150426EISunAMC.doc Barbara, opening morning instructions

April 26, 2015 Sunday Morning, Emerald Isle, Morning Instructions, first morning.

We began the morning with the taking of the refuges and precepts; there was then a brief instruction period before sitting.

Barbara: We start with a primary object. For some of you it's the breath, for others it may be nada or luminosity, space, energy, or different primary objects. Some are more mundane, like the breath. Some are more supramundane. By mundane I mean simply that which is part of the mundane realm, arising out of conditions and passing away. The breath. By supramundane, I mean that which is a direct expression of the Unconditioned, like nada or luminosity. It seems to arise and pass away, but when we look carefully at it, we see that it's always there; it is a direct expression of the Unconditioned, so it has a certain stability to it.

Whatever we're using as a primary object, something will become predominant in our experience and pull our attention away from that primary object. You all know about this. My question for you this morning: when something becomes predominant and takes your attention from the primary object, first, can you note whether what has arisen is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? It will have one of those qualities. Then, present with, let's say an itch. Slightly unpleasant. Observe how you are relating to the sensation if that is predominant, or to the pleasantness/ unpleasantness if that is predominant. Do you understand what I'm saying? That only one will be predominant: either the sensation, of the itch for example, or the unpleasant feeling that came with it. And if it's the unpleasant feeling, does that build into aversion, or does that just remain as unpleasant? One can experience pleasant or unpleasant sensation without contraction. What tilts it into the contraction of aversion?

Let's say it's pleasant, maybe a smell of roses wafting in the window, so strong it draws your attention away from your primary object. Smelling, smelling, pleasant, pleasant. One is going to be predominant. Don't think too much about it; just be with what's predominant; the actual physical sensation, smelling. In smelling, just smelling. But if it's strongly pleasant, be with that pleasant feeling. Where is the pleasant feeling in the body? What is the texture of it?

And then, if it leads to grasping, maybe the thought comes up, "Oh, I want to go see those roses. There must be a huge rosebush out the window. I've got to get up! I've got to go see it!" Feel that grasping energy. Ah, it's just another object. Just because there's this story in the mind, "I've got to see the roses!" doesn't mean we have to go and see the roses, any more than if a story of shame or guilt comes up, we have to go off and try to figure out how to make whatever we've done right, how to fix it. Later we may want to reflect on how we can apologize, but for now, if there's shame, it's just shame. If there's enjoyment, wanting the roses, there's just wanting the roses. Whatever has arisen, can we be with it with spacious open heart?

So this is my primary question: when something becomes strong and predominant, can you observe how you are relating to it? Is that relationship filled with contraction and with a strong self? "I have to fix this. I have to do this." Or can that presence be just bare presence? Can I relate to it from a place of nobody, just love? Yet this human, with physical senses, mind, everything processed through it, can it process through without all the stories? But if the stories come up, then that becomes the next object.

Aaron taught this many years ago. I remember it was in an early teacher training weekend intensive, maybe in the late 1990s. We were at Sunnyside Retreat Center, a group of maybe a dozen teachers. He called the practice POPA: Proper Object, Proper Attitude. By proper, meaning a loving openhearted attitude. Can I know which object is predominant in my experience right now and see that quick change? And with each one, can I be with it with a really openhearted, empty, no-self attitude? But if self is very strong, can I watch that? It's just another object.

One object piling up on another. There's a Pali wordpapança. I love the word, it sounds like popcorn. This kernel heats, and it makes that kernel heat, and it makes that kernel heat. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Papança. Just watching it all exploding.

Who is watching? Where does the self become strong in that? What invites you back to spaciousness, emptiness? Who is this self? Is there anybody there? And yet, we're each unique and wonderful human beings. So we're not denying all that we bring to our lives, and that there's a richness to it. We're simply looking at all the stories that we've perpetually created, and how much suffering there is in those stories. This retreat gives us a chance to really back off from the stories and perhaps to discover that we don't need to form them anymore.

So this is our practice. That's enough instruction for today. I know nothing I've said is new to you, so it's just a reminder. And we'll sit.

(end of recording)