BWP Lesson 2

Month 2  Part 1 . Personal Needs

Deportment Bent on Personal Gain…

The Frist part of our course focuses on diminishing the Ego’s personal and self serving needs through a careful evaluation of our motives. It is of course a positive thing to seek to live a meritorious life, but within this how might we refine our aspiration and remove all traces of vanity and conceit? Some of us have elaborately structured egos and engage in all things we do with a highly developed sense of self. Others have more of an inherent sense of selflessness and just are who they are with few elaborations and a less developed sense of themselves.

How much do I seek the admiration of others through the deeds that I think I am doing selflessly?

This week examine your life and needs. Look at the things you choose to engage in, or the habits you are now beginning to turn away from. What are your personals needs, and why are you prompted to do the things you do? What conscious  or unconscious attitudes do you have about how and where you expect these needs to be met. To what degree are you dependent on the respect, admiration and recognition of others? Are we able to work spontaneously simply for the joy of doing or do we attach expectations to our actions and need to be noticed for our achievements.

Our goal is to recognise how we might become a being of fewer personal needs by refining our ideas of reward and gratification. Contentment comes from being of few wants and easily satisfied.
Reflect upon the two extremes of  perfectionism and indolence. Right Effort is one that puts forth a steady  application in line with ones energy, without being negligent or overly critical…Acceptance is the basis for self cultivation. It is vital we do not have a sense of shame or inadequacy that is prompting us to make effort.Neither should we be haughty or think that we are special in some way because of our views and attitudes. We need an honest acceptance of who we are and a commitment to do our best .

Your Task for the first part of this month is to review this question and seek to unravel your motivation for the things you do in life.
“ What Kind of personal gain or admiration so I seek in return for the efforts I make in life. What is my sense of entitlement? What am I entitled to? Do I take myself too seriously, or not seriously enough. Do I think myself to be too important or not important enough.

Reading .

“The Way of the Bodhisattva” by Shantideva.

This is an old and classic text.It explains the Bodhisattva aspiration and attitude. You are not expected to follow word for word all the precepts and aspirsation proscribe. Instead read it with a mind that begins to recognise the heart esssense of the Boddhisattva. What it means as a way of life and how it would translate into our modern world. In this months Meeting we will discuss some of the issues raised by this text. Do not be overwhelmed by the level of the real bodhisattvas aspiration. This is an almost superhuman effort put forth by one who wants to become a Budhha. Our aspiration is to serve those around us with heart and love. For this we will need to keep in tough with the lightness and spontaneity of our heart learning to be sincere without taking ourselves too seriously.

Practice.

This months exercise is a breathing Practice. I want you to spend a little time each day before or after your usual meditation practicing this technique.

“Desire and Clinging are the cause of all Suffering for they rob us of the fearless and total experience of the fully awakened Present.”

Out of fear we cling to what we have unwilling to let it go. Out of desire we hanker after something more , failing to be satisfied with what we have. This is nothing more than a cause of tremendous vexation. Only when we are able to enter fully into the moment of presence without clinging or desire are we able to know it as a fully awakened experience. This breathing exercise is designed to help you begin to enter more deeply into the present without the need to cling it , or the desire for something more. Only in this way can we experience being as an endless stream of Now.

Begin to watch your breath within your meditation and pay particular attention to the out breath. Notice it as a letting go process and alow yourself to let go fully into it. As the out breath comes to an end follow it into the state of stillness and emptiness that makes the absence of the breath. Rest effortlessly in that state and watch for the arising of restlessness and desire that would prompt you to take the next in breath. Resist this and don’t breath. And relax back into the stillness. See how long you can do this. Let the interval between the out and the in breath lengthen each day until you can rest effortlessly for some time in that emptiness with no desire to fill it with the next breath. Make sure you do not end up having to gasp for your next in breath. This is merely a sign that you have been holding your breath. What you are looking for is the non arising of the impulse that wants more ( in breath ). As you become more mindful in this practice you might begin to notice in the daily life how you snatch your breath impatiently  in moments of attachement or desire.
As the Gap opens up between to out and the in breath begin to enter more deeply into it. Eventually you might be able to remain in the Gap as the next breath does appear.
This is the arising of the clear state of bare awareness or presence.