This evening I wanted to talk a bit about trust,
Which is another way that we can uplift and inspire ourselves in the practice.
And trust is actually essential to our commitment to the path.
It's one of the first,
It is the first of the balas,
The spiritual strengths.
And it immediately gives rise to energy.
So the second spiritual strength is energy,
Vidya,
Somebody mentioned that earlier today,
And they were quite right that it is one of the factors of enlightenment as well as one of the strengths.
But the reason that this trust can lead into energy,
One of the reasons is that when we have a little bit of trust in the practice,
In goodness,
In kindness,
In letting go,
Then the practice becomes a little bit less ego driven.
And as a result,
We can free up some energy for the mind.
Ajahn Brahm calls it being on cruise control.
So you know,
The sort of confidence,
That was that inspiration,
And then you can let the energies flow.
And I looked up the word for trust in the English dictionary and it's quite a nice definition.
It says a reliance or a resting of the mind on someone or something which is good,
Honorable,
Or which has integrity,
Or maybe friendship or love.
So it's a reliance on those beautiful qualities,
Maybe in another person or maybe within ourselves.
And through that reliance,
We can actually come to rest our mind.
So this trust,
This confidence can give the mind some comfort and some security,
A resting place for the mind.
Not only that,
Of course,
It does give rise to this beautiful energy that maintains the motivation and in turn leads into patience.
So trust can be the proximate cause for patience because when we have confidence that our efforts will bear fruit and every seed we plant,
Every seed of kindness,
Every step we take on the path will eventually lead towards increasing peace,
Wisdom and freedom.
Then we can have more patience with the process.
So we essentially start putting our trust much more into what we're doing with what we have right now.
And the practice as a result becomes less result oriented.
We're much less interested in the outcomes than we are in the way we're walking on that path.
And there's a lovely simile in the suttas that says it's like you've got these big jars of water and imagine that the jar is so high you can't see the top of that jar.
But what you can know is that you can put in drops of water,
Drop by drop by drop.
And as long as there's no leak in that jar,
You can be sure that drop by drop the jar fills up.
What we don't know is when those jars are going to overflow,
When our hearts are going to start overflowing with the beautiful qualities that we cultivate here together.
But it doesn't really matter.
It could be the next week or it could be in 20 lifetimes if you believe in future lives.
So the trust in the process starts to take away our concern with outcomes and helps us to really mess the mind and enjoy the process as it unfolds.
So in Buddhism,
It's important to say that trust isn't something that we either have or we don't have,
But it's something like anything else on the path that is to be developed.
Yeah.
And of course,
We don't talk about blind trust in Buddhism.
Trust always has to go hand in hand with discernment.
So only in the beginning we can start off with what we can call provisional trust before we start the practice.
You may hear the teachings,
Perhaps they resonate for you,
Perhaps they really make sense.
You hear about suffering and the causes and that the causes can be eradicated.
And for me,
That gave rise to an enormous amount of confidence,
Although I did hear about it in meditation retreat.
But just hearing that there's a possibility to end suffering,
Roused so much inspiration and energy,
It really kept me going for years.
You know,
I was just so delighted to have finally found something that has some meaning,
Some real meaning to solve the existential problems of life.
And so that provisional step is very important that we have enough trust to understand that there may be things that we can't yet verify through experience.
We may have to take a little bit of a leap of faith just in the beginning to try it out as though you're going swimming and you want to try out the water.
You stick your toe in there,
First of all.
And then when you find that,
Oh,
The water temperature is not too bad,
You know,
It actually feels quite nice on my feet.
Then you can walk in a little bit more deeply and see how that feels.
So after some time,
When we start to gain some benefit from the teachings,
The confidence,
The trust,
The faith becomes inspired.
I really love the translation of sadha as a kind of inspired confidence because you actually are able to verify it in part and yet also have the inspiration that if what I've already put into practice has this many results,
Then surely maybe the next step is also going to have even deeper and more beneficial results.
So we can start becoming more and more courageous in a sense and take gradually deeper steps.
And then over time,
Of course,
This confidence does become verified when we start to gain the results of meditation until it's unshakable at the time of stream entry,
When you actually experience the dharma and can actually experience what the Buddha means by everything having a cause and that cause being subject to cessation.
So at that time,
The confidence is completely unshakable and that's one of the qualities of a stream entry,
That they have this unshakable trust in the Buddha,
Dharma and the Sangha,
Not only as external refuges,
But as internal refuges that are within one's own mind.
They become actual places that you can go to,
That you can visit again and again in your own heart,
Places of freedom,
Places of liberation,
Place of peace and love.
And this is when the refuges really become very,
Very powerful.
We start to take the qualities of the Buddha as our guide,
The qualities of the dharma.
The dharma is apparent here and now.
We can experience whatever we experience to some extent,
Right?
And somebody asked the question today about the hindrances.
And I did want to mention that again,
Because one of the ways you can know which hindrances are arising in the mind is by trying out the antidotes.
Yeah.
So yesterday we talked about loving kindness and loving kindness is the classic antidote to any kind of ill will,
Aversion,
Irritation,
Even mild sadness or frustration.
So if you try to practice loving kindness and you find that your mind becomes more peaceful,
More happy,
And the anger starts to fade away,
Then you can be sure that you were experiencing some negativity,
Some anger or real will.
And in a similar way with the trust,
The trust is the antidote to doubt.
So if you're not quite sure what hindrance is,
You can try metto or you can try working with trust.
And if you find that suddenly you gain more clarity and you know,
The confusion starts to fade and your mind becomes much more inwardly confident and assured,
Then you might be able to infer that that indeed was doubt.
Yeah.
And so this is what I mean by the dharma being apparent here and now,
You know,
We can actually understand more about dharma by looking at our mind and the way it works and looking at the kind of qualities that we need to develop to lead ourselves towards states of deep peace.
So in the suttas,
In the gradual training,
Confidence,
Trust is one of the very first factors,
One of the starting points for the training on the path.
And of course,
That comes after hearing the teachings.
First,
We have to hear the teachings of the Buddha to develop confidence in them.
And from that confidence,
We become inspired to train,
To practice virtue,
To train in harmlessness,
You know,
To purify our minds.
And it's really beautiful when we start living a harmless life.
You start to notice that people have a natural sense of trust around you.
They feel safe in your presence.
And I'm very fortunate,
Like many of you,
To be associated with many wise people.
Of course,
My teacher Ajahn Brahm is the one who comes to mind.
And when I'm around him,
I just feel so ease and so incredibly safe that there's really nothing to hide.
You know,
I think in the beginning when we meet sort of famous teachers,
Especially people who we might be somewhat in awe of,
We can feel a little bit intimidated or,
You know,
Even over reverential in a sense.
But Ajahn Brahm very quickly tried to sort of shake me out of that.
When I first met him,
I was pretty much trembling with respect.
I was like,
Oh my goodness,
I can't believe that I finally meeting my teacher.
Because I knew who was my teacher before we ever met.
And very quickly,
He started to treat me like a friend and joke around with me,
Even kind of tease me and in a way treat me like a sister.
And I think that was very skillful because what it meant was that I could be myself.
He could see me,
He could see my weaknesses,
My strengths.
And also it gave me the confidence to be able to ask him questions on absolutely anything that there was still doubt around.
And this is so important with the teachers,
You know,
And the teachings that we can analyse,
We can discuss,
We can pick them apart and even disagree.
Yeah.
So anybody who says you have to respect me and that should mean that you just agree with me and trust what I say,
You have to be very careful.
I'm sure everyone here knows that.
And yet it's surprising how many people do get sucked in,
You know,
By false claims of enlightenment or lamas who are supposed to be the next reincarnation of a previous lama and then they get involved in sexual misconduct.
So we really have to have this faculty,
This critical faculty that is open and but is also investigative.
And if you do meet a teacher who you feel this person may have something,
You know,
Maybe they've experienced something that I've yet to experience,
Then be open to that possibility.
And yet,
Keep on checking them out,
You know,
Do their actions and speech,
Do their actions and yeah,
What they teach match up or are the huge differences there.
Don't expect anyone to be perfect,
Because we're all just human beings at the end of the day,
You know,
There's no such thing as sort of somebody who's aware of every little movement and always a quorumus,
Whatever that means,
You know,
But just to see that there's a congruence there.
And then you can really bit by bit develop that trust.
And I've reached the stage now with Ajahn Brahm that there is a very unshakable level of trust.
And,
You know,
I really can go to him with anything without feeling fear of being shamed.
I don't think I've ever been made to feel ashamed of anything that I've confided or,
You know,
Told to him.
And this is an incredible feeling of safety to have in another beings presence.
And sometimes having that confidence in the teacher is beautiful,
When we lack the confidence in ourselves.
And so sometimes you can borrow confidence from people who are able to see your potential where you haven't yet seen that yet.
So there was one time,
For example,
In Kairos when we were doing a little retreat a couple of years ago,
And I was saying,
Oh,
It's a long path.
And I've been practicing a while.
And I don't know if I'm really going to break through in this lifetime,
Especially because I have so much work to do.
And,
You know,
My life is quite unsettled.
And he just looked at me and said,
Do you have confidence in me?
I said,
Well,
Obviously.
And he said,
Then you should have confidence in the confidence I have in you.
Very tricky.
He's always like to,
He's very clever.
So you can play these tricky games,
But it's absolutely true,
Isn't it?
But if I have confidence in him,
I should have confidence that he perhaps can see something that I've yet to see in myself.
And,
You know,
This goes for all of us.
This is why spiritual friendships so important,
Because sometimes we don't yet see our true potential.
But eventually,
You know,
As we start to work with the hindrances and overcome the obstacles to meditation,
We start to see we do have this capacity for peace,
And we start to be able to trust in that peace,
And trust in the path leading to that peace.
Yeah.
So I don't want to speak too much longer,
Because this is really a session for some meditation practice and some Q&A.
But we'll do a little guided meditation,
Using the theme of trust to try and bring some of that slight emotional element into the practice.
Because sometimes it can get a little bit dry.
And trust is somehow akin to love.
You know,
The two are so related,
How can we really love without trust.
So when we have this trust,
It can open the heart and help us to be just a little bit more curious and inquisitive,
And also let go a little bit more deeply into the present moment.
So let's get comfortable.
And we can have a guided meditation for about 25 minutes or so.
Before we do some questions.
If you need to stretch first that's fine.
So with your eyes closed.
Checking into your body.
Just scanning through the body with calm clarity.
Seeing if there's anything that needs to be adjusted or moved.
I often find my ankles are pressing in a little bit too tightly to my thighs or to each other.
Maybe there's some clothing that's a little tight.
So this is not to be fussy,
But it's another way of offering a sense of care to your body.
Establishing the right intention of kindness,
Gentleness to facilitate the waves that Peace Department isChristmas has required.
And just spending some time with your own body.
Bathing it in loving awareness,
Kindfulness.
So that wherever your mindfulness goes,
The quality of loving kindness follows.
Waking caring your main concern.
Not trying to push away any discomfort.
But just finding out what kind of attention,
What kind of holding or handling those sensations need.
And if it helps you might imagine all the tensions that may have built up in the body.
Perhaps in the shoulders,
The upper back or the knees.
And the more draining downwards into the ground.
As you surrender your weight,
Your body to the gravity.
Warming the earth,
The ground beneath you to hold your weight.
So you can let go of any holding.
Let everything hang down.
And to start the meditation,
I'd like to offer a visualization which you can join in with if you wish.
Finding yourself in a place which represents safety to you.
Place where you feel contented and at ease.
If you're very fortunate it might be right where you are.
Or there may be some place where you've meditated and has a very spiritual sense.
Place that's calm and quiet.
Perhaps which is not so much associated with your everyday working life.
We don't need to be anyone.
Perhaps no one even knows your name.
You can be outdoors on a beach.
Perhaps with the golden sunshine falling down on you.
Any place that you feel safe,
Secure,
Protected and at ease.
Place that feeling in your own body.
Perhaps a slight settling,
Softening.
Like a relaxation.
And now if you wish,
Imagine that you're sitting there not alone but with someone who represents love and kindness or benevolence.
It gives you a sense of confidence and trust.
I like to imagine myself seated between my teachers,
The Buddha in the front.
Jumped round behind me,
He's got my back.
And two other very trusted Kalyana mitta,
Spiritual friends to my side.
Now imagine them gazing upon me with eyes of trust.
Without any concern for me at all.
Seeing my potential.
Knowing that the conditions for awakening have already been planted in my heart.
And as I sit in this force field of loving kindness,
Of care,
Of safety.
I can hand over a lot of my own effort,
Struggle or doubt.
And I'm realizing I have all the wisdom,
All the teachings within.
And the only thing necessary are the conditions.
Which now are optimal for the process to unfold.
How do you feel in the presence of this benevolent person or persons who you trust?
How do you feel in the presence of this half-hearted,
In nurture?
Here basking in that sense of safety and kindness you start to notice the silence in the mind.
The silence is another refuge,
A resting place for your poor overthinking mind.
The more you trust in the silence,
The more the silence seems to grow.
Until the thoughts just like little wispy clouds floating through the sky but not really touching or hanging around in that sky.
So those clouds were falling off the edges of your mind.
As the beautiful still refuge of silence starts to grow,
Starts to draw the mind within.
So the silence is another refuge,
A resting place for your poor overthinking mind.
The spaces between your thoughts,
Between my words.
Get longer.
As you start to trust the stillness,
The silence.
As a refuge for your mind.
And with that trust comes friendship.
You befriend the silence.
And the silence starts to glow with gratitude.
At last I'm being valued.
A very subtle pleasure and delight.
The silence and stillness of the mind.
You start to tune into that.
Holding it gently,
Not forcing it to stay.
If you wish you can continue to simply delight in the silent spaces in the mind.
Or ask the mind,
Would you like to see the breath?
And if that breath comes in,
You take like a very special sacred friend.
Cocooning the breath with silence.
Allowing the breath to hold the mind.
The breath becomes another resting place,
Another refuge for your mind to lay down and relax.
Interesting your mind breath.
Simply allowing the journey to unfold.
The breath becomes another resting place.
The breath becomes another resting place.
The breath becomes another resting place.
The breath becomes another resting place.
The breath becomes another resting place.
Seeing how much you can let go.
Trusting the conditions supported by the loving kindness,
Benevolence and warmth of your spiritual guides.
They know where this path is leading.
They know you're walking.
Just as you should.
Drop by drop,
Just get full.
With trust you have all the time in the world.
With trust you have all the time in the world.
With trust you have all the time in the world.
If you wish to continue meditating,
Please do so.
Otherwise to come out of the meditation.
Again imagine yourself sitting in this very safe,
Cosy place.
Perhaps with the Buddha or another spiritual friend or friends.
And imagine the smile of these beings radiating loving kindness towards you.
The smile of confidence fully assured of where this path will lead.
Viewing that same sense of confidence in you.
As they are now.
You too,
She'll be.
Without a bell.
You may open your eyes.
