1
00:00:01,010 --> 00:00:01,711
Hello guys.

2
00:00:02,552 --> 00:00:11,984
When meditating I sometimes focus on feelings of static or blood flow in the head, skin and eyes along with breath.

3
00:00:12,545 --> 00:00:23,619
Is this an accepted practice?

4
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,844
It's not what you focus on, it's how you focus on it.

5
00:00:29,275 --> 00:00:32,679
And that much more determines how accepted it is.

6
00:00:34,501 --> 00:00:39,506
So we only accept objective awareness of objects.

7
00:00:39,526 --> 00:00:48,416
So focus isn't enough, because you can focus on something and still be subjective about it, still be attached to it.

8
00:00:50,598 --> 00:00:57,426
You can still conceive in regards to it, proliferate or extrapolate upon it, project

9
00:00:59,752 --> 00:01:01,114
give rise to projections about it.

10
00:01:05,601 --> 00:01:10,028
So all of those things are perfectly valid objects of meditation.

11
00:01:10,088 --> 00:01:11,410
But are you actually meditating?

12
00:01:11,470 --> 00:01:13,894
Because simply focusing is not enough.

13
00:01:15,717 --> 00:01:17,400
The key is what we call sati.

14
00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:19,643
So it's how you understand the word sati.

15
00:01:20,785 --> 00:01:24,110
If you want, I talked in a few places in my book.

16
00:01:25,152 --> 00:01:25,913
I have a book now.

17
00:01:25,953 --> 00:01:26,574
Isn't that funny?

18
00:01:27,175 --> 00:01:27,936
How ridiculous.

19
00:01:29,587 --> 00:01:32,189
I wrote a book where people helped me write a book.

20
00:01:35,733 --> 00:01:37,094
Practical, what is it called?

21
00:01:37,474 --> 00:01:38,936
Lessons in Practical Buddhism.

22
00:01:40,577 --> 00:01:41,498
I have it on my tablet.

23
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:43,980
That's crazy.

24
00:01:44,020 --> 00:01:47,384
I think I should take it down.

25
00:01:48,384 --> 00:01:52,428
It's embarrassing to have a book.

26
00:01:52,448 --> 00:01:56,472
People putting my book on a tablet, that's almost scary.

27
00:01:59,270 --> 00:02:03,835
But yeah, I think there's some, you know, I am happy about some of the things that are in there.

28
00:02:03,875 --> 00:02:06,799
Not all of it, but it's going to take more work.

29
00:02:06,819 --> 00:02:09,942
But some of the things that are in there are what I wanted to say.

30
00:02:10,022 --> 00:02:26,661
So some of the things in there about septi could help you, I think could really help people understand this from my point of view, from our tradition, what we mean and why we mean what we mean about the word septi, about mindfulness.

31
00:02:37,593 --> 00:02:38,836
Yeah, the breath is a good example.

32
00:02:38,856 --> 00:02:49,840
I think the breath, you have to be careful because, well, not exactly careful, but you have to distinguish between the conceptual breath and the reality because the breath doesn't exist.

33
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,383
It's not a reality.

34
00:02:51,886 --> 00:03:00,015
The reality is the experience of heat, cold, pressure, acidity in the body.

35
00:03:00,876 --> 00:03:04,900
All of these experiences arise and cease at a single location.

36
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:06,702
So the breath doesn't come into the body.

37
00:03:06,722 --> 00:03:08,023
That's not ultimate experience.

38
00:03:08,784 --> 00:03:17,353
Ultimate reality is a momentary experience at some point in the body.