Friday Night Guided Meditation

0:00 So it's wonderful to see Ajahn Chaitamala here again. He was my second monk for such a long time when he departed about 20 years ago. And those of you who are really ancient like me, you can understand he hasn't changed much at all. He looks exactly the same. His brother is still here as a novice monk. And anyway, the other thing which I needed to announce, he did to announce, was the relic exhibition. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:29 happening on Monday and Tuesday. I'm just going there for the opening and the reason I'm going for the opening because I'm too much like a relic myself. Report an error in the passage at 0:29 Highlight the passage at 0:29

0:39 So I don't want to stay there too long. They won't let me out. So that's over in, you can see some of the announcements. It's over in the Serbian Community Center in Kenwick Road, in Kenwick. It's open till 7 in the evening. So it's wonderful, both Monday and Tuesday as well. So now, with all those announcements over, now is the time to let go, to renounce, to disappear, to bliss out. Report an error in the passage at 0:39 Highlight the passage at 0:39

1:13 And if you really get into the meditation, just carry on. I don't know what my talk is going to be about, but I always know that the meditation is much more lovely than any talk anybody could say. So just allow the mind to become very peaceful, very happy. And enjoy it to the max. So, first of all, close your eyes. Report an error in the passage at 1:13 Highlight the passage at 1:13

1:43 And with your eyes closed, that helps with the letting go. And you don't get excited or disappointed by anything you see. Report an error in the passage at 1:43 Highlight the passage at 1:43

1:55 And number two, it makes it easier to be able to close your eyes and keep them closed when you feel so safe. This place is such a boring place, nothing ever happens here. Certainly nothing dangerous or scary. So because of that, you are really so protected. In few places in this world, you can close your eyes, relax to the max and know that nothing bad is going to happen, only beautiful things. Report an error in the passage at 1:55 Highlight the passage at 1:55

2:31 And then once you close your eyes, what do you become aware of? This is one of the wonderful exercises in Buddhism, the awareness, and just ask what's there for you to watch right now. Please don't pay too much attention to my speech. Pay more attention to the feelings in your body. How relaxed is your body now? When you pay attention to the feelings in the body, I always say add this other little ingredient of like kindness. Report an error in the passage at 2:31 Highlight the passage at 2:31

3:13 I was talking today, actually even last night, to some people about the importance of adding the ingredient of kindness to your mindfulness. That's exactly what I'm doing right now when I'm aware of my body. I'm kind to it. To me, training is not being strict and being afraid of my own... Mind on my own body. I work with it. I'm kind to it. So at the beginning of the meditation, if you need to move slightly, please do so. Report an error in the passage at 3:13 Highlight the passage at 3:13

3:57 I'm going to do that now. I sat down very quickly, and now I'm going to just move my legs slightly. Report an error in the passage at 3:57 Highlight the passage at 3:57

4:15 A little bit of movement in the beginning, if it was necessary, saves a lot of discomfort later. It allows me to let the body ...kind of vanish, so I don't feel it. Everything gets so comfortable, the body kind of settles down, doesn't disturb and gets really peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 4:15 Highlight the passage at 4:15

4:46 Often in these guided meditations I do, I do like a sweep up the body, from my legs to my butt, up my back, everywhere. But these days there's so much... In my body, most of it is fine. I just look at any part of my body which needs some relaxation, kindness. Report an error in the passage at 4:46 Highlight the passage at 4:46

5:14 There's two ways of relaxing your own body. One is that by gentle movement, allowing the legs maybe to move, adjust themselves, fine adjustments. Report an error in the passage at 5:14 Highlight the passage at 5:14

5:29 And the other way is sometimes I just look at that part of the body which is tight. And allow it to relax. Allow it. I don't do it. Just to make sure that I'm not holding it tight. Report an error in the passage at 5:29 Highlight the passage at 5:29

5:50 And I often do that to my shoulders. I think many of you have heard me before. For some reason when I start the meditation, shoulders are a little bit tense. Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

6:03 So I allow them, I imagine them. Using your imagination is very helpful. I imagine them. Just loosening any part of this shoulder mechanism which holds things tight. I loosen everything. I used to play guitar when I was young. I remember just how you loosen or tighten up the strings. And now I just know how to loosen up things. Report an error in the passage at 6:03 Highlight the passage at 6:03

6:35 So there's no tightness in any of the muscles in my shoulders, my upper arms. My shoulders relax so beautifully, they feel comfortable and Report an error in the passage at 6:35 Highlight the passage at 6:35

6:53 I notice that that comfort which I feel, it's the word I give it, comfort, can get so deep and I know what caused it, the idea of not holding anything tight, loosening your grip on your own body, allowing the body to tell you what it needs and to me, This moment just needs some very deep relaxation of the body. That's why I called it since a long time now, relaxing to the max. Report an error in the passage at 6:53 Highlight the passage at 6:53

7:32 I really go deep relaxation and the way that works is called letting go. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:47 Letting go of all these ideas of what relaxation is and going for the feelings, your direct experience of a body which is at ease. Report an error in the passage at 7:47 Highlight the passage at 7:47

8:04 And when the body is at ease, to relax to the max, I don't just stop at ordinary ease. The relaxed body has to feel very pleasant. So Report an error in the passage at 8:04 Highlight the passage at 8:04

8:23 my body now, it's an old body, but it feels so at ease, so loose, so peaceful. Nothing, nothing appears to be tense. It's all at ease. And because it's so relaxed, Report an error in the passage at 8:23 Highlight the passage at 8:23

8:44 That also means that there's no ache or pain anywhere. Because there's no ache or pain anywhere, it's easy to let the body disappear. Report an error in the passage at 8:44 Highlight the passage at 8:44

9:00 You do that every time you go to sleep at night, the body disappears. But this time, I'm relaxing and keeping the awareness where the body is at ease. And I pick up the feeling of pleasure. Report an error in the passage at 9:00 Highlight the passage at 9:00

9:24 It's a mental pleasure of lightness, of freedom, freedom from a body which is always desiring something, always wanting something, to scratch this, to move that, to loosen this. I do all of that scratching and loosening straight away at the beginning. So now there's nothing my body needs. It's free. It can enjoy this moment. Report an error in the passage at 9:24 Highlight the passage at 9:24

10:01 Enjoy it. That's why I look, I got into the habit of looking, trying to find that happiness of relaxation, freedom, where I don't have to do anything. Report an error in the passage at 10:01 Highlight the passage at 10:01

10:25 Sometimes I can be a very busy monk and I meditate and all that busyness vanishes. I'm Report an error in the passage at 10:25 Highlight the passage at 10:25

10:36 just happy being here. Report an error in the passage at 10:36 Highlight the passage at 10:36

10:42 When that meditation... is accompanied with happiness. That becomes what I focus on. The happiness, the freedom, the relaxation of a mind which is alert and doesn't need to disturb the body. Report an error in the passage at 10:42 Highlight the passage at 10:42

11:07 It's just beautiful just being here. Allow that happiness to keep me in this present moment. When the now is so beautiful, it doesn't want to go anywhere else. Report an error in the passage at 11:07 Highlight the passage at 11:07

11:28 It's not my willpower which keeps me in the present. It's the joy keeps me here. Report an error in the passage at 11:28 Highlight the passage at 11:28

11:39 In meditation I have a good time. Now it is really nice. And that to me was the key to enjoy present moment awareness. It's fun. Report an error in the passage at 11:39 Highlight the passage at 11:39

12:00 Nothing happens but it's just a joyful feeling. Report an error in the passage at 12:00 Highlight the passage at 12:00

12:12 So right now can you perceive? The joyfulness of now and Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:27 I learned to stay with that perception of joyfulness for long enough the happiness actually increases and becomes stable and Report an error in the passage at 12:27 Highlight the passage at 12:27

12:48 any business I have to do, any problems I have to solve, anything which would normally disturb my mind basically can't find a way in, just the joy. Report an error in the passage at 12:48 Highlight the passage at 12:48

13:07 It keeps me here. Report an error in the passage at 13:07 Highlight the passage at 13:07

13:21 Once I just focus on this moment, naturally, without even choosing, Report an error in the passage at 13:21 Highlight the passage at 13:21

13:30 I find a perception I'm going inwards, not out into the world, but into this body, into this mind, into this moment. And some of the things which you perceive, they're too fine, too simple, to need a description. Report an error in the passage at 13:30 Highlight the passage at 13:30

14:01 From the present moment you automatically just enter into the silent mind, the mind which is not saying anything, which is not trying to describe things. Report an error in the passage at 14:01 Highlight the passage at 14:01

14:22 Right now you don't have to, just enjoy the silence, the peace. You don't have to work things out. In this moment, in this silence, Report an error in the passage at 14:22 Highlight the passage at 14:22

14:43 And the pleasure, the joy of it will maintain that for you. When Report an error in the passage at 14:43 Highlight the passage at 14:43

14:54 I get into or close to the silent mind, I have to stop talking. Sorry, but the mind won't allow me to describe anymore until the end of the meditation in a few minutes' time. Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

· · · silence, 16 minutes

30:43 Getting close to the end of the meditation period. How Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

30:53 do you feel? See Report an error in the passage at 30:53 Highlight the passage at 30:53

30:58 if you can check. How it feels after a nice peaceful meditation and Report an error in the passage at 30:58 Highlight the passage at 30:58

31:10 how that happiness, that clarity, that simplicity of the mind is like an afterglow which can be so powerful at times. It's a happiness. I feel my body is so relaxed. That's where good health comes from. The body heals itself when it's relaxed. The mind feels good. Report an error in the passage at 31:10 Highlight the passage at 31:10

31:50 I'm now going to ring the gong. Now allow that ringing of the gong to take you out of the meditation. You Report an error in the passage at 31:50 Highlight the passage at 31:50

· · · silence, 1 minute

32:50 know, it's not a bad job I have, teaching meditation, a job you really enjoy. I get so much chance to do the meditation myself. Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

33:06 So please, just get yourself comfortable. Those who want to go to the toilet, It's usually after the first meditation, it's so easy, all those toilets are empty. Report an error in the passage at 33:06 Highlight the passage at 33:06