The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, calm, concentration and equanimity. When brought to fruition they lead to the highest happiness we can experience. How can we cultivate these qualities consciously in our meditation practice and in our life?
There’s a glow and energizing effect to the hindrances that we’re attracted to. But if we lose presence in their pursuit, we don’t notice how they burn us. Samadhi is the overcoming of this, the coming into presence. The stages of samadhi cultivation are described, grounding the heart in the body so doesn’t rush out with feeling.
The tendency is to conceive ourselves as being a separate entity; yet, we’re always in something. There is something around us without which we wouldn’t survive. Practice sensing into the ‘us-ness’, the sense of me and something else. Mindfulness of body and breathing support this practice.
With breathing we are coming into different aspect of body, the energy body. Feel the internal body with reference to breathing. Use the thinking mind to keep pointing – where am I? Heart picks up feelings of space, gladness ease. Body, heart mind work together to clear kammic disturbances in the energy field. Walking instructions at the end.
