Meditation in Ordinary Daily Life

MeditationInOrdinary Daily Life

Bhikkhu Bodhidhamma

The Buddha’s Basic Advice:

In the Discourse on How to Establish Mindfulness, there is thefollowing section on Clear Comprehension:

A meditator when moving forward or backward is clearly aware ofwhat they are doing; when looking ahead or behind, clearly awareof what they are doing; when bending, stretching … when carryingthings , clearly aware of what they are doing; when eating, drinking,chewing, savouring … when passing stools or urine …when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep and waking up …when speaking or staying silent, they clearly aware of what theyare doing.

That is, whatever the meditator is doing, that is what they mustbe mindful of.

In other words, the sitting meditation is only a part of the practiceas a whole. The Buddha wanted us to develop a meditative life. Toknow what we are doing at all times. A life of fulltime awareness.The danger for meditators is to raise the sitting meditation practiceto the position of a magical ritual as if all we needed to do wasa little sitting in the morning and in the evening (perhaps) andliberation from suffering is assured. Too often meditators thinksitting meditation is the be-all and end-all of the Path. I oncemet a meditator because of this. He had been tremendously ardent,spending months in intensive meditation only to come out and livethe 'good life'. After years of this so-called practice, achievingvery little in terms of inner peace, he had achieved little butsorrow and despair. He felt the five years of so he had spent onthe meditation practice had been a great waste. So, it is this dependenceon meditation sitting as the one and only practice that leads todisillusionment and disappointment. Eventually the meditator mayabandon the practice altogether as useless! So sitting meditationis only part of the Buddha's path, though undoubtedly necessary.

The Middle Path

The rules that guide the monastic life show clearly that the Buddhawasn't teaching simply a meditation practice but a way of life,a way of living day to day. The Middle Path is a description ofhow life as a whole should be led by someone eager to attain liberationfrom all suffering. This Middle Path in its broader aspect meansnot to fall prey to sensual pleasure, not to over-indulge in sensualdelights. Nor should we believe that self-mortification such aslong fasts will bring us anywhere nearer the goal. Moderation inall things! Secondly, that we should be careful not to transgressthe basic moral laws for this produces harmful affects for us andfor others. Thirdly, that we should make great effort to improveourselves by the practice of the Perfections. This is all put asthe Four Great Efforts of the Eightfold Noble Path - to eradicateexisting unwholesome habits and practices, and not to allow anynew ones to establish themselves; to introduce new wholesome waysof thinking and behaving and to develop what wholesomeness we alreadyhave.

Starting the Day

As an aid to this growth and as a part of the meditation, we needto bring Right Awareness and Right Concentration right into ourdaily lives. This is what a lot of meditators find very difficultand confusing. So, let us see what meditation in daily life mightmean. The day really begins with how we have slept for we oftenwake with the mind that fell asleep. If I'm depressed or angry beforeI go to sleep, sure enough the same emotions will overtake me whenI wake or soon after. Therefore, we need to fall asleep in a meditativeway so that at least any negative frames of mind are weakened andpositive ones reinforced. So we should try to go to sleep with themind in meditation. Just gently placing the attention on the processof breathing or observing the sensations in the body caused by ourstate of mind. Alternatively, a good practice is to review thewhole body, starting at the top of the head and slowly working ourway down to the tips of the toes, observing all the sensations onor in the body. Alternatively, following the instructions on howto practise Metta, put a loving thought in the heartmind and repeatover and over again. At some time, it is also important to makea firm resolution to wake with the alarm, to set the mind to wakeup. The alarm is only an aid. So that when we wake, we can situp quickly and observe the mind, catching the first mood of theday and developing that watchful attitude. Once the mind is clear,we can make the next firm resolution not to let a moment of theday pass in mindlessness. All effort will be put into achievingcontinuity of awareness. Resolute determination plays a significantpart in the meditative life. It is, in fact a Perfection to bedeveloped. We don't have to become neurotic over breaking them.We need to see such resolutions as attempts to recondition the mind.Remember the Buddha's teaching that will is Kamma. We need to strengthenthe will, to make it strong enough to carry through our skilfuldecisions. For instance, getting up that little bit earlier todo the regulation forty minutes or better one hour meditation isvery difficult at first, but if we persevere a new habit will beestablished. You may also find as so many meditators do that themore mindfulness is maintained, the less sleep is needed. So westart the day with a decision to develop continuous awareness. Weresolve, we determine to do it and eventually we will achieve itto a fairly high degree.

Deliberately Purposefully Intentionally

What form does continual awareness take? Firstly it is awarenessof all the tasks we normally complete in a day, especially the normalones, the habitual ones. The ones we would normally do on automaticpilot. These range from brushing the teeth, to drinking a cup oftea, to routine tasks at work. Anything manual and physical needsto be done with awareness. Donedeliberately, purposefully, intentionally.Even closing drawers, opening cupboards should be done as if forthe first time. A good technique to bring mindfulness to bear inour mundane tasks is to do them just a little more slowly and withcareful deliberation. Another is to repeat the action that wasdone mindlessly. This sort of practice brings calmness and equanimityinto our lives. This is more easily done if we approach all actionsand tasks as if they were ceremonies, as if we were doing them clearlyaware of what they are doing in front of someone we respected. Ioften like to imagine the Buddha himself just sitting somewhereunobtrusively in the room. How mindful I'd be if he really were!

Ceremony

Drinking tea is a national habit if not neurosis, but it can soeasily be turned into a real meaningful act. Instead of rushingthrough the preparation, filling the kettle up with the tap fullon, splashing water everywhere, banging the kettle down, pluggingit in, grabbing the cup and saucer, banging the cupboard door shut.Same routine at the fridge for the milk. Pouring the boiling waterinto the pot as quickly as possible. Tapping your fingers, eatingcake, gulping it down while we wait for it to brew. And then, whatwe've been longing for all along, in two short gulps the tea's gone.Our minds here, there and everywhere. Not actually tasting a drop.Two, three cups go down and not a single drop is truly tasted.The whole fandango is finished of with a hurried wash up. No wonderwe forget whether we've had a cup of tea or not! Doing all thismindfully, deliberately, carefully, taking one’s time, drinkingthe tea as if for the first time in our lives, lifts this ordinarymundane activity into a meditative exercise which not only increasesour mindfulness, but fills that moment with order and beauty. InJapanese culture, this sort of idea produced the famous and beautifulTea Ceremony, but it runs like a motif through a lot of how theJapanese behave, even to the ceremonial bowing before martial arts.To us, it might seem a little over the top, but if we do ceremoniseour lives, we shall see it beautifies all our actions.

The Art of Listening

The second area we need to look at in our daily activities is ourrelationships and communication with other people. Again it isespecially the usual, the ordinary, the habitual communication thatneeds to be de-robotised and made meaningful. We have to observehow we are communicating with our spouse, children, friends, peopleat work, neighbours, and compare this to the attentiveness we devoteto what the boss says or to the diagnosis of the doctor. We needto cultivate the art of listening.

When we listen attentively, giving our whole attention to whatis said, we also become aware of the opinions and conditioned responsesin our own minds. Sometimes we can achieve a concentration inour listening so that these are subdued. For listening to someonemeans to hear what they're saying as if for the first time. Ifthis is really happening, there will always be a break before aresponse while the mind assimilates what has been said and thinksof an answer.

Too often our conversations are fencing matches. My concern isto get the other to acknowledge what ‘I’ am saying andto get ‘that’ person to agree with ‘me’.The other person is doing exactly the same. There's no listeningto what the other is actually saying, only as to how it affects'my' position in the so-called 'discussion'. No wonder there areso many misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions.

When we converse with each other, there's no need to respond immediately.What is really needed is to be truly aware of what the other issaying. In counselling, there's a technique used by a counsellorto show the client that they have understood what's been said. Toshow the client they’ve really been listening and also tofind out whether in fact they’ve understood the client's situation.At the end of the client's complaint or explanation, the counsellorwill say something like: ‘so what you’re saying is...’ It is always a wonderful moment when the client's facebrightens up and relaxes.

Finally, someone who's really listening to what they're saying.Someone who's understood. We communicate to understand each other.To know each other better. At deeper levels, it’s sharingexperiences, supporting and comforting. This is all impossiblefor someone who can't listen. Such a person always starts from thewrong premise and usually puts a foot in it. Listening is an artand the base line of any relationship. People, who can't listen,can’t relate. To listen properly is to be fully aware ofwhat the other is saying and feeling.

Creating Space 1

The next important practice, once we are clear of what it generallymeans to be aware in our daily activities and relationships, isto create a space. Our society with its accent on time passing,punctuality and dead lines, creates a rush, a race. Everyone’srunning every which way. Everyone's speeding. If you can do fourjobs at once, that’s good. Five, that's better. No wonderthere's so much pressure about, so much stress. So much straining.No wonder the greatest killers are heart failure, blood pressure,strokes and so on.

According to Buddhist psychology, only one consciousness arisesat one time. The human mind is capable of doing only one thing ata time. You can't be conscious of two things at the same time.We think we are. When we sitting the cinema, we seem to experienceall the five senses at once. We see the film. We hear the musicand dialogue. We taste the ice cream, smell the smoke and feeluncomfortable in our seats. We seem to be in bath of sensual pleasureall at once. But actually, each consciousness, arising at vast speedsno doubt, is aware of only thing, one incoming sense data at onetime. I am either seeing the film, or hearing the sound track oreating the ice cream and so on. But such is the speed of consciousnessand such is the higher power of the mind to relate and integrateall this that I believe it is all happening altogether, all at once.But we have been fooled, just like the celluloid film tricks usinto believing we are seeing one continuous action and not a setof individual frames. So the important rule to establish in themeditative life is to do one deliberate action at a time.

Of course, there are many things that have now become automatic,such as walking. Here we are discussing those actions that takedeliberation, that have to be done with a certain amount of awarenessor thinking. Walking is normally automatic, but it isn’t ifwe're crossing a high, narrow mountain ridge. Then we are verymuch aware of how we are walking. And if when this walking oughtto be a conscious activity, we decide to look at the scenery, weshouldn't be surprised to fall off. Here we are concerned with deliberateaction, actions that need our attention.

In the morning, for instance, we might find ourselves eating ourmeusli and cornflakes, talking to the family and reading the gasbill all at once. No wonder we feel confused. That things aregetting on top of us. At work or at leisure, it is good to organisethe tasks ahead, but accept limitations, accept the reality of what'sactually happening. Don't be confused by thoughts of what oughtto be happening.

Suppose the day is very busy and full of interruptions. If we nowview these interruptions not as disturbances and nuisances, butsimply accept them as the next thing to be done, we shall free ourselvesof a lot of anger and frustration and stress. Suppose I'm doingsome written work, filling out forms or something and someone approachesme for information. When they 'interrupt' me, with’ excuseme' all I need say is, 'I'll be with you in a moment'. In thatmoment, I recollect where I am with the work I'm doing. To be awareis to remember. Then I turn to the questioner and devote myselfto that request. Once the request is answered, I note I have completedthat task and go back to the written work where I have left a marker.No disturbance. No anger. No stress. Just moving from one jobto another, creating a small space to recollect. If the personapproaching is full of stress and bother, I don’t become involvedin that. I keep my attention to the problem and reassure the person.

It's the same in a family of children, all jumping up and downfor attention, just when poor old mum and dad were looking for abit of peace and quiet. What an opportunity to train! This wayof working, one job at a time with a small space in between, makesfor concentration and efficiency.

Creating Space 2

This small space has also another important function. It stopsthe accumulation of emotional states. Missing that alarm in themorning and over sleeping, Jack suddenly wakes up and realises he'sgoing to be late. Panic. From that moment there's a world-shatteringrush to get to work on time. The morning wash at top speed, waterand soapsuds everywhere. The breakfast is shovelled in, scaldingtea gulped with a yelp. Jack then legs it to the bus stop and spendsthe ride tapping his fingers and biting his lip. Or driving likea madman, swearing at friend and foe, prepared to run over man,woman and child, cats and dogs. Finally, he arrives at work. Isthat the end of the panic? Of course not! Whether he's late orearly, he has set the pace for the day. The whole day becomes aphrenetic onslaught with rush, anger, frustration, anxiety, stressand so on. At the end of the day, his only comfort a bottle ofaspirin or worse!. All this has now, of course, stopped. For Jackis an expert meditator. Now when he's late, he notices the senseof panic and anxiety. But he doesn't respond. He talks himself outof rushing, accepting the fact he's late. He puts effort into concentratingon what he's doing. He may move faster, but not wilder. When hegets to work late he accepts this fact and realises that from nowon there's no need to keep up the faster pace. He relaxes backinto his normal routine. No anxiety, no frustration, no angry outbursts,no rush, no stress. This technique of letting our reactions to eventssubside is of paramount importance if we want to cultivate a generalstate of calmness. This technique is enhanced by self reflection.

Self-reflection

This is the process of self-monitoring throughout the day. Butnot the self-monitoring of a Big Brother, full of do's and don'tsand oughts and shouldn'ts, but of a nurse who is caring for theirpatients. It is simply a matter of recording the state of playand deciding on action to remedy or enhance the situation. Justas a nurse takes a constant temperature reading and acts appropriately.This is another way of stopping emotions and moods from snowballing.

Now Jill, Jack's wife, got to work this morning, early enough,but feeling tired and depressed. As soon as she walks in, her bosssays something she didn't like at all. She gets angry about it.All morning she is alternately, depressed, tired or angry. She angryabout being depressed and depressed about being tired and tiredof being angry. When she goes for a break, everything irritatesher. She's really miserable and her colleagues ignore her. Nowsitting on her own, depression is fuelled with self-pity. Her onlyconsolation is to go home, shout at Jack, and the kids, kick thecat and lock herself into a room, sulk and in really bad times takeProzac!

Jill, however, is now an expert meditator too. She has learntthe technique of living with moods and emotions, of existing peacefullywith them. She develops a friendly attitude towards them, one ofacceptance. She still suffers from depression, but now she acknowledgesit as a fact, as a result of past conditioning. She tries to feelit as it really is. She decides that though the depression is goingto hang about, probably make her less efficient, her energy andattention will be directed to the job in hand, to communicatingwith people, to raising the will to be helpful, open and friendly.By doing this she knows the depression won’t dominate herlife. She knows there wont be reactions to it, like anger and self-pityand anxiety. It may remain all day, all week, all month, all year,but her attitude to it now is as to physical pain, backache or headache.She's not going to let it highjack her life. She knows these sortsof attitudes are allowing the depression to lose steam, to loseenergy. She knows she is reconditioning herself, re-educating herself.It's hard work. It's painful. But every so often she feels thatthe depressions are passing away just that little bit quicker, thatthey are never quite so deep, that she is no longer so suffocatedby them. The moods, once so solid, now seem more soft. She feelsa general lifting towards calmness, peace and joy.

The Inward Glance

Unfortunately, the Buddha neither discovered nor offered a quickmagic cure. It's all hard persistent work. Jill knows that thistechnique, based on awareness, has to be regular and constant.She trains herself into the habit of the inward glance. Movingfrom room to room means opening and shutting doors. In that smallmoment, that break in closing the door, she pauses to look inwards,take stock and lets go of whatever mood was built up in the roomshe's left. She clears her heart and mind, returns to an equilibrium.Walking down corridors and up stairs, during tea breaks and naturalbreaks, she sees in them all occasions for this gentle self-monitoring.This continual effort to let go of negative states of mind. Thiscontinual effort to establish self-awareness. And then the turningoutwards to being aware of all that is around. Jill knows now frompersonal experience that keeping this awareness, making these sortsof decisions, leads to equanimity and clarity of mind. Her depressionscome and go, but she's no longer depressed by them. In time evenher depressions will pass away.

The Diary

An extension of this continual process of self-monitoring whichis simply a way of being in touch with ourselves and of gettingto know ourselves better is to keep a diary. There are many waysto keep a diary, but the purpose of keeping this diary is to heightenone's self-knowledge and to use it to encourage oneself in spiritualtraining. Writing can often get things off your chest. Writingabout an occasion that upset us, we can ask, what was it that actuallygot me upset. Why did it do so? Was it a rational response? Didthe response help the other, the situation, me? What would be abetter response in the future?

For instance, I knew someone who was having problems with his child.He talked about how unruly and angry the child was. As he talkedhe happened to mention that he often got quite angry with the child.When we discussed it, it occurred to us that maybe the child wassimply reacting to his anger and even modelling himself on his father’sbehaviour, as any dutiful child should! A lot of the problems passedwhen he changed his behaviour. Perhaps if he had kept a diary, hemight have been able to make this connection between the child'sbehaviour and his own before it became a problem.

The Tough Nut

Now that we have established as it were, a basic disposition towardsdaily life, we can be more proactive. We can take the offensive.Wean search for techniques which will enhance our lives the more.The first one is to tackle the Tough Nut. Everyone has a habitor personality trait they would dearly love to lose. It could bea strong habit such a smoking or a social nuisance such as a loudvoice or always opinionating. The first is to make the resolutionto change. Then we need to use our self-observation techniques andhere a diary is very useful in order to observe when, where andwith whom the habit is likely to occur. As we come to know theoccasions of the habit, we can form strategies, firstly so thatwe are not overcome by the habit and secondly so that we can undermineits hold on us.

My father used to be a heavy smoker, forty cigarettes a day andthe full-blooded, thick tar stuff. He used to sing in a choir,but had to stop for continual sore throats. The doctor even then(this is over sixty years ago mind!) advised him to stop smokingif he wanted a long singing life. He did. And he hit the habitwhere it hurt most. The one cigarette most difficult to abandonwas the one after lunch when he would sit and relax and perhapsdoze. Since he came home for lunch, he decided instead of smokingand instead of getting irritable with others, he'd take it out onthe piano. Not only has he never smoked since, but he also becamea dab hand at the piano. This is positive action. It hurts. We'vegot to work at it. But it does work!

What are the factors involved? Firstly that insight into theharm of any particular habit. Then the resolute determination tochange. Then the strategy. And most important, the prize! Alwaysmake sure there's a present at the end. My father returned to thechoir he loved.

Developing Goodwill

But its not only against our negative side we must take the offensive,we need also to put energy into the better sides of our personalities.Firstly we need to set the mind onto positive from the first momentof the day. After the morning meditation practice, Metta shouldbe practiced. Metta means goodwill, benevolence, open-heartedness,kindness, care: a universal, impartial love. Again it is by makingthis inner decision, talking to oneself, suggesting to oneself abetter way to be, convincing oneself, that the ground for resolutedetermination is established. By setting the mind at goodwill,once negative states have been allowed to pass, that goodwill willautomatically arise. This goodwill then stands as barrier to anyhabitual negative responses such as anger. It allows the heartto feel things from the other’s point of view.

Now in this practice, it is very important to be able to offerlove to oneself. At first most people think this is selfish. Butactually it's self-care. It's the difference between cooking awell-balanced meal for oneself, and spending £50 on a beef Stroganoffa la nouveau cuisine. Knowing the difference between self-care andself-indulgence is crucial to undercutting any feelings of hatewe might have towards ourselves. Just as we can care and comfortothers, so we can care and comfort ourselves. Just as we encourageand support ourselves, so we should encourage and support others.In this vein, it is good practice to take one of the Perfectionsas a special practice.

Maybe it's patience. I'm impatient with others and myself. I'measily irritated and angered. So let this be my special practice.As we develop one Perfection, we shall discover that the whole personalityis affected and all the other Perfections are also enhanced. Sinceour personalities and relationships are all interdependent and interrelated,this bettering of me inside myself will begin to better my relationshipswith others, allowing others in turn to develop their relationshiptowards me.

Inclining towards Nibbana

So far we have talked on a psychological and social level. Buthow does all this lead to spiritual insight, to the experience ofthe supramundane, of what there is beyond the psychological andthe social, beyond the body and mind? This whole process, thiscontinual effort is all to do with purifying the mind. When themind is pure, the Spiritual Faculties can emerge and intuitive knowledgearise. These faculties are confidence, effort, concentration, awarenessand wisdom. In fact, these faculties can come together at anytime whatsoever. That momentary concentration of these factors,when they are all balanced is known as Khanika Samadhi. It is awell-known phenomena in the scriptures.

A laywoman became Sotapanna on intuiting anicca, transience, inthe crackling of her baking bread. Ananda, the Buddha's attendant,attained arahatship, while placing his head on the pillow to goto sleep. A modern meditation teacher intuited anicca, the fundamentalimpermanence of the universe, while watching a dog pass by. Thismoment is beyond our personal control. It simply happens when allthe conditions are ripe. We don't have to worry about it at all.It will arise of its own at any time, while doing anything. TheNibbanic experience is beyond conditions and arises when the factorsconducive to its arising are mature. We cannot make it happen nomore than we can make ourselves forget something. It happens naturallyas a consequence of all our endeavours to train in the Perfectionsand to remain mindful.

In this connection, let me add that to be aware and alert is notnecessarily to be self-aware. In Insight Vipassana Meditation,once the concentration is high, all we know is the process of thebreath. Up until that moment we were aware of ourselves being theobjective observers. When that objective observer vanishes, andall we know is the process of breath, then that is the sort of pureawareness we need to achieve insight. This can't be brought aboutby an act of will. The observer cannot make itself vanish. It happensquite naturally once the concentration and focus are developed enough.

So it is in ordinary daily life. I might be doing a mental task,such a writing a letter or physical task, such as mowing the lawn.At first, since I'm trying to do the jobs mindfully, I might beaware of myself. But as I give myself to the task, I lose this self-awareness,awareness of a ‘me’. Sometimes when we’ve donea job, we're amazed at how time has flown. It seems to have gonelike a shot. We end up cutting the whole lawn or writing the wholeletter perfectly and without once being actually aware of a ‘me’doing them. They were just done. This is a highly developed stateof concentrated awareness and it is in such moments as these thatthe Factors of Enlightenment can become developed and balanced enoughto give insight. No-one can manufacture this moment, because the‘one’ means that self, that ego which is lost in suchmoments. So don't try, just do!

At the End of the Day

So now we are at the end of the day. A good practice is to spendsometime before falling asleep in bringing the whole day to mind.Here, the diary is useful. Note all the times when mindfulnesswas lost - when, where and with whom. See if anything can be doneto put right any unfortunate consequences of mindlessness if thereare any. If nothing can be done, then accept the consequences totally.What's the point of worry and sorrow? Acceptance is all that isneeded and of course, the resolution not let such a thing happenagain.

Recall moments of mindfulness, of joy, of friendliness, of handlinga tricky situation well. Congratulate yourself. Then bring tomorrowto mind and determine to continue your efforts.

Finally, in bed, go to sleep with the mind rested, contented onhaving done your best. What more can be asked. And gently followthe breathing.

The Joy of Practice

So there we have it. The meditative life! Our objective, full-timeawareness, supported by the techniques of creating space, self recollection,positive action and, of course, our sitting meditation which nowcomes into its true role of training the mind to develop effort,concentration and mindfulness.

It is recommended to practise vipassana early morning in orderto establish our centre for the day and in the evening to allowany unwholesome emotions to be defused. Forty-five minutes willdo. An hour is better. But even ten minutes is better than none.These silent times will nurture the whole day with their quiet awareness.

When we live the meditative life, our view of living changes.To live is to experience. Life is no longer a sequence of successesand failures. Life is no longer loaded with the heavy judgementsof good and bad, right and wrong. Since now we see life as experience,we are looking at what is healthy, wholesome, skilful and gettingaway from the unhealthy, the unwholesome, the unskilful. We needto be athletes, training for the real marathon - life itself. Formost of us over 70 years and over difficult terrain! What is more,each moment is not just the training, but the testing ground too.

The Buddha asked us to be an island unto ourselves, a refuge untoourselves. He wanted us to take the Dhamma, the Teaching, the Truthas our refuge. We have within each of us the potential to achievethe highest peace and joy. Not simply the joy and peace of a meditativelife, but that peace beyond peace - Nibbana.

His final advice was:

Everything is transient, work diligentlyfor your liberation.

Life is passing!

No time to faff about!

Our goals must be set.

All that's left is work.

So we'd better get on with it!

This is the real work of our lives.

The work of our own true liberation.

those meditators who delight in ever presentmindfulness

and look with fear upon heedlessness

are not liable to fall into unskilful behaviour

they are in the presence of Nibbana!

DAILYLIFECARE

Establish Satipanya in Sitting Meditation.

Establish Satipanya in Ordinary Daily Life.

Develop the Perfections.

OBJECTIVES

Full-time Awareness

Be mindful of all activities, especially the habitual

- eating, toiletry, routine tasks

Do things a little slower and more deliberately

Be attentive to all communication, especially the usual

- partner, children, fellow workers

: no need to respond immediately

: when really listening, a pause occurs naturally

Sitting Meditation – Morning

Put real effort into the Vipassana

- especially the opening attempt to be concentrated

Be sure to spend at least five minutes developing Metta

Before you get up:

acknowledge any negative attitudes

resolve not to allow them to highjack you

develop positive attitudes especially to the disliked

choose a negative mental attitude or state you are going to 'letgo of throughout the day

choose a Perfection or virtue you wish to work on throughout theday

e.g. practice patience towards some one

Creating Space

Do one job at a time

e.g. reading the mail in the morning, do it attentively and makedeliberate decisions about it rather than eating your meusli andtalking to the family while you turn blue over the gas bill

leads to –concentration

Pause between every task or event

do a task or what you can do of it completelystop!mentallyput the finished task aside create, if only for a moment, silenceallow the mind to settle look within and know the mental state thenbring the mind to the new task

Make a conscious intentionThen do it.

leads to –efficiency

After an event, allow the reaction to subside

e.g. if you miss the alarm and get up late watch your reactionof anxiety and haste

if the reaction continues throughout the day, just know it isthere and carry on attentively

leads to -calmness

Self - Recollection

use the inward glance to know what state of mind you are in andthen respond a continual self-monitoring

stops moods and emotions from snowballing

find regular times in the day to practice this

opening and closing of doorswalking along corridors, up stairstea-break and natural breaks

leads to -equanimity and clarity of mind

The Tough Nut

everyone has a particular habit or personality trait they wouldlike to change or eradicate

study it as it occurs - when, where, with whomfind strategies to cope so you are nothighjacked

Positive Attitude

Metta meditation, not just at sitting timewait for negative moods to pass then direct Metta to the object,person or self

constantly set your intention at 'goodwill'

Khanika Samadhi

This is a moment to moment state of concentrated intuitive awareness- Satipanya - which is able to perceive ultimate realities. It cancome at any time as it did to one of the disciples of the Buddhawho, while attending to the bread in the oven, intuited the characteristicof transience - anicca - in the crackling. We can't make this happen.It happens naturally. It is the happy outcome of our effort to remainsimply mindful. When we are fully concentrated on our work and havelost all 'self ' awareness, this also has great potential for spiritualinsight.

END OF THE DAY

Sitting Meditation – evening

make a special effort especially after a hard dayimportant in order to let go of the day's accumulations and ensurerestful sleep

Use a diary for reflectionwrite what comes to mind for 15 min. every evening don't think aboutwhat you are going to write just 'splurge' and then put it away

don't read it after you have finished

at the end of a week, read all the writings and draw yourown conclusions

recall moments of mindlessnessnote when, where, and with whomnote if anything can be done to put rightany unfortunate consequencesdetermine to do soif nothing can be doneaccept the consequences totally

recall moments of mindfulnesssuccesses in dealing with tricky situationsand with negative states

congratulate yourself!

At bedtime

determine to fulfill your goals tomorrowdetermine to wake with the alarmmaintain mindfulness from that moment onwardsput your mind upon the breath or body sensationsor practice Metta

P U J A

Buddham pujemi

Dhammam pujemi

Sangham pujemi

I bow to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha

VANDANA

HOMAGE

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa!

Homage the Blessed, Noble and the Fully Self-Enlightened One!

TISARANA

THE THREE REFUGES

Buddham saranam gacchami

I go to the Buddha as my Refuge

Dhammam saranam gacchami

I go to the Dhamma as my Refuge

Sangham saranam gacchami

I go to the Sangha as my Refuge

Dutiyampi Buddham saranam gacchami...(repeat)

For the second time I go the Buddha.... as my Refuge

Tatiyampi Buddham saranam gacchami....(repeat)

For the third time..... as my Refuge

PANCA SILA

THE FIVE TRAINING RULES

Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the training rule to abstain from killing any livingbeing

Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the training rule not to take that whichis not freely given

Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexualmisconduct

Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the training rule to abstain from wrongspeech

Sura meraya majja pamadatthana

veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the training rule not to take substancesthat cloud the mind

Vipassana Gatha

VIPASSANA VERSES

All conditioned things are impermanent

When this is perceived with wisdom

One becomes disenchanted with what cannot satisfy

Just this is the Path of Purification.

All conditioned things are unsatisfactory

All conditioned things and the Unconditioned are insubstantial

Those meditators who delight in ever-present mindfulness

And look with fear upon heedlessness

Are not liable to fall into unskilful behaviour

They are in the presence of Nibbana.

All conditioned things have the nature to decay.

Work diligently for your liberation.

[Last words of the Buddha - Parinibbana Sutta]I determine to make this daya day of moment to moment mindfulness.Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!(Well-done!)MettaGoodwillOffer worldly and spiritual blessing to:someone whom you have warm regard forthose who are near and dearfriends, people at work, neighbours …oneselfHaving established metta, begin to radiate it outwards to:all those in the room/houseall in the surroundsthe whole countryall people on earthPutting a phrase in one’s heart which most expressesthe quality you wish to develop and share,radiate it outwards to all beings in all directions.VIPASSANA GUIDELINESWhatever the sitting posture, it should be comfortable and fulfillthree conditions - an energised spine with its natural curvature,the rest of the body relaxed and the head poised on top. The handsare placed on the lap and the eyes are gently closed.Then the attention is fixed on the process of breathing - justthe normal and natural breath. It is the sensations at the abdomencaused by breathing which are to be observed. And a noting wordis used to focus the thinking mind onto these sensations. As theabdomen rises, the word 'rising' is repeated. As it falls, 'falling'.And in the gap before the in-breath begins again, a feeling in thebody is felt and observed, using the noting word 'touching’.When the mind is somewhat steady, the attention should be allowedto observe whatever draws it within the field of awareness - sensationsand feelings, moods and emotions, mental images and thoughts. Usinga simple word to note and without any interference whatsoever, allthese passing phenomena are to be directly experienced and carefullyobserved. Should the mind wander, let it be brought back gentlybut firmly to observe sensations at the abdomen in order to cultivatea sharp attentiveness.In this way, right awareness with intuitive intelligence - SATIPANYA- becomes established.This bare attentiveness —simply watching all that arises and passes awayThis choiceless awareness —that does not control or manipulateThis impartial observation —that does not judge or questionThis intuitive introspection —fully experiencing each physical, emotional and mentalevent as it really is, leads to the realization that everyhtingis impermanent and insubstantial and that to identify withor to become attached to anything whatsoever, will bring dissatisfaction.These VIPASSANA-INSIGHTS into the Three Characteristics of Existence,impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self - ANICCA, DUKKHA,ANATTA - lead to the complete liberation from all suffering, theexperience of the Unborn, the Unbecome, the Uncreated, the Unconditioned;Refuge, Harbour and Home; Perfect Contentment and Peace.Those who are mindful are in the presenceof Nibbana.The BuddhaSADHU! SADHU! SADHU!ESTABLISHING SATIPANYA. PostureSit comfortably. Energise the spine. Sit tall. Let the rest ofthe body relax. The head gently poised on top. Natural easy breathing.If you change posture in a sitting, do so mindfully, slowly, notingall the movements, or it will disturb your concentration. If youfind yourself sagging, put more energy into the spine. If the neckor back begins to ache, check the posture, but also that you'renot putting 'wrong effort' into the practice, causing tension. Youmay use a cushion or a meditation stool, but only those with physicalproblems should use a chair.. Breathing ProcessObserve the rising and falling of the abdomen. Should you be concentratingelsewhere e.g. at the nostrils, please make sure you receive instruction.Concentrate on the exact beginning of the inbreath, stay steadythroughout the whole middle process and catch the exact end. Concentrateon the exact beginning of the outbreath, stay steady throughoutthe whole middle process and catch the exact end. In the gap beforethe inbreath begins, become aware of a particular feeling or thefeeling of the whole posture and again concentrate on the abdomenas soon as the inbreath starts again.. Feelings and Sensations of the BodyDo not search for them. Allow them, whether from the outside (suchas hearing) or from the inside todrawyour attention andobserve them with the same acute, energetic watchfulness with whichyou observe the sensations caused by the breath process, using appropriatenoting words.. Emotions and MoodsThese are felt in the body as feelings. As with all sensations,note and observe them carefully.. Wandering: Talking: Fantasising MindAs soon as you wake from a daydream, acknowledge it with a notingword and plunge into the body and see if you can feel the emotionwhich is causing the restlessness of mind. If it is too subtle tocatch, then resolve to stay with the breath process. If the wholeday is spent doing this, it is not wasted. This is the trainingwe must do with calm but firm perseverance.. Walking MeditationUse the first 15 minutes or so as exercise, walking as fast asyou wish, noting - left ... right. Then begin to walk slowly, noting- lifting ... moving ... lowering. Continue to slow down, noting- lifting ... moving ... lowering ... placing. Return to the sittingposture at a speed that will not undermine the strength of concentrationyou've developed. Attention is to be placed on the feelings in thefoot. And don't forget to note the intention to walk and turn. Ifyou are going very slow indeed, note - intending to step - beforeeach step.. Daily ActivityIt is very important indeed to keep up continuity of practice andto note your intention before doing anything is a powerful aid.Then complete the action slowly and deliberately. The slower yougo, the more you will notice. This technique is a great aid to concentrationand mindfulness. Practice thisall the time, even when openingand closing doors, during toiletry and while eating.Moment to moment awarenessis the secret of success.The Mahasi SayadawDiscourse on Metta– Good-willIf you are wise and want to reach the state of peace,you should behave like this:You should be upright, responsible, gentle and humble.You should be easily contented and need only a few things.You should not always be busy.You should have the right sort of work.Your senses should be controlled and you should be modest.You should not be exclusively attached to only a few people.You should not do the slightest thing that a wise person could blameyou for.You should always be thinking: May all beings be happy.Whatever living beings there are, be they weak or strong, big orsmall, large or slender, living nearby or far away, those who havealready been born and those who have yet to be born, May allbeings without exception be happy.You should not tell lies to each other.Do not think that anyone anywhere is of no value.Do not wish harm to anyone, not even when you are angry.Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of herown life,So you should let the warmth of your heart go out to all beings.Let your thoughts of love go through the whole world with no ill-willand no hate.Whether you are standing, walking, sitting or lying down,So long as you are awake you should develop this mindfulness.This, they say, is the noblest way to live.And if you do not fall into bad ways,but live well and develop insight,And are no longer attached to all the desires of the senses,Then truly you will never need to be reborn in this world again.Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!THE TEN PERFECTIOND A I L Y A F F I R M A T I O N S1. May I be generous and be of service to others. (dana)2. May I be morally correct and self-disciplined. (sila)3. May I not be selfish and possessive but selflessand sacrificing.(nekkhamma)4. May I be wise and be able to give others the benefitof my understanding. (panna)5 May I be willing and energetic. (viriya)6. May I be patient and quick to forgive. (khanti)7. May I always be truthful. (sacca)8. May I be resolute and keep my word (adhitthana)9. May I be friendly, joyful and compassionate. (metta)10. May I be calm and peaceful. (upekkha)NOTESA Gift of DhammaNo other gift excels the gift of Dhamma.Give generously that others may benefit.Tapes and publications are made possible by generous donations.If you wish to support such Dhamma projects,please contact or send donations to:

I determine to make this day

a day of moment to moment mindfulness.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

(Well-done!)

Goodwill

Offer worldly and spiritual blessing to:someone whom you have warm regard forthose who are near and dearfriends, people at work, neighbours …oneselfHaving established metta, begin to radiate it outwards to:all those in the room/houseall in the surroundsthe whole countryall people on earthPutting a phrase in one’s heart which most expressesthe quality you wish to develop and share,radiate it outwards to all beings in all directions.

VIPASSANA GUIDELINES

Whatever the sitting posture, it should be comfortable and fulfillthree conditions - an energised spine with its natural curvature,the rest of the body relaxed and the head poised on top. The handsare placed on the lap and the eyes are gently closed.

Then the attention is fixed on the process of breathing - justthe normal and natural breath. It is the sensations at the abdomencaused by breathing which are to be observed. And a noting wordis used to focus the thinking mind onto these sensations. As theabdomen rises, the word 'rising' is repeated. As it falls, 'falling'.And in the gap before the in-breath begins again, a feeling in thebody is felt and observed, using the noting word 'touching’.

When the mind is somewhat steady, the attention should be allowedto observe whatever draws it within the field of awareness - sensationsand feelings, moods and emotions, mental images and thoughts. Usinga simple word to note and without any interference whatsoever, allthese passing phenomena are to be directly experienced and carefullyobserved. Should the mind wander, let it be brought back gentlybut firmly to observe sensations at the abdomen in order to cultivatea sharp attentiveness.

In this way, right awareness with intuitive intelligence - SATIPANYA- becomes established.

This bare attentiveness —simply watching all that arises and passes away

This choiceless awareness —that does not control or manipulate

This impartial observation —that does not judge or question

This intuitive introspection —fully experiencing each physical, emotional and mentalevent as it really is, leads to the realization that everyhtingis impermanent and insubstantial and that to identify withor to become attached to anything whatsoever, will bring dissatisfaction.

These VIPASSANA-INSIGHTS into the Three Characteristics of Existence,impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self - ANICCA, DUKKHA,ANATTA - lead to the complete liberation from all suffering, theexperience of the Unborn, the Unbecome, the Uncreated, the Unconditioned;Refuge, Harbour and Home; Perfect Contentment and Peace.

Those who are mindful are in the presenceof Nibbana.

The Buddha

SADHU! SADHU! SADHU!

ESTABLISHING SATIPANYA

. Posture

Sit comfortably. Energise the spine. Sit tall. Let the rest ofthe body relax. The head gently poised on top. Natural easy breathing.If you change posture in a sitting, do so mindfully, slowly, notingall the movements, or it will disturb your concentration. If youfind yourself sagging, put more energy into the spine. If the neckor back begins to ache, check the posture, but also that you'renot putting 'wrong effort' into the practice, causing tension. Youmay use a cushion or a meditation stool, but only those with physicalproblems should use a chair.

. Breathing Process

Observe the rising and falling of the abdomen. Should you be concentratingelsewhere e.g. at the nostrils, please make sure you receive instruction.Concentrate on the exact beginning of the inbreath, stay steadythroughout the whole middle process and catch the exact end. Concentrateon the exact beginning of the outbreath, stay steady throughoutthe whole middle process and catch the exact end. In the gap beforethe inbreath begins, become aware of a particular feeling or thefeeling of the whole posture and again concentrate on the abdomenas soon as the inbreath starts again.

. Feelings and Sensations of the Body

Do not search for them. Allow them, whether from the outside (suchas hearing) or from the inside todrawyour attention andobserve them with the same acute, energetic watchfulness with whichyou observe the sensations caused by the breath process, using appropriatenoting words.

. Emotions and Moods

These are felt in the body as feelings. As with all sensations,note and observe them carefully.

. Wandering: Talking: Fantasising Mind

As soon as you wake from a daydream, acknowledge it with a notingword and plunge into the body and see if you can feel the emotionwhich is causing the restlessness of mind. If it is too subtle tocatch, then resolve to stay with the breath process. If the wholeday is spent doing this, it is not wasted. This is the trainingwe must do with calm but firm perseverance.

. Walking Meditation

Use the first 15 minutes or so as exercise, walking as fast asyou wish, noting - left ... right. Then begin to walk slowly, noting- lifting ... moving ... lowering. Continue to slow down, noting- lifting ... moving ... lowering ... placing. Return to the sittingposture at a speed that will not undermine the strength of concentrationyou've developed. Attention is to be placed on the feelings in thefoot. And don't forget to note the intention to walk and turn. Ifyou are going very slow indeed, note - intending to step - beforeeach step.

. Daily Activity

It is very important indeed to keep up continuity of practice andto note your intention before doing anything is a powerful aid.Then complete the action slowly and deliberately. The slower yougo, the more you will notice. This technique is a great aid to concentrationand mindfulness. Practice thisall the time, even when openingand closing doors, during toiletry and while eating.

Discourse on Metta– Good-will

If you are wise and want to reach the state of peace,you should behave like this:You should be upright, responsible, gentle and humble.You should be easily contented and need only a few things.You should not always be busy.You should have the right sort of work.Your senses should be controlled and you should be modest.You should not be exclusively attached to only a few people.You should not do the slightest thing that a wise person could blameyou for.You should always be thinking: May all beings be happy.Whatever living beings there are, be they weak or strong, big orsmall, large or slender, living nearby or far away, those who havealready been born and those who have yet to be born, May allbeings without exception be happy.You should not tell lies to each other.Do not think that anyone anywhere is of no value.Do not wish harm to anyone, not even when you are angry.Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of herown life,So you should let the warmth of your heart go out to all beings.Let your thoughts of love go through the whole world with no ill-willand no hate.Whether you are standing, walking, sitting or lying down,So long as you are awake you should develop this mindfulness.

This, they say, is the noblest way to live.And if you do not fall into bad ways,but live well and develop insight,And are no longer attached to all the desires of the senses,Then truly you will never need to be reborn in this world again.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

THE TEN PERFECTION

D A I L Y A F F I R M A T I O N S

1. May I be generous and be of service to others. (dana)

2. May I be morally correct and self-disciplined. (sila)

3. May I not be selfish and possessive but selflessand sacrificing.(nekkhamma)

4. May I be wise and be able to give others the benefitof my understanding. (panna)

5 May I be willing and energetic. (viriya)

6. May I be patient and quick to forgive. (khanti)

7. May I always be truthful. (sacca)

8. May I be resolute and keep my word (adhitthana)

9. May I be friendly, joyful and compassionate. (metta)

10. May I be calm and peaceful. (upekkha)

A Gift of Dhamma

No other gift excels the gift of Dhamma.Give generously that others may benefit.

Tapes and publications are made possible by generous donations.If you wish to support such Dhamma projects,please contact or send donations to:

Meditation in Ordinary Daily Life

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