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Guided Meditation: Freedom from Recognition

So, good day everyone. It's good to be here. And maybe for some of you, as it is for me, it's also good to be in your meditation posture. One of the pleasures of regular meditation is that the body gets deeply, deeply familiar with the posture. The posture of the body can be an entryway for reconnecting to a deep sense of intimacy with the present moment, with oneself, and to really be here. Perhaps some of that is that we know, in this posture, how to recognize what it's like, or to recognize the place within where we are aware, where we're present. There's a sense of being present to something that's wholesome and good.

To continue briefly with this idea of recognition, clear recognition: mindfulness practice has many components and many aspects, but two primary ones. One is awareness, a non-discursive, present-moment attention. Awareness which maybe has no words to it. Awareness which has more to do with our capacity to receive perceptions and sensations, and a kind of openness of mind to be receptive. The other thing that mindfulness has to do with is recognition, and clear recognition is quite powerful.

What I want to emphasize is that when we bring this recognizing aspect of mindfulness into play, it isn't that we're analyzing. It isn't even that important we should recognize accurately what is obvious, what's observable or perceivable in the present moment, and just leave it that way. It's not the past or the future; it's not digging into it and understanding it in some deep way. It's just how it's perceived, how it's recognized.

There are times when I've meditated where there was lots going on and I didn't quite know what was happening. And so I recognized it as chaos, and didn't try to delve deeper than that, just, "Oh, it's chaos." And as I recognized it as chaos, then something opened up and I started to see a little bit more specifically, but it wasn't like I was searching for specificity. It was just the recognition. One recognition allows for the next recognition.

What I want to emphasize this morning is that it isn't that you have to understand in some deep way what is happening. Maybe the recognition almost doesn't have to be accurate. It's the act of recognition which can be freeing. The act of recognition creates space. The act of recognition helps us not be so entangled or caught up in what's going on. So that's one of the important functions of recognition.

When we say to ourselves casually, "Hearing, hearing is happening," we might be completely concerned and caught up in what we're hearing. But to do it clearly, a clear recognition of hearing: "Oh, that's hearing. Hearing is happening." It doesn't have to be those kinds of words, but with that kind of feeling to it. There's a moment of freedom, a moment of space, a moment of allowing, a moment of clarity. That's what the power of recognition can provide.

So we want to take our time to recognize clearly, to feel where in the recognition there's some freedom, and then take a moment just to open to that. And then recognize the next thing, or the same thing again if it's still there.

So that's all I'll say today. And now we'll sit quietly. Many of you have been doing this for a long time, and so maybe I don't have to do the introductory words of settling in, and you can do it for yourself as it works best for you. And remember to recognize what's happening.

What can you recognize now that sets you free?

And then as we come to the end of this sitting, there is something quite special about clear recognition when it comes to recognizing other people. To clearly recognize others without the filter of our agendas, desires and aversions, our judgments and bias. But to recognize as if we're looking into people's eyes and seeing their hearts. To really see the full humanity of the other person, to really recognize this person for themselves.

The training in clear recognition is a training in clear attention that allows us to accompany people, to befriend people, to be a witness to their depth and their full humanity. And may it be that this practice of ours of mindfulness, attention, recognition, being present, and listening to others supports us—or said differently, supports others—so they can discover their full humanity. So others may feel at ease and comfortable and have the ability to recognize themselves, their own goodness.

May this practice of ours make lots of space for others to feel seen, heard, and recognized. And in that way, may this be a way to live for the welfare and happiness of others. May all beings live together in safety. May all beings live together in happiness. May all beings live together in peace. May all beings live together freely. And may our practice of mindfulness support that for all of us.

Dharmette: Clear Recognition (2 of 5) Comprehension of Purpose

So continuing now with this second talk on sampajañña^[1]. Often translated as clear comprehension, but for this first day, for this meditation, the translation I liked was clear recognition. In this simplest way which we do mindfulness practice, we bring together our ability to be present and aware with our ability to clearly recognize.

Sometimes we emphasize one more than the other and we go back and forth. But as the practice gets deeper and deeper, more and more still, quiet, and peaceful, sometimes the part that needs to be emphasized and really helps this mindfulness practice come to maturity is the recognition, the clear recognition of phenomena. What's happening in the moment, the clear observation that recognizes. And that recognition gets quieter and quieter itself, more peaceful, almost as if there's just a whisper in the mind.

So this recognition is an important factor. In other situations, life outside of meditation, sampajañña is sometimes better translated as clear comprehension or clear understanding. This speaks to how a Buddhist life, maybe a human life, involves more than mindfulness, more than moment-to-moment awareness and recognition of what's happening now. It also involves contemplation, reflection, and wise thinking about what's going on. That does in fact involve understanding things—where things come from, where things are going, the context for why we do things, and what motivates us to do things.

This fullness of the human life, that we're able to navigate or swim in all the different aspects of our psychological, emotional, physical, and social life and understand and navigate them, is part of what makes life rich, and it's an important part of life. So then, clear comprehension in the world of activities is part of a wise practice.

In mindfulness practice, there is this instruction that I read last week about mindfulness in activities. That as we reach out our arm, or bend our arm, there's clear comprehension. As we put on our clothes, or as we eat, or as we go to the bathroom, there's clear comprehension of these activities. But in every ordinary, non-ordinary human activity we engage in, there can be clear comprehension of the activity.

The ancient commentaries have four different areas that we can reflect on or contemplate so we can live a wise life. These are: clear comprehension of purpose, clear comprehension of suitability, clear comprehension of the pasture, and clear comprehension of non-delusion. To take some time with each of these, and long enough so they become a little bit second nature, isn't so we have to bring out a checklist and go through this and live this kind of truncated life of analysis. Rather, these four areas are meant to open us up and free us to live a wiser life.

So the first is clear comprehension of purpose. And that's to ask ourselves, what's the purpose of what we're about to do? What's the purpose of the thing we're doing? What was the purpose of what we just did?

Sometimes what we think was the purpose might not really have been the purpose, or things shift and change. Or sometimes we're not really aware of the subconscious reasons why we're doing something, so some sort of reflection afterwards is very helpful. But especially before, if you're wondering what to do, to really understand what's the purpose for doing this.

Going and standing in front of the refrigerator ready to open it, if you ask yourself the question, "What's the purpose of opening this refrigerator?" and simply answer it, "In order to open the door"—that's a fine answer in a certain kind of way. Some people make that kind of answer as a kind of spiritual superiority: "Look, that's all I'm doing, the simplicity, I'm just being present for this." But still, opening the refrigerator door has a purpose. "I'm looking for a snack," "I want to fill my loneliness with something," "I want to distract myself," or "I'm really hungry and if I don't have some food now, the next conversation I have, I won't be at my best," or "My family is hungry and I'm going to cook for them," or "I need to go shopping, I need to see what's in there." You keep asking, "What's the purpose of this?"

But more importantly than those kinds of things, is the purpose wholesome? In itself, is it a wholesome purpose, is it a beneficial purpose, or is it not?

To ask this question, "What is the purpose?" is fascinating to do with speech. In fact, I've often taught that if you really want a shortcut to the depths of your inner life, and maybe the royal road to the unconscious, it is to keep asking yourself: "Why are you going to say what you say?" What drives, what motivates you to speak? Because many people speak somewhat impulsively, subconsciously, or unconsciously, or without much reflection. There's a reservoir, a wellspring of motivations behind what we say. To ask ourselves the question, "Why am I saying this? Why am I going to say this?" can begin revealing some of these layers and layers of what drives us, the operating systems we have.

Sitting down to meditate, what's the purpose of meditation? Not just to evoke a lot of reflection, but to be clear about it. I've sat down to meditate just out of rote habit, "This is what I do." And sometimes I've done that and I haven't really been that involved in my meditation; it's just like I'm still moving along in my train of thought, a little bit distracted and concerned about things. When I've sat down to meditate and said, "What's the purpose of meditation now?"—just that question, even though the purpose might be the same answer every day, like, "I'm here to be present, I'm here to let go of my clinging and attachment, to really be here in a clear way," all kinds of answers to that question. Even if it's the same answer every day, to really say it to oneself, "Oh, this is the purpose," that recognition, that acknowledgment can give us a little bit more stability or emphasis to, "Okay, let's do it. Let's not just let the habits of the mind continue to have their own way. Let's really show up and be present here and do the practice."

So asking ourselves, what is the purpose we have? It's a great question we can ask. In supporting other people, sometimes it's very helpful to ask them if they're struggling with a decision, "What's the purpose of the decision? What is the underlying value of what you're trying to do, or intention, or direction you're trying to go?"

To ask these kinds of questions is to live a reflective life, a contemplative life. One of the things I think is very helpful is to spend some time with that kind of contemplative thinking. I like to go for walks by myself, and that's where I contemplate. I'm delighted by the different things that will pop up in my mind that won't come up in my mind if I'm living my full life doing all the usual things. I need to have a fallow time, or some time away from everything, to let things percolate and bubble up. Often for me, exercising does the same thing. There's actually something about exercising where I give freedom to my mind and there's a kind of contemplation and reflection that kind of happens naturally.

So to live not just a mindful life, but to live a mindful life that's supported by and guided by a contemplative life, a reflective life. And one of the key forms of contemplation and reflection is to ask the question, "What's the purpose of what you're going to do?"

That might be for the particular event, the particular activity for right now, but also occasionally it's good to open up that question and ask, "What's the purpose for my life, for what I'm doing, for my work?" To really explore. And whatever purpose comes up for you, is that really the purpose you want to stand behind? That you really want to devote yourself to? What purpose of life do you really want to devote yourself to that feels nourishing, freeing, and opening? That really feels that it's nourishing and enlivening and purposeful for you in a good way? And one of those things is to walk the Buddhist path, the path to freedom.

So, thank you. And may you reflect today, in the next 24 hours, on purpose, clear comprehension of purpose. In a relaxed way, maybe supported by the simplicity of recognition. Keep things simple and just contemplate, and see what benefits and aliveness come from a clear understanding of purpose.

So thank you all very much.