Body As A Foundation Of Mindfulness: Realizing No Self

This meditation supports the development of both concentration and insight and dispels attachment to concepts about the body. This is a more secular version of the Buddhist meditation from the Four Foundations of Mindfulness relating to the attachment to the body. There are six distinct groups of practices – the breath, the four postures of the body, mindfulness of all activities, and the parts of the body. This meditation deals with the parts of the body.

Transcript

Then, We're going to begin ourchen chat. You may remain standing for our And so in this meditation we're going to explore the nature of the body and whether we can find a me or an I or a self in the material form of this body. So this is asking of a question in this way is a contemplation. It's a way where we direct a question into the space of awareness. Just allow the questions to hang, Just to hang out there. We're not trying to cognitively answer the questions but it's just kind of dropping them, Letting them sort of float in a space of awareness, In a space of not knowing really. We're not looking for answers in the normal sense. So when we shine awareness on our material form or our body and look for this thing called me or self, We're really looking to discover the nature of the body and whether its nature is can be called a permanent independent essence or self. We'll just start by allowing our attention to rest on the breath, Whether that be at the nostrils or the chest or the belly. Letting the breath breathe naturally and allowing it to just be held in awareness. Letting the breath breathe naturally and allowing it to just be held in awareness. And if you notice any tension or holding in the body anywhere while you're focusing on the breath, Just allowing that area to soften and release. Bringing awareness to it is often enough for softening just to arise. It's not like we have to do anything. We're just noticing the tension and allowing it to release as we continue to bring our awareness to the breath. It's been one of the worst things that's happened to us. You We can also sense into the space around the breath while seeing the breath, Noticing intuitively the space all around the breath. This could be called awareness itself. More you soften and open, The more you'll sense that space around the breath. You might notice its natural quality of silence and stillness. That the movement of the breath is happening within that silence and stillness. It arises and disappears within the innate silence of awareness. Everything becomes LED, PT, Reflections, MtHAHA strong and And if you get lost in thought, Very simply and without judgment, Gently drawing your attention back to the breath or the space around the breath. Letting go into the practice of meditation, Which is essentially the practice of letting be and letting go, Letting things be as they are. Noticing if there's any attitude of mind that is grasping at experience, Remembering this quality of letting go or letting be. And we allow things to be just as they are. What's left is only awareness, The stillness and silence of awareness. So awareness isn't something we create or something we find, We have to really look for. It's what's always present that gets clouded over by our grasping and pushing away, Wanting things to be different in the present moment. So when we stop that struggle, What's left is this peaceful awareness. So into this still awareness, We can drop questions or contemplations and shine the light of awareness on this thing called me. Can you find a permanent self in the body? Is it contained in the head hairs, Body hairs, Nails, Teeth, Skin or flesh? Is this thing called me contained in any of that? Is it contained in the sinew, Bones, Bone marrow, Kidneys, Heart, Or liver? Can your essence of being be found in any of that? Really looking, Allowing that question to be held and rest in awareness. What about the diaphragm, The spleen, The lungs, Intestines, Stomach, Excrement, Brain, Bile, Phlegm, Pus, Blood? Can a self be found in any of that? Can any of that be considered a permanent, Independent self? What in essence, What you are? What about this sweat, Fat, Tears, Grease, Saliva, Or snot? Is that where the self is contained, The essence of your being? Can we find someone or something? Anything in any body part or collection of body parts? Silence. Meditative contemplation or meditative inquiry, Such as this, Is the opportunity to look for yourself. Is it true? Is there a somebody, A self, In the body? When we look, We simply find body parts that are in constant flux. None of it is permanent. It's constantly changing, And you aren't in control of any of it. It's simply nature. Is there a self? To be found in the body. Perhaps when you look, The investigation leads you to the place where there is no self found in the body. To the place where what you are is not a thing, Not a self. It's the absence of a self. Complete absence of definitions. The invitation is to rest in this not knowing. Is. . . . . . . . . . .