Just beginning by allowing everything to settle,
Allowing the body to come into stillness,
And allowing the eyes to close gently.
And hands can be resting in the lap,
Either palms down or palms up.
And just take these first few moments to bring awareness to your breathing.
Not to change it in any way,
But really just to notice this is what the feeling of breath is like in the body right now.
And I offer these instructions that come from the wonderful Vipassana teacher,
A teacher of my teacher,
Dipa Ma.
Dipa Ma was one of the most famous meditation teachers that ever lived.
And she was someone who was very passionate about awakening in the midst of daily life.
Passionate about using every waking moment to practice.
So I share the transmission of these words and the depth of her practice with you in the hopes that it will help guide you to a calm abiding.
Sit with your back gently straight.
Your eyes closed.
And following the rising and falling of the abdomen as you breathe,
Feel the breath.
When noticing the breath in and out,
Ask yourself,
Where is the touch of the breath?
Where is it felt?
Keep your mind on the touch only.
You are not to do anything with the breathing.
Only feel the touch.
If it is heavy,
Let it be heavy.
If it is short,
Let it be short.
If it is fine,
Let it be fine.
Just feel it.
When your mind wanders away,
Notice this and say to yourself,
Thinking,
And then come back again to the rising and falling of breath.
If you feel a sensation somewhere else,
Like pain in the leg,
Then take your mind to the pain and note pain.
And when it goes away or fades,
Then again,
Come to watching the touch of the breath.
If restlessness comes,
Note restlessness.
If you hear a noise,
Say to yourself,
Hearing,
And then again,
Come back to the feeling of the breath.
If memories come,
Then know them as memories.
Anything you see,
Anything that comes to mind,
Be aware of it.
If you see visions or lights,
Just note seeing or lights.
There's no need to keep any of it or make it stay.
Simply observe.
In insight meditation,
You are observing the rising and falling of the breath and of the phenomena that arise in the mind and the body.
So there is a shifting of the mind from sensations felt,
Both painful and pleasurable,
To thoughts as well.
Whatever is happening is to be noticed.
Then that will go away and a new sensation will arise.
Then another thing will come.
In this way,
Insight practice is a method of observation.
All six senses,
The mind being the sixth,
Will arise.
Just notice them arise and pass away and come back to the feeling of the breath.
Anything you see,
Anything that comes to mind,
Just be aware of it.
When your mind wanders away,
Notice this and say to yourself,
Thinking,
Thinking,
And then come back again to the rising and falling of the breath.
Anything you see,
Anything that comes to mind,
Be aware of it.
If you see visions or lights,
Note seeing or lights.
No need to keep any of it or make it stay.
Simply observe.
In insight meditation,
You are observing the rising and falling of the breath and the phenomena that arise in the mind and the body so that there is a shifting of the mind from sensations felt to thoughts as well.
Whatever is happening is simply to be noticed.
In this way,
Insight practice is a method of observation.
Just be aware.
