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The twelve steps

 https://www.verywellmind.com/the-twelve-steps-63284 The Twelve Steps Here are the 12 steps. You can also explore them in-depth and how others have applied the principles in their lives and gained insight, experience, strength, and hope. Step 1: Honesty After many years of denial, recovery can begin when with one simple admission of being powerless over alcohol—for alcoholics and their friends and family. Step 2: Faith It seems to be a spiritual truth, that before a higher power can begin to operate, you must first believe that it can. Step 3: Surrender A lifetime of self-will run riot can come to a screeching halt, and change forever, by making a simple decision to turn it all over to a higher power. Step 4: Soul Searching There is a saying in the 12-step programs that recovery is a process, not an event. The same can be said for this step—more will surely be revealed. Step 5: Integrity Probably the most difficult of all the steps to face, Step
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The jhānas (8 states) and the five jhana factors of concentration

The  jhānas The  Pāḷi canon  describes four progressive states of  jhāna  called  rūpa jhāna  ("form  jhāna "), and four additional meditative states called  arūpa  ("without form"). Preceding practices Meditation and contemplation are preceded by several practices, which are fully realized with the practice of dhyāna. As described in the Noble Eightfold Path, right view leads to leaving the household life and becoming a wandering monk.  Sīla (morality) comprises the rules for right conduct.  Right effort, or the four right efforts, aim to prevent the arising of unwholesome states, and to generate wholesome states.  This includes indriya samvara (sense restraint), controlling the response to sensual perceptions, not giving in to lust and aversion but simply noticing the objects of perception as they appear. Right effort and mindfulness calm the mind-body complex, releasing unwholesome states and habitual patterns, and encouraging the development of wholesome states
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I Like the Roses Play - Plum village song

  I Like the Roses Play   Download I like the roses, I like the daffodils. I like the mountains, I like the rolling hills. I like the twinkling stars when the sun goes down. Doo bi di doo bi di doo bi di… I like the rabbit, I like squirrel too I like bluebird, I like the roaming moose I like all animals, all animals like me Doo bi di doo bi di doo bi di…
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Four Right Diligence

 https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/tag/Right+Diligence%2FEffort Four Practices for Cultivating Right Effort The first practice is, don’t water the bad seeds/ unwholesome seeds . You know that there are negative seeds in you, and if they manifest, you will suffer. So let them sleep peacefully. When you watch a film, when you read a newspaper, when you listen to music, there is a chance that a seed will be watered and will manifest. We have to consume in mindfulness so that the bad seeds are not watered. When we love each other we have to sign a peace treaty. “Darling, I promise never to water the bad seeds in you or in me, and you have to do the same. You have those seeds. You must not water them in you, and don’t water them in me.” The second practice is that every time a bad mental formation manifests, we have to make unwholesome seeds go back to sleep , because if we keep it here too long, then it strengthens down in the base. If we leave it up in the mind for an hour, then th
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What Is the Eightfold Path?

 https://www.lionsroar.com/what-is-eightfold-path/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path Having established the reality, cause, and end of suffering, in the final noble truth the Buddha taught his disciples the eight-step path to awakening. Because they represent the actions and comportment of one who lives in accord with the dharma, these eight aspects of Buddhist practice are described as “wise,” “skillful,” “correct,” or simply, “right.” 1. RIGHT VIEW A true understanding of how reality and suffering are intertwined. 2. RIGHT RESOLVE The aspiration to act with correct intention, doing no harm.  (Renunciation/Right Consideration) - renunciation (Nekkhamma), non-ill will, non-harming, non-clinging 3. RIGHT SPEECH Abstaining from lying, and divisive or abusive speech. 4. RIGHT ACTION Acting in ways that do not cause harm, such as not taking life, not stealing, and not engaging in sexual misconduct.  5. RIGHT LIVELIHOOD Making an ethically sound living, being honest in busi
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Thich Nhat Hanh: The Four Layers of Consciousness

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  Thich Nhat Hanh: The Four Layers of Consciousness By Thich Nhat Hanh on Thursday September 14th, 2017 Abhidharma, Buddhism’s map of the mind, is sometimes treated as a topic of merely intellectual interest. In fact, says Thich Nhat Hanh, identifying the different elements of consciousness, and understanding how they interact, is essential to our practice of meditation. The Inner Workings of Our Minds The Vietnamese Zen Master, Thuong Chieu, said: When we understand how our mind works, our practice becomes easy. To understand our minds, we need to understand our consciousness. The Buddha taught that consciousness is always continuing, like a stream of water. Consciousness has four layers. The four layers of consciousness are mind consciousness, sense consciousness, store consciousness, and manas. Layer One–Mind Consciousness Mind consciousness is the first kind of consciousness. It uses up most of our energy. Mind consciousness is our ‘working’ consciousness that makes  judgments  and
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Tea meditation - Plum Village

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  This cup of tea in my two hands,  mindfulness is held perfectly.          My mind and body dwell in the very here and now.  Wherever you are drinking your tea, whether at work or in a café or at home, it is wonderful to allow enough time to appreciate it. If the weather is cold, you can feel the warmth of the cup in your hands. Breathe in and recite the first line; breathe out and recite the second. The next inhalation is for the third line, and the next exhalation is for the fourth line. Breathing mindfully in this way, we recuperate ourselves and the cup of tea reclaims its highest place. If we’re not mindful, it’s not tea that we’re drinking but our own illusions and afflictions. If the tea becomes real, we become real. When we are able to truly meet the tea, at that very moment we are truly alive. There is no way to home. Home is the way. There is no way to happiness Happiness is the way to us. A day to return to ourselves, to take care of ourselves to contemplate what's goin
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Song - Breathing in, Breathing out

Breathing in, breathing out Breathing in, breathing out Breathing in, breathing out I am blooming as a flower I am fresh as the dew I am solid as a mountain I am firm as the earth I am free. Breathing in, breathing out Breathing in, breathing out I am water reflecting What is real, what is true And I feel there is space Deep inside of me I am free, I am free, I am free.
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Mindfulness of Breathing

16 stages/ approaches to mindful breathing  https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/tag/16+exercises+for+mindful+breathing Day 1 Basics of mindfulness meditation. breathing is one of the core practices of Buddhist meditation practice. Two ways street - as the world around us changes (mood, intention, mind), our breathing changes, as breathing changes, our relationship to the world changes.  As we got trapped in our thoughts, our breathing changes.  As we relax our body, our breathing changes. Breathing sitting in the crossroad of all aspects of our life.  Fight/flight mode, breathing changes. When we change our breathing and relax, fight/flight response changes. Sitting there in breathing and watches the world goes on. Easy breath - be in touch with the breathing.  how your breathing changes is related to how your mood/ mind is changing. Area of control - the front part of the body.  focus on the back of the body is easier. not to be concern of a controlled breath. just be very content
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