I don't have a lot I want to say tonight.
I do want to encourage you as we sit,
And again I'm going to continue to pare back the language and we can get more quiet sitting.
I do want you to keep it light,
You know,
Remember we were talking the other night about the middle path and strings on the lute being neither too tight nor too loose and I was talking with Teshin at the Zen Center,
My teacher at the Zen Center and we're talking about a breath practice and I was saying you know I'm trying not to be too you know too tight while I do this.
I was finding it very easy like I gotta like you know do whatever I'm doing.
He says you know you're right you don't want to be tight but you do want to be taught and I really had to stop and think about the difference between being tight and being taught you know he says you want a dynamic tension there you want to be very alive with the breath but no reason to stress over it and I think the only other thing I wanted to say was to keep it simple you know in these contemplations of the mind especially and we all have to sort of stop and think about where we are with the mind just simply being aware of the mind,
Gladdening the mind,
Concentrating the mind,
Liberating the mind,
That awareness of the mind is no more complicated than the awareness of the breath in the first set of contemplations just that simple bare awareness that simple knowing of the inhalations and the exhalations and witnessing their rising and falling in the impermanence there and there's no real difference between that and and the thoughts that arise and we see them arise and the suffering thoughts in our mind and just seeing them rise and seeing them fall and knowing their impermanence just nice and easy so wherever you are in this scheme of things be there and and be glad you know if you're working on on the reactive feelings and still kind of getting a grasp on those that's a good place to be if you're working on just mindfulness of the breath and relaxing the body that's a beautiful place to be if you're working with difficult feelings and emotions and just being aware and seeing if you can let them fall practice that you're building concentration wonderful if you feel like you really are feeling yeah these hindrances doubt and fear and all of that and I really am understanding that there are being in flowing rising and falling just with these thoughts that's the liberation that we're talking about that's the liberation of tranquility so why don't we go ahead and get started find your posture take a few good deep breaths be grateful for place and Sangha allow a sense of mindfulness to rise around you you breathing in I know that I am breathing in breathing out I know that I'm breathing out you you you you you you you as you find your breath simple bear awareness extend that mindfulness to your body simple unity of body and breath you you you you you allow your body to calm relax into your posture you you you you finding presence in the moment a gift for ourselves and that we can share with others it's easy to be content here find that sense of contentment in your practice.
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I invite you for a moment to find your breath.
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