We will consider breathing exercises 9-12 as taught by the Buddha to cultivate our capacity to "Observe the Mind in the Mind" by looking deeply into our perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. These are all mind functions and are the objects of our concentration. We practice to observe the arising, presence, and disappearance of mental phenomena which are called mental formations; we recognize them and grow curious about them in order to see their substance, their roots in the past, and their possible fruits in the future. Shining the lamp of mindfulness upon the mental formation, it will naturally transform in a wholesome direction.
Formerly, when cut off in traffic, in anger, I would fantasize about catching up with them and cutting them off. Then I learned to observe the anger and attempt to let it go, which I have gotten better at. Lately, another teacher advised to not only let it go, but to observe the driver with admiration of his ability to drive skillfully in and out of traffic. (This is an example of shining a light on mental formations, and naturally it will transform in a more positive way. "Choosing joy over anger."
No comments:
Post a Comment