Meditation Teachings Book 6, Wise Reflection

By Rosemary Weissman and Steve Weissman

"Meditation Teachings Book 6, Wise Reflection" guides readers through two different old student’s retreats taught by Steve and Rosemary Weissman. The strong foundation of keen compassionate awareness and understanding old students have developed in other retreats is built upon to expand the focus with wise reflection.
Wise reflection uses directed thought to understand a deeper truth or develop specific unselfish emotions necessary for understanding the Truth or Laws of existence.
Chapters "Evening Day 1" through to "Morning Day 10" cover the first old students' wise reflection retreat. The emphasis is to develop right understanding and right intention that skillfully guides a person’s life .
Chapters "Evening Day 10" through to "Morning Day 19" cover the second old students' retreat teachings which has more emphasis on the Brahma Viharas (Divine Abodes) or unselfish emotions of compassion, lovingkindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
In this book, many ways of applying compassion/lovingkindness and wise reflection are introduced to use in the formal meditation and everyday life. Unselfish emotions guide the practice, and wisdom investigates life to discover the laws that govern us. 31 different methods of formal meditation are included.
Although many of the teachings in this book can be beneficial for any sincere spiritual practitioner, familiarity with the style, emphasis and methods that Rosemary & Steve use in the basic practice serve as strong foundation for understanding more advanced teachings on a deeper level. Some background of mindfulness and compassionate understanding practice is necessary to fully benefit from wise reflection meditation. If you have not practiced with Steve & Rosemary, then it could be beneficial to first read their other books which cover the regular retreat: "...with Compassionate Understanding", a collection of the regular retreat talks; and/or "Meditation Teachings Book 3, 10-day Retreat Selections", a collection of selected teachings from the regular retreat. This will give you more background that can help you fully understand and benefit from these teachings.
Whether you are unfamiliar with Rosemary & Steve or are an old student, this book will be valuable for anyone who is sincerely trying to develop their minds and hearts.
It is Steve and Rosemary’s sincere wish that this book will be of much benefit for you, and that you will be able to share this benefit with others. May we all grow in peace, compassion, lovingkindness, understanding, joy and equanimity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rosemary Weissman
• Release date: Sep 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9780648794158

Rosemary Weissman

Rosemary has been an international Buddhist meditation teacher since 1987. She was a resident teacher at a meditation center in Thailand for 25 years, teaching over 8,000 students from more than 85 countries. She currently lives in Australia, and continues teaching at various centers worldwide.She and her husband, Steve, have authored many books, with several translated. Their main teaching book, "...with Compassionate Understanding" has been translated into seven languages.More information about Rosemary & Steve can be found on their web site.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section One: Wise Reflections Retreat

Evening Day 1: Introduction & Groups of People

Morning Day 2: 1-10-11-1 Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 2: D/D Compassion/Lovingkindness

Morning Day 3: D/D Compassion/Lovingkindness (short)

Morning Day 3: Alleyways & Streets

Evening Day 3: Death

Morning Day 4: Death (short)

Evening Day 4: Ten Paramis

Morning Day 5: Ten Paramis (short)

Evening Day 5: Seven Reflections

Morning Day 6: Origination & Dissolution

Evening Day 6: Waking up in the Morning

Morning Day 7: Going to Bed

Evening Day 7: Eight worldly dhammas

Morning Day 8: Eight worldly dhammas (short)

Evening Day 8: Forgiveness

Morning Day 9: The Five Daily Recollections

Evening Day 9: Balance & Sympathetic Joy

Morning Day 10: Generosity & Final Talk

Section Two: Brahma Viharas Retreat

Evening Day 10: Compassion/Lovingkindness Meditation

Morning Day 11: Introduction to the Brahma Viharas

Evening Day 11: Similarities/Differences Compassion/Lovingkindness

Morning Day 12: 1-10-11-1 Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 12: D/D Compassion/Lovingkindness

Morning Day 13: D/D Compassion/Lovingkindness (short)

Evening Day 13: Waking up in the morning (2)

Morning Day 14: Happy Birthday Feeling & Going to Bed Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 14: Equanimity

Morning Day 15: Occupations Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 15: Going through life Compassion/Lovingkindness

Morning Day 16: Body parts Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 16: Sympathetic Joy

Morning Day 17: Legs Compassion/Lovingkindness

Evening Day 17: The Brahma Viharas & The Ten Paramis

Morning Day 18: Sympathetic Joy

Evening Day 18: Generosity

Morning Day 19: Directions Compassion/Lovingkindness & Care More

Glossary

About the Authors

Books & Audios

* * * * *

Introduction

Meditation Teachings Book 6, Wise Reflection is a record of two different Old Students' Special Retreats, which focus on Wise Reflection meditation. Chapters Evening Day 1 through to Morning Day 10 are our first old students' special retreat teachings concerned with Wise Reflection meditation. Originally we taught this retreat on its own.

Chapters Evening Day 10 through to Morning Day 19 are our second old students' special retreat teachings which has more emphasis on the Brahma Viharas (Divine Abodes), which are quite special: the qualities of Compassion, Lovingkindness, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity. Originally we taught this retreat as part of a 19 day retreat, with the first 10 days being our regular teachings, recorded in our main teaching book, ...with Compassionate Understanding.

In this book, we have introduced our old students to many ways of applying Compassion/Lovingkindness and Wise Reflection meditation techniques in the formal meditation practice and in normal life. Included within are 31 different methods for formal meditation.

Although there are 18 methods in each retreat, 5 meditations were taught in both retreats. Thus we included only one copy here. We left the chapter titling for the deleted version for those of you who wish to know the order of how we introduced each meditation during the retreats. On those pages, a link will take you to the chapter in the other retreat where we taught the same meditation.

Special Note: Most of these teachings are guided meditations. Reading guided meditations of these types is usually not as good as listening to it, especially during a meditation retreat, but the following may be helpful to get the most benefit.

The meditations are between 5-45 minutes long. When rested, set aside sufficient time, possibly more, and try to arrange matters so that you will not be interrupted.

As you read through them, when you come to a * * * * *, please shut your eyes and reflect, contemplate, think about whatever you just read. If there was a specific instruction, then do that. Although the talks had set time spacing, it is not practical, when reading, to try to time yourself. At each * * * * *, the time may vary that you wish to use. Sometimes 10-15 seconds will be enough, and at other times you may use a minute or more. Try to take your time; there is no rush.

Should anyone who has not practiced with us be reading these teachings, we caution you in the following way: Although much of the teachings here will prove beneficial for any sincere spiritual practitioner, it would help the reader to be familiar with the style and emphasis that we use in our teachings. If you have not practiced with us, then it could be of benefit to first read our other books which cover the regular retreat: ...with Compassionate Understanding , a collection of the regular retreat talks; and/or Meditation Teachings Book 3, 10-day Retreat Selections , a collection of selected teachings from the regular retreat. This can help you to understand our style and approach.

You may also find helpful, a small glossary in the back of the book.

Whether you are unfamiliar with us or an old student, we feel that there is much to gain here in this book for anyone who is truly trying to develop their minds and hearts.

It is our sincere wish that this book will be of much benefit for you, and that you will be able to share this benefit with others. May we all grow in Peace, Compassion, Love, Understanding, Joy and Equanimity.

Our best wishes,

Steve and Rosemary Weissman

www.rosemary-steve.org

18 June, 2020

Section One: Wise Reflections Retreat

* * * * *

Evening Day 1: Introduction & Groups of People

Good evening and welcome to this Old Students' retreat.

We decided to give these retreats to help you and others, who have been interested in our teachings for a longer time, the opportunity to deepen the meditation practice. We understand that many of you greatly value this deeper direction in your life.

Steve and I know for ourselves the refuge and joy the Buddha's teaching - the Dhamma - can give. It gives us more Inner Peace, a deeper happiness and purpose in our life. We wish to help others get to know what it means to find a refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha, the Enlightened One and the Inner Potential He is pointing you towards; the Dhamma, the Teachings and the Ultimate Truth it leads you towards; and the Sangha, the Enlightened Ones and the protectors of the Dhamma through the centuries.

For Dhamma practitioners it is very important to remember this deeper refuge within changing circumstances in life. If we do, it will aid in reminding us of our deeper potential and what is truly valuable to devote our energies towards.

This is why we ask old students to learn how to reflect on the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.

People who have practiced with us are familiar with our emphasis of the Buddha's teaching and have received quite a lot of extra instruction from us in interviews, where we emphasize the Four Noble Truths. We wish for all of us to be able to learn to open to the existence of Dukkha, feel Compassion for it, begin to see the true cause of it and try to let go of the causes for it by walking the Noble Eightfold Path. As we understand the Noble Eightfold Path and walk it, moment by moment, we begin to see the gradual fading away of Dukkha.

Compassion and Lovingkindness are essential in our practice. They are deep motivating forces to try to heal Dukkha wherever we see it - in ourselves and if possible to help heal it in others. But we also need Wisdom - otherwise we will not know the true cause of Dukkha or how to heal it.

Compassion and Wisdom are vital to walking the Noble Eightfold Path, so this is why we continually stress Compassionate Understanding. They are basically the first two factors of the Noble Eightfold Path - the path the Buddha gave us to walk to the ending of Dukkha - Right View and Right Thought or Intention.

To walk the path leading to the ending of Dukkha it is essential to have a clear understanding of cause and effect and the Four Noble Truths - otherwise our efforts at mindfulness and concentration may be misguided and we may never step onto the Noble Eightfold Path. This is why the Buddha puts Right View first. In fact he thought it so important that in the scriptures, in the Mahacattarisaka Sutta, he states Right View comes First 14 times in a space of a 15 minute discourse.

So how are we to develop Right View?

When old students do two, three or more retreats we ask them to focus on the Wisdom and Compassion sides of the practice in a deeper way. Their mindfulness, effort and concentration then become aids in the development of increasing Right View and Right Thought or Intention.

With the Old Students’ retreats, we wanted the focus to be more fully on the techniques and explanation of how to do wise reflection in much more depth than we could if we had traditional Dhamma talks.

After much discussion we came up with the idea of having a prepared program of guided meditations. With a brief explanation introduction to longer guided meditations in the evening and a shorter meditation in the morning.

Due to having so many guided meditations, we encourage everyone to try not to be overwhelmed by the variety of the reflections and think you have to perfect them in a short time.

We are giving possibilities of differing reflections that can be used in anyone’s life - to learn how right thinking can greatly aid them in letting go of some of their Dukkha.

At the same time learning how to reflect wisely increases our Wisdom and the ability to observe the deeper characteristics of life.

To complement the guided meditations, we have a daily Questions and Answers' period in the hall. Anyone can write anonymous questions, place it in a box and one of us will read and answer the questions in the Hall with the whole group, while everyone maintains their silence. Any questions that are stimulated during the session can be answered either in private interviews or in a following day's Questions and Answer period.

The questions we ask ourselves and others are very important. They can mean the difference between stimulating our Inner Wisdom or increasing our ignorance. By this process of stimulating questions, we hope old students can learn to ask the right questions of themselves so they could reach that Inner Wisdom.

This inner Wisdom gives the ability to balance the impulses of ignorance in the mind that cause people to fall into Dukkha.

As we learn to ask ourselves the right questions, we may also be able to help others by asking them the right questions; questions that stimulate their Wisdom that may help to lessen their Dukkha.

The Dhamma, these teachings, is priceless in the world.

The Dhamma helps to give us a glimpse into the possibilities of our life. It is the possibility of living connected to an Inner purpose which can give Joy and Energy instead of a feeling of futility.

The Dhamma can give us a sense of refuge resulting in a feeling of lightness and contentment even when we see things changing and disappearing around us. This is instead of feelings of grief or despair that could arise if we are totally identified with the body and material things as the source of happiness, especially when they are manifesting their impermanent, Dukkha, ownerless nature.

The Dhamma can lead to an expansion and opening of the heart that brings us closer to others. We can understand and feel connected to those whom we do not know, are difficult, blame or even hate us.

The Dhamma can lead to a feeling of self-worth that depends on our inner good qualities; not simply on who admires, desires or praises us; nor on the quality of looks or body, that is subject to disease, aging and death and which we cannot totally control. Your inner beneficial qualities needs no competition nor winners or losers.

The Dhamma can lead us out of jealousy or conceit by teaching how to appreciate the good qualities of ourselves and others, and learn how to rejoice in it.

The Dhamma can lead us out of self-hatred by showing us how to open to and feel Compassion for our imperfections which also helps us to be more forgiving of others. Rather than judging ourselves and others, we understand our own imperfections and the difficulties they bring. We can open to the Universality of Dukkha and the human condition. With the gradual letting go of aversion there arises a more genuine Lovingkindness.

By increasing our Wisdom, the Dhamma can lead to a mature acceptance of life as it is and not as we want it to be. It turns us away from trying to control the uncontrollable and redirects us to doing something about what we do have more power to control - our inner direction and being mindful of our actions, speech and thoughts.

This is the beauty of the Dhamma and the growth it can bring.

However, the practice to realize this growth is hard work. Some new meditators have the expectation that fruits like these should come easily, yet they certainly would not expect the same of other normal things in the world, like education and other worldly achievements. More serious meditators have realized the practice takes courage and lots of hard work.

In this journey inward, we will see much different scenery as you would in normal travelling. We will not just experience the expansive views like you get at mountain lookouts. Many times the expansive views come only after we feel we cannot go on and we feel we are stretching our limits.

This is exactly what we are doing - stretching and trying to break free of our limitations.

Sometimes you may feel unable continue practicing and you doubt yourself and your ability. As you begin to open to Dukkha within, the mind may wish to escape and pull back into the familiar territory.

Try to remember your deeper potential at these times - remember the Buddha and those times you touched your potential in the past. This reflection may give the courage to continue rather than you believing in the self-image ignorance is projecting.

This self-image you imagine yourself to be is not real - it is just an idea.

Examining the first two of the Four Noble Truths is necessary so there will be a certain disenchantment with Dukkha and the lessening of the wish to hold onto the cause within ourselves. A deep Compassion can arise for ourselves and all beings.

In a way, this means we need to let go of what we have assumed to be true in the world and see things as they truly are. Before we can get to an overlook, we need to first climb the mountain. When you feel the climb is not worth it, try to remember those in the world who will never have the opportunity to even come in contact with a teaching that helps them go inward; those people who labor often in great hardship simply to survive or provide for the basic necessities of life, or those who work very hard to achieve fame, status, wealth which we will all have to eventually leave and can never really give us that lasting fulfillment in life.

Rather than stopping there in the turning away, there can be a refocus. We can turn towards the third and the fourth Noble Truths. We can open to the possibility that our Dukkha can diminish. When we walk the path we experience the gradual lessening of the burdens we carry and touch our deeper potential within. This Inner Peace and Balance is not so dependent on impermanent external things. Saddha, confidence, can arise which gives energy to continue.

If the doubts get really strong you can also ask yourself a very important question.

Who would I rather be - the person I am now or the person I was before any Dhamma teaching and practice?

It is recorded that our Buddha had sufficient Parami development in a previous lifetime to become Enlightened during the existence of another Buddha. He had enough development of the ten beneficial qualities of Generosity, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Resolution, Compassion/Lovingkindness and Equanimity. He had sufficient Parami development - yet they were not perfected, as only a Buddha has the ten Paramis totally perfected. In other Enlightened people, the ten Paramis are very high but not fully perfected.

As recorded, once in this previous lifetime he was practicing on a hill and saw thousands of people in the valley busy making the road very smooth. He was curious why such activity was taking place so he came down from the hill and asked what was the reason for such activity. Very excitedly, the people told him that a Buddha and hundreds of other Enlightened followers were coming. They were making the road smooth out of respect for the Buddha. Upon hearing this, our Buddha in this past lifetime, also became very excited and happy that he would have an opportunity to see a Buddha and hundreds of other Enlightened people. He asked if he could also help with preparing the road.

They gave him an area that had a muddy, wet puddle. At that moment the Buddha of that time and his followers were only a short distance away. As our Buddha-to-be did not have any shovel or tools to fix the muddy hole, he laid himself in the puddle to allow all of the Enlightened people to step on his back, so that they would not get wet and muddy.

When the Buddha and his followers came to that spot, our Buddha-to-be looked at the Buddha and the gathering. He became so inspired by what a wonderful achievement Buddhahood was that he made a vow as he was lying in the mud. He made a vow to work toward the highest - the total, full Enlightenment of a Buddha. The Buddha of that time recognized his thoughts and knew that in the future this man lying in the mud would indeed become a Buddha. The Buddha then told this to all his followers and as they walked on the path, none of them stepped on his back. They each stepped over this man in the mud.

At the time of making a vow to become a Buddha, our Buddha-to-be became what is called a Bodhisattva. This means a being working to become a Buddha. It is then recorded that this Bodhisattva spent about 500 lifetimes perfecting the Paramis. This was so that when the higher teachings had disappeared from the world, his mind was sufficiently evolved to be able to enlighten himself without a teacher showing him the way. Then over 2,580 years ago, he ceased being a Bodhisattva and became a Buddha.

If we look at the Paramis as our practice, we are looking at real-life qualities which are admired by wise people around the world.

Generosity, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Resolution or Determination, Compassion/Lovingkindness, Equanimity.

It is taught that if the teachings of a Buddha still exist and we use his teachings then we may not have to perfect the Paramis to become enlightened but they must be very high.

As recorded, when our Buddha-to-be laid in the mud and made a dedication to become a Buddha, this Compassionate Intention was not just centered around himself and ending his own problems. This he could have done in that lifetime. But instead he had this Compassionate Wish for all beings, and he dedicated himself to work towards and eventually become a Buddha - to help as many others as possible and to bring back to the world the teachings when it had disappeared.

Millions have been helped, how can we possibly count them all? I have been helped. Steve has been helped. Have you been helped?

How very thankful we can be to this human being who lived over 2,500 years ago.

We can take the development of the Paramis as a direction in life for the benefit of ourselves as well as for others. It is very valuable to remember that we are not just doing this practice for ourselves. As we develop we will have more ability to help others also.

A continual consideration of this direction can aid you in your practice. It will help you to remember your goals, your direction.

Have you ever asked yourselves these very important questions?

"Why are you interested in meditation?

What is the reason(s) you are doing meditation for?

What are you doing in your life?

What is your goal or purpose in life?"

Making a reflection about our direction in life regularly each day, perhaps at the beginning of each formal meditation session, is a very powerful way to remind us of our deeper direction in life. A part of the reflection that I use concerning