Module 2: Foundations of Buddhist Meditation I: Shamatha · The Buddha’s Path
Etymologies, Why Mindfulness of Breathing, and Mindfulness of Breathing (Abdomen)
David Oromith · 85 minutes · recorded January 23, 2024
In the guided meditation on mindfulness of breathing at the abdomen we use the rise and fall of the belly and a count to seven to build stability after last week's relaxation. David explains the three qualities of shamatha as roots, trunk and foliage, walks through the etymologies of dharma, bhavana, samadhi and shamatha, then sets out why mindfulness of breathing suits a busy, ruminating mind. Questions cover needing a teacher, meditating amid noise, and adapting the practice with a cold.
I encourage you to engage in this meditation practice once a day for the next week. The method is Mindfulness of Breathing focussed on the abdomen/belly, beginning with a briefer Settling Body, Speech & Mind practice. The emphasis in our practice this week is cultivating stability (continuity of attention). Remember, this stability comes out of a deepening relaxation, not a tightening of mind. You can use the counting and the 'oscillation' tools to help you cultivate stability in your practice. The Buddha's instruction to 'note' the relative duration of the in and out breath is also a way of maintaining a sense of knowing. “The concentration that you will accomplish here has two special features: vivid intensity – an intense mental clarity – and non-discursive stability, staying one-pointedly on the object of meditation.” - Lama Tsongkhapa (The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) “The relationship among these three qualities can be likened to the roots, trunk, and foliage of a tree. As your practice grows, the roots of relaxation go deeper, the trunk of stability gets stronger, and the foliage of vividness reaches higher.” “To guide meditators along these stages, I have chosen from Buddhist teachings three techniques that I have found effective for people in the modern world. For achieving the first four stages, I recommend mindfulness of breathing... Beginning with the fifth stage, I recommend a method called settling the mind in its natural state... With the instructions for the eighth attentional stage onward, we on to the still subtler practice of maintaining awareness of awareness itself. The technique is called shamatha without an object.” “Mindfulness of breathing is universally emphasized for those who are especially prone to compulsive thinking. As the fifth-century Buddhist master Asanga comments, ‘If involuntary thoughts particularly dominate your behavior, then focus the mind in mindfulness of the exhalation and inhalation o
Relaxation Mindfulness of breathing Shamatha (calm abiding)