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Introduction

Greetings, and I'm sensitive or aware of greeting people from all over the world, in different time zones. So saying "good morning" for here in California doesn't quite work. Maybe something like "good now" would work better. Anyway, it's nice to be here with you all, and to have these few minutes together as a preparation for the meditation today, and also the theme of Right Livelihood for the little Dharma talk.

I would like to highlight that meditation involves two complementary activities. One involves being aware receptively, and the other is to be aware givingly—bringing and giving attention to something. This means applying attention, but also having attention receive what's happening. At different times, we end up on different sides of that distinction. Eventually, when meditation gets deep, the distinction falls away, and awareness is neither active, applied, nor receptive—it just is. There's a feeling that things just arise and exist in awareness without awareness being particularly receptive, active, or applied.

When the mind is filled with thoughts and ideas, and we're pulled away from the present moment, sometimes we can choose one or the other of those. Sometimes applying ourselves—placing, rooting, and using attention to probe or investigate, really getting anchored or rooted in some place—really helps us to not drift off into thought.

And sometimes, what's most helpful is to just be receptive. This is especially true when any kind of effort that seems like self-effort—like we're trying to do something—gets entangled or caught up in all the complicated ways in which we think of ourselves as the agent, the person who is supposed to accomplish and do something. It can be much more relaxing sometimes just to be receptive and to receive.

Whether we're being active or receptive in meditation, in both circumstances, the idea is to do so without greed, hatred, or delusion^[1]. This means doing so without desperately wanting something, straining to get something, or having something. Or, to be receptive and not be deluded, thinking, "Oh, I'm magically going to be taken care of here, and I just have to settle back and everything will be okay."

Or not to be aversive and be receptive just because there's something we don't want to look at or work through about ourselves, or because we're averse to making effort. So, this idea of being free of clinging, forcefulness, straining, complacency, giving up, or being too passive—there are all these ways in which how we are is important.

When we meditate, it's important to have one eye on "how." The simplest way to do that, so it's not a complicated analysis, is to be with awareness without any stress—to not feel any stress in how we're being aware. If we're alert to that, then paradoxically, maybe ironically, awareness gets heightened. The strong effort to have no stress protects that strong effort from becoming stressful, too. It's a fascinating balance of finding that place.

Guided Meditation: Active and Receptive Mindfulness

So, sit upright, or meditate in a posture that allows for a balance between being active and being receptive. Begin by being active. Actively take a few long, slow, deep breaths, intentionally establishing your awareness here in this body, in this mind. Intentionally, as you exhale, relax and release the holdings of the body.

Then, let the breathing return to normal. Apply your attention by scanning your body. Really feel that you're engaged in your awareness, aware of places in your body where there might be holding or tension that you can relax. Maybe on the exhale, soften and relax the muscles of the face and the muscles of the shoulders. Perhaps a releasing that's helped by feeling the weight of the arms, the gentle pull that they provide the shoulders. Soften in the chest, or open in the chest. Perhaps relax any way that we feel guarded in the area around the heart, letting the heart be itself, whatever is there.

Soften the belly. Sometimes, relaxing and softening the belly can be a movement of trust because it makes us feel a little bit more vulnerable or tender. Trust that it's okay for these minutes to soften and relax.

And then actively open the attention, the awareness, to receive the experience of the body breathing. The body breathes itself. As if you're opening a door to allow the gentle, refreshing breeze from outside to blow into your home, open the door of awareness to receive the expansion and contractions, the coming and going, the tingling, and the warmth and coolness of the body breathing.

Maybe let the awareness be in the body itself. So, not so much in the control tower watching the breath, but rather the awareness of sensations—how the sensations of the chest, the belly, the nostrils are stimulated with the in-breath and the out-breath, the inhaling and exhaling.

Maybe imagine as if awareness is the body, and the inhaling and exhaling are like the waves that the sand receives as they wash across the sandy shore. Advancing and receding, the waves of breathing wash across the body, being aware.

If being receptive in this way doesn't help keep you in the present moment, then you might more actively imagine you're putting down roots into the soil of the body breathing, and awareness is planted or anchored. Be a little more active—gently, relaxedly active. Use a little bit of discipline, a little bit of strength of attention to stay there with the in-breaths and the out-breaths, but with no strain. Instead of strain, use a kind of strength or gentle resolve to stay with the breathing. Let go of thoughts as you exhale, and let go into either being receptive or into being actively rooted in the breathing.

You might try being receptive of the inhale and actively riding out the exhale, letting the thinking mind become quieter so there's more intimacy with the breathing.

Reflections

And then, as we come to the end of the sitting, bring to mind the image of a swinging door that can swing sometimes outward, sometimes inward, swinging back and forth. Our life swings between giving and receiving. With each in-breath, we're receiving, and with the exhale, we're giving carbon dioxide back to the plants that give us oxygen that we breathe in again.

In all kinds of ways, we offer our attention to people and receive attention from others. We receive so much from the world. Our whole life is dependent on receiving sustenance—breath, water, and food—and also giving back.

In this play of giving and receiving, that's the medium, the means by which we can benefit the world. That's how we can make a difference. We can receive and we can give in ways that support all beings.

May it be that our giving and receiving of attention in meditation—may it be that letting go of selfishness and self-preoccupation allows us to live delightfully and compassionately in the world of giving and receiving. And may it be that in doing so, we live for the welfare and happiness of all beings. In the world of giving and receiving, the well-being of others is as important for us personally as our own well-being, and vice versa.

May we live for the welfare and happiness of all beings. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. And may all beings be free.