Hi friend,
I’ve talked about the Sixteen Steps of Breath-Based Mindfulness (ānāpānasati) taught by the Buddha. I then offered a Condensed version, which combines a beginner-friendly breath counting technique with three characteristics of the Liberating Truth (inconstant, unreliable, inappropriable). Now comes the Ultra Condensed version.
Instructions
Sit down in a quiet place, with your back straight and relaxed, and pay attention to your natural in- and out-breaths.
As you breathe in, mentally say, “awareness of everything”.
And as you breathe out, mentally say, “letting go of everything”.
Practice this for three breaths. Then, let go of these instructions, and see what happens.
Explanations
We all have thoughts. And we all have a fascination for thoughts.
To meditate is to gently resist our fascination for the content of our thoughts and to develop a new kind of fascination: the fascination for reality.
“Awareness of everything” means awareness of everything happening in the present moment: sounds, sights, and sensations. Hear — without filter or interpretation. See — without filter or interpretation. Feel — without filter or interpretation. Be fascinated with reality. Stay connected with the fullness of the present moment. And notice how everything is changing.
Please mentally say “awareness of everything” and not “aware of everything”, because you do not want to reify the sense that there is someone who is aware, a subject of consciousness. There is awareness, for sure, but there is no owner of that awareness.
For there to be an awareness of everything, should awareness be contracted or open?
So please, keep awareness open. Open up your peripheral vision. Open up your attention to all sounds. And open up your awareness to all physical sensations, including those which are less comfortable. Do not over focus on any object in particular and analyze their characteristics, because that would contract and entangle your consciousness, which is the opposite of what we want. Keep your awareness open and free.
“Letting go of everything” means letting go of all struggle, expectation, attachment, resistance, and any sense of self. In raw sensory inputs (what you see, hear, and feel), there is nothing that says “you are here”. There is no “you” anywhere. If you don’t like the term “letting go” you can mentally say “letting everything be”, “letting everything flow”, or, “acceptance of everything”.
When letting go of everything, is consciousness heavy or light?
So please, keep consciousness light.
Maintain the lightest awareness you can of the fullness of the present moment.
Awareness of everything. Letting go of everything.
That’s it for Ultra Condensed Ānāpānasati.
If you enjoy any of these three practices — the Sixteen Steps of Ānāpānasati, Condensed Ānāpānasati, or Ultra Condensed Ānāpānasati, you can adopt it as your go-to technique and train in it regularly. Over time, I also invite you to consider how your preferred practice can shine light on the other two, and how the other two can shine light on the one you prefer.
These instructions should help you touch a very (very, very) deep happiness.
🙏💛
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