This is the dharma talk and meditation from a class I taught last Wednesday (I’ll be teaching there again this Wednesday).

The talk is about defining dukkha. I pointed out that after 2,600 years, there still isn’t an agreement about what exactly dukkha refers to or how we would define it in English, despite the fact that it is the cornerstone of the most foundational teaching in the Pali Canon. Rather than engage in an intellectual exercise, I invited participants to use a meditation technique developed by Eugene Gendlin, a psychotherapist, called “Clearing the Space.” I find that the technique brings us right up to our deepest understanding of the nature of dukkha, and the possibility of freedom. This technique was taught to me by Jonathan Foust and I am glad to be able to share it with you. Many blessings.

Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplas

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This is a guided mindfulness meditation that blends stillness practices with heart-opening practices.

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I shared this meditation with students who reported that “the planning mind” was a constant during their meditation practice. Many of them found that the metaphor helped them disengage the planning mind, even if for just a few moments. Some said that through the course of the meditation they found they could “pull up their oar” repeatedly as they noticed the habit pattern of planning arise again and again.

* Sit, lean back, or lie down.

* Notice that there is a body here. Try to think of it as “a body” rather than “my body.” This shift in perspective will help the mind let go a little of its running narrative about the self.

* Give this body permission to relax.

* Notice that this body is breathing.

* You might allow yourself to imagine that you are in a canoe and rather than paddling along as you usually do, you are going to pick up your oar and set it in the boat.

* Your breath is like the water rising and falling beneath the boat.

* For a few minutes, you will just rest in the boat, hearing the sounds around you, feeling the rising and falling of the body. Let everything just float.

* The oar will be there when you need it, but right now, give yourself complete permission to stop paddling.

* After a few minutes, you can slowly open the eyes. Watch the mind as it shifts back into a more active role - planning, analyzing, and engaging with the demands of the day.

Photo by David M. Chambers on Unsplash

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