The Direction of Meditation

0:00 Without further ado, may I invite Ajahn Jhanarato. Ajahn is a senior teacher, so more than 10 years of practice. So, Ajahn Jhanarato. Thank you very much, Ariel. Hope everyone's well tonight. Yeah, nice warm nut tonight. Everyone's out to see the footy, I think, tonight as well, over there. So, you know, if you get bored of meditation, good morning. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:25 Go and have a look. No, that's all right. Yeah, so I'm Ajahn Jhanarato. So yeah, we have a monastery, a hermitage down on Stockwell Road, just off Bookton Highway. And I live there with Ajahn Santubian, Ajahn Bodhidharadra, the main monk's there now. So there's mainly three of us and a couple of lay people. Report an error in the passage at 0:25 Highlight the passage at 0:25

0:51 So we rotate this group between us and often we have other monks coming up from Serpentine and staying with us. They're often here. I'm trying to think of something to talk about tonight before the guided meditation. We'll have a half an hour of guided meditation. meditation and Yeah, that's Quite simple for new meditators if you've never meditated before or if you're a long-term meditator, it's all good. Report an error in the passage at 0:51 Highlight the passage at 0:51

1:22 So That's later on and Yeah Basically, I was thinking and last time I was here which is about three weeks ago www.jhanarato.com different types of meditations so Report an error in the passage at 1:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22

1:42 There's different monks coming through here and they'll often teach some of the different styles of meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:42 Highlight the passage at 1:42

1:50 Commonly we do like body sweeping meditation, loving kindness meditation, meditation on the breath, and meditation on the present moment. And I said that Or meditation on colored discs. We were talking about casinos a while back. So not a very common contemplation, but another one there. Another one that's common with monks, we do a lot of reflection on generosity, our own acts of generosity. Report an error in the passage at 1:50 Highlight the passage at 1:50

2:25 So we have all these different types of meditation. And I remember saying last time that they all lead in the same direction. So when I said that, There are a lot of puzzled faces in the audience. I thought I might expand on that. So basically when we meditate, there are sort of three things that describe the direction we go in our meditation. Report an error in the passage at 2:25 Highlight the passage at 2:25

2:57 And they are, as Ajahn Brahm explains, Ajahn Brahm being my teacher, making peace, being kind and being gentle. And if you're doing those three things, then that's meditation. That's the direction we go in our practice. And the different styles of meditation will suit different people and also suit different situations. Report an error in the passage at 2:57 Highlight the passage at 2:57

3:25 So what we mean by that is we're making peace. so it'll actually Calming ourselves down, it's fairly straightforward. I think people understand that's the purpose of meditation is we sit here and sit here for 30 minutes and we do a body sweeping meditation, work through the body, the parts of the body one by one and then by the end of the meditation we're more peaceful than we were when we started. Report an error in the passage at 3:25 Highlight the passage at 3:25

3:56 So there's that. There's also another aspect there of Letting go as well. That's why we talk about making peace. Another way of saying that is letting go. In this sort of situation, just basic Thursday afternoon meditation, Thursday evening meditation, Rolling Stone, we're often just letting go of the past and future, just that much. Report an error in the passage at 3:56 Highlight the passage at 3:56

4:25 And whether you're watching the breath or whether you're... doing body sweeping meditation we always like to stay in the present moment so we let go of the things that we have to let go of are very easy just the past and the future maybe not so easy to do but easy to understand and the other the second part of that is being kind and when I do body sweeping meditation I always like to include some kindness in there as well so we're Report an error in the passage at 4:25 Highlight the passage at 4:25

4:56 my My left left knee knee See has you later. some kindness to it. I was right, just a momentary pressure fluctuation there. Report an error in the passage at 4:56 Highlight the passage at 4:56

5:10 So, anyway, it happens all the time. And I was talking about the kindness in the meditation. So, you know, we can be kind to the various parts of the body. As I was going to say, Ajahn Santhuti, he's the abbot at the monastery. Body Sweeping Meditation Report an error in the passage at 5:10 Highlight the passage at 5:10

5:30 he's four years senior to me so he's been a monk for 20 years i've been a monk for 16 years and he he needed some rocks moved and they were very big rocks so so the last couple of weeks i've had a little bit of a sore back so that's understandable um yeah so you just have you know when you come when you you know go through the parts of the body you come to a part of the body that's got a bit of um uh pain there or just some discomfort or whatever You just have kindness to that part of the body. And if it's part of the body that's just okay, you can have kindness to that too. Sorry. Report an error in the passage at 5:30 Highlight the passage at 5:30

6:12 And yeah, Ajahn Brahm's coined another word, kindfulness. So he uses that especially in his teachings. He does a lot of meditation retreats and teaches at Nolamara on the weekend at our city centre. This idea of kindfulness is actually, when you look at it, quite a very useful practice because anyone who's been meditating for a while or has been exposed to these traditions of meditation, we're very focused on mindfulness and being in the present moment and having a focus of awareness or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 6:12 Highlight the passage at 6:12

6:53 But he always encouraged us to have a bit of kindness there too because you have to... Care for what's in front of you right now, this body and mind here and now. So that's sort of the second aspect there, the kindness. And most people understand what kindness is. And meditation just gives us a chance to practice that towards what's happening in the here and now, the experience of being here. Report an error in the passage at 6:53 Highlight the passage at 6:53

7:28 And finally, you have the gentleness. Similar to kindness, but yeah, being gentle in a meditation. So if we're having a hard time and we can't stop thinking about the footy game next door. GENTLENESS Report an error in the passage at 7:28 Highlight the passage at 7:28

7:47 or why our cat won't eat or whatever you know we have it we just kind of it was just gentle you know just let let these things settle down be calm take it easy we'll figure things out and also with your body as well make sure you know if you're comfortable sitting in a chair sit in a chair if you're comfortable sitting on the floor sit on the floor and yeah Report an error in the passage at 7:47 Highlight the passage at 7:47

8:16 I have heard, you know, on some of these very intense retreats, people might come back with knee problems or back problems. But Ajahn Brahm says he hasn't lost a meditator yet. So it's a very gentle approach to the meditation too. So there you go. So those are sort of the three things. We make peace, we have kindness, and we're gentle. Report an error in the passage at 8:16 Highlight the passage at 8:16

8:39 yeah and that's um That's the basics of meditation, whether you're practicing one style or another. They all go in that direction. So that was the thought I had for tonight. Report an error in the passage at 8:39 Highlight the passage at 8:39

8:52 And I guess also the other thing is, if you're ever asking yourself, am I doing this right? Then you've got three questions to answer. Am I making peace? Am I being kind? Am I being gentle? If you're doing those three things, then you're meditating in the right way. That's what I've learned from my teacher and from my own practice the last 16 years. More? 18? 19? Report an error in the passage at 8:52 Highlight the passage at 8:52

9:19 I don't know. Depends when you start counting. Report an error in the passage at 9:19 Highlight the passage at 9:19

9:25 So tonight I'm just going to do a since it seems that most people enjoy the body sweeping meditation and got a few people here perhaps who haven't meditated before or first time to this group. I'm happy to do that. Report an error in the passage at 9:25 Highlight the passage at 9:25

9:43 And if there's any questions before we start, please let me know. Anything about what I've just said or what the meditation we're about to have now. Any questions? No? That's good. So, do we need to do anything? Turn off any lights? Everything's right? The air conditioner's doing its job. It's actually quite a nice night tonight. It's been a warm... Report an error in the passage at 9:43 Highlight the passage at 9:43

10:12 Warm May day, so my toes aren't frozen, which is good. But if they were, I'd have kindness towards them. Okay, so please do get comfortable and we can start the meditation. Yeah, so I'm going to shuck my shoes and I might just rearrange this so I've got access to my gong and my drink. Thanks for that. Report an error in the passage at 10:12 Highlight the passage at 10:12

10:40 Arrange that there. Report an error in the passage at 10:40 Highlight the passage at 10:40

10:45 Okay, so... Report an error in the passage at 10:45 Highlight the passage at 10:45

10:50 So, first of all, please close your eyes. As I said, we'll meditate for about half an hour. And it will take a minute or two. And the very first part of the meditation is to just get in touch with your body at the moment as it is in the present moment. Are there any aches and pains? Are you comfortable? Are you in a position that you can... Report an error in the passage at 10:50 Highlight the passage at 10:50

11:26 feel comfortable in for this period of time and just give yourself a few moments just to check in with the body and Report an error in the passage at 11:26 Highlight the passage at 11:26

11:49 we'll just go through the various parts of the body one by one and we'll calm them down we'll have kindness towards them and just cultivate that sense of ease and comfort so Report an error in the passage at 11:49 Highlight the passage at 11:49

12:13 yeah just starting again with the The toes on your left foot. Just check in with that part of the body. Allow it to relax and be at ease. Kindness to that part of the body. And Report an error in the passage at 12:13 Highlight the passage at 12:13

12:48 little by little just notice that sensation of peace and ease. Just flow through the sole of the foot on the left hand side. Up through the ball of the foot. All the way back to When your heel touches the floor or however it contacts where you're sitting down and cross-legged little Report an error in the passage at 12:48 Highlight the passage at 12:48

13:24 by little just let that sense of peace just rise up through the instep and up slowly up through the ankle there and Report an error in the passage at 13:24 Highlight the passage at 13:24

13:55 just with that sense of kindness to your own body allow that sense of peace to creep up through the ankle joint and very slowly up the back of the leg there on the left hand side. Report an error in the passage at 13:55 Highlight the passage at 13:55

14:11 Through the Achilles heel there. Report an error in the passage at 14:11 Highlight the passage at 14:11

14:18 Just slowly out the back of the leg. Relaxing the calf muscle there. Just Report an error in the passage at 14:18 Highlight the passage at 14:18

· · · silence, 1 minute

14:54 with that kind of tension. Just notice that feeling spread through to your shin bone, your shin on the left hand side there. Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

15:10 And let that sense of peace creep up through to the knee joint there. Report an error in the passage at 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:20 Again, if there's any. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

16:00 Jhanarato Report an error in the passage at 16:00 Highlight the passage at 16:00

16:19 Allow that part of the body to relax. Report an error in the passage at 16:19 Highlight the passage at 16:19

· · · silence, 1 minute

16:55 let that sense of peace and ease just sink right through the thigh there on the left hand side. and all the way through to the hamstring muscles there at the back and just relaxing that part of the body and Report an error in the passage at 16:55 Highlight the passage at 16:55

17:19 just noticing how it presses against the seat or the carpet or whatever and just have kindness to that part of the body and Report an error in the passage at 17:19 Highlight the passage at 17:19

17:55 now just gently turn your attention to the toes on the right foot from the big toe all the way down to the Ajahn Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

· · · silence, 1 minute

18:10 And again, just lay that part of the body to be at ease. Report an error in the passage at 18:10 Highlight the passage at 18:10

· · · silence, 1 minute

19:03 across the arch and all the way to the heel of the foot there on the right-hand side Report an error in the passage at 19:03 Highlight the passage at 19:03

19:27 And allowed to creep up through to the top of the foot the instep and rising up through the ankle joint there again having kindness to that part of the body and Report an error in the passage at 19:27 Highlight the passage at 19:27

20:05 let that sense of relaxation start to creep up up through the Achilles heel and slowly up through the calf muscle there on the right hand side allowing that muscle to relax and be at ease and Report an error in the passage at 20:05 Highlight the passage at 20:05

20:47 let that sense of peace just spread through the shin Ajahn again. Just slowly all the way up little by little too. Up to the knee joint there. Report an error in the passage at 20:47 Highlight the passage at 20:47

21:05 Relax that part of the body, it will not be at ease. Report an error in the passage at 21:05 Highlight the passage at 21:05

· · · silence, 1 minute

21:51 starting from the knee just all the way up to the hip there just let those muscles relax Report an error in the passage at 21:51 Highlight the passage at 21:51

22:02 and Report an error in the passage at 22:02 Highlight the passage at 22:02

22:21 again starting from the back of the knee on the right hand side allow that sense of relaxation spread up the back of the leg as well around the knee joint all the way up to the hip there and Report an error in the passage at 22:21 Highlight the passage at 22:21

23:02 just notice how your body presses against the chair or the floor Report an error in the passage at 23:02 Highlight the passage at 23:02

23:13 Enjoying that sense of gravity. That sense of inertia there. Report an error in the passage at 23:13 Highlight the passage at 23:13

23:23 As we relax in this posture. Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:54 Just notice how that sense of relaxation and kindness just moves up from the lower back there. The bottom vertebrae there. Report an error in the passage at 23:54 Highlight the passage at 23:54

24:15 All the muscles around that area of the body. Kindness that part of the body. And allow it to relax. And be at ease. Let Report an error in the passage at 24:15 Highlight the passage at 24:15

24:53 that feeling spread from the lower back. And all the way through you. All the way out to your belly button. That part of the body there. Just the lower abdomen there. And just allow that part of the body also to relax. Report an error in the passage at 24:53 Highlight the passage at 24:53

25:14 Be at ease. You Report an error in the passage at 25:14 Highlight the passage at 25:14

25:24 can just let it all hang out. And Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:37 as we move up through the body, we allow the sense of relaxation to spread from the lower back and all the way up to the small of the back there, the innermost curve there. And just making sure all those vertebrae there, from the lower back up to the small of the back, all of those muscles around there, just allow that part of the body to relax. Report an error in the passage at 25:37 Highlight the passage at 25:37

26:11 Relax, have a good day. Report an error in the passage at 26:11 Highlight the passage at 26:11

· · · silence, 1 minute

26:45 little by little let that feeling of pace and ease. spread from the lower back, the middle of the back And again, Report an error in the passage at 26:45 Highlight the passage at 26:45

26:58 working Report an error in the passage at 26:58 Highlight the passage at 26:58

· · · silence, 1 minute

27:46 up the body at the back there. all the way to the centre of your body there, the solar plexus. Report an error in the passage at 27:46 Highlight the passage at 27:46

· · · silence, 1 minute

27:51 Let that sense of peace and relaxation to creep up through to the top of the back there, the area there below the shoulder blades. If there's any tension there, just gently relax that part of the body. And Report an error in the passage at 27:51 Highlight the passage at 27:51

28:40 let that relaxation flow to the front of the body there, to that area around the chest, and especially just notice how you're Report an error in the passage at 28:40 Highlight the passage at 28:40

28:53 ribs rise and fall with the breath just take a breath in and Report an error in the passage at 28:53 Highlight the passage at 28:53

29:03 out and Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:08 just notice that sense of relaxation in that part of the body and Report an error in the passage at 29:08 Highlight the passage at 29:08

29:33 now you can turn your attention very slowly moving to the next part of the body and now we start with the fingertips on your hand on the left hand side Report an error in the passage at 29:33 Highlight the passage at 29:33

29:51 And starting at that point of the body, just allow that sense of relaxation to spread up through the fingers there. Report an error in the passage at 29:51 Highlight the passage at 29:51

30:11 And very slowly, just allow that sense of relaxation to flow through the hand. You just notice the back of the hand and the palm of your hand. Report an error in the passage at 30:11 Highlight the passage at 30:11

30:30 And then slowly allow that sense of relaxation to spread up through the wrist there. And Report an error in the passage at 30:30 Highlight the passage at 30:30

30:56 little by little, allow that sense of relaxation. that kindness and peace to spread up through the forearm there starting Report an error in the passage at 30:56 Highlight the passage at 30:56

31:08 with the the outside of the forearm there from the wrist and just creeping up to the outside of the elbow there gently Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:31 up the inside of the forearm as well up from the wrist on the inside there and up to the crook of the elbow there and Report an error in the passage at 31:31 Highlight the passage at 31:31

31:59 let that feeling of peace and relaxation continue to creep up your left arm Report an error in the passage at 31:59 Highlight the passage at 31:59

32:17 talks Report an error in the passage at 32:17 Highlight the passage at 32:17

32:22 by Ajahn Report an error in the passage at 32:22 Highlight the passage at 32:22

32:42 Jhanarato bicep muscles on the left hand side, allowing them too to relax. Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

· · · silence, 1 minute

33:14 We gently turn our attention now to the fingertips on the right hand. On your right hand side. And Report an error in the passage at 33:14 Highlight the passage at 33:14

33:26 little by little allow that sense of relaxation and kindness to spread up through the knuckles. And just let it creep up through the hand there. The palm of the hand first. And Report an error in the passage at 33:26 Highlight the passage at 33:26

33:49 up the back of the hand. Up through the wrist. And Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

34:21 little by little let that sense of relaxation and kindness spread up through the... outside of the forearm there on the right hand side and then gently Report an error in the passage at 34:21 Highlight the passage at 34:21

34:56 allowing that sense of relaxation again to flow up from the wrist the inside of the wrist this time and up the inside of your forearm and allowing those muscles and tendons and everything there just to be very very loose very very relaxed Report an error in the passage at 34:56 Highlight the passage at 34:56

35:29 Now let that feeling creep up through your elbow joint. Report an error in the passage at 35:29 Highlight the passage at 35:29

35:35 Very gradually up from there. Up the outside of the upper arm. Report an error in the passage at 35:35 Highlight the passage at 35:35

35:47 First paying close attention as it rises up from your elbow, the point of your elbow. Report an error in the passage at 35:47 Highlight the passage at 35:47

35:59 And then all the way up to where your arm meets your shoulder. And Report an error in the passage at 35:59 Highlight the passage at 35:59

36:19 then learn that piece just to spread through the bicep there on the right hand side. Report an error in the passage at 36:19 Highlight the passage at 36:19

36:29 and all the way up through to those muscles in the right shoulder there and again just notice that the arm hangs there very comfortable very relaxed and Report an error in the passage at 36:29 Highlight the passage at 36:29

37:07 notice your shoulders now just starting at the outside there and where the shoulder joints are there just notice that feeling spreading through the Report an error in the passage at 37:07 Highlight the passage at 37:07

37:27 Back of the neck there. And any tension there that's accumulated through the day. Just allow that to dissipate. To be peaceful. And just relax that part of the body too. And Report an error in the passage at 37:27 Highlight the passage at 37:27

38:07 notice that feeling as it spreads around your collar. And Report an error in the passage at 38:07 Highlight the passage at 38:07

38:16 slowly rises up through your neck. Through your throat. Just notice that sense of kindness and relaxation as it spreads up. your throat Report an error in the passage at 38:16 Highlight the passage at 38:16

38:31 All the way up to your jaw. And Report an error in the passage at 38:31 Highlight the passage at 38:31

38:38 again all those muscles there. Just relax them. And Report an error in the passage at 38:38 Highlight the passage at 38:38

38:45 let your chin droop down. Report an error in the passage at 38:45 Highlight the passage at 38:45

39:11 And now little by little just notice that sense of relaxation rises up through the face. Report an error in the passage at 39:11 Highlight the passage at 39:11

39:20 To all those muscles around your mouth. Just Report an error in the passage at 39:20 Highlight the passage at 39:20

39:29 around your cheeks. Up to your cheekbones. And again kindly just relax that part of the body. And Report an error in the passage at 39:29 Highlight the passage at 39:29

39:55 again just... Notice the breath as it comes in and out of your nose. All Report an error in the passage at 39:55 Highlight the passage at 39:55

40:06 the way through to your back down to your lung. And just notice that part of the body. The area around your nose. And Report an error in the passage at 40:06 Highlight the passage at 40:06

40:19 all the way around the eyes there as well. All those tiny little muscles. And Report an error in the passage at 40:19 Highlight the passage at 40:19

40:30 just rising up through the brow there. And Report an error in the passage at 40:30 Highlight the passage at 40:30

40:52 again the back of the neck. Just allow that sense of peace. Kindness and relaxation. Spread up the back of the head there. Report an error in the passage at 40:52 Highlight the passage at 40:52

41:04 It's creeping slowly up. And Report an error in the passage at 41:04 Highlight the passage at 41:04

41:13 up to the crown of your head there. To the top of your body. And again, just relaxing that part of the body. Having kindness towards it. And being gentle with it. We're Report an error in the passage at 41:13 Highlight the passage at 41:13

41:46 coming quite close to the end of the meditation now. So, just maybe notice your whole body now. We've been through all the parts of the body. We've relaxed them. Report an error in the passage at 41:46 Highlight the passage at 41:46

42:07 So just enjoy that sensation. Report an error in the passage at 42:07 Highlight the passage at 42:07

42:12 I'll ring the gong three times, and at the end of the third gong, you can come out from your meditation. Report an error in the passage at 42:12 Highlight the passage at 42:12

42:48 nice meditation this evening so yeah Report an error in the passage at 42:48 Highlight the passage at 42:48

42:59 yeah we like to have this this class every Thursday so Even if it's difficult at home to keep up the practice, you can always keep your Thursday evening appointment here at the Family Centre. But yeah, you can always practice, continue your practice at home. Ariel mentioned that the talks are uploaded to the BSWA.org website. Report an error in the passage at 42:59 Highlight the passage at 42:59

43:35 And there are hundreds if not thousands of guided meditations there now. I don't know what the count is that, but anyway. 14,000. Wow, okay. No joke, really? Wow, okay, that's fantastic. So that sort of covers the range from the typical Friday afternoon meditation, Friday evening meditation that they have at Dhammaloka each weekend, which is a very... Report an error in the passage at 43:35 Highlight the passage at 43:35

44:07 Yeah, it's a very basic class, so they probably have about 300 or 400 people in the hall there, and not all of them are serious meditators, but there's lots of those sorts. There's some Saturday afternoon meditations, which go for a bit longer. There are some nine-day retreats, which have been recorded for years and years, and even some talks given at the monastery as well, although they're less. Report an error in the passage at 44:07 Highlight the passage at 44:07

44:35 They're more... Focused on the teaching, more the meditation. So you're always welcome to go on there. And if you would like to have a guided meditation to listen to while you practice at home, that's always a good idea. You can put some earphones in if you're at work. I don't know, you get a nice quiet room or something like that. I used to do that when I first got into meditation back in about 2004. Report an error in the passage at 44:35 Highlight the passage at 44:35

45:00 I was living in Melbourne and listening to Ajahn Brahm's guided meditations then. Yeah, I'll just go out into the park and plug in my iPod. Does anyone remember iPods? They were so whiz-bang at the time. Yeah, anyway, so there's all that. So does anyone have any questions about the meditation? I hope you all enjoyed yourself. As monks, we're always available for any questions. Report an error in the passage at 45:00 Highlight the passage at 45:00

45:34 Practice the meditation. That's part of my job description. Yeah. Otherwise, everyone's had such a peaceful time. You can all go and watch the rest of the footy game. Still going on out there? Yeah. That's all right. A little bit of background noise is okay. Yeah. And thanks for the cup of tea. It was a good cup of tea. Report an error in the passage at 45:34 Highlight the passage at 45:34

45:37 so yeah Report an error in the passage at 45:37 Highlight the passage at 45:37

46:00 Thank you, Ajahn. No worries. Okay, we can pack up and head off. Yeah, great. And, yep, if you do want to come up afterwards, you can have a chat. Otherwise, yeah, we'll see you next week. That'll be probably another month. I'll be back in about three weeks, likely. Okay, thank you. Very good. No worries. Okay, so I'll switch this. Report an error in the passage at 46:00 Highlight the passage at 46:00