Meditation Q&A 61–65: Overcoming Drowsiness and the Six Steps of Mindfulness

MEDITATION Q&A 61–65: OVERCOMING DROWSINESS AND THE SIX STEPS OF MINDFULNESS

QUESTION 61: WHEN DOING MEDITATION, IF WANDERING THOUGHTS CONSTANTLY ARISE AND DISTURB MY MIND? WHAT SHOULD I DO?

ANSWER: The brain is naturally inclined to think (wandering thoughts) constantly. Multiple thoughts arise simultaneously in the mind, stemming from memory, reasoning, and imagination. Together, they create a constant stream of thoughts.

Karma then guides our attention towards a specific wandering thought, transforming it into a deliberate one, and we become entangled in it. This focused attention further fuels the wandering thought.

During meditation, when thoughts arise incessantly and agitate the mind, it's crucial to recognize that 'thoughts are remnants of our negative karma in the past' Avoid engaging with these thoughts as it can be detrimental to the brain.
Do not attempt to eliminate or directly confront wandering thoughts. Thoughts will naturally subside if you follow these steps.

1. In life, cultivate abundant virtuous merit and profound morality.

2. When doing meditation, we have to sit in the correct meditation posture. When wandering thoughts arise, we should return to awareness of the whole body, contemplate the fleetingness of this body, the impermanence of the mind, and the transient nature of the world.

3. Cultivate absolute reverence for the Buddha, boundless compassion and love for all beings, and ultimate humility, seeing oneself as insignificant as dust (to boost our merit).

4. Recognize that wandering thoughts are a manifestation of past negative karma, and use them as an opportunity for repentance, rather than trying to eliminate them.

5. Frequently contemplate that this body and mind are a chaotic mass of defilements, negativity, and ignorance. Yet, through this, the mind gradually becomes tranquil.

Even when the mind is in tranquility, continue to understand that this is only a superficial level of consciousness. There still remains a deep-rooted mass of consciousness that is agitated and filled with ignorance. Never, ever praise yourself.

Remind yourself that even when the mind is in tranquility, 'Deep within the inner mind, ignorance, ego-clinging, conceit, defilements, and negativity still remain.' Keep this crucial reminder in mind to carry us forward until the day of enlightenment.

1. Observe the breath, but do not intentionally breathe heavily. Forgetting the breath is a mistake, but remembering the breath and then breathing heavily is also a mistake.

2. Anchor the mind at the bottom of the abdomen to calm the mind and also to avoid the conceit that can arise from attaining meditative states.

3. Maintain an appropriate volume of focus on the breath (connected to the mind) like holding onto a life preserver to cross the river of birth and death.

QUESTION 62: THE BRAIN IS ALWAYS THINKING. HOW CAN I STOP THINKING WITHOUT DAMAGING MY BRAIN?

ANSWER: To stop wandering thoughts, we have a very important formula: actively choose 'appropriate thoughts' to occupy the mind. Why? Does this sound strange? It's like planting a tree on a plot of land overgrown with weeds: when the tree grows large and provides shade, the weeds cannot grow in the shade. Similarly, appropriate thinking helps the brain naturally stop unnecessary thoughts. This is Right Thought and the principle of contemplation in meditation.

In the practice of meditation, those initial appropriate thoughts will awaken the mind, but they won't immediately eliminate wandering thoughts. Next, when the power of mindfulness is sustained, just as a shadow covers and prevents weeds from growing, so too will wandering thoughts gradually cease and eventually fade away completely. This is what we call entering meditative absorption (samadhi).

Different Zen schools often select various meditative themes for practitioners to focus their attention on, contemplate, and investigate in order to cultivate mindfulness. Naturally, each school has its own set of meditative themes, which may have some overlap but are mostly distinct. We respect them all, however, we prioritize using the objects taught by the Buddha due to their originality, accuracy, and therefore, greater safety and effectiveness. Some of these themes include: this mind is agitated; this body is fleeting; the world is like a dream, nothing is lasting forever. And the truth that we must never forget is that 'Deep within this mind lies ignorance and negativity.

QUESTION 63: WHEN MEDITATING, I EXPERIENCE DROWSINESS AND SLEEPINESS. THIS IS VERY DISTRESSING.

ANSWER: Drowsiness and sleepiness, even falling asleep while meditating, are obstacles that meditation practitioners must struggle very hard to combat. Once asleep, there is no longer any cultivation, only the inherent darkness and ignorance of ordinary beings.

Drowsiness can be due to one of two reasons: First, in recent days, you haven't had enough sleep, so when you meditate and your mind is somewhat at peace, your brain demands that you get enough sleep. Second, it is due to bad karma from the past, drowsiness appears and covers the mind, causing obstacles to spiritual practice. Sometimes it is karma from many past lives where you have obstructed the spiritual practice of others; sometimes it is spreading wrong thoughts and views, causing others to follow and be deluded. Sometimes it is wrong views (wrong thoughts) right in this life that cause you to be drowsy and deluded. Sometimes a torrent of wandering thoughts causes you to lose awareness, which is also a reason why you become drowsy, and the root cause is also due to karma.

If it is due to a lack of sleep, then simply get enough sleep as your brain requires, and the drowsiness during meditation will disappear. As your meditation progresses, you may not need to get enough sleep anymore (but you also shouldn't force yourself to stay awake to do other things, as you still need to maintain your health for long-term spiritual practice).

If you feel that drowsiness is caused by past karma and is hindering your practice, the only way is to use willpower to resist drowsiness during meditation, and later you bow to the Buddha with deep reverence and repent. Many people fight drowsiness by walking meditation, yet drowsiness still torments them terribly, sometimes even causing them to fall while walking. We must also create merit by helping others practice meditation in any way possible; by doing so, we ourselves gain merit and reduce obstacles in our practice.

But how to know which case the drowsiness belongs to in order to handle it correctly? For this, we must observe ourselves with wisdom and willpower, as outsiders cannot judge for us. However, the feeling of sleepiness due to karma is obscure, strange, and unlike anything else; even if you sleep all day and then meditate, drowsiness still comes and covers the mind. In that case, we must try to fight until the sleepiness is gone. Many times, during meditation, you just try to stay awake and cannot immediately perform the steps of the practice. After the meditation session, we are exhausted because you have to fight with all our strength and willpower, but then our heart feels less tormented. Keep fighting hard, and the divine beings above will have compassion and one day the drowsiness will disappear. If we give up and don't try, the meditation session will be meaningless, our soul will become weak, and we will continue to be immersed in delusion.

QUESTION 64: IS THERE A SPECIFIC ORDER TO APPLY THE TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE MINDFULNESS? OR SHOULD I APPLY THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY?

ANSWER: We practice according to the following 6 steps of mindfulness:

Step One: BEING AWARE THAT THIS MIND IS AGITATED
From a state of delusion, immersed in wandering thoughts, suddenly we wake up and realize that we are wandering. No method can help us achieve this first step, except for the merit of bowing reverently to the Buddha and sincerely repenting.

Step Two: BEING MINDFUL OF THE ABDOMEN AND CHEST
The reason we have wandering thoughts is due to two reasons. One is the nature of the brain, which is to constantly think, because the brain is supplied by two sources of energy: oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood to the brain, and the source of vital air from the lower body. The second is karma, due to many past lives when we have caused anxiety and affliction to others. Therefore, we must repent to reduce karma and be mindful of the abdomen and chest to prevent vital air energy from flowing up to the brain, as this will supply energy for the brain to be active.

Step Three: BEING AWARE THAT THIS BODY IS IMPERMANENT
Initially, the practice of contemplating impermanence is a lengthy process, but with practice, it becomes faster. In the third step of mindfulness, we alternate between contemplating the impermanence of the body and the impermanence of the world.

Step Four: BEING AWARE OF THE IN-BREATH AND OUT-BREATH CLEARLY, SKILLFULLY MAINTAINING THE BREATH SLOW - LITTLE - GENTLE
In order for the slow - little - gentle breath to appear, we must be aware of the whole body gently (just enough touch), similar to gently touching a bowl of water, so that the surface of the water does not ripple. But when we touch a little deeper, the water moves in strong waves. When we reach the level where awareness just touches the body, we have grasped the "essence of the fingertip touching water.

Step Five: BEING MINDFUL OF THE PERINEUM POINT
This helps the mind avoid illusions, become deeply tranquil, and prepares for entering meditative absorption later. Being mindful of the perineum point also helps heal potential defects or diseases in the brain.

Step Six: BEING MINDFUL THAT DEEP WITHIN THIS MIND IS IGNORANCE AND NEGATIVITY (AGITATION, SUFFERING, UNCERTAINTY)
This contemplation of the ultimate truth is extremely important, helping us control our conceit and avoid being led astray by wrong views. Contemplating step six is like a mantra that opens a wide path to non-self and maintains it until attaining Arahantship, enlightenment, and liberation.

QUESTION 65: WHEN PRACTICING THE FIRST STEP OF MINDFULNESS, WHICH IS TO BE AWARE OF WANDERING THOUGHTS, WHEN SHOULD I MOVE TO THE SECOND STEP OF BEING AWARE OF THE CHEST AND ABDOMEN?

ANSWER: As soon as you are aware of wandering thoughts, immediately be aware of the chest and abdomen, then contemplate the fleetingness of the body, then maintain slow, little, and gentle breathing, then be aware of the perineum, then remind yourself that deep within the mind is ignorance and negativity. Continue like this to maintain mindfulness. If mindfulness is prolonged, we settle at the bottom of the abdomen.

There are also many people who practice but do not follow the order from 1 to 6, but they remember which step and practice that step. In this way, mindfulness also appears, and the mind also has fewer wandering thoughts. Practicing back and forth like this also helps our minds become calmer; however, never forget the contemplation that "deep within our mind is ignorance and negativity”. Even if the mind is in tranquility, we practice flexibly through the six steps of mindfulness, but we must never forget the ultimate truth (the sixth step of mindfulness) until the day we attain non-self.

Written by:
Janna

Related Articles:

Meditation Q&A 56–60: Karma, Contemplation, Repentance and Samadhi

Meditation Q&A 51–55: Impermanence, Body, Sin and Mindfulness

Meditation Q&A 46–50: Breathing Meditation and Right Consideration

Meditation Q&A 41–45: Breath Awareness Without Control

Meditation Q&A 37–40: Body Awareness and Samatha

Meditation, Business Intuition and Wisdom Without Greed

The Basic Meditation Technique: 5 Essential Steps to Practice Meditation

Instruction on Meditation: Essential Methods and Practice Guide