The reading this week was from Breathe! You are Alive ( Thay’s commentary on the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing ) on exercises 5 & 6.
The Fourth Subject of Full Awareness: Nourishing ourselves with the joy of meditation (Exercises 5-6)
Exercise 5: “I am breathing in and feeling joyful. I am breathing out and feeling joyful.”
Those who practice meditation should know how to nourish themselves on the peace and joy of medItative concentration, in order to reach real maturity and help the world. Life in this world is both painful and miraculous. The Buddhist traditions of the Southern schools stress the painful side, while the Buddhist traditions of the Northern schools help us realize and appreciate the marvels of life. The violet bamboo, the yellow flowers, the white clouds, and the full moon are all wondrous expressions of the Dharmakaya, the body of the Dharma. The body of a human being, although impermanent, without an independent self, and bound to suffering, is also infinitely wondrous. The initial joy of meditation is like leaving the city, with its hyperactivity and all its disturbing encounters, going off to the countryside to sit beneath a tree, alone. We feel totally at ease, peaceful and joyful. What a joy, what a relief, like when you complete a difficult examination and feel that you have laid aside all anxiety forevermore.
At the end of a busy day, you can turn off the TV, light a stick of incense to make the room fragrant, sit cross-legged, and begin to practice breathing, with a half-smile. You will feel great joy! This is the initial sensation of the peace and joy of meditation. The fifth breathing method helps us become aware of this sensation. If you can set aside the stresses and complications of your day, you will enter a meditation filled with joy. From this state, it is easy to arrive at the state of peace and happiness.
Exercise 6: “I am breathing in and feeling happy. I am breathing out and feeling happy.”
The sixth method establishes awareness of peace and happiness which arises when we become free of incessant worrying and preoccupation, and from the fact that the body and mind are at ease.
When we have a toothache, we know that not having a toothache is a pleasurable feeling. But when we do not have a toothache, most of us are unaware of this pleasant feeling. Only after we become blind will we be aware that having eyes to see the blue sky and the white clouds is miraculous. While we can see, we are rarely aware of this miracle. Practicing meditation is to be aware of both what is painful and what is miraculous. Happiness is the nourishment of the meditator, and it is not necessary to look for it outside of ourselves. We only need to be aware of the existence of happiness in order to have it immediately. Pleasant feelings are like the air around us we can enjoy them as we need them.
In Buddhist psychology, it is said there are three kinds of feelings: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. But when we practice meditation, we know that we can transform neutral feelings into pleasant ones, and nourish ourselves. Pleasant feelings transformed from neutral ones are more healthy and lasting than other pleasant feelings. When we are constantly nourished by the happiness of meditation, we become at ease with ourselves and others. We become tolerant and compassionate, and our happiness is transmitted to all those around us. Only if we have peace ourselves can we share peace with others. Only then do we have enough strength and patience to work helping others, facing many hardships with patience and perseverance.
Plymouth Sangha 