A Joyful Practice

A Quick Note & Excerpt: “Sitting in Grace & ‘A center of stillness surrounded by silence’” (a Monday post-practice post) July 29, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone working for peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!

This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, July 29^th. The 2024 prompt question was, “What do you appreciate about your practice(s)?” (Noting that this can be related to any practice.) You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“The Mahāṭīkā says that the delight leads to jhāna [meditation] in certain cases. However, this does not mean that it cannot also give rise to insight concentration. Some Pāḷi texts explicitly mention that spiritual delight leads to the wholesome arising of other mental states such as rapture, calm (passaddhi), happiness (sukha), concentration, and knowledge of things as they really are (yathābhūtañāṇa). In the context of insight practice, every time one notes an object well it gives rise to delight. As a result of this, practice becomes enjoyable. This enjoyment in turn supports the progress of insight knowledge, step by step, until noble ones are liberated from the cycle of suffering. This is why delight is regarded as a cause of liberation for the noble ones.”

— quoted from the “Delight and laziness” section of “2. Purification of Mind: Liberations and Hindrances” in Manual of Insight by Venerable Mahāsi Sayadaw, translated and edited by the Vipassanā Mettā Foundation Translation Committee (Forwards by Joseph Goldstein and Daniel Goleman)

One of the things I find delightful and amazing about mindfulness-based practices — and particularly about my yoga and meditation practices — is that they meet you where you are, accept you as you are, and embrace all that you are.

Then, the practices encourage you to do the same for yourself (and, eventually for others).

I appreciate that this means we can practice even when we don’t feel super motivated to do anything (including a practice). I also appreciate that this means we can adapt and adjust the practice as needed — based on how we’re feeling, where we are, and/or what else we need to do in the course of the day. Finally, I appreciate that regardless of how any one of us feels about props, music, teachers, and other practitioners (all of which I love), we don’t need them to practice.

All any one of us needs to practice is our breath and our awareness of our breath.

Which means we can practice anywhere — including at the United Nations Headquarters.

Click on the excerpt title below for more.

Sitting in Grace & FTWMI: “A center of stillness surrounded by silence”

“…delight will arise spontaneously when one’s mindfulness, concentration, and insight mature. There is generally no need to try to deliberately develop it. However, when laziness is an obstacle, one should arouse delight by contemplating the virtues of the Triple Gem, the benefits of insight, how much one has purified one’s moral conduct since beginning to practice, or the pure and noble quality of the noting mind.”

— quoted from the “Delight and laziness” section of “2. Purification of Mind: Liberations and Hindrances” in Manual of Insight by Venerable Mahāsi Sayadaw, translated and edited by the Vipassanā Mettā Foundation Translation Committee (Forwards by Joseph Goldstein and Daniel Goleman)

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

The 2023 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07292023 Still Breathing, Noting, Here & at the UN”]

The 2020 playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07292020 Breathing, Noting, Here & at the UN”]

“The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding inside.”

— quoted from Markings by Dag Hammerskjöld

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

### Peace In, Peace Out ###