Enjoy the space between your thoughts.
Happiness Arises From Your Present Mind State!
Therefore, train your mind in happiness: peace, free of the habitual thinking of self-ego-I with its unhappy fear, anger, and pride. Mindfulness meditation is after all a conscious finite portal into infinite Basic Space—peace, boundless primordial awareness whole of everything arising herein—bright love-wisdom mind Presence of That, always already present within you now. Train your mind in placement of awareness/attention upon that aspect, or imprint, or Presence of you in this present moment now. ‘Mindfulness of breathing’ is the meditation that accomplishes this open secret of human happiness. Below are Ten Steps that may make you happy now. It’s easier than you think.
Begin by sitting in a chair, your back straight, hands in your lap, legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor. Or sit on a cushion, legs crossed. Or walk in the still meadow of mind.
1. Thank You!
Experience deep thanks for the great gift of your life, just as it is now. Accept yourself—all your positive and negative experience—exactly as you are, here and now. Feel your selfless good will intention to benefit living beings. That is the primary cause of your own human happiness.
Lower your gaze so that your neck is straight. Relax jaw, neck, gut. Feel the breath in your belly. Now place your attention behind your forehead. Close your eyes, raise your eyebrows. This will produce alpha/theta brain rhythm, the peace response, replacing stressful ‘fight or flight’ beta rhythm. Feel a subtle focused fullness in the forebrain. Let the crown of your head open as light streams in from above and meets the prana life energy rising upon each breath. Feel it pervade your entire body-mind—and deep into the earth.
2. Attention!
Now, gather the ‘wild horse of the mind’ by placement of attention/awareness on your breath. Be present to your breath as it arises in your belly. Let your mantra prayer begin. Softly recite OM AH HUM (see below). This then is your ‘alpha mantra breath’: 5 seconds in; 7 seconds out through pursed lips (12 seconds). Do it 3 to 9 times (36 to 108 seconds). Let your mantra prayer continue, either consciously, or in the background, day and night.
Each breath feel your busy mind settle into its quiet natural state of wakefulness; your clear light love-wisdom mind Presence—that aspect of you that is utterly connected with the great source of everything—your safe place, beyond all thoughts, concepts, beliefs; free of judgment, fear, anger, guilt, pride; free of self-ego-I. No need to think about it. Open and feel it! Be that stillness. Now say to the busy mind, “Peace, be still”. Say to the frightened grasping self, “Peace, I Am”.
Thoughts, questions, feelings naturally arise. Briefly greet them. Negative or positive thinking, planning, mind wandering, worry/anxiety, anger: label whatever arises “distraction”. Then surrender it all on the out-breath. Or let it flow by on vast empty space of the sky, like a cloud, leaving no trace. Again and again return attention to the breath. After 3-5 minutes open your eyes slightly and breathe normally, mouth closed.
As you settle into, and rest in your selfless wisdom mind Presence, your breath will naturally be slow and gentle. Enjoy this feeling of delight within you. Feel your connectedness to everything. No need to create it; or grasp at it. Mindful Presence upon the breath is always already present—your “Supreme Identity”. Who Am I? That I Am!
3. In-Breath
Open to receive luminous purifying ‘life-force energy’, sustainer of all life. It has many names. In the East this energy is prana or ch’i (spirit/breath). For the West it is pneuma/Holy Spirit, the very ‘breath of life’, ‘bio energy’, the subtle voice of gross physical light/energy/form (E=mc²) arising from formless, non-conceptual, spacious unbounded whole; vast primordial awareness-consciousness ground itself in whom this all arises. Breathe, you are alive! Open and receive. Feel it pervade every space of your body-mind.
4. Out-Breath
Release thoughts, feelings, past, future, all self-ego-I grasping. Feel your stability deep in Mother Earth. Whatever arises—thoughts, feelings, doubts, happy or not—release it all on the out-breath. Surrender it all. Witness it all dissolve as you return to your breath, again and again. Let it be just as it is in this peaceful luminous sky-like space of your mind.
Please consider this well: Thoughts are only thoughts. They come and they go in dependence upon your present mind state. Thoughts are not a solid reality! You are now learning to choose your realities by choosing your present mind state. All of the love-wisdom Masters of our great Primordial Wisdom Tradition have taught this great liberating freedom to be happy right here now.
So, as thoughts retreat, feel your selfless, natural clear light love-wisdom mind Presence—peace, clarity, subtle bliss. From this natural spacious mind state the kind, compassionate activity of love spontaneously arises in your mind stream—the very secret and primary cause of human happiness. Place your attention on that. Let it be so now.
So it is, that deep blissful peace which you desire rides the breath. Remain close to the breath. When distracted by fear/anxiety, anger, or self-doubt—simply return to already present Presence of the nondual primordial ground upon the breath, again and again. When your mind is filled with this light of love-wisdom mind Presence, there is little room for the negative stuff. Practice that and be happy. Now, rest naturally in That for awhile.
5. Presence
Breathe Now. Open your heart and mind and feel your always present indwelling love–wisdom mind Presence of vast awareness whole in whom this all arises. It’s right here! That you are now! Subtle Presence of That may be directly experienced, prior to thinking, as luminous clear-light mind essence—the very Christ-Buddha nature of mind, beyond any name, concept, or belief.
Now experience this prana spirit life-energy at the crown of your head. Feel it stream in from above upon each breath. Open your heart to receive. Feel it pervade your entire body-mind. Let it flow downward throughout your head, throat, chest, back, hara center in the belly, pelvis; then deep into Mother Earth. Feel your fearless stability in Earth.
Let this energy of Presence penetrate any discomfort—that self-contraction from your natural life-energy flow: physical tension and pain, sense desire, grief, doubt, guilt, fear/anxiety, anger/hostility, harsh judgments of self and others. Patient love and wisdom heal fear and anger. Your alpha mantra breath is your touchstone to being happy now.
Now experience the emotional lift as any and all presently activated ‘attachment and aversion’ are inundated by Presence of clear light life energy. Be for a moment with whatever arises—attractive or aversive. Then surrender it all on the out-breath. Know now you are free of it. Let this light penetrate and pervade space of your entire emotional and physical body-mind: brain, nervous systems, heart, organs, cells, the very atomic structure of your physical/emotional/spiritual being. Now, rest in this feeling of delight within you.
“Let it be as it is, and rest your weary mind, all things are perfect exactly as they are.” (Buddha) “That which you seek…the Kingdom of God…is already present within you…and it is spread upon the face of the Earth, but you do not see it.” (Jesus the Christ)
With each breath feel healing life energy Presence fill and overflow into your subtle energy field, this light of you that embraces and pervades your whole body-mind. Awaken to this ‘basic goodness’ that you are, prior to cultural skeptical ‘global web of belief’. But don’t believe it. Feel it. Now self-ego-I is tamed, at peace. Rest fearlessly in That.
6. Wisdom Mind is a Choice
“What you are is what you have been; what you will be is what you do now” (Gautama the Buddha). This bright basic space upon the breath is your natural wakefulness—your primordial love-wisdom mind Presence. Choose to be that space/peace, here and now, beyond ego: no past nor future; no attachment nor aversion; no true nor false; no judgment at all—just for this moment. No need to think, try or do anything. Know that your clear-light mind is already awake, kind and wise. Rest in That, each breath. Let it be as it is; calm and clear.
Love-wisdom mind practice is your Path to liberation from egocentric ignorance and delusion, root cause of human suffering. Stay with it. Your self-ego-I may resist. Notice the bogus excuses. This choice is kind, karma free relative human flourishing that does no harm; and ultimate happiness-liberation from suffering; the happiness that cannot be lost.
Thus is human happiness very much an awareness management skill set! Happiness arises, not from desirable stuff, but from the choice of your placement of awareness/attention upon your breath, in this present moment now! No belief, no leap of faith, no authority but your own is required. Simply settle your mind, open your heart, and be fully present to your alpha mantra breath now. That is your connection to peace and happiness already present within you. That is the foundation of your love-wisdom mind practice of the Path. What is your mind? That is your mind. Feel that now, beyond your thoughts about it. Rest in That.
7. Refuge
Now you know this precious Basic Space/peace of your love-wisdom mind Presence. Take refuge in it often. Breath by breath purify, pacify, stabilize, beautify your mind; a most courageous act; your most urgent activity. Make mindful breathing a priority, ‘brief moments; many times’, all day, all night. Soon it becomes a quiet conscious continuity of awareness. Who am I? Feeling Presence of that vast whole—’Tat Tvam Asi; That I AM‘, without a single exception. You have never been separate from That! Feel it upon each breath. That is the View. That is the Teaching. That is the Practice. It’s like coming home.
8. Compassion Meditation
By this good generated by each mindful breath make this aspiration for the benefit of all living beings: “May all beings be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering. May all beings have happiness, and the causes of happiness“. This powerful mantra prayer is as well, your Compassion Meditation when practiced for a few minutes. It moves your attention from self to others. ‘Come and see’ what it does for your present state of happiness.
Is not your happiness already linked to the happiness of others? We’re all in this reality boat together. Accomplish your own happiness through compassionate thought, intention, and action to benefit living beings. It’s called altruism. In the East it’s bodhicitta. It’s the magic metric for a good life. So arise, and do some good. It will make you happy.
9. Real Practice
Practice requires patience and courage. Patience is the antidote to anger, which arises from fear. It takes courage to face fear. Practice 15 minutes or more upon rising and retiring; and many ’36 seconds of bliss’ alpha mantra breaths during the day. ‘Brief moments many times’. Peace is always here, between your thoughts, each mindful breath.
Take refuge in your love-wisdom mind Presence often. Feel it at your heart before sleep; and all night long. Be present while eating, walking, working, loving. Lovingly accept yourself as a mother accepts her child. No blame. Anxious, angry? No time? Take three OM AH HUM belly breaths now! Go ahead and do it now. Your goal is not peace and happiness in some ideal future mind state. Make the practice itself your goal—each mindful breath. “Mindfulness of breathing is the foundation of all wisdom and happiness.” (Buddha)
10. The Five Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation Are Always Present
1) Body-Mind relaxation: experience of profound peace, forgiveness, healing.
2) Non-conceptuality: beyond self-ego-I thinking, concept, belief, fear/anger.
3) Clarity: mental and perceptual acuity, luminosity, vividness, wakefulness.
4) Deep thanks: grateful acceptance of your life, and yourself, just as you are.
5) Wisdom Mind Presence: happiness expressed as kind, compassionate action.
Good Sleep
Engage your alpha mantra breath for a few minutes near your bed just before sleep. Now continue to recite OM AH HUM silently, on your back, hands over your solar plexus, or at your side, palms down. Settle into your clear light love-wisdom mind Presence.
Now begin your full body scan. Feel the gentle peace of prana spirit wind life energy throughout your entire body mind. Your crown center is open. Feel Presence of Buddha or Christ three feet above your crown. Breath by mindful breath receive this love and peace from above through your crown and into your head; neck, shoulders, chest, arms and hands; then belly and back, pelvic area, legs and feet, and deep into Mother Earth.
Relax into this light. Let any obstruction to energy flow—tension, pain, worry, anger—flow away on the out-breath, and out through your hands and feet. “Rest your weary mind and let it be as it is.” Feel life energy prana peace pervade your entire body-mind. Now say quietly, “May all beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. May all beings be happy, and have the causes of happiness.” Thus do you go beyond ‘self’.
As your breath naturally becomes slow and regular, let your OM AH HUM mantra prayer settle into your awareness background as you assume your normal sleeping position. Rest. Let this spirit breath of yours be your love-wisdom lullaby and goodnight.
OM AH HUM: Our Three Reality Dimensions
Use this powerful mantra prayer as a touchstone in your practice—all that you think and do is practice—to instantly connect to and protect your primordial love-wisdom mind Presence. Let it be always in your awareness foreground or background. Free your mind by reciting it daily 108 times while walking, or sitting. (Get a 108 bead mala.) These three ‘Buddha Bodies’ are one prior and present indivisible unity.
OM is dharmakaya dimension, formless empty ‘basic space’, all-pervading, always present primordial awareness ground of all arising spacetime phenomena, vast unbounded whole itself. AH is sambhogakaya dimension, like the sun in space; Logos; selfless, lucid clear light awareness—light bridge into form. HUM is dream-like display of nirmanakaya form dimension—Buddha mind acting in time as love-wisdom Presence of OM—always already present now within you; light-form gift naturally expressing itself as skillful loving bodhicitta—thought, intention and action to benefit living beings.
What is your mind? That is your mind. Who am I? I AM OM AH HUM: body, voice, and mind of all the Buddhas and wisdom masters of the Three Times—past, present, future—instant connection to That! Three Gates to peace. Feel it purify your cause/effect karma. Don’t think. Feel. The benefit of mindful breathing is immeasurable.
Now you know the ‘innermost secret’ of human happiness. Please consider it well. If you desire to be free and happy, then practice it. Now that you know, arise and do some good. It will make you happy, not in the future, but here and now. (Excerpted from Mindfulness Meditation: The Complete Guide, 2022, David Paul Boaz)
David Paul Boaz Dechen Wangdu: coppermount.org
