Part 3 - Samadhi Guided Meditation - The Hindrances

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399
We appreciate your interest in today's Meditation

00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:05.459
Life Skills podcast. We sincerely grateful for

00:00:05.459 --> 00:00:08.740
your support. People often get frustrated when

00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:11.919
the hindrances arise and they feel that they're

00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.779
doing something wrong in their meditation. It's

00:00:15.779 --> 00:00:19.239
important to understand that the hindrances manifest

00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:23.899
because you are working correctly. They are a

00:00:23.899 --> 00:00:27.000
necessary part of excavating to the deeper levels

00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:32.619
of mind. The practice is not to try and get rid

00:00:32.619 --> 00:00:36.299
of the hindrances, but to form the correct relationship

00:00:36.299 --> 00:00:40.299
to them. Any time you try to get rid of something

00:00:40.299 --> 00:00:44.159
in your meditation, you'll just create more aversion,

00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:48.420
more activity in the mind, and more suffering.

00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:53.320
The practice is always letting everything be

00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.920
as it is. But often we don't realize what is,

00:00:57.979 --> 00:01:02.060
because it's unconscious. Sometimes a technique

00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:05.340
is a useful tool to penetrate into the deeper

00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:09.599
layers of the mind. The practice of staying single

00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:13.159
-pointedly on the meditation object, the breath,

00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:17.000
always includes being equanimous with whatever

00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:23.019
arises. But sometimes one or more of the hindrances

00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:25.989
will continue to distract you. to the point where

00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:29.209
there's total inability to stay with the meditation

00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:34.010
object or to be equanimous. A pain may be so

00:01:34.010 --> 00:01:37.530
persistent that it actually becomes your meditation

00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:41.769
object whether you want it to or not. Or perhaps

00:01:41.769 --> 00:01:45.790
extreme sleepiness or haziness or a mind fog

00:01:45.790 --> 00:01:50.090
keeps you from being present. Maybe your thoughts

00:01:50.090 --> 00:01:53.269
are so persistent that you are lost in thoughts

00:01:53.269 --> 00:01:58.510
and daydreams most of the time. If one of the

00:01:58.510 --> 00:02:01.209
hindrances has completely overtaken your ability

00:02:01.209 --> 00:02:05.569
to focus on the breath, that's okay. It happens.

00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:09.349
Acknowledge that it has happened and acknowledge

00:02:09.349 --> 00:02:12.270
that it has become your new meditation object.

00:02:13.110 --> 00:02:20.250
Accept it and be equanimous with it. Pain, tiredness,

00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:24.050
or thoughts can only overtake your meditation

00:02:24.050 --> 00:02:27.210
practice if there are aspects to them that are

00:02:27.210 --> 00:02:31.949
unconscious. True meditation is never engaging

00:02:31.949 --> 00:02:35.870
in any type of doing, but rather it is penetrating

00:02:35.870 --> 00:02:40.069
into or witnessing what the mind is already doing,

00:02:40.909 --> 00:02:46.169
making the unconscious processes conscious. The

00:02:46.169 --> 00:02:49.909
practice is to remain present with what is and

00:02:49.909 --> 00:02:54.310
to remain non -reactive. That is, you remain

00:02:54.310 --> 00:02:58.789
equanimous in a state of deep surrender or deep

00:02:58.789 --> 00:03:03.490
inner non -resistance. Aware of sensations at

00:03:03.490 --> 00:03:08.669
the subtlest level prior to thinking, prior to

00:03:08.669 --> 00:03:11.969
the formation of preference of this over that.

00:03:13.770 --> 00:03:17.030
The correct relationship to anything that arises

00:03:17.030 --> 00:03:20.930
in meditation is actually to see it not as a

00:03:20.930 --> 00:03:24.389
problem or hindrance at all, but as simply part

00:03:24.389 --> 00:03:29.509
of the phenomena of meditation. To see all phenomena

00:03:29.509 --> 00:03:34.270
as ultimately empty. To have no investment in

00:03:34.270 --> 00:03:40.050
anything one way or another. The ego or self

00:03:40.050 --> 00:03:43.300
-structure is made up of thoughts and feelings

00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:46.259
that we usually characterize as good or bad.

00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:51.199
The ego is a collection of preferences which

00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.379
are nothing but the result of incomplete experiences,

00:03:55.379 --> 00:03:58.360
which are stored in the unconscious as memories.

00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:03.159
The ego is a collection of wiring in the mind

00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:07.580
and body. Whenever there is a preference, there

00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:12.650
is an egoic self. therefore suffering. Suffering

00:04:12.650 --> 00:04:16.269
is the nature of self because of the impermanent

00:04:16.269 --> 00:04:19.410
nature of all phenomena that the self clings

00:04:19.410 --> 00:04:24.750
to. In meditation we are directing our attention

00:04:24.750 --> 00:04:28.670
and energy away from the perceptions and memories

00:04:28.670 --> 00:04:32.569
that form the self to focus on raw sensation.

00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:38.000
When we hold attention at the layer of raw sensation,

00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:43.620
new neurons fire and wire together. This rewiring

00:04:43.620 --> 00:04:46.560
creates a different way of interfacing with the

00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.980
world. You begin to starve out the old wiring

00:04:50.980 --> 00:04:55.879
and create new wiring that's more subtle, prior

00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.040
to labeling, experiencing reality as a play of

00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:03.639
energy and aliveness, while at the same time

00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:07.060
One does not identify with the phenomena as part

00:05:07.060 --> 00:05:12.639
of oneself. The energy or prana that has been

00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.959
moving in the old wiring becomes available for

00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:19.959
your experience of life in the now. And the old

00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:23.980
wiring starts to protest, starts to lose energy

00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:29.500
and die. The hindrances manifest as a sort of

00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:32.420
inner friction between the old wiring and the

00:05:32.420 --> 00:05:36.769
new wiring. that friction is necessary for the

00:05:36.769 --> 00:05:41.870
inner alchemy to happen. By being present and

00:05:41.870 --> 00:05:45.290
aware of the subtlest sensations possible in

00:05:45.290 --> 00:05:48.769
a state of non -resistance to all arising phenomena,

00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:53.550
the rewiring process happens automatically. It

00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:57.410
could be described as self -directed neuroplasticity,

00:05:57.889 --> 00:06:02.209
a process directed by the true self. the immanent

00:06:02.209 --> 00:06:06.550
or unconditioned self. The you that you are identified

00:06:06.550 --> 00:06:12.670
with does not control this process. This rewiring

00:06:12.670 --> 00:06:16.230
takes time. Just as someone who has only practiced

00:06:16.230 --> 00:06:19.569
piano for a short period of time can't expect

00:06:19.569 --> 00:06:23.050
to play like a virtuoso, someone who has not

00:06:23.050 --> 00:06:26.350
practiced meditation and completed the necessary

00:06:26.350 --> 00:06:30.189
rewiring can't expect liberation all at once.

00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.100
One might have an awakening experience, realizing

00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:38.040
one's true self, but the mind and body must be

00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:41.180
purified to house the awakened consciousness

00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:45.220
permanently. Otherwise one will simply slip back

00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:49.379
into old habit patterns. One's patterns will

00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:53.139
shift in direct relation to the amount of meditation

00:06:53.139 --> 00:06:57.079
that you do, the amount of conditioning that

00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:00.029
you have become identified with, which could

00:07:00.029 --> 00:07:03.670
also be called your karma, and the degree to

00:07:03.670 --> 00:07:06.470
which you have mastered being present in a state

00:07:06.470 --> 00:07:10.050
of continuous non -resistance to what is at all

00:07:10.050 --> 00:07:16.350
times. This inner wiring may shift slowly. At

00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:20.129
times it may seem like a glacier pace, while

00:07:20.129 --> 00:07:23.129
at other times it may appear to progress quickly.

00:07:24.430 --> 00:07:28.569
Continue to practice with patience and persistence.

00:07:29.230 --> 00:07:32.990
without making Samadhi a goal or interest for

00:07:32.990 --> 00:07:39.670
the mind. Simply be okay with what is. Allow

00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:44.709
the pain, the feelings, the tiredness, even allow

00:07:44.709 --> 00:07:49.649
the pathological thinking. The more completely

00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:53.370
you allow, the faster it will arise and pass

00:07:53.370 --> 00:07:58.430
away. Don't make it a goal to dissolve the hindrance.

00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.339
You must truly allow it to be as it is without

00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:07.899
any expectation of it changing. You are training

00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:12.720
the mind to be equanimous, non -reactive, to

00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:16.160
perceive reality at the deepest sensory level,

00:08:16.620 --> 00:08:21.040
the field of change, the field of prana or inner

00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:25.920
energy. We are going to examine three of the

00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:31.819
most common hindrances. sleepiness, and excessive

00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:35.820
thinking. A similar approach can be taken with

00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:40.559
any hindrance or phenomena that arises. With

00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:43.840
each example we can begin to understand how we

00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.360
can penetrate the phenomena with our consciousness

00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:50.259
by observing its various hidden qualities and

00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:55.320
components. Let's start with the example of pain.

00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:00.590
Normally the pain might be a temporary distraction,

00:09:01.269 --> 00:09:04.070
and the practice is to return to the breath.

00:09:06.149 --> 00:09:10.049
In the extreme case, if pain becomes your meditation

00:09:10.049 --> 00:09:13.970
object through no choice of your own, then accept

00:09:13.970 --> 00:09:17.590
that it has become your meditation object. This

00:09:17.590 --> 00:09:20.950
is an opportunity to penetrate deeply into its

00:09:20.950 --> 00:09:23.429
changing characteristics with your consciousness.

00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:29.039
At first it may just seem like a wall of pain,

00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:33.320
but if you sharpen your mind you will find that

00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:36.940
pain is actually a collection of different characteristics

00:09:36.940 --> 00:09:42.340
that were unconscious. Sometimes people will

00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:46.639
start to shift their body, to move or do little

00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:49.539
stretches to try and escape from their pain.

00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:53.700
This quickly creates a pattern of aversion in

00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:58.990
the mind. and only makes the pain worse. It's

00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:02.070
important to distinguish between productive pain

00:10:02.070 --> 00:10:06.529
and non -productive pain. Most pain that arises

00:10:06.529 --> 00:10:10.190
in meditation is pain related to the habit patterns

00:10:10.190 --> 00:10:14.370
of the mind. This is the pain that you want to

00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:17.470
go into and learn to remain equanimous with.

00:10:18.710 --> 00:10:21.490
This type of pain usually disappears quickly

00:10:21.490 --> 00:10:25.649
when you get up from the cushion. Unproductive

00:10:25.649 --> 00:10:29.750
pain is more serious pain, maybe related to an

00:10:29.750 --> 00:10:33.730
injury, or some sort of extreme pain which might

00:10:33.730 --> 00:10:36.149
damage the nervous system if you try to push

00:10:36.149 --> 00:10:40.629
through it. Meditation is about the middle way.

00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:44.809
You want to move beyond your comfort zone, pushing

00:10:44.809 --> 00:10:49.049
your limits, but not damaging yourself or damaging

00:10:49.049 --> 00:10:53.830
the nervous system. There's a time to be still,

00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:57.899
A time for strong determination not to move.

00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:01.879
And there's a time to be gentle with yourself.

00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:09.360
Try to discern the middle way. First we are going

00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.639
to drop the word pain, which has a negative connotation.

00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:19.220
Instead we will refer to it as sensation. Let

00:11:19.220 --> 00:11:22.500
go of all labels which convey a preference or

00:11:22.500 --> 00:11:27.149
judgment. This judging language keeps us locked

00:11:27.149 --> 00:11:30.610
within a limited framework of craving and aversion.

00:11:32.730 --> 00:11:38.110
Observe the sensation in your body. Find out,

00:11:38.690 --> 00:11:45.149
is the sensation sharp or dull? Does the sharpness

00:11:45.149 --> 00:11:52.350
or dullness change through time? Does the sensation

00:11:52.350 --> 00:12:01.850
change in intensity? Is it pulsating or throbbing?

00:12:02.470 --> 00:12:08.750
Is it static or continuous? These observations

00:12:08.750 --> 00:12:13.250
are neutral, not loaded with any bias or judgment.

00:12:14.409 --> 00:12:18.590
Observe scientifically. You are just witnessing.

00:12:20.779 --> 00:12:25.080
Find out, is there a heat? A burning sensation?

00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:32.259
Or is there coldness? Identify the exact location

00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:35.759
of the sensation in the body and any areas within

00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.539
the body that may be connected to the sensation.

00:12:40.779 --> 00:12:47.600
Are these locations moving or static? Are the

00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:52.330
areas of the sensations spreading? Are they spreading

00:12:52.330 --> 00:12:57.610
slowly or jumping around quickly? Does it appear

00:12:57.610 --> 00:13:05.049
to be solidified in one area, unmoving? In the

00:13:05.049 --> 00:13:08.450
gross sensation, is there any tingling or subtle

00:13:08.450 --> 00:13:13.970
energy inside of it? Is there a contraction in

00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:19.169
the breath when sensation arises? Is there a

00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:23.490
subtle or not so subtle saying no, a pushing

00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:27.769
away in some deep part of your being? Is there

00:13:27.769 --> 00:13:31.809
a contraction of muscles? Are you holding on

00:13:31.809 --> 00:13:38.029
to something, protecting something? Stay with

00:13:38.029 --> 00:13:42.330
the field of change. Observe the changing qualities

00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:46.129
and characteristics of your direct sensory experience.

00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:53.360
Permeate the gross solidified sensation, suffuse

00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:57.759
it with your consciousness. Do not be attached

00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:01.539
to what the body feels. Do not be attached to

00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:05.500
particular sensations, but stay with the whole

00:14:05.500 --> 00:14:10.460
field of changing phenomena. Observe change itself,

00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:14.379
understanding that all particular phenomena is

00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:20.169
impermanent, arising and passing away. The same

00:14:20.169 --> 00:14:23.250
approach can be used with sleepiness or mental

00:14:23.250 --> 00:14:26.250
dullness that has overtaken your meditation.

00:14:27.870 --> 00:14:30.610
Observe the characteristics of the sleepiness.

00:14:31.409 --> 00:14:35.210
Sharpen your consciousness to take in the subtleties.

00:14:37.210 --> 00:14:40.970
Let go of the word sleepiness and just observe

00:14:40.970 --> 00:14:46.610
sensation. Maybe there's a pressure or heaviness

00:14:46.610 --> 00:14:50.259
around the eyes. Maybe there's a drooping in

00:14:50.259 --> 00:14:56.340
your posture. The body may feel heavy. Maybe

00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:59.519
there is a dreaminess or fogginess in the mind.

00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:05.860
Penetrate into that fog. Permeate it, illuminate

00:15:05.860 --> 00:15:11.480
it, suffuse it with your awareness. Don't push

00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:17.970
it away. See it clearly for what it is. Do these

00:15:17.970 --> 00:15:22.389
sensations grow in intensity at some points and

00:15:22.389 --> 00:15:25.750
then lessen at other points? Is there a change

00:15:25.750 --> 00:15:29.110
in the breath when these sensations come on?

00:15:30.309 --> 00:15:33.649
Continue to observe the field of changing phenomena

00:15:33.649 --> 00:15:38.149
with clear vivid awareness and deep surrender

00:15:38.149 --> 00:15:45.210
to what is. Your meditation will be vivid if

00:15:45.210 --> 00:15:50.580
you are present. Experience this remarkable law

00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:55.080
of nature. When you don't react, when you don't

00:15:55.080 --> 00:15:58.879
label anything, observing reality at the subtlest

00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:04.539
level, this inner alchemy unfolds. The sensations

00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:08.059
that are arising on the body don't have to create

00:16:08.059 --> 00:16:13.940
suffering. This is a revelation. This is a radical

00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:20.039
shift of reality. But be patient. Work diligently.

00:16:23.179 --> 00:16:26.080
One of the biggest challenges in meditation is

00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:31.399
the monkey mind, the busy mind. Normally, the

00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:34.279
practice is such that the mind will wander and

00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:38.519
you will bring it back to the breath. Even if

00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.320
the mind is very busy, whenever possible, use

00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:46.370
the breath as your meditation object. But once

00:16:46.370 --> 00:16:50.929
again in extreme cases this is not possible and

00:16:50.929 --> 00:16:53.870
it will seem like the mind has taken over completely.

00:16:55.809 --> 00:16:59.210
If the mind is unrelenting in its production

00:16:59.210 --> 00:17:02.409
of thoughts to the point that you're unable to

00:17:02.409 --> 00:17:05.849
observe the breath at all then accept that the

00:17:05.849 --> 00:17:08.210
thoughts have become your meditation object.

00:17:10.029 --> 00:17:13.369
There are many ways to bring our unconscious

00:17:13.369 --> 00:17:17.470
thoughts into consciousness. Here is one such

00:17:17.470 --> 00:17:22.329
practice. Simply wait for the next thought to

00:17:22.329 --> 00:17:27.450
arise. Be like a cat watching a mouse hole for

00:17:27.450 --> 00:17:31.529
the mouse to appear. When the thought appears,

00:17:31.910 --> 00:17:35.690
notice whether it is made of a visual image or

00:17:35.690 --> 00:17:39.579
whether it is an auditory thought. or a combination

00:17:39.579 --> 00:17:45.519
of both. All thoughts are either visual, auditory,

00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:50.319
or both. This applies to both waking and dreaming.

00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:56.819
If no thought is arising, then simply be aware

00:17:56.819 --> 00:18:02.220
that there is no thought arising. A visual thought

00:18:02.220 --> 00:18:05.900
is an image or picture that appears in your mind.

00:18:06.509 --> 00:18:11.710
Maybe a person, place, or a thing. An auditory

00:18:11.710 --> 00:18:15.809
thought is like self -talk, an internal dialogue

00:18:15.809 --> 00:18:21.710
in the head. Sometimes a thought will be murky,

00:18:22.130 --> 00:18:25.569
indistinct, unformed, or not quite conscious.

00:18:26.470 --> 00:18:30.309
It may be hard to grasp what it is exactly. Just

00:18:30.309 --> 00:18:33.809
do your best to be aware of whether it is visual,

00:18:34.609 --> 00:18:38.880
auditory, both, or whether there is no thought

00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:45.160
arising in that moment. It's important to understand

00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:50.559
precisely what we mean by thoughts. Here we use

00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:54.339
the words thoughts, perceptions, and sensations

00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:58.779
in a very precise, particular way that's unique

00:18:58.779 --> 00:19:03.519
to meditation practice. In the teachings of the

00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:07.460
Buddha, The five skandhas or the five aggregates

00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:10.160
describe the aspects of the mind that we are

00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:14.660
referring to. The first skanda is called rupa,

00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:19.240
which is simply the physical form or the body.

00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:27.259
Sensation arises on rupa, on the body. For example,

00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:31.460
as you are meditating you may be aware of a burning

00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:36.559
sensation. The raw sensation arises on the body.

00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:41.519
It is the bare phenomena, your inner aliveness

00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:45.440
or inner energy, arising and passing away on

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.500
the body, prior to the formation of thought,

00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:54.319
prior to any label or definition. This is called

00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:58.960
Vedana, the second Skanda, the root level of

00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:03.430
sensory awareness. This is where we want to keep

00:20:03.430 --> 00:20:08.910
our attention. The third and fourth skandhas

00:20:08.910 --> 00:20:11.890
are where the most persistent layers of maya

00:20:11.890 --> 00:20:16.230
and illusion arise. The next stage, the stage

00:20:16.230 --> 00:20:20.869
of perception, is where we perceive things. We

00:20:20.869 --> 00:20:23.549
might at this stage say that there is a burning

00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:27.930
sensation in the knee. There is a thing called

00:20:27.930 --> 00:20:32.960
knee pain. This is sannyā. The third skandha,

00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:37.299
which is cognition or identification of a particular

00:20:37.299 --> 00:20:42.460
separate thing. Finally, there is the triggering

00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:47.519
of sankaras, the fourth skandha, the conditioned

00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:50.859
habitual response pattern of the mind, which

00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:54.160
is based on one's held definitions and beliefs.

00:20:56.039 --> 00:21:00.079
This is where we hold craving and aversion. In

00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.400
the case of pain, we have aversion to the pain.

00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:09.700
Craving and aversion is always related to experience,

00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:15.500
memories, the opinions and definitions one holds.

00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:20.599
The mind may be holding on to a memory of a time

00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:23.359
when you were running and had a knee injury,

00:21:24.180 --> 00:21:27.640
or maybe you had an operation. There may be a

00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:31.579
story connected to the knee. Your mind might

00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:36.720
say, not this again. It might say, this pain

00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:40.759
is ruining my meditation. The thoughts about

00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:43.779
the knee are always in the form of words and

00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:48.180
ideas, or they may be visual images, or both.

00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:51.819
This is what we are referring to as thoughts,

00:21:52.299 --> 00:21:56.259
which are distinct from the raw sensations. perceptions

00:21:56.259 --> 00:22:01.079
of the knee as a distinct thing. Another example,

00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:05.599
as you are meditating there may be a smell which

00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:10.920
is a sensation. At the level of Vedana, the second

00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:15.259
Skanda, it is neither good nor bad. It is not

00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:21.119
a particular smell, it is raw sensation. When

00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:24.940
you smell Your mind may then label it as the

00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:28.839
scent of a flower. This is the third Skanda,

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:33.220
Sannyā. Then finally the smell may trigger a

00:22:33.220 --> 00:22:37.019
thought based on one's preference, which is a

00:22:37.019 --> 00:22:41.980
habit pattern of the mind, the Sankara. Maybe

00:22:41.980 --> 00:22:46.099
your mind generates the image of a flower, or

00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:49.500
maybe you have a positive memory of your grandmother's

00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:53.500
garden. Or it may trigger a negative dialogue

00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:56.720
about how the meditation space is supposed to

00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:00.759
be a scent -free environment. Whether the smell

00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:05.200
is perceived as good or bad depends on the preconceptions

00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:10.140
and the ideas held in the mind. The smell itself,

00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:16.940
at the level of Vedana, is neutral. So in summary,

00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:21.539
The sensation of smell is one thing. The mental

00:23:21.539 --> 00:23:25.240
labeling is another. And the craving and aversion,

00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:29.339
the preference, based on your held beliefs, is

00:23:29.339 --> 00:23:34.700
another. Start to observe these processes so

00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:37.079
that you can distinguish your thoughts clearly

00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:43.000
from perceptions and sensations. Make your thoughts

00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:49.349
clear and conscious. The consciousness of the

00:23:49.349 --> 00:23:53.210
first four skandhas is called Vinyana, which

00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:59.170
is the fifth skanda. With practice you may begin

00:23:59.170 --> 00:24:02.250
to experience not only the changing field of

00:24:02.250 --> 00:24:06.109
phenomena, but you may realize yourself as the

00:24:06.109 --> 00:24:10.890
consciousness that is observing. Recognize the

00:24:10.890 --> 00:24:14.630
two realms of duality, the changing realm of

00:24:14.630 --> 00:24:18.779
phenomena, and the unchanging stillness or consciousness,

00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:24.839
the awareness itself. As you observe the field

00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:28.920
of change, realize that consciousness which is

00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:33.359
beyond feeling, beyond thinking, beyond what

00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:39.000
the body is doing. Another technique which can

00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.440
help you to make unconscious thought patterns

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.309
conscious is to notice the characteristics of

00:24:45.309 --> 00:24:48.849
the thoughts in terms of their content. Here

00:24:48.849 --> 00:24:51.930
we are consciously performing the task of labeling

00:24:51.930 --> 00:24:55.650
and identifying, which is normally done automatically

00:24:55.650 --> 00:25:00.869
by the unconscious mind. Wait for the next thought

00:25:00.869 --> 00:25:05.250
to arise. Maybe the thought is a recollection

00:25:05.250 --> 00:25:09.990
of something in the past, such as an event. Or

00:25:09.990 --> 00:25:12.990
perhaps it is a recapitulation of events from

00:25:12.990 --> 00:25:17.170
your day, a replaying of a past conversation.

00:25:19.109 --> 00:25:22.950
Just make a note to yourself saying remembering

00:25:22.950 --> 00:25:30.869
or recollecting or simply past. Label it as past

00:25:30.869 --> 00:25:35.069
without going into the story. Like a scientist

00:25:35.069 --> 00:25:38.730
you are just labeling, just observing what is.

00:25:39.309 --> 00:25:42.569
Don't indulge the mind or get hooked into the

00:25:42.569 --> 00:25:47.509
dialogue of the mind. Perhaps the thought that

00:25:47.509 --> 00:25:50.930
arises is something to do with the future, such

00:25:50.930 --> 00:25:56.210
as planning or envisioning, worrying or wishing.

00:25:58.170 --> 00:26:01.890
Just make a note saying to yourself planning

00:26:01.890 --> 00:26:07.869
or future. Perhaps the thought is more like daydreaming.

00:26:08.780 --> 00:26:13.900
fantasizing or the mind creating a story. In

00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:17.380
this case label it fantasizing or daydreaming.

00:26:19.059 --> 00:26:22.700
Maybe the mind is analyzing, figuring something

00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:29.160
out. Then note that your mind is analyzing. Maybe

00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:33.140
the thought is fuzzy or not fully formed, in

00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:37.480
which case label it as a fuzzy thought or indistinct.

00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:42.460
Continue to observe the thoughts in this way.

00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:46.500
Here we are using the mind to observe the mind,

00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:51.039
like using a thorn to remove a thorn, so that

00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:53.759
we can dig deeper into the unconscious habit

00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:56.839
patterns of the mind and bring what is hidden

00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:01.700
into greater awareness. This approach is very

00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:05.819
useful when the hindrances become extreme. Use

00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:09.759
it until the hindrance or gross solidified phenomena

00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:13.019
has dissolved enough that you can return to the

00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:17.859
breath as your meditation object. There are a

00:27:17.859 --> 00:27:20.660
few other common hindrances that are likely to

00:27:20.660 --> 00:27:25.180
arise in your practice. Blissful feelings or

00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:28.740
pleasant sensations can be as much of a hindrance

00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:32.920
as pain when you begin to let go, surrendering

00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:36.900
deeply. The energy that was going into old patterns

00:27:36.900 --> 00:27:40.599
will be felt as present, and it can be quite

00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:46.660
pleasurable. You may experience peace, tranquility,

00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:52.640
or even ecstasy. When the self starts to merge

00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:56.299
with the meditation object, one can experience

00:27:56.299 --> 00:28:01.220
a free flow of sensation or inner energy, inner

00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:05.740
aliveness. You could call it an inner light or

00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:11.220
prana. Whatever name you give it, the mind will

00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:14.079
likely generate a craving for these sensations

00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.859
and experiences. And as soon as it grasps at

00:28:17.859 --> 00:28:20.980
the pleasant sensation, you will usually lose

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:24.460
it because the pleasure has come from resting

00:28:24.460 --> 00:28:30.440
in a place of non grasping. Notice whether the

00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:35.150
mind is playing this game. The mind is clever.

00:28:35.829 --> 00:28:39.670
It will surrender to a point so that it can feel

00:28:39.670 --> 00:28:43.369
the release, feel the pleasurable sensation.

00:28:44.269 --> 00:28:47.730
But the root of the Sankara is never released

00:28:47.730 --> 00:28:51.130
because of the grasping and the mind's effort

00:28:51.130 --> 00:28:55.369
to control and possess. So you enjoy a bit of

00:28:55.369 --> 00:28:58.910
pleasurable sensation and then the pain returns

00:28:58.910 --> 00:29:02.750
and you keep playing the game in an endless cycle.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:07.339
If you are doing this, it is not meditation.

00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:10.680
It is only a game that your mind has learned

00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:15.359
to play. True meditation is having no preference

00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:19.859
to any sensation, observing at the root level

00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:23.160
of awareness without labeling anything as good

00:29:23.160 --> 00:29:30.000
or bad. Do not cling to any sensation, any experience,

00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:35.339
or any state of consciousness. Do not begin to

00:29:35.339 --> 00:29:39.519
crave samadhi, because samadhi is the realization

00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.799
of the self that is beyond craving and aversion,

00:29:43.579 --> 00:29:49.660
beyond the mind. Notice whether your mind is

00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:54.200
playing some game. Notice if your mind is manipulating

00:29:54.200 --> 00:30:00.380
your meditation in any way. Emotions can come

00:30:00.380 --> 00:30:05.089
up in meditation. Emotions are a sort of combination

00:30:05.089 --> 00:30:09.750
of thoughts and feelings. They are tied to bodily

00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:13.910
sensations, but also to memories and experiences.

00:30:15.829 --> 00:30:18.490
Treat them the same way you do any phenomena.

00:30:19.609 --> 00:30:22.130
Penetrate the characteristics of the emotion.

00:30:22.509 --> 00:30:25.470
Observe the characteristics of any thoughts that

00:30:25.470 --> 00:30:29.309
arise with them, making the unconscious aspects

00:30:29.309 --> 00:30:33.420
conscious. observing the field of change at the

00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:38.519
root level. Go into them with piercing awareness

00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:42.220
and surrender deeply, allowing them to arise

00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:49.059
and pass away fully on the body. Finally, the

00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:52.279
mind can manipulate the meditation practice by

00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:56.680
expecting something to happen. Sometimes people

00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:59.619
hear about the experiences of other meditators,

00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:04.819
Read about the yogis and sages of the past. Read

00:31:04.819 --> 00:31:08.779
or hear about samadhi and expect or want something

00:31:08.779 --> 00:31:13.140
dramatic to happen. The mind might try to manufacture

00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:17.039
some experience, expecting the heavens to open,

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:20.700
expecting to have some vision or some energy

00:31:20.700 --> 00:31:26.839
come. Let go of all expectations. All are just

00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:32.079
ideas in the mind. Always sit with beginner's

00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:35.500
mind as if you know nothing about meditation

00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:40.359
at all. Sit with a mind that is open like the

00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:44.960
sky and watch as thoughts come and go like clouds.

00:31:46.339 --> 00:31:49.579
Sit not only as if you know nothing about meditation,

00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:54.880
but as if you know nothing at all. Let all layers

00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:58.670
of the mind be transparent. as if you don't even

00:31:58.670 --> 00:32:02.690
know what sensations are, as if you have appeared

00:32:02.690 --> 00:32:06.349
in a human body for the first time in this moment.

00:32:08.289 --> 00:32:11.650
This practice can show you the truth that there

00:32:11.650 --> 00:32:14.589
is no substance to the thoughts and sensations

00:32:14.589 --> 00:32:18.529
that make up the self. The self structure is

00:32:18.529 --> 00:32:24.430
ultimately ephemeral, empty, impermanent, and

00:32:24.430 --> 00:32:30.450
constantly changing. The next 25 minutes will

00:32:30.450 --> 00:32:33.829
be in silence and the beginning and end of the

00:32:33.829 --> 00:32:38.589
meditation will be indicated by a bell. Continue

00:32:38.589 --> 00:32:41.569
to focus on the breath as your meditation object

00:32:41.569 --> 00:32:46.390
as described in guided meditation part one. As

00:32:46.390 --> 00:32:49.750
the hindrances arise you now have techniques

00:32:49.750 --> 00:32:53.369
to penetrate deeper into the unconscious characteristics

00:32:53.369 --> 00:32:57.609
if necessary. always ultimately returning to

00:32:57.609 --> 00:33:00.009
the breath as your meditation object.