Breath

0:00 Yes. So today I was doing some meditation and the one thing that I was trying to do or trying to focus my mind on was the breath meditation. I don't really talk about it because I don't really practice it that much. But over the last week or so or couple of weeks I've been just changing things up a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:32 I've been doing a lot more of the breath meditation. I'll just share a few thoughts with you about it. Report an error in the passage at 0:32 Highlight the passage at 0:32

0:48 The one thing that I think is quite important for any meditator is to be able to bring a certain mind into their meditation practice. And that type of mind, the calm mind, the mind that doesn't worry too much or the mind the mind that kind of starts to let go let Let go go about the things in the Report an error in the passage at 0:48 Highlight the passage at 0:48

1:29 It's a mind which is fairly calm and peaceful. Because it's not too worried about things. But it doesn't mean that you walk around being a numbnuts. Report an error in the passage at 1:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29

1:47 You can also use your mind. Use your mind for your work or whatever you need to do at home. So the mind is also useful. We need to use it to make a living or whatever but at the same time we can see ourselves just getting caught up getting caught up with unnecessary thoughts or thinking about things that aren't really that important and usually that kind of creates like a lack of A lack of peace and a lack of contentment in our lives on like a day-to-day kind of day-to-day moment-to-moment moment-to-moment kind of basis. Report an error in the passage at 1:47 Highlight the passage at 1:47

2:42 So if we can bring that mind into our meditation practice that means that our minds would be fairly clear. You know, it doesn't have to be perfectly clear. Our minds are settled. You know, it's settled. It's settled. It's not worried about too many things. Like, things are not troubling it. Yeah, that's like one thing, like one thing that I think meditators may have problems with is that they get into situations in their lives where Where whatever they do, how they act, how they talk to people or the arguments they get into or the things that they don't like, that is troubling for the mind. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

3:40 Because those kinds of things, you could say they're like an obstacle. They weigh the mind down. And the reason why they weigh the mind down is because we can't stop thinking about them. We can't stop thinking about... What our boss said to us or I don't know what people are worried about. You can't stop thinking about what the government is doing, what Trump is doing or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 3:40 Highlight the passage at 3:40

4:13 You kind of come into your meditation bringing in unnecessary burdens or bringing in heavy stuff. And when you see your mind in that state, It's hard to be peaceful. It's hard to watch the present moment. It's hard to be mindful because you're too distracted. You're basically too distracted. Report an error in the passage at 4:13 Highlight the passage at 4:13

4:44 So sometimes when you're dealing with this, you find a way to kind of, I think after a while you find a way to manage your mind so you don't have to deal with these hard emotions. Report an error in the passage at 4:44 Highlight the passage at 4:44

5:31 Ajahn Santutthi is the sleepy mind. We all have a bit of a sleepy mind, don't we? Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:43 When we close our eyes and we're meditating and our mind is a little bit sleepy. It's a bit dull. And sometimes with a dull mind, things aren't very clear. We try to watch the present moment. Report an error in the passage at 5:43 Highlight the passage at 5:43

6:31 You know, sometimes we think, oh, how do we fix these things? But usually, you know, you don't really try to fix anything when we meditate. We kind of understand that it's just all natural. It's just all having a human mind. It's going to be tired, especially with the life that you live. You just come from work, you know. And I'm pretty sure that you're... Report an error in the passage at 6:31 Highlight the passage at 6:31

6:59 I'm quite tired and when you close your eyes you probably be a little bit sleepy and you know we could have the meditation classes in the morning you'd probably be less sleepy but we can't but you know I've heard people snore in morning meditations too so there's no guarantee But that's the one thing, you know. You can kind of see, you know, how is sleepiness affecting the quality of your meditation. Report an error in the passage at 6:59 Highlight the passage at 6:59

7:37 And you can see, yeah, the mind is not as sharp. It's not really that present. And what you do is you just leave these things alone. You leave them alone. And then the sleepiness or the dullness will eventually dissipate. And then what you're left with is... more like a clarity of mind, your mind is a lot clearer. And when your mind is a lot clearer, whatever you see just seems to be a little bit better. Report an error in the passage at 7:37 Highlight the passage at 7:37

8:12 Seems a little bit better, whatever you experience seems to be nicer. so sometimes when we're meditating you know we we may may be be doing doing our present moment awareness and we kind Report an error in the passage at 8:12 Highlight the passage at 8:12

8:28 Oh, this is actually, I'm having quite a good experience. I'm a little bit brighter, I'm a bit peaceful, what's going on? And usually when you find yourself like that, you're actually engaging, you're more awake with the meditation practice. Report an error in the passage at 8:28 Highlight the passage at 8:28

8:48 It becomes in a sense more meaningful. Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

8:54 Also in a sense it becomes, you can start to, meaningful Report an error in the passage at 8:54 Highlight the passage at 8:54

8:59 So, even though you're not getting the deep meditations or anything special, you can start to sense that you're doing the right thing. You're doing the right thing. And when you start to do the, and you know that you do the right thing, and you keep on repeating it, and you keep on trying, eventually the results, they arise. Report an error in the passage at 8:59 Highlight the passage at 8:59

9:21 So, then you bring that attention to the breath. And I was... I'm doing the breath meditation and that's what I was noticing as well. And I noticed that when my mind is dull, when my mind is dull, you're trying to do the breath meditation and the breath meditation, it is there, but it's kind of in the background. Report an error in the passage at 9:21 Highlight the passage at 9:21

9:47 You're not really engaged in it. And sometimes when your mind is dull, like this idea of just paying attention. It wavers. It wavers. It's not as sharp as it can be. And then you just sit through that. That will eventually vanish. The mind will start to brighten up and you continue with the breath meditation and you just start watching the breath from a mind which has woken up a little bit and the experience of the breath is totally different. Report an error in the passage at 9:47 Highlight the passage at 9:47

10:28 Like with the mind which is a bit more awake when we're watching the breath. The breath, you can understand why we do the breath meditation. It's because it's actually quite a peaceful object to watch. A very simple, peaceful object. Going in, going out, going in, going out. You don't need to change it. You don't need to make it special. But because your mind is calm, it's awake, and it can see the breath, that in itself becomes a pleasant experience, a peaceful experience. Report an error in the passage at 10:28 Highlight the passage at 10:28

11:16 And that kind of gives us the data that meditation isn't isn't too boring there is something nice and something good about it yeah so when we say that's another thing you know when we meditate we just reflect on our experiences it's not always going to be tough and difficult you're always going to have the good stuff as well and it's the good stuff that we kind of use to to motivate us to keep us going Report an error in the passage at 11:16 Highlight the passage at 11:16

11:52 To keep us going and continue to grow in the meditation practice. And then you get to these, you get to, so we're just talking about the meditation and then you hear stories from Ajahn Brahm and he talks about the effects. effects of like the deep meditations or even just good meditations like your mindfulness is getting stronger you know and He talks about how things become more beautiful, more interesting, more intense, more pleasant. Report an error in the passage at 11:52 Highlight the passage at 11:52

12:40 And this is Ajahn just being really weird and kind of gross actually. Report an error in the passage at 12:40 Highlight the passage at 12:40

12:49 But he was just trying to make a point, he was trying to make a point, like, you know, if you meditate well, your mind brightens up, the most ugliest thing that you would think... He says that. He says that. so if you have an old wrinkly husband, or old wrinkly wife, when you get deep meditation, Report an error in the passage at 12:49 Highlight the passage at 12:49

13:18 They're so nice and so beautiful. So one time when he was teaching a, I think a nine day retreat in Jana Grove, it was just after meditation and he had to answer some questions. So usually this happens in the evening. So everybody comes out and they would sit in a session between eight and nine o 'clock. Report an error in the passage at 13:18 Highlight the passage at 13:18

13:46 And they will write questions on a piece of paper, put it in a basket and then have it at the front. And Ajahn will just go through the papers, read out the questions and answer them. So this is like one of the regular things that happens on retreats. But with Ajahn, what he usually does is before the Q &A, he would come into the meditation hall and sit with the other meditators. Report an error in the passage at 13:46 Highlight the passage at 13:46

14:13 You know, sometimes for an hour, hour and a half. And obviously this time he had a pretty good meditation, but before the class he had to go to the toilet. Report an error in the passage at 14:13 Highlight the passage at 14:13

14:28 He had to go to the toilet. And it wasn't for number one reason, it's for number two. Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

14:39 So then he walked to the toilet. I think the male... There's a female male toilet. He went to the male toilets. And then he went to the toilet and he did his business. But then what happened was he just got caught up in the moment. Because he was just looking into the toilet bowl and admiring what he saw. Report an error in the passage at 14:39 Highlight the passage at 14:39

15:11 It's very gross. But he tells his story and it's very, very cringy. When you hear it. But he's admiring what he's looking at. And he goes, oh, it's the most beautiful brown you'll ever see. And the texture of it. And blah, blah, blah. And we go, Ajahn, what are you talking about? That's not very nice. But he was just making this point that the mind just shines everything up when it's bright. Report an error in the passage at 15:11 Highlight the passage at 15:11

15:45 And, you know, you can, sometimes, you know, you see monks or sometimes you may have a good meditation yourself and then when you go out about doing your business, you just feel a lot lighter. You feel more happier. Things just seem, look a little bit sharper. Yeah. And then he goes and he talks about the smell and he goes, oh, it's the best smell in the world. Report an error in the passage at 15:45 Highlight the passage at 15:45

16:11 This kind of stuff. And the thing was, he got caught up in it. He spent, I think he said he spent quite a bit of time just in the moment. And he went back, I don't know, I've been late. Went back and he had to apologize to the audience because he just got caught up in the moment. So these are like the stories that Ajahn likes to tell. Report an error in the passage at 16:11 Highlight the passage at 16:11

16:44 How the mind kind of affects us in a positive way. Sometimes we think, we understand that we use meditation for a more peaceful life or we use the meditation for just understanding ourselves better or overcoming problems that we have. But at the same time, He's just making the point that life becomes more enjoyable, more happy, when the meditation goes well. Report an error in the passage at 16:44 Highlight the passage at 16:44

17:22 So I think when you do see monks who have meditated well, you can kind of sense that there's a joy and happiness that comes from them, and that comes from the practice. Report an error in the passage at 17:22 Highlight the passage at 17:22

17:40 So I'll end the talk there. And we can do some meditation. Report an error in the passage at 17:40 Highlight the passage at 17:40

17:48 And then when you wake up, when you open your eyes, you'll be like, ooh, these chairs are so comfortable. They're not hard anymore. Report an error in the passage at 17:48 Highlight the passage at 17:48

18:01 So Report an error in the passage at 18:01 Highlight the passage at 18:01

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19:22 we just allow ourselves to just to calm down. And Report an error in the passage at 19:22 Highlight the passage at 19:22

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20:16 really, the art of meditation is not to try. anymore. Report an error in the passage at 20:16 Highlight the passage at 20:16

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20:25 To achieve anything. When Report an error in the passage at 20:25 Highlight the passage at 20:25

20:39 we let things happen naturally, the mind calms down and it starts to wake up. The Report an error in the passage at 20:39 Highlight the passage at 20:39

21:02 mind will do, you know, it just does what the human mind does. It's always going to be thinking or it's going to be sleepy or it's going to like or dislike the moment. Report an error in the passage at 21:02 Highlight the passage at 21:02

21:24 it's going to be agitated or thinking about something i mean that's the the nature of the mind not Report an error in the passage at 21:24 Highlight the passage at 21:24

21:38 really trying to stop the mind but what we do is we're we're just taking away the we're taking away the things that make the mind active we're Report an error in the passage at 21:38 Highlight the passage at 21:38

22:00 putting ourselves in a place where Report an error in the passage at 22:00 Highlight the passage at 22:00

22:07 We've taken away the things that make the mind active. We're not seeing anything. We're not on our phones. We're not having conversations with people. We're not doing anything. We're not planning anything. We're just taking away the things that makes the mind shake. And Report an error in the passage at 22:07 Highlight the passage at 22:07

22:42 that's really all you have to do at the beginning stages. As a meditator, then Report an error in the passage at 22:42 Highlight the passage at 22:42

22:56 the things will start to settle down and become peaceful. And Report an error in the passage at 22:56 Highlight the passage at 22:56

23:29 when the mind becomes peaceful, more energetic, that's when you can start to explore different meditation objects, like the breath, or Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:50 focusing on peace. But Report an error in the passage at 23:50 Highlight the passage at 23:50

23:57 at the meantime, we're just letting go. Report an error in the passage at 23:57 Highlight the passage at 23:57

24:03 Letting go to allow things to settle down. The Report an error in the passage at 24:03 Highlight the passage at 24:03

24:27 more you let go, the less worry you become. And that's quite nice actually. Just to develop a habit of not holding on to things if you don't have to. It Report an error in the passage at 24:27 Highlight the passage at 24:27

25:06 just creates so much space and just space in the mind. When Report an error in the passage at 25:06 Highlight the passage at 25:06

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26:55 you start to have more space in the mind, it's Report an error in the passage at 26:55 Highlight the passage at 26:55

27:03 easy for the mind to feel settled. Report an error in the passage at 27:03 Highlight the passage at 27:03

27:15 It's easy for the mind to be in the present moment. And Report an error in the passage at 27:15 Highlight the passage at 27:15

27:28 if you can do that, you're on the right track. You just keep going. Report an error in the passage at 27:28 Highlight the passage at 27:28

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29:11 Have the space in the mind. Report an error in the passage at 29:11 Highlight the passage at 29:11

29:20 Sometimes it's nice to pay attention to something. Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:31 This is where the breath comes to play. It's actually an integral part of the meditation path. But it's something which is difficult for the mind to track because the mind is probably not ready. But when the mind is ready, it can start to... watch the breath the Report an error in the passage at 29:31 Highlight the passage at 29:31

30:21 breath going in and going out you don't have a concept of the breath going in or going out there's just a breath and Report an error in the passage at 30:21 Highlight the passage at 30:21

30:42 because you're watching it your mind is free from the past and the future the experience of the breath meditation Report an error in the passage at 30:42 Highlight the passage at 30:42

31:07 can be a nice one can Report an error in the passage at 31:07 Highlight the passage at 31:07

31:16 be a peaceful one and this is what attracts you to go back to the breath you Report an error in the passage at 31:16 Highlight the passage at 31:16

31:33 can see that in the simplicity of our complicated and wildlife something like the breath can can bring us peace something Report an error in the passage at 31:33 Highlight the passage at 31:33

32:00 so simple can have a huge impact and when we can start to see the breath in this manner when we can use the breath to create more peaceful moments in our lives then we start to we'll start to return to it we'll start to make more use of it sometimes Report an error in the passage at 32:00 Highlight the passage at 32:00

32:58 i think With the chaos, the chaotic nature of our minds at times, it's always good to have something so simple to go back to, even though we don't know what type of impact it's going to have in our lives. But we can have an intuition or we can feel that something Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:37 Like watching a simple breath and having the peace that comes from it, we can intuitively know or trust that it does have an impact, a positive one, in our day-to-day life. I'm Report an error in the passage at 33:37 Highlight the passage at 33:37

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49:43 off the hook. You Report an error in the passage at 49:43 Highlight the passage at 49:43

49:50 guys can be off the hook as well. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50