Concentration; the 6th Factor of Awakening

This week we continue the exploration of the Factors of Awakening with the factor of Concentration, which develops out a mind that is calm and tranquil. In Pali, the word for concentration is Samadhi; a clear and focused settled back abiding, an undistractedness of mind that leads to deeper and deeper meditative states of absorption, and the ability to see things as they are with greater and greater clarity, insight, and wisdom.

In Buddhist traditions, developing concentration through meditation is commonly approached in two ways: 1) through single object concentration or “one-pointedness,” and 2) through momentary or “moment-to-moment” concentration.  One-pointedness focuses the attention on a fixed object like the breath, a mantra, a prayer or visualization for the purpose of steadying, quieting, and stilling the mind, much like a high powered zoom lens. Moment-to-moment concentration broadens the view. It cultivates a keen awareness of changing phenomena as they occur without getting caught by any single thought, feeling or sensation. Momentary concentration develops the capacity to take it all in, moment by moment with calm, clarity, and steadiness, like that of a wide angle lens.

Last week we discussed the Buddha’s basic teaching on mindfulness of breathing and its function for developing calm in the mind and body. What follows is an explicit teaching of how this one-pointed practice leads to a widening out into momentary concentration practice. It is from Upasika Kee Nanayon, an extraordinary 20^th century Thai Buddhist laywoman who grew to be one of the most famous teachers in Thailand. From her book Pure and Simple:

“The texts say to breathe in long and out long, heavy or light, and then to breathe in short and out short, again, heavy or light. Those are the first steps of the training. After that we don’t have to focus on the length of the in-breath or out-breath. Instead, we simply gather our awareness at any one point of the breath and keep this up until the mind settles down and is still. When the mind is still, you then focus on the stillness of the mind at the same time you’re aware of the breath. You focus continuously on the normalcy of the mind at the same time that you’re aware of the breath coming in and out, without actually focusing on the breath. You simply stay with the mind.”

Normalcy is the mind as it is; the ordinary awareness of what’s already right here, right now. It’s home base.[1] As the mind stabilizes and concentration deepens, we begin to see our thoughts in a more transitory way. Thoughts come and go, but we do not get caught in their stories. We become much more skilled at seeing them for what they are, naturally occurring formations of the mind.  The contemporary Burmese Buddhist teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya offers this instruction:

“When the mind is thinking or wandering, just be aware of it. Thinking is a natural activity of the mind. You are doing well if you are aware that the mind is thinking, but if you feel disturbed by thoughts, or if you have a reaction or judgment of them, there is a problem with your attitude. The wandering mind is not the problem. Your attitude that they should not be around is the problem. So understand that you have just become aware of some functions of the mind. These, too, are just objects for your attention. When you feel disturbed by the thinking mind, remind yourself that you are not practicing to prevent thinking, but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises. If you are not aware, you cannot know that you are thinking. The fact that you recognize that you are thinking means that you are already aware. Remember, it does not matter how many times the mind thinks, wanders off or gets annoyed about something, as long as you become aware of it.”

Whether practicing single object or momentary concentration, a practical steady mindful awareness develops as the mind strengthens and learns to settle back. This opens the door to samadhi, deep levels of meditative absorption, inquiry and insight.

“This freedom from distraction further induces a softness and serenity… Like a lake unruffled by any breeze, the concentrated mind is a faithful reflector that mirrors whatever is placed before it exactly as it is.”

     -Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 1994.

The possibility of developing an unruffled mind is very motivating to me. Experiencing moments of that kind of steadiness, peace and clarity is the purpose of practice.

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[1] Joseph Goldstein, Dharma talk on the Satipattana Sutta, April, 2008

Calm & Tranquility; the 5th Factor of Awakening

Out of the energy and exhilaration of Rapture & Joy, we come to rest in the settled stillness of the next Factor of Awakening, Calm & Tranquility, Passadhi in Pali. Here we are so far:  Stable and continuous mindfulness leads to investigation and discerning wisdom. This stirs up the energy and effort that leads to rapture and joy, which in turn open the door to calm and tranquility. Our meditation practice is then deliberately directed towards nurturing this calm through quieting the mind and body.

Best of any song

Is bird song

In the quiet, but first

You must have the quiet.

                              - Wendell Berry

I love this poem. Intentionally spending time in quiet places allows us to hear our own thoughts and notice the details. We need this time and space to still the noise of our lives, inside and out.  Meditation practice turns down the volume of a discursive mind, calms the body and allows our innate wisdom to surface.

“Inner calmness is a way of being that can transform our lives. Taking one thing at a time as our focus, letting the imperfections of life be, fosters a sense of the present, a contentment with the moment….As our skill in meditation grows, we can learn the art of letting go and finding a calm center in the midst of our changing sense. As we sit, extraordinary levels of silence and peace can open up for us….We can learn how happiness comes from a heart at rest and not from changing our outer circumstances.”

-Joseph Goldstein & Jack Kornfield, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, 1987.

Another way to access and develop a quiet mind is to suspend our penchant for living our lives swinging on the pendulum between our likes and dislikes believing our opinions as gospel. By loosening the grip on our habitual fixed views, letting go of the continual evaluation of “I like this and I don’t like that,” and not clinging to this running commentary of judgments, we give ourselves room to breathe. This is not to say that we need to relinquish our points of view or opinions, (we need discerning wisdom), but by releasing our likes and dislikes even momentarily, our minds become calmer, more spacious, and we make room for wisdom and compassion to grow. It also makes life is easier and less contentious.

            “The Great Way is not difficult

               For those who have no preferences.

               When love and hate are both absent

Everything becomes clear and undisguised.

Make the smallest distinction however

And heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.

If you wish to see the truth

Then hold no opinions for or against anything.

To set up what you like against what you dislike

Is the disease of the mind.

When the deep meaning of things is not understood

The mind’s essential peace is disturbed to avail.”

-from Verses on the Faith Mind, 

the Third Zen Patriarch, Seng-tsan

In the Satipattana Sutta, the Buddha’s seminal teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the following specific meditation instructions are clearly laid out for developing this factor of calm and tranquility. From the sutta:

“Breathing in long, he knows ‘I breathe in long,’ breathing out long, he knows ‘I breathe out long.’ Breathing in short, he knows ‘I breathe in short,’ breathing out short, he knows ‘I breathe out short.’ He trains thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body,’ he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in calming the [body],’ he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out calming the [body].’”

The sutta directs us to both knowing and training, a wonderful description of what practice actually is. It is one thing to “know” and become aware of the breath, and quite another and a little more difficult to “train” oneself to experience the breath as a means of developing calm, peace and ease. 

Thich Nhat Hanh adds to this instruction by recommending a slight upward curve at the corners of the mouth, a gentle smile. He says smiling causes the whole body to relax. Try it out and see if you feel more at ease, if it lightens your heart.

Rapture & Joy, the 4th Factor of Awakening

Piti is the next Factor of Awakening, and is translated from Pali as rapture, joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, rapt interest, or bliss. It describes a specific kind of energy and feeling in the body, mind, and heart that naturally and organically unfolds as a result of the previously developed awakening factors. Said another way, and going backwards from where we left off last week; out of sustained well-directed energy supported by investigation and wisdom grown out of continuous mindfulness, natural joy, delight and happiness arise.

In understanding Piti, it is important to distinguish between the rapture and joy that come from deepening states of meditative concentration and absorption, the joy and happiness that come from understanding and knowledge, and the delight and pleasure one feels as a result of the fruits of one’s skillful efforts. These are all forms of Piti, also known as Dharma Joy.[1]

Rapture is the facet of Piti that develops through deepening levels of meditative concentration. It is an energy that pervades the entire body with an assortment of very pleasurable, delightful, intense or blissful feelings. These waves of energy can be momentary or last differing lengths of time. The feelings may vary in intensity; sometimes tingling or vibrations in the body, sometimes centered in one specific area, perhaps the crown of the head or the center of the chest. It may be felt as pain or pure delight. Sometimes rapture can give the sensation of feeling ten feet tall, or as if there is an enormous weight on the top of the head, or a sense of joyful relief throughout the entire body.

While this may sound very intriguing and make you think, “Hey, I want some of that meditative thrill,” beware. These states are very seductive. If you’ve experienced meditative rapture, you know it can be completely captivating and steer you off course. With enough experience, you know it’s just another state brought on by conditions present at that time. If you have not experienced it, this doesn’t mean anything except you haven’t experienced it. That’s all. What is important to remember is that just like all other mind states, rapture is not the purpose of practice, but is an aspect and experience of practice. And it is temporary. Remember this when you’re feeling either exhilarated or frustrated with your meditation practice. It is just a passing state of mind. Good or bad, it will change.

Another facet of Piti is that sense of joy and happiness that occurs when we finally understand something, the “ah-ha!” moment. In those times, the mind opens, relaxes and it feels good. We’re happy, though it may be subtle. Even if what we’ve figured out is not great news, we still have the relief and even the pleasure of understanding. The contemporary Burmese Theravadan Buddhist monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya says, “You should be happy when you know or understand anything.” This is a very good reminder about accepting ourselves and our circumstances as we are in this moment. This is good enough now because it is the only now there could be.

The third aspect of Piti is the joy and pleasure that come from skillful actions; those that lead to increased well-being and decreased suffering, and wholesome mind states and happiness. Specifically, states of non-greed, non-ill-will, and having enough patience and awareness to not act out of ignorance or delusion. All of these states require a degree of letting go; loosening up our grip on what we perceive to be me or mine, and even on how we think things should be or want them to be.

What does it mean to let go and loosen the grip? Sometimes it can take a lot of courage to do this. It might feel risky to let go of some thing or some idea and move into the unknown and uncomfortable. But doing so is an act of generosity, and generosity is a very wholesome state of mind. Think about a time when you let go of some hard fought position, or gave away a cherished possession, or even made a monetary donation that may have been a bit of a stretch.  Did it give you pleasure or relief or delight or happiness? The Buddha taught that generosity brings us joy three times; 1^st, with the initial thought to be generous, 2^nd, with the actual giving, and 3^rd with the memory of our action. I think this is really true. Try it out for yourself.

 “Whatever path of action you find 

that brings good and happiness to all, 

follow this way 

like the moon in the path of the stars.”

-from Buddha's Little Instruction Book, Jack Kornfield, 1994.

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[1]Adapted from a talk given by Joseph Goldstein, May 2007. www.dharmaseed.org

Energy & Effort; the 3rd Factor of Awakening – Part 2

Last week we began the exploration of Viriya, Energy. Effort, perseverance, persistence, determination, courage, and striving all describe the various expressions of this kind of energy related to both meditation practice and our daily lives. Working with our energy and efforts with practice over time, we find what is skillful and leads to wholesome states, and what is unskillful, leading to unwholesome states.

The Buddha taught that Greed, Hatred and Delusion, (Craving, Aversion, and Ignorance) are the three unwholesome roots, (also known as The Three Poisons) out of which all afflictive mind states and harmful actions arise. This profound and powerful teaching is a mandate to consider how our energy and efforts condition our actions, how our actions create consequences, and what the outcome of these consequences may be. Do they cause harm and create suffering, or do they contribute to goodness, nurture well-being, and decrease suffering? In her book Pay Attention for Goodness’ Sake, Sylvia Boorstein writes:

               “I feel an invigorating consolidation of my Energy – a striving to be here now – each time I realize that now is the only time anything happens and that every now, disappearing just as rapidly as it arrives, has been shaped and created by a habit and – in its fleeting existence – is shaping and creating habits. I know that my experience of a peaceful, happy mind depends on developing the habits that support it. Since habits are, by definition, deeply ingrained patterns, and all moments are immediately lost, I need to enlist every moment to teach me about suffering and the end of suffering. Knowing that I haven’t a moment to lose keeps my Energy level high.”

This is not to say that we need to live in a frantic state of mind. More, that we need to know when to push, when to pull back, when to go for it, and when to let go, while keeping in mind that we only have so many nows. Gentle persistence is my favorite way of thinking about this kind of effort. Sometimes in my meditation practice when I feel my energy waning or my attention drifting, I think to myself, “gentle persistence, hang in there, feel the breath, gentle persistence.” It helps buoy up the energy and strengthen my resolve.

A friend recently told me about his experience of watching an osprey struggle and fight to catch a very large very strong fish as he watched from his kayak. After quite a battle and a lot of splashing about, the fish had outdone the osprey. As the raptor ascended and flew off in defeat, it shook off like a wet dog with a great and dramatic spray of water.  My friend said it was an extraordinary display of the struggle between intense grasping and deliberate letting go.

So how do we practice with engaged energy, effort and awareness? Working with the following four reflections can keep us keenly aware and present in our lives. While they may seem dire and urgent, they light a fire, and keep us on our toes, breathing life, momentum and motivation into our practice.

1.      The rarity and preciousness of human life. We may not think that human life is rare given that there are seven billion humans on our planet, but compared to the number of all living things, germs, animals, plants, everything alive, human life really is relatively rare. How precious it is that we are here, practicing, living a life.

2.      The inevitability of death. We all know we will die, we just don’t know when. And, we tend to not think about the raw stark reality that we will all be separated from everything and everyone we love.

3.      The awesome and indelible power of our actions. This is karma; everything we do makes a difference, everything we do matters. Ripple effects are real; all actions have consequences.

4.      The inescapability of suffering. Life is challenging, period. Sometimes easier and sometimes harder, but accepting that life includes suffering, and knowing that things will change, can help us move through the difficult times with greater ease and more wisdom.[1]

In wrapping up the discussion of the awakening factor of Energy, we can take a look at how these first three factors unfold. Pay attention, be curious, develop and discover your innate wisdom, harness your energy and direct it well.

The Buddha gets the last word:

               “Doing no evil

                Engaging in what is skillful,

                And purifying the mind:

                This is the teaching of the buddhas.”[2]

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[1] The Four Reflections adapted from Training in Compassion; Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, Norman Fischer, 2012.

[2] The Dhammapada, translation Gil Fronsdal, 2005.