Beginning mindfulness.
Mindfulness meditation can also be called Vipassana.
And it lies at the heart of Buddhist meditation.
Vipassana is a Pali word meaning to see things as they really are.
And it's the most widely practiced form of meditation in Southeast Asia.
And it's central to all Buddhist traditions.
Vipassana emphasizes mindful attention and immediate awareness of one's experience of all phenomena as they occur.
Vipassana meditation is unguided.
In other words,
At this very moment I am not leading you in a meditation.
In other words,
At this very moment I am not leading you in a meditation.
There is no music,
No mantras.
Your guides are the phenomena that arise and fall throughout your meditation.
And phenomena can begin with the signals that your body is giving you at this very moment.
Warmth,
Cool,
The feel of clothing upon skin,
Tiredness,
An ache here,
A tickle there.
A constant stream of phenomena.
And also the phenomena beyond you.
The wind,
The sun on your face,
The sounds of voices,
Laughter.
The rain.
The rain.
Whatever phenomena arise and fall are incorporated into your meditation.
I like to use the example of clouds arising and dissipating.
And what we do is we watch those clouds.
Neither pushing them away nor holding onto them.
It is this way with all phenomena that rise and fall.
Some last longer and others are momentary.
Your meditation may occur while sitting in a chair,
On a cushion,
Lying in bed,
Walking or running.
Lying in bed,
Walking or running.
Wherever you decide that you will meditate,
It may even be on a busy bench,
On a street.
With traffic,
People passing by,
While you incorporate all of those phenomena during your meditation.
It is said that Buddha attained enlightenment while sitting in Vipassana.
So let's begin a Vipassana meditation.
Approximately five minutes.
And during these five minutes,
With eyes open,
Half closed or closed,
Phenomena will arise and fall.
Some you may wish to hold onto and others you may want to push away.
And during this meditation,
Accepting all phenomena as they are,
That you are within reality as it truly unfolds.
And so we begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
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So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
So let's begin.
And so we return.
Taking all the time we need.
For passing on meditation to observe phenomena arise and fall.
May all beings be at peace.
