Stay With The Breath, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

सांस के साथ रहो - "थांनिसारो भिक्खु" द्वारा

अपने आँख, नाक, कान, जीभ, शरीर और दिमाग को बाहरी दुनिया की जानकारी प्राप्त करने, कुछ मिल जाने पर लापरवाह होने, कुछ इच्छा अनुसार होने पर खुश और न होने पर उदास और इन पाने के नए तरीके सोचने के लिए इस्तेमाल को छोड़े। अब हम बापने आंक नाक, कान, जीभ , शरीर और दिमाग को दूसरे कामों इस्तेमाल करेंगे। यह देखने के लिए कि यह हमारे इन्द्रियां काम किस तरह करते है। इन्हे इस तरह देखे जिससे दिमाग किस तरह घूमता है यह पता चले, किस तरह कोई निर्णय लेता है, किस तरह उस निर्णय को अमल तक लाता है और किस तरह खुद को दोहराता है कि वह निर्णय सही है।

यह सारी प्रक्रियां हर वक्त चलती रहती है, किन्तु हम अक्सर उनपर ध्यान नहीं देते क्योंकि हमारा ध्यान कहीं दूर लगा होता है। इसलिए यहीं रहो, अपनी सांस के साथ क्योंकि यह बहुत अच्छी जगह है इन सभी चीज़ों को देखने के लिए। बुद्ध 6 जानवरो की कहानी का उदाहरण देते है। अगर हम इन सभी जानवरो को एक दुसरे से बाँध देंगे, तो सभी जानवर अपनी अपनी दिशा में ताकत लगाएंगे, मगरमछ नदी की ओर , बन्दर पेड़ की ओर , लोमड़ी जंगल की ओर और ऐसे ही बाकी सब। जो सबसे ज़्यादा ताकतवर होगा, बाकी सब भी उसी तरफ खींचे जाएंगे।

किन्तु अगर सब को एक मज़बूत खम्बे से बाँध दे, तो चाहे वह लोग जितना भी दम लयाये, सब के सब वहीँ खड़े रहेंगे। वह खम्बा यहाँ शरीर के प्रति जागरूकता है। सबसे आसान तरीका शरीर के प्रति जागरूक होने का , अपनी सांस के तरफ जागरूक होना है। जब हम सांस के साथ रहते है, तो आप अपनी पसंद नापसंद के प्रति अपने इन्द्रियों को महसूस कर पाएंगे। लेकिन आपको उस खींचाव के प्रति समर्पित नहीं होना है क्योंकि आप के पास के जगह है, जहाँ आप स्थिर रह सकते है।

यह सारी चीज़ें यहाँ सिर्फ देखने के लिए ही है। यह हर वक़्त होते रहते है। लेकिन इनको देखने के लिए हमें अपना केंद्र बिंदु बदलना होगा। और उसे बदलने के लिए, हृदय का परिवर्तन चाहिए, अपने आप को यह कहते हुए कि यह महत्वपूर्ण है, जो कुछ बाहर हो रहा है, उससे कहीं ज़्यादा महत्वपूर्ण। सही जागरूकता ही केंद्र बिंदु और हृदय का परिवर्तन है। तुम अपना मन और दिल को मना लो कि यह एक महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दा है जिसे ठीक करना होगा , और यही तरीका है इसे करने का।

ThÄnissaro Bhikkhu first encountered Buddha's Four Noble Truths as a high-school student on a plane ride to the Philippines. After graduating, he traveled to Thailand to practice meditation and soon became a Theravada monk in the Thai forest tradition. Today, he is the abbot of Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County, and is a notably skilled and prolific translator of the PÄli Canon. The passage above is excerpted from 'Meditations 5'.

Seed Questions for Reflection

What does using our senses to see the process of the senses mean to you? Can you share an experience where staying with your breath allowed you to be more aware of where you were being pulled, and to act with true freedom? How can we get immovable in 'mindfulness immersed in the body'?

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Add Your Reflection

14 Past Reflections

Mandy

Jun 24, 2014

This metaphor of different animals pulling against one another, with the strongest pull taking over the direction, made me think of emotions; primary and secondary. I thought of times when an insecure feeling or a feeling of inferiority becomes so loud and strong that it pulls me away from my spirit and other emotion and thought animals take the reigns. This idea of being tied to a center pole is such a strong metaphor for me - immersing into inner body mindfulness and observing the emotions and thoughts first, which then allows me to sense the process of sensing and I feel a place of calm and a looking out onto the experience nonjudgmentally. This is a wonderful exercise for me.

Mack

Jun 18, 2014

Buddhists take refuge vows. I took the vow long ago but it is recently that I began to see where I take refuge and feel the consequences. My mind is always pulling me to take refuge outside of myself- food, drink, television, sex, politics- the list is endless. Actually taking refuge in the breath as opposed to using the breath as an occasional breather from my real refuges is rather new to me.

Abhishek

Jun 18, 2014

Beautiful....and very alive for me.....the breath speaks, and it is a highly accurate indicator....so often I find myself trying to reconnect to breath (when I am experiencing anger or irritation) and then it quickly slipping away! But the moments I am with the breath, I feel the difference in rhythm, depth and ease that tell me where I am located....

As for the body, it's intelligence is immense too....the challenge for me lies in shifting from the intellectual experience of what is going on in my body to truly experiencing it

Pratibha Jun 18, 2014

What do you mean by : truly experiencing it?

Abhishek Thakore Jun 20, 2014

Pratibha : thinking of the 'name' of the feeling vs truly connecting with what it feels

Pratibha Gramann PhD Jun 24, 2014

Sure, I understand.

Jun 17, 2014

I have a hard time staying with my breath because it registers all of my stress, and then that awareness causes secondary anxiety about the effects of stress. It's not relaxing to tune in to my constricted breathing. I've found it easier to focus on my feet and/or focus on a mantra.

James

Jun 17, 2014

Yesterday I met with our landlord to discuss a 3 day eviction notice we had received a couple days before. Before arriving I went through the various scenarios that came to mind. I chose before hand the points I wanted to make starting with how grateful we are to have the pains and pleasures of living there. As the conversation began I noticed within me excitement and a raised tone of voice. I stopped for a brief moment and out loud suggested that I calm myself with a subtle breath and a "take it easy". The conversation continued and we both came to a resolution, I am grateful mostly for the daily practice of centering prayer that works in many ways. In Gratitude, Jim

Pratibha Jun 17, 2014

Breath is related to everything-though not always noticeable-its rhythm would have also changed with your prayer and mantra.

JH Jun 19, 2014

Yes, true. And it's better for me to find an indirect way to slow and be mindful, like mantra, etc. Savoring the smell of a flower or nice lotion is grounding too without directly being about breath.

Matt

Jun 17, 2014

I am enjoying doing elder service, this was so timely, this idea of helping does not come with the privilege of distraction, all of my sense as one mindfulness brings it all together. Peace,

annie

Jun 17, 2014

I do a lot of painting outside directly from nature, and normally I am lost in seeing and moving the paint around for several hours, not unlike when I sing and then once more I am lost in feeling and sound. So for me, for someone who has spent her life looking 'out there' it is difficult to constantly be aware of the senses through the senses, as and when they arise, whilst I would also describe myself as a sensitive and aware person. Mindfulness, when sitting, becomes a retrospective time of noticing how I am often responding and curious, about how I am always being pulled and tempted through the sense doors. It's a strong pull, but mindfulness, also shows me, retrospectively, how inaccurate, insubstantial, transient and ultimately unimportant my sense experiences are. To be aware of the senses, through the senses as and when they arrive, seems to be a good thing to aim for, not just to be fully anchored, here now in the heart, but to glimpse that which i... View full comment

genevieve

Jun 17, 2014

This is the way I am practicing Tai-chi. Kind of meditation in mouvement. But never apply it to the daily life! I will try

david doane

Jun 15, 2014

Using our senses to see the process of the senses means to be mindful of our sensing and to be a witness of our sensing as we are sensing. I hardly ever do that kind of sensing. I apparently don't want to be that aware, though I wonder what it would be like. As far as I know, I am often fairly aware of my being and what I and others are doing and saying. My mantra has long been process, not outcome. I have long valued inner experience and not just outer things. I am very aware of and protective of my freedom and to a great extent have eliminated blaming and making excuses. I value and am somewhat grounded in 'mindfulness immersed in my body.' However, I have difficulty simply staying with my breath, and don't even put much time or effort into cultivating that, so I don't know of an experience I've had where staying with my breath allowed me to be more aware of where I was being pulled. When I am being pulled, I seem to be aware of ... View full comment