Ten Minutes With The Buddha #2

Session 2 How Can I Find Joy and Peace in Meditation

“Breathing in, I experience joy. Breathing out, I experience joy.”
— Ānāpānasati Sutta

If you have practised the first four contemplations, you may already have noticed something beginning to change.

Perhaps your breathing has become quieter.

Your shoulders have softened.

Your body feels a little more settled than when you first sat down.

The Buddha now invites us to notice something deeper.

Not mystical experiences.

Not extraordinary states of mind.

Simply the gentle qualities that naturally begin to emerge when we stop struggling against ourselves.

Many people think meditation is about emptying the mind.

My own experience has been quite different.

When the body becomes calm, the heart often begins to open.

Joy appears quietly.

Happiness follows more gently still.

These are not emotions we try to manufacture.

They arise naturally when we allow ourselves to be fully present.

This is why the Buddha included them as an essential part of meditation practice.

They nourish us.

Before you begin

Find a comfortable place to sit.

Allow your posture to be upright yet relaxed.

Take a few moments to reconnect with the first four contemplations.

Simply know your breathing.

Notice whether it is long or short.

Become aware of your whole body.

Allow it to soften.

When you feel settled, gently begin today’s practice.

Today’s Four Breaths

5. Experiencing Joy

Breathing in, I experience joy.
Breathing out, I experience joy.

There is no need to search for joy.

Simply notice any lightness already present.

It may be as simple as appreciating the quietness of this moment.

The warmth of the sun through a window.

The comfort of breathing without effort.

If joy is absent today, that is perfectly natural.

Simply continue breathing.

6. Experiencing Happiness

Breathing in, I experience happiness.
Breathing out, I experience happiness.

Joy often sparkles.

Happiness is quieter.

It is the peaceful contentment that comes from simply being here.

Nothing needs to change.

Nothing needs to be added.

Rest gently in this feeling of enough.

7. Becoming Aware of Feelings

Breathing in, I am aware of the feeling that is present now.
Breathing out, I am aware of the feeling that is present now.

Whatever is present…

Calm.

Restlessness.

Joy.

Sadness.

Contentment.

Simply acknowledge it.

There is nothing to judge.

Nothing to fix.

You are simply becoming familiar with your inner landscape.

8. Calming the Feeling

Breathing in, I calm the feeling that is present now.
Breathing out, I calm the feeling that is present now.

Notice that the Buddha does not ask us to reject difficult feelings.

Nor to cling to pleasant ones.

Instead, he invites us to hold every feeling with kindness.

Allow each breath to soften whatever you are experiencing.

Not by force.

Simply through gentle awareness.

One Minute of Stillness

Now let go of every instruction.

Rest quietly for one minute.

Allow breathing, body and feelings simply to be as they are.

A Question to Carry Into Your Day

What feeling accompanied me most often today, and did I notice it with kindness?

Perhaps the greatest gift of mindfulness is not changing our feelings, but learning to meet them with compassion.

My Reflection

For many years I misunderstood these two contemplations.

I assumed joy and happiness were goals to achieve.

Gradually I realised they are better understood as companions who sometimes join us on the journey.

When I stop demanding that meditation produce a particular experience, quiet moments of joy often appear unexpectedly.

And beneath them lies something deeper.

A peaceful contentment that asks for nothing more than this present breath.

Tomorrow, simply return to the breath. The Buddha’s path begins one mindful breath at a time.

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