The Blooming of a Lotus: Revised Edition of the Classic Guided Meditation for Achieving the Miracle of Mindfulness Read online

  Guided Meditation Exercises

  Chapter I. Mindfulness of the Body

  In the Anapanasati Sutta, the Buddha teaches mindfulness of breathing as a guided meditation. There are sixteen exercises divided into four parts. The first part is using the breath to be mindful of the body. The second is using the breath to be mindful of the feelings. The third is breathing to be mindful of the mind. The fourth is breathing to be mindful of the objects of the mind. In this book all four of these areas or fields of mindfulness are covered. The exercises on mindfulness of the body are the most basic practice and can be used at any time as an introduction to exercises for looking deeply and transforming. They help us become accustomed to breathing consciously and to use the breathing to unite body and mind.

  Exercise One

  Joy of Meditation as Nourishment

  1.

  Breathing in, I calm my body.

  Calm

  Breathing out, I smile.

  Smile

  2.

  Breathing in, I dwell in

  Present moment

  the present moment.

  Breathing out, I know it is

  Wonderful moment

  a wonderful moment.

  Many people begin to practice sitting meditation with the help of this exercise. Even those who have meditated for many years continue to practice it, because the exercise is so effective.

  Breathing in, give complete attention to the in-breath. Wherever in the body the breath may be, feel the calm it brings. Just like drinking cool water on a hot day, feel how the breath cools the inner organs of the body. When practicing meditation, if the body is calm then the mind is calm. Conscious breathing makes the body and mind one. In breathing out, smile to relax all the facial muscles (the face has about three hundred small muscles in all). The nervous system will also be relaxed. The half smile can be seen as a sign of the calm brought by the in-breath, but it is itself also a means of attaining comfort and a clearer awareness of peace and joy. The conscious breathing and smile should be practiced during five, ten, or even fifteen in/out breaths before moving on to the second stage of the exercise.

  Stage two of the exercise brings us back to the present moment. By dwelling in the present moment, we put an end to attachments to the past and anxieties about the future. Life is only available in the present. We need to return to this moment to be in touch with life as it really is. To know that we are alive, that we can be in contact with all the wonders within us and around us, is truly a miracle. We need only to open our eyes and to listen carefully to enjoy life’s richness. In using conscious breathing, we can transform the present moment into a moment full of wonder and beauty.

  This exercise can be practiced anywhere at any time: in the meditation hall, in the kitchen, on the bank of a river, in a park, whether we are walking or standing still, lying down, or sitting, even when we are working.

  Exercise Two

  Joy of Meditation as Nourishment

  1.

  Breathing in, I know

  In

  I am breathing in.

  Breathing out, I know

  Out

  I am breathing out.

  2.

  Breathing in, my breath grows deep.

  Deep

  Breathing out, my breath goes slowly.

  Slow

  3

  Aware of my body, I breathe in.

  Aware of body

  Relaxing my body, I breathe out.

  Relaxing body

  4.

  Calming my body, I breathe in.

  Calming body

  Caring for my body, I breathe out.

  Caring for body

  5.

  Smiling to my body, I breathe in.

  Smiling to body

  Easing my body, I breathe out.

  Easing body

  6.

  Smiling to my body, I breathe in.

  Smiling to body

  Releasing the tensions in my body,

  Releasing tensions

  I breathe out.

  7.

  Feeling joy (to be alive), I breathe in.

  Feeling joy

  Feeling happy, I breathe out.

  Feeling happy

  8.

  Dwelling in the present moment,

  Being present

  I breathe in.

  Enjoying the present moment,

  Enjoying

  I breathe out.

  9.

  Aware of my stable posture,

  Stable posture

  I breathe in.

  Enjoying the stability, I breathe out.

  Enjoying

  While this exercise is easy and pleasant to practice, it also brings about many good results. Through this exercise, many people who are just beginning to meditate can taste the pure joy that meditation brings. Moreover, those who have already been practicing for some years can use this exercise to nourish body and mind and to continue further on the path of meditation.

  The first stage (in, out) is to identify the breath. If this is an in-breath, the practitioner must know that it is an in-breath. If this is an out-breath, the practitioner must know that it is an out-breath. In concentrating on the breath even a few times, the practitioner will naturally stop thinking about the past and the future, putting an end to dispersed thoughts. This happens because the mind of the meditator is wholly with the breathing, in identifying the in-breath and the out-breath. In this way, the meditator has become one with the breathing. The mind is no longer an anxious mind or a thinking mind; it is simply a breathing mind.

  The second stage (deep, slow) is to see that the in-breath is already growing deeper and the out-breath has already slowed down. This process happens of itself and does not require any effort on the part of the meditator. To breathe and to be aware that you are breathing (as in the first stage of the exercise) naturally makes the breathing deeper, slower, more even. In other words, the breathing has more quality. When the breathing has become even, calm, and rhythmical, the practitioner begins to feel peace and joy in body as well as in mind. The tranquility of the breathing brings the tranquility of the body and of the mind. At this point, the meditator begins to experience meditation as the food of joy.

  The third stage (awareness of the whole body, relaxing the whole body) brings the mind home to the body with the in-breath, and the mind becomes acquainted with the body. The breathing is the bridge that takes the meditator from the body to the mind and from the mind to the body. The function of the out-breath is to relax the whole body. While breathing out, the meditator allows the muscles in the shoulders, in the arms, and then in the whole body to relax so that a feeling of comfort is apparent in the whole body. This stage should be practiced for at least ten in- and out-breaths.

  The fourth stage (calming the body, caring for the body) calms the functions of the body with the in-breath. With the out-breath, the meditator expresses a heartfelt compassion for the needs of the body. If the meditator continues to practice the third stage, the breath will be utterly calming and help the meditator to treat the body with deep respect and care.

  The fifth stage (smiling to the whole body, easing the body) brings relaxation to all the facial muscles. The meditator sends the half smile to the whole body, as if it were a fresh, cool stream of water. To ease the body is to feel light. This stage of the exercise nourishes the whole body through the compassion of the meditator.

  The sixth stage (smiling to the body, releasing the tensions in the body) is a continuation of the fifth stage. Here the breathing helps remove all the tensions that still remain in the body.

  The seventh stage (feeling joy, feeling happy) brings awareness of the feeling of joy when the meditator breathes in. This is the joy of being alive, of being in good health (which is the same as living in awareness), of being able to nourish the body at the same time as the soul. The out-breath brings a feeling of happiness. To sit with nothing to do but breathe in awareness is a great happiness. Countless people bounce about like yo-yos in their busy lives and never have the chance to feel this meditator’s joy.

  The eighth stage (present moment, wonderful moment) brings the meditator back to the present moment with the in-breath. The Buddha taught that the past has already gone and the future has not yet come; that we find life in what is happening now. To dwell in the present is truly to return to life. Only in the present moment is the meditator really in touch with the wonders of life. Peace, joy, liberation, the buddha nature, and nirvana cannot be found anywhere else. Happiness lies in the present moment. The in-breath helps the meditator be in touch with this happiness. The out-breath also brings much happiness to the meditator, and that is why he says, “wonderful moment.”

  The ninth stage (stable posture, enjoying) steadies the meditator in the sitting position he has adopted. It will help a posture that is not yet straight, not yet beautiful, to become both straight and beautiful. A stable sitting posture brings about ease and enjoyment of that stability. The meditator becomes master of his body and mind and is not pulled hither and thither by the different actions of body, speech, and mind, in which he might otherwise drown.

  Exercise Three

  Joy of Meditation as Nourishment

  1.

  Breathing in, I know

  In

  I am breathing in.

  Breathing out, I know

  Out

  I am breathing out.

  2.

  Breathing in, my breath grows deep.

  Deep

  Breathing out, my breath goes slowly.

  Slow

  3

  Breathing in, I feel calm.

  Calm

  Breathing out, I feel ease.

  Ease

  4.

  B
reathing in, I smile.

  Smile

  Breathing out, I release.

  Release

  5.

  Dwelling in the present moment.

  Present moment

  I know it is a wonderful moment.

  Wonderful moment

  This exercise also can be practiced anywhere, in the meditation hall, in the living room, in the kitchen, or while on a train.

  The first stage is designed to bring body and mind back into oneness and at the same time to help bring us back to the present moment, to connect us with the miracle of life now occurring. If we can breathe in this spirit for two or three minutes, our breathing will quite naturally become light, leisurely, gentler, slower, and deeper, and naturally we shall feel much more at ease in body as well as in mind. This is the second stage, “deep, slow.” We can stay with this stage for just as long as we like.

  Next we come to “calm, ease.” Here we can achieve deeper tranquility (Sanskrit prasrabdhis), a great calm of body and mind, and the joy of meditation will continue to nourish us. The final two stages have already been discussed in exercise two. We can learn by heart the gatha, and we can also sing it.

  Exercise Four

  Touching, Connecting

  1.

  Aware of the hair on my head,

  Hair

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to the hair on my head,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  2.

  Aware of my eyes, I breathe in.

  Eyes

  Smiling to my eyes, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  3.

  Aware of my ears, I breathe in.

  Ears

  Smiling to my ears, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  4.

  Aware of my teeth, I breathe in.

  Teeth

  Smiling to my teeth, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  5.

  Aware of my smile, I breathe in.

  Smile

  Smiling to my smile, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  6.

  Aware of my shoulders, I breathe in.

  Shoulders

  Smiling to my shoulders, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  7.

  Aware of my arms, I breathe in.

  Arms

  Smiling to my arms, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  8.

  Aware of my lungs, I breathe in.

  Lungs

  Smiling to my lungs, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  9.

  Aware of my heart, I breathe in.

  Heart

  Smiling to my heart, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  10.

  Aware of my liver, I breathe in.

  Liver

  Smiling to my liver, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  11.

  Aware of my bowels, I breathe in.

  Bowels

  Smiling to my bowels, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  12.

  Aware of my kidneys, I breathe in.

  Kidneys

  Smiling to my kidneys, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  13.

  Aware of my feet, I breathe in.

  Feet

  Smiling to my feet, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  14.

  Aware of my toes, I breathe in.

  Toes

  Smiling to my toes, I breathe out.

  Smiling

  This exercise helps the meditation practitioner to become more attuned to her body. The in-breath is to touch a certain part of the body: eyes, ears, heart, lungs, and so on. The out-breath smiles to that part of the body. The half smile can soften and heal. It expresses care and affection for the body. The lungs, the heart, and the liver work diligently over many decades, but how often do we take the time to show them any attention and/or compassion? Not only do we fail to recognize when these parts of the body are tired and out of sorts, but we frequently treat them in a brutal way, weakening them even further. The liver is destroyed by drinking alcohol. Incorrect breathing weakens the lungs, makes them vulnerable to disease, and at the same time undermines the other organs of the body. If we are always anxious and worrying and over-emotional, if we eat too much fat, we can put our hearts at risk. But by breathing consciously and putting ourselves in touch with all the different parts of the body, we come to feel and understand the body, and we learn in a concrete way how we can bring it peace and joy. The peace and joy of the body is nothing other than our own peace and joy. This exercise is an exercise of love meditation toward the body. If we are not able to love our bodies, then how can we love anyone?

  The first time you practice this exercise you might think that it is too simple, but after you have been practicing it for some time, you shall see how important it is. At first you just recognize and smile to the different parts of your body, but gradually you shall see each individual part very clearly and deeply. Every hair and every cell contains all the data necessary to make the universe. That is the teaching of interdependence found in the Avatamsaka sutra. Every hair on your head is a message from the universe. You can realize awakening by meditating on a single hair.

  If you are practicing on your own, you can use this exercise when you are lying down to relax or to go to sleep.

  Exercise Five

  Being in Touch, Looking Deeply

  1.

  Looking at myself as a

  Myself five years old

  five-year-old child, I breathe in.

  Smiling with compassion to

  Smiling

  the five-year-old child, I breathe out.

  2.

  Looking at myself as

  Myself seventy-five

  a seventy-five-year-old person,

  years old

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to the

  Smiling

  seventy-five-year-old person,

  I breathe out.

  3

  Looking at my physical body now,

  My body now

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to my physical body now,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  4.

  Aware of the look on my face now,

  Look on

  I breathe in.

  my face now

  Smiling to my physical body now,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  5.

  Aware of the state of my skin,

  State of skin

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to the state of my skin,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  6.

  Aware of the state of my hair,

  State of hair

  I breathe in.

  Smiling to the state of my hair,

  Smiling

  I breathe out.

  7.

  Aware of the state of my heart,

  State of heart

  I breathe in.