Greetings,

We've come to the end of the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. Before we look at the last path factor of Right Concentration let's take a moment to reflect on where we've been. The four noble truths is the fundamental teaching from Buddha. The idea that there's always dukkha and that we need to recognize it is a big deal. It was a big deal when he first said it. No one had recognized that the cause of our suffering came from pushing against reality rather than reality itself. Maybe a better way to say it is that dukkha means "tension." There's always tension with the present moment, either because something good is happening and we don't want it to stop, something bad is happening and we want it to go away, or the whole spectrum in between. Something in the present moment is creating a tension with the reality of the three characteristics (impermanence, dissatisfaction and not personal). If we see this tension we can liberate ourselves. If we don't see it, we get trapped in clinging. This moves us to the second truth that this clinging is going to cause more difficulty. When we're able to see that clinging and give up our preference to have things our own way, we can experience the liberative qualities of the Dhamma. The liberating nature of Dhamma is not because it fixes us or makes things better; Dhamma releases us from the unnecessary tension of pushing against reality.

And how does Dhamma release us from the unnecessary tension of pushing against reality? The Eightfold Path. When we begin to harmonize our understanding with the 8 factors, we are bringing our eyesight into focus with the Dhamma. More and more we can see the tension in ordinary moments and just let it go. We become more responsive and less reactive. We become more interested in what we are seeing and how things are playing out than getting our way. There's no better moment than listening to a practitioner describe how they worked through some difficult moment with the ease of investigation and/or the wisdom of Dhamma. It's so beautiful. Mostly because there's been a slight paradigm shift in their understanding even if they don't see that. They describe the event as if they've always been that way. Teachers see this all the time. We see the growth of practitioners on the path and often we see it more than they do. It takes the harmonizing of all 8 factors for this to happen. The wisdom of right view and right intention, the ethics of right speech, right action, right livelihood, and the meditative qualities of right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. The more we harmonize these factors, the more tension we see in our lives, the more we let go of it and the further and deeper we go into the path. This leads me to right concentration and this month's picture.

Right concentration, the last path factor, is about mind's capacity to sustain our efforts to reach a goal. Often people will see concentration as a way to achieve some altered state of mind - the bliss of retreat. Then there becomes this chasing after that state. This is because of the confusion around what sama samadhi (right concentration) is. Right concentration is not the altered state. It is what enables us to stay in the present moment (when we're on retreat) and stay on the path (when we're in our daily life). It is what helps us stay with an experience long enough to see the tension. It helps us feel the discomfort of dukkha and not run away from it. I picked the above picture because I can feel the intention to grab the bar. Can you sense the energy and the mindfulness of that intention? Concentration keeps the mind steady until the bar is grabbed. Likewise right concentration keeps us steady on the path all the way to full awakening. I'm not sure your thoughts or beliefs around the possibility of full awakening. What I am sure about is that right concentration will support you to reach your right intentions, even if your intention is to be kind and do the least amount of harm.

Thank you for your practice this year. I really enjoy writing these blogs (although in truth, I'd never be able to get them done if it were not for Cheryl. Much appreciation, Cheryl, for your gentle nagging and help). Next year we will pick up a new topic. I'll let you savor Right Concentration for this month before talking about next year. Finally, many of you know I am a strong advocate for long-term study programs, mostly because of the importance of sangha. If you haven't signed up for a class next year, consider the class that John Martin and I are doing on the Satipatthana Sutta. We are going to go through all 13 practices that Buddha gave instructions on establishing mindfulness. The class is being offered through Spirit Rock and begins January 11th. It will culminate in May with a residential retreat. The class will have a monthly session, weekly meditations, and buddy practice groups. There will also be the possibility of 1:1 practice meetings. Here's a link if you need further information and would like to register: Foundational Practices for Inner Peace: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

With a deep bow,
Tuere