Summary of Larry Rosenberg's Breath by Breath

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 The Anapanasati Sutra begins with the words I have heard from Ananda, Buddha’s cousin and one of his closest disciples. He was tasked with explaining the Buddha’s teachings after his death, and he did so by using the phrase Thus have I heard.
#2 The Buddha’s instructions for breath meditation are simple. He says that the meditator should go to the forest, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, and sit down with legs folded crosswise. The meditator should be mindful of his breathing, and breathe in and out.
#3 The full lotus is a difficult posture to learn, and it can be a problem if it becomes something you attach to. The simple act of sitting in a stable upright posture with calmness and dignity has an importance all its own.
#4 Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of your present moment, and it is not a process of thinking, but rather of pre-conception. It is not attached to or against anything, and it simply reflects what is there.

Sujets

• Eastern
• Philosophy
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669397168
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Larry Rosenberg's Breath by Breath
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4 Insights from Chapter 5 Insights from Chapter 6 Insights from Chapter 7
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The Anapanasati Sutra begins with the words I have heard from Ananda, Buddha’s cousin and one of his closest disciples. He was tasked with explaining the Buddha’s teachings after his death, and he did so by using the phrase Thus have I heard.

#2

The Buddha’s instructions for breath meditation are simple. He says that the meditator should go to the forest, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, and sit down with legs folded crosswise. The meditator should be mindful of his breathing, and breathe in and out.

#3

The full lotus is a difficult posture to learn, and it can be a problem if it becomes something you attach to. The simple act of sitting in a stable upright posture with calmness and dignity has an importance all its own.

#4

Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of your present moment, and it is not a process of thinking, but rather of pre-conception. It is not attached to or against anything, and it simply reflects what is there.

#5

The task of mindfulness is not to strong-arm yourself into some rigid attitude: I have failed in my practice; I will not whistle again for the remainder of my adult life. It is just to see that whistling, or singing, or thinking, is separating you from your experience.

#6

Enlightenment is the experience of intimacy with the entire universe. There is no separation whatsoever. You totally disappear in the process of uniting with the raw content of the present moment. And because you do, you have never been more alive.

#7

The meditator focuses on the breath, a simple process that is actually a profound and difficult practice. When we focus on the breath, we are focusing on the life force. Life begins with our first breath and will end after our last.

#8

The practice of anapanasati is the art of surrendering to the process of breathing. It allows the breath to be as it is, without trying to control it. Over time, this leads to the release of energy that was previously suppressed.

#9

We can be in the loftiest moods, contemplating the ultimate truths of the cosmos, but just ring the dinner bell - throw us a banana and it all goes up in smoke.

#10

The practice is to try to go from doggy mind to lion mind, in which there is a deep steadiness. To help the mind stay focused, you can silent count the in- and out-breaths, or use a parikamma, a meditation theme that splits on the in-and-out breath.

#11

The breath is a great aid in keeping us in the present moment. It is easily worth a lifetime of study. It is a superb aid in helping us stay in the present moment, and it is a superb method of meditation.

#12

The seven-day meditation retreat was extremely difficult, and only fourteen of the forty-five monks completed it. The advice that monk gave me that day has stayed with me and helped me in countless situations.

#13

Walking is a form of meditation in motion. It is important to develop mindfulness in all four postures: sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. This practice brings mindfulness to walking, and you can take the mindfulness you develop into all of the walking you do in your life.

#14

Walking meditation is a simple method that requires little attention to subtle aspects of the breathing. It allows more concentration to develop for some meditators. The steps should be viewed as ends in themselves, not segments of progress along the path.

#15