Listen deeply to the following Dharma talk by Thay Phap Dang. http://deerpark.libsyn.com/2017-02-12-thay-phap-dang?tdest_id=113448 The followings are my memos.I totally agree. 1. What is mindfulness? mindfulness = heartfulness≠ head (brain, thinking) mindfulness = clear mind = pure mind = clear all ideas = Buddha mind = clear consciousness = clear awareness (cf. Demon mind = anger, hatred ...etc.) 2. How to take care of the suffering The way out is in. ⇒ take care of one's suffering 1) Recognize the suffering (Hello, my anger!) 2) Accept it (I will take care of you, my anger.) 3) Look deeply into it 4) Understand the root cause 5) Transform it by the energy of compassion 3. What to do 1) Keep the precepts (no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, ... etc. = Buddha mind. = compassion) 2) Control the senses (non-attachment, non-craving) 3) Moderating in eating (eat less) 4) Strong determination to overcome the habit energy 5) Uproot your internal knot (seeds of afflictions) 6) Love yourself and others by understanding
Watch deeply the following video of Thich Nhat Hanh and Br. David Steindl-Rast and Disciples of Thich Nhat Hanh.
The followings are excerpts from the video. I totally agree.
(2:35～: Peace march) And they shouted from behind, "Can you walk (faster)?" And some of them overtook us and looked back at us and saw the way we were. And they transformed. They see (that) we are doing peace, (that) we are not demanding peace.If we are not able to be peaceful and happy in every step, peace march is not a peace march. ... The peace movement should be a practice of a community.Peace is a practice. ... I think the peace movement should be a community of practice where people live together in brotherhood, sisterhood. (7:10～: Walking meditation) Gratefulness can be felt with every step. You are alive and your feet are still strong enough for you to make steps on this beautiful planet. So, with mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of walking, every step you make brings you home to the here and the now so that you can get in touch with all the wonders of life. And every step like that can be nourishing and healing. During walking meditation you stop the thinking.I think, therefore I'm not truly there. You can feel the contact between your foot and the ground. Mother Earth is there, Mother Earth is in you. And there is a communion between you and Mother Earth. Mother Earth is the mother of all the Saints, all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas. You carry the Mother Earth in you.You can not die, you can transform. It's like a cloud transforming herself into the rain. A cloud can never die.There is no birth, no death. We spoke about birth and death that is on the superficial level. But go deep down, the nature of everything is no birth and no death.From something you can never become nothing. From someone you can never become no one. (10:01～: Power) These kinds of powers (money, fame) can not be real powers. And you can become victims of these powers. But there are other kinds of powers that can make you strong. 1. Power of cutting off The first power is power of cutting off. You are attached to, you are bound to a number of things. And that makes you lose all your freedom. You know that it is destroying you, it makes you not free, but you have no courage in order to cut off. And that is the freedom. And there are those of us who are bound to a number of things that make us powerless. You maythinkthat you can not survivewithout it, without him, without her, without that kind of position.But maybe it is the very obstacle for your true happiness. So, how to release, cut off. You need power. And that is the first power that is needed for you, that can set you free. 2. Power to forgive and to love The second power is to forgive and to love. Even that person is not lovable but you can still love him or her because you are capable of seeing suffering in him or in her. And your love grows, you become more powerful. And that is love without frontier, without discrimination. That's true love. That is the love of God, of the Buddha. And you have to train yourself in order to love like that. You don't leave anyone outside of your love. All embracing. 3. Power to understand And the third power is the power to understand. You are no longer afraid. When you understand, you are no longer angry and fearful. And that needs meditation, contemplation. Looking deeply, and then you get the insight, the vision of interbeing, the vision of interconnectedness. And that kind of knowledge removes all kinds of discrimination, separation and deserves very powerful kind of energy. If in our community there are those who have these kinds of powers, it's certain that we can make history, we can change history. (21:51～: Summary) If in our community there are those who have these kinds of powers, it's certain that we can make history, we can change history. And not fame, political power and wealth. (Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/walking-meditation-62204227
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 13-16: Perceptions (13-14): Impermanence & Craving Exercise 13-16 are the exercises for attaining full enlightenment and require very deep observation. What we must understand before these exercises is that this world is our mind itself because this world is the object of our mind, or the projection of our mind. In other words, the projection of our mind is this world. The object of mind is the object of perception, the object of perception is the perception (series of notions in the head), so the perception is this world. In other words, the perceived is the perceiver.David Bohm, Quantum physicist, said, "The way we see depends on the way we think." And his statement is consistent with the Buddha's above findings. In Exercise 13, you deeply observe the impermanent nature (nature of 'emptiness' in terms of time) of all dharmas (object of mind). Because everything is changing, you can observe the impermanent nature of all objects of your mind. And you observe the impermanent nature of all perceptions because all objects of your mind are the projection of your mind (perceptions). Therefore, this world which is the object of your mind is your perception itself, and it has the impermanent nature. In Exercise 14, you deeply observe the disappearance of craving (negative desire). And you deeply observe the disappearance of idea (thought). Therefore, your craving is just an idea and will disappear after a certain time. (15-16): No-self & Nirvana In Exercise 15, you deeply observe the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena. No-birth and no-death means that nothing can be born and nothing can die. Everything (all human beings, animals, plants, minerals) just continues (keeps living) by changing its forms. So, they can not be born because they have never died, and they can not die because they have never been born. And you deeply observe that everything is made of everything else. In other words, everything else is in everything. Therefore, everything is everything else. You are observing the nature of no-self(nature of 'emptiness' in terms of space) which means that everything is empty of separate existence (separate self). This is the ultimate truth. In Exercise 16, you deeply observe letting go of all notions (everything). The extinction of all notions is Nirvana. Because you are convinced that all notions are made up by human ego(separate self, fake self) and all notions are wrong, it is easy for you to throw away all notions. If all notions are extinct, there is no object to think about. So, you will be non-thinking completely and be able to attain insight 24 hours a day as awareness (non-separate self, true self). Attaining insight means that without making any efforts (without thinking), your calm mind reflects the outside reality like still water (mirror), and your clear mind sees through the inside reality. This is the full enlightenment, so you are fully awake. (end) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 9-12: Mental formations & Consciousness (11-12): Concentration and Liberation Exercise 11-12 are the Exercise to look deeply the mental formation, attain insight and understand the root cause, generate compassion and transform the mental formation by the energy of compassion. We generate the energy of concentration by looking deeply, we attain the insight (understanding) of the root cause by the energy of concentration, we generate compassion by the energy of insight, and we transform the mental formation such as fear and anxiety by the energy of compassion.Transforming our mental formations is liberating our mind. In other words, the insight (understanding) of the root cause which we attain in Exercise 11 corresponds to the second truth (cause of suffering) of the Four Noble Truths. And the transformation of mental formations which we attain in Exercise 12 corresponds to the third truth (secession of suffering) of the Four Noble Truths. Afflictions such as fear and anxiety are the cause of suffering. Therefore, as long as you have fear or anxiety, you can not accept yourself unconditionally. Sometimes you may have self-hatred. If you always think too much and if your mind wanders in the past, you suffer from regrets and sorrow, and if your mind wanders in the future, you suffer from fear and anxiety. This vicious circle can not be cut off unless you understand the root cause of suffering through insight. If it can not be cut off, even if you can temporarily stop thinking and become mindful by conscious breathing, you will resume thinking by some chance and return to the state of forgetfulness. Therefore, in order to stop thinking stably and keep the mindful state for a long time, it is absolutely essential to understand the root cause of suffering through insight. Of course, because the extinction of all notions is not attained yet, thoughts will revive once in a while. That's why real practitioners meditate everyday (Thich Nhat Hanh says that he is meditating 24 hours a day) and never neglect the practice to maintain the mindful state. In order to completely stop thinking 24 hours a day (to be always mindful), attaining full enlightenment through the extinction of all notions is the only way. (to be continued) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LA87R7A
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 9-12: Mental formations & Consciousness (9-10):Selective watering The objects of Exercise 9-12 are mental formations and consciousness. It may not be easy to understand the difference from the object of Exercise 5-8 (Feelings). In fact, feelings and perceptions(series of notions in the head) belong to 51 mental formations but they are spun off from mental formations because their impact is outstanding. So, there are 49 kinds of mental formations in Exercise 9-12. Meanwhile, there are 8 kinds of consciousness in Buddhism and they are the source of the body, feelings, perceptions and mental formations. 8 kinds of consciousness are the Sense consciousness (five senses), Mind consciousness (conscious mind), Manas (ego) and Store consciousness (Alaya consciousness, subconscious mind). Feelings in Exercise 5-8 are limited to feelings manifested in Mind consciousness (conscious mind), but mental formations and consciousness in Exercise 9-12 include the seeds of mental formations which are stored in Store consciousness (Alaya consciousness, subconscious mind). So, the realm of Exercise 9-12 is much deeper than the realm of Exercise 5-8. And we take care of both of them (mental formations and the seeds). Briefly, if we water the wholesome seed, the wholesome mental formation will manifest, and if we water the unwholesome seed, the unwholesome mental formation will manifest. Therefore, the selective watering will be as follows: 1) Water the wholesome seeds. 2) Do not water the unwholesome seeds. 3) Maintain the wholesome mental formation if it is manifesting. 4) Transform the unwholesome mental formation (to the wholesome mental formation) if it is manifesting. 5) Water the unwholesome seed intentionally to let the unwholesome mental formation manifest and to transform it to the wholesome mental formation and return it to Store consciousness as the wholesome seed. (Note) 5) has a high risk unless you are an advanced practitioner, so is not recommendable for beginners. If you are mindful, you can recognize what is going on inside and around yourself. So, if you practice the selective watering as soon as you recognize what's going on, you can control your mind as you wish. And it will be wise also that you request people around you to practice the selective watering to you as well as you do it by yourself. This selective watering means the "Right Diligence" of the Noble Eightfold Path. (to be continued) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
(My question to Thay) At the beginning, Thay said, "There is indeed a place like that, called the Pure Land of the Present Moment. That land is not limited in space or time. Speaking in Buddhist terminology, that land is outside of space and time." At the end, Thay said, "Therefore, if we practice mindful breathing and mindful walking, we can return to the Pure Land of the Present Moment in that very space and time." So, that very space and time must be outside of space and time. Thay said, "Speaking in terminology of quantum physics, it is nonlocal and nontemporal." So, the Pure Land of the Present Moment must be in the noumenal world, not in the phenomenal world. In this sense, I understand that our body can't dwell in the Pure Land of the Present Moment but only awareness (awakened consciousness) can dwell in the Pure Land of the Present Moment. I have a question to Thay. Can there be notions such as suffering and happiness in the Pure Land of the Present Moment? I understand that in the noumenal world (the ultimate dimension, nirvana) there are no notions. That's because the extinction of all notions is nirvana, as Thay taught us. (Steps for dwelling in the Pure Land) I understand that only if we can stop thinking, we can dwell in the Pure Land. And the steps for dwelling in the Pure Land 24 hours a day will be: (1) conscious breathing, (for temporary enlightenment) (2) insight of the root cause of suffering,(for long-lasting enlightenment) (3) the extinction of all notions.(for full enlightenment)
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 5-8: Feelings (5-6):Joy and Happiness Exercise 5-6 (generating joy and happiness) occurs automatically at the same time when we establish ourselves in mindfulness in Exercise 1-2. So, in time series, Exercise 5-6 should be placed as Exercise 3-4 rather than Exercise 5-6. However, joy and happiness belongs to the category of feelings, so I guess that these exercises was placed as Exercise 5-6. Anyway, if mindful breathing is attained in Exercise 1-2, that is a proof that we have returned to awareness (non-separate self, true self). So, we can touch the wonders of life, and joy and happiness can be automatically generated. The expressions of our realization of joy and happiness may be "just blooming like a flower without thinking". If a flower is replaced with a human being, it may be "just smiling without thinking". Even if you try to concentrate on your breathing, if you have fear and anxiety and can't stop thinking (if you are wandering in the past or the future and can't return to the present moment), unfortunately you are still ego (separate self, fake self) and can't generate joy and happiness. Therefore, those who can't generate joy and happiness by Exercise 1-2, will have no chance to recognize, embrace, relieve the pain and suffering even if they go ahead, because they have no energy of mindfulness. So, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that we should keep conscious breathing or walking without going ahead until we return to awareness (non-separate self, true self), or until we can practice mindful breathing and walking. In this sense, we can say that Exercise 5-6 is a mean to check whether or not we are practicing Right Mindfulness by ourselves. (7-8): Painful feelings Exercise 5-6 are exercises to recognize and keep positive feelings, while Exercise 7-8 are exercises to recognize and calm negative feelings (painful feelings). If the whole body in Exercise 3-4 is replaced with painful feelings, what we are supposed to do in Exercise 5-6 is exactly the same as Exercise 3-4. By the energy of mindfulness, we recognize our painful feeling, embrace it and calm it by releasing the tension in the feelings. When we recognize our feelings, we are witnessing or observing our feelings. Therefore, we are not the feelings. Our true self is awareness (awakened consciousness) who is witnessing our feelings. So, we don't have to be overwhelmed even by our strong emotions like despair. If we just keep observing it, it will disappear in time. Feelings are impermanent (always changing) and are like a temporary storm, so should not panic and react right away. (to be continued)
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 1-4: Body (1-2):Breathing These first two exercises (conscious breathing) are very important. That's because we are supposed to stop thinking, or perception, and establish ourselves in mindfulness through this initial conscious breathing. In other words, we are supposed to transform ourselves from ego (separate self, fake self) to awareness (non-separate self, true self, Dharma body) through this initial conscious breathing. If we can stop thinking, this transformation automatically occurs in a moment. However, if a person has strong fear or anxiety, that person can not stop thinking because s/he keeps thinking even though s/he tries to concentrate on breathing. We need to keep in mind that if we do not establish ourselves in mindfulness at this initial stage, we will not be able to expect the effects of the third exercise and after.Thich Nhat Hanh says that one in-breath (a few seconds) is enough to return to our true self. And I understand that what he means by this statement is this initial conscious breathing. (3-4): The whole body When we have established ourselves in mindfulness through the first two exercises (conscious breathing), awareness (awakened consciousness) will be able to automatically recognize what is going on inside and around us by the energy of mindfulness. In fact, we will be able to recognize everything at once (we attain various insights at the same time), but in the 16 exercises on mindful breathing we will be aware of them step by step in order. The objects we recognize are 5 aggregates (the five Skandhas) which constitute a human being, namely body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. Concretely speaking, we will recognize and calm them in the following order; Exercise 3-4: body, 7-8: feelings, 9-12: mental formations and consciousness, 13-16: perceptions. First of all, in Exercise 3-4 we will recognize the pain in the whole body and release the tension of the painful part. Since the body and the mind are closely interacting with each other, we can not concentrate and establish ourselves in mindfulness if the physical pain is intense. Therefore, first of all, we start with checking the health of the whole body with a ray of mindfulness like X-ray, and caring the unhealthy part well by embracing them. As mentioned above, the energy of mindfulness has the function to recognize, to embrace, to ease and relieve the pain and suffering. In addition, as soon as we establish ourselves in mindfulness, there will be the effect of stopping, resting, calming and healing at once. (to be continued)
