Thīna-Middha

0:00 I think everyone's been here before so you know how the group is run. I'm Ajahn Jhanarato and here we are. So everyone's signed in and you've all got comfortable seats. Everyone's comfortable, got a cushion. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:20 So the obligatory notice that the recorder is on now. If you have anything you want to say that you don't want to be recorded, please let me know at the end of the talk, at the end of the meditation session. So, anything else I've forgotten, Thomas? No. The exits. That's right. That's right. There's a light and a whistle for attracting attention. Report an error in the passage at 0:20 Highlight the passage at 0:20

0:50 Yeah. Wrong place. Yeah, so here we are. It's one week to Christmas. So, I guess everyone's, I don't know, some of us will be preparing for Christmas, I guess. Report an error in the passage at 0:50 Highlight the passage at 0:50

1:07 And, yeah, no, I was just going to say a few words today on the, I've been talking about the hindrances for the last three weeks, three sessions that I've been teaching. So, today we get to... The third of the five hindrances, which is tinamida, that's the Pāli word, it translates as dullness and drowsiness is the most common translation now, so tiredness, yeah, especially in this hot weather when it's quite pleasant today, it's quite nice in here at the moment, but definitely the heat can sap your energy. Report an error in the passage at 1:07 Highlight the passage at 1:07

1:52 I have I mean, when we built Kusala, we put in reverse cycle air conditioners in each of the rooms. I think that was a good idea, and it certainly makes more sense than paying for gas cylinders to heat up in the summertime and do nothing in the wintertime and do nothing in the summertime. So that's quite comfortable. I do have memories of sitting in my hut, and I actually usually sit in a chair, so sitting like this. Report an error in the passage at 1:52 Highlight the passage at 1:52

2:24 The sweat starts to drip off your elbows. And yeah, so the heat can be one of the contributors to this hindrance. Also, if some of you are morning meditators, maybe in the morning before work, that's a good, nice, quiet time to practice for a lot of people. Report an error in the passage at 2:24 Highlight the passage at 2:24

2:48 Maybe have a little bit of this tiredness, this... uh, this, uh... This dullness in the mind, the drowsiness, and also just having a very busy life. We all have our busyness. Monks have our busyness as well sometimes. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

3:04 I'm trying to currently keep 7,000 plants alive through the summer, so we're just going fine. I've got my watering truck, but I have to get up each morning and just stand under the hose or get the sprinkler going. So yeah, all these sorts of things contribute to this. There's mental and physical feeling of tiredness. And this is what we call the tinamita, the dullness and drowsiness. And that's fine. Report an error in the passage at 3:04 Highlight the passage at 3:04

3:29 That's good. This is what we sit with. This is what our mind presents us with when we sit down. And sometimes if I'm feeling really very tired, I just remind myself, just rest. Just rest. You don't have to move. You've got a comfortable seat. Report an error in the passage at 3:29 Highlight the passage at 3:29

3:48 You know, you've got, you haven't got distractions, you don't have, all these things that normally would tire the mind aren't there anymore. So if you can, you know, allow your mind to become a bit more relaxed, a bit more still, it is actually a very restful way to be. And I'm sure coming out of Christmas, on the other side of Christmas... Report an error in the passage at 3:48 Highlight the passage at 3:48

4:12 I'm going to be a bit tired. I'm going home so I'll go see my family. They're a very active bunch of people. And yes, I can understand that. In lay life, you know, with kids and whatever goes on. Yes, you come back to your meditation seat when you have time. Sit down and just allow yourself to rest. What might happen is that you fall asleep. Report an error in the passage at 4:12 Highlight the passage at 4:12

4:41 And that's perfectly all right. If anyone falls asleep in my classes, I'm like, well, you know, at least you're relaxed. That's actually a good thing. It's not uncommon, you know, sitting in the hall at Nolamara with, like, I don't know how many people Ajahn Brahm attracts these days, maybe 300 or something they have in the hall there, and there's always someone. Report an error in the passage at 4:41 Highlight the passage at 4:41

5:06 And that's right, you just let them be. let them let them snooze that's all right we don't have uh we don't we don't follow the uh some of the zen traditions you know the guy with the big stick that comes around you know make sure you make sure you're uh you're wide awake no we don't do that no we're very compassionate here so um yeah this is this is uh but it is a bit of a hindrance so sometimes you know beginning beginning of the meditation you just gotta remind yourself just to uh I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 5:06 Highlight the passage at 5:06

5:38 There's no rushing in meditation, there's no haste. And the other side of things is, especially when you have a good meditation, but even when you have an average meditation or an alright meditation, there's mental energy and also from the mental energy, the physical energy does actually arise. So often I find... Report an error in the passage at 5:38 Highlight the passage at 5:38

6:34 I like to do a bit of just kindness to the body as usual. I think people, yeah, that's my usual teaching style here at the Family Centre. So about half an hour of guided meditation. And yeah, does anyone have any questions or anything they want to ask? Anything they want to suggest? Anything? Are there questions after the meditation? Of course, of course. Yeah, of course. Yeah, so that's... Report an error in the passage at 6:34 Highlight the passage at 6:34

7:03 If you have anything you want to ask, of course. After meditation, please do ask. Report an error in the passage at 7:03 Highlight the passage at 7:03

7:14 Everyone's got a comfortable seat. We've all got... We're all set up here. It's late enough. I don't think anyone else is going to come through the door, so that's good. The recorder seems to be working, which is good. I think that's everything checked off. So, yeah, we'll... Report an error in the passage at 7:14 Highlight the passage at 7:14

7:33 Alright, cool. Alright, so please just settle in for the meditation. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 7:33 Highlight the passage at 7:33

7:53 so let me just begin by closing our eyes. And Report an error in the passage at 7:53 Highlight the passage at 7:53

8:08 just take this time to let yourself make sure you're relaxed in the position that you're in. That your Report an error in the passage at 8:08 Highlight the passage at 8:08

8:24 clothing isn't biting into you. Your seating posture seems to be more or less right. yeah you always move around during the meditation but this is a good time just to just to check in with the body and see if it tells you anything Report an error in the passage at 8:24 Highlight the passage at 8:24

8:56 So yeah, we just have this attitude of kindness to the body as we go through the parts of the body And we can start on the left hand side today. I always like to start with the toes so Report an error in the passage at 8:56 Highlight the passage at 8:56

9:16 Yeah, so please just start to notice whatever's going on there in the toes of the left foot. Just allow that part of the body to relax and Report an error in the passage at 9:16 Highlight the passage at 9:16

9:35 have a bit of kindness to it. To the big toe, second, third, fourth, smallest toe. And Report an error in the passage at 9:35 Highlight the passage at 9:35

9:54 just allow that sense of relaxation to flow through the... the sole of the foot there on the left hand side just flowing from the toes through the through the ball of the foot there just Report an error in the passage at 9:54 Highlight the passage at 9:54

10:16 have that sense of warm kindness flowing through the arch of the foot there and through to your heel on the left foot there and Report an error in the passage at 10:16 Highlight the passage at 10:16

10:42 just notice that sense of relaxation of kindness flowing up through the instep as well the upper part of the left foot there and allow that to creep up Report an error in the passage at 10:42 Highlight the passage at 10:42

10:55 Ajahn into the into the ankle joint there Again, just letting that sense of kindness and warmth just spread through the joint. Report an error in the passage at 10:55 Highlight the passage at 10:55

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11:49 into the up into the calf there Report an error in the passage at 11:49 Highlight the passage at 11:49

11:58 And allow that muscle just to relax, to loosen and be at ease. And Report an error in the passage at 11:58 Highlight the passage at 11:58

12:23 also allow that sense of kind relaxation just to flow up through the shin there on the left hand side from the ankle joint. And just creeping up slowly up Report an error in the passage at 12:23 Highlight the passage at 12:23

12:43 to the top of the shin there. Allow Report an error in the passage at 12:43 Highlight the passage at 12:43

13:03 that feeling to creep slowly up from the lower leg on the left hand side. Up through the knee joint there. Again, just having kindness to that part of the body. Just Report an error in the passage at 13:03 Highlight the passage at 13:03

13:23 have that sense of relaxation sort of spreading right through the joint there, right through the kneecap. Report an error in the passage at 13:23 Highlight the passage at 13:23

13:57 Just notice that sensation there at the back of the knee. Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:05 Notice that feeling of kind relaxation, of ease. Just spread up through the back of the leg there. the upper upper leg on the left hand side those hamstring muscles there and that part of the body has to be at ease to be relaxed slowly Report an error in the passage at 14:05 Highlight the passage at 14:05

14:50 from that left kneecap there allow that sense of kindness of awareness of the of the body to spread up through the uh through the uh the quadricep muscles there starting from the kneecap and Report an error in the passage at 14:50 Highlight the passage at 14:50

15:16 Just rising all the way up to the hip there. Allow Report an error in the passage at 15:16 Highlight the passage at 15:16

15:25 that part of the body just to be at ease. And Report an error in the passage at 15:25 Highlight the passage at 15:25

15:46 now you can turn your attention over to the toes on your right leg. At the very end of your right leg. And again you notice just those sensations in the toes. Big Report an error in the passage at 15:46 Highlight the passage at 15:46

16:08 toe. All the way through to the smallest toe. Report an error in the passage at 16:08 Highlight the passage at 16:08

16:16 Again with kindness just relax that part of the body. And Report an error in the passage at 16:16 Highlight the passage at 16:16

16:23 just notice how that relaxation spreads from the toes and along the ball of the foot there, the arch, and all the way through to the heel there. And Report an error in the passage at 16:23 Highlight the passage at 16:23

16:55 notice how that feeling rises up through to the upper part of the foot, up through the instep there on the right hand side. And Report an error in the passage at 16:55 Highlight the passage at 16:55

17:08 notice how it slowly creeps up through the ankle and up the back of the leg through the... Through the Achilles heel through the calf there just rising slowly up from the ankle and Report an error in the passage at 17:08 Highlight the passage at 17:08

17:45 also notice as it rises from the ankle all the way up the shin it's creeping up creeping up slowly that sense of kind relaxation and all the way up into the knee joint there on the right hand side and Report an error in the passage at 17:45 Highlight the passage at 17:45

18:18 as your attention is on the the right knee I love that sense of kind relaxation just to start flowing up the back of the leg there from the back of the joint there and again through the hamstring muscles at the back of the leg and Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:55 also from the kneecap all the way up the quadricep muscles flowing up slowly slowly kind relaxation from the kneecap all the way up to the hip there. And Report an error in the passage at 18:55 Highlight the passage at 18:55

19:35 with that sense of relaxation in the hips, notice how it just flows through the pelvis there, through the, up into the lower part of your torso, that sort of area there. Report an error in the passage at 19:35 Highlight the passage at 19:35

19:54 Slowly allow that sense of kind relaxation to spread to the base of the spine there. And Report an error in the passage at 19:54 Highlight the passage at 19:54

20:23 again, just very slowly allow that feeling to spread out from the www Report an error in the passage at 20:23 Highlight the passage at 20:23

21:15 .com lower part of the back there. Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

20:53 say, just give that part of the body a bit of kindness. Report an error in the passage at 20:53 Highlight the passage at 20:53

21:12 from that lower part of the back. Report an error in the passage at 21:12 Highlight the passage at 21:12

21:25 Airing around your navel, that belly region. And Report an error in the passage at 21:25 Highlight the passage at 21:25

21:35 again, kindness. Just allow that part of the body to be at ease. Report an error in the passage at 21:35 Highlight the passage at 21:35

21:44 Just rest there comfortably. Above the waist there. And Report an error in the passage at 21:44 Highlight the passage at 21:44

22:06 notice how that sense of relaxation starts to creep up up the back there. Rising up from the lower back. And just rising up into the small of the back there. Inner part of the curve of the back. Report an error in the passage at 22:06 Highlight the passage at 22:06

22:29 Spreading out from the spine out to the muscles there. Each one of them becoming just a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more loose, a little bit more at ease. And Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

22:59 now just noticing that area of the back, that small of the back there. Allow that sense of kind relaxation to flow through to the front of the body there as well. To that area just below the ribs. Report an error in the passage at 22:59 Highlight the passage at 22:59

23:17 solar plexus there center of the body and just notice how that part of the body relaxes and Report an error in the passage at 23:17 Highlight the passage at 23:17

23:45 as we allow that feeling of kind relaxation to spread up through our body slowly allow it to rise up from the small of the back and up through to the upper Report an error in the passage at 23:45 Highlight the passage at 23:45

24:01 part of the back there the area below the scapulas there and all those little little muscles there below the shoulder blades Report an error in the passage at 24:01 Highlight the passage at 24:01

24:14 Let them become loose as well. Notice Report an error in the passage at 24:14 Highlight the passage at 24:14

24:29 how that feeling spreads from the upper back and right through the rib cage. All of that area of the body there. Just breathe in peacefully. Breathe out peacefully. And just notice how that part of the body just all relaxes. That area around the breastbone. Report an error in the passage at 24:29 Highlight the passage at 24:29

25:05 Slowly rising up to the collar there. Report an error in the passage at 25:05 Highlight the passage at 25:05

25:27 And now very gently you can turn your attention to the fingers on the left hand. Just noticing the tips of the fingers on the thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger. And again notice that sense of kind relaxation spreading through the hand, along Report an error in the passage at 25:27 Highlight the passage at 25:27

26:02 the back of the hand and also the palm of the hand as well. Report an error in the passage at 26:02 Highlight the passage at 26:02

26:09 Just leaving that part of the body be at ease and Report an error in the passage at 26:09 Highlight the passage at 26:09

26:17 letting that feeling creep up into the wrist from Report an error in the passage at 26:17 Highlight the passage at 26:17

26:28 the back of the wrist there. A lot of those muscles on the outside of the forearm on the left hand side just to be at ease and Report an error in the passage at 26:28 Highlight the passage at 26:28

26:53 also spreading up from the inner part of the wrist and flowing up the inner part of the forearm and right up there into the crook of the arm. Report an error in the passage at 26:53 Highlight the passage at 26:53

27:13 the elbow there from Report an error in the passage at 27:13 Highlight the passage at 27:13

27:28 that crook of the arm there allow that sense of relaxation to spread into the bicep muscles there those inner muscles of the upper arm and Report an error in the passage at 27:28 Highlight the passage at 27:28

27:52 also from the point of the elbow rising up through the outer part of the upper arm there on the left hand side rising up From the elbow all the way up to the shoulder muscles there. Report an error in the passage at 27:52 Highlight the passage at 27:52

28:19 Now give that part of the body just a bit of kindness. Allowing it to relax and be a D. And Report an error in the passage at 28:19 Highlight the passage at 28:19

28:42 now turn your attention very gently over to the tips of the fingers on the right hand side. The thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger. Report an error in the passage at 28:42 Highlight the passage at 28:42

29:08 and just notice that sense of kind relaxation flowing from through the fingers slowly Report an error in the passage at 29:08 Highlight the passage at 29:08

29:17 creeping up the back of your hand across your palm and Report an error in the passage at 29:17 Highlight the passage at 29:17

29:27 up into the wrist slowly Report an error in the passage at 29:27 Highlight the passage at 29:27

29:42 but surely allow that sense of relaxation of kindness in the wrist there on the right hand side first flow up the muscles of the outer part of the arm that forearm letting Report an error in the passage at 29:42 Highlight the passage at 29:42

30:01 those muscles relax right up to the tip of the elbow and also from the inner part of the wrist through the muscles there through to the crook of the elbow inner part of the elbow and Report an error in the passage at 30:01 Highlight the passage at 30:01

30:43 little by little allow that sense of relaxation starting at the point of the elbow on the right hand side allow it to creep up the outer part of the upper arm again letting those muscles relax flowing up into the Ajahn Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:47 Jhanarato the inner part of the shoulder there Report an error in the passage at 31:47 Highlight the passage at 31:47

32:11 And allow that feeling to creep. Report an error in the passage at 32:11 Highlight the passage at 32:11

32:19 From the outer part of the shoulders and slowly creeping across the scapula there across The very upper part of your shoulders there, across to the back of the neck. Report an error in the passage at 32:19 Highlight the passage at 32:19

32:38 and allow any tension that might be there just to dissipate to Report an error in the passage at 32:38 Highlight the passage at 32:38

32:52 www Report an error in the passage at 32:52 Highlight the passage at 32:52

33:10 .jhanarato.com Notice how that sense of kind relaxation flows up the back of your neck and Report an error in the passage at 33:10 Highlight the passage at 33:10

33:22 also from your collar just creeping up the area below your chin and flowing up into the into the jaw there and Report an error in the passage at 33:22 Highlight the passage at 33:22

33:41 all those muscles and any tension that's in that part of the body we just let that relax and be at ease. Report an error in the passage at 33:41 Highlight the passage at 33:41

34:15 Notice how that the feeling creeps up from the jaw line and to that area around your mouth and all those tiny little muscles there just relax the Report an error in the passage at 34:15 Highlight the passage at 34:15

34:37 most relaxed posture for that part of the body is to smile and Report an error in the passage at 34:37 Highlight the passage at 34:37

35:01 just notice how that sense of kind relaxation spreads from the mouth region and the cheeks and rising up to the cheekbones there Report an error in the passage at 35:01 Highlight the passage at 35:01

35:45 talks by Ajahn Report an error in the passage at 35:45 Highlight the passage at 35:45

36:07 Jhanarato. your nose as well Report an error in the passage at 36:07 Highlight the passage at 36:07

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36:00 the eyebrow region Report an error in the passage at 36:00 Highlight the passage at 36:00

36:21 and also just creeping up the back of the head there A sense of peace, of... Report an error in the passage at 36:21 Highlight the passage at 36:21

36:39 Just slowly rise up to the top of the head there to the crown of the head Report an error in the passage at 36:39 Highlight the passage at 36:39

37:03 Now just take a moment just to just to observe the body as a whole Report an error in the passage at 37:03 Highlight the passage at 37:03

37:12 From the tips of your toes. to the tips of the fingers. Report an error in the passage at 37:12 Highlight the passage at 37:12

37:24 www.jhanarato.com Peace and relaxation. That you've taken this time to spread in the body. Report an error in the passage at 37:24 Highlight the passage at 37:24

37:47 Okay, so I'm going to ring the gong three times. And after the end of the third gong, we can come out on meditation. So Report an error in the passage at 37:47 Highlight the passage at 37:47

· · · silence, 1 minute

38:40 I hope you all enjoyed that. No one fell asleep. I didn't hear any snoring. With a bit of luck next time, we'll fall asleep completely. Report an error in the passage at 38:40 Highlight the passage at 38:40

38:53 Still going. It's a good ball. Okay, so... Does anyone have any questions about the meditation or life in general? No. How the toilets work, I mean, it's almost a mystery to me still. Our robotic toilet. It's like a Star Wars toilet. It is, it is, yeah. It's very high tech. Thank Report an error in the passage at 38:53 Highlight the passage at 38:53

39:18 you, Ajahn. Pleasure. I have a question about modern information overload. I think times are different now than they were 50 years ago. Short slot and top was still around then. Yeah. I think there might be a slightly different kind of related to media around us, computers, TV, instant access to information. Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:42 Previously we probably had to walk into a library and look for a book. Now you can type in a research query and it can come up with all the citations. I read a book by Yuval Noah Harari. He said that Report an error in the passage at 39:42 Highlight the passage at 39:42

40:02 A lot of people are suffering from what's like a fire hose of information. That's how we put it. Just be interested in your reflections on that. Some tips maybe. Sure, sure, sure. I may relate to sloth and talk, but I'll pick out of that one if you like. so uh yeah no i just i just talked briefly on what you're saying i i guess i i have to take some responsibility for this because i used to be a software engineer so i helped i've helped create a lot of the uh these things no no not too much but um Yeah, generally, yes, we do have a lot more, I think, stimulus these days. I mean, I'm not a psychologist. My sister's a psychologist. But, yeah, there's often that, yeah, a lot going on. Report an error in the passage at 40:02 Highlight the passage at 40:02

40:52 And it does tie the mind. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I do remember when I was a young man, or a young boy, really, when I was a teenager, I guess, even in primary school, I always found that the library was actually a really peaceful place to go. Report an error in the passage at 40:52 Highlight the passage at 40:52

41:08 wander the isles, and everyone was quiet, and you know, you could pick through the books, and I don't know, I like fantasy myself, which is kind of funny, because I visited my cousin the other day, and her son is gathering all the Dragonlance novels, which I read when I was in primary school, and I'm like, well this is bizarre, it's got all these old paperbacks, anyway, by the by. Report an error in the passage at 41:08 Highlight the passage at 41:08

41:32 But yeah, so, I think also, and I'll talk about this next time I come, the fourth hindrance is restlessness as well. And they're a pair, yeah. So if we have too much stimulus, it's pretty simple. If we have too much stimulus, we become more tired. And also, it can also feed into the restlessness of the mind that's very active. Report an error in the passage at 41:32 Highlight the passage at 41:32

42:05 Yeah, so there's sort of a pair there, the dullness and drowsiness and the restlessness. But it's basically doing this is actually very helpful. So you probably can't escape the phone and the laptop and whatever else you have to use throughout the day. But also just to sit in a quiet place and turn everything off as best you can, as best you can. Report an error in the passage at 42:05 Highlight the passage at 42:05

42:34 Everyone's really, really quite good here of turning their mobile phones off. I don't remember the last time someone's ringer went off. So even having like just about half an hour in the day, that really does help. It does allow you to, I think, in my opinion, to sort of process that information. Actually, rather than, I think, as you meditate, yeah, the thoughts and all of these... Report an error in the passage at 42:34 Highlight the passage at 42:34

43:05 down you know it's like the the snow globe effect you know you sit down and all this all this tinkly stuff just settles down settles down settles down and even even half an hour is very helpful I think if you can manage half an hour here and there during the week then you'll find that it does it really does help a lot yeah but it's a different tone to what it was before and That's probably true for every time ever. Because things are always changing. So, yeah, that's sort of a simple answer for that. Report an error in the passage at 43:05 Highlight the passage at 43:05

43:43 So, everyone's looking very peaceful here. If you don't have any more questions, we can pack up now and head on home. Wonderful. Thanks for coming out again. And have a Merry Christmas if you're celebrating Christmas and so forth. Cheers. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 43:43 Highlight the passage at 43:43