Guided Meditation

0:00 Excellent. So again, welcome to the meditation class. Keep this one going. And for the meditation class today, often the people ask me, how do you let go? We understand that being still is important. And when you are still, that is the much preferred translation for samādhi. And when you are really still, sometimes Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:31 Thoughts pop into the mind, you want to do something, you want to remember something, what you were told, and all of those thoughts are called disturbances. If you really look at them every time you think something, it's usually wanting something. It's almost like wanting creates the thoughts. How do I get it? What actually is it which I want? Report an error in the passage at 0:31 Highlight the passage at 0:31

0:59 You want to understand it more fully. Each way you do that... There's some chairs on that side. Each time you want something... Oh, you've got the best chair in the world. That's what that chair is there for, to be sat on. So thank you for doing that. Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

1:20 So every time you want something, that's where you disturb the mind. So how can you stop wanting things? A lot of times... You want to do something, you want to control something, you want to arrange something, you want to fix something up. And one of the reasons why is because you think this is yours. Report an error in the passage at 1:20 Highlight the passage at 1:20

1:44 And that's one of the jobs, even the purposes, the responsibilities of having something which you believe you own. Imagine if you could use the insight. Report an error in the passage at 1:44 Highlight the passage at 1:44

2:03 Yes. Report an error in the passage at 2:03 Highlight the passage at 2:03

2:10 Throw it in the bin. That's what, I mean that's why it's so hard for some people, actually for all people at the beginning, to actually to turn it off. That's what we're doing to our mind, turning it off. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a little switch? We can turn it off so we can have a nice rest at night. Report an error in the passage at 2:10 Highlight the passage at 2:10

2:35 We can turn it off so we can be really peaceful and really still. We can turn it off so we don't have to think about anything during the meditation. It can be just so quiet and so peaceful. It would be wonderful if we could do that. So how do we kind of turn off our mind so it's still aware but it doesn't do anything? Report an error in the passage at 2:35 Highlight the passage at 2:35

2:58 The reactor part of the mind, changing, doing, controlling. Have you ever noticed that when you are a passenger in a car, I'm always passenger in a car because part of my rules means I'm not allowed to drive. And one of those things about being a passenger is when people are taking you somewhere, there's usually a person in the back who's called the backseat driver. Report an error in the passage at 2:58 Highlight the passage at 2:58

3:29 And they always want to give advice on how to get to the destination quicker. Or more efficiently. And it's wonderful when you actually hear them. These are the ones who try to control rather than letting go. Why do they do that? Have you been a backseat driver? Have you visited someone's house and they're cooking something and you say, that's not how to cook it, this makes it more delicious. Report an error in the passage at 3:29 Highlight the passage at 3:29

3:57 Why do people do that? Because they think they have a responsibility to do that. They should do that. I think that's caring. It's not caring, it's complicating things. Isn't it much more beautiful to let things be wrong but let things be peaceful? Not the best, but the most beautiful. Why do people want to control? Why do they want to do things? Report an error in the passage at 3:57 Highlight the passage at 3:57

4:32 Why do they want to want? Hopefully today, for those of you who have been in the classes, understand that we even get attached to wanting, not realizing that it is a pain, is a difficulty. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

4:53 Sometimes we are backseat drivers, so much so that even though we have no real need to think, to do, to make things happen. We still can't stop ourselves from giving our advice. It's one of the reasons why that sometimes I like to emphasize that meditation is a natural process. Report an error in the passage at 4:53 Highlight the passage at 4:53

5:23 To make that clear, I've given those similes of the thousand petal lotus. When the sun comes up in the morning, the lotus starts to open up. How? Why? Report an error in the passage at 5:23 Highlight the passage at 5:23

5:40 It opens up because the petals receive the warmth and the light of the sun. And then one petal opens up allowing the warmth of the light and the sun to go to the next layer of petals and the next layer of petals and the next layer of petals. That's how it opens up. And I love that simile because it's so simple. That's the kind of warmth of the sun. Report an error in the passage at 5:40 Highlight the passage at 5:40

6:12 Mindfulness is the kindness which you give to what you're watching. Light of the sun is the mindfulness. It's such a powerful simile that for so many years I've actually called that kindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 6:12 Highlight the passage at 6:12

6:28 Mindfulness but adding that one extra quality of kindness. Because when you practice kindfulness, that's basically all you need to do. Stop yourself doing anything else. Report an error in the passage at 6:28 Highlight the passage at 6:28

6:45 To emphasize the point, you tell some little anecdotes which actually are easy to remember because they're funny. This was that story I saw in a newsletter of, I think it was AirAsia, when I was flying on AirAsia somewhere in the world. And it was the story of a pilot predicting the aircraft of the future. Report an error in the passage at 6:45 Highlight the passage at 6:45

7:15 And the aircraft of the future in the cockpit, there'll be just two beings in the cockpit. I said two beings because only one was a human, the other was a dog. Report an error in the passage at 7:15 Highlight the passage at 7:15

7:29 And the job of the pilot was to feed the dog and the job of the dog was to bite the pilot whenever the pilot touched anything. Report an error in the passage at 7:29 Highlight the passage at 7:29

7:44 And I love that simile. Because it's weird and it fits in with the warmth and light of the sun. Don't do anything else. Just be kind, be mindful and nothing else. It was a little dog I could insert into your brain to stop you doing things. You'd all be enlightened so much earlier. You need to learn how to let go and just let the warmth and light of kindfulness open you up. Report an error in the passage at 7:44 Highlight the passage at 7:44

8:24 beautifully, enjoyably, we don't do anything, we're just aware. How do you feel right now? Have you ever noticed that often we're not that clear? Sometimes, have you noticed when you first wake up in the morning, you may be a bit dull? If you have some jet lag, which I had, A week ago, you always feel a bit sort of dull, not so clear. But after a good meditation, you feel so alert. Report an error in the passage at 8:24 Highlight the passage at 8:24

9:01 You can see much more and it takes no effort to see because that mindfulness has got strong. When the mindfulness is strong, as I say, that's when you can see beautiful things around you. As I look out the window and see... Always on a Saturday afternoon most times, you look out and you see the beautiful green leaves through the windows. They're like sparkling, they look beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 9:01 Highlight the passage at 9:01

9:32 They're always there. But because you've been meditating, your mindfulness is stronger and you can see much more beauty. This is what happens with kindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 9:32 Highlight the passage at 9:32

9:44 You're aware, you're kind, which means you don't want anything. And when you don't want anything, The mind gets very peaceful, very alert. What you see is beautiful. What you're doing is letting go of your backseat driving. You're just letting the senses see the world peacefully. And when you close your eyes, of course you don't see anything. Report an error in the passage at 9:44 Highlight the passage at 9:44

10:20 Sound. What is there to hear in this room, especially if I shut up and stop talking? Report an error in the passage at 10:20 Highlight the passage at 10:20

10:30 Sound of the air con, that soon disappears. Smells, tastes, touches. One of the reasons why we learn how to sit comfortably, so comfortably that even all the touches vanish. You do that every time you go to sleep. After a while you can't feel any sensations in your body. Report an error in the passage at 10:30 Highlight the passage at 10:30

11:02 That simile of the thousand petal lotus illustrates that beautifully. Simply because the first time you put kindfulness, the warmth and light of your own mind, onto that lotus, your body, it relaxes, turns off. I always call that the first layer of petals of the lotus, your body. And seeing that relaxes so much, you can hardly feel it. Report an error in the passage at 11:02 Highlight the passage at 11:02

12:06 How I meditate and I teach you when I do the guided meditations. Once the body is so relaxed you can hardly feel any of it. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:17 And then the last part of the body which you tend to feel is your breathing. It's natural. Usually when people go in these sensory deprivation chambers where you float in salty water. So your body doesn't have any touch with any hard object. It's just floating like in a pool. And it's dark, so you can't see anything. Report an error in the passage at 12:17 Highlight the passage at 12:17

12:47 Even if you open your eyes, you wouldn't be able to see anything. It's silent. It's supposed to be silent. So all the five senses are supposed to be stifled so that they can turn off too. But the problem is, because I got this from A monk senior to me, Ajahn Jagara, who went inside one of these and said it's a waste of time because you can always hear your breathing and that is very loud in the sensory deprivation chambers. Report an error in the passage at 12:47 Highlight the passage at 12:47

13:29 It's the last thing which is moving when everything else relaxes. So how can you turn that off? It's one of the reasons why The Buddha chose to make that one of the meditation objects. You'll notice that anyway. Start focusing on your breathing, even if you intend to or not. It's the last part of the body senses which still make a noise. And so as you focus on that, you focus on that enough to relax it with kindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 13:29 Highlight the passage at 13:29

14:11 Not we're taking a sedative to go to sleep. And when you do things like that, you notice the difference between that and sleeping is your mindfulness is still strong. Report an error in the passage at 14:11 Highlight the passage at 14:11

14:26 When the mindfulness is still strong, I think some of the monks are outside. They're supposed to be going back to the monastery now. I don't think they found a car. It's okay, they can walk. Go on then. See what they're doing there. Report an error in the passage at 14:26 Highlight the passage at 14:26

14:49 They started to walk. Oh, come on monks. It's really hot outside. Report an error in the passage at 14:49 Highlight the passage at 14:49

14:58 Anyway, they can always come in and do some more meditation. One person, no, no, not two. We've got three people. Your backseat driver, come and sit down. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:10 Are they okay? Okay, good, yeah. Sorry? I parked in and said, oh, so you see what's happening here. Sometimes we think you have a responsibility and you go out there out of kindness. But that means you grow in your compassion, but you never get any deep meditation. So let go. Report an error in the passage at 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:37 They find a way. But anyhow, so when you can let go of the seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching, but you're still very much awake, you can see something and be still as you're watching it. That becomes... The meditation experience, you're going deep in that thousand petal lotus, which is you. And how does it work? Report an error in the passage at 15:37 Highlight the passage at 15:37

16:09 By not reacting, by not doing things, by sitting perfectly still. What's the most important on this afternoon meditation class? It's learning to be still, learning to let things go. Report an error in the passage at 16:09 Highlight the passage at 16:09

16:31 And then to sit here like you're just watching the world, but you're not reacting. Be still. Why is that hard to do? This is just for a short time, 45 minutes. And if you're really still at the end of those 40 or so minutes, you find you don't want to move. Report an error in the passage at 16:31 Highlight the passage at 16:31

17:00 The stillness is by itself more enjoyable than most other things. Once you taste that joy, the deeper you go into the lotus, the more beautiful are the leaves. The richer is the perfume, the scent of those inner petals of lotus. And of course, the colors of them are just more inspiring. Peace, stillness, is one of the greatest joys you can experience. Report an error in the passage at 17:00 Highlight the passage at 17:00

17:34 That takes you deeper inside. You go deeper inside of this thing which you call the body and mind and you get the great insights of it. And how do you do it? Sometimes when people ask me, what do I do next? Even the question is wrong. It's what are you doing now? Report an error in the passage at 17:34 Highlight the passage at 17:34

17:59 And that should be nothing. Just being kindful to this moment and it takes you deeper in. The problem is very few people teach that. Do this, do that, here's a remedy, try something else, do some walking meditation, do something, but you don't need to, just carry on being still, being at peace, just practicing the kindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:31 The lotus doesn't do anything, it just allows the warmth and light of the sun to shine on it and it opens up according to natural causes. All by itself. See if that's correct or not. So let's start meditating. Report an error in the passage at 18:31 Highlight the passage at 18:31

18:56 So get yourself into a comfortable position. Report an error in the passage at 18:56 Highlight the passage at 18:56

19:04 That's all I'm going to say. Be kindful to your body and everything about it. Just know it and be kind. Report an error in the passage at 19:04 Highlight the passage at 19:04

19:24 That's the guided meditation. Now I'm going to shut up. Report an error in the passage at 19:24 Highlight the passage at 19:24

· · · silence, 33 minutes

52:10 Getting close. To the end of the meditation period, how do you feel? Report an error in the passage at 52:10 Highlight the passage at 52:10

52:34 Please look on your mind with kindfulness. See Report an error in the passage at 52:34 Highlight the passage at 52:34

52:44 if you can feel the mind instead of measuring it. It Report an error in the passage at 52:44 Highlight the passage at 52:44

53:00 is the slightest bit of joy. Please acknowledge it. I Report an error in the passage at 53:00 Highlight the passage at 53:00

53:26 never think my way into meditation. I feel my way in using the perceptions. These beautiful emotional feelings. Let Report an error in the passage at 53:26 Highlight the passage at 53:26

53:47 my mind relax to the max for Report an error in the passage at 53:47 Highlight the passage at 53:47

54:01 another few minutes. So please carry on. Now Report an error in the passage at 54:01 Highlight the passage at 54:01

· · · silence, 5 minutes

58:43 see if you can be aware of your body. How's the body feel? How Report an error in the passage at 58:43 Highlight the passage at 58:43

58:56 relaxed is it? I Report an error in the passage at 58:56 Highlight the passage at 58:56

59:04 gave it a few instructions. Let Report an error in the passage at 59:04 Highlight the passage at 59:04

59:11 it relax naturally so Report an error in the passage at 59:11 Highlight the passage at 59:11

59:17 it doesn't interfere with the mind. This notice is how the mind becomes peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 59:17 Highlight the passage at 59:17

59:30 This kindfulness takes you deeper in to the beautiful parts of your mind where Report an error in the passage at 59:30 Highlight the passage at 59:30

59:43 you can enjoy the meditation profoundly without Report an error in the passage at 59:43 Highlight the passage at 59:43

59:53 losing any stillness. Report an error in the passage at 59:53 Highlight the passage at 59:53

1:00:02 Please prepare yourself for the sound of the gong to take you out from the meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:02 Highlight the passage at 1:00:02

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:01:12 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:12 Highlight the passage at 1:01:12

1:01:21 Now we have the opportunities for questions to Report an error in the passage at 1:01:21 Highlight the passage at 1:01:21

1:01:29 the internet once first of all and that gives your mind a chance to formulate any questions you may have. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:29 Highlight the passage at 1:01:29

1:01:43 First question from Germany. Dear Ajahn Brahm, what do you do when you get a burst of energy during meditation? Thank you kindly. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:43 Highlight the passage at 1:01:43

1:01:59 Energy is to be expected. When you get a burst of energy, just enjoy it. Keep it inside. And don't let it sort of disturb or wake up the bodily feelings. Usually the deep meditations are high energy states. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:59 Highlight the passage at 1:01:59

1:02:24 And if you have those high energy states, you may think they're bursting on you. But don't let them just burst on you. Be patient, be kindful, you don't have to do anything, but just enjoy. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:24 Highlight the passage at 1:02:24

1:02:44 If you don't interfere with the natural way this energy just grows in the body and the mind, you just let it, you enjoy it to the max. It's like walking through a garden and sometimes you see the most beautiful flowers suddenly open. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:44 Highlight the passage at 1:02:44

1:03:08 Please enjoy to the max and don't disturb it. How to deal with debt when having made bad decisions and disappointed relatives? You usually find out you would always disappoint relatives. If you make a lot of money, it's not enough. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:08 Highlight the passage at 1:03:08

1:03:33 Don't worry about other people when you're meditating. This is where you become an island to oneself. That's not meaning there is a self-identity. But you keep all of these practices inside so that when you come out of meditation, then you can help others. And it's amazing just the ideas, the solutions which come up after you've meditated. They become innovative. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:04:09 innovative, and unique. This is one of the most wonderful ways of dealing with problems. Put them aside. Let them go. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:09 Highlight the passage at 1:04:09

1:04:45 number one, you never make bad decisions anymore about money, the greed. Which is usually the reason why those decisions were made in the first place, kind of disappears. After meditation, just like, what do I need? You don't need much. And eventually, just funds come, money changes its value, and debts can be paid. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:05:39 So don't worry. Worry is also kind of a defilement. And you find that when you do get peaceful, you don't worry about things. And it's amazing just how funds come to pay off any debts. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:39 Highlight the passage at 1:05:39

1:06:00 Anyway, there's a couple of questions from the internet. The last one was a bit strange because it didn't have much to do with the practice of meditation. But nevertheless, if someone asks it, I will always try and answer. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:00 Highlight the passage at 1:06:00

1:06:18 Now for each one of you now, any questions you would like to ask. I did things differently today. My introduction was almost non-existent and the reason I did that because sometimes I feel I give you too many instructions and not enough time to explore. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:18 Highlight the passage at 1:06:18

1:06:43 Guided meditations were almost non-existent when I was a young monk. We just sat down giving a basic overview of what we... Should and should not be doing. And mostly it was what we shouldn't do. And just let the meditation grow by itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:43 Highlight the passage at 1:06:43

1:07:02 No backseat driving. It becomes beautiful. The mind does it by itself. You don't need to interfere. Any questions? Comments? Complaints? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:02 Highlight the passage at 1:07:02

1:07:27 Oh yes, we have one there. Hi Ajahn, it was a really nice meditation. I think even without the guidance, it's actually really nice to observe on our own. But I was wondering, when I was meditating, I felt like it's sometimes hard to just look at the breath, but looking at part of the body, and it feels like it becomes solidified, and it becomes hardened, and that feels like an object to look into. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:27 Highlight the passage at 1:07:27

1:08:00 Like a focus on, is it okay to do that? Of course, everything is okay. That's one of the reasons why I never gave any guidance. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:00 Highlight the passage at 1:08:00

1:08:12 Because people have respect for the teacher, sometimes if they follow the teacher they feel they're doing it correctly, they feel there's a right way of meditation and a wrong way of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:12 Highlight the passage at 1:08:12

1:08:28 Instead, the kindfulness, just the attitude you have. To what you're watching. And sometimes in what you're watching you don't judge it. It's a natural event. That's why it's there. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:28 Highlight the passage at 1:08:28

1:08:42 So you notice it. You're kind to it. And after a while whatever it is you're watching tends to relax and disappear. And you go inside. You go to the deeper level. Petals open up. You get closer to the center of these things. It's not always the breath. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:42 Highlight the passage at 1:08:42

1:09:06 In fact, sometimes when I go into these nice meditations, you don't even notice the breathing, you go beyond it. That's why it's nice not to have a fixed object of meditation you always practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:06 Highlight the passage at 1:09:06

1:09:23 Sometimes you don't need that. You go into the body, it disappears and into the mind, into things like what I sometimes normally do, into peace. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:23 Highlight the passage at 1:09:23

1:09:39 What is peace? After a while, because you keep looking at it, you get to know it so well. It's causes. Sometimes the cause for destroying peace is to think that something's gone wrong. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:39 Highlight the passage at 1:09:39

1:10:01 You want to find the causes and destroy those causes. That's not the way to find peace. Be at peace with things. And that's where what you find is the old... Report an error in the passage at 1:10:01 Highlight the passage at 1:10:01

1:10:19 beautiful. Why did I want to get rid of anything? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:19 Highlight the passage at 1:10:19

1:10:52 Never something you need to get rid of. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:52 Highlight the passage at 1:10:52

1:10:57 It goes by itself when it's ready. Does that make sense to you? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:57 Highlight the passage at 1:10:57

1:11:09 Was there another question somewhere? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:09 Highlight the passage at 1:11:09

1:11:14 Okay, yeah. You've been listening to the monks teaching all day. I didn't want to give you more confusion. I've just got a comment and then a question. Hopefully this doesn't come across the wrong way, but it's always... Lovely to hear the guidance. But at the start of the meditation this afternoon, when you started, it took me a while to wound down. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:14 Highlight the passage at 1:11:14

1:11:46 I felt so excited by the silence in a way. But I'm obviously here to hear the guidance as well. But I wasn't expecting it at all. It took me five or ten minutes to kind of calm myself down. That's the comment. The question... At the end of meditation sometimes I find it difficult to come out and when I open my eyes it kind of seems all too much in a way. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:46 Highlight the passage at 1:11:46

1:12:13 It's only quite brief, probably a few seconds or a little bit longer but it's not been distressing but it's probably been something that is new. Forgive yourself, I made use of this. I heard a few phones going off, or beep beeps, and I thought, my goodness, have I gone over time? And I looked at the clock, and in front of me over here, and it was 5, sorry, 3.51. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:13 Highlight the passage at 1:12:13

1:12:51 I had an extra nine minutes. And I wanted to make use of that by coming out more slowly. And for you, once the gong goes off, Come out slowly, take a few minutes to open your eyes. I always like telling the monks the story of one of the meditations on a Saturday afternoon. One of the lay people I knew very well, he was sitting and once I rang the gong, he just kept his eyes closed. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:51 Highlight the passage at 1:12:51

1:13:30 During a Q &A, he kept his eyes closed. When we finished off, He bowed, he kept his eyes closed, and he could see, and after a few minutes, that he had entered Ajahn Brahm. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:30 Highlight the passage at 1:13:30

1:13:47 And I told, where is she now? I don't know if she still remembers. Lynn. I said, can you please sit next to her for a little while? Him, sorry. Sit next to him. When he comes out, just take him into one of the side rooms. Very cool. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:47 Highlight the passage at 1:13:47

1:14:08 I remember Ajahn Chah telling me, if that ever happens and you sort of do something, it's like pouring hot water into a cool glass. It's very unpleasant and things can crack. So if you are very peaceful, stay peaceful. Come out slowly. Keep your eyes closed. And if the monks are here or the nuns are here and they're teaching, they will know what you're up to. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:08 Highlight the passage at 1:14:08

1:14:43 And just come out very, very slowly. And sometimes, this other little story, there was one of the retreats which we were teaching over in Jhāna Grove. And the retreat was over, but the people from Hong Kong were going back that afternoon. And one of the ladies on that retreat, it was in the cold weather. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:43 Highlight the passage at 1:14:43

1:15:16 They started sitting on this stupa in Janagraha. Their friends were worried for her because it was very cold. Nevertheless, they put a blanket around her, she never reacted. And they followed one of these important teachings that if your body feels warm, then you're not dead, you're just in a deep meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:16 Highlight the passage at 1:15:16

1:15:46 And so they reported to me, She feels warm but she doesn't respond to any sound. There was shouting in her ear. I said, that's the wrong way to do it. Don't shout. Speak really kindly, softly. That is heard much better. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:46 Highlight the passage at 1:15:46

1:16:09 And when they went back over there and they gave a message to her, she counts me as her teacher. So they very softly and kindly talked into her ear, Ajahn Brahm asks you to come over to Bodhinyana Monastery Hall. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:09 Highlight the passage at 1:16:09

1:16:34 That's all. Then they came to see me and said it didn't work. She's still sitting there like a statue. And I replied, wait. It takes time to come out of a meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:34 Highlight the passage at 1:16:34

1:16:54 Five minutes later she appeared at Bodhinyana Hall and she said, you called me. Exactly. Give people time when they're very still to come out slowly and be kind, simple and direct. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:54 Highlight the passage at 1:16:54

1:17:18 And I asked her, how do you feel? Do you want some breakfast? She said, no, I'm fine. So she just sat in the hall for another 10 or 15 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:18 Highlight the passage at 1:17:18

1:17:32 Don't come out too fast. That spoils the peace of the meditation. Take a bit longer. Does that make sense to you? Excellent. Next question. Yes, Eddie? Ajahn Brahm, just now you say make friends with it, you know. Yes. Make friends with it. It just came to my mind, you know, sometimes we come across situations But it's difficult, we fight it, you know. We fight it and then there's a lot of stress, you know, anxiety involves it. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:32 Highlight the passage at 1:17:32

1:18:13 So what do you think, Ajahn Brahm, if we can make, as you said, we make friends with this thing, and then we meditate this thing, and then it will calm us faster, isn't it? It calms you, and you get to learn. Learn, yeah. You get insights. Yeah. Insights, yeah. You understand that we call these things our enemies and problems. You make friends with them and in that friendship you learn so much and the friend turns into a real friend. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:13 Highlight the passage at 1:18:13

1:18:45 It teaches you a lot of wisdom. Even when you have sicknesses, make friends with the sicknesses and don't get upset by them. They're part of life. When you make friends with them it's amazing just... How because your body is so relaxed, those diseases, they do their job and then they disappear. Yeah, I just say, yeah, it disappears. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:45 Highlight the passage at 1:18:45

1:19:11 Things like fevers. What is a fever? A fever is just the body's way of dealing with inflammation, dealing with sicknesses. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:11 Highlight the passage at 1:19:11

1:19:22 So I remember just learning when I was a young monk, we were being in jungles, they were dangerous. There's all sorts of bugs and stuff and snakes. And what do you do? Make friends with all these things. Don't get upset and angry at them. You find the snakes don't harm you. And if you do have a fever, just make sure it's, I forget exactly what the temperature was, having a cold water until the fever disappears. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:22 Highlight the passage at 1:19:22

1:19:51 And that's what it does. Thank you. Make friends with things. Yeah. Never enemies. Not fight it. You think fighting, you make it normally, no? We don't see the other side, we fight it, this thing, and then it makes it worse, you know. Yeah, indeed. Thank you. You learn so much with that type of attitude. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:51 Highlight the passage at 1:19:51

1:20:17 Next question. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:17 Highlight the passage at 1:20:17

1:20:23 If you're kind to things or kind to people by not asking many questions, they disappear. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:23 Highlight the passage at 1:20:23

1:20:34 So let's bow three times. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:34 Highlight the passage at 1:20:34