Salllatha

Insightfrom a meditation tradition

Issue 8 0 Autumn 2002

, Cultivating the Practice
It has often occurred to me that developing the practice is a bit like
!'1

gardening. Certainly ideas are sometinles planted like seeds in the

heart by the comments of teachers or by a speaker at a talk. Like seeds
landing in the soil. they disappear but come up to flower at unexpected
times perhaps heralding the spring of a new beginning in the practice.
I have never woken up a garden from
a long sleep but I imagine that a lot of
ground work has to be done first: rough
phySical work of cutting things back. up-
, ...
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rooting weeds and clearing away rubbish. ., 'i;~t,'"', y,,' 4f':~',#,' ~'1'i' 1
When we first sit down to practise. the :,~~-;-f'; '. ,~~
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mind can seem a bit like that - full of
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stray thoughts, worries about various
things - work needs to be done to allow ~ :"'r' ,...;(,.,\It.'
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the mind to clear.
Once some space has been created, beautiful shrubs or flowers might
be uncovered. More gentle effort is required then to allow them to grow.
You might need to prune them a bit to shape them and to give them
room to grow but care needs to be taken not to damage them. The kind
of effort required at this stage is tricky to master. Without enough effort
and were its owner to go to sleep, the garden might soon be back to its
Original state. On the other hand with too much effort, small vulner-
able growths might be damaged.
Getting this quality of effort right in the practice can be tricky. It can
sometimes be tempting to try harder after being distracted, but more
effort is rarely the right approach. Just as a plant will not grow to its
full potential if squashed, so too the breath will
not become smoother and more refmed if more
effort is put into breathing. Sometimes it is
worth reflecting on how the breath in the prac-
tice compares to the normal breath: isn't it
strange when the breath seems rougher in the
practice when we're aiming for the opposite?
Another good clue is in the body: sometimes
the body can seem to tighten up as the prac-
tice goes on even if the breath remains smooth, a sign that the effort
may need to be relaxed. A classic example of this can be pain in the
knees.
A garden also needs different kinds of food if it is to grow. The right
sort of balance in the elements is important. Also the soil needs feeding
from time to time so that the plants have the right balance of nutrients.
 l
Fortunately there are experts around who can identifY what a plant is
missing if it does not develop properly. They can test the soil and spot
various subtle signs from the plant and see what the matter is. As the
gardener becomes more practised. he may start seeing these signs for
himself and come to know the characteristics of the soil in his garden.
People also find solutions by playing around and trying different things.
Lately there was news in the press that slugs don't like caffeine and
also reports that people had been putting coffee grounds in their flower
beds for years as a slug deterrent. Similarly in practice it is possible to
find solutions to problems by trial and error and doing what seems to
be right. though there are people to ask if in doubt.
In this garden full of beautiful things it seems important that there is
growing or developing though keeping in mind the changing of the sea-
sons. In the winter of the practice, there is not much growth and vul-
nerable things need to be protected. But just as a gardener in this
country knows, there is no telling when spring will come. bursting into
life. This can be a joyful time, and in the autumn there is no need for
sadness at the Sight of things changing again. Instead there are oppor-
tunities to work in a different way and for understanding how things
are to grow more in the future. There is a summer of the practice too
where there is a lot of pleasant feeling and things flourish easily. This is
a time to be enjoyed.
Perhaps when one becomes a really good gardener, there are enough
plants, and they grow vigorously enough to be able to survive if sepa-
rated into smaller plants, then there is a part for your garden and part
to give to a friend, maybe with instructions on what to do to make it
grow. So too with the practice, there may come a time when the fruits
of the practice are enough to support not only you but others too.
An Assignment For Sam Uicara, State I nuestigator
Episode 5 _If Heaps "
THE STORY SO FAR: Tracking down Citta was no easy task. She moved like quick-
silver. She was different in different people's company. Sam almost came face to
face with her at the State Fair, then in the Statue of Uberty . .. where next?
You could say Donna Dhammavicaya started it. She had the tickets.
Or you could say it was Sam when he called her.
'Sam!' she exclaimed in that chilli-pepper VOice. 'Long time no see.'
'How about a mOvie tOnight?'
The great thing about Donna, she could make even a lousy movie seem
interesting.
'Gee Sam, I'm sorry, I got theatre tickets. I'd invite you, but I know
theatre ain't your ball-game:
True. Those crude lights, that caked-on greasepaint-maybe Donna
could see through to what was real. but as for himself . . .
'Which theatre?'
'Chinatown ..
Chinatown! An hour ago Sam had gotten another tip-off from Gina
Vitakka. Citta was making the scene in Chinatown. Was, might be, could
be. Who with? The incorruptible Joe Sati? Danny 'the icebox' Dosa?
Fats Lobha or one of his fizzball buddies? Gina didn't know.
If Sam hadn't felt so hopeless he'd have been there already. How long
had he been tailing Citta? It seemed years. But heck, he owed it to his
client. That was life for a Sankharaville sleuth. You followed the leads.
Some days were fresh ground mocha, some stale soda water. You didn't
complain.

The first crash of gongs and cymbals had Sam hooked. The plush drapes
. }./\;1(
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y!
twitched open and there was this huge amazing dragon. It snaked. It
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leapt. It shimmied to the music.
'Isn't this great?' asked Donna, sparkling-eyed .
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Sam Smiled and nodded.
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':"~''i~~t,· .. The dragon breathed fire. Its skin rippled like water. It flapped its
'~~~t/n:~~J" wings.

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'It's gonua fly!' someone yelled from the gods. A buzz went round the
'~ ~. ~.t- theatre-'Fly .. , gonua fly:
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" 'Tell me when it flies, I wanna know,' another voice grated.

-'-- Sam knew those dulcet tones. He turned to look. Yes, that battered
~~:.., ~."".' .__ _ M'~ ! ~ ;, . '; ~
derby and white cane. Blind Mat Moha. Well hell, couldn't a fellow take
a night otT without meeting him?
 li
The dragon didn't fly. It slowed as if tired, half shut its eyes (amazing
how they worked that). opened its mouth and ... sang. The song came
from way inside it, a high voice, singing to some weird plaintive instru-
ment. There was such feeling in it. Donna turned to Sam with a look
that said, yeah, it gets to me too.
Because you knew it was a goodbye song. The dragon was sinking
down. its legs folding under. The plush drapes were creeping shut. They
met and there was no more dragon.
'Show's over,' someone said.
Blind Mat leapt to his feet and tapped his way to the front. 'Hey. the
dragon ain't flew! I paid plenty for this ticket. Where's the producer?'
Someone stood up in the front row and turned to face Mat. 'It ain't sup-
posed to fly.'
'Fats Lobha, right?' Donna whispered to Sam.
'Sure is,' Sighed the sleuth.
'Pipe down. Fats, you ain't the producer.' blind Mat's bass baritone
thundered.
'No. but I put up the dough. Look, everybody, I'll go speak to the
actors, see about an encore, okay?'
Fats headed backstage. He was halted by blind Mat's stick.
'Not without me, buddy,' Mat growled.
The two of them went out arm in arm.
'Think we should join them?' Sam asked.
'I sure do,' said Donna.
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~- ~.,.

They caught up with them in the green room. Which was empty. Empty
of actors. Empty of dragon. What had been the dragon was laid on the
\(--~-
floor, in neat piles.
'Where are the actors?' Fats wailed.
Sam smiled. 'Well,' he said, 'you still have the dragon.'
Fats shrugged sorrowfully.
'Someone put me wise to what's gOin' on~r I call Danny Dosa:
blind Mat threatened.
'We're looking at five piles of stuff,' Sam explained. 'This first one's
the dragon's body.' She and Sam exchanged wry smiles. This had made the music inside
Donna was crouching beSide it, intrigued. 'Look how it's made, Sam. the dragon, to which someone had sung with such feeling.
Here's the bamboo framework. Here's that rippling skin that held it all 'Fats, who was the dragon's voice?' she asked.
together. Wow, here's the burner for the fire.' 'Boloney!' blind Mat rasped. The dragon's voice is with the dragon,
Sam took a look. 'Hey, a set of bellows.' and the dragon ain't here.'
'They must have inflated parts of it,' Donna murmured. 'It's the actors that ain't here, Mat,' said Fats uncomfortably. 'Espe-
'Okay then, smart guys,' blind Mat cut in, 'so what's these doin'?' cially . . . . .' His voice tailed off in anguish.
He'd found the second pile and was feeling it. It was a set of musical 'Especially who?' Sam asked, suddenly alert.
instruments. Flutes, a Chinese guitar. Donna picked up the guitar. Trust a dame to run out on you,' Fats muttered.
 'Hey, be fair,' Donna snapped. 'Maybe whoever -she-is just wanted a
little freedom.' •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
'Which dame is this?' Sam asked again, but Fats was engrossed in
•• •
••
wiping his eyes. ••
Donna sniffed the guitar strap. 'Perfume,' she said. Sam sniffed too. • •
••
••
Was it familiar or wasn't it? He was confused. And anyway Donna had Graspine the Self
moved to the third pile. • •
'Gee, Sam, all the moving parts. Eyes, tongue, you name it. But how •• The Buddha saw that dukklw arises from five ••
••
•••
the heck did they move them?' groups of things to which the mind is habitually
Sam had gotten ahead of her now. 'Here's the answer, Donna. In the attached. The Pall name for these groups, ••
fourth pile. A whole stash of remote control units. Smart stuff, huh?'
•• khandhas, can also be translated as 'aggregates',
••
•
He sniffed at the black boxes. That mysteriOUS perfume again. •• 'clusters', or even 'heaps'. They are: body, feeling,
Sam and Donna strode to the last pile. • perception, mental formations, and consciousness. •
'This is the fifth one,' Donna told blind Mat. •• The mind clings to the khandhas as if they were ••
'Just a heap of paper,' Sam added. •• a secure basis of selfhood, the foundation of no- •
'Well whaddya know?' Mat sneered. tions of T and 'mine'. To the mind rooted in delu-
••
• ••
Donna riffled through. 'These are scripts,' she said. 'For the perfor- •• Sion, these notions are what life is all about. The
•••
mances.' •• self must be defended. empowered, even glorified.
'How many?' Sam asked. With the idea of self, however, comes the pain
'Fifty. I guess. Think of all the rehearsing that went into making them.' •• and sorrow of loss, failure, illness, ageing, and ••
•
•••
'You guys ain't makin' sense,' blind Mat called out. death. The mind that breaks the habit of viewing
'What's that, Donna?' Sam asked. •• any of the five khandhas as self also breaks the
•
She'd picked up a long brown envelope. She slid out a folded paper and
read it. •••
hold of dukkha.
•••
'A will: she said quietly. • •••
'Whose? No-d.on't look.'
Sam's heart beat faster. He knew about wills. Too much. About how
••• Glossary of Pali words ••
people made them without thinking about the consequences. •• Citta-heart/mind •••
And that perfume was in the air, stronger than ever. Now he recognised •
• Dhammavicaya-investigation of bodily and men-
••
it. •• tal phenomena (but sometimes translated as 'in-
'Come on,' he yelled, pulling Donna by the hand. 'She's been here.' •• vestigation of Dhamma') •
Donna held onto her hat and ran with him. Dosa-hate •••
'Hey,' blind Mat protested. 'You guys tell me nuthin', then you ••• Lobha-greed •
vamoosh.' •
•••
Moha-delusion
'Leave 'em go: Fats told him sadly. 'They ain't no use to us. This Sati-mindfulness
••
dragon's fmished. 1 could get other actors but it wouldn't be the same, •• Vicara-sustained application of thought ••
you know? Wouldn't walk the same, sing the same-'
• Vitakka-initial application of thought •
'Hooey.' Mat kicked the pile of sCripts. 'All this trash ain't the dragon.
••• •••
Call me a taxi. The dragon's right here in town somewheres, and I'm
gonna find it.' • ••
'I wish that was true: Sighed Fats, clutching his heart, 'I sure do •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
wish that was true.'
to be continued
 "
Standing and Walking Meditation
There are various forms of walking and standing meditation. The in-
structions for this one were given to us by by Tan Sudhiro. a monk from
Thailand. who has recently visited Greenstreete and the Manchester
Centre.

~D
Stand at one end of the path and compose your
mind on the sensations of the body.

First let the attention rest on the feeling of the

body standing upright with the arms hanging
naturally and the hands lightly clasped in front or
behind (politely and respectfully.)

Allow the eyes to gaze at a point about 3-10 feet

in front of you at ground level, thus avoiding visual
distr action.
Now, walk gently, beginning slowly for 3-5 minutes
and then at a deliberate but normal pace.
When you reach the end of the path, stop.
Focus on the body standing for a couple of breaths.
Turn and walk back again.
While walking, be aware of the general flow of
physical sensations, or more closely direct your
attention back to the sensation of the feet touch-
ing the ground, the spaces between each step, and
the feeling of stopping and starting.
l'ttlctice
There is within us that which is aware. that which knows. There are
also the objects of awareness. The natural state of this thing that is
aware is clean and bright. It is soft and gentle. it is like a magically
pure mirror: it is wonderfully adaptable. It reflects the objects of its
awareness not only on its surface but also in its substance, shape.
texture and malleability. This thing that knows is hidden deep beneath
the consequences oflayers of action and experience that build up around
it over the moments, minutes. hours. days. months. years and lifetimes
of experience and action.
It is as if a pure, magical cl}'stal sphere lay at the bottom of a vel}'
deep pool. Around it are layers of scale and mud. rocks and rotting
vegetation. decompoSing bodies and decaying bones. Within the mud
are the tendrils of roots, some long established. others newly grown.
The seeds of future vegetation lie dormant ready for the occasion when
they will sprout. Creatures of the mud nose around chewing through
the detritus. In the water sWim creatures of many kinds. Some brutal
carnivores with row upon row of needle-sharp teeth designed solely for

crn the purpose of Single-mindedly perpetuating the existence of their sav-

age owner. Others take evel}' opportunity to bask in the warm sun-
 ,.,
shine which sometimes penetrates the surface of the pool. or content Ing his head upwards came a simple won- This feeling would come at times
themselves in the tastes and textures of the plants and animals which der: "Who am I?" The question was throughout his childhood. He did not con-
are their food. Still other creatures rush to and fro in the water and the more felt than articulated. Tt ran around sider evoking it although he missed it at
mud. bumping into roots and stones. snatching at material that may inside his head on a circular train track times. On occasions. when relaxed and
sometimes be food. spitting out or swallOWing it in a randomly chaotic just like his own. not doing anything in particular-when
fashion. Sometimes. when he lay in bed before rolling a tiny piece of silver paper from a
sleeping. something changed. Sunlight chocolate bar betuJeen index finger and
The waters of the pool are often dirty and dark: at these times the
shone through closed curtains. He heard thumbfor example-the material quality
creatures are effectively blind. Sometimes the water is disturbed as if
the clear song of a bird and the distant of the state would expand within himJor
agitated by boiling. Powerful currents develop. carrying the creatures echoing bark of a dog in the vast. early a while and then recede.
and vegetation with them. However there are times when the pool be- summer evening. He was not tired. just At the end of his childhood. when he
comes calmer. the disturbed sediment settles and there is some clarity happy and safe. relaxed and open. The was about eleven or twelue. there came a
to the water. feeling of clean sheets tucked tightly in a dream which left himfeeling bereft. There
That which knows has only one object of attention at anyone mo- new-made bed. He felt the expanse of was a house which he knew intimately
ment. The attention constantly flickers from creature to creature, from sheer coolness between the sheets ex- and yet it did not correspond to any house
vegetation to mud. In this way the thing which knows has a picture of plnred by slowly extending legs. His body he recognisedfrom the outside world. A
the pool which it comes to believe in. It believes the limited pond to be felt dYJerent. comfortably light and adapt- girl who lived in the house and was his
the stable, natural state for its world. Invariably. when its attention is able. vast as the summer evening. He goodfriend was leauing. she was bidding
fixed on a particular creature. that which is aware begins to think that rested in the moment. he was the same farewell. The feeling of loss engendered
as his breath which extended into the was deep and yet there was a feeling
this is what it really is. At these times that which knows assumes the
vastness. The feeling grew during the that both she and he knew they would
shape and habits of the object of its attention and behaves just as if it
minutes his breath breathed him. need to meet again. It was just neces-
really were the creature that basks or the ravenous needle-toothed killer. His brother spoke from the bed beside saryfor her to leave at that time. Hefelt
If it could see clearly. however, it would be obvious that it was still a him. The boy spoke gently from within that with her would depart a Simple. di-
beautifully adaptable crystal sphere that had assumed ugliness for a thefeeling which began to dissolve as his rect connection with the worlds he expe-
while. brother perSisted in talk. He was l~ft with rienced. A very odd dream really. espe-
As time goes by the depth of the layers which obscure the sphere a sense of a dfifinite substance or mate- cially as girls in the avenue and wood
increases. The droppings of the creatures in the pool drift down to the rial shape which he looked for evidence were only useful for target practice and
bottom and begin to solidifY. compressed under their own weight. The of in the outside world. name calling.
more accretions surrounding the crystal sphere. the more difficult it
becomes for that sphere to see clearly the nature of how it identifies At its birth in this life the sphere brought with it certain propensities
with the creatures of the pond and their environment. As the sediment to create a particular kind of pooL At this time the accretions around it
grows the weight of the sphere's unease increases. were relatively thin. As time went by the accretions and sediment around
At its birth the sphere brought with it certain propensities to create a the sphere deepened. grOWing more impenetrable. It became rarer for
particular kind of pool. At this time the accretions around it were rela- the sphere to see something of its real nature.
tively thin. There were times when it felt intimations of what it really
was and marvelled at the strangeness of its surroundings.
couple of years later he woke up to spherical seed pod of a honeysuckle plant.
A an experience that linked with some Waking up at this he walked on.feeling
TOO young to walk upright down the down he sat and looked up. For no par- aspects ofwhat had gone before. He was the movement of his legs, seeing the red-
.L stairs he sat at the top oJ them and ticular reason he simply sat where he was. out in the moors hiking and camping in brown boots andfeeling their contact with
"bumped down". Feeling the bristly pile His hands and thighsJelt the rough car- fields with two friends. Struggling up a the gritty. tarmacadam road. It seemed
of the carpet on his bare legs he placed pet. touched the painted wood of the stair. hill with a heauypack on his back he was he had awoken a little for a moment.
his feet on the step below and then sat He noticed the pale red.flowered wallpa- trying agaIn and again to be where he Through adolescence the beasts in the
on the next step. Slowly. rhythmical/yo per and the space aboue him. He was un- was and do simply what he was doing. pond thrive and the vegetation coils in
he descended the staircase. Half-way rulfled and content. In the moment of tum- He looked up and saw the bright green weighty masses. Through school and
 11""'

scouts to college and sex and drugs and plex. soJuil oJuntrutlts and delusions that
rock and roll. And yet- always a sense oj the sphere seems lostforever. Marriage
something that would need to be done. and a job worth doing provide something
Something that was not being done jus- but with Uwt stability the need to do real
tice by the subtle strength oj the lies be- work becomes even more pressing. , i I
ing told by oneself and others about what qrten he came across traces of a cleans-
was really going on and what was to be ing wayfonvard in books. yet despitefol- ii
done about it. The heartless yet well- lowing these tracks he did not connect !I
meaning schools oj revolutionary soda/- with it in G practical way. Trying l.oflnd II
ism damaged their adherents. The ver- Dhamma in books alone didn't work al- II
tiginous excesses oj ultimately nihilistic though it was a start and gave hope. The iI
philosophies destroyed humanity. The need to find a connection with living I!
pond becomes so over-crowded. so com- Dhamma became essential.
II
When we come to practise we bring with us the reSidues and traces
of all that we have done and said, all the consequences of the actions
not only of the day but also of who knows how many life-times, which
have produced a being. a body and this mind.
Just nama and Iiipa is what sits to practise mindfulness of breath-
~ "~., "~I. I'
~\,'~~~:" >!t{I'f
, -
ing. - I

C~,~·
First kneeling and prostrating in stillness. !t1 'PI III
Homage to the fully enlightened one, the Buddha,
Homage to the teaching, the Dhamma,
~ _..;.;. f
IiII
Homage to those who trulyfollow the Buddha and his teaching, the -.ijiif§l-J .1. - II

'~', 1 '
Sangha. , ,"""'\ ',._/ I

There is a simple turning away in this action from the hurly-burly of /AI ~~.. "
!i
the lay life. The activity and worry. pleasures and satisfactions of daily
work and fatherhood can be left behind to some extent. This action can
mark an entry into homelessness. When the cares of the homelife per- Ii! ~1t.,'
.t- ');ji
ll
I . \ II
r ,,//y Iii

~ ===c=;':"'l,=_~=====,,-~~ft
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sist, even so they are changed. beCOming material for a different kind of

= ~v:'~==~==_i
III I '•./}.i.) l.t " '
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work. , rA • 'j III
I I ' ' II
Offering light, offering incense.
I
:
. II
_I i

\Vhen truly given the offerings create a sense of spaciousness in the

heart and faith in the Triple Gem. When done mechanically as ritual
they are at least an opportunity to recollect states that are more awake.

Chanting the nifuges and precepts

Renews the link with a living Dhamma tradition.
Re-affirms the connection between practice and daily l£fe through sita.
 ,....
Sitting:
Sometimes in sitting the bottom makes fIrm contact with the ground.
the legs are folded comfortably right over left. the hands placed gently
in the lap right hand over left. the legs creating a stable triangular foun-
dation. The hands and feet are in a pleasing plait-like form that feels
gently complete and protected. The cUrving arms open the chest, back
and shoulders. The spine is upnght but not stiff and the head bal-
ances. At other times the body seems stiff and unwilling. an immediate
hindrance to practice and yet it'S all we've got to work with at the start
so acknowledge and let go of the tenSions or discomfort and if they
remain be gentle and let them be.
Breathing mindfulness:
AllOWing the breath· to lengthen and become its longest comfortable
length. Turning to the longest of counting. That which knows turns
towards the object of counting. mindful of the longest breath. The busi-
ness of the day intervenes stirring up the mud. eXCiting the creatures of
the pond which become the object. Turning the attention to the longest
of counting again. mindful of the breath. The greedy basker cruises in
offering the POSSibility of a good feed later on. Turning the attention
back to the practice. back to the counting. allow the counting to take the
space ofthe thoughts. For a moment one's with the breath but immedi-
ately the mind comments on it, "you were with the breath for a moment
there." turn the attention back. back to the longest of counting. back to
the breath. Irritation arises at the remembrance of a misconstrued com-
ment: lost in thoughts about how to resolve it. Counting continues
mechanically, unmindful of breath. Realise it's happened again. turn
the attention back to the counting back to the breath. Again and again.
greed again, back to the practice, hate again, back to the practice, worry
again, back to the counting back to the breath; sleepily absorbed in
some fantasy for a while before bringing the attention, back to the count-
ing back to the breath, oh there's no paint, just going through the mo-
tions. I can't really do it at all. Bring the attention back: back to the
counting back to the breath. again and again.
The breath begins to have an effect, something deeper within than
muscles begins to let go, the mud clears a little. The breath goes deeper
than lungs, Circulating in the lower belly, eases a little the vague, clutch-
ing anxiety that lies in the mud and scale surrounding that which knows.
Some of the larger creatures don't bother so much any more. For a
while the counting sometimes takes the place of useless thoughts and
attitudes to anything that might arise.
Change to the longer of counting. As the light begins to shine dimly
through the murky waters the smaller creatures become clearer. The
slightly more subtle awareness is caught just as thoroughly by the
smaller hindrances as the coarser awareness was by the gross ones.
Back to the longer of counting back to the breath, More greed for this
or that or the other. Back to the longer of counting back to the breath.
More hate, it shouldn't be like this. nor like that. It would all be O.K. if
my knee wasn't hurting. Back to the longer of counting back to the
breath. Ah! I know how I could fix the drain. Back to the longer of
counting back to the breath. Being with the longer of counting being
with the breath circulating, pleasant feeling, pleasant feeling, idea of
pleasant feeling, desire for pleasant feeling, greed. greed. Back to the
longer of counting back to the breath. Being with the longer of counting
being with the breath Circulating. pleasant feeling.
Change to the longer of follOwing. Again as the attention refInes so
the subtler hindrances assume the place ofthe grosser. "I know." some-
thing says. "It's like learning a chant. To begin with you have so much
work to do getting to know the words that one is deaf to the more subtle
pronunciations. As these become more familiar one notices subtleties
of rhythm that one was unaware of. Individual lines begin to have a
depth and space that one was previously unaware of and then each
word has the space within it that the whole chant had before you began
to learn it. Through the stages of the practice the attention is tuned to
fmer and fIner objects. That which knows is refIned as it tunes into a
more refIned object. The hindrances which deflect that which knows
from the object become more subtle but just as effective as hindrances
at this level. I'll just run through that again ... " Blah. blah. blah. That
may be true but it's not dOing the practice. Back to the longer offollow-
ing back to being mindful of the length of the breath. Little by little.
again and again. little by little. again and again.
And then sometimes something changes in the relationship between
what it is that knows and the object of attention. The quality of feeling
changes in an instant, the body becomes lighter and the breath more
spacious.
Sometimes when that happens and the attention stays with the ob-
ject of concentration and is mindful of the breath it sustains for a while.
More usually an unhelpful quality of investigation interpets the event,
trying to undestand it. Something like this .....It's like when you are
playing with drops of water in the bath. You have a drop of water on
your thumb and one on your index fInger. You slowly bring them to-
gether before your eye watching closely what happens. Each drop is
whole and separate. Just before they meet the two drops seem to de-
velop a magnetic attraction which makes them naturally leap towards
each other and unite to form one whole drop suspended between the
two fIngers."

Carned away by thoughts about the detail of the simile and running
through it again, the moment has gone and the practice has become
mechanical. Back to the longer of following back to being mindful of
the length of the breath. Little by little. again and again.
Change to the longer of touching. Sometimes the touching is clear
straight away: at others the attention needs to seek it out and nurse it.
As concentration develops pm may cause warmth,light tickling sensa-
tions or movements in the body. Lots more opportunity for hindrances
in response to these ... hatred of the discomfort, greed for the effects as
at least some evidence that the practice is doing something! Back to
the longer of touching back to mindfulness of the breath. Sitting with
the pm, letting it do its work without hindrance.
Change to the settling. Mindful of the breath, turning the attention
to the visual field. gently applying the mind. There is always an object
of some kind.
r'\
( '\
Sometimes the mind turns to the settling in greedy haste like ammu-
nition from a "twang wang" !. sometimes the change from the touching
to the settling is more flOwing.
Everything in the practice depends upon the quality of mindfulness
of the breath. This is especially so in the settling. Mindfulness of breath-
ing in the settling sustains something; it's like a growing medium pro-
viding food for seeds to germinate. When mindfulness of the breath is
not maintained in the settling the attention soon gets lost in a dream-
like state which is something other than breathing mindfulness prac-
tice. The breath creates a space in which something sometimes seeds
itself and the breath provides food for the seed to grow. I am an inter-
fering gardener. I know that seeds provided with the right conditions
need no disturbance and should be left to germinate on their own. but
I fmd it very difficult to put this knowledge into practice. Many seeds
are disturbed and damaged by inappropriate investigation into how they
are doing. They get pulled up at the first signs of sprouting!
.;>UfflUHlU 0
Sometimes when gifts are given they can be received. At other times
our habitual ways of responding to events get in the way. One of the
most important things in practice seems to be to get out of the way and
let the practice work. The trick seems to be to put in enough effort to
get the practice under way, applying the mind to establish some vicara,
and then use a light touch on the tiller to keep it in the right direction
and trust the practice to do the rest. Mindfulness is the touchstone.
If one is truly mindful of the breath then generally one is on course.
It is POSSible however to think one 1s being mindful of the breath when
in truth one is full of the idea of being mindful of the breath or of being
mindful of the breath in the next second rather than being mindful of
the breath in the moment of breathing.
Returning through the stages ofthe practice, allowing things to settle
with the right quality of mindfulness maintained, return through the
~
way in which one came. From the settling to the longer of touching;
p from the longer of touching to the longer of following; from the longer of
follOwing to the longer of counting; from the longer of counting to the
longest of counting.
Then. just sitting, noticing the three signs in the body, the feelings.
the perceptions, the mind states and consciousness.
~qabbe saJikhtirti aniccti.
~qabbe saJikhtirti dukkhti.
L-qabbe dhammti anattii.
May the merit of practice be for the benefit of all beings
b The refinement of the object of attention and the accompanying re-
finement of the quality ofthat which knows go hand in hand. It is as if
}
the nature of our being is gradually refined as the object ofits attention
is refined. This process is observable in a particular session ofmedita-
tion practice and accumulatively over a number of months or years of
practice. As well as a gradual refinement through practice there are
sometimes moments in particular practices and in longer term develop-
ment when there are sudden transformations in the nature of that which
knows.
We may recognise gradual changes from the effect of practice on our
sua and our changing reaction to difficult situations and to those in
distressed states. We may recognise more sudden changes from peri-
ods of strict practice when we have known and understood certain things
because of changes which take place within. Perhaps this knowledge
stays with us or perhaps when mindfulness and concentration return
to more everyday levels the knowledge fades with the level of being that
supported it. '~~\' . \.
The effect of this repeated refinement of that which knows and its :;'(:"". ,,:,~;,~
t,'J'i

objects of attention is to gradually calm the waters of the pool. allowing

the sediments to dear; to purifY the muck and accretions that obscure
the clear vision of that which knows and to pacify the beasts within the
pool. It also lessens the tendency for that which knows to identify with
The Seasons ~3· :
{ /
the creatures in the pond. The crystal sphere begins to recognise itself
more simply as that which is aware and can begin to see clearly the way
in which it changes with various wholesome and unwholesome objects. '.';';\., )
' ,-"",' ~""-':'f\':
"

That which knows is the product of countless lifetimes of kamma. A , ): t

human life is a rare and precious thing: it does not last long. There is ,:'\)~ l'j
/1" '\
much work to be done for ourselves, for others and for Dhamma. In the . f ..",
r~
t, .
...-'

Buddha's last words of adVice to the Sangha:

"All conditioned things are impermanent and will decay, therefore,
strive diligently!"

Gradual Length Sayings II 143. Ailguttaranikiya II 139

Monks, there are these four seasons. Cattaro'me kimi. Katame cattaro.
What four? Kalena dhammasavanafIl
Hearing dhamma in due season. kalena dhammasakaccha.
discussion of dhamma in due season. kalena samatho. kalena vipassana.
calming in due season. insight in due Ime kho bhikkhave cattaro kala ti.
season. These are the four seasons. Ime kho bhikkhave cattaro kala ti.

have always been attracted to this short sutta by the sense of the
I seasons. Just as the climatic changes in nature give rise to different
bodily adjustments and needs. so different circumstances in our lives
also give a tenor to what is going on. There is a need sometimes for
different kinds of practice. and it can be difficult to trust one you are
less used to. Stopping talking. even to discuss dhamma. can be diffi-
cult at the beginning of a silent meditation week; and then you fmd it
can be tricky to start again at the end! During daily life too stopping
going to a meditation class or a group when the holiday starts can be
difficult just as getting into the routine of going to one can be.
 As I reflected on this I thought I would look up the Pali for the
sutta. In fact the word used for season also means 'time' or 'oppor-
tunity', though I think the translation chosen in the PTS version has
the best connotation: there is a sense of satisfYing completion about
the four as four seasons. At fIrst I saw them as starting with spring:
the awakening, invigorating effect of hearing dhamma: the sunny
sense of being part of life and of finding things that you thought dark
in yourself blossoming in surprising ways in dhamma discussion:
the sense of fruitfulness and of ripening that accompanies samatha
practice; and the sense of things becoming sparse or pared back that
goes with insight, leading again to spring.
Jataka 248* also uses the same word for season and four are men-
tioned here too. In this story, four brothers are taken to see a kiqlsuka
tree at different seasons and are puzzled when they cannot agree as
to what it looks like. One sees it when it looks like a stump. one
when it has green leaves, one when it is flowering and the last when
it has fruit. Their misunderstanding of each other occurs because
the experience of each has been so different from the others. I do not
know if winter is traditionally the fIrst season or not in India, but
this way of starting instead with what we would call the equivalent of
winter seemed particularly good if placed with the list from the sutta:
hearing dhamma would be suitable for the time when things are
sparse or resting; the time for dhamma discussion the time of green
leaves. when new possibilities emerge from nowhere; the flowering
would be the time for samatha and the fmal fruit the time when
wisdom comes. This puts wisdom in a more positive light than if we
see it as the time of winter and cutting things back. The story was
helpful to show four seasons in an Indian context and to see them
through their effects on one tree. The Buddha tells the tale to ex-
plain to four arahats why their different meditation objects had given
them such a different kind of experience: all had come to see nibbana,
but each had taken a different route. His explanation implies that to
know the tree in all seasons would be to understand the variety of
different methods one could pursue for the same goal.
Although there is absolutely no connection between this story and
the text at the beginning other than the word for season, it helps in
understanding the different 'times' for practice. Spiritual practice
makes us feel a bit like the tree itself. Sometimes we feel as if it is
a time for old habits and patterns to be allowed to fall away as they
no longer seem to be appropriate for the new season and it is time to
shed them. At others we feel as if we are blossoming, and cannot
. The Jataka Tales relate stories about previous lives of the Buddha
understand why someone else is not in the same mood. On a differ-
ent time scale there are obviously points in life when it seems a win-
tery time - though that might mean that something else is flowering
in a sphere of life one might not normally pay enough attention to.
As in the mandala below. I felt the four went rather well around a
kind of clock, taking the word kiilena more in the temporal sense.
The arrangement is pretty arbitrary but made by associations with
each time of day. In between the break of day. with the dawn cho-
rus. and noon is actually the time when one is likely to hear a lot of
dhamma in the form of chanting if at a monastery, as it 1s the time
before and around the dana. The mind is very receptive in the morn-
ing to new ideas: food of any kind is very welcome after a long break.
and intellectual food is absorbed well then too. Mter noon is a
natural time for discussion as the food needs digesting and talk seems
to occur spontaneously. In my experience evening just ends up as a
samatha time-it is when I generally feel more settled and concen-
trated and often prefer to practise. Perhaps because the digestion is
settling down for the night the mind seems more at ease and at peace
with itself. It is also the time when the Buddha practised the jhanas
on the night of the enlightenment: the sense of freedom to explore at
one's own leisure comes with the evening. The hours before and
including the dawn carry the imprint of insight: it is when we are
most alone, and when the Buddha saw the arising of the corruptions
in the mind for himself. It can be a lone time, but it also has a quiet
and acceptance about it too: if in sleep. the self dissolves before the
next day and new perceptions can come with the day break; if not in
sleep, the darkness outside can reflect an inner one which, if per-
ceived without fear. can be still and reassuring too. However one
arranges the four around a day-and there would be other good ways
of dOing this-the exercise illustrates certain principals. In the course
of any day there is a natural time for things, in line with the way the
body and mind each have different rhythms. As with the seasons
you cannot really leave one out, or there is impoverishment. On a
day to day level someone without an occasional quiet evening to re-
charge batteries loses calm, without a good night's sleep one's in-
Sights are warped or distorted. without hearing something that is
cheering or inspiring one can feel as if life is a bit of an endurance
test. Without discussion and the illumination of meaning provided
by friends and debate the world has no sunshine. Rather Simple. or
even banal. but part of the essential cycle of being human, that may
be transformed by mindfulness.
The other thing about the four when put around a circle in this way
 is that we can see how opposite poles can encourage and act as sup-
ports and balances· for each other. Hearing the dhamma brings new
input and inspiration for the practice of samatha. I have often felt dull
or listless in the practice and have had my whole attitude changed by
listening to a good talk. Samatha practice tends to use this active part
of the mind and to arouse strength and joy in just being oneself: this is
again balanced by the receptivity of listening to the teaching, which
dissolves rigidity and gets one through a blockage. On meditation weeks,
particularly those where there is a lot of silence this 'pole' can be very
interesting: you listen, you practice, you practice, you listen.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
ing of (vltalcka) , exploring (virura), joy (pili), happiness (sukha) and one-
pointedness (ekagatta). You have to listen to the others, yet find your
own voice, and when the two come together a process of purification
occurs for everyone. It is always lucky to hear the dhamma and to
practise samatha: chanting is a happy meeting place of the two, which
has a sense of 'leading onwards.'
So what about the times for the axis of discussing dhamma and
inSight? This also seems a dynamiC in which one can support and
balance the other: too much discussion of course can prevent insight,
while inSight without the love and humour of discussion can become
cold or fixed. Working well the axis comes alive: just as being willing to

••
listen dissolves hardness in samatha practice and prevents it from be-
•
••
coming too controlling or manipulative, so discussion brings insight
•
•
• ~o~ ~, • into active mode and stops views or lonely insight distorting judgement
•• '\:l.
/
~ • or making us feel 'victims' of cruel fate.
Nxn •
• •
•
•
hearing the discussing the •• With a tree in different seasons. or a day in its different times, there
• dhamma dhamma • are pleasures to be had in all the different times, and probably some
• • which are 'faVOUrites'. In spiritual development the seasons are not
•
•••
••
•
••
~

Dawn
@ DSunS€t •
•
•••
•
always so easy to spot. Sometimes it is only just as you are emerging
that you realise you might have been through a kind of Winter phase,
and that it is time for a new one. I suppose you just need to try them all
occasionally.
•
• vipassana / samatha •
•
•• practice -/ practice ••
• Midnight
•
• .. ..
•
•• j? ~ ... • ~

• · C ••
• •
•
• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

One means of balanCing hearing dhamma with practising samatha

is chanting, which brings the two into a kind of equipoise. Hearing chant-
ing is particularly interesting as a way of listening to dhamma: the pitch.
tone, rhythm and sense of momentum all sustain attention in a way
that brings peace by the act of listening. But the act of chanting itself
is often helpful to correct and balance the faculties within samatha
practice: it brings in the active side and so is a good balance between
the two sides of practice of samatha and hearing dhamma. Although
not listed in the meditation subjects. chanting certainly arouses think-

'l'l
 U'u..lfU.c.C,.l-U 0

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•
•
•
•
•• ••
• ~l3])_~ • •• ••
•• •
• ••• ••
•
• • "" ••
• • •• rI'" "'" •
~ • '\.0

~~
• •
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •• •
• TopKnot ••
• ••
•
•
Staff (especially
••
In many of the Jataka Tales, the bodhisatta lived as a renunciate useful if you live
Beard: optionatbut •
more convenient if •
ascetic, even after inheriting much wealth. AscetiCS are also described onmountailS)
there as coming down from mountains for salt and seasoning. This •
you're a singl€ man •
sort of ascetic existence was common in India but ascetics relied on ••
the civilisation around and their roles were and are defined on the basis
•
of a lay, often trading, SOCiety. They mostly lived in forests, developing •
meditation to gain the Brahma world'. • Home: Cave Rob€: cotton, rtnaI •
Ascetics were also reUant on the sedusion offered by forests, moun- skins or matted hair •
•
tains and caves which were abundant at the time. Forests were good •• orhut ••
•
•• ••
places to find seasonal fruits and leaves which were collected regularly
along with other viands. As they did not kill animals, meat was mainly ••
obtained by donation, and possibly from dead animals.
••
In some stories animals are respectful of ascetics and desist from •• Protection: ChcrJts, ••
harming them. They often build up relationships with the anchorites as •• meditation, fires, Salt & seasoning ••
well -- sometimes as pets. The bodhisatta became an anchorite witrl
his family, as in the Vessantara Jataka, and sometimes with all his
: sometimes ki"19S (or vinegar) (for ••
nearest supply
court and wives in situations where he was born as a king. In such •• they came down
••
instances large dweihng complexes were put up in the forest, some- •• from the •
times with divine assistance. Such renunciates were highly sought af- •
ter for soothsaying and counselling, not least by kings.
: Food: Fruits, leaves, roots, Hmalayas to the ••
Leaving aside self-mortifiers, (matted hair ascetics or people who • possibly meat from dead
•
cities) ••
• animals or generous hunt-
lived like animals), whose austerities may have been to impress people
: ers.. pulses and soups based
••
for alms, many ascetics led simple lives. Essentials for some, or Iw,u-
ries for others, were represented by salt, spices, Single-soled sandals • on offerings from people
••
and clothing items, which were obtained as donations. •• ••
••• •
In India, the ascetic life was often considered an aspect of retire-
ment. The Bodhisatta Makkhadera renounced his throne when his bar- ••
ber discovered a single white hair. •• Drinks: Teas made from infusions of Single-soled sandals (the bodhisatta •
AAchorites usually represent triose living outSide the formal dispen- •• flowers, leaves & bark, strained water once waited t'W'elve years to ask for :
sation of a Buddha - such renunciates, including many eccentrics, can a pair for fear of offending) :
still be found in India, courting omniscience . disciples and merit for the : - to minimise catching any animals

aeons ahead. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

'Exalted beings whose natural mild IS that of jhana and of immeasurable loving kindness.
 UUIfIUI.IIU. 0

The Bojjhaneas • Just to put a spanner in the works what about that wonderful old:fashioned
and deeply misunderstood English word, uirtue (actually it is probably the same
The bOjjhangas, or factors of enlightenment, have the special quality root I think though that is not really important.) In mediaeval times a plant
of enabling us to wake up. What it means to wake up and what it is would have a uirtue - its special property or strength that dejined it and makes it
about the bOjjhangas which encourage it are questions worth consider- what it is. The word is also usedjor gems, stones, and anything that has its own.
ing. property and nature.
In Thailand they are traditionally linked With the days of the week: Virtue is a neutral term in this sense but has oj course connotations oj being A
Good Thing too, and something to bejought over and with. I don't suggest it as a
Monday Sati Mindfulness serious transLation, but it is an interesting one.
Tuesday Dhammavicaya Investigation of what is present
Wednesday Viriya Strength • At the end oj the chapter on the Divine Abidings (louing kindness, compassion,
Thursday pm Joy sympathetic joy & equanimity) i.n the Visuddhimagga, there is a description about
Friday Passaddhi Tranquilising how they "bring to perfection all the good states beginning with giving" - in other
Saturday Samiidhi Coneen tration words how the Dtuine Abidings perfect the paramis (the Perfections).
Sunday Upekkhii Equipoise About uiriya (which is the fifth parami) it is said that Great Beings "constantLy
arouse energy, having beings' welfare and happiness at heart. When they have
The bOjjhanga of the day of the week we are born on' is said to be the acqUired heroicjortitude through supreme energy, they become patient with be-
one which is especially useful for us, though it is good to remember the ings' many kinds ojjaults."
bOjjhanga associated With each day as well. This herOic quality oj viriya Leading to patience has some connection with the
There are also mudras (or postures) associated With the days of the herOism oj the small army (patiently?) waitingjor reinjorcements. Earlier discus-
week which you can see on the folloWing pages. You can also fmd them Sions on this topic had some saying that 'strength' is a good wordjor viriya whilst
on the website of the Buddhavihara Temple at www.watthaiuk.com others suggested 'courage', 'virtue', 'energy', or 'vigour'. Fortitude and particu-
Recently there was a discussion on Samatlla email about finding a Larly heroicjortitude has a slightly dljferent quality than courage though a dictio-
better translation for viriya than 'effort' so it is interesting to see that nary describes it as 'uncomplaining courage'. Would Jortitude' be a usejul way
there are two mudras given for Wednesday. As not everyone is on the oj describing uiriya too?
email list, an extract from the discussion is included here.
• It's interesting that there are two postures associated with uiriya as the
re viriya: BOjjhanga linked with Wednesday. For daylight hours during Wednesday -jrom
dawn to dusk - the rupa stands upright withjeet paralleL holding an aLms bowL
• Strength is the one I usually use. The great Simile is oj the army about to be with the lejt hand beneath the bowl and the right hand round thejront oj the
beaten in the tide oj battle suddenly relieved by new troops: not qUite courage or bowl at the leuel oj the lower belly. For the night hours oj Wednesday -jrom dusk
effort but rather that deep underlying strength which includes both and is built on Wednesday euening to dawn on Thursday - the mpa sits in a Western
on ajoundation ojjaith ... style offeringjood to a young elephant and a monkey.
Right effort seems to be linked here with nourishment, giuing and receiuing. In
• It's interesting to think back on those moments where 'strength' was present one posture the Buddha is waiting with eVident patience as ajield qf meritjor
but everything seemed so effortless. I like to think oj Virlya as the strength that alms, in the other giuingjood to the young elephant and the monkey. Are the avo
arises as thejrutt oj past effort(s). And sometimes it only seems to manifest as postures showing something about a shift that occurs in practice in the quality oj
a response to the situations that life throws at us - "gee, I didn't know that I had effort, which isjollowed by the arising ojpiti (Thursday)?
it in me ... ". A particular strength may be developed throughout one's lifetime, or
it may be just something we seem to be born with. The ability to make effort
(rightly or wrongly) is a kind oj 'strength' in Its own right. So, making 'right effort' You can check the day of the week you were born on in an Ephemerts
would develop one's ability to make 'right effort' '" And sometimes 'right effort' is or using the date setting on some computers. If you can't find yours.
not to try at all ... the journa11s currently offertng a Birth Day checking service!
Samaiha8
, Samatha8

Mudras for the days of the week from www.watthaiuk.com

Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday

Wednesday Wednesday Saturday Sunday

before noon after noon
r Growing the Inner Sodhi-tree
The 'seed' of the tree of awakening is the inner purity of the mind
which is free from the defiling hindrances that we allow to cover it over.
To grow the tree we need the seven factors of awakening. the bojjhangas:
",1.1
ThE! soil for the tree to grow is mindfulness: providing
a sustaining and supportive environment for the roots
to grow in and draw sustenance from.
The water for the tree is Dhamma-investigation: by
flowing into every aspect of the mind it shows the
relationship between them and sustains integrated
growth.
The nouriShment for the tree is energy: giVing strength
in growing skilful states.
i The sunshine for the tree is joy: to warm and further
I energise the body and mind.
:1
I The stake which helps the tree to grow straight is
I tranquility: to prevent it from being blown over by
I restless winds.
II
III The protection of the tree from depredation of deer
Ii etc. is concentration: this will overcome the h i n - /'I
I! drances. i I!
I'
!I
Leaving the tree to grow when the balance of sus-
ii taining factors is right is equanimity: equanimity knows
'III when to let a balanced mix of skilful states grow natu-
I rally.
l II
How do they work together? The tree always needs soil but some-
times it may have an over-abundance of water or nourishment or sun-
shine. These can cause it to grow in an uncontrolled way. At other
times it may suffer from too much staking or protection or lack of en-
couragement. Being aware of these helps the tree to flourish.
Game of Two Halves
After the settling. it is all too easy to rush off to the finishing line of
the longest of counting without paying much attention to the way out of
the practice. In group practices, sometimes a teacher may spend less
time on these stages because they know that the practice Will settle in
any group discussion afterwards. At home though. it is harder to settle
the practice afterwards because every day hfe rushes back to us (or we
I'
,!
i! rush back to it!). For this reason, it is worth spending a bit more time
on the final few stages.
The stages after the settling work best with a different kind of atten-
tion from before the setthng. I can remember being a bit puzzled by
these stages. Sometimes I would try to maintain whatever had arisen
in the setthng. At other times. I would stop trying and distractions
would come back in. thick and fast (which I would indulge). One teacher
likened the way of working back from the settling as requiring the sort
of balanced attention one would use in carefully canying a tray load of
! glasses filled to the brim with water without lOSing a drop. Thus you
I would move on from what had happened in the settling Without dissi-
pating it. This is a more useful approach but it has the sense that one
I is maintaining, but not developing. that which arose in the settling. Is
I it possible to deepen the practice further?
I
One approach which I found useful was suggested in an article in
I last year's Journal. This is the apphcation of the seven bojjhangas to
I the practice. Here it was said that the fourth bOjjhanga. joy, might have
I something to do with the settling. Then the fIfth, tranqUillity. could
, arise on returning to the touching; the sixth, calm, on returning to the
I! following; and the seventh, equanimity, on returning to the counting.
When I worked in this way, it was possible carry on working with the
practice constructively in the last three stages. Having worked with the
visual fIeld in the settling, I fInd the visual fIeld a tremendous distrac-
ii
I
tion in these stages. It is always temptlng to carry on working With
/i Ii visual objects in the same way as in the settling. But I found that by
.1
giving careful and gentle attention to the body during the touching al-
)1 most as if to 'settle' the settling in the body. a sense of peacefulness or
samadhi can arise during the following. Very httle effort is required
though. All the serious work is done in the practice in the flrst three
stages before the settling. Then it is just a matter of keeping the atten-
tion balanced (admittedly this eaSier said than done!). Finally on re-
turning to the counting from a calm and peaceful follOWing. one can be
less regretful (or less eager) to leave the practice and return to the nor-
mal breath. Instead one can leave the practice in a balanced way.
The interesting thing 1s that when you leave the practice in this way.
 Samatha 8 ! Samatha 8

it can be easier to start it again (assuming you don't leave it too long!). JB: Whenever new suggestions are
If the stages up to the settling establish a structure or subtle body of made about the practice, it takes a while
jar el'enjOne to 'digest' them. So it may
four lengths by working with it in four ways, the fmal three stages allow
be a bit soonjor me to advise you but I
that structure to dissolve into the body, ready to be accessed when you
will tnj anyway! Clearly if you resolutely
practise again or when you need it most in daily life. Before I found this
continue with a stage when the mind is
way of working with these final few stages, I used to wonder why I didn't continually distracted, it is counter-pro-
find myself that 'calm' even though I'd been practising Samatha for a ductive.
while. These days though it seems as if that kind of calm that I was Say you are in the longer ojjollowing
missing is not very far away. and getting distractions but not yet ready
to change to the touching. You could pop
up or down a length oj breath for a short
• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• while to see if that helps. Then bejore
•• •• you get the next instruction or before you
•• •• move on in your normal practice, you re-
may just go to sleep particularly ff you
end up breathing the normal breath.
Perhaps there is a balance to bejound
by using the lengths in a less rigid way.
The aduantage oj using the lengths
is that each one is said to be connected
to a jhana. Thus the longest Q{ settling
is connected to thejlrstjhana, the longer
to the second, the shorter to the third
(lnd the shortest to thefourth and arupa
jllaTlQs. You may think that the jhanas
are some jar off mystical state bllt re-
ally they are straightforward things
which arise when the mind is balanced.
It is interesting to rfjiect on the things

••• Your Letters .... •

••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Dear Journal
[ want to move on in my practice to a
higher level but in the settling. the
nimita won't settle! Like the moon in
the rainy season, it comes and goes.
Whenever [ try to concentrate on it, it
disappears. Please help!
A. C., Oxford
AC: It might help to think qf your nimita
as a timid little creature in theJorest. if
you want to befriend it, you need to be
careJul about giving it your JuU atten-
tion too soon - it is almost as if you are
rushing after it which mightJrighten it
away. You need to stalk it, or treat it
gently. Just let it settle a bit more and
be friendly towards it. In the metta
practice, we develop friendliness from
the centre of the chest, spreading out-
wards. In the settling, it can be helpful
for that area to be open or active. That
friendliness may help this timid crea-
ture to be more corrifortable in your pres-
ence, allowing you to get to know it bet-
••
• becomes seriously distracted, it will tend
ter. lfthis doesn't help, it might be worth
spending a bit more time in the touch-
ing.
Another thing worth doing is occasion-
ally opening the eyes very slightly in the
settling to allow a bit of light in to give
you something to work with. For this
reason it is best not to practise in a dark-
eTled room Most of all though, remem-
ber too not to 'try' too hard!
Dear Journal
I went to a talk by Nai Boonman dur-
ing his recent visit. He said that when
a distraction comes when I'm practis-
ing, I should change stage. Can [
change stage in a group practice? [
thought that [ should only change when
my teacher says so. Also in my normal
practice, can I do a different stage from
what my teacher says? I've asked my
teacher about this and they said that
they'll think about it.
J. B., Manchester
turn to the longer qffollowing when the
mind is little more settled. if the mind
towards the normal breath. By chang-
ing the length oj breath yourself, you may
be able to stay as mindful or perhaps
wake up a bit more!
Dear Journal
I learnt the settlingjust before the sum-
mer but I'm not sure how to do it. Some
teachers say 'change to the settling' but
others say 'change to the longest of set-
tling' or another length of breath de-
pending. Why are there two ways and
which 1s the best way to do it?
P. T.
PT: A bit of history might help you llTl-
derstand this. Originally, the instruction
for the settling was 'change to the set-
tling' but about 6 years ago, when Nai
Boonman came to the Opening of the
Shrine Hall, he introducedgil1ing instruc-
HonsJor the length of breath in the set-
tling. People took this in different ways.
Some have found it useful, others prejer
the flUidity of the original instruction. I
think you need to be carliful with the
original way oj doing it because the mind
that Nal Boonman has said when he
l1isits. He has been getting annual 'snap
shots' oj how Samatha people are prac-
tising and you can see a gUiding hand
at work. if you think that 6 years ago
he thought that a bit more structure was
required in the settling but now there's
the suggestion to be more flexible gen-
erally by not sticking so rigidly to the
form oj the practice. These are just gen-
eral instructions though - you need to
find what works best jar you in each
practice that you do but don't worry!
There're lots of people around who want
to help!
That's all the questions we have time
for in this edition. If you have a ques-
tion-or maybe a different reply from
the one's above-please contact the
editor at one ofthe addresses given at
the front of the journal.