For sitting meditation
You will find the abdomen rising when you breathe in, and falling when you breathe out. The rising should be noted mentally as “rising,” and the falling as “falling.” If the movement is not evident by just noting it mentally, keep touching the abdomen with the palm of your hand.
Do not alter the manner of your breathing. Neither slow it down, nor make it faster. Do not breathe too vigorously, either. You will tire if you change the manner of your breathing. Breathe steadily as usual and note the rising and falling of the abdomen as they occur. Note it mentally, not verbally.
When rising from the sitting posture, he should do so gradually, noting as “rising, rising.”
When straightening up and standing, note as “standing, standing.” When looking here and there, note as “looking, seeing.”
you want to sit down, note as “wanting to sit down, wanting to sit down.” When actually sitting down, note concentratedly the “heavy” falling of your body.
When you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging your legs and arms. When there are no such movements, but just a stillness (static rest) of the body, note the rising and falling of the abdomen. While noting thus and if stiffness of your limbs and sensation of heat in any part of your body arise, go on to note them. Then back to “rising, falling.”
For secondary objects
In the beginning, as his mind wanders here and there, the yogi may miss noting many things. But he should not be disheartened. Every beginner in meditation encounters the same difficulty. But as he becomes more practiced, he becomes aware of every act of mind-wandering until eventually the mind does not wander any more.
Your mind may wander elsewhere while you are noting the abdominal movement. This must also be noted by mentally saying “wandering, wandering.” When this has been noted once or twice, the mind stops wandering, in which case you go back to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If the mind reaches somewhere, note as “reaching, reaching.” Then go back to the rising and falling of the abdomen. If you imagine meeting somebody, note as “meeting, meeting.” Then back to the rising and falling. If you imagine meeting and talking to somebody, note as “talking, talking.” In short, whatever thought or reflection occurs should be noted. If you imagine, note as “imagining.” If you think, “thinking.” If you plan, “planning.” If you perceive, “perceiving.” If you reflect, “reflecting.” If you feel happy, “happy.” If you feel bored, “bored.” If you feel glad, “glad.” If you feel disheartened, “disheartened”.
These sensations should be carefully and intently noted, whether they are sensations of stiffness, of heat or of pain. In the beginning of the yogi’s meditational practice, these sensations may tend to increase and lead to a desire to change his posture. This desire should be noted, after which the yogi should go back to noting the sensations of stiffness, heat, etc.
. One should not immediately give up one’s meditation on the appearance of such sensations and change one’s meditational posture. One should go on patiently, just noting as “stiffness, stiffness” or “hot, hot.” Moderate sensations of these kinds will disappear if one goes on noting them patiently. When concentration is good and strong, even intense sensations tend to disappear. One then reverts to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.
One will of course have to change one’s posture if the sensations do not disappear even after one has noted them for a long time and, if on the other hand, they become unbearable. One should then begin noting as “wishing to change, wishing to change.” If the arm rises, note as “rising, rising.” If it moves, note as “moving, moving.” This change should be made gently and noted as “rising, rising,” “moving, moving” and “touching, touching.” If the body sways, “swaying, swaying.” If the foot rises, “rising, rising.” If it moves, “moving, moving.” If it drops, “dropping, dropping.”
If a sensation of itchiness intervenes and the yogi desires to scratch because it is hard to bear, both the sensation and the desire to get rid of it should be noted, without immediately getting rid of the sensation by scratching. If one goes on perseveringly noting thus, the itchiness generally disappears, in which case one reverts to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If the itchiness does not in fact disappear, one has of course to eliminate it by scratching. But first, the desire to do so should be noted. All the movements involved in the process of eliminating this sensation should be noted, especially the touching, pulling and pushing, and scratching movements, with an eventual reversion to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.
Every time you make a change of posture, you begin with noting your intention or desire to make the change, and go on to noting every movement closely, such as rising from the sitting posture, raising the arm, moving and stretching it. You should make the change at the same time as noting the movements involved. As your body sways forward, note it. As you rise, the body becomes light and rises. Concentrating your mind on this, you should gently note as “rising, rising.” The yogi should behave as if he were a weak invalid. People in normal health rise easily and quickly or abruptly. Not so with feeble invalids, who do so slowly and gently. The same is the case with people suffering from “backache” who rise gently lest the back hurt and cause pain. So also with meditating yogis.
They have to make their changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will mindfulness, concentration and insight be good. Begin, therefore, with gentle and gradual movements. When rising, the yogi must do so gently like an invalid, at the same time noting as “rising, rising”. Not only this, though the eye sees, the yogi must act as if he does not see. Similarly when the ear hears. While meditating, the yogi’s concern is only to note. What he sees and hears are not his concern. So, whatever strange or striking things he may see or hear, he must behave as if he does not see or hear them, merely noting carefully. When making bodily movements, the yogi should do so gradually as if he were a weak invalid, gently moving the arms and legs, bending or stretching them, bending down the head and bringing it up. All these movements should be made gently. When you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging your legs and arms. When there are no such movements, but just a stillness (static rest) of the body, note the rising and falling of the abdomen. While noting thus and if stiffness of your limbs and sensation of heat in any part of your body arise, go on to note them. Then back to “rising, falling.”
’’ All movements involved in lying down and arranging the arms and legs should be carefully and unremittingly noted. If there is no movement, but only stillness (of the body), go back to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.
When he feels sleepy, he should note as “sleepy, sleepy;” if his eyelids droop, “drooping;” if they become heavy or leaden, “heavy;” if the eyes become smarting, “smarting.” Noting thus, the drowsiness may pass and the eyes become “clear” again. The yogi should then note as “clear, clear” and go on to note the rising and falling of the abdomen. However, perseveringly the yogi may go on meditating; if real drowsiness intervenes, he does fall asleep.
As soon as he awakens, he should note the awakening state of his mind as “awakening, awakening.” If he cannot yet make himself aware of this, he should begin noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If he intends to get up from bed, he should note as “intending to get up, intending to get up.” He should then go on to note the changing movements he makes as he arranges his arms and legs. When he raises his head and rises, note as “rising, rising.” When he is seated; note as “sitting, sitting.” If he makes any changing movements as he arranges his arms and legs, all of these movements should also be noted.
One should also note when one washes one’s face and when one takes a bath. As the movements involved in these acts are rather quick, as many of them should be noted as possible. There are then acts of dressing, of tidying up the bed, of opening and closing the door; all these should also be noted as closely as possible. When the yogi has his meal and looks at the meal-table, he should note as “looking, seeing, looking, seeing.” When he extends his arm towards the food, touches it, collects and arranges it, handles it and brings it to the mouth, bends his head and puts the morsel of food into his mouth, drops his arm and raises his head again, all these movements should be duly noted. (This way of noting is in accordance with the Burmese way of taking a meal. Those who use fork and spoon or chopsticks should note the movements in an appropriate manner.) When he chews the food, he should note as “chewing, chewing.” When he comes to know the taste of the food, he should note as “knowing, knowing.” As he relishes the food and swallows it, as the food goes down his throat, he should note all these happenings. This is how the yogi should note as he takes one morsel after another of his food.
As he takes his soup, all the movements involved such as extending of the arm, handling of the spoon and scooping with it and so on, all these should be noted. To note thus at meal-time is rather difficult as there are so many things to observe and note.
For daily activites
Every time you make a change of posture, you begin with noting your intention or desire to make the change, and go on to noting every movement closely, such as rising from the sitting posture, raising the arm, moving and stretching it. You should make the change at the same time as noting the movements involved. As your body sways forward, note it. As you rise, the body becomes light and rises. Concentrating your mind on this, you should gently note as “rising, rising.” The yogi should behave as if he were a weak invalid. People in normal health rise easily and quickly or abruptly. Not so with feeble invalids, who do so slowly and gently. The same is the case with people suffering from “backache” who rise gently lest the back hurt and cause pain. So also with meditating yogis.
They have to make their changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will mindfulness, concentration and insight be good. Begin, therefore, with gentle and gradual movements. When rising, the yogi must do so gently like an invalid, at the same time noting as “rising, rising”. Not only this, though the eye sees, the yogi must act as if he does not see. Similarly when the ear hears. While meditating, the yogi’s concern is only to note. What he sees and hears are not his concern. So, whatever strange or striking things he may see or hear, he must behave as if he does not see or hear them, merely noting carefully. When making bodily movements, the yogi should do so gradually as if he were a weak invalid, gently moving the arms and legs, bending or stretching them, bending down the head and bringing it up. All these movements should be made gently. When you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging your legs and arms. When there are no such movements, but just a stillness (static rest) of the body, note the rising and falling of the abdomen. While noting thus and if stiffness of your limbs and sensation of heat in any part of your body arise, go on to note them. Then back to “rising, falling.”
’’ All movements involved in lying down and arranging the arms and legs should be carefully and unremittingly noted. If there is no movement, but only stillness (of the body), go back to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.
When he feels sleepy, he should note as “sleepy, sleepy;” if his eyelids droop, “drooping;” if they become heavy or leaden, “heavy;” if the eyes become smarting, “smarting.” Noting thus, the drowsiness may pass and the eyes become “clear” again. The yogi should then note as “clear, clear” and go on to note the rising and falling of the abdomen. However, perseveringly the yogi may go on meditating; if real drowsiness intervenes, he does fall asleep.
As soon as he awakens, he should note the awakening state of his mind as “awakening, awakening.” If he cannot yet make himself aware of this, he should begin noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If he intends to get up from bed, he should note as “intending to get up, intending to get up.” He should then go on to note the changing movements he makes as he arranges his arms and legs. When he raises his head and rises, note as “rising, rising.” When he is seated; note as “sitting, sitting.” If he makes any changing movements as he arranges his arms and legs, all of these movements should also be noted.
One should also note when one washes one’s face and when one takes a bath. As the movements involved in these acts are rather quick, as many of them should be noted as possible. There are then acts of dressing, of tidying up the bed, of opening and closing the door; all these should also be noted as closely as possible. When the yogi has his meal and looks at the meal-table, he should note as “looking, seeing, looking, seeing.” When he extends his arm towards the food, touches it, collects and arranges it, handles it and brings it to the mouth, bends his head and puts the morsel of food into his mouth, drops his arm and raises his head again, all these movements should be duly noted. (This way of noting is in accordance with the Burmese way of taking a meal. Those who use fork and spoon or chopsticks should note the movements in an appropriate manner.) When he chews the food, he should note as “chewing, chewing.” When he comes to know the taste of the food, he should note as “knowing, knowing.” As he relishes the food and swallows it, as the food goes down his throat, he should note all these happenings. This is how the yogi should note as he takes one morsel after another of his food.
As he takes his soup, all the movements involved such as extending of the arm, handling of the spoon and scooping with it and so on, all these should be noted. To note thus at meal-time is rather difficult as there are so many things to observe and note.