Q: What exactly is meant by "unavoidable" unpleasant bodily sensation? Is deliberately subjecting oneself to pain an essential part of this path? Didn't the Buddha renounce bodily mortification and extreme asceticism? For a Westerner with somewhat inflexible hip joints, the admonition to "sit like a Buddha" sounds like an invitation to a long relationship with a physiotherapist. And why stop with the "big mattresses" that the Western yogis brought to avoid the pain of sitting? Why not sit outside, without the protection of a building ("like the Buddha")? -David Gartrell, British Columbia

A: The essential part of the mindfulness practice is interest in how our lives really are. Sitting and walking meditation are not extreme asceticism, it's just slowing down enough to understand how we suffer as a human being on this planet. We are learning how to directly experience as much of our life as we can. By applying a non-judgmental attention to our moment-to-moment experience, we start to understand that life is a stream of changing pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings that we have very little control over. We learn that it is the resistance to the changing nature of life itself-- to pain appearing or pleasure disappearing--that causes us so much suffering.

We are learning how to change our relationship to pain from one of resistance to wise attention or compassion. We aren't deliberately subjecting ourselves to pain, we are learning to explore what the experience of what we call "pain" really is, free from any previous ideas about it. Mindfulness practice isn't an endurance test, it's finding a way to be free from the fear of the experience of pain in this human world of constant change.

An example of an "unavoidable" unpleasant bodily sensation while sitting may be a "pain" under the left shoulder blade. Instead of moving immediately to avoid the experience, we would encourage bringing an interested, non-judgmental attention to those sensations. We often discover that what we call "pain" are changing sensations such as tightness or throbbing from which it is not necessary to run away if we see them clearly. Then there is less fear of "painful" sensations because we understand how to experience them.

We are basically trying to sit in a position in which we can keep as still as possible, so that there is enough stillness of mind to see our experience clearly. We are not aiming at reinforcing resistance to pain, but understanding how to bring a wise, compassionate awareness to pain. If someone has trouble "sitting like a Buddha" we suggest that they sit on a bench or in a chair. Lying down meditation is also an important mindfulness practice, especially for those with chronic pain or when we lie down at night to go to sleep.

As people practice mindfulness over some years, a meditation teacher can help a student understand where their "edge" is with physical or mental pain. Our practice will naturally extend to more and more areas of our human experience that we were previously unable to experience fully. Whether "sitting like a Buddha" or sitting in a chair, whether lying down or sitting outside, what matters is the relationship of wise attention and compassion that we bring to our experience. -MMS

Q: Does one need to have a teacher? I hear so much about teachers, and I am wondering, can't I just sit and learn from this and from reading? -Tammy Pavich, Honolulu

A: Yes, it is possible to just sit and learn something from this experience and also to be guided from reading books. And when there is no teacher available I would recommend it. However, I would caution the beginner in meditation in the same way as advising one wanting to learn a particular form of the martial arts (such as Tai Chi, Chi Gung), classical music, art or dance. If there is a good teacher available it makes a significant difference.

In the beginning of practice a qualified spiritual friend provides skilled guidance and empathy that encourage the student, corrects error, and offers individualized instruction. Once we undertake the inner journey of awakening we often meet quite compelling states of mind distinguished by both the allure and the repulsion of inner experience. It is challenging even to the experienced student to wisely navigate these changing states. Meditation is the process of "bringing forth" (bhavana) beautiful qualities of the mind/heart. Compassion and "skillful means" (wisdom) along with mindfulness are primary spiritual qualities developed in practice. The good spiritual friend stewards the process and helps sustain a balance of compassion and skillful means. -SS

Q: Besides the motivation of "serving the welfare and awakening of oneself and others in this life," concentrating on the breath (in various circumstances) may be the most important thing one can do on a regular basis. Humans do best with things they find interesting and practical. Agree? I was just wondering if you know a tape or written material on this subject matter. Concise is good. And like the breath, interesting is good too! -Ken Howayeck, Kailua

A: The breath is an experience happening in the present moment. Not only the breath but all things, all experience appears interesting in the clear light of mindful awareness. Even more awesome than the "things" of experience is the very nature of "things" in ceaseless change. All things, all experience is nothing but process or "flow." Seeing this truth of nature causes the mind/heart to let go of conditioned clinging to experience. This is freedom. So the most important thing one can do on a regular basis is practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a non-judging awareness that sees things as they really are, not as we want them to be. To practice mindfulness we need an "anchor" to focus attention in the present moment and thus purify the mind. Breath is one of the classical anchors in which to ground present time awareness. Tapes on breath awareness are available from the Dharma Seed Tape Library (Wendell Depot, MA). A good book on the subject is "Breath by Breath" by Larry Rosenberg (Shambala). -SS

Vipassana Q & A is a regular feature of Vipassana Hawaii News, the newsletter of the Vipassana Hawaii sangha. You are invited to email questions to questions@vipassanahawaii.org , or mail to Vipassana Hawaii, P.O. Box 240547, Honolulu HI 96824.