Observing the Breathing Body and the Mind of No AbodeĀ
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jeff and roy
are you going okay it's going
how yesterday was the forty fourth forty third anniversary of me becoming ordained as a zen priest
and tell her a few days about a month before that
who was a seventieth here since i came out of my mother
into the heat of mississippi
and i wanted to express my gratitude for all people who made donations to buy an ipad for me
whether we thought it was a good idea or not
the do
i think somebody thought that
actually i wanted an ipad
i knew that i would never buy one because i'd have to go to the store
which i have a hard time getting to stores
earlier today i asked you to please observe
the breathing
and the posture and how
the breathing and posture interact
i thought it would be good for all worked on not today together
the name of this so the name of this temple is no abode
he can also be called know dwelling
or on
unsupported
this
this name comes from the teachings on perfect wisdom
so it the the these teachings say that if you wish to
realize
perfect awakening in order to benefit all beings and it wouldn't be good for you to practice the perfection of wisdom
and the the beings who wish to realize buddhahood for the welfare of all beings
our like the historical buddha the historical buddha shakyamuni wanted to realize true awakening in order to
help all beings me free of suffering
and he called himself a bodhisattva as he
work towards realizing enlightenment so we now call those who wish to work towards the same
enlightenment in order to benefit suffering banks and liberate them we call us beings body surface they aspire to
the border and as and they aspire to the perfection of wisdom which is the mother the perfection of wisdom is the mother of buddha's enlightenment
and then in order to practice the perfection of the wisdom we are encouraged to
produce to generate a mind
that has no abode
a mind it doesn't dwell in anything
that doesn't dwell in colors sounds smells tastes tangibles or any kind of mental activity
the a bodhisattva mind which enters which is that enters into the prevention of wisdom is a mind which doesn't abide anywhere doesn't abide in anything
that's the name of this temple that nine abiding
hey
the zen tradition is a tradition
that wishes to take care of and and promote this perfection of wisdom is tradition which
which wishes to promote
and nourish a mind that has no abode
because this is a mind of the perfection of wisdom
and so the zen tradition want to promote the practice of a mind which doesn't dwell or cling to anything
and this mind is the mind of wisdom which is the mother of the enlightenment the mother of the borders
so this practice of non dwelling is a practice he's a meditation practice which can be done
in the midst of
all activities
and
all activities can be performed in the midst of this meditation
so the meditation can can be done in the midst of activities and activities can be done in the midst of the meditation
there's no difference
really between art activities
our daily worldly activities is no difference between them and the zen practice or the practice of enlightenment
and so one of the one of the ways we can realize this is
the way we realize this is defined as mine of no abode
so we realized that the the same there's no difference and we realize you can practice the buddha's way in the midst of human activities and human activities can be living in the midst of
buddhist practice
says
the question is can you it doesn't work
check it out does it work to actually be aware of your breathing
we are breathing one way or another
we do have a body one way or another all day long so in all of our activities
what in the midst of all of activities there's breathing
and and mr breathing are all our activities
so there already is this
this mutual inclusion in the midst of all of our activities through the body
in the midst of all of our bodies
there's our activity
so can we actually observe this breathing body which is there all the time
and in which everything lives can we actually observe that all day long
could such a meditation practice be one that includes all of our activities
and could all of our activities include that meditation
that's why i asked you to look at that to see
could you observe this as you went through the morning
and i imagine that
you could somewhat and i imagine that
you forgot someone
and then you remembered
and then and then you lost track of that observation
if we're cultivating the mind of no abode all activities can occur within that
and if if were involved in activities the mind of know abode can also live there too
so this meditation this basic meditation on are looking are being aware of our posture
and then being aware of how his breathing that basic set
can can set the stage for all of our activities and also can set the stage for
wondering and contemplating what
a non abiding mind would be
so we can directly meditate on
a mind of know about a mind that doesn't claim at anything
but it may be helpful to set the stage or set the frame of reference for this these practices
by just trying to develop a consistent
a steady awareness of posture
and it's helpful to notice that the postures breathing
or you can also say to develop a steady awareness of breathing and the breathing is occurring
with a body i'm not talking about breathing that's not connected to a body i'm talking about the breathing of a body
the body breathing
i'm saying how about taking care of that body breathing you've got it
we've got it how about taking care of it why not and you may say
actually i can't think of any reason not to
except that i don't
but that's another reason not to that's just a lack of training
in order to be able to take care of some things we have to train ourselves to take care of them
and even in that's not a shortcoming in us that system that's just normal all the buddhas had to train themselves and taking care of their bodies and breathing and they've got good at it
they got consistent they became consistent by training
it's possible that we could become consistent to but even before were consistent even to do it some today is still wonderful
if you can be somewhat aware
of this breath which is
which is working with your body and this body which is working with the breath
and there are many ways for the body to work with the breath and the breath to work with the body
but i'm not actually talking about i'm not actually recommending ways for your body to work with the breath or not today and i'm not work i'm talking about ways for your breath to work with your body
i'm talking about being aware of the way your body is working with your breath because it is and the way the breath is working with your body because it is i'm talking about being mindful of what you're actually living now rather than tell you what you should be living
and
and i'm i'm wishing that you will do that and then you will discover what your body and breath are doing together and that and
you will discover not just once but you'll discover moment after moment and as you discover moment after moment you may discover patterns
and i'm not tell you what powders you should discover i'm just saying as you do that will i say that will promote discovering the mind
that does not dwell anywhere the mind a perfect wisdom
hey
i have a memory that just a moment ago i reached down picked up a teacup
and as i was reaching for it i was not watching i was watching my posture but i wasn't noticing my breathing as i reached for it but as i lifted the cup up i started to become aware of my breathing with my posture
i recovered from
noticing a posture without also noticing
how it's working with the breathing
the same
she asked
and when i said she asked i noticed
and i'm noticing again my breathing with my posture and when i was in the case you're asking i did notice
i was watching my breathing while i was talking to you and i am now to on exhaling
an imac sailing again
and i
and exhaling again
i'm doing an experiment of speaking on my exhale
and now i'm speaking on my exhale again and i'm just gonna mention to you that there were a number of inhales
where i didn't speak but this is an exhale
so if i practice this you will be able to if i practiced as you will be able to
know how i'm breathing when i'm talking
and there will be a rhythm in my speech
and on the exhale i pray that you can tolerate this rhythm
and i laughing i'm laughing on the exhale to
i don't laugh on details
i discovered
i get air so i can laugh again
is there a question
i heard her say
can you say something about how i can do this practice without multitasking
two ways come up to mind for starters
at a little multi
one way of doing this without multitasking is not the multitask
just
why should posture and breathing and don't do anything else
the other way is to do this practice and multitask
but multi task without losing the basic practice
but
practice wise
for practically speaking
it will be difficult to keep my feet planted in awareness of posture and breathing
an multitask
until i actually well planted but once i'm were planted
i can start to multitask and i can be aware of whether i lose my basic might
my kind of like a rock
bottom frame a body and breathing with right lose it
when i started multitasking
and if so under some circumstances like today you can let go of the multitasking you have my permission
and go back to the basic frame
the basic
actually you know conceptual frame how posture and breathing or also
posture and breathing here and now
and when i'm well settled in posture and breathing
now here i can start to think about for example
other places and other times
and other tasks
and as i start to do it i can also see if i'm lost now
my ground up my basic mindfulness and if i have i might say well
let go of that as other tasks and come back to the simple place that's very clear this is what i mean by now this is what i mean by here or this is what
is now for me now and this is what's here for me
here
and this is the body that's here that's breathing
and based on this when you're when i'm settled and concentrated here it's possible than to multitask from this place
and you can multitask about things which are really good to multitask about
like the infinite realms
of
the teachings
but to get involved in these teachings
maybe most beneficial when the environment is based on being settled in the basic situation
i've been calm and present here now with the body breathing
from that place now you can explore while what would it be like not to abide
not to dwell in this body
when i first start meditating on the posture that's breathing and the breathing posture
there may be dwelling
i don't want to look at that right away
first
get my feet on the ground now look to see is there any dwelling
and then again
i'm here breathing
this posture is breathing and then again what is not dwelling
and potentially i'm completely here or there is complete presence here and now with the breathing posture
and this
very deep practice
a perfect wisdom
i'm not dwelling
is actually being practiced at the same time
sorry
in the heart sutra we say that the other lucky test bar a body sought for the bodhisattva of great compassion
was practicing deeply
what are the lucky test for our body surfer was whole heartedly present with her body breathing
in this way she was deeply practicing not abiding in her body breathing
she was breathing
in and out
with the body
she was breathing in and out
with other mental activity
wholeheartedly deeply
not abiding
places
stillness it is like a dance and this is a dance which i'm
encouraging us to observe the dance is going on
it's a question of
observing it
and noticing that that is a basic dance there's other dances which are not always going on
like thinking of the future is not always going on
but we actually are always thinking of the present we do maintain the thought of a present our basic situation is the ideas of now
we actually maintain that
and so therefore we can think of the future and not get lost in it because we know where to go back to
and we can think of the past
in the present we can think of the past and it's not so dangerous because we can come back to the present because it's here and we can think of other bodies and so on
that's part of the dance to and to appreciate their dance it's good to be aware of the basic one
idea
dwelling with
excuse me can i mentioned something on an exhale
i can drink on in heels
she said she doesn't get it you're not gonna get this it you don't get
the mind of know about you don't yet non dwelling but you can practice it you can practice it but you don't get this particular practice you don't get to get
you're doing the practice of not getting anything so you're not gonna get it
make sense to me
and and things can make sense
without getting them
or getting them you can get him if you get a non-owner know if you if you don't get em that's closer to not abiding but you can understand without grasping without dwelling in it
you do the prep
i think i don't get that don't have to get is when you're doing a practice consciously
in your body and breathing that's dwelling in that practice to get semantic and that literally that's enough i got it i got it
and i said that before if you do this practice of a basically being mindful and observing that a body in the present that's breathing if you do that practice that doesn't mean when you first start you're not going to be dwelling in that practice he probably will be
because you're you're not yet reached the point of deeply practicing
mindfulness of your posture and breathing as it becomes deeper and deeper more and more wholehearted
it will be you you'll reach not dwelling in the meantime you may notice some dwelling
and notice what that how that works how the dwelling works and you might dwell and noticing that to have guts were setting the stage for realizing the mind that enters perfect wisdom or that the wholeheartedness the deep practice we start with a superficial verne
psion of it matter of fact
we start with a version that week forgets to do
quite a bit of the time
and so but i want to ask you when you when you do this practice are you enjoying it because
this should be in it should be i think this should be immediately enjoyable
that you're mindful even though you might be mindful of some difficulty at least you may be happy that you're aware of your breathing body
and then you could say all but i notice isn't clinging some dwelling okay that will be will have to go through that quite a bit
but that the deeper levels we will finally not dwelling in this body and breathing this breathing body that's we're heading at the point of this practice is to make this mind
which is devoted to the welfare of all beings without dwelling in welfare for devotion or all beings
but we start with some dwelling and this wonderful practice is wonderful and aspirations
so we start the body sought but at the beginning of her practice she dwells in her vows a great falls
she has not yet she she vows to realize great compassion which means she vows to realize non abiding but she at the beginning or not the beginning but for a long time she is dwelling
and she's kind to that
and patient with that
and she's clear or where she's going she's heading towards us this great buddha mind that doesn't dwell in anything
and at the same time is doing this practice i'm not dwelling in order to benefit all beings it facilitates the work of compassion to knock a dwelling in the compassion
for the banks for whom the compassion is
been practiced
yes can i ask to presume when i'm sixteen
if
when i listened to you
i perceived that your experience has a lot of space they when you're describing this practice
him he come from a very open space this is my procedure from here but when i tried to do it
the small mine
this to control the breathing or taste want to displays
so you imagine that when i hear you say that the small mind is trying to control the experience you imagine that i'm kind of a spacious attitude towards that
how about you having the same spacious attitude towards a small mind that's trying to control he comes on those yeah but you could there could be a generosity towards this small mind as trying to control the process right yeah so you notice that and so when you notice that doesn't operate
unity for jute for generosity
which you imagine that i would be wanting to practice with such a thing right now so that's what that's what i would recommend to practice when you notice that somebody's trying to get control of the practice of watching the breathing and
so i didn't mention that in order to be successful this practice
of
observing the
ah breathing body
we have to also be generous towards any kind of
grasping her towards this very practice he grasped yeah so we're trying to be generous as we approach this practice so that has we start to do it for notice a grasping we can be generous towards a grasping and then again do this practice more and more with less and less grasping
even while the grasp things going on
so the grasping activity can occur within this
and this can occur within the grasping
and then in that way we become free of the grasp
so i've been
encouraging this practice now for a while and as i confess to you
sometimes i forget to do the practice that i'm in corrosion
and i'm also reporting to you that i'm blessed by not hating myself for being forgetful
i'm more like kind to the little guy who keeps forgetting
sometimes i'd treat myself like on my grandfather
or like on my grandson
my granddaughter who forgets to do the practice that she's recommending
and that makes me want to go try again rather than
what are going to be mean to me i give up
just a second be right with you yes
are you saying
that if you practice heartedly you can't abide
so she said i agree i agree so this place is called know abode can also be renamed wholehearted
if we practice wholeheartedly for practice deeply for practice of perfection of wisdom deeply which means a practice form deeply sound deeply colored deeply
taste deeply we practice everything deeply if one is really deep there's no abiding yes
brad
enjoy
doing as much as i do that
this morning
and then you talked about
doing that
i may not be feeling joyful and yet i might feel joyful
that i'm aware that i'm not feeling joyful and i'm i can be feeling pain and be joyful that i'm remembering to observe my posture and breathing because although i'm in pain i'm in the most basic situation to handle that pay cycle
joyful that i'm in the best i'm in my basic position to deal with my pain sometimes of pain drops away but it may go on but the breathing body is there with the pain and meeting where of the breathing body helps me take care of the pan
but doesn't mean i don't have paid
and i'm joyful that i'm in the best position to help with the pain just like
if someone else's suffering i'm joyful to be in the best position best posture
i'm to help them and the best posture to help them turns out to be the one that's happening
and that one just for the moment now the next one that's happening that's the one i'm that's the one that's been given to me to help now
and i find yeah so i'm grateful to have a pot a body that's breathing and this body if i attend to and i'm in the place to do what
in to serve suffering bags doesn't mean there's no suffering meantime joyfully receiving this opportunity to help i'm not skipping over my body that's breathing
and that we do that sometimes we
we see someone suffering and we we leap to help them before we
before we take care of the helper to have the breathing body which is gonna be the base to help them we think i'm going to time to check into this body and breathed his breathing body i gotta go help them first
but as i said the other night the buddhists say no don't try to help other people before you are present first be present even though you have this instant thing i wanted to jump over there and help them
the present with that
don't let the wish to help distract you from being present with the wish to help and as a breathing body that's their with the wish to help
and if you take care of that you can facilitate this wonderful wish but if you skip over your body which you're breathing body in which this wish arises
you will be less able to help in a way you want to help
but again you know it's quite common and we just we impulsively
leave our breathing body to help
have to train ourselves to take care of that and from there from their do all these helping things
can do all those helping things from there but we have to train ourselves otherwise we feel like on being selfish to take care of my posture before i helped the person we have to train ourselves to see this will help the person to person wants us to be grounded they don't want to be flying through the air to take a speck of
dust out of there i they want us to be grounded and present we do that
unless they say otherwise and then we listened to that and we listened to them saying no i don't want you to be grounded from a ground in place
and then we can say okay i will for you i won't be grounded grounded place i won't be grounded for you whatever you want i want to mrs mention if i may before too long fred astaire
fred astaire
delivered just register
fred astaire
dance with ginger rogers and fred astaire
as his feet on the ground
why he supports ginger rogers to multitask
she's doing all these fabulous things in the air and he supporting her to do all these fabulous things but he has his feet on the ground so that she can fly
she doesn't put her feet on the ground very often so he can fly but she to some extent she does but mostly as he's planted
and then she can do these amazing things that she does
so we can multitask
if you have reviewed on the ground and a multitasking can be really beautiful but some that there is this thing of of being at the body there which supports these the things
hmm
source sometimes sometimes there that the ball simultaneous they know the the multitasking and the ground and is are simultaneous and sometimes the simultaneous grounding sometimes ginger rogers and fred astaire both to standing there grounded and there's no multitasking they're just they're together present and there are
doing anything other than being present and that's great too but that's not where what we usually want to see we wanna see these things is amazing things that are possible because somebody's grounded we want to see people apparently fly through the air
but that's only possible because
it is possible to fly through the air without somebody being grounded but then ginger gets hurt
because fred's feet are on the ground she can fly and land safely because from the groundedness
she's not distracted by this and she's not either she's connected to her ground through him and he's connected to his multitasking through her so together they can do this amazing feat
but both of them are doing their job so the other one can do to hurt their job so she's flying so the heat and supported fly he's on his ground so she can it's it's mutual
but the first thing to do is learn how to stand on the ground then then learn how to fly
oh so i present this study of breathing in and out
and it seems there are many rhythms in our body life that we can use as a similar touchstones a similar efficient yeah
it
one that i seem to seem to find a really good to try to remember is sleeping and waking and the relationship of that to my presence and studying
how my sleeping and how awake am i and
sides wanted to ask if that's another
sort of rhythm that we could use these his sort of studies with
yes and then the question would be that you can experiment with this when you study the relationship between sleeping and waking when you study that you can look to see does it help you study it to be aware of your breathing body
first
that doesn't does the awareness of the breathing body facilitate your study of the sleeping because many people actually i think to study the relationship between sleeping and waking which is i think good study
but they aren't necessarily also simultaneously grounded and awareness of posture and breathing so you checked out out let me know what you find out
i do actually is spend some time observing the relationship between sleep and waking is one of my hobbies
and i and i vowed to study
how their study about the study how that practice goes
if i'm aware my posture breathing and if i'm not
check it out
thank you for coming to practice
that perfection of wisdom
thank you for coming to practice deeply the perfection of wisdom
it there's no further questions we could have a little lunch meditation
and
there's an opportunity during lunch to watch the breathing body to watch the body that's breathing while you eat and see if you can coordinate your eating include you're eating activity in mindfulness of posture and breathing
i'm gonna try it how about you
me either intentionally or the extent of
the days
the
the
the
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