TBA IMG Insight Meditation Group of Houston

Notes from first 2012 meditation (01/06/12)

2012-01-08T18:31:00.014-06:00

In the guidance of Ven. Katapunno (Ven. K), several IMG members had a wonderful first meditation session of 2012. We had 3 hours of meditation in the morning and another 2 hours in the afternoon amongst the serene surrounding of the Bodhi Center. In one of the sutta, the Buddha stress the importance of associating with true Dharma fellows as being the primrose importance in the Path of enlightenment.

In our first class, Ven K taught Right View or Right Understanding (sammā-diṭṭhi), from the Sutta that was dispensed by Ven. Sariputra with the Buddha's approval. Another one of our highlights, is the chanting of the Metta Sutta. Ven. K taught us the basics of Pali pronunciation and the alphabets, which was most helpful for chanting.

We have made several decisions yesterday, they are that
1. we will meet every third Saturday each month (instead of the first Saturday),
2. Ven. K will teach from the book "This Very Life : The Liberation Teachings of the Buddha" by Sayadaw U. Pandita, and
3. we will learn to chanting Metta Sutta to end each class when we share merit .

Date: every third Saturday of the Month (the next session is in Feb 18th)
Time: 8:45M to 4PM
Cost: free and Donation welcome

Schedule:
9:00-11:45 AM sitting and walking meditation;
noon-1:00PM delicious vegetarian lunch;
1:00-3:00PM sitting and walking meditation; and
3:00-4:00PM Dharma class & Metta sutta (beautiful Metta sutta song on Youtube by Imee Ooi chanting
We encourage car pooling

Training of the Mind: 2012 New Year Resolution

2011-12-31T13:03:00.013-06:00

A few of the IMG members met severals days ago and decided that it is time to meet again. Starting January 2012 for every first Saturday of each month, IMG will join Ven. Katapunno's meditation class at the American Bodhi Center (ABC). RSVP by Wednesday next week (1/4/2012) if you are interested (email.

Ven. Katapunno was born in Malaysia and ordained when he was 21. He spent time as a monk in Thailand and Sri Lanka before coming to America. You might remember him last year when he lead IMG in a 15-day retreat. His meditation class at ABC is from 8:30 am to 4 pm. He is a wonderful teacher who can speak fluent English and Chinese and many people enjoys his Dharma talks.

15 Day Retreat 2011 December 3rd to December 18th

2011-12-29T17:44:00.005-06:00

The retreat was from Dec 4th to Dec 18th lead by well respected and beloved meditation master Ven. Seelananda. We had a total of 20 practitioners and some attended the full course while others were partial attendance. The first 7 days of the retreat Ven. Seelananda taught Anapana Meditation (Breath Meditation) and the remainder of the retreat he guided the teaching of vapassana (insight) meditation.

Bhikkhu T. Seelananda is a meditative monk living in US for about 10 years rendering a wonderful service by sharing the meditation technique of the Buddha (both Samatha and Vipassana). He is presently the Vice Abbot and Vice President of Bhavana Society Forest Monastery in West Virginia, which is the first theravada forest monastery in USA.

Bhikkhu Seelananda was ordained at the age of 11 and after completing his monastic training, received higher ordination in 1984 as a Theravada monk in Sri Lanka. He has successfully completed his university undergraduate - B.A. (Major - Buddhist Philosophy) and post graduate degrees - M.A. and M.Phil., in Buddhist Studies. Having understood the futility of having a PhD for a Bhikkhu like him, he gave up his PhD, practiced, and strived to develop his mind instead. He has also undertaken further training in Mass Communication, Conflict Resolution, Human Development, as well as courses in Japanese Language and Bible Studies while living in Sri Lanka.

Bhikkhu Seelananda is fluent in English, Pali and Sanskrit, which together with his excellent monastic roots is recognized as a dedicated monk skilled in the teaching of Buddhism and meditation to a wide variety of audiences ranging from novices to experienced practitioners.

In 2002 he came to North America to teach the Dhamma and meditation techniques and disseminate the word of the Buddha. Well respected and talented in teaching Buddhism and meditation in many different states in the USA and Canada he is rendering a great service to many seekers of Buddhism and meditation.

18-Day Retreat December 1st to 19th 2010

2010-12-31T21:16:00.006-06:00

In December of 2010, Jade Buddha Temple’s English Dharma Group (EDG), and the Insight Meditation Group (IMG), held an unprecedented, self-run, private retreat for 18 days. The intensive, long retreat was sponsored by the American Bodhi Center in Hempstead, Texas.
Resident monk Ven. Katapunna guided the retreat, conducted interviews for the participating yogis, and held Dharma talks every night. A significant part of the Dharma talks consisted of an extended examination and discussion of the Maha-Pari-Nibbana Sutra (DN 16), which is about the Buddha’s last days and great passing. This is the longest sutra in the Nikaya, and it took more than two weeks of Dharma talks to finish the discussion.

Also during this retreat, students had the honor of emailing additional questions to a well-known meditation teacher, Bhante Sujiva, who lives in Europe. With the help and support of Jade Buddha Temple and the American Bodhi Center, the retreat was a great success. As the retreat began, and the somber gathering of serious-minded yogis settled into the challenging regimen that often accompanies a long retreat. It became clear that the major theme and focus for this retreat would center around one of the Buddha’s most important teachings, “...Follow the Dharma to practice Dharma.”

What does this mean? The Sutra states “Paripattia” in Pali, to “... follow the Dharma to practice Dharma.” The former word ‘Dharma‘ refers to the Dharma teaching of Buddha, and the latter word ‘Dharma’ denotes the application of Dharma teaching via the practice of meditation. Put simply, the practice of Insight Meditation must be in accordance with Buddha’s teaching and the Sutra.

Purity of Heart

2010-02-12T09:56:00.019-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May the year of Tiger brings you health and "purity of heart". I was reading "Purity of Heart, Essays on the Buddhist Path" by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) and was touched. Want to share this with you'all in the coming New Year.

The following are the paragraphs from the short article. Enjoy and best with your practices.
-- “You know,” he said, “the whole aim of our practice is purity of heart. Everything else is just games.”,
-- his "... definition of purity of heart was simple ... a happiness that will never harm anyone",
-- " ... Ajaan Fuang was offering to teach me how to develop it. That’s one of the reasons why I stayed with him until he died."

Download the book.
Read the entire article.

Guideline to Maximize the Benefits of Group Meditation

2010-01-19T23:45:00.012-06:00

We have our first meditation in the Chinese School Auditorium and it works out really well. Now that we have a good environment, the following are key points to furthur help with our group practice.

- Be on time (7:00AM)
- Bow when you enter the hall (beginning settling the mind)
- Follow the program schedule
- Listen and follow the bell (remember to turn off cell phone)
- At the end, maintain your mindful (no need to rush), mindful of each movement like stretching, massaging, standing, ...
- Remember to close together by chanting 3 times the triple gems (re-affirming the dedication to the training)

Doing this with RIGHT UNDERSTANDING and correctly, the benefit is tremendous. These will help us even further the benefit of the time we are investing in the group meditation.

If you have any comments or thoughts, do let us know.

Ken & Josten
Click here to leave us your comments.

Benefits of Regular Practice: Member's 10-Day Retreat Report

2010-01-19T13:50:00.012-06:00

I finished my 10-day meditation retreat at Southwest Vipassana Meditation Center a couple of weeks ago and it was AWESOME. I didn't realize how meditating with TBA-IMG every Sunday boosted my ability to concentrate so quickly at the retreat. I felt at ease, comfortable and accepting of sitting right off the bat. I could not have done that without steady practice with the Sangha. Through my practice I've cultivated discipline for meditating.

Also, I had my first experience with concentration. I would not have known what it was without my interviews with Sayadaw Dhammapiya. (Thank you, Sayadaw!) You (Sayadaw) said to me before, "Don't worry about concentration, you can do that a retreat. Just work on mindfulness." I've never felt the quality of concentration before, like I felt at the retreat recently, and I haven't felt it since. The noble silence and the whole atmosphere is conducive for concentration and meditation. I'm grateful for my gradual awakening to what mindfulness is for me, and now I understand concentration for myself. I can see and owe my progress in meditation the TBA-IMG program: group meditation, interviews, dharma talks. Thank you!

I'm going to continue my twice daily meditation the best I can. The benefits of feeling equanimous with the way things are is invaluable. I feel determined to cultivate my mindfulness in my daily activities. I'm re-reading a book I picked up by Dr. Thynn Thynn at JBT called, "Living Insight, Living Meditation." She is excellent in explaining mindfulness to a beginner like me. When I read her book the first time I had an intellectual understanding and I remember feeling hopeful. Since I've had my own experiences with mindfulness now I feel even more affection for her writing because she's helping me to understand my experiences better and guiding me as I become more aware. I looked on her website recently and saw she's going to teach a 12-week course called "Meditate Without Meditation - The Daily Life Mindfulness Practice: How to be mindful throughout the day; at work, home, and play." I can't attend her course in person; however, she is going to make it available on the Internet via MP3 for students who want to be apart of the class remotely. I have registered for the course and wanted to see if any of you would be interested in registering too. I think it will be a valuable experience--we may learn more if we learn together. Let me know if you decide to take the course. All you have to do is send an email to the address on the flyer.

With appreciation and happiness,
Vivian

Metta Sutta Chanting & Song

2010-01-01T08:10:00.006-06:00

Metta sutta

Pali 黃慧音 - 慈經 (巴利文唱頌版)

Chinese/Pali 黃慧音 - 慈經 (中文唸誦版)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
The Buddha's words on cultivating a heart filled with good will (metta) towards all beings.
[Loudspeaker icon] Listen to this sutta read by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (01'56" 1.7 MB)
Recorded by the reader in January 2006 at Metta Forest Monastery, Valley Center, California. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. From »Handful of Leaves, Volume Four: An Anthology from the Khuddaka Nikaya, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. and ed. Text is copyright © 2005 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

http://www.suttareadings.net/audio/index.html#khp.9

2010 TBA-IMG Meditation Audio Schedule

2009-12-16T21:18:00.033-06:00

Audio files from Dharma Talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu of Metta Forest Monastery

Group Title: Description [Date]
M1 Clear Sense of Priority: why practicing is important [12/19/2009],
M2 How to Save the World: karma, you are responsible for your actions, you are in charge [1/2/2010],
M2a A Small Steady Flame: patience with your effort, protecting your small spark [1/16/2010],
M3 Samsara: going around and around,
M4 Fires of the Mind: reasons extinguish the fires [1/30/2010],
M5 What we Noticed: [2/6/2010],
M6 Life in the Buddha's Hospital: discover your course cure [2/13/2010],
M7 Appropriate Attention: [2/20/2010],
M8 Luminous Mind: train your mind, catching greed, anger and delusion, [2/27/2010],
MA Taking Your Own Medicine: using meditation in daily life [2/27/2010]
S0M Food for the Mind: building strength, nourishing your mind, [3/6/2010]
S1a The Steadiness of Your Gaze: keep your mind where it is, [3/13/2010]
S1b Watching Over Time: building up skills,
S1c Wheel of Dharma: keep your focus forget about everything else,
S2 Elemental Energy: breath and energy, sensitivity to the breath
S3 A Pervasive Wellbeing: single pointedness & full body awareness
S4 The Best Work Around (Willingness to train the Mind): the way out
S5 Meditation not Mechanical:
S5 The Knife of Discernment: experimenting with your breath, making the mind strong
xP1 Progress & Regress (the mind training itself is also the mind needed to be trained): what do you do when things goes really wrong, never give up
xP2 Contentment: sharpening the skill,
xP3 Clearing a Space: our mind is chaos, be ready, use your discernment
xP4 Encourage Yourself : bring your mind to th e present moment
xP5 The Fool & the Wise Person: be someone who knows the difference
xP6 Strong & Heedful: conviction, persistent, effort, mindfulness
overcoming craving, heedfulness is deathlessness

2010 Schedule (every Sunday)

2009-12-05T22:36:00.022-06:00

Meditation group meets every Sunday starting at 7:00am in the Kwan Yin Hall at Jade Buddha Temple. This group is design primarily for everyone (beginners) who have been wanting to have a regular and stronger practice, so years of experience is not necessary. If are experienced, we genuine feel that you will find that your meditation deeper and richer.

As a Member of the group, everyone is committed to, in order to help nurture the habit of regular and deeper practice.:
- Sunday group meditation,
- 2 personal daily practices.

Contact us: questions and comments.

Six month report to Venerable Hung-I

2009-12-05T22:04:00.007-06:00

Dear Venerable Hung-I,

We are happy to report to you that the TBA IMG has successfully completed the first six month class and the group has decided to continue with a minor changes. We are requesting your continuous guidance and support.

The changes include moving the day of meditation from Sunday to Saturday. One of the reasons to change to Saturday is so that we can have longer practices. We also would like to request to schedule Dharma sessions with you as your schedule permits. In our new 3 hours session, we have added a 5-10 minuted Dharma talk at the beginning. The place of practice will be at the Bodhi School Auditorium ~~Grand Hall (still be in the Quan Yin Hall and move to the conference room when it is not available)~~.

For the past six months we have consistently 10 and sometimes up to 20 people attending the groups practice. We renewing our a new six months commitment and plan to add a new one, which is to explain to 5 people what insight meditation is and keep doing it until one come to the group.

With Upaya,
Josten & Ken

Six Months is Over: Momment of Truth?

2009-11-04T13:09:00.018-06:00

By the time the 6 months commitment is over each yogi would have logged in 366 hours, 183 days or 26 weeks of meditation. Most important may be not how much but how much each has learned. Completing the course show fortitude and persistence that will benefit your path in a long run. Congratulations!!!!

Couple of notes for this post. In November 22^nd, 2009, we will have another longer sitting. Do mark your calendar. The second matter is a group decision on future plan for the group. Many have expressed interests in continuing the group sitting. We will meet and discuss at the end of Nov 22^nd sessions.

=================================================================================
Highly recommended Book on Insight Meditation ...
Title: "Tree of Wisdom, The River of No Return" by Venerable Sujiva. Click here to download the book
Source: http://www.sukhihotu.com/index.php.

Quot on mindfulness "... good states of mind described could easily come under three categories- clarity, peacefulness and softness." Described in detail on page 36 and most beneficial for yogi in all all situation especially during long retreat.

Report from a Practicing Member

2009-09-26T06:33:00.005-05:00

Personally, I have received many benefits from our group practice, especially from the interviews with Venerable Dr. Dhammapiya Sayadaw. Please see my report card below from last weeks interview on 9-20. I wrote this to show my appreciation.

Background
Meditation is normally called a skill of mental training, but the ultimate truth is that Vipassana meditation is in reality a process of processes. All things are manifested in a process of phenomena in constant change. All things--including the act of observation in daily life or in meditation, the observing mind and the object--are in a process of flow from the direct experience of practice, flowing in the flow and with the flow. As Sayadaw Shaw O Min states in his booklet, Right Attitude in Meditation, "...The object is not important. The mind that is working in the background-working to be aware, i.e., the observing mind- is more important..."

In a slow process of mental training, to shift attention from the observed object to the observing mind (or noting mind), I have been struggling, and have slowly built up the skill of using the observing mind to watch itself as the object. Venerable Dr. Dhammapiya Sayadaw pointed out to me from my first telephone interview that the key in practice is to work on awareness, that the function of mind is to know what is happening as it is, in this very moment, here and now. This is easier said than done. In the real world of practice, mindfulness is the cause, and awareness develops as the end result, or as an effect from practicing the skill of mindfulness. I had to understand that by working continually on mindfulness that awareness would fall into place naturally.

Interview Report @ 9-20
The interview only lasted 3 minutes, the shortest one in my history of IMG practice. In the past few weeks of practice, I have been struggling and stumbling in cultivating awareness. I kept wondering how to be aware, and how to know this mental activity from its' invisible, intangible nature. The problem lies in fine tuning the skill of mindfulness, learning to balance it so as not to overshoot or minimize my effort, until it becomes a natural flow. One day, a thought came to me. I realized that in the real world, mental and physical events happen all of the time, and have always existed. In my past practice, I always wondered how I could be aware of the physical process of events in flow all of the time, but not be aware of the mental process? Suddenly, I understood that awareness has been “there” all the time--built up from past practice--but it wasn't sharp enough, so that I was missing the mental events most of the time. From that point on, I came to understand that in my life experiences and discoveries, that there are different modes of the thinking process at different levels – one on the surface and the other in the undercurrents. The mind reacts in a chain reaction to the objects in meditation, and to the external world via the six senses-- like how unpleasant feelings from not accepting what is happening becomes an agitated mind, which in turn generates more thinking and judgment and more agitation...and on and on and on... never stopping. In the inner world, the mind is always busy.

Today's report @ 9-24
This morning in my regular daily practice at home, I had my first experience of being aware of new thoughts that popped up. When I paid attention and watched what was happening to these incipient thoughts, the thoughts arose and then just went away, disappearing naturally, just like nipping hindrances and defilements in the bud. What an insightful experience from the practice of Vipassana meditation!

November 7-Day Insight Meditation Retreat

2009-09-25T07:00:00.024-05:00

Stilling the Restless Mind- a 7 day Insight Meditation retreat lead by Venerable Seelananda. This will be held in a idelsitic location- the American Bodhi Center. The retreat date is from November 26th, 2009 to December 2nd, 2009.

The American Bodhi Center is dotted with rolling hills and brooks and is full of geographical variety. It serves as a cultural, educational, and altruistic activity center for Buddhism. The Bodhi Center has a grand meditation hall and comfortable living quarters for meditators. Surrounded by quiet forest (see video and phots) accommodating either individual or groups retreat.

To register please call 979-921-6969 or download for retreat information, registration and consent forms.

WEEK 13: End of the First Half

2009-08-30T20:18:00.007-05:00

IMG Notes for August 30, 2009

The IMG extended five hour session began at 7:00 A.M. with a 20 minute audio dharma talk given by Thanissaro Bhikku. The subject of the talk, Befriending The Breath, was an insightful discussion on the importance of learning to be 'friends' with the breath. We all know the paths that some of our 'old friends' can lead us down--those old friends being the unskilful states of mind. Developing a new friendship with the breath can lead us to new friends, and new, skillful states of mind. These skillful states bring us true peace and happiness, but in order to achieve this, we must spend more time with the breath, and develop a lasting friendship with it. We must learn to ignore the call of our old friends while we are cultivating a relationship with our breath. Choosing and developing a friendship with our breath will yield the best friendship that we can ever have.

Group discussion began about 11:00 A.M., and the main subject of interest centered around how to use meditation and mindfulness to deal with the difficult challenges that we all must face in life. It was the general consensus of the group that the effort to meditate is a worthy goal, because in time, the benefits of a solid practice helps us to handle the tough circumstances we sometimes find ourselves confronting.

An announcement was made regarding the group's two week long retreat. The date is set for November 25th through December 9th, 2009. Bhante Seelananda will preside as our teacher for the retreat. So far, four people have committed to attend. In addition, Ken made an announcement that the weekly telephone interviews with Sayadaw Dhammapiya will be suspended for the next two weeks. The group will only have about three more opportunities to interview with Sayadaw before our six months are complete.

WEEK 12: Confidence and Effort (2 of the 5 Controlling Faculties of Success)

2009-08-24T15:47:00.016-05:00

IMG Notes from August 23, 2009
We are halfway through our sessions, and questions often come up during our practice.
1. Has the effort been worth it so far?
2. Why are we not enlightened yet?
3. Will we be enlightened by the end of our six months together?
4. If not, will we continue?

The demands of raising children, managing our careers, and interacting with our spouses can indeed place significant strain on our practice time and practice attitude. We must have faith and confidence in the knowledge that our efforts are worth it, even if at times it doesn't seem to be. Sometimes, it is not until we face a major life altering experience that we begin to see the benefits of our practice reveal itself. Josten shared his recent experience with illness, a hospital stay, and his personal revelation regarding the value of his practice. Even though he experienced severe pain and discomfort, he realized that his practice sustained him, and made his ordeal easier to bear.

Are you ready to face life changing challenges? If so, be determined and work hard ("... Sharpening the Controlling Faculties" by Sayadaw U Pandita) Make meditation your first priority!

!!!!! ------------------------------------------------- !!!!!
Sunday, (August 30th) we will have a half day retreat, starting from 7:00 A.M. to noon. This will include 2 walking and sitting meditations, and end with dharma discussions. We have the full use of the Kwan Yin Hall due to the fact that the EDG will be meeting at the Bodhi Center in Hempstead, TX.

Get a head start and listen to the meditation teachings from Thanissaro Bhikkhu:
- Why train the mind (15 min)
- Befriend Breathing (20 min)
- Importance of Being Focused (15 min)

Week 10: Meditation Q&A by Ven. Hung-I

2009-08-13T20:05:00.003-05:00

IMG Notes from Aug. 7, 2009
A. After walking and sitting meditation, Rev. Hung-I joined our group for a half hour discussion. Ken informed the group that Josten is not feeling well. (Get better, Josten!) The Reverend praised the group for its commitment, and he understood the determination that goes into making the decision to continue practice. He was also happy to see us using the temple.
B. For discussion, three questions were offered to the Reverend.

Question 1. What is mindfulness?
The Reverend touched on several points regarding the nature of mindfulness. The key points were that we all have some level of mindfulness, but most of the time we do not use it in the right way. There must be Right Mindfulness. Right Mindfulness leads to Right Concentration; Right Concentration leads to Right Contemplation.
Question 2. What is the value of Walking Meditation?
The main points given on this question were that sitting and walking meditation complement each other. Walking meditation helps us to bring concentration and mindfulness into our daily lives and activities.
Question 3. What are some suggestions to deal with conflicts and obstacles to practice time?
The Reverend empathized with this issue, and spoke of his own challenges to practice. He suggested that one must find a good, strong motive for practicing, and then use that motive to make a vow to keep practicing. Sometimes, you may not be able to practice for as long as you wish, but even short practices are worthwhile when time becomes an issue.

Ken Pao's Dharma Talk 8/16/2009 at 10AM

2009-08-13T19:59:00.004-05:00

Dear Dharma friends,
We would like to invite you to join our Dharma talk by Ken Pao on Sunday Aug. 16th.
Ken has been studying Buddhism since 1993. He has deep understanding of Buddha’s teaching from both Mahayana and Theravada traditions and has also practiced “Emptiness Meditation”, “Zen meditation”, and “Insight meditation”. Ken is currently leading the Insight Meditation Group and the “Middle-Way” Discourse Study Group in the temple.
Ken’s Dharma talk will touch upon the following topics:
1. How practical is the Buddha’s teaching for the lay person?
2. According to the Theravada tradition, what is the most important stage in the enlightened
path?
3. Can the precepts, concentration, and wisdom be accomplished in one single practice?

Hope to see you this Sunday!
Meditation, Kwan Yin Hall, 9:00 – 10:00 AMDharma talk, Kwan Yin Hall, 10:15 – 11:15 AM

Week 7: 2 Key Ingredients to Your Success

2009-07-22T12:49:00.021-05:00

What is important to physicists is also important to meditators. When physicists were asked what is important for them when they approach problems in physics, they cited two factors:

--First, there must be confidence that the problem itself is worthy of their effort and investigation. The problem is VERY important.
--Second, there must be confidence that there is a solution to the problem--that it can be overcome.

These two factors relate directly to our meditation practice. First, we must have confidence that the challenge of daily, committed practice is worthy of our effort and investigation. Once we discover that meditation requires daily practice, it is too easy to say, "Oh, meditation is good, but I do not have the time."

Secondly, we must have the confidence that we can overcome the problems that confront us as we strive to maintain our daily practice. Once we begin to practice and we begin to realize how little we know, we may begin to doubt or rethink our effort and say,"This is too much..this takes too long."

Thanissaro Bikkhua gives an enlightening dharma discussion on this subject. To hear the entire talk, follow this link, The Physicist's Approach, by Thanissaro Bikkhua (07/19/2004).

Week 6: First discussion session ...

2009-07-13T11:52:00.019-05:00

We had a wonderful open discussion on this 6^th week of IMG. There were ideas and questions which will help our practice. The plan is to take up the topics every 2 weeks, so we can benefit from comprehending them. Eventually, we may only need to have this once a month, and dedicate the rest of the time to the practice.

Questions---
- Does meditation cause you to be lazy
- Does meditation cause you to have more dreams
- Does the practice of meditation make you more intuitive?
- Does the practice of meditation make you more aware of the spirit world?
- What should one focus on because of different teachers techniques
... breath
... counting breath
... abdomen (Mahashi)
... body sensation (Geonka)
- What is the right insight meditation technique to use?
- How does Metta Meditation relate to Insight Meditation?
...How does one send loving-kindness, good will, etc., to others?

Quote of the week:
Sayadaw Shew O Min "The object is not important The mind that is working in the background –working to be aware i.e. the observing mind is more important If the observing (mind) is done with the right attitude the object will be the right object"
~~~~~~... more on "RIGHT ATTITUDE" ...~~~~~~

First Interview July 12, 2009

2009-07-09T15:35:00.010-05:00

Instruction:
1. Call from home at individual’s own signed-up time. Teacher: Venerable Dr. Dhammapiya Sayadaw and phone number is (510)795-0405.
2. When connected, please do identify yourselves that you are from the Jade Buddha Temple in Houston, Texas and would like to have an interview with Sayadaw Dhammapiya. This is because many times, someone else might answer the phone instead of Sayadaw himself.
3. Do keep your interview within ten minutes.
4. Read and get familiar with "How to interview with a teacher?” and “Meditation Instructions – Sayadaw U Pandita” from the web site click here. This will help the interviewees tremendously.
5. Please do call the Sayadaw. He will lead us into “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Experienced meditators and beginners will all benefit from the interviews.

Interview Schedule:
=========================================
Sunday Interviews:
Kenan 7:00 PM
Kumala 7:10 PM
Maya 7:20 PM
Raytano 7:30 PM
Gary 7:40 PM
Christine 7:50 PM
Vivian 8:00 PM
Patricia 8:10 PM
Josten 8:20 PM
______________________________________
Steven Christopher 9:30 PM
Ann 9:40 PM
Jennifer 9:50 PM
Judy 10:00 PM
Oliver 10:10 PM
______________________________________________

Week 5 Notes: Choices in Life

2009-07-05T17:38:00.045-05:00

Delayed Gratification
Means giving up short term desires for a long term happiness. One of the central ideas for the group is to practice meditation in order to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves for long lasting happiness.

In a dharma talk, 'The Three Characteristics', by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, the teacher tells this story to show a clear example of delayed gratification:
"...When a little girl's mother died, her father promised not to take another wife. The little girl was very happy with her father's decision. But when her father brought with him a new wife after his business travels, the little girl was very sad. The new stepmother understood this, and wanted to help the little girl.
So she asked to play a game of chess with the little girl. During the game, the stepmother explained to her, 'In order to get what you want in life, you look for the important thing and give up the other.' The little girl wasn't paying attention to what her new stepmother was saying, but she did notice that her stepmother was losing her game pieces, and thought to herself that her stepmother was not a very good chess player. It wasn't until the little girl was eventually checkmated by her stepmother that she realized that this wise lady was showing her how to win by losing."
(To hear the complete dharma talk, click here: )

Week 4 Notes: Importance of Meditating with a Group

2009-06-29T15:11:00.017-05:00

Meditating with a few friends at regular times can be of great benefit towards constancy of practice and development of wisdom. The solitary meditator eventually faces diminishing will-power, as there's often something else to do that seems more important (or more interesting) than watching the breath. Regular group meditation with an agreed-upon time keeps the participants going, regardless of their flux of moods. (The investigation of these shifts of disposition often yields important insights, but on our own we can find it difficult to persevere with them.) As well as seeing the personal benefits, you can reflect that your efforts are helping others to keep practicing.

... click here for the full article- "Introduction To Insight Meditation" by Amaravati Buddhist Centre, U.K. (1988)... or for other related audio programs. Thanks to Patricia Pellicciotti who sent us this material.

Interview- will start July 11th, 2009.

2009-06-26T20:39:00.033-05:00

Instruction:

1. Call from home at individual’s own signed-up time.
Teacher: Venerable Dr. Dhammapiya Sayadaw (aka. Sayadaw Dhammapiya) (Phone number not yet available. Please check back here later.)
2. When connected, please do identify yourselves that you are from the Jade Buddha Temple in Houston, Texas and would like to have an interview with Sayadaw Dhammapiya.
This is because many times, someone else might answer the phone instead of Sayadaw himself.
3. Do keep your interview within ten minutes.
4. Please do read and get familiar with "How to interview with a teacher?” and “Meditation Instructions – Sayadaw U Pandita” from the web site click here. This will help the interviewees tremendously.
5. Please do call the Sayadaw.
He will lead us into “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Experienced meditators and beginners will all benefit from the interviews.

___________________________________________________________
The Opening Passages from the Mahasatipatthana Sutta

"This is the only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbana, namely, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

"Herein monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, overcoming covetousness and grief in the world;

"He dwells contemplating the feeling in the feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, overcoming covetousness and grief in the world;

"He dwells contemplating the consciousness in the consciousness, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, overcoming covetousness and grief in the world;

"He dwells contemplating the dhamma in the dhammas, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, overcoming covetousness and grief in the world."
___________________________________________________________

Right Attitude to Meditation

2009-06-18T14:41:00.023-05:00

Click to read the entire book.

"Syadaw Shwe Oo Min, is a well known meditation teacher in Vipassana over Burma and 1 of 4 great disciples of Syadaw Mahasi. ... The cited materials in IMG blog about mindfulness are excellent and outstanding in understanding about what is Sati. But they are short on how to transpire the know-how into practicing the skill of mental training. As old saying, it is easier to say than done. The attached booklet will fill up the gap between know-how and practice perfectly and squarely.

As Dr. G put a remark in his book – Mindfulness in Plain English, it will take years of practice and experience for yogi starting to appreciate what is all about mindfulness. That is exactly what I have been through, a waking up call in the journey of new discovery." submitted by Oliver Chang.

How to Interview with a Teacher?

2009-06-18T08:02:00.016-05:00

Keep it simple and just remember to "... adhere to the standards used in the scientific world brevity, accuracy and precision."
- First, report how many hours of sitting you did and how many of walking ...
- Second, describe your sitting practice ... description with the primary object of meditation, ... you may add other objects that arose at any of the six sense doors.
- Lastly, your walking practice ... only describe experiences directly connected with your walking movements ... and the experiences you had with it.

For more detail click here to read more ... by Sayadaw U Pandita “In This Very Life”, Chapter 1.
______________________________________________________________
(... for those who want to read Chinese ...)
馬哈希尊者的內觀禪修重視實修，因此盡量用一些生活中普通語言來詮釋禪修方法，而沒有用到比較深的名相及教理。像班迪達禪師的教導，更是只給簡單公式或方法，主要是小參時，要確定你的禪修方法是通往正確的方向！

據說馬哈希內觀禪修採取乾觀行的原因之一是：想要先修止禪得定再修觀，需要很大的福德因緣，現代人與佛治時代比較相去甚遠，善根福德因緣不足，時間不夠，壽命又短促；所以我們透過這樣的一個乾觀行或是純觀行，可以成就一些正見或是正念是非常重要的。尤其是日常生活中的觀照，對於我們現代這些心服氣燥、修止修不來的人是非常的契合，的確能夠達到令心安穩的一個目的。
______________________________________________________________

Download Sayadaw U Pandita.s Book in Chinese

Week 2 Notes: June 15, 2009. (22 weeks to go ...)

2009-06-15T14:51:00.002-05:00

Tips to "structuring your daily practices": where, when and how long by Bhante Gunaratana.

"... length of time (we suggest at least 20 minutes) is not as important as the regularity ... meditate regularly." ... read more ...
____________________________________________________________
Two Thoughts About Life
1. Setting Priorities ... How long do we have left to live?
What will we do if we ONLY have 22 minutes left to live. We seldom think about this even though we know that this life will end. May be it is time to figure out what is it that is most important in life.!!!

2. Simple Story of Life
Chapter 1:
I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.
I am lost. I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out!
Chapter 2:
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again!
I can’t believe I am in the same place! But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out!
Chapter 3:
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it there.
I still fall in! It is a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately!
Chapter 4:
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5:
I walk down a different street!

What is Mindfulness (正念)?

2009-06-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

Mindfulness (正念) Defined by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (谭尼沙罗尊者)- ".. to keep the breath in mind. Keep remembering the breath each time you breathe in, each time you breathe out."
Click here to read the entire article ...

____________________________________________________________

“正念”- (Mindfulness in Chinese)
“正念是以一种特定的方式来觉察，即有意识地觉察(On Purpose)、活在当下(In the Present Moment)及不做判断(Nonjudgementally)”
Click here to read the entire article ...

____________________________________________________________

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana - "Mindfulness is mirror-thought. It reflects only what is presently happening and in exactly the way it is happening. There are no biases."
Click here to read the entire article ...

===========================================================

Week 1 Notes: June 8, 2009.

2009-06-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

We have good start (6/7/2009), keeping daily practice will help maintain your momentum.

The following articles are will help support your meditation.
1. Creativity by Ven Thanissaro shows us how to practice consistently. (http://www.watmetta.org/

"curious, inquisitive side of your mind is what’s going to lead to discernment. ... you can make a game out of learning how to bring the mind to settle down, then once the mind is settled down it’ll naturally want to understand this, understand that, understand the processes of what you’re doing. That’s insight."

Get the entire article-
http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/CrossIndexed/Published/Meditations2/041004%20M2%20Creativity%20&%20Play.pdf

2. Approaching a “good friend" is what Ken mentioned of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

Article (read pg82-83) - Anapanasati: Mindfulness of Breathing

Good Webs site- http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/

http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/

2009-04-24T06:52:00.003-05:00

Partial Extract from
"In This Very Life
The Liberation Teachings of the Buddha"
By
Sayadaw U Pandita

MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS

The Buddha suggested that either a forest place under a tree or any other very quiet place is best for meditation. He said the meditator should sit quietly and peacefully with legs crossed. If sitting with crossed legs proves to be too difficult other sitting postures may be used. For those with back trouble a chair is quite acceptable. It is true that to achieve peace of mind, we must make sure our body is at peace. So it is important to choose a position that will be comfortable for a long period of time.
Sit with your back erect, at a right angle to the ground, but not too stiff. The eason for sitting straight is not difficult to see. An arched or crooked back will soon bring pain. Furthermore, the physical effort to remain upright without additional support energizes the meditation practice.
Close your eyes. Now place your attention at the belly, at the abdomen. Breathe normally, not forcing your breathing, neither slowing it down nor hastening it, just a natural breath. You will become aware of certain sensations as you breathe in and the abdomen rises, as you breathe out and the abdomen falls. Now sharpen your aim and make sure that the mind is attentive to the entirety of each process. Be aware from the very beginning of all sensations involved in the rising. Maintain a steady attention through the middle and the end of the rising. Then be aware of the sensations of the falling movement of the abdomen from the beginning, through the middle, and to the very end of the falling.
Although we describe the rising and falling as having a beginning, a middle, and an end, this is only in order to show that your awareness should be continuous and thorough. We do not intend you to break these processes into three segments. You should try to be aware of each of these movements from beginning to end as one complete process, as a whole. Do not peer at the sensations with an over-focused mind, specifically looking to discover how the abdominal movement begins or ends.
In this meditation it is very important to have both effort and precise aim, so that the mind meets the sensation directly and powerfully. One helpful aid to precision and accuracy is to make a soft mental note of the object of awareness, naming the sensation by saying the word gently and silently in the mind, like "rising, rising...falling, falling."

Returning from Wandering

There will be moments when the mind wanders off. You will start to think of something. At this time, watch the mind! Be aware that you are thinking. To clarify this to yourself, note the thought silently with the verbal label "thinking, thinking," and come back to the rising and falling.
The same practice should be used for objects of awareness that arise at any of what are called the six sense doors: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Despite making an effort to do so, no one can remain perfectly focused on the rising and falling of the abdomen forever. Other objects inevitably arise and become predominant. Thus, the sphere of meditation encompasses all of our experiences: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations in the body, and mental objects such as visions in the imagination or emotions. When any of these objects arise you should focus direct awareness on them, and use a gentle verbal label "spoken" in the mind.
During a sitting meditation, if another object impinges strongly on the awareness so as to draw it away from the rising and falling of the abdomen, this object must be clearly noted. For example, if a loud sound arises during your meditation, consciously direct your attention toward that sound as soon as it arises. Be aware of the sound as a direct experience, and also identify it succinctly with the soft, internal verbal label "hearing, hearing." When the sound fades and is no longer predominant, come back to the rising and falling. This is the basic principle to follow in sitting meditation.
In making the verbal label, there is no need for complex language. One simple word is best. For the eye, ear, and tongue doors we simply say, "Seeing, seeing... Hearing, hearing... Tasting, tasting." For sensations in the body we may choose a slightly more descriptive term like warmth, pressure, hardness, or motion. Mental objects appear to present a bewildering diversity, but actually they fall into just a few clear categories such as thinking, imagining, remembering, planning, and visualizing. But remember that in using the labeling technique, your goal is not to gain verbal skills. Labeling technique helps us to perceive clearly the actual qualities of our experience, without getting immersed in the content. It develops mental power and focus. In meditation we seek a deep, clear, precise awareness of the mind and body. This direct awareness shows us the truth about our lives, the actual nature of mental and physical processes.
Meditation need not come to an end after an hour of sitting. It can be carried out continuously through the day. When you get up from sitting, you must note carefully — beginning with the intention to open the eyes. "Intending, intending... Opening, opening." Experience the mental event of intending, and feel the sensations of opening the eyes. Continue to note carefully and precisely, with full observing power, through the whole transition of postures until the moment you have stood up, and when you begin to walk. Throughout the day you should also be aware of, and mentally note, all other activities, such as stretching, bending your arm, taking a spoon, puffing on clothes, brushing your teeth, closing the door, opening the door, closing your eyelids, eating, and so forth. All of these activities should be noted with careful awareness and a soft mental label.
Apart from the hours of sound sleep, you should try to maintain continuous mindfulness throughout your waking hours. Actually this is not a heavy task; it is just sitting and walking and simply observing whatever occurs.

WALKING MEDITATION

During a retreat it is usual to alternate periods of sitting meditation with periods of formal walking meditation of about the same duration, one after another throughout the day. One hour is a standard period, but forty-five minutes can also be used. For formal walking, retreatants choose a lane of about twenty steps in length and walk slowly back and forth along it.
In daily life, walking meditation can also be very helpful. A short period - say ten minutes - of formal walking meditation before sitting serves to focus the mind. Beyond this advantage, the awareness developed in walking meditation is useful to all of us as we move our bodies from place to place in the course of a normal day.
Walking meditation develops balance and accuracy of awareness as well as durability of concentration. One can observe very profound aspects of the Dhamma while walking, and even get enlightened! In fact a yogi who does not do walking meditation before sitting is like a car with a rundown battery. He or she will have a difficult time starting the engine of mindfulness when sitting.
Walking meditation consists of paying attention to the walking process. If you are moving fairly rapidly, make a mental note of the movement of the legs, "Left, right, left right" and use your awareness to follow the actual sensations throughout the leg area. If you are moving more slowly, note the lifting, moving and placing of each foot. In each case you must try to keep your mind on just the sensations of walking. Notice what processes occur when you stop at the end of the lane, when you stand still, when you turn and begin walking again. Do not watch your feet unless this becomes necessary due to some obstacle on the ground; it is unhelpful to hold the image of a foot in your mind while you are trying to be aware of sensations. You want to focus on the sensations themselves, and these are not visual. For many people it is a fascinating discovery when they are able to have a pure, bare perception of physical objects such as lightness, tingling, cold, and warmth.
Usually we divide walking into three distinct movements: lifting, moving and placing the foot. To support a precise awareness, we separate the movements clearly, making a soft mental label at the beginning of each movement, and making sure that our awareness follows it clearly and powerfully until it ends. One minor but important point is to begin noting the placing movement at the instant that the foot begins to move downward.

A New World in Sensations

Let us consider lifting. We know its conventional name, but in meditation it is important to penetrate behind that conventional concept and to understand the true nature of the whole process of lifting, beginning with the intention to lift and continuing through the actual process, which involves many sensations.
Our effort to be aware of lifting the foot must neither overshoot the sensation nor weakly fall short of this target. Precise and accurate mental aim helps balance our effort. When our effort is balanced and our aim is precise, mindfulness will firmly establish itself on the object of awareness. It is only in the presence of these three factors - effort, accuracy and mindfulness - that concentration develops. Concentration, of course, is collectedness of mind, one-pointedness. Its characteristic is to keep consciousness from becoming diffuse or dispersed.
As we get closer and closer to this lifting process, we will see that it is like a line of ants crawling across the road. From afar the line may appear to be static, but from closer up it begins to shimmer and vibrate. And from even closer the line breaks up into individual ants, and we see that our notion of a line was just an illusion. We now accurately perceive the line of ants as one ant after another ant, after another ant. Exactly like this, when we look accurately at the lifting process from beginning to end, the mental factor or quality of consciousness called "insight" comes nearer to the object of observation. The nearer insight comes, the clearer the true nature of the lifting process can be seen. It is an amazing fact about the human mind that when insight arises and deepens through vipassana or insight, meditation practice, particular aspects of the truth about existence tend to be revealed in a definite order. This order is known as the progress of insight.
The first insight which meditators commonly experience is to begin to comprehend - not intellectually or by reasoning, but quite intuitively - that the lifting process is composed of distinct mental and material phenomena occurring together, as a pair. The physical sensations, which are material, are linked with, but different from, the awareness, which is mental. We begin to see a whole succession of mental events and physical sensations, and to appreciate the conditionality that relates mind and matter. We see with the greatest freshness and immediacy that mind causes matter - as when our intention to lift the foot initiates the physical sensations of movement, and we see that matter causes mind - as when a physical sensation of strong heat generates a wish to move our walking meditation into a shady spot. The insight into cause and effect can take a great variety of forms; but when it arises, our life seem far more simple to us than ever before. Our life is no more than a chain of mental and physical causes and effects. This is the second insight in the classical progress of insight.
As we develop concentration we see even more deeply that these phenomena of the lifting process are impermanent, impersonal, appearing and disappearing one by one at fantastic speed. This is the next level of insight, the next aspect of existence that concentrated awareness becomes capable of seeing directly. There is no one behind what is happening; the phenomena arise and pass away as an empty process, according to the law of cause and effect. This illusion of movement and solidity is like a movie. To ordinary perception it seems full of characters and objects, all the semblances of a world. But if we slow the movie down we will see that it is actually composed of separate, static frames of film.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

2009-04-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

How to Interview with a Teacher?

2009-04-18T07:59:00.001-05:00

The Interview

by Sayadaw U Pandita “In This Very Life”, Chapter 1.
The Interview Process

The interview process is quite simple. You should be able to communicate the essence of your practice in about ten minutes. Consider that you are reporting on your research into yourself, which is what vipassana actually is. Try to adhere to the standards used in the scientific world brevity, accuracy and precision.

First, report how many hours of sitting you did and how many of walking in the most recent twenty-four-hour period. If you are quite truthful and honest about this, it will show the sincerity of your practice.

Next, describe your sitting practice. It is not necessary to describe each sitting in detail. If sittings are similar, you may combine their traits together in a general report. Try using details from the clearest sitting or sittings. Begin your description with the primary object of meditation, the rise and fall of the abdomen. After this you may add other objects that arose at any of the six sense doors.

After describing the sitting, go into your walking practice. Here you must only describe experiences directly connected with your walking movements -- do not include a range of objects as you might in reporting a sitting. If you use the three-part method of lifting, moving and placing in your walking meditation try to include each segment and the experiences you had with it.

What Occurred, How You Noted It, What Happened to It

For all of these objects, indeed with any object of meditation, please report your experience in three phases.

One, you identify what occurred. Two, you report how you noted it. And three, you describe what you saw, or felt, or understood, that is, what happened when you noted it.

Let us take as an example the primary object, the rising and falling movement of the abdomen.

The first thing to do is to identify the occurrence of the rising process, "Rising occurred"

The second phase is to note it, give it a silent verbal label, "I noted it as 'rising.'

The third phase is to describe what happened to the rising

"As I noted 'rising,' this is what I experienced, the different sensations. I felt This was the behavior of the sensations at that time"

Then you continue the interview by using the same three-phase description for the falling process and the other objects that arise during sitting. You mention the object's occurrence, describe how you noted it, and relate your subsequent experiences until the object disappears or your attention moves elsewhere.

As you can see, this style of reporting is a guide for how awareness should be functioning in actual vipassana meditation. For this reason, meditation interviews are helpful for an additional reason beyond the chance to receive a teacher's guidance. Yogis often find that being required to produce a report of this kind has a galvanizing effect on their meditation practice, for it asks them to focus on their experiences as clearly as they possibly can.

Awareness, Accuracy, Perseverance

It is not enough to look at the object indifferently, haphazardly or in an unmindful, automatic way. This is not a practice where you mindlessly recite some mental formula. You must look at the object with full commitment, with all of your heart. Directing your whole attention toward the object, as accurately as possible, you keep your attention there so that you can penetrate into the object's true nature.

Despite our best efforts, the mind may not always be so well-behaved as to remain with our abdomen. It wanders off. At this point a new object, the wandering mind, has arisen. How do we handle this? We become aware of the wandering. This is the first phase. Now the second phase we label it as "wandering, wandering" How soon after its arising were we aware of the wandering? One second, two minutes, half an hour? And what happens after we label it? Does the wandering mind disappear instantly? Does the mind just keep on wandering? Or do the thoughts reduce in intensity and eventually disappear? Does a new object arise before we have seen the disappearance of the old one? If you cannot note the wandering mind at all, you should tell the teacher about this, too.

If the wandering mind disappears, you come back to the rising and falling. You should make a point to describe whether you are able to come back to it. In your reports it is good, also, to say how long the mind usually remained with the rising and falling movements before a new object arose.

Pains and aches, unpleasant sensations, are sure to arise after some time of sitting. Say an itch suddenly appears -- a new object. You label it as "itching" Does the itch get worse or remain the same? Does it change or disappear? Do new objects arise, such as a wish to scratch? All this should be described as precisely as possible. It is the same with visions and sights, sounds and tastes, heat and cold. tightness, vibrations, tinglings, the unending procession of objects of consciousness. No matter what the object, you only have to apply the same three-step principle to it.

All of this process is done as a silent investigation, coming very close to our experience -- not asking ourselves a lot of questions and getting lost in thought. What is important to the teacher is whether you could be aware of whatever object has arisen, whether you had the accuracy of mind to be mindful of it, and the perseverance to observe it fully. Be honest with your teacher. If you are unable to find the object, or note it, or experience anything at all after making a mental label, it may not always mean that you are practicing poorly! A clear and precise report enables the teacher to assess your practice, then point out mistakes or make corrections to put you back on the right path. May you benefit from these interview instructions. May a teacher someday help you help yourself.

Common concerns with Mahasi method

2009-03-19T14:45:00.002-05:00

There are two questions or doubts commonly associated with Mahasi method: 1. Observing abdomen, 2. Using labeling.

The following three quotes are the explanations for observing abdomen and using labeling.
1) "Satipatthana Vipassana" by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw:
Rising-Falling
A simpler and easier form of the exercise for a beginner is this: With every breath there occurs in the abdomen a rising-falling movement. A beginner should start with the exercise of noting this movement. This rising-falling movement is easy to observe because it is coarse and therefore more suitable for the beginner. As in schools where simple lessons are easy to learn, so also is the practice of vipassana meditation. A beginner will find it easier to develop concentration and knowledge with a simple and easy exercise. ---

Outline of Basic Exercises
When contemplating rising and falling, the disciple should keep his mind on the abdomen. He will then come to know the upward movement or expansion of the abdomen on breathing in, and the downward movement or contraction on breathing out. A mental note should be made as "rising" for the upward movement and "falling" for the downward movement. If these movements are not clearly noticed by simply fixing the mind on them, one or both hands should be placed on the abdomen.

2) "The Four Foundations of Mindfulness: A Summary" by Venerable sayadaw U Silananda:
You know the four foundations of mindfulness, four kinds of setting up of mindfulness. There are four because there are four kinds of objects.

The first one is body. Sometimes body does not mean the whole physical body, but a group of some material properties. Breathing is also called the body. Different parts of the body are also called the body. By the word "body" we must understand anything that is associated with the body.

3) "In This Very Life" by Sayadaw U Pandita---"Mediation Instruction" in chapter one:
In this meditation it is very important to have both effort and precise aim, so that the mind meets the sensation directly and powerfully. One helpful aid to precision and accuracy is to make a soft mental note of the object of awareness, naming the sensation by saying the word gently and silently in the mind, like "rising, rising...falling, falling."

As explained above, the reason to use abdomen is because it is easier to observe and it is also a part of “body”, which is within the context of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. And, the reason to use labeling is to have precise aim at the object observed in order to develop sharp mindfulness, which is needed to penetrate the object/phenomenon observed in order to see the true nature of all phenomena.

The labeling itself will naturally drop off, not intended by the practitioner, as the mindfulness gaining its strength.

However, if the yogi is using breathing, also known as “body” (quote 2), instead of abdomen as the primary object, he/she could ask the Sayadaw for advice during the interview.

Contact Us

2008-12-16T22:32:00.002-06:00

WHAT IS THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR MEDITATION?

2008-07-15T17:33:00.001-05:00

WHAT IS THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR MEDITATION?
(By U Tejaniya – Shwe Oo Min)

The most important thing when you are meditating is to have the right attitude.
1. When meditating: Don’t focus too hard Don’t control Don’t try to create something Don’t force or restrict yourself

2. Don’t try to create anything But don’t reject what is happening But as things happen or stop happening, don’t forget Be aware of them

3. Trying to create something is lobha (greed) Rejecting what is happening is dosa (aversion)
Not knowing if something is happening or has stopped happening is moha (delusion)

4. Only when the observing mind has no lobha, dosa, nor soka (worry/anxiety) inside it,
then the meditating mind will arise

5. You have to double check to see what attitude you are meditating with

6. You have to accept and watch both good and bad experiences

7. You only want good experiences You don’t want even the tiniest unpleasant experience
Is this fair? Is this the way of the Dhamma?

8. Don’t have any expectations Don’t want anything Don’t be anxious Because if these attitudes are in your mind, It becomes difficult to meditate

9. Why are you focusing so hard when you meditate? You want something to happen? You want something to stop happening? It is likely that one of these attitudes is there

10. If the mind is getting tired something is wrong with the way you are practicing

11.You cannot practice when the mind is tense

12. If the mind and body are getting tired it is time to check the way you are meditating

13. Meditating is waiting and watching With awareness and comprehension Understanding
Not thinking Not reflecting Not judging

14. Don’t practice with a mind that wants something or wants something to happen The only result will be that you will tire yourself

15. The meditating mind should be relaxed and at peace

16. Both the mind and the body should be comfortable

17. A light and free mind enables you to meditate well Do you have the right attitude?

18. Meditating is, Whatever happens good or bad, Accepting, relaxing and watching it

19. What is the mind doing? Thinking? Or being aware?

20. Where is the mind now? Inside? Or outside? (of oneself)

21. Is the watching/observing mind properly aware? Or only superficially aware?

22. You are not trying to make things turn out the way you want it to happen you are trying to know what is happening as it is

23. Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind You are not practicing to prevent thinking
To recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises is what you are practicing

24. You are not supposed to reject the object (phenomena/things that are happening/being known)
You are to know (and thus note/observe) the defilement’s that arise because of the object and thus remove them (the defilement’s)

25. Only when there is Saddha (Faith), Viriya (energy) will arise Only when there is Viriya, Sati (mindfulness) will become continuous Only when Sati is continuous, Samadhi will become established
Only when Samadhi is established, then you will know things as they really are, Saddha then increases further

26. Just pay attention to what is exactly in the present moment Don’t go to the past!
Don’t plan for the future!

27. The object is not important The mind that is working in the background – working to be aware i.e. the observing mind is more important If the observing (mind) is done with the right attitude the object will be the right object

(Text from U Tejaniya - Shwe Oo Min)

Purity of Heart (entire article)

2000-02-12T10:13:00.002-06:00

Purity of Heart , Essays on the Buddhist Path
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
(Geoffrey DeGraff)
http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/PurityOfHeart.pdf

Purity of Heart

During my first weeks with my teacher, Ajaan Fuang, I began to realize that
he had psychic powers. He never made a show of them, but I gradually sensed
that he could read my mind and anticipate future events. I became intrigued:
What else did he know? How did he know it? He must have detected where my
thoughts were going, for one evening he gently headed me off: “You know,” he
said, “the whole aim of our practice is purity of heart. Everything else is just games.”

That one phrase—purity of heart—more than intrigued me. It reverberated
deep down inside. Although I was extremely disillusioned with Christianity, I
still valued Kierkegaard’s dictum: Purity of heart is to will one thing. I didn’t
agree with Kierkegaard as to what that “one thing” was, but I did agree that

purity of heart is the most important treasure of life. And here Ajaan Fuang was
offering to teach me how to develop it. That’s one of the reasons why I stayed
with him until he died.

His basic definition of purity of heart was simple enough: a happiness that
will never harm anyone. But a happiness like that is hard to find, for ordinary
happiness requires that we eat. As the first of the Novice’s Questions says: “What
is one? All beings subsist on food.” This is how the Buddha introduced the topic
of causality to young people: The primary causal relationship isn’t something

gentle like light reflecting off mirrors, or jewels illuminating jewels. It’s feeding.
Our bodies need physical food for their well‐being. Our minds need the food of
pleasant sensory contacts, intentions, and consciousness itself in order to
function. If you ever want proof that interconnectedness isn’t always something
to celebrate, just contemplate how the beings of the world feed on one another,

physically and emotionally. Interbeing is inter‐eating. As Ajaan Suwat, my
second teacher once said, “If there were a god who could arrange that by my
eating I could make everyone in the world full, I’d bow down to that god.” But
that’s not how eating works.

Ordinarily, even well‐intentioned people may not see eating as harmful.
We’re so compelled to eat that we blind ourselves to its larger impact. Our first
pleasure, after the terror of being born, was getting to feed. We did it with our
eyes closed, and most people keep their eyes closed to the impact of their feeding
throughout life.

But when you go to a quiet, secluded place and start examining your life, you
begin to see what an enormous issue it is just to keep the body and mind well
fed. On the one hand, you see the suffering you create for others simply in your
need to feed. On the other, you see something even more dismaying: the
emotions that arise within you when you don’t feel that your body and mind are getting enough to eat. You realize that as long as your source of physical or mental food is unreliable, you’re unreliable, too. You see why even good people can reach a point where they’re capable of murder, deceit, adultery, or theft. Being born with a body means that we’re born with a huge bundle of needs that compels and can overwhelm our minds.

Fortunately, we human beings have the potential to civilize our eating habits
by learning to wean ourselves from our passion for the junk food of sights,
sounds, smells, etc., and look instead for good food within. When we learn to
appreciate the joy that comes from generosity, honor, compassion, and trust, we
see that it’s much more fulfilling than the pleasure that comes simply from
grabbing what we can for ourselves. We realize that our happiness can’t be
independent of the happiness of others. We can give one another our belongings,
our time, our love, our selves, and see it not as a loss but as a mutual gain.

Unfortunately, these qualities of the heart are conditional, for they depend on
a tender web of beliefs and feelings—belief in justice and the basic goodness of
human nature, feelings of trust and affection. When that web breaks, as it so
easily can, the heart can turn vicious. We see this in divorce, broken families, and
society at large. When the security of our food source—the basis of our mental

and material well‐being—gets threatened, the finer qualities of the mind can
vanish. People who believe in kindness can suddenly seek revenge. Those who
espouse non‐violence can suddenly call for war. And those who rule by
divisiveness—by making a mockery of compassion, prudence, and our common
humanity—find a willing following for their law‐of‐the‐jungle agenda.

This is why compassion based only on belief or feeling is not enough to
guarantee our behavior—and why the practice of training the mind to reach an
unconditioned happiness is not a selfish thing. If you value compassion and
trust, it’s an imperative, for only an unconditioned happiness can guarantee the

purity of your behavior. Independent of space and time, it’s beyond alteration.
No one can threaten its food source, for it has no need to feed. When you’ve had
even just a glimpse of this happiness, your belief in goodness becomes
unshakable. That way other people can totally trust you, and you can genuinely
trust yourself. You lack for nothing.

Purity of heart is to know this one thing.