During a meditation retreat, in the morning, I almost always give meditation instructions. The instructions are a reminder of what to focus on in our practice. No matter how many times we review meditation instructions, hearing and practicing them anew, in this very moment, can bring clarity as to how to practice skillfully. At a recent retreat that was offered in Ann Arbor, Michigan I gave a comprehensive overview of instructions for Insight Meditation. This article is adapted from that talk. I hope you will find it helpful.
THE PRIMARY OBJECT
To begin with we use a primary object to focus our attention on in meditation. The primary object is home base in our practice. It is the object that is primary in our focus and that we can return to over and over again. There are mundane and super mundane primary objects. Examples of mundane primary objects may be our sitting or standing posture, the contact of our buttocks on the cushion we are sitting on, the breath, awareness of sound or anything that we can focus our attention on and return to when necessary. The most common mundane primary object that is used is the breath, but other objects can be used, if they are helpful. Examples of super mundane primary objects are awareness of nada (inner sounds such as those of crickets chirping), chi energy or ground luminosity. Super mundane primary objects are used in the same way as mundane primary objects.
In our meditation we observe the characteristics of the primary object. For example, how does the breath feel at any given moment? Are the inhale and exhale short or long? Is the breath rougher and coarser or is it smoother and subtler? Is it shallow or deep? Where do we experience the breath most clearly? Is it clearest to us in the area of the nose and upper lip or the rising and falling movement of the chest or belly? We notice the texture and the quality of our breathing. We don’t try to change how the breath feels, but merely are aware of it as it is.
If we are focused on the sitting posture and awareness of bodily sensations or contact points of say the buttocks touching the cushion or legs and feet touching the floor, as our primary object, then what is the nature of this experience? Do we experience a pressure or heaviness as the buttocks touch the cushion or chair? Do we feel a light sense of touch as the feet rest on the floor or perhaps we feel a sensation of pins and needles, as though the feet and legs are falling a sleep. Are the sensations pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, meaning they are neither pleasant nor unpleasant?
As we are observing the breath or other bodily sensations, as the primary object, we begin to see more clearly the impermanent changing nature of the primary object. One inhale arrives and one exhale leaves. We focus as clearly as possible on each breath and observe its nature. We don’t necessarily hold onto the breath or try to control it, but simply observe it as it is. It’s a simple practice! As we do this we will notice for example how at the beginning of a sitting our breathing may be shorter in length and coarser and then at another time in the same sitting, the breath becomes longer and subtler. As concentration deepens we are able to be increasingly aware of the entire length of the inhale and exhale and the spaces or pauses that are experienced after the end of the inhale and exhale. The ability to be increasingly present with our breathing or any primary object will deepen focus and concentration. As our mind becomes more concentrated, not in a narrow sense of holding onto the primary object to the exclusion of other objects, but in way in which we are able to skillfully work with the primary object, we will experience a calming of the body and mind. Our body becomes relaxed and at ease and our mind is more one pointed in its focus and attention.
This degree of concentration and awareness enables us to see more clearly the breath and other objects, such as sensations; sounds and thoughts arise and pass away. The breath, for example, is the way it is at any given moment because of the condition of the body and the mind in that moment. If I am jogging or riding a bicycle then my breathing may be faster and rougher. Similarly, if I am experiencing fear or anger then my breathing may be shallower and not so deep. Contrast this with times when we find ourselves calm and at peace. During these moments the breath body may be experienced as long and deep. Thus we see that the primary object is ever changing and subject to various conditions that are beyond our control. The primary object arises and ceases according to these conditions and is not I or mine. In other words it has a life of its own and our practice is just to be aware of it as it is.
THE PREDOMINANT OBJECT
As we’re aware of the primary object, as we all know, other objects, such as memories, plans and images are going to arise in our experience. As they become predominant, we let go of the primary object and pick up on them and hold them in our awareness. If we’re aware of the breath and a thought becomes predominant, then mindfulness holds that thought in attention as the most important object to be present with. The holding of the thought in awareness is called vitaka. Vitaka is the ability to be present with an object as it appears in our awareness without getting caught up in the content of the thought. We aren’t concerned with the details of the memory or plan, but rather with the process of the thought as an object that arises and ceases. Here it can be useful to use the tool of noting the predominant object that has arisen in a general way as thinking, thinking, thinking or hearing, hearing, hearing if it is a sound that is predominant. The noting of the object is happening lightly in the background, in the foreground of our experience is the direct experience of the thought or sound. In this way we aren’t controlling the objects with the use of the noting.
As we are aware of objects that become predominant we also look deeply into them and see their characteristics. An important feature of Insight Meditation is awareness of objects as they arise and the ability to penetrate the object. This seeing more clearly into the object is called vicara. Penetrating into it means seeing the characteristics of that object. For example, today at the retreat it’s gray, windy and the ground is wet. We are directly experiencing the weather, which is different than thinking about the weather. As I’m looking out the window, I’m not concerned if that tree is a maple, oak or other hard wood. I’m just aware that I’m seeing, seeing, seeing. In regards to the weather we are in direct contact with the degree of light, the wind, the moisture and the various conditions, which make up today’s weather. It is the same with other objects. If we are aware of a sound as a predominant we aren’t concerned whether it’s a high or low pitched sound or if it’s being made by a siren or a car door, slamming. In other words we aren’t looking at the specifics of the sound, but rather being aware that there’s a sound and noting hearing, hearing, hearing. In this way we observe the arising and ceasing of the sound. We see directly the changing nature of the sound, that it comes and goes according to whatever conditions are present that make it come and go. An ambulance driving by and our ability to hear the sound of the siren are the conditions that are present that enable us to hear the sound of the siren. When those conditions are no longer present, then the sound ceases. There is no independent self at work here, just conditions arising and ceasing from moment to moment. In this way we have clearer insight into anatta or not self.
Every object that arises will have a feeling quality to it, which is called vedana. If it’s a gray day we may experience an unpleasant mental feeling. If it’s a bright and sunny day we may experience a pleasant or neutral feeling. The ability to be present with gray or sunny is vitaka and to know whether this gives rise to an unpleasant or pleasant feeling is vicara. If there is aversion or dislike because it’s gray then we pick up on the aversion as the predominant object. If we’re glad that it’s sunny, then the feeling of gladness is what is predominant. It’s a very simple practice!
However, sometimes people become confused as to when to stay with a predominant object and when to return to the primary object? At the beginning of practice it may be useful to directly return to the primary object, such as the breath, after experiencing a thought or sound. This lessens the tendency to get caught in the content of the thought or sound, which we spoke of earlier. If at any point in our meditation we feel it would be helpful for us to come back to a primary object we can do so. The primary object, especially mundane primary objects such as the breath, is usually available to us. If we find ourselves getting caught up in discursive thinking or emotional reactivity then it can be skillful to note thinking or anger and then direct mindfulness to our breathing, not as a means of pushing away or escaping the uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, but as a means of creating space around them. For example, if we have the memory of something unpleasant or painful that somebody said or did to us and this memory gives rise to fear, aversion and anger and we feel ourselves getting caught in all of this, then it can be helpful to note what we are experiencing and redirect mindfulness to a primary object, like the breath as a way of being more spacious with what we are experiencing and refocusing our attention. So it’s fine to come back to the primary object but it’s not necessary every time we have a thought or hear a sound or experience a bodily sensation to automatically come back to our breathing. Always returning to a primary object whenever we experience a predominant object can create an unnecessary amount of busyness in our practice. Have you ever had the experience of meditating and you’re feeling busier than if you weren’t meditating? I call it mental gymnastics: we’re aware of our breathing, a thought arises, we’re aware of the thought, then come back to the breath, something else arises, we’re aware of that, then return to the breath. It can be tiring and isn’t conducive to the development of insight.
As practice deepens and we utilize the skills of vitaka and vicara we will be able to hold and penetrate the predominant objects that arise and see clearly the ceasing of the objects. When the object disappears, we let ourselves rest in the disappearance of the object. After the object ceases there will be a space or pause before another object arises. We let ourselves rest in this space or pause. We don’t feel that we need to come back to the primary object, just rest in the space that is there. In a sense the space will become our primary object. There’s nothing to do, there’s nowhere to go, and we just let ourselves rest in the space. Perhaps at this point thoughts such as, “Should I go back to the primary object of the breath?” or, “This feels weird!” or “Am I doing the practice right?” may arise. These thoughts are seen for what they are as thinking, thinking, thinking or as doubt, doubt, doubt, or as unpleasant, unpleasant, unpleasant. As we hold these thoughts lightly in the larger container of our experience they will dissolve and cease. As they cease, we just rest in the space of the cessation of the objects.
SPACIOUSNESS, LIBERATION AND PEACE
These spaces or pauses in our experience are called apertures and can also be experienced during the awareness of our breathing. After the inhalation there is a pause before the beginning of the exhalation and after the exhale before we inhale there is another pause. As awareness and concentration improves we are able to discern these apertures between breaths more clearly and to rest in the space. As we rest in those moments of space between the breaths or in the space that exists after a thought or other predominant object ceases, we move increasingly into the experience of spaciousness. While resting in this spaciousness, objects may continue to arise and cease, but we aren’t pulled into the content or pleasant or unpleasant feeling quality of the objects. This is called access concentration and is thedegree of concentration that is most helpful in Insight Meditation.
Increasingly we become aware of an inner spaciousness that is always there. If we don’t pay attention to the space then sometimes we miss it because we’re over focused on objects. For example, there is a lot of space within this meditation hall. There are also cushions, chairs, a alter, people and other objects in the room. If we become overly focused on the material objects in the room, then we may remain unaware of the larger space that exists along with the objects. Actually there is more space in the room than there are objects. It’s not that the objects are separate from the space; the objects are a part of the space. But if we overly focus upon the objects then we may miss the space that is very much a part of the experience of being in the room. What we’re emphasizing in this retreat is the ability to increasingly rest in the innate spaciousness of mind and an awareness of objects that arise and cease within this spaciousness. Practicing in this way brings focus, clarity, insight, and freedom from reactivity, equanimity and peace.