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Phases of practice
In Dharma Contemplation, we immerse ourselves in a short excerpt of the Buddha's words; we allow them to transform us. These words, in translation, come to us directly from the Pali suttas, the most direct written teachings of the Buddha. By first hearing, then repeatedly reading this text, it saturates our minds. Layer after layer, we deepen our understanding and experience of the teachings. We begin with silence.
Whether we are practicing alone or with others, the practice has its basis in calming the mind and being fully present to experience. Silence prepares us to be receptive, and to be transformed by the words of the Buddha. Silence is our portal to contemplative practice. It helps us calm down and arrive in full presence with the text and with each other. We quietly contemplate our respect for the teachings, and think about the value of whatever might come forth when we immerse ourselves in wise teachings. We approach each Dharma Contemplation gathering with respect for the Buddha, for the teachings, and for our community of practice: for each other. The practice then proceeds into the four stages: Phase One: Words As Such Phase Two: Meaning--the Intellect Phase Three:Contemplation--Encompassing Emotion Phase Four: Dialogue--Immediate Experience Words as such
The text is read aloud. We then keep the printed text before us, gently reading and rereading. In this phase, we speak only the words and phrases of the text. Into the silence, we speak those phrases that touch us or arouse questions. Having listened to the excerpt, we silently read and re-read the text to ourselves. What words and phrases speak tous? We dwell in and around those words. If they have the energy to beshared, we speak them into the silence of the group.
If a single word touches us, we stay with it, repeat it, dwell in it, and go beyond the intellect to a direct experience of the word as a collection of letters, a sound, an aggregate carrier of wisdom across time. We savor each word. As moved, we speak those phrases that stand out in that moment. Do these words stimulate thoughts or emotions; do they arouse inquiry?
Without yet feeding those thoughts, or delving into the felt sense of emotion, we pay attention to where the mind is drawn by curiosity or resonance. We share only thewords of the text—single words or phrases, and listen deeply as others do the same. Our attention is thus called to what others notice that we might have overlooked. Sometimes,unexpected words are brought forward or pivotal words are repeated manytimes in a kind of living poetry. There are ample silences, and eachword or phrase shared can resonate within us or within the group.
A Sample of Practice: ...imagine a tree abundant in its branches & leaves: Its buds grow to maturity,its bark grows to maturity, its sap wood grows to maturity, its heart wood grows to maturity. In the same way, when -- there being mindfulness & alertness -- a person is abundant in mindfulness & alertness,the prerequisite for a sense of conscience & concern becomes abundant. There being a sense of conscience & concern... the prerequisite for restraint of the senses becomes abundant. There being restraint of the senses... the prerequisite for virtue becomes abundant. There being virtue... the prerequisite for right concentration becomes abundant. There being right concentration... the prerequisite for knowledge & vision of things as they actually are present becomes abundant. There being knowledge & vision of things as they are actually present, the prerequisite for disenchantment & dispassion becomes abundant. There being disenchantment & dispassion, the prerequisite for knowledge & vision of release becomes abundant.
(AN VIII.81) participant one: abundant
participant two: disenchantment participant one: knowledge & vision of things as they actually are participant three: prerequisite participant four: disenchantment participant two: mindfulness & alertness participant four: grows participant three: present participant two: prerequisite for knowledge & vision of release becomes abundant. participant three: grows to maturity participant two: mindfulness & alertness, conscience & concern, knowledge and vision of release. participant one: maturity Meaning, the intellect
Literal and figurative meaning is a foundation for the phases of practice that follow. In this phase, we continue reading and re-reading the text, inquiring deeply into the meaning of specific words and phrases. We ask questions, share knowledge, and take note of the many levels of meaning. All contributions to the group refer directly to specific elements in the text. After we have been sharing only the words of the text for some time, inquiry as to the meaning of these words will naturally arise. With mindfulness, and without fear, we engage the intellect. As this happens, we begin to speak words other than the text. The orientation is still rigorously towards the text, but now we ask questions as to what a word means, why a certain image was used, or what a metaphor is suggesting. Words strung together unleash in the mind a remarkable array of possible interpretations. We enter this universe of possibilities open and fresh.
We can also share knowledge. Perhaps someone knows about other translations of key words, and they share this with the group. Perhaps someone is familiar with the cultural or historical context of the text, and their contribution will shed light on what these words mean to us now. What patterns appear in the excerpt overall? Do words change meaning with each reading? Do meanings change with each passage of a repeating form? Where do we sense inconsistencies? Do we understand this teaching? Can we make sense of it?
The attitude in this meaning phase is curiosity: slow and patient, firm at times, and alwaysopen-minded. Each individual will have his or her own ways of relating to meaning; some of what is shared will be pointed, some will be broad.Each person's spoken contribution will, like the core text, stimulate the inquiry of all the participants. We remain in a receptive and alertstate, in each moment asking ourselves what is coming forth from the process now. Because our practice is collective, we are attuning to thecollective wisdom emerging from the group as a whole.
The intellect is our ally in this phase of practice. There is no shying away from specific and penetrating inquiry.
Just as the ancient Jewish practice of Midrash has yielded centuries of priceless commentary on the Torah, and countless unnamed insights for its practitioners, this phase of Dharma Contemplation can tap exquisite details hidden beneath surface appearances. At the same time, the inquiry process itself yields wholesome curiosity and calm concentration.
Meaning, the intellect
It is essential during this phase to keep the inquiry centered on the text. We avoid personal reactions and stories and remain focused on layers of meaning in the Buddha's words. This will help us develop sturdy inner scaffolding for the later phases of the practice. In thenext phase we will explore emotional responses to the text and how these teachings touch our lives. Now, we focus on meaning. When well established, the multiple meanings inherent in each and every word, in each phrase, and in the whole excerpt, can challenge and powerfully re-structure our current meaning schemes. For this to occur, we use the power of the intellect, but remain in the stillness of contemplation. We listen for the still small voice within.We attend deeply, in a spirit of inquiry and awe. There are plenty of spaces for questions and statements to resonate and settle. We let the words and phrases shared by others touch us and arouse inquiry. Sample of Practice:
participant one: As I'm reading this I'm noticing that I'm drawn to the concept of right concentration, and how that would imply that there is wrong concentration also.
participant two: It seems that mindfulness and alertness could be in opposition to words like restraint of the senses. participant one: I take restraint to mean that we don't allow desire and aversion to have its way with out senses. I think the word I often see used is guarding. participant four: This isn't related to the meaning of a specific word per se, but to the flow and rhythm of the instructions here. It seems that there is little, or even no effort from one step to the next. It's like one of those fountains with the nested cups. As one fills up it overflows into the next. So the instruction here can be reduced to simply 'be mindful,' and that somehow lets the concepts later in the sequence be less difficult. participant two: Which concepts? participant four: When I look at knowledge and vision of things as they are, I can accept that at some point on the path there is a deeper recognition of things as they are, but obviously I'm not sure what that really looks like,having not experienced it. So it's a bit theoretical. But more to the point, I find dispassion and disenchantment to be difficult words to understand. They seem to go more along the scale to stoicism. participant three: For me that actually opens things up a bit. I see it meaning that one shouldn't be swayed by pleasures or aversions that will cause suffering. We see through the illusion that temporary pleasures can bring us lasting happiness.
Contemplation As we further absorb ourselves in the words, we begin to notice the resonances they evoke in the body and images they evoke in the mind. We ruminate, chewing and digesting each word. All contributions of emotional resonance spoken to the group are related specifically to the text.
By now, we have ingested the words themselves, and deeply explored their meanings. As we continue to read and re-read the text, our contemplation naturally extends to include emotions evoked by the text. We notice the resonances and images that the words stir up in the body. This is where the cognitive meets the affective. These meanings naturally evoke reactions, sometimes pleasant, sometimes unpleasant.
We remain present to all of it as our practice deepens.
Attention to arising experience ripens. As we take in sense stimuli—words and the images and thoughts they evoke—emotions arise and the body reacts. We can rest awareness on these immediately present reactions to the text. As we read and re-read these words, what sensations arise in the body? Exactly where in the body do we notice sensations? What is our emotional state? Joyful? Scared? Resistant? Eager? What is our mental state? Is there spaciousness—what does it feel like? Is there constriction, aversion, or confusion? We notice how these states change, and how the responses shared by others affect them. When a feeling has the power to be shared, we speak it to the group, always with direct and clear reference to the text.
These teachings arouse sensations and mind states because deeper layers of the unconscious are being touched. We do not know what is going to emerge and we attend to these sensations as messengers of intuitive understanding. This phase of the practice shares much with how one approaches and is touched by poetry. Images and feelings seep into the moment. The text evokes subtle cross-currents that reference things about us that we are not usually attuned to. Mindfulness and calm become more subtle.
As we abide with arising feelings, we are likely to be pulled away from the thoughts necessary to describe them, and drawn into the personal stories aroused by the practice. Rather than share these personal stories, we simply note what the tug towards story feels like. We let go and return to the text and our felt response to it. In this phase, the predominant focus is on the physical and emotional experience, still in response to the words of the Buddha rather than to each other’s contributions. Soon, we will release our focus on the text. For now, our challenge is to deepen our relationship to these words as we experience their subtle impact upon us.
The attitude here is rumination. As in the Christian practice of divine reading, or Lectio Divina, we allow the words to come alive within us. This is a time to hear “with the ear of our hearts.” We remain stable and aware as memories, feelings, and thoughts unfold. We allow ourselves to be drawn into the present moment of experience as the words speak to us. We experience this felt wisdom and speak it out, along with reference to the words that catalyzed it.
Sample of Practice:
participant two: I notice resistance to the word ‘prerequisite.’ It feels very dry and academic.
participant three: Where do you notice that?
participant two: Physically I can feel it in the front of my head. There is a tightness and a heaviness there.
participant four: As I read abundance, I feel a fullness in my heart and shoulders. It makes me smile.
participant one: The image of the tree and all its parts plays in my mind, as I see parts like branches and leaves, then the whole tree, then twigs.
participant three: The word prerequisite first made me feel tight, bound up. But as I sit with it, I feel the flow and strength in it.
participant four: I’m noticing a resistance to the word ‘conscience.’ I just noticed that each time I come to it, I gloss over reading it. As I look deeper I can feel the resonance of that word from my childhood. There is the image of a former friend that arises and it’s painful to look at. It’s hard to let go of.
participant one: I have a similar reaction to “conscience.” But here, it’s joined with “concern.” To me, that makes the phrase take on a gentleness. It's grandfatherly.Dialogue - immediate experience
We have explored the text in depth, and now we join together in immediate experience. We may still speak the actual textual words, but we also speak to present experience. What touches us now? We share our mundane observations, our pain, and our insights.
We join together in the present experience of the teaching. We may still hold the text in front of us, but because of our diligent practice up to now, we do not need to read it so intently. It lives within; we can trust this and speak the truth of this moment.We listen deeply to the whole. There are ample silences to soak in each and every spoken word, and the resonances they stimulate. We trust emergent experience. As we let go of strict adherence to the text, we find ourselves sitting just with how things are now. Thoughts from our life may come forward; issues we are dealing with may surface, even as we sit in practice. In the container of Dharma Contemplation, these continually arising thoughts, emotions, images, and bodily sensations are naturally viewed in a new way. We experience them through the lens created by the words we have been reading. How does the Dhamma touch and influence our lives? What is realized in this moment? How can we live these teachings, and can we use this moment to support one another on that path? Here, Dharma Contemplation reflects the personal immediacy of vipassana meditation. Mindfully, we share our mundane observations, our pain, and our insights. We are awaken and receptive as we listen to others. In our confusion and our clarity, we remember that our capacity for non-grasping follows us into this everyday life. What we say may still refer to the actual words of the text, but the core of what we are speaking is our present experience as drawn out by the words. This is a personal statement, not a theoretical one. We trust the work that has been done. We have deeply explored meaning, as well as the felt sense of the excerpt. We allow these phases to enrich and inform the present moment, but we release the pull towards them. We let go into the compassion, wisdom, and equanimity of the group, and stay with our inquiry into the emergent moment.We are patient, reflective. We are constantly refreshed by silence. Listening to other meditators’ truth, each person’s experience of the teaching becomes richer. Collective wisdom unfurls between us. Insight blooms within. Mindfulness and tranquility grow. In the ample silences, we soak in each and every spoken word and each nuance of internal and external experience. The attitude now develops into a full openness to the transformative wisdom of the teaching; that wisdom touches this moment of experience. The text has saturated our minds, our hearts. We recognize our capacity for unbinding and allow ourselves to be changed by the word. We speak the truth as it arises in this moment, where the Dhamma meets this human experience. This is also a time to accept the compassion of others and offer our own, recognizing the complexity and vulnerability of this deeply conditioned human life. We listen with full presence. Sharing and listening does not interrupt the silence nor the direct experience of the Dhamma. Rather, each contribution is met with wise attention and draws us ever more deeply into the moment. Sample of Practice: Participant two: I'm considering the work I've done...the practice I've engaged in over the years… and I realize that I carry an internal tone that says 'I never get it right…' And as we've sat here today with this excerpt and each others words, I've experienced a shift of sorts… I'm experiencing practice as a path....the way it's said to be... I'm seeing my life and practice unfold as part of the path, instead of as items to be placed in columns marked success or failure. Participant four: It's interesting, I have a similar experience. My practice life seems less daunting… I sense a clarity now, and there's a confidence in that clarity. Though as I allow mind to move to the some of the more difficult things occurring in my life… I can see how habitual thought kicks in… I have a large project at work that's coming to completion. How it's received by the customer will to a large extent determine how well we'll do for the next couple of years. When I consider this, and the pressures and personalities involved, an internal chatter arises… I become aware that I'm off… I get frustrated. But if I allow myself to recall the natural trajectory here, I can simply step into mindfulness and have a doorway into all this unfolding. Participant three: The question for me is how to do that. Such lovely things have been shared, and I dread it coming to an end. <laughter> But really, so much has arisen from us working… with so few words. In that alone, I get a sense of what can come from care and attention. From really bringing mindfulness to out lives… To bring that quality to interactions, or email, or anything really. So the question for me is how to support that. Participant one: Practice <smiling> Participant two: And by supporting one another. Participant four: It seems that through deep practice like this, a clarity arises… Maybe things we've never seen before, or maybe even just a slight shift in perspective...even just a remembering. And then we nurture it, so we can more easily bring that into focus… We can act from that clarity because we've practiced with it. Ending in silence
We use words when helpful, let go when unnecessary. There is a movement to silence.
Internally, we naturally recall the words. We rest in the immediate experience of the Dhamma. If we speak, we do so sparingly, with respect and gratitude. Our practice has delivered us to silence. We no longer read; we dwell directly with the experience of the Dhamma that has unfolded. Silence provides the background for a meditation that is mostly beyond words. In this silence, we may naturally recall the words, images, and feelings that now saturate the heart. We may be aware of the body as it resonates with recent experience. We may sense the quiet energy of the group.
We rest in the immediate understanding of the truths that have emerged. The attitude now is one of letting be. Here, we move from contemplation to meditation. We naturally dwell within the contemplative frame of the excerpt, but do not hold to it in any way. Silence is our natural home. If moved, we may put some words to experience, offering traces of our practice for others to share. Together, we offer and support our meditation partners with the gift of our silent practice. We rest quietly in presence, as experience yields insight. Furthering your practice
Now that you have an understanding of the Dharma Contemplation process, you may be interested in looking at ways of furthering or embracing this practice.
The Metta Foundation offers a number of ways to guide you including retreats, online programs and international groups that meet regularly. For more information, please follow the link below.
Read More: Furthering your practice
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