Practice

Mindfulness is the practice of clear awareness of things within your area of sensory perception, within the six senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or thought. However, when we are mindful of our thoughts, the patterns of the thoughts in our minds, we are better able to understand the reasons behind our own dissatisfaction and lack of happiness and peace.

 

In my opinion, it was chiefly owing to their deep contemplation in their silent retreats in the days of youth that the old Indian orators acquired the habit of carefully arranging their thoughts.

Sky-water-birdThey listened to the warbling of birds and noted the grandeur and the beauties of the forest. The majestic clouds - which appear like mountains of granite floating in the air – the golden tints of a summer evening sky, and all the changes of nature, possessed a mysterious significance.

All this combined to furnish ample matter for reflection to the contemplating youth.

Francis Assikinack (Blackbird) Ottawa

The core of our practice is Ānāpānasati, mindfulness of breathing, which leads to the development of skillful mindfulness. This is the practice that has been passed down from the Buddha and is the reason that when we see depictions of the Buddha Gotama he is in a meditative state.  The practice of Ānāpānasati is simple and powerful but difficult for those who are not patient or persistent. Nothing of value comes easily; this is blatantly true about meditation.

The simple steps of Ānāpānasati are:

  1. Relax and watch your breaths for a few minutes, being mindful of each in and out breath as short or long.
  2. Count the breaths paying attention to the sensation of the breath at the nostril area: count out-breath “one”, in-breath “one”; out-breath “two”, in-breath “two” all the way to ten. The go back to one and repeat the process, do this for at least ten minutes daily working to increase the time.
    1. Be mindful of the sensations experienced within the six senses paying close attention to the thoughts. Just watch the thoughts, don’t follow them; watch them come and go like bubbles.
    2. Contemplate the Eightfold Path as your thoughts come and go.


“Dukkha is neutral; it helps our spirit grow and spawns wisdom.”

~ Kong Hai