Programs > Joy of Living Meditation Group Program

Series I – Calming the Mind - The View

Part I – The Joy of Living:
Finding Peace of Mind in the Present Moment

Points to Consider
We don't need to look outside of the present moment to find inner peace and contentment; when experienced with awareness, everything becomes of a source of joy.

Questions for Discussion

• Since anxiety, dissatisfaction and other emotional responses are simply habits that can be unlearned, how can we "rewire" the mind and the brain so we no longer identify with them? Do you have any personal experience of having made such a shift in your own life?
• According to Mingyur Rinpoche, what is the mind's basic nature and how does it relate to flow of thoughts and emotions that usually occupy our attention?
• What's the point of meditation? If our true nature is so fantastic, why do we need to meditate?
• What was Mingyur Rinpoche's own experience as a child? What did his teachers advise him to do to deal with the crippling anxiety attacks he was experiencing?

Daily Meditation Exercises
On the cushion: Make a commitment to sit for a certain period each day. Pick a time period that will work in your daily life. It is better to meditate in shorter sessions than to pick a time that will become impossible to keep your commitment. Once you sit down to meditate, let this period be the minimum time that you sit. If you feel inspired to sit longer, then do. Getting oneself to sit is often the hardest part. At the end of each session, note the length of your session in a meditation journal. If you feel inspired to do so, you may also write down any experiences you encountered while meditating.

Off the cushion: You can support periods of sitting meditation practice by setting the intention to meditate while you go about your daily activities. For example, you can meditate while eating by setting your intention to meditate before you begin a meal. As you eat, try to notice each time your mind wanders, then let go of the thoughts and rest your mind in open awareness. You can experiment to see if structuring your practice in this way enhances your ability to be mindful as you go about your day or whether it creates tension.

Daily Meditation Exercises (specific practices)
On the cushion: Over the following week, let the mind rest for brief moments as often as you can. As you get lost or caught up in thoughts and emotions simply notice this and once again rest the mind in its natural openness. Don't try to prolong the time but simply begin again. Notice if there are repeated patterns that you get caught up in. How do you react to these patterns and thoughts? Can you just let them be just as they are? If you find you cannot rest your mind, simply observe whatever is happening in the present moment without judgment.

Off the cushion: Notice moments in the day when you naturally relax, for example, after finishing a conversation, completing a task, or when you get into bed at night. Pick a simple activity such as washing the dishes or walking from place to place in your office or house and see if you can do so with a relaxed spacious awareness. Each time that you notice that you've been lost in thought, simply let be and rest in the awareness of whatever is passing through the mind.

Reading: Joy of Living 46-58; Joyful Wisdom 7-15

Part II – The Heart of Meditation

Points to Consider
Meditation involves simply resting in the bare awareness of thoughts, feelings and perceptions as they occur. To meditate, we don't have to block any part of our experience or change who and what we are. Rather, we use what occurs in the present moment as a gateway to inner peace and radiant joy.

Questions for Discussion

• How is meditative awareness different from simply paying attention to things, as we do all the time?
• What is mindfulness and what role does it play in meditation?
• Do we have to stop thoughts and feelings to enter a meditative state?
• Does meditation stifle our ability to think and be creative?

Meditation Exercises
On the cushion: Rest the mind in open awareness and then bring your attention to the breath. Rest in the bare awareness of the experience without trying to control it. If thoughts arise, let them come and go. If you find you have followed a thought, simply see if you can rest in the awareness of it. Can you see the difference between being lost in thought and knowing that thinking is occurring. If the thought disappears, bring your awareness back to the breath.

Off the cushion: Pick a simple activity such as preparing food or household chores and notice if you can be aware of what passes through the mind as you do the activity. You may be aware of the bodily sensations associated with the activity, of the sounds in the room, or of your thoughts about the activity or ruminations about another topic. Rest in the bare awareness of these experiences. If you get carried away by thoughts, simply return your awareness to whatever you are experiencing in the present moment.

Reading: Joy of Living 43-45; 130-132; Joyful Wisdom 15-21

Part III – The Problem is the Solution:
Transforming Adversity into Awareness

Points to Consider
Once we learn to meditate, all aspects of our experience, including habitual thoughts, destructive emotions, and physical ailments, can be used as a support for meditation. In doing so, they can be transformed into sources of inner peace, empathy, and wisdom.

Questions for Discussion

• How do we typically relate to "difficult" situations, feelings, and people? How do these habitual reactions lock us into a cycle of stress and dissatisfaction?
• What does it actually mean to "befriend" our problems? How does meditation help us do this? Are we befriending our problem if we do so in order to get rid of them?

Daily Meditation Exercises
On the cushion: Rest you mind in open awareness. If any experience arises that there is a reaction to, see if you can relax and let these experiences be included in your meditation.

Off the cushion: Pick a habitual response in your life, i.e. fear of dogs, irritation with a person or situation, etc… and make an effort to be aware of it without trying to change it, just be aware.

Optional reading: Joy of Living 11-14; 21-24; Joyful Wisdom 21-32

Part IV – Illuminating the Darkness:
The Three Stages of Awareness Practice 

Points to Consider
In this approach to meditation, we begin by familiarizing ourselves with the state of open awareness, in which the mind rests without focusing on anything in particular. We then bring meditative awareness to sense experiences, and finally to our thoughts and emotions. This process of training the mind allows us to use everything as a support for meditation. Eventually, we will experience everything as an opportunity to deepen our awareness, empathy, and insight.

Questions for Discussion

• Why do we learn a range of different awareness practices, rather than focusing on a single object, such as the breath? 
• How hard do we have to concentrate when we meditate? What role does relaxation play when we are learning to settle our minds?

Daily Meditation Exercises
On the cushion: Take time at the beginning of each period of meditation to relax both body and mind. Alternate between open awareness and awareness of sound.

Off the cushion: Pick a time in your day to listen to sound, the more sounds the better. Rest the mind for a few moments in open awareness and then be aware of the sounds. You can do short sessions any time during the day.

Optional reading: Joyful Wisdom 143-167