Ajahn Brahm - Bear awareness: questions and answers on taming your wild mind

Wisdom Publications

199 Elm Street

Somerville, MA 02144 USA

wisdompubs.org

2017 Buddhist Society of Western Australia

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, 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

Names: Ajahn Brahm, 1951 author.

Title: Bear awareness: questions and answers on taming your wild mind / Ajahn Brahm.

Description: Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, [2017] |

Identifiers: LCCN 2017018046 (print) | LCCN 2017033648 (ebook) | ISBN 9781614292715 (ebook) | ISBN 161429271X (ebook) | ISBN 9781614292562 (pbk.: alk. paper) | ISBN 1614292566 (pbk.: alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Meditation Buddhism Miscellanea. | Thought and thinking Religious aspects Buddhism Miscellanea. | Buddhism Miscellanea.

Classification: LCC BQ5612 (ebook) | LCC BQ5612 .A33 2017 (print) | DDC 294.3/4435 dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017018046

ISBN 978-1-61429-256-2 ebook ISBN 978-1-61429-271-5

21 20 19 18 17

5 4 3 2 1

Cover design by Phil Pascuzzo.

Preface

Asking questions is good kamma . In the Shorter Exposition of Kamma Sutta (MN 135), a student asked the Buddha why some people are wealthy but others have to work their butts off and still struggle to get by. The Buddha answered that it is because of kamma from a past life. Those who were stingy in their previous life are likely to be poor in this one.

The Buddha was also asked why some people are good looking while others are so ugly that even a makeover at an expensive salon fails to make them attractive. The Buddha answered that the kammic cause of ugliness in this life is having been angry and irritable in the previous one.

Then the Buddha was asked what the kammic cause for stupidity in this life is. Why do some people have to study so hard at school, even hiring private tutors, and still struggle to get passing grades, whereas others seem to do little work and get straight As? The Buddha answered and this is very important in order for you to understand the purpose of this book that the kammic cause for being a dummy in your next life is... NOT ASKING QUESTIONS IN THIS LIFE.

So thanks to all the future geniuses who asked the questions for this book. You will all have such an easy time at school in your next life!

AJAHN BRAHM

Perth, Australia

A Note from the Editors

Ajahn Brahm is known and appreciated not only for the content of his teachings but also for his style of delivery and his sense of humor. His bad jokes lift the mood and open the heart to a kinder and more compassionate perspective. Often the truth of what he says is in the joke. But the main purpose in looking on the bright side is to release problems that are keeping us from moving forward on the Buddhist path.

This book was originally conceived to commemorate Ajahn Brahms fortieth anniversary as a monk. It draws together questions and answers from recent retreats led by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Retreat Centre in Australia. At the end of each day, retreatants were invited to write down their questions and place them anonymously in a small basket. Ajahn Brahm would then read out each question in front of the assembled meditators before giving his response. Fans of Ajahn Brahms previous books will recognize some of the stories here, but the intimacy of the question-and-answer format provides a fresh experience of learning from a master meditator.

In any book presenting the Buddhas Dhamma, the teachings are clearly the central concern, but there is more to these questions than just the spoken word. In compiling and editing the text, we became aware that much of the beautiful atmosphere at Jhana Grove, the shared affection and humor among the community, and even subtler nuances taking place in a group Q & A forum, are not conveyed in words alone. In the evening assemblies, as the sun set, its colored light streaming through the eucalyptus, one could hear the distant, cackling laughter of the kookaburra . The stillness of the Australian bush was matched by the stillness of the listeners. Such a stillness of mind can benefit readers as well, enhancing the experience of this book, so we urge you to imagine you are there in the hall with Ajahn Brahm, that you have spent the day in meditation, and that he is addressing you personally.

For those not well acquainted with the many Pali-language terms that permeate the study of Theravada Buddhism, non-English words, as well as names, are explained at the end of the book.

The Hahayana Approach to Meditation

Why its a good idea to lighten up.

Whats mett ? Im just a beginner.

Thats such a wonderful question. Whoever wrote that question is so kind and lovely. You must be close to enlightenment.

The way Im treating you is called mett . Mett is loving-kindness its care, its compassion, its acceptance, its respect. When you have mett toward someone, you respect him, youre kind to her, you give him the benefit of the doubt even when he snores loudly in the middle of the night. If you have loving-kindness toward other people, theyre no longer a problem. With loving-kindness toward yourself, youre no longer a problem to yourself. And when you have loving-kindness toward every moment, beautiful mett to this moment, youre on the highway to enlightenment. The path becomes so easy.

One reason people dont feel peace is that theyre not kind enough to their minds. With mett you give yourself a break you dont force yourself. You look upon your body and mind as good friends, and you then work together in a kind and compassionate way.

In my book Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? I explained that mett is the ability to open the door of your heart no matter what youre experiencing, no matter whats happening. Its beautiful, unconditional goodwill. For example, you may have been lazy, and perhaps you think you need to be punished. Thats not mett. Be kind to yourself even when youve been lazy or slack or have, say, broken retreat precepts in the afternoon by munching on some cookies. Whatever youve been up to, give yourself a break. And as for other people, it doesnt matter if theyve been making all sorts of disturbing noises while youre trying to meditate: May they have happiness and well-being also.

This beautiful sense of mett does not depend on what people have done or what youve done. Give mett to every moment. Be kind to yourself in every moment, no matter what the moment is like and how youre experiencing it whether youre dull, restless, or frustrated. In other words, wish every moment well.

How do I increase mett?

Mett meditation is a way of deliberately generating goodwill toward all beings. We learn how to recognize it and how to develop it further. In mett meditation people usually say a few words to themselves over and over again: May all beings be happy and well. May all beings be free from suffering. May I be happy. May I be at peace. But you can use whatever words you like. The important thing is to pay attention to the spaces between the words. Say, May I be happy and well, and then pause to give the words a chance to work.

You will find that the words have power. If you pause to connect to that power, youll understand the true meaning of May all beings be free from suffering, and the mind will start to generate mett . The words just light the match that ignites the mett. The feelings that come after the words, thats mett . Its incredibly pleasant.