Don't go into the mind, into meditation, only when the conditions are good. Think of going into the woods to build those small bridges on forest trails to let hikers avoid giant puddles. The larger brooks and streams are obvious even when it's dry, but you have to go in when it's been raining and…
An inquiry from a diligent student of meditation: I wanted to ask you about “breath energy,” which seems to be an essential piece of Thannisaro Bhikkhu's meditations. Could you please share with me what your understanding of breath energy is? Reply: First, one of the best resources for elucidating Thanissaro Bhikkhu's teachings is a Facebook…
When I lead guided meditations, there is some improvisation involved, some letting go into an outflow of speech for a given purpose-
Come forth light Illuminate and slay Shine in the remotest crevice Where the barbed tendrils of deceit Find nourishment and blind consciousness with a fume. Send the deceivers fleeing, free them with light or oblivion, and free us To wield the divine light in mercy and power, making a rout of the enemies of truth.…
My Part When it comes to me, you should consider yourself free If I did the harm, or if you believe you harmed me It is gone, I'm sorry, be free It is time to turn off the alarm, extinguish the beacons, send packing your demons I Will make special arrangements for my errors, I…
On a practical level, meditation seems to help with cohesiveness in life. I’ve started and stopped many individual practices of strengthening mind and body, but I’ve never been as successful in any of them as when I have a good meditation practice going at the same time. In the tradition that I study most, the…
A vow humbles us to the power of our own mind- a mind that can run away for years, for lifetimes, before we finally catch up again and give it a good job to do.
Mara's Encounter with the Unbeholden Heart Where lie the borders of your domain So that I might blend with your subtle joys and sorrows Such that you will mistake me for your self and your kin? Even when you’ve come so far, pleaded, borrowed From dubious faiths, cross-legged hacks. It’s here you’ll find my tender…
It can begin several minutes per day in the dark before daybreak
Paring the skin from a sweet potato with a freshly sharpened blade a great sense of peace came then the thought switch hands. Everything slowed peace deepened delicate, deliberate. Later, I switched back o the mighty skill! clarity what will within will observe become better still.
markzelinsky 