Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Heart of Buddhist Meditation


The heart of Buddhist meditation is Right Mindfulness. In the early stages of this practice, the meditator becomes aware of the gentle in and out movement of the breath. Awareness then expands to all aspects of his or her body, feelings, and mind.

If one can only be mindful while sitting in a quiet room, one will only be aware of a small part of one's life. To be really fruitful, mindfulness has to flow into everything one does. The Buddha said, "A monk has full awareness while coming and going, while reaching out his hands or drawing them back, while putting on his robes and carrying his bowl, while eating and drinking, chewing and tasting, even while defecating and urinating. He has full awareness while walking, standing and sitting, while falling to sleep and waking up, while talking and remaining silent.'


When the Buddha said that we should be mindful 'even while defecating and urinating', he was saying that all activities no matter how commonplace should become an object of lucidity and presence.

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