Conventional and Ultimate Reality

What is reality to people ?  The answer depends on their different perceptions, viewpoints, beliefs, and value systems etc.  This is because what and how our mind comprehends the things out there in the world (through our five senses) is very much dependent on the conditioning processes which we live in e.g. societal, cultural, religious, political etc. They in turn affects how we feel, perceive, think and consciously be aware of our surroundings through our five senses. So how does this relates to conventional and ultimate reality ? and how does this really matter to me ? Conventional reality is mundane reality which is perceived accordingly to our normal worldy understanding of the nature of things.  But ultimate reality is having the wisdom to look beyond conventional reality. That is to know all sankaras & conditioned phenomenon are impermanent, subject to change, and non-self. By realising the three universal characteristics, we will not cling on to things and are able to let go of them without  mental suffering. Now that is equipping ourselves with the wisdom from the dharma to lead a contended and happy life. 

Anchoring Yourself to Present Moment Consciousness

This is based on my understanding on the different levels of control over our sense bases (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, thinking). Please see the above diagram.  This is because our sense bases are continually being bombarded with external stimuli to keep our mind very busy indeed. One moment we could be watching a car drive past, the next moment we could be distracted by the sound of a loud conversation, and the next instant we could be angry thinking of what happended in the office a short while ago. If we are able to practice mindfulness, it can certainly help us anchor ourselves to the present moment consciousness. The benefit is that we can be calmer, have more mental clarity, and feel more energetic by being in the present moment. We can be in here and now to appreciate the current state of knowing, instead of worrying about the past or thinking about the future. It can bring some degree of inner peace and moments of bliss.    

A Wonderful Way to Breathe Naturally

I recently attended a 10-day silent eight precept meditation retreat in Thailand. Staying over there next to a nature park, I was fortunate to listen to the wise sharing by Luang Por Sumedho, an old and highly respected Buddhist monk in Thailand, I was also impressed by the simple and happy life of the forest Sangha tradition. His attendent was Ajahn Asoko, a senior monk who shared a useful breathing method which combines subtle breathing with energy flow. Now that is good breathing with a very relaxed posture. Moreover by feeling the breathe together with visualisation, I was able to quickly experience natural breathing throughout my whole body.  His method is as follows:        

1. Breathe in slow, gently & deeply to feel the sensation in your nostrils & body to be in here & now.

2. When you breathe in, be aware that your in-breath is awakening, brightening & energizing your mind & body. 

3. When you breathe out, be aware that your out-breath is relaxing your body & releasing tension to give your mind tranquillity.

4. Note your posture and energy flow.

Thorough Cleansing of the Body

Most of us know that the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. Hence it is ideal if we have both a healthy mind and also a healthy body. Although the body is impermanent, we still have to take good care of our physical body in order to function properly as well as to support us in our spiritual development. After attending a liver & gall bladder detox programme in Koh Samui, Thailand, it dawned on me that our physical body requires a thorough cleansing from the inside out. I used to think that doing colon hydrotherapy is good enough and was very surprised that more stuff could be expelled from going through a proper liver detox programme. It was a relatively tough regime of no solid food, taking fibrogel, laxatives, and olive oil & fruit juice connoction for several days.  But the amount of solid materials that came out was simply amazing - cancer cells, gall stones, cholesterol etc. After going through one programme, I could already feel the much needed physical relief. However, one treatment is not enough as many of us were told that the amount of discharge forms only the tip of the iceberg !!! and a lot more stuff still remained in our bodies. Hence I shall have to return for more treatments.    

Open Awareness Meditation

I recently attended a "Mindful Awareness & Serenity" workshop session with Bhante Aggacitta over the weekend.  One of the key takeaway from the workshop is open awareness or dynamic serenity. It is best to do this meditation with eyes open using the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and contact to be aware of the present moment. We can be aware of present objects through the five senses. However, the mind (sixth sense) can take in past, present, and future objects.  Because the monkey mind can propel us into daydreaming, we can make use of this meditation to help anchor our mind to the present moment. Here are the tips to ensure that happens - free & easy, touch & go. Free & easy means letting the mind go free to wander from one sense base to another, with both the mind & body totally relaxed. Touch & go means moving on and not hanging on to any of the five senses. Another interpretation mens see & see only, hear & hear only.... and so on. Which also means no labelling of any of the five senses, or the mind can easily wander off to create stray thoughts to frustrate our meditation practice. Do not allow the mind to pull our consciousness back to the past or dwell on the imaginery future because thinking of the past & future is just a delusion.       

How to be in Total Relaxation

Mindfulness of breathing means the whole body is "breathing" in a concerted way. The result is total relaxation and you will feel very comfortable, very much like being in a blissful state. To achieve this, you will have to 1) still or quieten your mind to shut out stray thoughts. Bring your awareness to back to your body is one way to do this. 2) challenge yourself to relax your body more and more. Be in a comfortable position to ensure your body is upright with your spine straightened. Even then, you can feel your body getting softer and softer. 3) when your mind is relatively still and your body relaxed, you will find that your breathing will become more and more gentle to the extent that you will feel very little air through your nostrils.  All three factors support one another. In the process, you can sometimes feel the energy build-up in your aura expanding outwards and upwards. That is also the time when you can feel the bliss.  You can use this blissful state to heal your body. Visualise energy downpour coming down from above to permeate your whole body and when you exhale, visualise the used-up energy coming out from the pores of your skin. And to sustain the bliss, you need mindfulness to keep the momentum going. This bliss is not something money can buy. It is free and you can tap on it whenever you want, provided the above three conditions are met.

Understanding the Purpose of Meditation

Meditation seems to touted as a panadol to help combat today's stressful lifestyle. Mindfulness is another hot topic being taught to many people to achieve focus. Sometimes it makes you wonder how many people truly benefited from doing meditation and practising mindfulness. First, know exactly why you want to meditate. Is it to relax the body or your mind, or both ? Second, know how to do it well. For this you will need to find a good meditation teacher who can impart you with the right skills and techniques. Whatever it may be, you must to be in a state of peace and calm before you meditate, and also be peaceful and calm after you meditate. For themore spiritually inclined folks, please also invoke The Triple Gem for their guidance, help and protection. The above diagram aims to summarise some of the key points to help you achieve a more fruitful meditation session. Just remember that total relaxation is key. My next post will show the close connection of having a quiet mind, a relaxed body, and subtle breathing to make the difference, so that you will truly enjoy your meditation, and not to become stressed and frustrated in the process.