body m tu apr gm 2013
GONG – feel the whole space in which you live – from the top of your head to your toes – this is my home – my precious home – where my emotions live – my mind lives – my spirit lives – all here in this fathom-long body – Buddha said ‘in this fathom-long body I show you the arising ad the passing away of the universe’ –
tune into your body – as a place where you can find deep wisdom – these arms and legs – bones muscles and stuff – are where I can find wisdom – don’t get your mind going – thinking what is this wisdom and how do I – just feel the body as a place of wisdom –
adjust the posture – let the spine open out – helps you tune into the whole body – tune into the sensations in the body – feel the whole body is alive with sensation – this body is a living creature – alive with sensation – you may notice sensations that you usually think are discomfort – tensions or aches – and some you feel more comfortable about – put aside the response of ‘I like this one, I don’t like that one’ – allow the great orchestra of sensation to play its tunes – this is my living body – it’s speaking to me – through all these sensations –
let your attention move where it will – you might have little tingles that are just there for a moment – then they disappear again – you might notice things in different parts of the body – let your attention follow wherever the body speaks to you – say to the body ‘I’m listening now’ – all the countless times that I ignore you – I’m listening now – don’t make any effort – if there’s something uncomfortable – don’t make any effort to let it go – or make it disappear – you’re just listening to the songs of the body – not trying to change them at all –
you might try gradually focusing more on one sensation or another for a while – by focusing I don’t mean like a microscope that tightens up its focus – let the awareness be like a space around that sensation – an open space in which that sensation can have its voice – be fascinated – this is my living body – the living creature that I am – speaking to me with all these myriad different voices – different tones – what are they –
being fascinated, interested, is a form of compassion – is compassion – we’re developing a friendly compassionate listening relationship with our body – I’m interested in you – I’m listening – relax – be very open in the way you listen – not judging – not criticising – not trying to change – being with what is –
notice how this brings you into the present moment – the only place you can notice sensations is now – not yesterday – not tomorrow – right in this moment – what’s it like – what’s the sensation of just being present now – with sensation – what’s it like simply being present ad aware – aware in a compassionate way – not judging – open –
this is my precious living body – this is the bliss-form that arises out of the void – the bliss-form that is me – whatever that is – explore how just being aware of sensation gives it a quality of bliss – being aware without resisting or changing it – explore what kind of quality of bliss is this – it’s not necessarily oh wonderful gorgeous and luscious – yet maybe it is somehow – this body is where I find wisdom – I don’t have to go anywhere else to find it – it’s right here –
check what state your mind is in now – is it more calm – what are the qualities of your mind now – after spending this time just being with sensation – being in the present moment – GONG – as you come out keep your awareness of what state you’re in how things look or whatever don’t drop it –