Meditations2 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Meditations2 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Author:Thanissaro Bhikkhu [Bhikkhu, Thanissaro]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dharma, Jhana, Meditation, Breath Meditation, Thai Forest Tradition, Pali Canon, Theravada
Publisher: Metta Forest Monastery
Published: 2018-02-02T08:00:00+00:00


Adolescent Practice

October 25, 2003

If you don’t think the idea of rebirth is scary, think of having to go through adolescence all over again — all the awkwardness, the embarrassment, all the problems of adolescence, high school, dating, asserting your independence. We’re always glad that we’ve gotten past those things. But when you come to meditate, it’s like going through adolescence all over again. When you start out, you’re given a set of rules to follow. That’s like being a child: Don’t do this, don’t do that, do this, do that. And for a while the rules work. But then there comes a time when, if you’re going to make the meditation your own, you’ve got to test the rules. That’s adolescence, which is why it’s difficult, because sometimes the rules are good rules that can carry you all the way through adulthood, while other rules are best put away now that you’re no longer a child. Sometimes the problem is that you had a childish understanding of the rules and, as you grow up, you’ve got to change that understanding. So you’ve got to sort that all out. No wonder it’s an awkward time.

The same goes with meditation. You’re told, “Focus on the breath.” And in the beginning you’re often told, “Don’t meddle with the breath. Just let it come in and go out at its own rate.” You may get the basic idea that the less you interfere in the present moment, the better; the more passive you become, the better. But that makes it difficult to integrate meditation with your life. Are you going to go through life totally passive in every situation? That doesn’t work. It’s like a walking death. So you’ve got to test the rule to see whether it’s the kind of rule that says, “Before you cross the road, hold onto somebody’s hand,” or the type that says, “Before you cross the road, look both ways. Check the oncoming traffic first.” Holding somebody’s hand is a rule specifically for children; when you grow up, you don’t need to follow it anymore. But the rule about looking both ways is a good rule to follow whether you’re a child or an adult.

So, the rule about not meddling with your breath: Which kind of rule is that? It’s a holding-the-hand kind of rule. Meditation teachers often feel that people brand new to meditation will probably mess up their breath if they try to control it too much. In order to avoid that, they tell you not to get involved, to be as passive as possible. But as you gain more experience with the breath, you don’t need to hold onto the teacher’s hand anymore. You have to look for yourself. You have to experiment with the breath. Otherwise you’ll never get a sense of how much subconscious molding of the breath is still going on, down under the surface of your consciousness. You’ll never get a sense of what input you’re putting into the present moment.



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