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A PICTORIALM ANUALF ORM EDITATORS Achan Sobin S. Namto "Thosew ho perceiveth e arisinga ndc easingo f mentaal ndP hysical statese, vent houghth ey livef or a day,a rel ar bettert hant hosew ho nevers eet he arising andc easingo f mental andp hysicaslt atesa nd livea hundredy ears." Dhammapada MOMENT TO MOMENT MINDFULNESS A PICTORIAL MANUAL FOR MEDITATORS ACHAN SOBIN S. NAMTO 1989 Vlpassana Dhura Medllation Soclety PostO lticeB ox 355 FawnskinC, alitornia9 2333 u.s.A. lsBN 974-86904-6-6 ALLB IGHTSF ESERVEO PLEASER EFERT O THE LAST PAGEF ORR ETREATA ND ORDERINGIN FOBMATION. @ SobinS . Namto1 989 THIS BOOK IS DEDICATEDT O MY PRECEPTOR, HIS EMINENCET HE SOMDEJP HRA BUDTHACHARN, AN ESTEEMEOF RIENDO F MAHASIS AYADAWO F BURMA,W HO, WITH REMARKABLEC OURAGEA ND BODY.WITNESSTO THE TRUTH,S PBEADT HE SUBLIMET EACHINGSO F INSIGHTM EDITATIOil AROUNOT HE WORLD. BYT HES AMEA UTHOR INSIGHTMEDITATION: Practlcal Steps to Ultlmato CoverD esign:P aisanS uvanthada Printedb y WongswangP ressC o., Ltd. 6?0/?4G9 J.r.n6nitwong Rd., B|ngpl.d, BKIC lo?O0, THAILAND Tc L 42443tl, 424-5 O1 9, 424-74 59 Tclex.2l582 rcInNG TH Frr. (662) 4335394 CONTENTS Page FOREWORD i PREFACE. iii PUBLISHERF'SO REWORD IMPORTANMTE SSAGETSO THER EADER vii ABOUTT HEM ETHOD viii MINDD EVELOPMENTT:h eorya ndP radice Whati s InsighMt editalion? 1 TheB enefitso f Training. 2 The Developmenol f VipassanaM editation 3 Investigatinthge Palh . . . 4 TheW orkingG roundo l MindD evelopme.n l. . . . o DifferenceBse tweenC oncenlralion andI nsighMt editation 7 Whali s Mindfulness.? .. . 9 The FourF oundationosl Mindlulness 11 Why PracticeS tepb y Step Mindfulness? 12 ClearC omprehensio. n. . 13 FactorsC omprisinMg i nd-and-Body 14 TheS enseB ases 15 DistinguishinMge nlalP rocesses fromP hysicParl ocesses ,,,,.'17 Howt o Focuso n Mentaal ndP hysicaOl bjecls. . . , . . | 9 Self-dedicattoiot hne T raining ........20 Preparaliofnosr IntensivPe raclice. . ,,,.21 Guidelinelosr C onducl ......22 Thp tridhtP rp.anlq ....,..23 OnE nterinTgr aining. .,...., z4 CommenciInngte nsivPer actice ......26 Essentilanfs lructiloonrB eginners. ,,...28 LabelinMge ntaaln dP hysicOalb ject.s .........29 Mindlulnesosn AbdominaMl ovement ortheB realh. .....30 MINDFULNESSS:T EPB YS TEPI LLUSTRATEINDS TRUCTION EnteringP racticeM: akingR esolution andO tferinSga lulalion. ..... 33 Introducttioont h e SittinPg oslure. ..... 35 Changinlrgo mS ittintgo StandinPgo sture. ....,.37 lntroductitoonl h eS landinPgo slure. .......,.4'l lntroductiotno the WalkingP osture . . . . 43 WalkinSgc hedufloer l ntensivPer aclice. ......,,44 Introductlioot nh eR eclininPgo sture ......... 50 RhythmPicr actic- eH and-By-HaMnidn dfulness ....5? MindfulneaslM s eallime. ..... 55 GeneraMli ndlulness. ....57 ConcludinIgn tensivPe raclice- Transfeor f Meriot lW holesomDee eds, ......... 58 CORRECTINMGE DITATIOPNR OBLEMS Howt oH andlPeh ysicPaal inin Training ......... 60 HowloC orrecStl eepineasnsd D ullness. ........ 61 Howt o Workw iths evereE motional PaininEarlyTraining..,. ......... 62 Howl o HandleR ecurrinMg emories andO veraclilvmea oination. ......... 63 FOREWORD His Emlnence the Somdei Phra Budthacharn Acllng Supreme Patrlarch of the Buddhlsl sangha of Thalland Whent he VensrableM ahaS obinS . Namtof irstb ecam€ my closed isciplei n B.E. 2492 (1949), I was Abbot ol Wat Maha Dhatu Monastsry, Bangkok. I acted as Preceptor at his novice ordination, and laler he became a monk al WatM ahaD hatu,B angkok. Throughoutt he years, I have found him to be a forthrighta nd amiabl€ person. Fromt he earlyd ays of his novitiateh, e displayeda ke€n interesti n practicingV ipassana( lnsight)m editation.A t that time,h € was the veryl irst novice to complete seven continuous, non-stop months of Insight meditation under the guidancs ol the late m€ditation master, The Most VenerableC hao KhunB havanapiramTa h€ra. He conlinuedto earnestlyp ursueh is studieso t Dharma( Buddhistle achings)a nd meditalion.l appointedh im as teachera nd menlort o his students.H e was highlyr espect€d by botht ho clergya nd laity. I am awaret hat the study and practiceo f Buddhismi s lhe only way to gain its benelits. In B.E. 2496 (1953),I foundeda Vipassanac entera t Wat Maha Dhatu. lt is well known locallya nd intsrnationally.M aha Sobin taughtl hers tol manyy ears. I ferventlyw ish lhat all monks,n uns,n ovicesa nd laityd edicats themselvesto faithfullys ervinga nd practicingth o Dharma. Maha Sobin has long agre€d with my aspiration. Seekingt o d€epen his Dharma knowledge,I sent him for lurthsr sludies with the VenerableU VisudhaS ayadaw,K abaae,R angoon,B urmai n 8.E.2500 (1957).R eturning to Thailand, he continued as teacher ol meditation and Abhidharma (Buddhistp sychology)a nd Dharma. In 1960, I was pleasedt o honorl he requestso f the Lao BuddhlstS anghaa nd the Head Instructoflo r Vipassana Medilation,a nd lhe invitationo f the Governmento f Laos to appolntM aha Sobin to teach meditationa nd Abhidharmaa t Wat Buddhavipassanaram, Luangphrabang,L aos. He resumedt eachingi n SouthernT hailand,P huketP rovincew, hereh € establishetdh € AbhidharmaV idhvakornln stitute. Later,t he Most VenerableC hao Khun Dhamm akosacharnC, hairpersono f lhe "Wat Thai in America'C ommitlee,s electedh im and lour other monkst o establisht he first Thai templei n Los Angeles,C alifornia.M aha Sobin was aooointedit s firstA bbot. He is alsot he Founder-Abbootf a Vipassanale mpl€ in Denver,C olorado.I n '1980 he decidedt o resignf rom ths monkhood,b ut conlinuost o dedicate himself entirely and untiringlyt o teaching Vipassana,A bhidharma and Buddhismt o NorthA mericansa nd the SoutheasAt sianc ommunity.H e has establisheds everal meditationc ent€rs and has a numbsr of Westsrn disciples. I was delightedt o learn lhat hs is the author of lwo books in Englisho n Insightm editation.I am confidentt hesep ublicationws ill b€ of greatw orthi n transmifiingth e messageo l Vipassanam editationto the generalp ublici n the Western World. These oflerings are the rssult of his many years of perseveringe florto n behalfo f the Dharma. May he and his Westernd isciplesp rogressa nd lind p€ace and contentment in the Dharma.M ay all beingse ntert he streamo f Buddha-Dharmfao rever. S.PW aWdtltozltuz. His Eminenceth e SomdejP hra Budthacharn LordA bbot,W at MahaD hatu,B angkok Directoro t VioassanaM editationi n Thailand