It has been sometime since I last listen to Ajahn Brahm's talk and he remained as jovial and a joker as always. The talk last night was his March 15 dharma talk in California , USA at the invitation of his pal, Jack , another old monk.
His talk last night was " the art of meditation " and it was feel with teachings to enlighten the listeners. There is basically three steps in meditation :
1) Not concentration but be humble and let go.
2) Kindfulness
3) Relax and accept whatever arises.
On the teaching of humbleness, the final result is to let go off everything instead of making the mind concentrate and go into a meditation. This way is wrong and to force the mind , it is pure torture and the correct way is to be humble and learn to let go. By letting go, your hatred, thoughts , cravings and greek, etc, your mind will be crystal clear. He quote an example of holding a glass in his hand and it will never be still as the muscles holding the glass is always moving and hence, the water in the glass is always vibrating. So, we have to let go and place the glass on to the table and the water will settle down finally. It is as simple as that. Learn to let go. The mind is also compare to the leave on the tree and is always moving according to the environment and wind. When the wind stop, the leave will be perfectly still and the mind will be crystal clear and become peaceful and enlightening.
On kindfulness, it is to be kind to your body when you meditate. No need to sit in a lotus position if it is hurting and you can adjust your posture until you are completely relax and happy. Don't torture your body and keep moving or coming out of the meditation if you are uneasy and move back in when you are ready. Your meditation process will catch and you will back in meditation in no time.
On the relaxation needs, don't expect anything and accept whatever arises and don't force your mind to be still. It will find its own level and it will happen at its own time. Just relax and watch whatever come into your mind and don't act on it . Just watch it float by.
During his lecture, he tell a very interesting story.
There was a farmer who gave refuge to an old monk
The monk worked up a good relationship with the family
One day he want to leave the farmer and he told him how to get rich.
He told the farmer to shoot an arrow towards the sun in the next morning.
The farmer did what was told and shoot the arrow and it lands in a field
the field belongs to a lawyer , who claim damages but he told the lawyer what the old monk say.
The lawyer follow his advice and shoot an arrow next day towards the sun
The arrow landed on a field belongs to a army general.
The general was upset and the lawyer repeat the story of the old monk to the general.
Next day, the army general did the same thing what the old monk told the lawyer
The arrow landed on a field belongs to the King
The King was upset and wanted to kill the army general .
The general told the king about the old monk who never lies.
The King commanded the old monk to see him the next day.
When the monk saw the king, he told the king that the advise was wrongly followed
Instead of shooting the arrow towards the sun , he should only let go the arrow from the bow
The king tried it and the arrow fell infront of him.
The morale of the story is that the gold is now and present and not something in the distance.
Meditation will put your awareness of the present and live in the moment.
Namaste.
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