Homework

Seven Factors of Awakening: Mindfulness & Investigation

1. First Factor of Awakening – Mindfulness. Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening in the present moment.
2. Second Factor of Awakening – Investigation. Investigation discerns & illuminates the truth through discriminating wisdom-knowing what’s what. It distinguishing between what is skillful to the development of our practice and what is not. We discern to cultivate the wholesome and to abandon the unwholesome.
3. Sitting Meditation:
   • Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day
   • Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
   • Be aware of the body & its sensations (sitting or breathing), or the feeling tones (pleasant/unpleasant/neutral) or the condition of the mind (i.e. clarity, alertness of mind, or the busyness or quietness of mind, or a specific activity of mind that is obvious, such as thoughts about the future or memories of the past)
   • Ask yourself with or without words, “Is this suffering or not suffering? Is this wholesome or not wholesome?”
4. Standing Meditation:
   • Be aware when you are standing.
   • Be aware of the feet making contact with the ground.
5. Daily Life Practice
   • Each day text or e-mail your buddy or write down for yourself 1-3 things you are grateful for. It can be anything.Please include in your text or e-mail what you experienced or learned about the following: (it can be a sentence or two)
   a) while practicing a daily mindful activity from class
   b) while you are investigating wise speech. Be aware of speaking to someone each day. Investigate the attitude that’s in the mind that motivates you to speak. Notice if you are practicing wise speech (true, kind, beneficial, harm anyone? right time to say something?-hint uplifting)
   c) Ask yourself “Is your speech wholesome or not wholesome? Are you suffering or not suffering?

Seven Factors of Awakening: Energy

1. Third Factor of Awakening-Energy. Increased engagement with practice, especially cultivating wholesome, skillful, states & actions and letting go of unwholesome, unskillful states & actions
2. Sitting Meditation:

• Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day, in silence.
• Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
• Ask yourself with or without words:
  “Is this suffering or not suffering? Is this wholesome or not   wholesome?”
• Question do you find that you are applying effort by striving or by relaxing? How do you know if you are applying the right amount of effort?
• Experiment with applying more effort in meditation. By sitting up straighter or by brisk walking meditation before sitting. By mentally being alert & mindful of what is happening during the meditation. If applying more effort is agitating, try to match the increased effort with increased calm.

4. Standing and Walking Meditation:

• Be aware when you are standing or walking in your day.

5. Daily Life Practices
6. Each day text or e-mail your buddy or write down for yourself
   1-3 things you are grateful for. Can be anything.Please do your best to do reflect and practice with at least one of the following Reflections and Practices (b-d).
7. Reflections: How easy is it for you to stay with a task until it is completed? How do you relate to obstacles or difficulties that arise? Do you have the persistence to be with them? Do you work on tasks past a point of diminishing returns?
   Practices: This week decide to complete a task that you have been intending to do, but haven’t. Notice your energy level when you think about doing this task, when you’re about to begin the task, while you’re doing the task & after you’ve completed the task. When did you feel the most energetic? Which part required the most energy? Did any give you energy? How might this affect your practice?
8. Reflections: Which requires more energy for you- releasing or acquiring? Which gives you more energy – releasing or acquiring? How does this affect your meditation practice? How does this affect the quality of your life?
   Practices: This week decide to let go of an object or a habit that you believe hinders your meditation practice. It doesn’t have to be a big item or habit, but a meaningful one. Notice your energy level as you contemplate letting go of this item, as you let go and after letting go. What took the most energy? Which step gave you the most energy?
9. Reflections: In the list of the Seven Factors or Awakening, energy is listed after investigation & before joy. Why do you think this is? Do you experience a relationship between investigation and energy? Do you experience a relationship between energy and joy?
   Practices: Explore or study something that is interesting to you. It could be as simply as looking something up in Google or Wikipedia, or talking to an “expert” about something you’ve been curious about. While investigating, notice your energy level & your sense of well-being. Have they increased or decreased since you’ve started investigating? During the week, pay attention if a sense of well-being arises. How is your energy level when you have a sense of well-being?

Seven Factors of Awakening: Joy

Fourth Factor of Awakening-Joy – (piti)
Feelings of delight, rapture. Touching that which is refreshing and beautiful, both within and without. Arises when attention is absorbed

1. Sitting Meditation:

• Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day, in silence.
• Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
• Be aware of the body and its sensations (sitting or breathing), or the feeling tones (pleasant-unpleasant-neutral) or the condition of the mind (i.e. clarity, alertness of mind, the busyness or quietness of mind, or a specific activity of mind such as thinking)
• During formal meditation: Do you find that contentment or joy arises?
• After sitting: Contemplate, if you can tell whether you are creating conditions for joyfulness or repressing joy due to a belief that joy should not be experienced?

4. Standing and Walking Meditation:

• Be aware when you are standing or walking.
• Be aware of the feet making contact with the ground.
• Take a moment to notice your surroundings

 

5. Daily Life Practices –Each day text or e-mail your buddy,1-3 things you are grateful for. Also include what you experienced or learned from exercises below.

• Create a list of easy ways that you can increase the amount of joy and/or delight in your daily life. What are some of the obvious activities, actions, events, or aspects of nature/beauty in your daily life that you often overlook that would bring some degree of joy if you really noticed? (You can add to this list during the week.)
• Practice a couple of easy ways on your list.
• What affect does joy have on you?
• How is your sense of well-being when you are completely present in the moment?

Fifth Factor of Awakening-Tranquility (passaddhi)
Calming and stilling of body, heart, mind.  Ease, composure serenity, relaxation, quietness of mind. It is the soothing factor of heart/mind that quiets disturbances.

1. Sitting Meditation:

• Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day, in silence.
• Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
• Be aware of the body and its sensations (sitting or breathing), or the feeling tones (pleasant-unpleasant-neutral) or the condition of the mind (i.e. clarity, alertness of mind, the busyness or quietness of mind)
• During formal meditation, Observe moments of ease, calm, composure, tranquility. Moments when the mind is free of desire, wanting, agitation, restlessness. Notice whether there is attachment to the feeling of calm, ease.. Notice moments of agitation or restlessness. Is it possible to calmly know agitation or restlessness?
• After sitting: Contemplate, if you valued your meditation based on the amount of calmness you experienced. If agitation or restlessness arose? Did you think it was a “bad” meditation if you felt agitation or restlessness?

2. Standing and Walking Meditation:

• Do you best to be aware when you are standing or walking.
• Notice rushing– when we are ahead of ourselves or energetically toppling forward. See if you can allow for ease, composure, tranquility of heart/mind. (Hint: when walking just walk, when standing just stand.)

 

3. Daily Life Practices –Each day text or e-mail your buddy,1-3 things you are grateful for. Also include something you experienced or learned from exercises below. (in a sentence or two)

• Create a list of easy ways that you can increase the amount of calmness or tranquility in your daily life. What activities or situations support feelings of ease and calmness? Are there activities or situations in your life that take away your sense of calmness that can be easily reduced?
• Spend more time with activities that support a sense of ease or calmness. Notice how your body feels when you feel at ease. Notice your mind state or emotional state when you are calm/easeful. Is the feeling of calm, tranquility consistent or does it change?
• As you spend time with activities that support a sense of ease or calmness, Notice how you feel before, during & after the activities. Notice if your meditation practice is affected by the degree of calmness. Also notice how your meditation practice affects your ease/calmness in daily life?

At the end of the day reflect on when you felt the most calm or easeful. Reflect for a moment or so, on the conditions that supported that feeling and reflect on any conditions that disrupted that feeling. Also reflect, for a moment or so, on whether your level of calmness affected the calmness of those around you.

Sixth Factor of Awakening-Concentration (samadhi)
The mind is focused, settled, composed. The mind becomes unified around what we’re concentrating on, one-pointedness of mind.

1. Sitting Meditation:

• Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day, in silence.
• Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
• Be aware of the body and its sensations (sitting or breathing), or the feeling tones (pleasant-unpleasant-neutral) or the condition of the mind (i.e. the degree of calm, is it clear or dull calm? Is there interest in the calm or busyness?)
• During formal meditation, Observe moments of presence, ease, calm, composure. Observe when you feel more or less calm in a sitting. Also be aware of the arising of hindrances. What is the difference in your experience when any hindrance is present and when any hindrance is not present.
  Hindrances are Sense-desire: wanting, lust or greed, craving(planning), fantasy. Aversion: ill will, hatred, anger, fear, boredom, annoyance, irritation, impatience, judging-mind, guilt. ) Sloth & torpor: sleepiness, sluggishness, laziness, dullness, fogginess, lack of vitality. Restlessness & worry: anxiousness, agitation, remorse, nervousness, jumpiness. Doubt: Uncertainty, self doubt, skeptical doubt, indecision.
• During formal meditation..A couple of times during the week, Intentionally practice focusing exclusively on your breath during your meditation or repeat Brahma-Vihara phrases.
  Be aware of the steadiness of the heart- mind.

2. Standing and Walking Meditation:

• Do you best to be aware when you are standing or walking.
• Continue to Notice rushing– when we are ahead of ourselves or energetically toppling forward. See if you can allow for ease, composure, tranquility of heart/mind. (Hint: when walking just walk, when standing just stand.)

 

2. Daily Life Practices –Each day text your buddy,1-3 things you are grateful for. Also include something you experienced or learned from exercises below. (in a sentence or two)

• Be aware when you are present, composed, calm, or absorbed.
• Memorize something that supports your practice. Either a poem, a passage from a sutta, a song, a phrase. How does it feel to make the effort to memorize something meaningful? Call to mind what you memorized a couple of times a day. Does what you memorize affect you in any way?
• This week notice when the Hindrances are present in daily life & take the opportunity to investigate them. What are their emotional, physical, energetic, cognitive aspects? What is the difference in your experience when any hindrance is present and when any hindrance is not present?

Seventh Factor of Awakening- Equanimity (upekkha)
The balance & non-reactivity of mind, balance in the face of change, being aware of all phenomena without grasping or aversion. Sublime and extremely satisfying “emotional” state

1. Sitting Meditation:

• Sit every day 15-30 minutes a day, in silence.
• Listen to, be aware of and receive whatever presents itself.
• Be aware of the body & its sensations (sitting or breathing), or the feeling tones (pleasant-unpleasant-neutral) or the condition of the mind (i.e. the degree of calm, is it even or steady calm? If the mind is active, can you notice the condition behind it? Can you be aware of a steady quietness behind the mental activity?)
• During formal meditation, be aware of any feelings of poise, balance, evenness. If you don’t experience a sense of balance, then explore what prevents you from being present & feeling equanimity with what has arisen.
• During formal meditation, observe when you feel calm & settled, then be aware of how balanced, poised you feel when you’re calm. Also notice the relationship between feeling agitated & your ability to hold experiences with equanimity.

2. Standing and Walking Meditation:

• Do you best to be aware when you are standing or walking.
• Continue to Notice rushing– when we are ahead of ourselves or energetically toppling forward. See if you can allow for balance and non-reactivity of heart/mind.

 

3. Daily Life Practices –Each day text your buddy,1-3 things you are grateful for. Also include something you experienced or learned from exercises below. (in a sentence or two)

• When you find yourself in a challenging life situation do your best to be mindful of the body. Give attention to your posture & assume a posture that is grounded & balanced. Explore how a dedication to being mindful of the body & posture helps you to be equanimous.
• In the list of the 7 Factors or Awakening equanimity is last, after concentration. Do you experience a relationship between concentration & equanimity? How might these factors contribute to your development?
• Practice Pausing (instructions below). Simply Pause for ten seconds
• Feel your feet on the floor
• Shift into relaxation
• Relax & soften muscles anywhere you feel tension for example: in shoulders, jaw, around the eyes, belly
• Notice how the body feels
• Widen attention over the entire body — Inhabit the body
• Pay attention as if listening to body
• Float the question: What is happening right now?
• Listen, without judgment
• Let it go & rest within the body

Parami Homework: Gratitude and Generosity

1. Sit every day. Try sitting for a minimum of 15-30 minutes per day. (more if you are able) Please practice your meditation in silence
2. Ajahn Sucitto’s book, Pāramī : Ways to Cross Life’s Floods, will be our shared text. Please read the chapter, “Crossing the Floods starting on page 11-29 and Generosity 31-40. https://forestsangha.org
3. The Paramis
   1. Initially one brings the topic to mind-this is helpful and useful-it means that the parami gets built-in as a frame of reference. Do your best to build in Gratitude & Generosity.
   2. The gathering stage is when you apply the parami in the face of its opposition. (Something in you doesn’t want to bother, other people don’t see the point, not convenient to do so) Do your best to apply Gratitude& Generosity in the face of opposition.
   3. Ask yourself each day, “What is going to take me you out of stress, discontent right now?” Listen to the answer
      
4. Gratitude Parami Practices
   1. Write down, say to partner or friend or text a classmate 3 things you are grateful for each day. Can be anything.
   2. Thank someone every day
5. Generosity Parami Practices
   1. For 1/2 an hour each day, try offering respectful attention to everyone you meet or talk to. Take the other person’s point of view. Let the person on the bus, T, desk next to you, your neighbor, child, partner- be the most important person around.
   2. Give your full attention to them physically. Put your device(s) away. Look at the person. Listen carefully. Open your heart. Be there without pushing an agenda. Simply Listening.
   3. Text or e-mail your buddy. Share what you learned.

 HAVE FUN!

Virtue Homework Part One for week of Feb 8-Feb 15
Look for an e-mail on Feb 15 for part two of this month’s work.

• Sit every day. Try sitting for a minimum of 15-30 minutes per day. (more if you are able) Please practice your meditation in silence.
• Gratitude Practice. Write down, say to partner or friend or text a classmate 3 things you are grateful for each day. Can be anything.
• Recollect Parami Practice
• Initially one brings the topic to mind-this is helpful and useful-it means that the parami gets built-in as a frame of reference. Do your best to build in non-harming this month.
• The gathering stage is when you apply the parami in the face of its opposition. (Something in you doesn’t want to bother, other people don’t see the point, not convenient to do so) Do your best to apply non-harming in the face of opposition.
• Virtue Parami- guidelines that invite us to live a life of loving kindness through an exploration of our actions, speech, thoughts. Please read the precept handout every day.

Reflections: record in your journal.
Share with your buddy via e-mail, in person, on the phone.

• Our attitudes towards ethics or virtue are often conditioned by how ethics was viewed or practiced in the family and culture in which we grew up. Spend some time considering how you may have been influenced by this conditioning. What are the foundational influences that shaped your relationship to ethics? What ethical training & teachings did you receive growing up?
  If you can, talk with someone from your family of origin to help you understand how your family related to ethics. And/or you might talk to someone from a different cultural background as you and explore the similarities and differences in how ethics is viewed in your two cultures.
• When in your life do feel you were most ethical and when do you think you were least ethical? What personal & social conditions existed that encouraged you to be ethical or unethical? What important lessons did you learn from times you were most ethical or most unethical?
• Which ethical virtues are strongest in you? Which are weakest for you? To help, here is a list of some ethical virtues: , caring, compassion, generosity, truthfulness, honesty, integrity, service, gratitude, unselfishness, justice, morality.
• Spend some time considering the ways you and others benefit when you are ethical.

Ajahn Sucitto’s book, Pāramī : Ways to Cross Life’s Floods, will be our shared text. Please read the chapter, “Crossing the Floods starting on page 40-45 and 50-53.

Read the first chapter of the book, Magnanimous Heart (if you weren’t able to come this past week, there will be a book waiting for you next week).

Be aware throughout the day of dukkha – a constant sense of squeeze, especially as related to experiences of loss. Be aware of big losses as well as smaller and more subtle and nuanced losses as you go throughout your day. As you recognize this sense of being squeezed – mentally, physically, and emotionally – try to incline towards relating to it as natural and not as something that should not be happening. Contextualize these moments as “dukkha is happening”, or “this is dukkha”, not adding or subtracting from the experience itself but instead, opening your heart to its existence. Try not to add to the experience by clinging or pushing those moments away, but instead, accepting that it is so.