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oblivia · 06-07-2010, 10:58 PM

June 6, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Cultivate a Spacious mind

When you do meditate on a specific object, such as the breath, that object will help you to develop concentration, and concentration will enable you to cultivate a quiet and spacious mind. But you must be careful not to focus your attention too narrowly on the object, as that can constrain your practice. You should keep your primary focus on the object of meditation, but try to do so with a wide-open awareness. As you follow the breath, for instance, allow yourself to also be aware of what is happening in and around you. Be conscious of sounds, thoughts, sensations, feelings - but without fixating on, grasping, or rejecting any of these things.

-Martine Batchelor, "A Refuge into Being" (Winter 2002)

I like this as a tool. It can be hard to maintain focus when meditating and there are exterior noises (phone ringing, kids chatting, tv on in another room, traffic, car bass going down the road lol etc). I find being able to allow the distractions to float by in your mind like clouds rather than trying to hold onto them.

06-07-2010, 10:58 PM	#51
oblivia Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: she/her Relationship Status: Married, treasured, and adored Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 472 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,582 Thanked 1,430 Times in 359 Posts Rep Power: 0	June 6, 2010 Tricycle Daily Dharma Cultivate a Spacious mind When you do meditate on a specific object, such as the breath, that object will help you to develop concentration, and concentration will enable you to cultivate a quiet and spacious mind. But you must be careful not to focus your attention too narrowly on the object, as that can constrain your practice. You should keep your primary focus on the object of meditation, but try to do so with a wide-open awareness. As you follow the breath, for instance, allow yourself to also be aware of what is happening in and around you. Be conscious of sounds, thoughts, sensations, feelings - but without fixating on, grasping, or rejecting any of these things. -Martine Batchelor, "A Refuge into Being" (Winter 2002) I like this as a tool. It can be hard to maintain focus when meditating and there are exterior noises (phone ringing, kids chatting, tv on in another room, traffic, car bass going down the road lol etc). I find being able to allow the distractions to float by in your mind like clouds rather than trying to hold onto them.