Understanding the heart Centricity

Not thinking is also a very important state, helping to balance the mind and deepen.

Seeing reality clearly

Not thinking is also a very important state, helping to balance the mind and deepen.

Our minds are like monkeys, passing branch after branch without ever standing still. Although the mind helps us feel, think, understand, express emotions, or make decisions, it is not a machine to produce as many products as possible. Our limitation is that we often don't know who to focus on and to what extent. The level is sufficient not only to solve the problem, but it must correspond to our energy reserves. Because we have to spend energy on other important issues. Most thoughts just burn energy, cause us more stress and then distort perceptions without solving anything. Therefore, not thinking is also a very important state, helping the mind to be balanced and deep.

The philosopher Descartes once said, "I think, so I am present." Many people also agree with this view. They rely on their train of thought to see their presence. That is, people must always think, if not thinking, it is no longer a living reality. Just as old people often find something to do to see themselves present, to see that they are not useless incompetent in the eyes of their children and grandchildren. In fact, they just need to sit there and smile happily at their children and grandchildren, or always radiate peaceful and steady energy, to see that they are present. That's true presence. In the same way, when we look at a flower, we don't need to think to feel its mysterious presence. Sometimes, it's the vague train of thought that pulls us away from reality and loses sight of reality. Having a body without a soul cannot be called presence.

When we look at the flower, if we don't think, if we don't get dragged away by the future or the past, we just see that this is a flower blooming this morning, it's a state of total presence—concentration. Concentration is the mind that is stationary in reality, able to be very aware of what is happening in and around us. If we maintain the ability to focus on a chosen object in reality, for a long enough time without any notion pulling away, we will create concentration—the power of concentration. The powerful attention center is capable of emitting energy that shines light on the subject, so the more we look, the more we will realize its structure or true nature.

Life always has countless gravitational forces that entice our minds to wander all day outside. Even when we go to the dinner table or bed, we continue to let our minds sink into planned projects, or dwell on sweet images of the past. Over time, we gradually lose the habit of resting or the habit of focusing our attention on an object. On the contrary, we think that the more profitable ideas we come up with, the better we are. It's as if people were born just to work and make money. Therefore, the pot in front of the house withered for a long time, I did not see it. The shirt was chipped and I didn't know. How many people are present in the house I don't know. What I'm standing here for or who I'm making an appointment with today I don't remember. That's bad! We also blame ourselves whenever we find out we're absent-minded. But we also excuse ourselves with very worthy reasons, and then we continue to roam, leaving him free to seek whatever shelter he loves.

Oops! If we focus on the sun, it will be warmer. If we listen to the birdsong, the sound of the bird will be clearer. If we wholeheartedly hold a cup of tea to drink, the tea will be more fragrant. The authentic presence of both body and mind will make the object more valuable and we ourselves will inherit more. It is also a very profound truth that when the mind is calm, accepting that it is 100% present in the present moment, it will connect with the peaceful energies available in the universe. It calms the toxic energies within us and lifts up precious qualities in the depths of our souls. In particular, concentration helps us maintain a long-term ability to observe disturbing emotions, from the time they arise to their dissolution. That is, without concentration, we cannot comprehend disturbing emotions. Without understanding, it cannot be removed.

In order to train ourselves in the habit of concentration, the first condition is to be less busy. We have to give ourselves a big chance to find ourselves. We can't tell our minds to stop while we still want to grasp too much. A gentle and quiet space will make it easier for us to bring our minds back and form a relationship with our body. Where the body is, the mind is there. Just as when we use a magnifying glass to receive parallel rays of sunlight, they will converge into one point. Then we take a pinch of dry straw and place it under the magnifying glass, the converging beam of light will burn the pinch of dry straw. The intense concentration of the mind has the ability to burn away some of the disturbing emotions, making us lighter, calmer and clearer.

We need to try to practice slowing down, but also not being too slow unnaturally. Every time we turn on the faucet, close the door, turn on the television or put down our teacups, we look closely at these objects. In particular, we must clearly record what happens in our minds throughout the process. Cut each action into small pieces to make it easier to experiment with concentration. For example, when we pick up a cup of tea, we divide it into 3 stages to pay attention: picking up, bringing it and drinking. While drinking, we also divide it into 3 stages: drinking, drinking, and drinking. Wherever we are or what we do, we should apply the exercise of breaking down each action to observe, except for those that are dangerous or too urgent.

Practicing observing your footsteps as you walk in the room is also a way to train your concentration. Just relax your hands in the direction of your body and start paying attention to your footsteps in 3 stages: lift your legs, bring them to, put them down. We can also divide each such movement into 3 smaller times, so that our attention is even stronger: the head – the middle part – the end of lifting the leg, the head – the middle part – the end of the foot lift, the head – the middle part – the end of putting the foot down. Remember that we should only use our minds to feel and not look down at our steps. This exercise is a bit dry, but if we persist for about half an hour, we will reap very unexpected results. Slowness will prevent our mind from easily changing objects, enough time to see through the object and ourselves.

Successful meditators from generations have always considered the breath as the first choice for concentration. Breathing is not only a physiological process, but it is also a bridge to psychological processes. That is, through the breath, we can know the altered states of our mind. Interestingly, we can feel the breath directly without the intervention of existing thoughts or experiences. Let's not forget that breathing is a natural process. Even if we don't use willpower to intervene, the breath is still in and out at its own pace. Therefore, when choosing the breath as the object of attention, we must respect its naturalness. We just need to recognize and understand it, not force it to be like this or that. In fact, we also stumble while breathing, wanting to impose our breath on our will. We want it to be longer or shorter, we want it to be softer or softer. It is a wrong attitude that must be avoided. The line between natural breath and molded breath is so fragile that we have to be very subtle to realize. Remember to merely observe it, not to read it in your mind with a sentence to remind or imagine something else.

To see clearly, we must first identify how our breathing is. Pay attention to the bulge of the abdomen: the breath that goes into the belly will automatically bulge, the breath that goes out of the belly will automatically collapse. This way of breathing is usually only suitable for a small number of people, it makes it easy to be nervous about having to chase it. Besides, this way of monitoring will not make us feel the breath directly. Most meditators focus on the tip of the nose, right at the inner rim of the nose or just above the upper lip. It depends on each person's nose. Take a long, deep breath, then take note of the outside air coming in. Try to feel which part of the nose it touches most clearly. That is the point to keep in mind to observe the breath when we let it breathe naturally again or in future exercises. In this way, our minds don't run around looking for breath. Chasing the breath will be exhausting, and never catch up because it goes on and on.

Practice observing the subtle connection between the breath, the desire to control the breath, and the attitude of wanting to stop controlling. It's a little uncomfortable at first. Gradually, we will feel the value of natural breath that is completely different from controlled breathing. Thereby, we learn a lot about our attitudes or desires and impositions. Observing the breath so subtly for so short periods of time, we no longer want to control it. In the beginning, observing the breath will make us very easily depressed because it feels so tasteless. But if we persevere and breathe properly, we will slowly find it very diverse and incredibly magical. The truth is that no breath is the same as any breath. They are very finely transformed. With superficiality or prejudice that assumes that it is just that, we certainly will not be able to see and comprehend it. Therefore, observing the breath is not only observing the contour, but also observing its content. It's really an orchestral piece of panting and calming, deep and shallow, rushing and gentle.

During practice, sometimes we feel like we can't recognize our breath. Don't worry too much! Focus back on the spot we chose, at the tip of our nose or the flattening of our abdomen, with a few temporary sharp breaths and we'll catch it. Remember, we should never blame ourselves while meditating. That's of no use, because they're just the result of living in our own oblivion. Just remind yourself often. Sometimes there will be images, sounds, comments, worries, regrets, sadness, confusion in our minds. In case you find yourself without any stamina, temporarily "ignore" the sudden fluctuations around you and give all priority to focusing on the breath. If we are ready to observe, we should only observe psychological phenomena one by one, not all of them.

When these objects fade, we bring the mind back to the breath. The breath was now the main subject. It is our safest fulcrum after every visit to other areas, whether it is the reactions that occur on the body or mind. Let's not be hasty while practicing, don't be too eager to deal with disturbing emotions. Thanks to some of the energy accumulated from the breath, each observation of such dramatic fluctuations gives us a new experience of the impermanent and selfless nature of all things and phenomena. Observing with the mind without desire or opposition, purely with an attitude of inquiry and discovery, gives us many wonderful insights into ourselves and life. Until now, with a mind full of turmoil and thick with disturbing emotions, it was impossible for us to know these things.

One thing to keep in mind is that when we experience our breathing deeply, suddenly we hear in our minds a lot of screams or chaotic sounds. Or we find ourselves reaching out like a car plunging headlong into an abyss we can't control. It's no wonder. In fact, our minds are chaotic all the time, full of conflicts or gaps. It's just that I've never looked closely at it. Keep up your practice, smiling and observing those strange sounds as the return of disturbing emotions. Then we'll get through.

There are so many people around us who are still living by the chance of circumstances, still not knowing what is wreaking havoc within. They may not seem to have a problem, but they are actually bound and controlled. As for us, although we face internal annoyances, we are on the way to removing them. Take care of yourself now, don't wait until the disturbing emotion breaks out and causes a lot of damage before we struggle to find solutions, it is too late. If you are thirsty to dig a well, you must die of thirst. It is also important to note that it is the right attitude to practice that determines success, not excessive enthusiasm. Ambition in meditation, as in any field, is a pressure that leads to mistakes.

Thus, only when the mind is calm can we make a lasting and thorough observation of all disturbing structures. From there, we know what we should and shouldn't do to transform them. And it is only when the capacity for attention and observation has become mastered that the seed of wisdom begins to open. Only then can we see clearly our identity and life as it is in its true nature. I will no longer suffer.

Years still floating
No peaceful
berth The boat returns to the old
anchorage Seeing the earth and sky peaceful.

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