Mindfulness Of The Mind: Discerning Dukkha

This meditation, coming from the system of practices known as the "four applications of mindfulness", combines the process of concentrating on the flow of mental activity with an element of insight: active discernment of the non-satisfactory nature of fleeting mental phenomena. In addition to its ability to strengthen our concentration, this practice might gradually weaken the habit of grasping and bring greater mental freedom.

Transcript

To begin this practice,

We first find a comfortable stationary position and spend some moments attending to the sensations in our body,

Including the sensations of breathing and the experience of our body being in contact with the ground,

Releasing greater and greater degrees of tension with each new exhalation,

And then taking some moments to establish a truly positive motivation for this practice by revisiting our highest spiritual aspirations,

Strengthening that motivation,

Breathing life into this resolve,

And then turning to the main part of this practice,

Which begins with some shamatha,

Or concentration meditation,

Focused on the mind.

For that,

We can first generate an artificial thought or an artificial mental image,

We hold that artificially created mental event for just a short while,

And then we allow it to dissolve in the space of our mind,

And we keep our attention right there,

In the domain of mental phenomena,

Observing the flow of thoughts,

Images,

Memories,

And so forth,

Bringing our awareness to that domain again and again,

And observing it with curiosity and a certain degree of spaciousness,

Which means that we can step back any time we see ourselves getting caught in a specific story.

And then,

Having focused our attention on the domain of mental events,

Having observed this domain to a certain degree,

We add an element of insight related to the second of the three marks of existence,

As they are sometimes described.

This specific mark of existence is dukkha,

Or non-satisfactoriness,

And to explore it with regards to the mind,

We keep our attention on the flow of mental phenomena,

But we add a question,

A question that we can slowly,

Slowly explore with the corner of our mind.

And that question is very simple.

Are any of these mental events in themselves satisfying?

Can any of these mental events,

Thoughts,

Images,

And so forth,

Desires and emotions,

Fully satisfy our inner thirst?

Can any specific fluctuation of mental energy bring about lasting satisfaction?

So,

With that question in mind,

We observe,

While still monitoring the flow of mental events.

We discern,

Moment by moment,

We discern,

Moment by moment,

The answer to this question.

Discerning whether any of these mental events that are arising in the here and now can bring us true satisfaction and contentment.

Then,

With whatever understanding has emerged from this observation,

We step back from the practice of insight,

And just continue observing the mind without trying to discern anything in particular.

Then,

We take a few moments to dedicate the energy and the insights of this practice to our highest goals and aspirations.

And then we bring our awareness back to the body,

Noticing the sensations,

Introducing a tiny bit of movement,

And gradually concluding this practice.

Reviews

Spacious and illuminating, I got so much from this instruction. Thank you.

Watching it rollout.
Finding that even the question of what is satisfaction is not fully satisfying.
Letting it come; letting it go.

Lost in thought. Thank you 🙏🏻

Many thanks

Thank you! These are important questions about the ability of mental events to bring satisfaction.

A great reminder for me that all thoughts are unsatisfactory. Opening into awareness is where I find sanctuary.