Let the Mind Rest on the Body
I’m back from the deeply transformative 10-day retreat led by Ven. Analayo (shown in photo), followed by the Community Dharma Leader workshop, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with so much to write about.
So, for today, I’ll just leave you with the opening phrase, which Ven. Analayo used every morning and every afternoon (always the same, word for word), as he led us on a guided meditation/contemplation through the series of 7 practices outlined in the Satipatthana Sutta that are common to the both Pali and Chinese versions of the text. (The practices are: Anatomical Parts, Elements, Cemetery Contemplation, Feeling Tone, Contemplation of Mind, Hindrances, Enlightenment Factors.)
At every sit, this opening phrase would wash over me like a wave of calm, so now I start every meditation by saying it to myself:
“We are aware of the body in the sitting posture, and we let the mind rest on the body just as the body rests on the cushion.”
Ahhhhh.
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To listen to a sample of the guided meditation (40 minutes), beginning with this opening phrase, click here.