The Dewdrop Digest

The Dewdrop Digest
Connecting Children, Youth and Sangha
Clouds in Water Zen Center
Sunday, March 2, 2003

Map Of Our Mindfulness Studies

"We are aware of our body when we stand, walk, sit and lie down. When we perform actions with our body, when we look deeply at the different parts of our body, we see that the basis of our body is the four elements--earth, water, fire and air. We see the nine stages of the dissolution of the body after the death of the body. When we are aware of our body, when we embrace and look deeply into our body, we can have insight. That insight is the insight of impermanence, no self and interbeing. The insight is that this body is not me. We should not be attached to this body and identify ourselves with this body, because if we do, we shall make ourselves suffer."
-- ThIch Nhat Hanh, Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on February 19, 1998 in Plum Village, France on Mindfulness Of Body and Feelings

Most classes have concluded the their study of Mindfulness of the Body and Breath, the first section of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. We will continue practice in class and hope you will at home too.

Today many classes will be formally introduced to Mindfulness of Sensations (noting positive, negative, and neutral experiences) and will continue to work with it on March 16 (the last day of Winter Quarter).

During Spring Quarter (which begins April 6), we will continue our study of this sutra. The younger classes will review Mindfulness of the Body and Mindfulness of Sensations before studying Mindfulness of Emotions. Older classes will study Mindfulness of Emotions, Mindfulness Dharmas (also called Mental Objects, or Objects of Mind, or Phenomena), and the Full Awareness of Breathing Sutta which complements the Four Foundations. All classes will have study and learn about mindfulness relates to the Precepts and Right Action and will participate in community service projects.

Session 3 homework assignment, "due" Sunday March 16:
- Continue (or begin) family and individual daily gatha recitation. Pick up the yellow sheet with a list of ideas.
- Discuss the river of sensations and how our mind automatically labels each experience as positive, negative or neutral. Or pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. Or yum, yuck and yawn! Use these words in conversation. Reflect upon and share your awareness of your experience. Inquire about sensations of family members.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness with bare attention. Focus on noting the flow of one's sensations.

Mindfulness Of Sensations

We constantly reacting to all sorts of stimuli, and the response always falls into one of the three categories. One can imagine it as a river of feelings, and each drop of water in that river is either a negative sensation or a positive sensation or a neutral sensation. Why do we learn about these sensations and practice bare attention to them?
- Suffering comes from craving for pleasant sensation to continue and unpleasant feelings to stop. Understanding this is one step to toward freedom.
- Shining the light of awareness on these sensations frees us from mindlessly reacting to them. One notes pleasant and unpleasant sensations without reacting to them. Noting "angry" without pushing it away, observing a pleasant mood without clutching at it.
- Seeing the sensations as fleeting and passing points to the fact that there is no permanent, separate self.


Noting Sensations with Bare Attention (excerpt from March 2 Dewdrop)
"Bare attention" means non-judgmental awareness of what arises.
1. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.
2. Place your hands comfortably in your lap or in the cosmic mudra.
3. Gaze softly at the floor in front of you.
4. Place your attention in your hara, just below your belly button, and notice the gentle arising and falling with each breath.
5. Begin with 5 - 10 big exhalations, letting go of all the air in your lungs, and letting the in-breath respond naturally.
6. Breathe quietly with bare attention (evenly suspended attention, open to whatever arises without judgment).
7. If the mind wanders from the breath, directly return with gentleness.
8. Sensations. Notice that with each experience, the mind quickly labels it as positive (or pleasant), negative (or unpleasant) or neutral. As you become settled with the breath, open to the sensation of the present moment with bare attention (without judgment, clinging or pushing away). As you breathe in, just breathe in. As you breathe out, say to yourself quietly, "Breathing out, positive" or "Breathing out, negative" or "Breathing out, neutral". Receive the moment just as it is. Let go at the end of the exhalation and then just breathe in. Continue through the meditation period.


REGISTER FOR SPRING QUARTER SOON
Winter Quarter ends March 16. Spring Quarter begins April 6. Please pick up a registration form and drop it, together with your payment, in the dana bowl. Remember to write "CP" on the memo section of your check. Thank you!


Question, suggestion, problem? Contact Children's and Youth Practice Coordinator Katharine Krueger here at x10 or katharine@cloudsinwater.org

posted by Michael Howard on 3/02/2003 12:19:00 PM | link