Working on yourself, means how we change;

Developing an emotionally and positive concentrated state of mind by;

-- Energy balanced, not to weak, not too stressed and strong

-- And relaxing our attention, being aware, developing understanding of ourselves

Leads to qualities in everyday life of awareness, concentration, self-control

Not wilful suppression of unpleasant emotions but choose through spaciousness and awareness

In difficult situations or conflicts we can think quickly, make good decisions and keep in a +ve state

Why continue coming?

How to practice in everyday life, how our everyday lives support our meditation

Единомышленники, spiritual friendship, support

Hindrances arise over time, after a few months and 10 years ….

Spiritual development is a long path, many stages, different needs later

Triratna; international Buddhist community practising together

Highest development of meditation is E, path to E is called the Dharma, essence of Buddhism

While meditating;

What happens to the experience of your body, your feelings, emotions, thoughts while meditating

What are the effects, changes

We can share experiences afterwards

Tip, don’t spend the while meditation thinking about it

Emphasis, exploring experience and discovering change