Meditation Teachings- Practice Library
Awareness: Developing our awareness to be clear and spacious, like our own Buddha nature.
Golden Rule: Do not force the mind. If the tightness in the head arises, allow the attention to be more spacious by bringing awareness to the feet, hands, spine and head.
Resting: From time to time “just rest in awareness” of “nothing more needs to be done”,” just aware”.
Progress: (due to the changing nature of mental formations and body sensations each awareness practice will be different, it is more skillful to know and accept these changes with equanimity “just as it is”
Phrases of Intention: “may pushing of the air element be known” or “may pushing be known”, followed by noting, ‘pushing,’ ’pushing,’ ‘pushing’. May has a unconditional quality, it may happen, it may not
Noting: Lightly as required to sustain the mind/awareness on the object of meditation, always note the elements characteristic, this strengthens and steadies the mind, example, ‘hard’, ‘hard’, ‘hard’…
Noting Speed: That which gently and firmly supports clear and spacious awareness, not too fast/slow
Levels of Awareness: The awareness of pushing will vary, when conditions change. If the sensation of pushing is not present go back to a place where it is stronger and then return, again w/o the expectation of it being there. Examples of levels of pushing awareness
I. Basic- movement sensation at the chest or stomach as the body breathes.
II. Intermediate- pushing sensation on top of the head and elsewhere in the body of the heart beating.
III. Advanced- pushing sensation in all parts of the body and the movement various internal organs.
Thinking: Gently, each time thinking arises even if it is later, note ‘thinking’ or ‘thinking, thank-you’. Do this with out the judgment of having done something wrong, gently return the attention to the object of meditation, example: note ’just thinking’ then return the attention back to the pushing sensations of air element, noting pushing, pushing… or the soft sensation of the earth element, noting soft, soft … etc.
Doubt: When doubt arises in the mind i.e. ‘I can not do this,’ ‘this is not working’, gently note doubting.
Aversion: When aversion to the practice or the instructions arises in the mind, gently note aversion.
Equanimity: with the practice, allow for the spaciousness for things to be “just as they are“.
The Four Elements of Body Sensations
Earth Element: characterized by degrees of- Hard and Soft, Rough and Smooth, Heavy and Light
Water Element: characterized by degrees of- Tightness and Flow
Fire Element: characterized by degrees of- Hot and Cold
Air Element: characterized by degrees of- Pushing Movement and Supporting Energy
1st Round, Element Sensation Awareness
Pushing (air): One place only, 5–15 min. Focus the awareness to pushing sensation at the top of the head (babies fontal)
Phrase of intention i.e. “may pushing at the top of the head be known for 10min”. Then note, ‘pushing,’ ‘pushing,’ ‘pushing’, clearly and lightly with out forcing the mind.
Pushing (air): 10-30 min. Spread the awareness, slowly to the rest of the head, face, throat, chest, arms, hands, fingers, trunk, hips, legs, feet and toes. “may awareness of pushing spread”, then again gently note ‘pushing’ ‘pushing’ ... if the awareness pushing weakens, return to where the awareness of pushing is stronger and rest in awareness, then repeat the intention “may ….”.
Hardness (earth):Bite the teeth together and feel how hard they are. Next spread the awareness of hardness systematically over the whole body and from head to feet w/o tensing the body. Mind noting ‘hard,’ hard,’ ‘hard,’ … Then return to pushing, then hardness, then pushing until clear.
Roughness (earth): Rub the tongue over the edge of the teeth or brush hand over the arm skin. Sometimes is difficult, if you cannot feel roughness, then experience pushing, and then hardness.
Heaviness (earth): Place one hand on top of the other/legs, or heaviness of the head by bending it forward. Next the heaviness trunk, arms, hands legs and body. Then repeat P, H, & Roughness.
Softness (earth): Gently press that tongue against the inside of the bottom lip and feel the softness. Next relax the body and practice systematically until awareness of softness in the body is developed throughout the body. Then repeat awareness of P, H, R, H, & Support.
Smoothness (earth): Wet the inside of the lips. Run the tongue over them from side to side. Next sense the smoothness throughout the entire body, including the organs. Then repeat P, H, R, H, S, & Softness.
Lightness (earth): with little energy wag a single figure up and down and being aware of its lateness next be aware hauled down lateness throughout the whole body. Then repeat P, H, R, H, S, S, S.
Support (air): Relax the back so that the body bends forward. Then straightened the body up, keeping it tall and erect. The force which keeps the body straight, still and erect is the supporting force. When this awareness is easy; repeat P, H, R, & Heaviness.
Heat (fire): The warmth of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, or the hands on each other. Next spread the heat throughout the whole body. Then repeat P, H, R, H, S, S, S, & Lightness.
Cold (fire): On the in breath only, follow the air as it enters the nose and spreads coolness through the spine and the entire body. Then repeat the awareness of P, H, R, H, S, S, S, L, & Heat.
Cohesion (water): Tightness, Held, Hold 1 wrist with the other hand . Be aware of how the body is being held together by skin, flesh and sinews. The blood is being held in the skin. Without cohesion the body would fall into separate pieces and particles. Then repeat P, H, R, H, S, S, S, L, H, & Cold.
Flow (water): Chose the easiest flowing sensation from blood, heat, saliva, urine, sweat or the organs. Sense of the organ is the best. Be aware of the flow of blood through the chest, neck, head and body. the flow of heat throughout the body. Then repeat the awareness of P, H, R, H, S, S, S, L, H, & Cohesion.
2nd Round, Element Sensation Awareness
Like watching the body in a mirror but from behind and between the shoulders, repeat 1 to 12 characteristics from head to toe quickly i.e. 1-5 breath cycles, but always with CLEAR AWARENESS of the sensation.
3rd Round, Element Sensation Awareness
The elements and mind stay together, when happiness/joy arise, do not give the attention to the attention to happiness/joy. “just, let it be” Stay with the elements, Earth, Water, Fire and Air.
Note: the elements not their characteristics, example not hard – soft, rough – smooth, heavy – light, note earth element, or not hot – cold, note fire element, not tight –flowing, note water element.
When the light comes stay with noting the elements, buy cycling through them earth, water, fire, air, earth, water, fire, air, earth, water, fire, air… Focus on the feeling sensation of each element. 12 are best but at least one sensation for each of the four elements, example hard, tight, warm, pushing but only note the “element” i.e. hard-“Earth”, tight-“water”, warm-“Fire”, pushing-“Air”
Do not move the mind off the 12-sensations of the 4 elements, to the feelings of delight, joy, happiness etc. continue to cycle through the 4-12 sensations.
The light may appear in different forms at first, often a wispy gray, later yellow and brighter, next white, the clear crystal like. Do not go into the light or breath in the light. Keep the nimitta in front of the mind.
After 15 minutes of the light/nimitta being stable, switch the awareness. Gently remove the clear spacious awareness from the element sensation and place it firmly on the light nimitta.
Maintain the awareness on the light for app. 1-1/2 hours.
At this point there is only access concentration from the light.
Keep the light in front of the mind.
Next the mind and the light are joined together in that where awareness is place the light will follow.
Then the mind, with the clarity of the light can see into the 32 parts of the body.
Starting with the earth elements of hair on the head, body hair, nails, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver etc.
Then the water elements of bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears
Later, as concentration on the skeleton is sustained the 5 jhana factors will arise.
Applied thought (vitakka): directing and placing the mind/awareness on the counterpart sign.
Sustained thought (vicara): maintaining the mind/awareness on
Rapture/Joy (piti): liking for the counter part sign.
Contentment/Bliss (sukha): pleasant feeling or happiness associated with experiencing the nimitta.
One-pointedness/Steadiness (ekaggata); one-pointedness of mind on the patibhaga-nimitta.
Then the white kasinas for the 8th Jhana
Concentration, Guidelines:
Notes:
Awareness: Cannot be done wrong, any awareness is better than no awareness
Calm & Concentrated: When you have concentrated on the light for app. 30 minutes access concentration has been established, this is the resting place for vipassana meditators.
Ultimately there is no hand, only sensations of the 12 characteristics of the 4 elements.
Insight knowledge of the 32 body parts, cuts attachment by about 25%.
Understanding the mind door process,
Practical Applications
Dullness: Air Element, awareness of the pushing of the breath in the chest.
Air Element, awareness of the force that supports of the spine.
Balance all four earth, water, fire, and air later.
Restlessness: Earth Element, Soft, Smooth, Light, Then rebalance the energies in the body with the awareness of all four elements
Depression: Earth Elements, Hard, Rough, Heavy, Soft, Smooth, Light mainly.
Balance all four earth, water, fire, and air later.
Sexual Energy: Fire Element, Warm Tongue roof of the mouth or hand contact Cool & Cold
Fire Element, Warm Tongue roof of the mouth or hand contact Cool & Cold
Balance all four earth, water, fire, and air throughout the entire body later.
Note. These are only suggestions for one way to practice the 4 elements and are best to be applied in a retreat setting, please use your own discernment.