Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity

276 Pages·2008·1.276 MB·English

by  Shaila Catherine

BUDDHISM / MEDITATION
F
O
“ThisisthebestbookonthesepracticesIhaveseen.It’sfive-star.”
—ChristopherTitmuss,authorofMindfulnessforEverydayLiving C
Now ordinary meditators (and non-meditators) can understand how to U
attain non-ordinary states with relative ease. Blended with contemporary
examples,pragmaticexercises,and“howto”instructionsthatanyonecan S FOCUSED
try, Focused and Fearless provides a wealth of tools to cultivate non-
E
distracted attention in daily life and on retreat. Shaila Catherine has a
friendly, wise approach to rarely-talked-about meditative states that lead
D
toliberatinginsight.
and
“Theexercisesarefun—plustheyreallywork.Ilovethisbook.” a
n
—KateWheeler,editorofInThisVeryLife:LiberationTeachingsoftheBuddha
d
FEARLESS
“Thelanguagehereissoalluringandthoroughthatreaderswill, F
Iamcertain,beinspiredtoredoubletheirzealforpractice.”
E
—SylviaBoorstein,authorofIt’sEasierThanYouThink
A
“FocusedandFearlessisawonderfulbook.ShailaCatherinedescribes
thepathsofdeepconcentrationandtransforminginsightinaway R
thatbothinspiresandenrichesourpractice.Herproseandher A Meditator’s Guide
L
understandingareexceptionallylucid.Thisbookisatreattoread.”
—JosephGoldstein,authorofAHeartFullofPeace
E to States of
“ShailaCatherinerepresentsanewgenerationof S
DharmapractitionerintheWest.” Deep Joy,
S
—SharonSalzberg,authorofLovingkindnessandFaith
Calm, and Clarity
SHAILA CATHERINE has been practicing meditation
C
since1980,withsevenyearsofaccumulatedsilentretreat
experience, and has been teaching since 1996. She has A
studied with masters in India, Nepal and Thailand in- T
cludingH.W.L.Poonja,BuddhadasaBhikkhu,Nyoshul SHAILA CATHERINE
H
KhenRinpoche,andTulkuUrgyenRinpoche.Sheisthe
founder of Insight Meditation South Bay. She lives in E
MenloPark,California. R
I
ISBN-10:0-86171-560-8 $17.95 N
WisdomPublications Boston ISBN-13:978-0-86171-560-2
(cid:1) E
wisdompubs.org
ProducedwithEnvironmentalMindfulness
wisdom
F and F
OCUSED EARLESS

(cid:4)
F
OCUSED
and
F
EARLESS
A Meditator’s Guide to States
of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity
shaila catherine
Wisdom Publications • Boston
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville MA 02144 USA
www.wisdompubs.org
© 2008 Shaila Catherine
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photo graphy, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or
later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Catherine, Shaila.
Focused and fearless : a meditator’s guide to states of deep joy, calm, and clarity /
Shaila Catherine.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-86171-560-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Meditation—Buddhism. I. Title.
BQ5612.C38 2008
294.3’4435—dc22
2008002694
12 11 10 09 08
5 4 3 2 1
Cover design by Pema Studios. Interior design by Jason Miranda.
Set in Bembo 11/14.8.
Wisdom Publications’ books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the
guidelines for permanence and durability of the Production Guideli nes for
Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
Printed in the United States of America.
This book was produced with environmental mindfulness. We have elected to
print this title on 50% PCW recycled paper. As a result, we have saved the fol-
lowing resources: 30 trees, 21 million BTUs of energy, 2,625 lbs. of greenhouse
gases, 10,894 gallons of water, and 1,399 lbs. of solid waste. For more information,
please visit our website, www.wisdompubs.org.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
INTRODUCTION: From Focused Concentration
to Fearless Awakening xi
PARTI THEJOYOFTHEFOCUSEDMIND 
1 Cultivating the Focused Mind 3
2 Joy of Seclusion 13
3 Happiness 23
4 Equanimity 35
PARTII PREPARINGTHEMINDFORABSORPTION(cid:0)(cid:0)
5 The Wisdom of Letting Go 45
6 Dynamics of Emotion 57
7 Effort, Ease, and Intention 69
8 Calming the Restless Mind 81
PARTIII HOWTOESTABLISHMEDITATIVEABSORPTION(cid:0)(cid:0)
9 Happiness and the Five Factors of Absorption 95
10 Access to Absorption: At the Threshold of Peace 111
11 Fearless Abidings—The First Jhana 121
12 Drenched in Delight—The Second Jhana 133
13 Absorbed in Joy—The Third Jhana 139
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vi FOCUSEDANDFEARLESS
14 Radiant Calm—The Fourth Jhana 145
15 How Deep Is Deep Enough? 153
16 Summary of Meditation Instructions 163
PARTIV DOINGTHEWORKOFINSIGHT(cid:0)(cid:0)
17 Three Doorways to Insight 169
18 A New Way of Seeing 181
PARTV EXPERIENCINGTHEFORMLESSDIMENSIONS(cid:0)(cid:0)
19 Without Boundaries: Exploring the Infinite 193
20 Realizing Emptiness 211
EPILOGUE: Fearless and Awake 225
NOTES 231
BIBLIOGRAPHY 241
INDEX 243
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR 259
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T HIS BOOK EMERGED primarily from my personal experience
during a ten-month meditation retreat in  at the Forest
Refuge at the Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, Massachu-
setts.There is, however, little in this book that can be credited only to
me. The lessons, stories, techniques, and teachings contained in this book
are one reflection of a lineage of generosity that extends beyond my per-
sonal exploration. The contents reflect the influence of many teachers
who have shared their wisdom and guided me through difficult lessons
as I struggled to develop my mind and understand the nature of things.
Most notably, Christopher Titmuss’ unwavering encouragement over
more than twenty years has challenged me to trust the liberating poten-
tial of the Buddha’s teachings, even when it feels inefficient, inconven-
ient, and unpopular to do so. My guru, the late H.W.L. Poonja, revealed
a depth of clarity, timeless and pure.Although nearly a decade has passed
since his death, he continues to serve as my compass to truth. I have great
appreciation for the dedication of the many teachers at the Forest
Refuge who guided me during fourteen months of jhana-based prac-
tice, especially Myoshin Kelley, Joseph Goldstein, Amita Amy Schmidt,
Sarah Doering, Michelle McDonald, Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, and
Venerable U Jagara. I am grateful to all my teachers, each of whom
offered an insight here or there, a challenge to overcome, or a moment
of encouragement that kept both my practice and this book developing
during the years of its formation.
I am grateful to the community of Insight Meditation South Bay in
Mountain View, California, and the many people whose generosity made
it possible to spend a year in silence. The support of so many friends and
vii
viii FOCUSEDANDFEARLESS
students provided a wellspring of energy that carried me through the
more demanding moments of retreat and sustained me through many
drafts of this book.
With deep gratitude for their generosity and encouragement, I
thank: Betsy Currie, Chade-Meng Tan, LeAnn Bjelle, Glenn Smith,
Woods Shoemaker, Adam Winkler, Mikaela and Craig Barnes, Nancy
Holt, Rachael Belash, Ron Paisley, Greg MacDonald, Michael Wilding,
Shirley Kwok, Steve and Shari Gaber, Jack Erwin, Janet Taylor, Steve and
Cheryll Gasner, Edy Young, Drew Oman, Ed Haertel, Doug Slakey,
Christine Davis, Jim Podolske, Mary Roy, Maureen O’Brian, Doug
Forehand, The Farrah Family, Michael Choy, Gordon Mitchell, Wynette
Richards, Joan Mitchell, Linda Rohacek, Richard Sievers, Ellen and
David Sugarman, Fred Herman, Lisa Grinnell, Jon Viscoli, Michelle
Downs, Meryl Landy, Susan Atwood-Stone, Zina Daniels, Linda
Drucker, Sandra Hahn, Brian Bush, Kate Sladen, Elizabeth Romero,
MaryJo Whiteman, Mark Graves, Lawrence Tharp, Sue Lucksted, Bar-
bara Byron, Lydia Succi, San Jose Sangha, Arlene Noodleman, Suzanne
Kryder, Bobbi and Pat Culbert, Ellen Miller, Cleve and Diana Pardue,
Pat White, Laura Crabb, Winifred Hegarty, People of Color Sangha of
Albuquerque, Mike Kupfer, Lois Gerchman, Maureen Christine, Jerry
Parks, Bill Buchholz, Barbara Vana, Alexcia Trujillo, Smita Joshi, Nathan
Williams, Joan Granger, Deborah Hill, George Schroeder, Cassidy
Trager, Ed Morgan, and Michelle Goodman.
Transmitting an inner meditative experience into a practical manual
required the assistance of many friends and editors. Several friends guided
me through the writing process by reading early drafts and sharing skills,
suggestions, and questions. This book could not have taken shape without
the thoughtful reflections and continuous encouragement of Pat
McClelland, Terry Farrah, Lila Kate Wheeler, Glenn Smith, Koelle Bodhi,
Dianna Eden, Keren Arbel, Stephen Fulder, Sharon Small, Amita Amy
Schmidt, and Leigh Brasington, as well as the contributions of Barry
Boyce, whose skillful editing sculpted the final version of this book.
I am especially grateful to Wisdom Publications and my editor, Josh
Bartok. Josh’s vision and enthusiasm brought this project to life, while his
many helpful suggestions and precise corrections clarified subtle points
Acknowledgments ix
in the text. Books are created through countless unseen contributions—
I deeply appreciate the team at Wisdom Publications for their full com-
mitment to this project.
And finally, the truly essential and pervasive support may be the
most difficult to distinguish. The love of my family is present as a back-
drop to who I am and what I do in the world. My mother, Elizabeth
Tromovitch, my sister, Lisa Tromovitch, and my brother, Philip
Tromovitch, have given me the greatest of all forms of support—their
unfaltering trust, interest, and love. Even when my explorations have
drawn me to unfamiliar religions across the globe, or separated me
through prolonged periods of silent retreat, I have felt the presence of my
family’s unlimited love. This is a treasure and blessing that I cannot meas-
ure or repay.