In | Out

11 Be the Breathing - Signlessness

What does signlessness feel like?

Welcome to this episode, where we explore the feeling of Signlessness by applying the two lenses of the Historical and Ultimate Perspectives to the flow of life. Using the metaphor of the meadow, we contemplate how the Historical Perspective sees only the birth and death of the flower, while the Ultimate Perspective sees the continuous flow of life through changing forms—recognizing that the flower is born because others died and will die so others can live. By performing a hands-on lab that models these transitions, and then shifting this awareness to your in-breath and out-breath, you will look deeply to realize that no stage of your breathing is more or less significant than another. This experience of Signlessness—where every moment, every breath, and every transition holds equal value—is a feeling of deep wonderment, peace, and unconditional appreciation for life as it is, freeing you from suffering and bringing you peacefully home to the present.

Reference Video

𑽇 Transcript 𑽇

What does signlessness feel like?

Objective: To experience the signlessness in our breathing.

Why this is Important

Signlessness is always present in our meditations just as breathing is. As we spend more time in meditation and listening, our awareness increases. It's a lovely journey of awakening. As we experinece the signlessness our breathe, we can begin to recognize it other places.

How Do We Get There?

- Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing

Steps 1 and 2: In - Out *1

- Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
- Smiles
- Emptiness which has the qualities of: Inter-being, Impermanence, No Self and No Birth - No Death
- Experience the Meadow
- Conditions
- Historical and Ultimate Dimensions

Sangha Sharing

What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?

Dharma Talk

When we contemplate the three doors, we want to be very aware of the Historical and Ultimate perspective. The Historical perspective sees the birth and the death of the flower. The Ultimate perspective sees the whole meadow over a long period of time. The flower is born because others died and the flower will die so that others can live. So the Ultimate perspective sees 'the flow of life' as the flower is born, blooms and dies. It sees all the myriad of previous manifestations that have all found there way here to be in this flower, in this moment. In the Here and the Now, we can gaze upon the flower and be delighted with its beauty. Then we can see what the flower once was and be amazed that it all came together in this moment AND I'm right here to enjoy it. This is a wonderment.

As we begin to explore the three doors, you may become a little confused on how they are similar and different. This is because of the nature of inter-being. When you sit with Emptiness, both and Aimlessness and Signlessness are sitting right there on your lap. They are interwoven. If you start to feel confused, simply breathe in and acknowledge how you feel / think and breath out a comforting smile. Soothe yourself and know it's okay.

A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk

The Little Plant of Corn and the "Eyes of Signlessness" | Thich Nhat Hanh, 2014 06 03, 17:35 minutes

Hands-on Lab

Let's go back to the Flowering Meadow Lab. Bring the historical and the ultimate perspective with you while you apply conditions to create a plant or animal, while it lives and when conditions return the nutrients back to the meadow.

The historical perspective sees the plant sprouting, growing, blooming and dying.

The ultimate perspective sees the life that died so the plant could live and how the plant returns its nutrients to the meadow so life can continue.

Think about a natural process that occurs within the meadow. Be mindful of your breathing and calm yourself to you can be present in the moment. Then with the toothpicks, apply conditions to create the first shape. Then apply conditions to transition that shape into the next. Lastly, one more time.

Mindfully, read the following questions slowly and spend some time letting them ruminate in your awareness.

When you're ready, transition into the meditation. The meditation is 14 minutes with bells at 2 minutes. ( if there's time, let this be 21 mins with bells at 3 mins.) Meditation's Audio

Questions Leading into Mindful Meditation

How were birth and death related?

Was anything permanent? What happens if we place our happiness on obtaining a 'shape'?

Can you identify any Wonderment(s) of how life continues through the meadow?

From the historical perspective, we represented how conditions create birth and death.

From the ultimate perspective where life continues through changing forms, we could see the 'parts' of each shape before the organism was born or during the organism's mid life or it at its death when the parts return to the meadow. Was any stage more or less significant than another stage?

Gently, please shift your attention from the lab to your breathing. Let's ask the previous question another way.

Let's experience the answer.

Is any part of my breathing more or less significant that another stage of breathing?

Gently listen to your changing breath - Value and appreciate each breath for what it is

Gently listen - Value breath

I feel my body rise. - I relax my body.

Body rise - Relax body

I have this breath - Because of this breath

As this breath ends - This breath lives

Life is the breathing - Breathing is the happiness

I am the breathing. - I am peacefully home.

Enjoy Being

Collective observations and reflections

We share and listen.

What does signlessness feel like?

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