Letter to the Meditator: Sit Under the Bodhi Tree

As your concentration will deepen, your understanding of dhamma will deepen. As the understanding of dhamma will deepen, it will help you understand and identify deeper states of concentration, you will be more adept and skillful with concentration-samma samadhi.

Some sittings will be very very tough, may not be physically only, but also morally and mentally. You will learn to shield yourself, and wade through – impermanence is self-evident when you observe arising and passing of sensations, the sense of ‘anatta’/'not me' will also start oozing each time you sit. I sat down in the office crèche for meditation for an hour, initially sensations of cold and goose bumps (from the air cooling), then as I usually sit at home I felt I was sitting at home, then I forgot even that, mere sensations, when I got up from the sitting in exactly one hour, and moved back to my office chair, I carried a strong sense of anatta- this sensation is ‘not me’. So look, we cant predict our progress, when will an insight come and catch you unawares ;) We can only keep working. So, keep working.

I am back from a few hours sit under the bodhi tree, went last weekend. Could not still bring myself to write this post immediately after coming back, there is very little I can share about the experience. It was disrupting at first and caught me unaware, I took some time before I could calm myself down and really ‘sit’. Brought a deeper, more profound understanding of dhamma as I sat under the tree, amidst a crowd of wayfarers and an occasional meditator. I think something deep happened there, as even in my dreams I saw Buddha for a day or two after that, sensing dhamma in his presence, as if he was here teaching what is samatha.

May you be happy, may you be liberated.


Metta

What remains?

Problem was that this was my song, this was my life, this was my mistake, or this was my house.
And as you go further, you can map yourself by what is not left of ‘me’.
The world wont change, you would.

I went running today. I see, if I look back, rough times of my life I have gotten up and have gone for long sprints. Run, run run, and come back, to see I am not putting in enough. How shallow are you breathing - running will tell you - may be!

Just wanted to share that, in rough times, we need to tune up, tune in, be more aggressive, more aggressive with patience, with not putting up with nonsense, and eager to be loving, more aggressive in loving oneself!

As I ran today, stopped to stretch and bend, gather energy and run some more ... I could see the energy spill over to other people, I ran without much pride, giving out metta, instead of sweating pride in my running I ran breathing love for those around me, as much as I could!!

Long day at work-not nasty

“You might remember times when you were completely in the wrong, bad and mean, or ignorant and immoral. Might be times when your heart was pure, and good”
-Practicing Lay Person

I heard this guy say this quote above this week at the group sit. Pretty ripe, old man. He said that he learnt to live now, just learnt driving a car, and just learnt being mindful – yeah, quite a lot to say in one sentence.

What I kept learning this week (if there is a such thing ‘week’), was to recognize, to see. Earlier if I felt energy I will waste it, if I did not feel it then I will crave it …

To know things to be anicca, anatta, dukkha, to treat stuff as same, ahh to recognize this and still work, truthfully.


You know, I was coming back from work, train of thoughts lead to the same realization that had come in myriad ways - all experience to be just that, anicca.

As soon as I realize this, my body relaxed, with each breath the body could relax, breathe through the knots, let it break loose. Doing yoga it did occur that it was better to just breathe ... long way, need sati first.

It is good merits that people become skillful - memory, inclination, capacity to learn and understand Dhamma.

Joy

More than 'joy' there is a deeper rhythm

we call it joy for lack of better words

Write less, right more :)

Anyhew

Remembrance, drives past me

Sun, the shades, the air seems to live within me, of years gone by


not me, not me anymore