Meditation: The Art of STOP
By Ajahn Sujan,
(this article is based on a talk given on 06/04/2020 at Varapunya Meditation Centre)
Introduction
We have a wonderful weather, blue sky and good sunshine. I suppose that everyone wishes to go out and enjoy such a good weather and have a sun bath. Unfortunately, this is a difficult time and everyone should be isolating and keeping social distance. Nevertheless, there are people, who can't resist and despite warnings still going out and enjoying the weather.
It is a difficult situation and uncertain environment that we are living. We have to confined us in the house. Since, the covid our life has changed drastically. We have been isolating and having a social distance. The way we go out of the house, the way we communicate with other people and the way we stay together, again have been very different lifestyle than we used to. Now, we have to adapt into this new way of living so called 'new norms'. Whether we like this new way of living or not we have no other choice, have to sacrifice our comforts to save ourselves as well as to save other fellow human being. So, it’s a very difficult time for every one of us.
Buddhist attitude
The Buddha once compare our life is like we are on a boat voyage to other shore. The journey is bumpy and unstable. Every step that we take in this life in general is like stepping on a boat that is on a surface of a water. We become unstable and wobbly. We can't be panic and stressed, it may cause boat to sink. We have to learn to be calm and learn to adjust on a boat.
As the boat gradually sails out in the sea, we learn to be onboard and gradually gain stability. Within few moment, we will be able to maintain and manage to stand or even to walk on the boat comfortably or be with a boat. There will be no problem whatsoever.
At this time of pandemic, this is the uncertainty and different situation than that we used to. Our life is like we are on a boat and experiencing uncertainty and unstable. There is a fear of getting virus or getting close with someone who has it. Psychologically people are disturbed and living in constant in fear and despair. We are all fighting with this invisible enemy yet powerful that could take life away. There are mixed feeling and confusion all around. People may feel perfectly fine but very next day found seriously ill with the virus. There are people who has not got the virus and having complain that why they are not allowed to freely wonder around. Why can’t I go out and play out and enjoy. Some probably having worries about the future that what is going to be. So, in such difficult situation I suppose it’s like settling ourselves on a moving boat, which may take sometimes to settle and adjust in this new normal condition. It could be a month or may be a year.
We all have to learn and adjust in a very different life style and new behaviours. According to sources and information we can be sure that the virus is so infectious that everyone should be informed, warned and keep awareness about it. Keeping everyone safe. Every nation has enforced different measures to deal with it, which everyone encouraged to follow the guidance and should care oneself and other. We have to remind ourselves to wash our hand regularly. Learn to keep a social distance, whenever, if necessary, going for shopping or going to work or going out for a short walk. In a mean time, it is advisable that if you go out wear a mask and immediately wash hands on your return. These are some major instructions that the government has announced in order to keep the virus at the bay and everyone safe. So, these are the new measures that we all have to keep in mind and conscious of it.
Above all, one very important thing that we have to have with us is 'mindfulness or mindful awareness'. This is a very essential tool to keep us safe and helping others to be safe too. If we are not mindful and we don’t have awareness of what we are doing, negligence with guidance, it is not only putting ourselves in a vulnerable position but also family members and community. Let’s say, when we are going out for any reason, do not keep self-distance and do not wear a mask and over-looked all measures, it is very likely that we could get the virus or spreading it to other. We heedlessly do not keep social distance then obviously due to our negligence of not being mindful we are making ourselves vulnerable and virus may get us. We cannot be acting mindlessly as we did in the past. Similarly, once return to home again one has to be mindful to wash hands and following all necessary precautions. If we touch our face unmindfully before washing hands or using sanitizers then again then is a very probable chance that we get virus. Because of these circumstances, one of the very important tools that we should have in this difficult situation is mindfulness and mindful awareness in every day life. Being mindful of every action that we are going to perform and awareness of a consequence of individual's actions.
Mindful Practice
There are at least in three major events that we have to learn to be mindful. a. going out from home, b. how we communicate with other people and c. how we behave during these new circumstances and environment. Similarly, we need to remind ourselves every now and then to be mindful every action that we take. i.e. not touching face, rubbing eyes, touching nose before hands are washed.
In case one has to leave the house for essential job i.e. for shopping or for work, constantly reminding to be mindful of all measures. Mindfully carrying out physical action in keeping a safe distance. In the circumstances that one has to cough or sneeze one should develop a new habit of covering mouth and nose etc. These are certain activities that we should be doing with great mindfulness and awareness, which will not only help to keep oneself safe but promotes others to be safe and being responsible. As a result, mindful-awareness is one of the very essential tools I would say that we have to develop in these very difficult circumstances. The mindfulness and mindful-awareness are therefore, known as personal great assistance that has a greater benefit for individual and other members of community.
The development of mindful awareness is not a skill that comes with the birth. One has to study and train. It is a training the mind to be mindful of every action that one performs and having clear awareness of each actions being performed. It is not just studying a book or listening talks that will harness the development of mindful-awareness but ability to dedicate and practice regularly brings great fruit. At least few moments of a day, like charging a battery on a mobile phone. If you use mobile for longer period of time its battery will rundown. When battery runs down or low, it needs to charge. When it is being charged the device will be left connected with the electric sockets until battery fully charged or sufficient enough to use it. It is very similar with the development of mindful awareness. In order to develop it, one has to be connected and this connection is an ability to stop in the present moment here and now.
It is an art of stopping in the present moment awareness. It is not about physically stopping, doing nothing and staying stationary. It is mentally being able to stop in this present moment here and now. This art of stopping helps to develop our mindful awareness. It’s like a charging a battery. As we leave it for longer period of time mobile will be charged fully and increase its capacity.
When I was in Bangkok Thailand before came to the UK, I had a chance to practice meditation method that taught by Luang por Sod Wat Paknam, who discovered method of 'Dhammakaya meditation'. He was one of the very famous meditation masters of Thailand. He said, I am just repeating again, that 'in the spiritual journey you have to know how to stop, when you stop you have arrived.’ It is completely different than in a worlding way of living, where one requires fastest vehicles if one would want to reach the destination quicker. So, stopping is an art that one needs to learn and develop in life to deal with any situation. The word 'stop', I would like to use it as an acronym for further application to development of mindful-awareness.
Seeing clearly
In the development of practice first of all one needs to stop from doing anything fully connected with body and mind, and remain at the moment. It is also known as pause a moment. First practice is to learn to do nothing. It is simply sitting comfortably down and doing nothing. Doing nothing here sound nothing to do but a practitioner will be doing a lot. One has to train to see this connectedness of the body and the mind in the present moment, which are doing nothing but stopped in a calm and relaxed state.
The first letter 'S' in a word 'STOP' stands for 'seeing things clearly'. Normally, we see things in a superficial way and on the surface. We do not see it clearly as it is, which is the one of the main reasons of inability to understand the situation or life that causes to experience suffering in life. Often, we tend to jump on a presumption into good and great or nice and beautiful or beyond the present moment appearance. Holding on to certain preconcerts and perception whereas practice of meditation is to see things in a normal and natural way. Seeing in this way, the way it is as you are experiencing in the very moment. This is the first seeing need to be developed.
In the Satipatthana sutta, the four foundations of mindfulness the blessed one said that;
'when you are sitting you know that you are sitting;
when you are walking, when you are standing, when you are lying down,
you know that you are sitting, walking, standing and lying down.
The blessed one further said 'yatha yathanam kayassa panihitam tatha tathanam pajanati', which means in whichever posture or whichever position one's physical body is, knows that clearly. So, seeing in this way of every moment, seeing it very clearly and seeing everything in clear way helps one to be here and now in this present moment.
Every moment when you see it and able to know your mind is sitting along with this body in this present moment you can observe yourself whether your mind is connected with this body or not. Seeing this state of the mind that is connected with this body is to seeing it clearly connected in all activities. Such as during talking, eating, washing, cleaning and stopping be aware of you state of the mind and body. Mindfully being aware of any physical activities.
Taking time
There is not quick fixed in the process of meditation. One can not develop mindfulness in one sitting nor a day of practice. It requires persistent and regular practice, like learning to play any musical instrument. One has to learn it slowly but persistently. In a simply term 'take your time'.
Therefore, the second letter in a word stop is 'T', which means 'taking time to practice' rather than expecting instant result. In the process of developing the quality of seeing one should not rush or seek quick achievement. One should spend time to practice patiently but with diligent and confident.
The first stage of practice is to over coming restless mind with the help of object. Deliberately distracting mind to develop focus attention by intentionally paying attention to the object such as breath. At the beginning, one may not be able to focus on the object but persistent trying eventually mind settles and relaxes on the object. The awareness of the object assists one to be mindful of presentness of the body and mind attending to be there.
However, if you can't focus should not rush to judge or punish. Do not rush to make judgement that I can’t pay attention to the object or I cannot observe my mind, my mind is not settling down in my body nor on the object of awareness. Do not go creating stories that my mind constantly thinking on to something and restless. Over coming the state that I want to keep this mind into my body connected with my body focusing in my body, but I can’t do it. I want to do it now.
These activities won't help to develop mindful-awareness. So, in the practice, do not rush but working diligently and take your time to practice. If you are rushing for achievement too quick, there are too much desire. There is strong desire to be or want to have success or complete denial. The cause of suffering is desire. In the practice we are not desiring to have anything nor are we suppressing. There is no intention to substituting one emotion to other or one feeling to next. Rather simply practice with great confidence and faith on the path, method and practice. Our duty is to make a cause and outcome will emerge itself. Therefore, take your time to learn right method, practice correctly and attain concentration that leads to wisdom.
Observation objectively
The nature of mind is such that always wonders, thus known as monkey mind. Our intention is to be connected with the body present but it always goes off from being connected without attending the presence of the body. This mental state needs to be seen clearly with sufficient effort and endurance. Application of energy is no loose or strict but sufficient enough to maintain conscious awareness on it. Whatever activities are taking during that moment simply observe them objectively as they are, Yatha bhutam Nyanadassana’, knowing things as they truly are.
The third letter of a 'STOP' is 'O' that stands for observation objectively. Practice of meditation is learning to observe things that arises objectively and able to have wise-reflection (manasikara) of that object. A practitioner diligently practices without rushing for sudden enlightenment but patiently take enough time to observe things objectively and develop understanding and seeing the present moment phenomenon.
It is a practice of being observer and observing things objectively. One will observe how the body is feeling, which are staying on a sitting position motionlessly. Observes mental awareness and phenomena of it. So, in the practice simply take your time to see the reality as pertaining to itself at the moment of what is happening at the moment. When you take your time to see what is going on in this present moment, simply observe the way it is with no commentaries or opinions. In this way, once you have known this reality, once you have observed it clearly, it is a mindful-awareness of present moment.
Once you have known that this is the way you have fully acknowledged the present moment phenomena at the present moment without any commentaries and opinions this is simply an observation of natural present moment awareness of body and mind as they are. There is no opinion. There is no objection. There is no liking or disliking. It is simply observation of the object as the way it is.
In the practice of meditation observation is essential. It is to observe the way our body is staying and the way our mind is observing. As we are sitting and meditating and intentionally tying to pay attention to the object, which is a part of the body at that moment mind is attending there. This is the connection between body and mind and also happening it here in the present moment. We are simply observing whichever state of these are. There is no proliferation into any formations i.e. like and dislike but maintain awareness of the present moment appearance of object.
Patience in Practice
There is no quick fixing things in the practice. There are no instant results. There is no magic word that works instantly and helps one to be happy and free from troubles. Even taking medicine to cure any form of disease won't cure instantly but takes time, which is similar to charging a mobile phone or any electric devices. It requires time and let it charge or working through slowly. A flourish can't force a plant to blossom. Plant will take time and patiently growing through eventually giving a gorgeous flower, which could be expensive. In the practice of meditation if one would like to see the result must wait and working patiently towards the goal.
Therefore, one consciously stops at the present moment awareness of the body and mind with great patience. The patience or endurance is another form of great practice that produces results. Once there were 1250 monks gathered to pay respect to the Buddha. On that occasion, the Buddha admonished them by saying;
Khanti paramaṃ tapo titikkhā,
which means patient forbearance is the foremost austerity, that leads to the liberation. A Person seeks liberation, if one could develop the qualities of patience in the practice and consciously being mindful of the moment continuously on every action with no delay achievement is close.
The last letter of ‘Stop’ therefore, is ‘P’, which is a quality of being patience. One needs to practice patiently without expecting instant results. Patience is the vital key for the success. As mostly we are driven by our feelings and emotions. Often decide on the basis of that experience rather than concentrating the reality. It is, however, not a denial of emotional intelligence and also being numb to different unwilling conditions. Patience opens our mind to be more receptive and reflective than having fixed view.
In the practice of meditation, as a result, one has to be very patient in carrying out all methods of practice and performing it continuously without any breaks. There is an undivided attention applied with right intension to the object in a right way, non-judgemental. At this stage, one does not have to search for anything outside of the body and mind but being mindfully aware of the moment. It is a pure patience that has a quality to accept activities in its true form without any added ingredients. It is fully supported by having right understanding about the object that things are ever changing and such thing should not be regarded or emotionally attached it to be permanent. So, simply seeing clearly the present moment body awareness and activities of the mind as both are stationed at the present moment.
One practices with great intention and giving undivided attention continuously towards the practice with great patient bears satisfied results. Consciously aware of stopping at the present moment without rushing for any outcomes a meditator observes objectively with great patience. It watches. It observes and knows it as they appeared to be. It is not an apparent truth but reality as it manifests, which a practitioner would be able to patiently observe it objectively that
Positive and energetic
It is at this moment that stopping here and now that helps to generate the sense of positivity and it generates the energy to continue the practice for the cultivation of the mind. Developing this awareness and ability to comprehend it in its true nature is that what happens when mindful awareness has been developed. One has developed mindful-awareness at the present moment. Mind become a very sharp. It becomes alert. We are bringing the Buddha into our heart. So, we ourselves are developing or just opening our heart up to welcome the Buddha, which means, the sense of knowing, sense of alertness and sense of enjoying the present moment awareness has awakened. When these qualities are fully developed the art of stopping at the present moment will help us to extend that knowledge that practice into day-to-day life, in our daily life. So, whenever and whatever we are doing, simply being aware of those activities with clear awareness and ability to see it clearly and patiently developing these qualities inside. This acronym ‘stop’ that I have elaborated in order to see clearly whatever is happening in body and the mind. All arising and fading activities non-stop. On this path one has to walk slowly and plenty of time. No rush and take sufficient time to see those activities clearly. It is similar to learning to ride a bicycle, which required constant practice and sufficient time to practice.
Therefore, do not rush to see physical and mental activities that are taking place. As patiently creating cause to see them and once it has been seen rather than subjective observe it objectively in its true nature. Lastly, patiently developing this awareness of being able to be conscious about the situation that we are in. This is the awareness of mind section. In fact, the practice of awareness of mental activities is very moment to free oneself. Developing vision and knowledge that lead to the liberation. When one knows the mental activities and its characters then one will be skilled in a practice art of stop and ability to relax at the very moment, a sense of pausing for a while from all other unwholesome thoughts that may arise or any mental tendencies are persist will be abandoned.
It doesn’t matter which situation we are in when we see it clearly how my mind is then we will be able to stop from any proliferation or any exaggeration. The object has been observed without any commentaries but see it clearly as they are, which is the right understanding, Samma ditthi, according to Buddhism. The Samma ditthi is the part of wisdom. The Buddha mentioned it in the first discourse of the Buddha. So, simply because one has seen it clearly with full understanding from own experiential level of understanding then that’s how mindfulness meditation is developing. The right mindfulness and awareness one will be able to use it in day-to day life, that brings happy and healthy.
May you be happy well and stay safe and stay healthy most importantly be mindful whatever you do and be mindful as you touch your face be mindful as you go out and be mindful of yourself distance whatever you do be mindful. May you be happy peaceful made the triple gem bless you.