Just allowing the body to relax.
And welcome to this meditation of Fusho or the unborn mind.
This is the technique that was taught by the great Zen master Bankei.
Let's begin by making ourselves comfortable in a seated or kneeling position.
Like most of our meditation practices it's possible to practice this standing,
Walking,
Lying down.
But to begin with I'd suggest we're trying to do this seated or kneeling in order to allow the mind to be alert and undistracted.
So settling into your comfortable seated or kneeling position.
If you're using a chair you can have your feet planted on the floor.
If you were kneeling you could use a bench or a cushion.
If you're cross-legged you would use something under your sitting bones to ensure your knees were lower than the pelvis.
Encouraging the belly to feel open and relaxed.
Whatever position you're occupying we're aiming for a grounded lower body.
A triangular base,
A stable triangular base formed between the knees which are apart and the sitting bones.
I'm just taking a moment to tune into that stable triangular base.
Feeling the weight of the upper body supported by the sitting bones.
Allowing the spine to grow naturally from that base.
Occupying its natural comfortable curves.
Allowing it to feel free and open.
If you wish you can sway your body from side to side.
Forwards and backwards.
Finding your most balanced and upright position.
And spend a moment checking in with the belly,
Checking the belly is soft and relaxed.
Allowing the shoulders to release and drop.
Chest can be free and open.
Let go of any tension in the throat and in the jaw.
The tongue rests gently on the roof of the mouth.
Let go of tension in the temples and in the muscles around the eyes.
And you can close the eyes if you wish.
Or resting the gaze and looking downwards.
And let's start to notice the natural breath.
No need to get involved.
Just noticing the natural breath.
Noticing the body breathing all by itself.
Nothing we need to do.
Just being inquisitive.
And start noticing now how the breath can move the body.
Noticing how breathing causes movement in the body.
Perhaps noticing that movement as low down as in the belly.
Perhaps a sense of rising and falling of breath in the belly.
Noticing how that feels.
And releasing awareness of the breath now.
Allowing your awareness to be free and open.
In this practice of the unborn we don't try to focus on anything.
We just relax into this natural,
Enjoyable feeling of being.
Anytime something from our senses,
Something born,
Arises,
Thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Memories.
We just notice and bring the awareness back.
Back to sitting in the unborn.
Thank you for watching.
Zen Master Bang K describes our unborn awareness as being like a mirror.
A mirror that reflects everything that comes along.
But it doesn't get involved.
It's never changed.
It just reflects.
So allowing our awareness to be like that mirror.
Just reflecting without getting involved.
Without changing.
Just this sense of being.
It's all very simple.
Nothing to do.
Just relaxing into what is always with us.
Relaxing and enjoying just being.
As before,
We're allowing everything to come and go.
We're not trying to change it.
We're not trying to push it away.
In sitting and being with these things that arise without getting involved.
This is where we get the practice of insight.
This is where we understand more and more about ourselves.
And we understand more and more deeply about everything else.
This is where we get the practice of insight.
Our only task here is to sit and notice.
When we begin to identify with any born things,
As soon as we do we're resting again in the an bone.
You you you're trying to keep your awareness as alert as possible if you find that the awareness is drifting away perhaps you'd like to check in with your posture just making sure that you have this grounded base it's free and open up a half of the body this sense of alertness just checking in with your posture to make sure that's not causing you to drift away you Just allowing life to unfold.
There's nothing we need to chase after.
There's nothing we need to do.
Just enjoying the changing nature of life.
Enjoying the show of life.
Enjoying the show of life.
Enjoying the show of life.
This is a place that's entirely yours.
It's always with you.
It's here all the time.
Anytime you wish to,
In life,
You can return to the unborn.
To enjoy this sense of freedom.
The freedom offered by pure experience.
Enjoy the show of life.
All things that arise and pass,
All these born things,
None of it is you.
Your awareness is unborn.
Being the unborn,
You can experience your ever-present Buddha nature.
You can experience your ever-present Buddha nature.
Just resting and enjoying this sense awareness,
This sense of being.
Anytime we're distracted,
Just bringing our awareness back to the present moment.
You can experience your ever-present Buddha nature.
You can experience your ever-present Buddha nature.
Starting to notice again the breath.
Starting to notice again the natural rhythm of the breath.
Noticing the sensations the breath causes within the body.
Noticing how the body feels when we just tune into the breath.
Noticing sensations on the surface of the body.
Bringing the awareness to the fingers and toes.
Bringing movement into the fingers and toes.
And bringing movement into the rest of the body.
If you wish to,
You can take a yawn or a stretch,
Waking up the body,
Taking your time.
Whenever you're fully ready to do so,
You can open the eyes if you've had them closed.
Your meditation practice is now complete.
