By Lama Padma Samten
This is a transcription from this audio in Portuguese.
Transcription and translation by Regina Padma Rintchen
The five elements give a sense of reality to the things around us. We nourish ourselves, we drink from the energy that comes from samsara. Therefore, we need to have this natural brightness in the eyes, otherwise we get depressed. Life is based on the attachment to the five elements. We are attached to the five elements; we are attached to everything that produces this brightness inside ourselves. It is like we are living inside a bubble where the elements appear and make us move. This is samsara. We need to act as if in the meditation: helping the energy to appear from inside. When we are meditating, we do not do anything at all but the energy is still there. This is the beginning of the emancipation from samsara.
1. Widen the brightness of the eyes, which are the natural brightness of the mind. Keep the brightness of the mind as the brightness of the eye: stable and dissolving all the tension in the body. Watch the brightness of the element ether.
2. Now from the brightness of the element ether, we put in action the britghtness of the element air. Therefore, we breathe deeply, observing the modification of the energy. Do it 3 times, slowly. Then we contemplate the emergence of the energy inside the body, the emergence of the energy of the element air invading the body. We contemplate the brightness of the element ether and the energy of the element air.
3. Then we notice that the energy of the element air set in motion the energy of the element fire. A heat inside the body shows up. Then we allow the heat, the energy of the element air and the element fire to penetrate the whole body. Keeping the brightness of the element ether we widen the brightness of the element air and of the fire. The body is energized and heals itself. No tension on the face.
4. With the brightness of the element ether, the energy of the element air and of the fire, we relax the body and remove all sorts of obstructions and impeachments. This non-obstruction is exactly the brightness of the element water.
5. Now we contemplate the lung of the element earth, energy of stability and firmness of the body. With the firmness of the element earth, firmness of the body, a sensation of stability of the environment, we widen the non-obstruction of the element water. Body firm, however no contraction, or obstruction, nor tension. Body free for whatever movement you need.
6. With the energy of the earth stabilized, and the support of the energy of non obstruction we widen the energy of the element fire. We scan the whole body part per part, we warm it up from inside in and we heal it.
7. Now we contemplate and expand the energy of the element air. Inhale and exhale 3 times slowly. We feel the energy of the element air invading the body. Body in an upright position, no tension, warmed up, full of energy. Our eyes get bright. Element air activated. We are alive and present.
Plan the length of time you wish to meditate for and set the time on your watch. 15 min is often recommended. If you want to stay longer, it is advisable to stretch yourself and then carry on, always giving yourself a break at each 15 min of practice. Relax each part of the body and start the cycle of 5 elements, keeping the mind free of distractions or fixations and always reminding yourself to keep the immobility and silence within the body, do not demand too much from yourself.
Ether (space): acknowledge your mind attention span, its vastness, the brightness in your eyes, your vivacity. If any thought shows up and you notice, do not criticise yourself. Turn yourself back to the practice, notice your skill of letting go of the thoughts and repose the mind.
Air (movement): feel the breath natural and inhale deeply and slowly 3 times in a soft and silent way. Then notice each inhalation and exhalation natural, do not influence it, do not control it. You can observe it by the abdominal movement or by the air coming and going out through the nostrils. Feel the peace that comes by simply breathing naturally, with forcing or controlling. Repose on this sensation.
Fire (heat): notice now the heat in the body, notice the natural temperature of the body. Activate this heat in the body and feel it spreading and healing each part of the system. Even in colder places, you can feel the comfortable body temperature during your meditation. Acknowledge it and repose on this experience.
Water (flow): fell your body relaxing, without obstructions. Let the muscles of your face relax as well the muscles of the neck, shoulders and the whole body. Do not allow any part of the body to get tense, rigid, and tight. Wherever you notice any sort of tension, release and let it flow. Explore the possibility of each part of the body moving at anytime you wish. Repose on this comfort.
Earth (solidity): now feel the stability of your body and mind. Feel the contact with the floor. Feel its steadiness, independently of the external conditions. Notice that even when the thoughts come and go, it remains itself constant and unchanged. Observe that even when the thoughts come, there is a wider dimension beyond all of them that remains unchanged, constant. Repose on this stability.
When you feel you got distracted, get back to the element ether. Repeat 1 to 5, then 5 to 1. or practice any order you like or even only the element or elements you feel you need.
This is a transcription from this audio in Portuguese.
Transcription and translation by Regina Padma Rintchen
