#007 MASTER T. Message

hello students,

Here is the Life Handbook # 2 that I hope you will be happy with and please enjoy learning yourself!

“Observing the Breath of Life”

On this occasion, I will relate to you the right way to conduct yourself according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (FFM) with a good balance in life to direct your body and yourself (you are the present mind) correctly and practically.

Conducting one’s life according to the FFM will ensure peace and experiencing enlightenment at a suitable time. The FFM is intended to release one from suffering, but only a few manage to achieve that. 

The wrong application of any teachings means missing the right path or delaying enlightenment. On the other hand, true and pure application of the FFM will guarantee one to progress and avoid degeneration or failure. 

One who can understand the FFM correctly can achieve a state of indifference and liberation from suffering in this life. However, there are steps to follow, which may take seven days to seven years.

The Life Handbook # 2.
The body: "Observing the Breath of Life."

The Lord Buddha said,
All monks, 
How should you always observe and see the body?
All monks in his teaching discipline whether one roams in the forest.
Or one at the foot of a tree.
One at a vacant house.
One is sitting cross-legged. 
One is sitting upright.

When one mindfully concentrates on this moment should be mindful of inhaling a breath and exhaling a breath.

You know you are sensing a deep breath when the body inhales deeply.
You know you are sensing a long breath when the body is exhaling a long breath.
You know you are sensing a short breath when the body is breathing in a short breath.

Or when the body is breathing out a short breath, you know clearly that you are sensing the short breath.

Be mindful that you are sensing the body breathing both in and out.
Be mindful that you sense the whole wind in the body when the body breathes.
Be mindful that you are sensing the body when it is breathing in.

All monks, the same as a rope maker or his clever assistant.
When unrolling a rope to stretch it out, one knows he is stretching it.
Or when rolling it up to shorten it, one knows he is contracting it.

All monks, the same are you likewise.
When the body is breathing in a deep breath, you know you are sensing it is breathing deeply.
Or, when the body is breathing out a deep breath, you know clearly that you are sensing it is breathing out deeply.
When the body is breathing in a short breath, you know clearly that you are sensing it is breathing in shortly.
Or, when the body is breathing out a short breath, you know clearly that you are sensing it is breathing out shortly.

You should be mindful that you will understand every body part when it is breathing in.
You should be mindful that you will understand every body part when it is breathing out.
You should observe the breath internally.

And observe the breath externally.
Observe the normality with which breath is arising in the body.
Observe the normality with which breath is passing away in the body.
Observe both the rising and the passing away of the breath in the body.
Or be mindful that the breath exists and is appearing before you.

But that is for you to be realized.
But that is for you to be reminded of it.
But you are not attached to it.
Neither are you attached to anything in the world.
You should observe the breath in the body constantly.

End of Observing the Breath of Life.

Right here, it would be best to observe every word of this chapter as they are all meaningful, and you must gradually decode them. 

Be mindful that inhaling and exhaling breathing is essential to begin learning The Life Handbook thoroughly.  

The breath observation deals with inhaling and exhaling breathing. It is the basis of all procedures for the FFM, whether in terms of the body, your feelings, your emotions, and your wisdom. 

One needs to be clear about breathing first. It would help if you decoded this teaching into practice slowly but surely. Refusing it with a strong desire can misdirect you, taking you out of the correct way. So, you must be careful to stay on the words in The Life Handbook as if it were a map for your journey. It may seem slow, but it is quick. 

The achievement will come without wasting time going out of the way or getting lost and having to find the way back and start again, which destroys your energy.

The Life Handbook is apparent in every word, phrase and letter. It is primarily beautiful from beginning to end. It implied that any place suitable and quiet, whether at the foot of a tree or in an empty house or a forest, is good enough to concentrate on yourself and avoid confusion during practice. It directed you to sit straight in a cross-legged position and focus on the front. Whether the body is moving or sitting still, it is primarily suitable. 

You should follow The Life Handbook systematically step by step, cross-legged, and sitting vertically, meditating in a proper place, a forest, an empty house, the foot of a tree, and so on.

The Life Handbook instructed you to be mindful when breathing in and out, aware of deep breathing in, deep breathing out, and even short breathing. It implies being careful to be someone with clear mindfulness. The word “clear” means while the breath goes in and comes out through both sides of the nose into the body and out while you watch firmly and in concentration. It is customary in yourself to swing according to emotion, zipping here and there all the time—the same with the body that keeps moving as it is alive. The body must continue arising and passing away (birth and death), and so must you. 

The cross-legged sitting position makes the body as still as possible while there is only inner movement. In this position, all the organs continue working but very little when compared to other body postures this is when you can perceive the breathing in and out most clearly, which makes you aware of the continuation of life, body and mind, birth and death. You don’t need to control the breath or go after the breath. 

Since the body is relatively large, you cannot set yourself throughout the body. But if you are clear at one point where the breath goes in and touches the nostrils, you can see the whole breath later. The same happens when the inner body expels the breath to connect at the point and then goes out. When clear about this, you will be the watcher at the breath-touching point with awareness. 

The awareness will remind you, keeping you from going with the breath but with mindfulness by backing yourself out to be a watcher. Then comes the knowledge of all groups of the breath. Otherwise, you will flow with the breath and slip into delusion. 

When the breath is at peace, you will achieve happiness in intuition. Suppose it is a worldly intuition as you have not yet been enlightened or cannot cross over the wrong meditation. In that case, you can slip back to attachment and imagination as if being the owner of the breath and the emotion. A slipping sense means a careless mind and an aware sense tells a careful mind.  

If you place yourself to be a player or manager of the breath, you are violating the three natures or phenomena: impermanent, imperfect and uncontrollable. 

You cannot own the breath as you are merely the watchers of it. The breath comes in to touch a point in the nose and, similarly, when it goes out. When you concentrate on watching it, you will be very aware and let the breath be that of the body, flowing in and out, when you do not slip to be the owner of it to either control it or let it moves through yourself. Instead, you will become fresh and know that the breath always comes in and out. It is the actual state of knowing mindfully.

The breath can be uncomfortable, being too fast or too soft. If you are not mindful or constantly telling yourself to be just a watcher, you will be frightened or feel you are dying. Then you will slip into being the breath owner and try to inhale it, being afraid of dying. If you are not well trained in mindfulness to be the watcher, you will become fearful that the breath will stop quickly, so you will become the manager by breathing in or gasping for it. 

The breath is arising and passing away, continually coming in and going out. So, the truth is that breath does not belong to you or life, arising and passing away. It shows you the three characteristics, impermanent, imperfect, and uncontrollable. If you have the power of mindfulness, being aware always, you will also realize the three attributes of the breath. These are walking on the right path toward the middle way.  

The Life Handbook also tells you to be mindful of all the paths of the wind inside the body, which goes up and down, horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Once you are trained to be the watcher at your home (the current body or the point of the breath touching when going in or out during its breathing), this is the trick I convey to you to bring yourself back home more quickly. Mindfulness energy is like a mother who looks after a naughty child who always goes here and there and gets into suffering. Training mindfulness is like training a mother to look after a child; a mother must look after a child. 

Mindfulness must look after the mind, remind yourself to be at home or at the point the wind touches inside the nasal cavity and feel the breath all over the skin covering the body.

You need to understand this code by observing the breath of life to become the correct mindfulness principle. Training mindfulness will remind you to be a watcher and avoid delusion. This way, you begin correctly with mindfulness, being self-reliant like the rope maker who stays alert all the time, knowing clearly what you are doing at the moment, whether the breathing is deep or short. In this way, you know the nature of the breath of life.

The Life Handbook also told you to “observe the breath in the body.” That is to watch it mindfully without going along but being detached from it. You must understand your home (the current body) to see inside and outside of it. Then you will realize the normality of things, whether arising or passing away, the nature of the three characteristics: impermanent, imperfect, and uncontrollable. 

Clinging to the changing breath causes suffering, which you cannot control. You are just the watcher with mindfulness. In this way, you can deal with the craving energy that is the cause of ignorance and also suffering. These are linked: observations of the body, your feelings, your emotions, and your wisdom. 

Previously, you are accustomed to being the owner of life (body and mind) and are not accustomed to being the watcher or observer. So, you must train yourself to be a mindful observer in particular!

This way, you will see clearly, and obtain insight, wisdom and enlightenment! 

So set yourself at your home and be mindful; become an observer, one who is aware of the normality of things. 

May the merit of the good and the mindfulness practice reach the nature of enlightenment happen in this life within seven days to seven years. 

Meanwhile, let us appreciate the Buddha’s Dharma, The Life Handbook.

See you again.
Your master,
Master T.