The Blooming of a Lotus Read online

  Buddha says that anger makes us look ugly. If we are able to breathe when we are angry and recognize the ugliness anger brings with it, that recognition acts as a bell of mindfulness. We breathe and smile mindfully in order to bring some evenness back into our hearts, at the same time relaxing the nervous system and the tense muscles of the face. We must keep on with our conscious breathing as we practice walking meditation in the open air, looking deeply at what has happened. Mindfulness and conscious breathing are sources of energy and can calm the storm of anger, which itself is also a source of energy. If we keep on practicing mindfulness in order to take care of our anger with the affection of a mother when she takes her small child in her arms, then not only shall we calm the storm but we shall also be able to find out where our anger really comes from. Our practice, carefully executed, will thus be able to transform the seeds of anger in us.

  Exercise Four

  Looking Deeply

  1.

  Visualizing some damage I have done

  Damage done

  in the past, I breathe in.

  Seeing the suffering I caused in

  Suffering

  the past, I breathe out.

  caused

  2.

  Seeing my lack of understanding

  Lack of

  while committing the act, I breathe in.

  understanding

  Seeing my lack of mindfulness while

  Lack of

  committing the act, I breathe out.

  mindfulness

  3.

  Seeing the past present in me now,

  Past present

  I breathe in.

  in me now

  Seeing the wounds of the past present

  Wounds in

  in me now, I breathe out.

  me now

  4.

  Seeing the past present in the

  Past present

  other now, I breathe in.

  in the other now

  Seeing the wounds of the past present

  Wounds in

  in the other now, I breathe out.

  the other now

  5.

  Saying I am sorry, I breathe in.

  Saying sorry

  Determined not to do it again,

  Determined

  I breathe out.

  not to repeat

  6.

  Seeing that the Five Wonderful

  Protection of

  Mindfulness Trainings are a

  mindfulness

  protection for me and the other,

  trainings

  I breathe in.

  Determined to practice the mindfulness

  Deep practice

  trainings deeply, I breathe out.

  of mindfulness

  trainings

  7.

  Knowing that by transforming

  Transforming past

  the present, I transform the past,

  in transforming

  I breathe in.

  present

  Determined to be mindful and

  Mindful and

  understanding in the present,

  understanding

  I breathe out.

  now

  8.

  Smiling to the present, I breathe in.

  Smiling to

  the present

  Determined to take good care of

  Taking good

  the present, I breathe out.

  care of present

  9.

  Transforming the past by positive

  Present action

  present action, I breathe in.

  transforming past

  Seeing my present action influencing

  Influencing

  the future, I breathe out.

  future

  The purpose of this exercise is to enable us to let go and begin a new life. All of us have made mistakes, have harmed or wounded others, especially those who are close to us. Often we ourselves have been wounded—by our parents, by our society, by those we have vowed to love. But we know also that because of our lack of understanding and mindfulness, we have—to a greater or lesser extent—caused our own wounds. Moreover, because we lack understanding and mindfulness, we have not been able to transform the wounds that we bear deep within. Above all else this exercise helps us to acknowledge that our injuries are often self-inflicted. When we can acknowledge our responsibility, we will not blame ourselves or feel ashamed but will instead feel compassion for ourselves and determine to start afresh. The past has not been lost; it has become the present. If we are able to be in touch with the present we are able to be in touch with the past, and if we know how to be responsible for and transform the present we can transform the past. As we shall see in the appendix, the Five Mindfulness Trainings are not laws to coerce us but the fruit of mindfulness and an awakened mind. They only protect us and guarantee our own peace, and the peace of others. With the mindfulness trainings as a foundation, we are immediately able to bring joy once again to others and once again to relieve others of their suffering.

  Chapter V. Objects of Mind

  In the Anapanasati Sutta, the section on objects of mind has four components: fading of desire, impermanence, the ending of dualistic conceptions (such as birth-death, coming-going), and letting go. These ways of understanding are essential for our realization of enlightenment and liberation. However, intellectual understanding is not enough, and our mindfulness and meditation need to be sustained and wholehearted for us to realize true liberation. The following exercises are to help us in this.

  Exercise One

  Impermanence

  Looking Deeply

  1.

  Aware of the hair on my head,

  Hair

  I breathe in.

  Seeing the impermanence of the hair

  Impermanent

  on my head, I breathe out.

  2.

  Aware of my eyes, I breathe in.

  Eyes

  Seeing the impermanence of my eyes,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  3.

  Aware of my ears, I breathe in.

  Ears

  Seeing the impermanence of my ears,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  4.

  Aware of my nose, I breathe in.

  Nose

  Seeing the impermanence of my nose,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  5.

  Aware of my tongue, I breathe in.

  Tongue

  Seeing the impermanence of

  Impermanent

  my tongue, I breathe out.

  6.

  Aware of my heart, I breathe in.

  Heart

  Seeing the impermanence of my heart,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  7.

  Aware of my liver, I breathe in.

  Liver

  Seeing the impermanence of my liver,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  8.

  Aware of my lungs, I breathe in.

  Lungs

  Seeing the impermanence of my lungs,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  9.

  Aware of my intestines, I breathe in.

  Intestines

  Seeing the impermanence of

  Impermanent

  my intestines, I breathe out.

  10.

  Aware of my kidneys, I breathe in.

  Kidneys

  Seeing the impermanence of

  Impermanent

  my kidneys, I breathe out.

  11.

  Aware of my body, I breathe in.

  Body

  Seeing the impermanence of my body,

  Impermanent

  I breathe out.

  12.

  Aware of the planet earth, I breathe in.

  The planet earth

&nb
sp; Seeing the impermanence of the

  Impermanent

  planet earth, I breathe out.

  13.

  Aware of the human species,

  The human species

  I breathe in.

  Seeing the impermanence of the

  Impermanent

  human species, I breathe out.

  14.

  Aware of governments, I breathe in.

  Governments

  Seeing the impermanence of

  Impermanent

  governments, I breathe out.

  This exercise helps us to acknowledge the impermanent nature of everything. The work of acknowledging everything in mindfulness leads us to a deeper view of what life is. It is very important to understand that impermanence is not a negative aspect of life. Impermanence is the very basis of life. If what exists were not impermanent, no life could continue. If a grain of corn were not impermanent, it could not become a corn plant. If a tiny child were not impermanent, she could not grow into an adult.

  Life is impermanent, but that does not mean that it is not worth living. It is precisely because of its impermanence that we value life so dearly. Therefore we must know how to live each moment deeply and use it in a responsible way. If we are able to live the present moment completely, we will not feel regret later. We will know how to care for those who are close to us and how to bring them happiness. When we accept that all things are impermanent, we will not be incapacitated by suffering when things decay and die. We can remain peaceful and content in the face of change, prosperity and decline, success and failure.

  Many people are always restless and in a hurry and do not know how to look after their bodies and minds. Night and day, bit by bit, they barter their health away in order to obtain material comforts. In the end, they destroy body and mind for the sake of these unimportant things. This exercise also can help us to look after our bodies and minds.

  In our own time the fact of global warming is forcing us to look deeply to see that even our planet earth and all the species that live on it are impermanent. When people see the life of our planet endangered by global warming, they fall into a state of despair. In such a state they cannot do anything to help the situation, and they may well die of despair before they die as a result of global warming. In order to transform this despair they need to accept the fact that civilizations are impermanent. Only then can they be at peace enough to be able to act wisely to reverse the process of global warming. It is the same in the case of sickness or disability. Once a person can accept that she is sick and may die as a result, she can live at peace in a way that can actually prolong her life.

  Exercise Two

  Impermanence

  Contemplation

  1.

  Aware of my body alive and breathing,

  Live body

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my body alive and

  Smiling

  breathing, I breathe out.

  2.

  Seeing my dead body lying in bed,

  Dead body

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body lying in bed,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  3.

  Seeing my dead body being placed

  Placed in coffin

  in a coffin, I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body being placed

  Smiling

  in a coffin I breathe out.

  4.

  Seeing my dead body gray in color,

  My gray body

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body gray in color,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  5.

  Seeing my dead body infested with

  My infested body

  worms and flies, I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body infested with

  Smiling

  worms and flies, I breathe out.

  6.

  Seeing my dead body as a white

  My white skeleton

  skeleton, I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body as a

  Smiling

  white skeleton, I breathe out.

  7.

  Seeing my dead body as a number of

  Scattered

  fresh bones scattered here and there,

  fresh bones

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body as a number

  Smiling

  of fresh bones scattered here and there,

  I breathe out.

  8.

  Seeing my dead body as a number of

  Dried bones

  dried bones, I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body as a number

  Smiling

  of dried bones, I breathe out.

  9.

  Seeing my dead body being wrapped

  Wrapped

  in a shroud, I breathe in.

  in a shroud

  Smiling to my dead body being

  Smiling

  wrapped in a shroud, I breathe out.

  10.

  Seeing my dead body being cremated,

  Cremated

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my dead body being

  Smiling

  cremated, I breathe out.

  11.

  Seeing my mortal remains being

  Remains mixing

  mixed with the earth, I breathe in.

  with earth

  Smiling to my mortal remains being

  Smiling

  mixed with the earth, I breathe out.

  This exercise helps us become accustomed to the fact that sooner or later we all have to die. It is also a way of meditating on the impermanence of the body. It is traditionally known as the Nine Contemplations on the unclean (navāśubha samjñā). If we can become familiar and comfortable with the idea that makes us afraid of death, we shall begin to transform that fear. We shall also begin to live our lives more deeply and with more care and awareness.

  When we can envision and accept our own death, we are able to let go of many ambitions, worries, and sufferings. In short, we are able to let go of all the things that keep us so unnecessarily busy. We can begin to live in a way that is meaningful for ourselves and for other species.

  The various stages of decomposition of the corpse that belong to the traditional Nine Contemplations can be replaced by simple images more appropriate to our own era, for example, a shroud, coffin, cremation furnace, vase of ashes, ashes becoming earth, or ashes scattered on the waves of a river or ocean.

  The exercises on the visualization of a corpse, either one’s own or that of another, should only be practiced when the meditator is strong in body and in mind. The meditator should be warned not to visualize the corpse of someone who has already passed away. The practice is to help us face the fear that one day our loved one must die; it is not to relive the experience that we had when we saw the corpse of our loved one.

  Exercise Three

  Impermanence

  Contemplation

  1.

  Aware of my beloved alive and

  Beloved alive

  healthy, I breathe in.

  Smiling to my beloved alive and

  Smiling

  healthy, I breathe out.

  2.

  Seeing the dead body of

  Seeing beloved dead

  my beloved, I breathe in.

  Smiling to the dead body of

  Smiling

  my beloved, I breathe out.

  3.

  Seeing the dead body of my beloved

  Beloved’s gray body

  gray in color, I breathe in.

  Smiling to the dead body of my beloved

  Smiling

  gray in color, I breathe out.

  4.

  Seeing the dead body of my

  Beloved’s body

  beloved infested with worms

  infested

  and flies, I breathe in.


  Smiling to the dead body of my

  Smiling

  beloved infested with worms and flies,

  I breathe out.

  5.

  Seeing the dead body of my beloved

  Beloved’s skeleton

  as a white skeleton I breathe in.

  Smiling to the dead body of