Breathing, nowhere to go, nothing to do.
Meditatie en uitwisseling in "de Schatkamer"
Maandag 27 Januari, 2025 (English below)
Dierbare Sangha,
Waarom mediteer jij?
Wat doe je dan?
Wat brengt het je?
Deze vragen hoor ik regelmatig. Vaak gevraagd door iemand anders, maar misschien vaker door mezelf.
Ook een mooie vorm van dezelfde vraag is:
Pffff, ik moet nu echt even mediteren !
Voor mij zit er een angel in deze vragen, namelijk de angel van "nut" of "nuttig" of "doel".
En daarmee direct verbonden: begeerte, onrust.
Kun je onrust met begeerte bestrijden?
De Sutra van de bewuste ademhaling was de eerste Sutra die ik las (in 2006), in een klein boekje geschreven door Tich Nhat Hanh. Ik was verbluft door de eenvoud. Nu terugkijkend had ik destijds een soort houding: Dit is te simpel, ik moet iets gemist hebben.
Over de jaren ben ik van deze Sutra gaan houden en het is de basis geworden van de vele meditaties die ik heb mogen begeleiden.
Nu we sinds 1 januari deze Sutra weer samen bestuderen is mijn verwondering weer gegroeid.
Vorige week schreef ik:
Waarnemen dat je adem er is en dat de wereld er is. Het wonder dat je kunt ademen, het wonder dat de wereld ons voedt en draagt. De adem en de aanwezigheid van de Boeddha-wijsheid. Onze Boeddha-natuur aan het werk.
Het gaat hier niet om doen, bereiken, of "opruimen" maar het gaat om openstellen, ontvangen, het is overgave.
Zitten, nergens naar toe, niets om te doen. Je aanwezigheid de gelegenheid geven om terug te keren naar de natuurlijke staat. Zonder beroering. Zoals je gaat zitten aan de rand van een open plek in het bos en stil wordt. Waardoor de schuwe dieren de gelegenheid krijgen om te voorschijn te komen.
Aanstaande maandag vervolgen we de bestudering en beoefening van het volledige aandacht voor de ademhaling.
De eeuwenoude tekst kun je lezen in de vertaling van Thich Nhat Hanh via deze link:
https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing
Gewoon zitten en ademen, alsof het de eerste keer is.
Open observeren, met verwondering, ervaren dat je ademt, dat je zit, dat je leeft.
Ik wens ons een prachtig weekend vol ontdekking, verbinding en compassie.
Warme groeten
Hans
De bijeenkomst vindt Maandag avond plaats in de Schatkamer Mimosaplein 2
De indeling van de avond is:
19:15: voorbereiden van de ruimte
19.30: aankomen, thee en ontmoeting
20h00 Inleiding thema, geleide meditatie, loopmeditatie,
stille meditatie.
ca 21h00. dharma-sharing
ca 21h30 afsluiting en opruimen
Samen thee drinken en persoonlijk contact voor wie wil
Wanneer we mediteren hebben we een gelegenheid om te oefenen, om te ervaren dat we meer zijn dan ons denken en voelen.
Als we mediteren creëren we een veilige, open ruimte waarin je geest kan ontspannen en kan waarnemen.
Je hebt alles in je om helder te kunnen zien, horen en denken.
Je bent groter, wijzer en stabieler dan je denkt.
De indeling van de avond is:
19:15: voorbereiden van de ruimte
19.30: aankomen, thee en ontmoeting
20h00 Inleiding thema, geleide meditatie, loopmeditatie,
stille meditatie.
ca 21h00. dharma-sharing
ca 21h30 afsluiting en opruimen
Samen thee drinken en persoonlijk contact voor wie wil
Wanneer we mediteren hebben we een gelegenheid om te oefenen, om te ervaren dat we meer zijn dan ons denken en voelen.
Als we mediteren creëren we een veilige, open ruimte waarin je geest kan ontspannen en kan waarnemen.
Je hebt alles in je om helder te kunnen zien, horen en denken.
Je bent groter, wijzer en stabieler dan je denkt.
Breathing, Nowhere to go nothing to do.
Meditation and sharing in "de Schatkamer" this Monday evening.
Meditation and sharing in "de Schatkamer" this Monday evening.
Dear Sangha,
Why do you meditate?
How do you do that?
What does it bring you?
These questions are posed to me regularly. Often posed by others, more often by myself.
Another form of that same question is:
Pfff, I really need to sit and meditate now!
For me there is a sting in these questions, the sting of "use", "useful" or "purpose".
And directly connected to that: Desire, Craving and Unrest.
Can you fight Unrest with Craving?
The Sutra of full awareness of breathing was the first Sutra I ever read; (in 2006) in a small booklet written by Thich Nhat Hanh. I was stunned by the simplicity. Looking back now, I had at the time a notion of: This is to simple, I must have missed something!
Over the years my love for this Sutra has grown and it has been the basis of all the meditations that I have offered.
Now that we started this January, to study this Sutra together, my sense of wonder about the Sutra has grown even more.
Last week I wrote:
Perceiving that your breath is there and that the world is there. The wonder that you can breathe, the miracle that the world feeds us and carries us. The breath and the presence of the Buddha, our Buddha-nature at work.
It is not about doing, achieving or "cleaning", but it is about opening-up, receiving, about taking refuge.
Sitting, Nowhere tp go, Nothing to do. To allow your presence to return to the natural state. Without stirring. Like as you sit at the edge of clearing in the forest, and become still. Allowing the shy animals to come out into the clearing.
This Monday we continue to study and practice our full awareness of breathing.
The centuries old Sutra on the Full awareness of breathing is translated by Thich Nhat Hanh and his translation can be found in:
https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing
An important fruit of the Dharma is that we learn to stop and return to connectedness. The connectedness with life and the connectedness with our source, our roots. To return to our home.
Observing breath and body, observe how the body is deeply rooted in the earth, in life.
Just sit and breathe , like it is your first time.
Observe with openness, with wonder, experience that you are breathing, that you are sitting, that you are alive.
Have a wonderful weekend full of discovery, connectedness and compassion
Warm greetings
Hans
Why do you meditate?
How do you do that?
What does it bring you?
These questions are posed to me regularly. Often posed by others, more often by myself.
Another form of that same question is:
Pfff, I really need to sit and meditate now!
For me there is a sting in these questions, the sting of "use", "useful" or "purpose".
And directly connected to that: Desire, Craving and Unrest.
Can you fight Unrest with Craving?
The Sutra of full awareness of breathing was the first Sutra I ever read; (in 2006) in a small booklet written by Thich Nhat Hanh. I was stunned by the simplicity. Looking back now, I had at the time a notion of: This is to simple, I must have missed something!
Over the years my love for this Sutra has grown and it has been the basis of all the meditations that I have offered.
Now that we started this January, to study this Sutra together, my sense of wonder about the Sutra has grown even more.
Last week I wrote:
Perceiving that your breath is there and that the world is there. The wonder that you can breathe, the miracle that the world feeds us and carries us. The breath and the presence of the Buddha, our Buddha-nature at work.
It is not about doing, achieving or "cleaning", but it is about opening-up, receiving, about taking refuge.
Sitting, Nowhere tp go, Nothing to do. To allow your presence to return to the natural state. Without stirring. Like as you sit at the edge of clearing in the forest, and become still. Allowing the shy animals to come out into the clearing.
This Monday we continue to study and practice our full awareness of breathing.
The centuries old Sutra on the Full awareness of breathing is translated by Thich Nhat Hanh and his translation can be found in:
https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing
An important fruit of the Dharma is that we learn to stop and return to connectedness. The connectedness with life and the connectedness with our source, our roots. To return to our home.
Observing breath and body, observe how the body is deeply rooted in the earth, in life.
Just sit and breathe , like it is your first time.
Observe with openness, with wonder, experience that you are breathing, that you are sitting, that you are alive.
Have a wonderful weekend full of discovery, connectedness and compassion
Warm greetings
Hans
