As a monk, I bring a strong commitment, along with the renunciate flavor, to the classic Buddhist teachings. I play with ideas, with humor and a current way of expressing the teachings, but I don't dilute them.
Sitting in a field of fifty to eighty people really starts my mind sparking. Since I don't prepare my talks ahead of time, I find myself listening to what I'm saying along with everyone else. This leaves a lot of room for the Dhamma to come up. Just having eighty people listening to me is enough to engage me, stimulate me, and create a nice flow of energy. The actual process of teaching evokes ideas that even I did not realize were being held somewhere in my mind.
Different teaching situations offer their own unique value. In retreat, you are able to build a cohesive and comprehensive body of the teachings. When people are not on retreat and come for one session, it opens a different window. They are more spontaneous and I'm given the chance to contact them in ways that are closer to their "daily-life mind." This brings up surprises and interesting opportunities for me to learn even more.
I'm continually struck by how important it is to establish a foundation of morality, commitment, and a sense of personal values for the Vipassana teachings to rest upon. Personal values have to be more than ideas. They have to actually work for us, to be genuinely felt in our lives. We can't bluff our way into insight. The investigative path is an intimate experience that empowers our individuality in a way that is not egocentric. Vipassana encourages transpersonal individuality rather than ego enhancement. It allow for a spacious authenticity to replace a defended personality.
I normally incorporate Qi Gong instruction in my retreats. They are not suitable as audio files but you can watch the nine videos here: https://tinyurl.com/Sucitto-qigong
Sit in a comfortable position so that breathing is made easy. Pay attention to the spaces when the exhalation ends and then when the inhalation ends. (Asseyez-vous dans une position confortable pour faciliter la respiration. Faites attention aux espaces lorsque l'expiration se termine, puis lorsque l'inspiration se termine.)
00:00 Q1 Where do energies come from? Do these drive evolution and the origin of life?
01:16 Q2 In walking meditation do we have to keep walking back and forth.
13:10 Q3 The days start alright but I accumulate the detritus of thinking through the day. What to do?
Developing confidence in experiencing presence by using the body and citta together. Establishing ground presence is the fundamental beginning. (Développer la confiance dans l'expérience de la présence en utilisant ensemble le corps et le citta. Établir une présence au sol est le début fondamental. )
Using a forest style of walking produces rhythmic comfortable walking like a lion rather than a chicken using 25-30 paces, sensing the general mood and enjoying the forest. (L'utilisation d'un style de marche en forêt produit une marche rythmique confortable comme un lion plutôt qu'un poulet en utilisant 25 à 30 pas, sentant l'ambiance générale et appréciant la forêt. )
Tuning into the rhythms of the body and its breathing, we are aware of an impression in the heart. Sympathy or empathy is available to meet this. Relax. Let the body breathe undisturbed. (En accord avec les rythmes du corps et de sa respiration, nous sommes conscients d'une impression dans le cœur. La sympathie ou l'empathie est disponible pour répondre à cela. Relaxer. Laissez le corps respirer sans être dérangé.)
Ajahn shows how language creates a separate individual and offers a selection of new vocabulary and meaning coming from Buddhist teachings demonstrating how they can be used for investigation. (Ajahn montre comment le langage crée un individu séparé et propose une sélection de nouveaux vocabulaires et significations issus des enseignements bouddhistes démontrant comment ils peuvent être utilisés pour l'investigation. )
Retreats require a commitment to the process of surfacing subtle energies through mindfulness of the body. Ajahn reviews basic sitting posture and it's utility. (Les retraites nécessitent un engagement dans le processus de faire émerger les énergies subtiles grâce à la pleine conscience du corps. Ajahn passe en revue la posture assise de base et son utilité.)
