The science of meditation - Summary of the book

The science of meditation (2017)

by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson

There are two paths in meditation: the Wide Path and the Deep Path 

The Deep Path has two levels and the goal is enlightenment.  Following the path develop some traits: selflessness, equanimity, loving presence, impartial compassion 

• Level 1: the yogi style
• Level 2: householder style

The Wide Path has three levels and the goal is altered traits and better health performance

• Level 3: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Transcendental Meditation 
• Level 4: meditation apps
• Level 5: mental gym (in development)

Meditation is a generic term like sport.  Each one must find their practice and do it. 

Interest by academic research has been increasing: from 1970-2000 there were less than 10 articles per year, since 2000 there has been an exponential growth reaching more than 1000 articles in 2020.

Even short daily dose improves biology and emotional life.  There are many other possibilities for development, but also dangers. 

Ancient clues [70's]

Dan and Richie discovered meditation in India: watch sensations; discover how we claim sensation as "mine"; and how they change all the time.

Spiritual traditions "converge in description of an internal liberation from everyday worry, fixation, self-focus, ambivalence, and impulsiveness [...] a keenly alert 'nowness' and loving concern for all." 

Modern psychology was clueless about this range of human potential , and focused on fixing single problems (like anxiety) while Asian psychology offered ways to enhance our positive side.

Science identified waking, sleeping, and dreaming as major mental states, while samadhi was controversial without supporting evidence. 

Visuddhimagga (path to purification) is the meditation manual used by Dan and Richie as reference.  The method starts with concentration:

• Waterfall experience: acknowledge the monkey mind
• River-like experience: thinking activity slows down 
• Still lake experience: mental activity become very low.
• Jhana (7 levels): all distracting thoughts cease 

Buddha said that Jhana is not liberation.  Proposed the practice of open awareness, "an alert but non-reactive stance in attention." The path of insight start being aware of thoughts instead of following them, and seeing them as momentary experiences of mind. 

The after is the before for the next during

Abhidhamma is the compendia of Buddhist psychology, the theory for meditation manuals like Visuddhimagga.  Describes all the possible states of mind. 

• Unhealthy states of mind: desire, self-centeredness, sluggishness, agitation...
• Healthy states of mind: even-mindness, composure, ongoing mindfulness, and realistic confidence. 
• Body and mind together: buoyancy, flexibility, adaptability, and pliancy.

The signs of progress: shift from unhealthy to healthy, effortless stabilization in the healthy, embodying confidence, buoyancy,... 

The signs of stabilization: becoming traits not only meditation experiences

This Asian working model has been tested over centuries. 

The first course of "The Psychology of consciousness" by Dan, (1974) was a great success, but it still lack of scientific data and was very much based on guess-work.

The first article "The role of attention...transformation of consciousness" (1977) put emphasis on altered states, not yet on traits "missing the true point of the practice".  For the Dalai Lama "the true landmark of a meditator is that he has disciplined his mind by freeing it from negative emotions." 

The after is the before for the next during:

• After are the changes that last from previous practice
• Before is the baseline prior to the practice 
• During is the experience happening in the meditation 

"In other words, repeated practice of meditation results in lasting traits - the after" 

In 1975, Bruce McEwen presented a study in the society of neuroscience: stressful events produced lingering neural scars in a class of rodents.  It was the first time with a proof that experience can change brain, which was unthinkable until then.  The question that arise was "could meditation change brain too?" 

In 1992, Richard Davidson proposed in public the concept of neuroplasticity, that is repeated experience can change brain, i.e., behavior can be modelled by experience, not only by genetics.  Nature and nurture interact. 

There is evidence that brain of deaf people reused areas controlling hearing for visual processing. 

The same way than PSTD set the sensitivity of amygdala to threat very low, growing up in a secure environment, with empathic parents, sets stronger emotion regulation (altered traits). 

Western philosophy

For Aristotle the goal of life was a virtue-based eudaimonia (flourishing). Virtue is reached by the "right mean" between extremes: courage between risk-taking and cowardice, moderation between self-indulgence and ascetism.  But virtue need cultivation effort, including self-monitoring. 

Stoics pointed that feelings about life events, not the events themselves, determined happiness.  Equanimity is reached distinguishing what we can control from what we cannot. 

Reinhold Neibuhr's prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

The Greco-Roman tradition considered qualities such integrity, kindness, patience, and humility, key to enduring well-being.  This is similar to the ideal in Buddhism of inner flourishing that nourishes "the very best within yourself."

Modern psychology uses the term well-being as term for the Aristotelian flourishing.  Carol Ryff proposes a model of well-being with six arms:

• Self-acceptance
• Personal growth
• Autonomy
• Mastery (of life)
• Satisfying relationships
• Life purpose

Meditation seems to cultivate some (many) of these capacities.

The best we had

First, there is a lack of replication of many studies on meditation effects.  This is a general problem of research, in particular in behavioral sciences.

Second, there is a bias of publication only positive results, while failures or non-significant results remain unpublished.

Third, the studies do not often distinguish the type of meditation practitioners do.  Max-Plank institute has un study with three types of practice:

• Breath focus: has a calming effect but don't create positive mood
• Loving-kindness is not calming, but create a positive mood
• Monitoring thoughts is neither calming or positive thinking inducer.

Fourth, counting hours of practice is often ignored

Fifth, to determine the uniqueness of meditation benefits studies must have control groups.  Any positive intervention has some positive effects on people, at least for a while.  Richard Davidson concluded that "many reported benefits can be attributed to expectation [NB: placebo?], social bonding in the group, instructor enthusiasm, and other."

Sixth, definition of mindfulness is ambiguous.  Some people use as a synonym of meditation, despite it is only one of the variety of methods.

1. Noticing when the mind wanders in the meditation: focus, wandering, noticing.  This aspect can also be called concentration.
2. Floating awareness that witness any experience without judging or reacting [Jon Kabat-Zinn definition]
3. The Pali term "sati" is translated also as awareness, attention, retention, and discernment.

Therefore, we must look to the trait changes described by the spiritual traditions.  They identified this changes that could reflect in the brain:

• Reactivity to disturbing events
• Compassion and empathy
• Attention circuitry
• The sense of self

Plus having a healthy body and a healthy mind.

A mind undisturbed

Our prefrontal cortex gives us the possibility to imagine the future.  This advantage is also a curse because we can worry about it and also regret the past, remembering it.  Epictetus said "it is not things that happen to us that are upsetting, but the view we take of these things."

Allan Wallace study on Mindful Attention Training, showing that amygdala response softened.  But untrained people also reduced response during attention exercise, indicating and altered stated not a trait.

Zen meditators respond to pain decoupling evaluation (this hurts) from sensation (this burns).

People suffering from PSTD and burnout are not longer able to put a halt to their brain's stress response.

Carol Ryff found that people with a strong sense of purpose in life recover quickly from stressors [in lab conditions]

Meditators had less cortisol during TSST (their Social Stress Test), and perceived the test less stressful than non-meditators.  The reason is the stronger connection between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.  The stronger the link, the less the person is hijacked by emotions.

MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) reduce reactivity of amygdala, also long-term meditators has less reactivity and stronger connection between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.  The good news is that resilience can be learned, and the trait is proportional to the amount of practice.

Primed for love

In the 70s, Sharon Shalzberg brought a method learned from Goenka, called metta in Pali, loosely translated as "loving-kindness".  In the format she proposed, you silently repeat phrases like "May I be safe, ""May I be healthy," and "May my life unfold with ease," first wishing this for yourself, the for people you love, then for neutral people, and finally for all the beings - even those whom you find difficult or who have harmed you.  In one or other version, this is the form better studied of meditation on compassion.

Kristin Neff added the term self-compassion.  Although in the east traditions compassion includes oneself, is not the case in the western tradition.  Neff definition of self-compassion includes being kind to yourself instead of being critical; seeing you failures and mistakes as part of your human condition rather than some personal failing; and just noticing the imperfections instead of ruminating about them.

Research classified empathy in three kinds

• Cognitive empathy let us understand how the other person thinks, we see their perspective.
• Emotional empathy make us feel what the other person feels.
• Empathic concern or caring lies at the heart of compassion.

In a experiment, subjects were instructed to share the emotions of people in the videos.  fRMI revealed that such empathy activated the insula, that is also active when we suffer.  A second group was instructed to feel love for those suffering, which activated the same part of brain that for maternal love.  In only eight hours of training their brain reacted clearly different.

The transformation of meditation on compassion, instead of emerging gradually as recovery from stress, emerges faster, even after a few minutes of exercise. And has a surprising and unique effect: the brain circuitry for happiness energizes too.

Tania Singer found that empathic resonance with the pain of others activates a neural alarm that tunes us with others' suffering, alerting us of potential danger.  But compassion involve circuits for feelings of warmth, love, and concern.  Moreover, compassion muted the empathic distress that can lead us to empathic exhaustion and burnout.

The Buddhist tradition of loving-kindness emphasizes extending our compassion to all the beings.  But how we can do that, including people that we don't like.  The Dalai Lama suggest to recognize the "oneness" of humankind, to realize that all them do not want suffering, and looking for happiness.  As he use to say "the first person to benefit from compassion practice is the one that feels it," which is confirmed by the activation of happiness circuits with the practice.  Also that "the ultimate source of peace is in the mind - which, far more our circumstances, determines our happiness."

Attention

In the 80s, Richard affective research showed how emotions push and pull attention.  In the 90s, contemplative neuroscience discovered how the prefrontal cortex manages our voluntary attention.  With the research some categorization appeared:

• Selective attention: focus on one lement, discarding others
• Vigilance, mantaining a constant level of attention
• Allocating attention, to notice small or rapid shifts on experience
• Goal focus, or cognitive control, keeping a goal, avoiding distractions
• Meta-awareness, tracking the quality of our awareness, noticing wandering or mistaking

Selective attention: Mindfulness (on MBSR training) strengthens the brain's ability to focus on one thing and ignore distractions.  The neural circuitry for selective attention can be trained.

Vigilance: Clifford Sharon and Allan Wallace study showed that meditators (on a three month retreat) improved vigilance.  Meditators who regularly practiced some form of "open monitoring"  (or open awareness) reversed the increase of attentional-blink of aging, even doing better than younger people.  Even very short training shows improvement (study with 17 minutes).

Allocating attention: Information consumes attention, therefore a wealth of information means a poverty of attention.  Heavy multitaskers are more easily distracted in general.  When they try to focus on a single task, they use more areas than just those relevant to it - a neural indicator of distraction.

Goal focus: Cognitive control can be strengthened.  With just ten-minute sessions of breath counting was enough to measure improvement, and the biggest gains were among the heavy multi-taskers.  Event academic result improve significantly.  Cognitive control also helps to manage impulses (response inhibition), and the benefits remains long after the training. 

Meta-awareness: in our normal perception there is an experience, and awareness lies in the background ("mere awareness").  Meta-awareness switch perception bring awareness to the forefront, and laying the experience in the background, holding judgement or emotional reactions. Therefore we can track our attention, noticing, for example, when our mind wondered from our goal, or noticing errors of what we do.  Meta-awareness also endow us to notice or unconscious bias.

While some aspects of attention improve just after a few hours (or minutes!) of practice, this doesn't mean it will last.  For example multi-tasking will weaken your focus.  Therefore, engaging in a regular practice is the way to lasting benefits.

Lightness of being

We live in a world our minds build rather than actually perceiving the endless details of what is happening.  In his first vipassana retreat Richard Davidson experienced heavy pain of long hours sitting in meditation posture.  It was unbearable until he had a shift of perception.  The pain didn't vanished, but he changed his relationship to it.  It became a raw sensation - not "my pain".  Every waking moment of our lives we construct our experience around a narrative where we are the star.  Similarly, we can deconstruct that story we center on ourselves by applying the right kind of awareness.

While we do nothing, there are brain regions that are highly activated (the default mode), even more that during a difficult cognitive task.  When scientists asked people what was going on in their minds during these periods of doing nothing, surprisingly, it was not nothing!  They reported their mind was wandering most often focused on the self: "How i am doing this experiment? I wonder what they are learning about me. I need to pass this phone call..."  All mental activity focused on "I" and "me" that is called "the monkey mind".

In a large study, Harvard researches asked thousands of people to report their mental focus and mood at random points through the day, and concluded that "a wandering mind is an unhappy mind". Because the self ruminates on what's bothering us, we feel relieved when we can turn it off.

Meditation instruct us to notice distraction, which activates the connection between the prefrontal cortex and the default mode.  This connection is stronger in long-term meditators that on beginners, and the stronger the connection, the quieter the monkey mind.

Vasubandhu (V c.) observed "So long as you grasp the self, you stay bounded to the world of suffering."  Cognitive science tell us that our sense of self emerges as a property of the many neural subsystems that thread together among other, streams, our memories, our perceptions, our emotions, and our thoughts.  Any of those would be insufficient for a full sense of self, but in the right combination we have the cozy feel of our unique being.  While almost every contemplative path holds lightness of being as a primary aim, paradoxically, there is very little research on it, but show three stages in how meditation leads to greater selflessness.

Novices in meditation keep their mind from wandering by activating neural wiring that can quiet the default mode area.  Our sense of self gets woven in an ongoing personal narrative that threads together disparate parts of our life into a coherent story line.  This narrator resides mainly in the default mode but brings together inputs from a broad range of brain areas that in themselves have nothing to do with the sense of self.  The seasoned meditators had less activation within the default areas.  Intriguingly, the long-term meditators would have the same lessened connectivity in the default mode during meditation than during resting.

Meditation manuals say letting go of thoughts, at first, requires some effort.  Later, though, whatever thoughts come to mind are like a thief entering an empty house: there is nothing to do and they just leave.  Also common sense tell us that learning a new skill takes hard work first and progressively becomes easier with practice.  Also happens in meditation according to neuroscience, prefrontal cortex no longer do effort to do the work.

Lessening the grip of the self, always a major goal of meditation practitioners, has been oddly ignored by research, focusing in more popular benefits like relaxation or better health.

Stickiness, the fixation to a mental state, emotion or thought, seems to reflect the dynamics of emotional circuitry of the brain, that underlie the traditional causes of suffering -attachment and aversion.  The Dalai Lama is a great living example of lack of stickiness.  Once was asked for his happiest moment of his life and he replied "I think right now."

Mind, body, and genome

The meta-analysis of research on meditation as treatment for pain concluded that is a good alternative to purely medical treatment.  However, no study has proof clinical improvement on chronic pain by removing the causes of pain -the relief comes in how people relate to pain.  Despite most people find relief after the MBSR training, many drop the practice after a while.

There is a study on how meditation lowered the cytokine levels, that are present in many skin reaction related to inflammatory process.

In a meta-analysis of studies with patients with heart issues, the results were "encouraging" but not conclusive.

Some studies find that meditation would have salutary epigenetic effects.  Loneliness raise levels of pro-inflammatory genes, while MBSR lowers them, and also lessen the feeling of loneliness. Another meta-analysis concluded that practicing mindfulness was associated with increased telomerase activity.

Concerning which kind of meditation has which kind of impact, Tania Singer compared loving-kindness with mindfulness practice.  Breath meditation was more relaxing, while loving-kindness and insight boosted heart rate, indicating more effort.  Richard Davidson found that long-term meditators had a slower breath rate just sitting still. 

Brain also changes shape with meditation, mainly in this four areas:

• The insula, which attunes to our internal state and powers emotional self-awareness
• Somatomotor areas, the main cortical hubs for sensing touch and pain
• Parts of the prefrontal cortex that operates in paying attention and in meta-awareness
• Regions in the cingulate cortex instrumental in self-regulation
• The orbitofrontal cortex, also part of the circuitry for self-regulation

At the age of fifty, longtime meditators' brains are "younger" by 7.5 years compared to non-meditators of the same age.  Meditation helps preserve the brain by slowing atrophy. While there is a doubt that atrophy could be reversed, it seems possible to make it slow down.

The current thinking is that meditation changes the relation with all kind of emotions, rather than changing the ration of positive to negative ones.  With higher levels of meditation practice, emotions seems to loose their power to pull us into their melodrama.

What is true, what's not, and what we don't know about the impact of meditation to get a better health?  There is evidence about the neural, biological, and behavioral changes produced by meditation, and how they help to maintain help -for instance, in better emotional  regulation and sharpened attention.  The point is that what we know make worth serious research about the benefits.

Meditation as psychotherapy

Tara Bennet-Goleman combined mindfulness with cognitive therapy in the 80s.  She understood that the lightness of thoughts viewed through the lenses of mindfulness, she got with the practice of vipassana, mirrors the principle of "decentering" of cognitive therapy, observing thoughts and emotions without identifying with them.  Bringing mindfulness into the sessions, complemented Dr Young's therapy with this lens of mind.  Observing breath mindfully, calmly, and clearly, helped patient to overcome panic attacks.  Independently, John Teasdale, and Mark Williams created the MBCT for depression, and showed that cut relapse by half, more than any medication.

Research also showed that mindfulness could lessen anxiety and depression, as well as pain, with a similar improvement of medication, but without troubling side-effects.  On the other hand, no benefits were found on eating habits, sleep, substance use, or weight problems.  When it came to other psychological troubles, like ugly moods, addictions, and poor attention, the meta-analysis found little or no evidence that any kind of meditation might help.  Actually, the use of control groups in the studies evaporated the evidence of benefits.  Therefore, the positive findings are only a reason to justify more extensive studies with more patients, during longer periods.

Apart from the equivalent effectiveness compared to medication of mindfulness to treat depression, anxiety, and pain, without side-effects, it also reduced the psychological stress.

Meta-analysis showed that MBCT was effective to lower the relapse of depression, and the more severe the depression the larger the benefits of MBCT.  The reason, is that patients were more able to decenter (step outside the thoughts, and see them coming and going instead of being carried away).  Also the more they practice the lower the risk of relapse.

There are still many open questions: what is the added value of mindfulness compared to cognitive therapy? what disorders does meditation relieve better than current standard psychiatric treatments? Should these methods be used along with those standard interventions? What specific kinds of meditation work best to relieve which mental problems -and what is the brain's circuitry involved? [NB: meditation teachers suggest to do meditation on top of standard psychologic/psychiatric treatment]

Loving-kindness practice has been used to treat PSTD, if it works if offers a cost-effective group treatment.  Moreover, PSTD symptoms include numbness, alienation, and a sense of "deadness" in relationships -all of which loving-kindness might help reverse by the cultivation of positive feelings toward others.  War veterans dislike the side effect of drugs used in the classical treatment, so they look for alternate treatments.

[NB: skip the dark nights section because is too complicated to explain and summarize]

A Yogi's Brain

Although we could try to compare meditation training of yogis with elite sportsmen, in meditation the better you get the less you care about your ranking - let alone social status, wealth, or fame.  That made difficult to convince true yogis to participate in the research.

The study of effects of meditation is about something intensely private, one person's inner experience -while the tools to data are machines that measure biological reality, not the inner experience.  Technically, the inner assessment requires a "first-person" report, while the measurements are a "third-person" report.

Francisco Varela proposed an idea to close the gap between the first and third person: using a "second-person", an expert on the topic studied, with a well-trained mind, that will provided better data that a not trained mind.

The Dalai Lama send Matthieu Ricard to Richard Davidson lab.  Matthieu was a French seasoned practitioner, that before becoming a Buddhist monk had a PhD on molecular biology with the Nobel laureate François Jacob.  His contribution was key to set the protocol, and to convince to participate other seasoned yogis, like Mingyur Rinpoche, whos first test was so much out of scale, that make them believe a malfunction of the fMRI.

Hidden Treasure

The experiences with Mingyur Rinpoche had other surprises.  Gamma oscillations usually happen for a few seconds when we have an aha! moment.  The measure of Mingyur Rinpoche during meditation provided unprecedented values, persisting for minutes.  The gamma oscillations persisted also in yogis during the deep sleep.  The massive levels of gamma activity in the yogis and the synchrony of the gamma oscillations across wide spread of the brain suggest the vastness and panoramic quality of awareness that they report.

Antoine Lutz wrote in one study that beginners after a week of training on yogis practices, they look similar in meditation to them.  But there is a remarkable difference between during resting between yogis and beginners.  Also, yogis have a remarkable talent at entering a specific meditative state within a second or two, which is also a proof of altered trait.

The reaction to pain is also different.  In a experiment where people were warned before having a painful experience, subjects anticipated the pain, and kept stuck to it after the sensation finished.  On the contrary, yogis, didn't anticipated, and quickly come back to rest state after the experience.  This let them be fully responsive to a challenge when it happens, without letting the emotional reactions interfere before or afterward, when they are not longer useful.  This seems an optimal pattern of emotional regulation.

In 1992, by request of the Dalai Lama, Richard Davidson made a lecture to the monks of Namgyal Monastery.  He include a demonstration of EEG measuring the brain activity during the practice.  When preparing the the sensors on the head of the monk, all the public started laughing.  Richard thought it was due to the funny look, but actually they laugh at measuring mind only on the head, without looking at the heart.  Fifteen years later, Richard's team collected data that made them realize compassion was very much an embodied state, with tight links between the brain and body, and especially between the brain and the heart, like the fact that yogis' heart beat faster compared to novices' when they heard sounds of people in distress.

There are a variety of compassion practices that can matter when measuring effects:

• Nonreferential compassion, a state in which love and compassion permeated the whole mind with no other discursive thoughts.
• Sustained, caring attention is being present to another person, enhances empathy.

The findings discovered so far, has to do more with the availability of data, than with a plan to cartography the vastness of human experience.  This situation is comparable to the parable of the blind men and the elephant.  Also we must know that these yogis are very rare, so in Asian cultures call them "living treasures".

Altering Traits

"In the beginning nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes" Jetsun Milarepa, XII c.  Matthieu Ricard explains it: at the start of the contemplative practice, little or nothing seems to change in us. After continued practice, we notice some changes in our way of being, but they come and go.  Finally, as practice stabilizes, the changes are constant and enduring, with no fluctuation. They are altered traits.

Beginners find improvements in attention very early on, including less wandering after just eight minutes of practice.  Small improvements in molecular markers of cellular aging seem to emerge with just thirty hours of practice.  Still, all such effects are unlikely to persist without sustained practice.

Meditation over years (1000 to 10000 hours of practice) make deepen the mentioned effects, and emerge other benefits, like changes in the hormonals indicators and lessened stress reactivity, the brain connectivity for emotional regulation strengthen and cortisol lessens.

Loving-kindness and compassion practice over long term enhance neural resonance with another person's suffering, along with a concern and greater likelihood of actually helping. Attention, too, strengthens in many aspects with long-term practice: selective attention sharpens, the attentional blink diminishes, sustained attention becomes easier, and an alert readiness to respond increases. And long-term practitioners show enhanced ability to down-regulate the mind-wandering and self-obsessed thoughts of the default mode, as well as wakening connectivity within these circuits -signifying less self-preoccupation.  These improvements generally tend to become traits.

Not all changes occur same speed.  For instance, the benefits of compassion come sooner than does stress mastery. Shifts in very basic biological processes, such as a slower breath rate, occur only after several thousand hours of practice. Some seem more strongly enhanced by intensive practice on retreat than by daily practice.

Practice makes converting meditative states to traits.  Yogis not only experience gamma oscillations during meditation, but also at rest.  Also their response to physical pain during simple mindfulness practice have the inverted V shape.  Moreover, for them concentration becomes effortless, contrary to novices, that need effort to enter in meditative state.  Some Buddhist traditions call this level of stabilization as the recognition of the "basic goodness" [aka: buddha nature, innate well-being]. There is an ongoing long-term study that conjectures that meditation seems to transform the resting state-the brain's default mode-to resemble the meditative state.

There is a common belief that 10000 hours of practice allow us to master a skill.  Some skills need far less, like memory that only needs 200 hours.  Concerning meditation, the way of practice makes a difference: meditating one session a day is very different from a multiday or longer retreat.   For example, the slowing of breath is much more correlated with retreat that with daily practice.  In retreat, usually there are teachers to provide us guidance.

Which forms of practice are more helpful to which people?  One study found that for people with extreme worries and anxious thoughts had more relief with yoga that with MBSR.

The three levels of practice used - beginner, long-term, and yogi- are grouped around different types of meditation: mainly mindfulness for beginners, vipassana for long-term (with some studies with Zen practitioners), and Tibetan Dzogchen and Mahamudra for yogis.  Can we extrapolate insights from mindfulness and apply them to vipassana, and from vipassana to the Tibetan practices?

Richard Davidson, Cortland Dahl, and Antoine Lutz created this typology: 

• Attentional: these meditations focus on training aspects of attention, whether in concentration, as in watching the breath, a mindful observation of the experience, a mantra, or meta-awareness, as in open presence.
• Constructive: cultivating virous qualities, like loving-kindness.
• Deconstructive: as with the insight practice, these methods use self-observation to pierce the nature of the experience.  They include "nondual" approaches that shift into a mode where ordinary cognition no longer dominates.

Spiritual traditions direct us to actualize the very best of us in lasting traits.  For example in Mahayana Buddhism practitioners should cultivate generosity, ethical conduct, patience, perseverance, meditation, and wisdom.  These qualities seem to match the indicators of brain changes found in the research.  The view of the yogis that participated in the lab is that all we have Buddha nature, but fail to recognize it.  The practice consist on recognizing all these qualities that are already in us, and lead us to recognize the Buddha nature.  From this perspective, the remarkable neural and biological findings among the yogis are signs not so much of skill development but rather of this quality of recognition.

Experiments with babies showed that there is an innate preference for kindness.  These findings are consistent with the view of intrinsic virtues like an intrinsic basic goodness, and the training of loving-kindness and compassion consists in recognize and strengthen these qualities already present in us.  Is would be the same that actualizing our potential to speak.

Although in the contemplative traditions the goal has been always the altered traits, nowadays most of us would prefer an easy and brief practice, a pragmatic approach that borrows what works and leave behind the rest.  In the deep paths, meditation represents just one part of a range of means helping to increase self-awareness, gain insights into the subtilties of consciousness, and, ultimately, to achieve a lasting transformation of being.  These daunting goals require lifelong dedication.

A healthy mind

Richard Davidson and his team developed an app for people, like many, cannot attend regularly meditation sessions and have not developed yet a regular practice by their own.  Healthy Minds cab be tailored to practice on the cushion, or while doing something else.  The app works the four pillars of well-being created by Davidson, based on the neuroscience, cognitive science, modern psychology and spiritual tradition findings.

Helping children develop kindness seem an obvious, good idea -- but at present this valuable capacity is left to chance of our education system.  Developmental psychologists tell us that there are differing rates of maturation for attention, for empathy and kindness, for calmness, and for social connection.  One serious program to develop these capacities is the SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) co-created by Daniel Goleman.

What if by transforming our minds, we could improve not only our own health and well-being but also for those of our communities and the wider world?  The Dalai Lama encourages all to do three things: gain composure, adopt a moral  rudder of compassion, and act to better the world.  We can also contribute to the urgent needs by: reducing greed and selfishness, reflect and act to reduce eco-calamities, and promote more kindness, clarity, and calm.  We need more people of goodwill, who are more tolerant and patient, more kind and compassionate.  And these qualities are not just adopted but embodied. 

Méditation guidée de 12 liens d'origine inter-dépendent

Adoptez une posture confortable, avec le dos droit et souple.  Ferme les yeux et inviter le corps a se poser sur la chaise ou le coussin et se détendre.  Prenez quelques inspirations et expirations lentes, calmes et profondes.

Imaginez que vous êtes en train de dormir.  Peut-être vous avez des beaux rêves, des cauchemars, ou rien d'autre qu'un état de quiétude et repos.

Vous vous réveillez [ouvrez les yeux]  Du à l'ignorance [1er lien] et aux habitudes [2eme lien] depuis toujours, quand vous ressentez être présent au monde, vous identifiez le ressenti com "voilà moi qui se réveille" [3eme lien] De plus, vous bougez, peut-être baillez, vous étirez, et vous augmentez l'identification de cette présence avec votre corps [4eme lien]  Après tout, avec seul l'esprit on ne sait pas bouger les draps du lit, mais cela est possible avec l'action des bras et des jambes.

Vous découvrez plein d'expériences que se manifestent dans cette présence [que maintenant vous appelez "moi"]: la lumière de plus en plus vivide; les sons que viennent de prés et de loin; les sensations du corps que se réveille, le contact des draps, la chaleur du lit; peut-être des odeurs et même un gout dans la bouche.  Tout ça arrosé par des pensées: "c'est l'heure de sortir du lit" [5ème lien]

Finalement vous regardez le réveil: c'est presque huit heures [6ème lien]Vous avez une sensation désagréable, un appel à sortir du lit.  Vous retournez le corps dans le lit et pensez "Oh, je voudrais dormir encore un peu" [7ème lien]

Vous fermez les yeux et laissez passer les minutes avec l'espoir de dormir encore [8eme lien] Mais rien ne se passe.  L'inquiétude d'absolument devoir sortir du lit vous empêche de rester calme. Vous ouvrez les yeux et regardez `nouveau le réveil "c'est 8h15" et vous décidez de vous lever [9eme lien]

Vous sortez du lit [10eme lien]  En ce moment vous êtes incapable de ressentir autrement que votre corps, vos pensés sont "vous" et que les autres expériences sont ailleurs.  La pensée dualiste est la seule perspective dont vous êtes capable [11eme lien]

Vous terminez la journée sans avoir trouvé un moment pour méditer, pour prendre une perspective différente, pour regarder votre esprit tel qu'il est.  Vous vous mettez au lit avec toutes les agitations du jour encore présentes.  Vous avez mal à vous endormir: toutes les choses à régler, le souvenir de toutes les expériences désagréables de la journée, le sens d'insatisfaction que ne vous permet d'apprécier toutes les bonnes choses de la journée, un sentiment d'avoir encore raté un jour.  Demain sera un nouveau jour... meilleur [12eme lien], mais vous êtes toujours infusé par l'ignorance.

Maintenant vous pouvez lâcher prise.  N'essayer plus de méditer ou réflechir.  Laissez venir et partir tout pensée, expérience, émotion.  Il n'y a pas de bon ou mauvais, rien à régler, garder ou supprimer.

Au prochain inspire ouvrez les yeux, et quand vous soyez prêt terminez la méditation.

Joy of living - 2.The inner symphony

All sentient beings are endowed with body, speech, and mind

• Body is constantly changing
• Speech is all ways of communicating with the body 
• Mind: nobody has find the place, size, shape, colour, or any characteristics yet we feel, we think, we know.
• "The more precisely scientists scrutinize mental activity, the more closely they approach the Buddhist understanding of mind as a perpetually evolving event rather than a distinct event"
• Mind is what characterizes sentient beings from other living organisms (grass, tress) and from things we don't consider alive (rocks, water, ...)
• "Even a worm has a mind"
• "Mind is the most important aspect of a sentient being's nature.  The mind is in a sense, the puppet master, while the body and the various forms of communication that constitute 'speech' are merely its puppets"
• "Because having a mind is such a basic condition of our experience, most of us take it for granted.  We don't bother to ask ourselves what is that thinks [...] is in the body or beyond it? Does it exists or is simply a random activity of our brain"
• "To cut through all the varieties and levels of pain, suffering, and discomfort we experience in daily life and grasp he full significance of having a mind, we have [...] to look at the mind [...] The process [...] seems difficult at first because we're so used to looking at the world 'out there' [...] When we look at our mind, it is like trying to se the back of our head without a mirror." 

"If all we want is to be happy, why do we need to understand anything about the brain? [...] When we try to examine the mind [there] is a deep-seated and often unconscious conviction that we're born the way we are and nothing we can do can change that."

"The brain is structured in a way that actually does make it possible to effect real changes in everyday experience."

"Dr Livingston compared the brain to 'a symphony [orchestra]', well tuned, and well disciplined [...] groups of players that work together to produce particular results, such as movements, thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations."

"This capacity to replace old neuronal connections with new ones is referred to as neuronal plasticity [...] repeated experience can change the way the brain works.  This is the why behind the how of the Buddhist teachings that deal with eliminating mental habits conductive to unhappiness."

The billions of neurons in the human brain are grouped by function into three different layers:

• The brain stem (the reptilian brain): that regulate basic, involuntary functions such as breathing, metabolism, heart beat, and circulation.  Also the flight-or-fight response.
• The limbic region (birds and mammals): surrounds the brain stem like a kind of helmet, and includes a series of programmed neural connections that stimulate the impulse to nurture -- that is, to provide food and protection and to teach essential survival skills through play and other exercises.  This allows to distinguish a wider range of emotions than flight-or-fight including the sounds of their offspring and the intentions of the other animals.  It has two interesting structures:
• Hippocampus: it is crucial for creating new memories of directly experienced events, producing and spatial, intellectual, and verbal context that gives meaning to our emotional responses.
• Amygdala: plays a critical role in the ability to read emotions and to create emotional memories.

"The activity of the amygdala and hippocampus bears close attention as we attempt to define  practical science of happiness.  Because the amygdala is connected to the autonomous nervous system, the area of the brain stem that automatically regulates muscle, cardiac, and glandular responses, and the hypothalamus, a neuronal structure at the base of the limbic region that releases adrenaline and other hormones into the blood stream, the emotional memories it creates are extremely powerful, linked to significant biological and biochemical reactions."

Events that generate strong (positive or negative) response are stored in the hippocampus and when another similar circumstance occurs the same response is activated.  Although this can be very useful for survival, it can distort or cloud perceptions of more ordinary experiences  creating a disproportionate response.

• The neocortex: this layer, specific to mammals, provides the capacity for reasoning, forming concepts, planning, and fine-tuning emotional responses. Among humans and other highly evolved mammals, the neocortex developed inti a much larger and complex structure. It is the seat of our rational activities, including problem solving, analysis, judgement, impulse control, and the abilities to organize information, learn from past experiences and mistakes, and empathize with others.  

But there is no area in the brain that corresponds to the conductor of the symphony orchestra.  Like a jazz band although they improvise, the music is harmonious.

No matter how small the brain is cut into pieces it seems we will not find the mind. Buddhist perspective is that mind cannot be seen, touched, or even defined by words.  Just as the eye is not the sight, the brain is not the mind.  It is a perpetual unfolding experience.

If we observe every thought, feeling, and sensation passing through our mind, the illusion of a limited self would dissolve, and replaced by a senses of awareness that is much more calm, spacious, and serene.

Practicing mindfulness may seem hard at first, but it becomes easier with practice. There's nothing you cannot get used to.  Think about all the unpleasant things you've accepted as ordinary (like traffic jams or cranky colleagues).

Experience follows intentions, recognize thoughts, feelings, and perceptions as something natural, neither rejecting nor accepting.  Eventually we will find becoming able to manage situations we once found painful, scary, or sad.

If we try to understand "what it is that thinks?" maybe the answers coming now are confusing and conflicting.  Confusion is the first step on the path of wellbeing.

Joy of living - 1.The journey begins

Buddhism is practical, a science of mind

The goal is not changing thoughts or behaviours, but to realize (or recognize) that we are good and complete

The panic disorder manifested due to YMR lack of experience to see that it was a product of his mind

Meeting with Western science made him understand the similarity of approaches

• Buddhism: ground, path, fruition (view, method, result)
• Science: theory, experiment, results analysis

Siddharta awaken (become Buddha) looking for the origin of suffering in his own mind.  True potential is limited by dualism, the idea of separation of 'self' from 'other'.  This is not a defect, but part of our biology and can change trough experience.  The method is introspective examination (meditation).  Now is confirmed by modern science.

The experience is transmitted trough words that makes us think and apply the meaning in our life, to eventually change our thinking patterns and get some freedom.  The true meaning is transmitted since the Buddha from teacher to student (the lineage).

YMR belong to the Nyigma and Kagyu traditions.  Nyigma stresses the view, while Kagyu attribute utmost importance to the direct oral transmission. This is important to assure the correct understanding of the words.

Going trough the fear was possible  recognizing that thoughts and emotions are not as solid and real as they appear to be.

Any attempt to capture the direct experience of the nature of mind is impossible.  It is an unshakeable experience of well-being.

Rinpoche had difficulty to understand modern science [NB: that can be compared to our difficulties to understand Buddhist psychology]

In MIT 2003 arose the question "What would happen if Buddhist and Western approaches were combined?".  The outcome is "Why not to focus on getting better and better?" and "realize the full human potential." 

Putting teachings into practice:  Nerea's friend story of meditation with breath

Meditation

Open awareness and breath/Motivation/apreciation/dedication

Question

Why despite all this "new" science and psychology knowledge we are turning out our attention to meditation?

Et si vous m'expliquiez le bouddhisme? - L'histoire de Mahadatta

(*) Look for original English version below

L'histoire de Brahmin Mahadatta est un exemple du développement de l'amour bienveillant.

Son histoire se déroule ainsi :

Il y a des innombrables éons, il y avait un grand monarque qui régnait sur 84,000 royaumes. Dans sa grande ville de Bruta vivait le brahmane Nyagrodha. Sa richesse était égale à celle de Vaisravana et son érudition était si parfaite que le roi lui-même le prit comme maître. Tout le peuple du royaume respectait Nyagrodha comme ils respectaient le roi, et ils suivaient ses ordres.

Ce brahmane était très triste de ne pas avoir de fils, alors il a prié et fait des offrandes à Brahma, Indra, etc. pendant douze ans. Finalement, sa femme a donné naissance à un beau fils et le brahmane était fou de joie. Il a parrainé une grande fête à la naissance de son fils et lui a donné le nom de Mahadatta. Au fur et à mesure que le fils grandissait, il était inégalé dans les différentes compétences, arts et connaissances.

Un jour, avec la permission de ses parents, Mahadatta se promenait sur un éléphant orné de bijoux précieux accompagné de centaines et de milliers de personnes. Lorsqu'il arriva à la campagne, il trouva des gens très pauvres qui n'avaient ni vêtements ni nourriture. Il vit des mendiants et des bergers et demanda à son cortège pourquoi ces gens souffraient tant.

« Quels types de souffrance ont-ils ? » demanda. Ils lui dirent que certains souffraient parce qu'ils étaient séparés de leurs parents, amis et proches ; certains souffraient des longues maladies ; certains souffraient de voler la nourriture, les vêtements, etc. des autres. Mahadatta était découragé et les larmes coulaient de ses yeux comme une rivière. Il voyagea de plus en plus loin. Dans un autre pays, il vit des bouchers qui tuaient des centaines d'animaux par jour et les hachaient. Ailleurs, il vit un chasseur tuant des animaux sauvages et des oiseaux. En voyant ces choses, son corps eut des frissons et il développa une énorme compassion.

Il demanda aux gens pourquoi ils faisaient ces choses et ils répondirent : « Nous faisons ces choses parce que nos parents les ont faites et c'est ainsi que nous vivons nos vies. » Mahadatta trouva cela très difficile à comprendre, alors il retourna chez lui et dit à son père : « Je suis allé voir ce pays en voyageant dans différents endroits, différents villages et villes. J'ai vu que les gens souffrent de différents types de pauvreté et créent des non-vertus qui leur causeront encore plus de souffrances à l'avenir. Puis-je pratiquer la générosité avec votre grand trésor ? » Parce que son fils lui était si cher, le père ne pouvait pas refuser.

Mahadatta proclama dans les dix directions qu'il pratiquerait la générosité sans avarice. Il invita à venir tous ceux qui n'avaient pas de vêtements pour s’habiller ni de la nourriture à manger. Les gens venaient de milliers et de milliers de kilomètres et se rassemblaient comme un nuage autour de la ville. Pendant longtemps, il leur donna de la nourriture, des vêtements, de l'or, de l'argent, des chevaux, des éléphants et d'autres choses — quel que soit le besoin, il la satisfaisait entièrement. Après un temps, il avait épuisé un tiers du trésor. Le trésorier l’expliqua à Nyagrodha, mais à cause de son amour et respect pour son fils, il lui dit : « Laissez Mahadatta continuer à pratiquer la générosité. » Après une autre longue période, il ne restait plus beaucoup de richesses. Lorsque le trésorier ne put plus le tolérer, il retourna à Nyagrodha et lui raconta ce qui se passait. Le père lui dit : « Puisque j'ai déjà donné la permission à mon fils de faire cela, je ne peux pas revenir sur ma décision. Mais vous devriez essayer de faire quelque chose avec astuce. » Alors, le trésorier ferma toutes les portes et feignit qu’il devait partir. Quand Mahadatta ne put obtenir rien à donner aux pauvres, il pensa : « Cela doit être un tour de mon père ! Mais je sais aussi qu'il n'est pas juste que j’épuise complètement les réserves du trésor. Maintenant, je dois faire moi-même l'effort de collecter des richesses pour répondre aux besoins de ces pauvres gens. »

Il alla voir différentes personnes pour demander conseil sur la meilleure façon de collecter une richesse inépuisable. Certains lui dirent de faire des affaires, certains lui dirent qu’il pourrait devenir fermier, d'autres lui dirent d'aller à l'océan et d'obtenir un bijou qui exauce les souhaits. Mahadatta décida qu'aller à l'océan et obtenir un bijou était le moyen le plus efficace d'accumuler suffisamment de richesses pour en donner à tous les pauvres. Il alla demander la permission pour partir à ses parents, mais ils s'y opposèrent très fort. Et si son corps ou sa vie seraient en danger ? Mahadatta leur dit : « Si vous ne me donnez pas cette permission, je resterai ici avec ma bouche contre le sol et je ne mangerai plus. » Bien que ses parents tentassent tout pour l'en dissuader, ils n'y parvinrent pas et il resta ainsi pendant six jours. Finalement, ses parents n’osèrent pas voir mourir de cette façon leur fils et alors, le septième jour, ils lui donnèrent leur permission.

Mahadatta devint très heureux. Après avoir mangé, il sortit et annonça qu'il partait vers l'océan et invita à se joindre à lui à tous qui le voulaient. Il rassembla environ 500 personnes ; ils firent des préparatifs puis partirent en voyage vers l'océan. Après plusieurs jours, ils arrivèrent à un ermitage vide ou ils y rencontrèrent un grand singe qui leur vola tous leurs biens et ils continuèrent.

Plus tard, ils traversèrent une ville où vivait le brahmane Kapili. Kapili avait une richesse sans égal. Ils s'y reposèrent plusieurs jours, discutant avec le brahmane. Il offrit à Mahadatta sa belle fille comme épouse et également lui fournit toutes les provisions et richesses nécessaires, dont 3,000 onces d'or. Mahadatta accepta, mais déclara qu'en raison des difficultés, des obstacles et des dangers du voyage, il devrait laisser sa fille derrière lui. Alors, ils prirent toutes les provisions et repartirent vers l'océan.

Au bord de l'océan, ils embarquèrent à bord d'un navire et misent les voiles. Après sept jours, ils arrivèrent à une île bourrée des joyaux, où ils recueillirent de nombreux et merveilleux joyaux. Ils remplirent le navire de matériaux précieux et se préparèrent à retourner dans leur patrie. Alors, Mahadatta dit  à ses camarades : « Mes amis, vous devriez rentrer chez vous avec tous ces bijoux. Je dois aller au palais du naga  afin d'obtenir le bijou exauçant les souhaits. Si j'obtiens ce bijou, alors je serai capable de donner inépuisablement aux pauvres de mon pays, et par la puissance de ce mérite, j'atteindrai la bouddhéité. Alors, rentrez. Je prierai pour que vous ne rencontriez aucun obstacle ou danger de retour dans notre patrie. »

Lorsqu'ils entendirent ces paroles, les marchands devinrent très tristes ; les larmes coulaient de leurs yeux. Ils essayèrent par tous les moyens de le convaincre d’oublier ce voyage, mais Mahadatta n’écoutait pas. Il pataugea dans l'océan pendant un mois, puis nagea pendant une semaine entière. Il arriva à une montagne que gravit pendant sept jours et descendit pendant sept jours. Encore une fois, il continua nageant dans l'océan. Finalement, il rencontra un lotus émergeant de l'océan, orné d'or et entouré de serpents venimeux. Il pensa que cela devait indiquer la présence d'un grand être.

Mahadatta considéra que ces serpents venimeux seraient nés de cette façon en raison du karma de la haine et de la jalousie dans les vies précédentes. Avec cette pensée, il cultiva une grande compassion pour ces êtres, s'assit dans une posture stable et médita sur l'amour bienveillant avec une concentration pointue afin que toutes leurs pensées nocives et leurs poisons s’apaisaient. Puis il marcha sur le lotus et traversa parmi tous ces serpents pendant sept jours. Chaque fois qu'il rencontrait une assemblée de rakshas , il méditait à nouveau sur l’amour bienveillant. Par la puissance de cet état d'esprit, ces êtres pacifièrent aussi. En fait, ils décidèrent qu'il ne serait pas juste que Mahadatta subisse des mésaventures, et alors ils l'ont transporté par le ciel au long de 400 yojanas . Encore, il alla plus loin.

Peu de temps après, il vit le palais d'un naga en argent. Alors qu'il s'approchait, Mahadatta vit que sept couches de serpents venimeux entouraient le palais. Encore une fois, il médita sur l’amour bienveillant en voyant que les serpents étaient comme ses propres fils et, par ce pouvoir, leur haine s’apaisait complètement. Alors, il passa devant les serpents et entra dans le palais.

À l'intérieur se trouvait le roi des nagas, assis sur un trône composé de sept types de bijoux différents. Quand le roi naga vit Mahadatta, il eut une grade peur ! Qui pouvait entrer dans son palais sans être blessé par les serpents ? Pensant qu'il devait s'agir de quelqu’un très puissant, le roi naga se leva et l'accueillit, lui offrant le trône pour s'asseoir et un délicieux repas. Le roi demanda à Mahadatta comment et pourquoi il était venu là.

Mahadatta répondit : « Dans le monde, il y a beaucoup de gens torturés. Ils souffrent de manque de nourriture, de vêtements et de richesses et, pour cette raison, renaissent dans les trois royaumes inférieurs. En voyant la condition de ces personnes, une compassion insupportable surgi dans mon esprit. J'ai pensé : ‘Afin de bénéficier ces êtres, je dois obtenir un joyau qui exauce les souhaits, même au risque de ma propre vie.’ En faisant bénéficier ces êtres, j'accumulerai un mérite illimité, grâce auquel j'atteindrai l'illumination parfaite. Par conséquent, s'il vous plaît, accordez-moi votre joyau qui exauce les souhaits. »

Le roi naga dit : « Ce joyau qui exauce les souhaits est très difficile à obtenir. Cependant, je vous offrirai ce joyau, grand être, si vous restez ici pendant un mois, acceptant mes offrandes et donnant des enseignements. » Ainsi, le bodhisattva Mahadatta y resta un mois, acceptant des repas et des services inégalés et enseignant les quatre types de pleine conscience.

Au bout d'un mois, le roi naga prit le joyau de sa couronne et le remit entre les mains de Mahadatta en disant : « Lorsque vous atteindrez la bouddhéité complète et parfaite, puissé-je devenir l'un de vos disciples suprêmes et proches. » Lorsque Mahadatta demanda la puissance du bijou, le roi naga répondit : « Ce bijou a le pouvoir d'exaucer les souhaits des 2,000 yojanas environnants. » Mahadatta pensa que même si ce bijou avait un tel pouvoir, il ne pouvait pas exaucer tous ses souhaits. Il s'enfonça donc plus loin dans l'océan.

Il est finalement arrivé dans un palais fait de bijoux en lapis-lazuli. Tout comme auparavant, il était entouré de sept couches de serpents venimeux. Encore une fois, il médita sur l’amour bienveillant avec un esprit concentré et, par ce pouvoir, il fut libre de toute peur et put entrer dans le palais. Là aussi, le roi naga se leva de son trône et l'accueillit, lui invitant à s'asseoir sur le trône et lui demandant comment il était arrivé là, quel était son but, etc. Mahadatta répondit de la même manière qu'auparavant. Ce roi naga lui demanda de rester deux mois, acceptant des offrandes et donnant des enseignements, après quoi il lui offrirait son bijou exauçant les souhaits.

Mahadatta accepta et pendant deux mois, il accepta des offrandes et des services, et donna des enseignements sur les quatre bases des pouvoirs miraculeux. À la fin, le roi naga lui offrit le joyau exauçant les souhaits de sa couronne en disant : « Grand-être, tu atteindras certainement la bouddhéité parfaite un jour. À ce moment-là, puissé-je devenir l'un de tes très proches disciples. » Ainsi, il dit cette prière d'aspiration. Lorsque Mahadatta lui demanda sur la puissance du bijou, le roi naga répondit : « Ce bijou a le pouvoir d'exaucer les souhaits des 4,000 yojanas environnants. » Encore une fois, Mahadatta pensait que même cette grande puissance ne pouvait pas complètement exaucer tous ses souhaits, alors il chercha plus loin le grand joyau exauçant les souhaits.

Il voyagea de plus en plus loin, et arriva à un palais radieux d'or. Là encore, il vainquit des serpents dangereux grâce au pouvoir de sa méditation sur l’amour bienveillant. Il traversa et entra dans ce palais de joyaux inestimables. Le roi naga pensa : « Qui est ce grand être qu'aucun de ces dangers ne lui fait du mal ? » A la fois effrayé et étonné, il se leva de son trône et se prosterna devant Mahadatta en disant : « Toi, grand être qui peux arriver ici sans faire face à aucun mal ni obstacle, dans quel but es-tu venu ? » Mahadatta répondit avec toutes les raisons, les mêmes qu'avant. Ce roi naga lui a demandé de rester pendant quatre mois, acceptant des offrandes et donnant des enseignements, après quoi il lui offrirait son bijou exauçant ses souhaits.

Mahadatta y resta quatre mois, acceptant toutes les offrandes et services, et donnant différents niveaux d'enseignements. À la fin, ce roi naga lui offrit le joyaux exauçant les souhaits et fut la même prière d'aspiration que les autres. Lorsque Mahadatta lui demanda la puissance du bijou, le roi naga répondit : « Ce bijou a le pouvoir d'exaucer les souhaits des 8,000 yojanas environnants. »

Mahadatta était maintenant très heureux. « Jambudvipa n'a que 7,000 yojanas, donc ce pouvoir est plus que ce dont j'ai besoin pour exaucer les souhaits de tous les êtres. Maintenant, je peux retourner dans ma patrie et accomplir tous mes souhaits. » Les nagas et leurs sujets environnants firent tous des prosternations et Mahadatta partit chez lui.

Après avoir parcouru une certaine distance, Mahadatta pensa : « Si ce sont vraiment des bijoux qui exaucent les souhaits, puis-je avoir la capacité de voler dans le ciel. » Dès qu'il fut cette prière, il put survoler l'océan sans obstacle. Au bord de l'océan, il s’arrêta et se reposa un moment, tombant dans un profond sommeil. Pendant qu'il dormait, les nagas inférieurs pensaient à ces joyaux exauçant leurs souhaits pris par un être humain. « Cela va nous rendre pauvres. Nous devons reprendre nos bijoux ! » Avec cette pensée, ils lui volèrent tous les bijoux.

Dès qu'il se réveilla et réalisa ce qui s'était passé, Mahadatta sut que les nagas avaient dû prendre les bijoux. Puisqu'il ne pouvait pas rentrer chez lui les mains vides, il décida de vider l'océan et laisser toute cette terre naga sans eau. Avec cet engagement, il trouva la carapace d'une énorme tortue et commença à l'utiliser comme une tasse, emmenant l'eau de l'océan de l'autre côté. Le dieu de l'océan se dit ainsi : « Cet océan a 333 yojanas et une seule personne ne pourra pas transporter toute cette eau de l'autre côté. Même si tous les êtres humains de Jambudvipa venaient, l’eau ne pourrait pas être épuisée. »

Mais Mahadatta n'était pas découragé. Il pensa : « Avec persévérance, il n'y a rien qui ne puisse être accompli. Le but d'obtenir les joyaux était de bénéficier et de réconforter des êtres sans limites. Par la puissance de ce mérite, j'atteindrai la bouddhéité, donc je ne dois jamais laisser mon engagement décliner. Je peux assécher cet océan. » De cette manière, il continua simplement à retirer l'eau de l'océan.

Vishnu et d'innombrables autres dieux vinrent l'aider. Les dieux imprégnaient leurs vêtements d'eau en les jetant dans l'océan et les emmenaient de l'autre côté. Ils firent cela trois fois, asséchant à chaque fois toute l'eau de quarante yojanas. Après que 120 yojanas étaient asséchés, les nagas eurent peur qu’il asséchait tout l'océan et qu'ils meurent tous. Alors les nagas rendirent les bijoux à Mahadatta et dirent au bodhisattva : « Veuillez accepter nos excuses et ces bijoux. »

Le dieu de l'océan était complètement étonné et dit : « Un jour, ce bodhisattva atteindra définitivement l'illumination complète. À ce moment-là, puissé-je devenir l'un de ses disciples les plus proches. » Il fut cette prière d'aspiration. Ensuite, le bodhisattva Mahadatta prit tous ces bijoux et s’envola vers le palais du Brahmane Kapili. Cela étonna et surprit le brahmane, qui accueillit chaleureusement Mahadatta. Le brahmane donna sa fille à Mahadatta comme épouse et, en même temps, leur fournit 500 servantes, 500 éléphants et différents types d'ornements de bijoux. Ils voyagèrent pendant plusieurs jours et finalement arrivèrent dans la patrie de Mahadatta.

Pensant que leur fils était mort, ses parents eurent beaucoup de souffrances et lamentations. En fait, ils pleurèrent tellement qu'ils s’avaient aveuglés tous les deux. Mais Mahadatta rentra chez lui et prit les mains de ses deux parents ! Il leur raconta ses aventures et les bijoux qui exauçaient les vœux, et ses parents étaient très contents. Avec les pouvoirs des bijoux, il restaura la vue de ses parents comme avant. Avec les joyaux exauçant les vœux dans sa main il fit la prière d'aspiration, « Puissent les trésors être complètement remplis de joyaux » et il fut ainsi. Ses parents étaient très heureux et eurent une vie luxueuse.

Le roi déclara alors à tous les habitants du pays que le grand être Mahadatta était revenu de son voyage vers l'océan avec tous les bijoux exauçant les souhaits. Il annonça que dans sept jours de la nourriture, des vêtements, de l'or, de l'argent etc. — tout ce que l'on souhaitait — pleuvraient par la puissance de ces joyaux exauçant les souhaits.

Le grand-être Mahadatta, bien habillé, mit tous les bijoux exauçant les souhaits sur des bannières et fit cette prière : « Par le pouvoir de ces bijoux, que tous les habitants de Jambudvipa voient leurs souhaits exaucés. Tout ce qui leur manque — nourriture, boisson, richesse — qu'il pleuve grâce à ces joyaux. » Dès qu'il a dit cela, le vent souffla des quatre directions et nettoya toute la poussière. Après cela, un brouillard de pluie tomba et rendit la terre, qui avait été débarrassée de la poussière, lisse et uniforme. Après cela, tomba une pluie de nourriture de boissons délicieuses aux mille saveurs différentes. Peu de temps après, il y eut des pluies de différents types de céréales, de vêtements, de bijoux, d'or et d'argent. Après tout cela, la terre était couverte de richesses.

À ce moment-là, Mahadatta déclara à tout le monde de cette façon : « Les gens de  Jambudvipa manquaient de nourriture, de vêtements et de richesses et, pour cette raison, ils s'entretuaient, se volaient et créaient constamment du karma négatif. À cause de ça, ils renaîtront dans les trois royaumes inférieurs et connaîtront des souffrances inconcevables et inépuisables. Voyant cela, s'éleva dans mon esprit une compassion insupportable et inconditionnelle. Cela m'a amené, même au risque de ma vie et de mon corps, à rassembler ces bijoux pour le bénéfice de tous les êtres. Maintenant que vous avez tout ce dont vous avez besoin, profitez de cette richesse ! Faites des efforts pour ne vous engager dans aucune sorte d'action négative ! Consacrez votre vie entière aux dix actions vertueuses ! » Ainsi, de cette manière, il ouvra la porte des enseignements sans limites.

Alors le Bouddha parla ainsi : « Le brahmane Mahadatta est maintenant moi-même. Le père, le brahmane Nyagrodha, est mon père Vishodana et sa femme était ma mère, Mayadevi. Le roi naga dans le palais d'argent est Shariputra. Le roi naga du palais de lapis-lazuli est Maudgalyayana. Le roi naga du palais d'or est Ananda. Le dieu de l'océan est Mangakpa. »

(*) Traduit du « THE JEWEL ORNAMENT OF LIBERATION » édition en anglais par Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche

The Story of Mahadatta

The Brahmin Mahadatta story is an example of the development of loving-kindness.

His story goes this way:

Limitless aeons back, there was a great monarch who ruled 84,000 kingdoms.  In his great city of Bruta lived the Brahmin Nyagrodha.  His wealth was equal to that of Vaisravana and his scholarship was so perfect that the king himself took him as his teacher.  All the people of the kingdom respected Nyagrodha as they did the king, and they followed his command.

That Brahmin was very sad that he did not have a son, so he prayed and made offerings to Brahma, Indra, and so forth for twelve years.  Finally, his wife gave birth to a beautiful son and the Brahmin was overjoyed.  He sponsored a great celebration at the birth of his son and gave him the name Mahadatta.  As the son grew up, he was unsurpassed in the different skills, arts, and knowledge.

One day, with his parents' permission, Mahadatta went sightseeing on an elephant ornamented with precious jewels accompanied by hundreds and thousands of people.  When he reached the countryside, he found people who were very poor and had no clothes or food.  He saw beggars and herders and asked his retinue why these people had such suffering.

"What kinds of suffering are there?" he asked.  They told him that some suffer because they are separated from their parents, friends, and relatives; some suffer from being sick for a long time; some suffer from stealing others' food, clothes, and so forth.  Mahadatta was disheartened and tears flowed from his eyes like a river.  He traveled farther and farther.  There, in a different country, he saw butchers who were killing hundreds of animals a day and chopping them up.  Elsewhere he saw a hunter who killed wild animals and birds.  By seeing these things, his body was chilled, and he developed enormous compassion.

He asked people why they were doing these things and they replied, "We do these things because our parents did them and that is how we live our lives." Mahadatta found this very difficult to comprehend, so he returned to his home and said to his father, "I went to see this country by traveling in different places, different villages and cities.  I saw that people are suffering from different types of poverty and are creating nonvirtues which will cause them even more suffering in the future.  May I practice generosity from your great store of treasure?" Because his son was so dear, the father could not refuse.

Mahadatta declared in all the ten directions that he would practice generosity without stinginess.  He invited everyone without clothes to wear or food to eat to come.  People came from thousands and thousands of miles and gathered like a cloud around the city.  For a long time, he gave them food, clothes, gold, silver, horses, elephants, and other things—whatever the need, it was satisfied completely.  After some time, one-third of the treasure store was exhausted.  The storekeeper explained this to Nyagrodha, but because of his love and respect for his son he said, "Let Mahadatta continue to practice generosity." After another long time, not much wealth was left.  When the storekeeper could not tolerate it any longer, he went back to Nyagrodha and told him what was happening.  The father said, "Since I already gave my son permission to do this, I cannot reverse my decision.  But you should try to do something more skillful." So that day the storekeeper locked all the doors and feigned a need to go to some other place.  When Mahadatta could not get any materials to give to the poor, he thought, "This must be my father's trick!  But I also know it is not right for me to completely deplete his stores of treasure.  Now I must make effort myself to collect wealth to fulfill the wishes of these poor people."

He went to different people for advice on the best way to collect inexhaustible wealth.  Some said to go into business, some said maybe you can farm, others said to go to the ocean and get a wish-fulfilling jewel.  Mahadatta decided that going to the ocean and getting a jewel was the most effective way to accumulate enough wealth to give to all the poor people.  He went to his parents for permission to go, but they were very much opposed.  What if his body or life were endangered?  Mahadatta said, "If you won't give me this permission, I will stay here with my mouth touching the ground and not eat." Although his parents tried everything to dissuade him, they were not successful, and he stayed that way for six days.  Finally, his parents did not dare see the death of their son this way, so on the seventh day they gave him their permission.

Mahadatta was very happy then.  After he had eaten, he went out and announced that he was going to the ocean and invited anyone to join him.  He gathered about 500 people together; they made preparations and then left on the journey to the ocean.  After many days, they arrived at an empty hermitage.  Unfortunately, they met with a big ape there who stole all their belongings.  Still, they proceeded on.

One time they passed through a city where the Brahmin Kapili lived.  Brahmin Kapili had unparalleled wealth.  They rested there several days, discussing matters with the Brahmin.  He offered Mahadatta his beautiful daughter as wife and also presented him with all the necessary provisions and wealth, including 3,000 ounces of gold.  Mahadatta accepted, but said that because of the hardships, obstacles, and dangers of the trip he would have to leave the daughter behind.  So, they took all the provisions and again proceeded toward the ocean.

At the ocean's edge, they boarded a ship and set sail.  After seven days, they arrived at a jewel island, where they collected many wonderful jewels.  They filled the ship with precious materials and prepared to return to their homeland.  At that time, Mahadatta said, "My friends, you should go back home with all these jewels.  I have to go on to the naga palace in order to obtain the wish-fulfilling jewel.  If I get this jewel, then I will be able to give inexhaustibly to the poor in my country, and by the power of that merit I will attain Buddhahood.  So, you go back.  I will say prayers so that you do not encounter any obstacles or dangers until you arrive in our homeland."

When they heard these words, the merchants were very sad; tears came to their eyes.  They tried in every way to convince him to postpone his journey, but Mahadatta would not listen.  He waded in the ocean for one month and then swam for one whole week.  He arrived at a mountain which took seven days to climb and seven more days to descend.  Again, he continued by swimming in the ocean.  Eventually he encountered a lotus arising out of the ocean, adorned with gold but surrounded by poisonous snakes.  He thought that this must indicate the presence of a great being.

Mahadatta contemplated that these poisonous snakes were born this way due the karma of hatred and jealousy in previous lifetimes.  With that thought, he cultivated great compassion for these beings, sat down in equipoise posture and meditated on loving-kindness with onepointed concentration so that all their harmful thoughts and poisons were pacified.  Then he stepped on the lotus and walked through all those snakes for seven days.  Whenever he encountered an assembly of rakshas, he also meditated on loving-kindness.  By the power of that state of mind, those beings were also pacified.  In fact, they decided that it would not be right if Mahadatta were to come to harm, so they transported him in the sky for 400 yojanas.  Still he went farther.

Not too long afterward, he saw a naga's palace made of silver.  As he drew near, Mahadatta saw that seven layers of poisonous snakes surrounded the palace.  Again, he meditated on loving-kindness by seeing that the snakes were like his own sons, and, by that power, their thoughts of hatred were completely pacified.  So, he passed the snakes and entered the palace.

There inside was the king of the nagas, sitting on a throne constructed of seven different types of jewels.  The moment the naga king saw Mahadatta, he was so frightened!  Who could enter his palace without being harmed by the snakes?  Thinking that this must be a very powerful person, the naga king stood up and welcomed him, offering him the throne to sit on and delicious meals.  The king asked Mahadatta how and why he had come there.

Mahadatta replied, "In the world, there are many tortured people.  They suffer from a lack of food, clothes, and wealth and, for that reason, are reborn in the three lower realms.  By seeing the condition of these people, unbearable compassion arose in my mind.  I thought, 'In order to benefit these beings, I must get a wish-fulfilling jewel, even at the risk of my own life.' By benefitting these sentient beings, I will accumulate limitless merit, through which I will attain the perfect enlightenment.  Therefore, please grant me your wish-fulfilling jewel."

The naga king said, "This wish-fulfilling jewel is very difficult to obtain.  However, I will offer you this jewel, great being, if you stay here for one month, accepting my offerings and giving teachings." So, the bodhisattva Mahadatta stayed there for one month, accepting unsurpassedly delicious meals and service and teaching about the four types of mindfulness.

After the month passed, the naga king took the wish-fulfilling jewel down from his crown and delivered it to Mahadatta's hand, saying, "When you attain complete, perfect Buddhahood, may I become one of your supreme, close disciples." When Mahadatta inquired about the strength of the jewel, the naga king replied, "This jewel has the power to fulfill wishes in the surrounding 2,000 yojanas." Mahadatta thought that even though this jewel had such power, it could not fulfill all his wishes.  So, he proceeded farther into the ocean.

He eventually arrived at a palace made of lapis lazuli jewels.  Just as before, it was surrounded by seven layers of poisonous snakes.  Again, he meditated on loving-kindness with a one-pointed mind, and, by that power, he was free from all fear and proceeded to enter the palace.  There also, the naga king rose from his throne and welcomed him, asking him to sit on the throne and inquiring as to how he had arrived there, what his purpose was, and so forth.  Mahadatta responded in the same manner as before.  This naga king asked him to stay for two months, accepting offerings and giving teachings, after which he would offer him his wish-fulfilling jewel.

Mahadatta agreed and for two months he accepted offerings and service and gave teachings about the four feet of miraculous powers.  At the end, the naga king offered the wish-fulfilling jewel taken from his crown, saying, "Great being, you will definitely achieve perfect Buddhahood one day.  At that time, may I become one of your very close disciples." Thus, he said this aspiration prayer.  When Mahadatta inquired about the strength of the jewel, the naga king replied, "This jewel has the power to fulfill wishes in the surrounding 4,000 yojanas." Again, Mahadatta thought that even this great power could not completely fulfill all his wishes, so he sought further for the great wishfulfilling jewel.

He traveled farther and farther and arrived at a radiant palace of gold.  Here again, he overcame dangerous snakes with the power of his meditation on loving-kindness.  He passed through and entered that priceless jewel palace.  This naga king thought, "Who is this great being that none of these dangers harm him?" Both frightened and amazed, he rose from his throne and prostrated to Mahadatta, saying "You, great being who can arrive here without facing any harm or obstacles, for what purpose have you come?" Mahadatta responded with all the reasons, the same as before.  This naga king asked him to stay for four months, accepting offerings and giving teachings, after which he would offer him his wish-fulfilling jewel.

Mahadatta stayed there four months, accepting all the offerings and services, and giving various levels of the teachings.  At the end, that naga king made the wish-fulfilling jewel offering and made the same aspiration prayer as the others.  When Mahadatta inquired about the strength of the jewel, the naga king replied, "This jewel has the power to fulfill wishes in the surrounding 8,000 yojanas."

Now Mahadatta was very happy.  "This Jambudvipa only has 7,000 yojanas, so this power is more than I need to fulfill the wishes of all beings.  Now I can go back to my homeland and accomplish all my wishes." The nagas and their surrounding subjects all made prostrations and Mahadatta left for home.

After he traveled for some distance Mahadatta thought, "If these truly are wish-fulfilling jewels, may I have the ability to fly in the sky." Just as soon as he made this prayer, he could fly over the ocean without obstacle.  At the oceanside, he stopped and rested for a while, falling into a deep sleep.  While he was asleep, the lesser nagas thought about these wish-fulfilling jewels being taken by a human being.  "This will make us poor.  We must take our jewels back!" With that thought, they stole all the jewels.

As soon as he awoke and realized what had happened, Mahadatta knew that the nagas must have taken the jewels.  Since he could not return home empty-handed, he determined to drain the ocean and make this naga-land empty of water.  With this commitment, he found the shell of a huge turtle and started to use it as a cup, taking the water from the ocean to the other side.  The god of the ocean figured this way, "This ocean has 333 yojanas and just one person will not be able to take this all water to the other side.  Even if all the human beings in Jambudvipa came, this water could not be exhausted."

But Mahadatta was undeterred.  He thought, "With perseverance, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.  The purpose of getting the jewels was to benefit and give comfort to limitless sentient beings.  By the power of that merit, I will attain Buddhahood so I must never let my commitment decline.  I can dry this ocean." So, with this, he simply continued taking water from the ocean.

Vishnu and countless other gods came to help him.  The gods soaked up water by throwing their clothes into the ocean and taking them to the other side.  They did this three times, drying up all the water for forty yojanas each time.  After 120 yojanas were dry, the nagas became afraid that the whole ocean would be dried, and they would all die.  So, the nagas brought the jewels to Mahadatta and said to the bodhisattva, "Please accept our apology and these jewels."

That ocean god was completely amazed and said, "One day this bodhisattva will definitely achieve complete enlightenment.  At that time, may I become one of his closet disciples." He made this aspiration prayer.  Then the bodhisattva Mahadatta took all those jewels and flew away to Brahmin Kapili's palace.  This amazed and surprised the Brahmin, who welcomed Mahadatta warmly.  The Brahmin gave Mahadatta his daughter as a wife and, at the same time, provided them with 500 maids, 500 elephants, and different types of jewel ornaments.  They journeyed for many days and finally arrived in Mahadatta's homeland.

Thinking that their son must be dead, his two parents had so much suffering and lamentation.  In fact, they cried so much that they were both blinded.  But Mahadatta returned home to hold the hands of his two parents!  He told them of his adventures and about the wishfulfilling jewels, and his parents were very pleased.  With the jewels' power, his parents' sight was restored as before.  He held the wishfulfilling jewels in his hand and made the aspiration prayer, "May the treasure stores be completely filled with jewels" and it happened.  So, his two parents were very happy and remained in a luxurious life.

The king then declared to all the people in the country that the great being Mahadatta had returned from his journey to the ocean with all the wish-fulfilling jewels.  He announced that in seven days food, clothes, gold, silver, and so forth—whatever one wished for—would all rain down by the power of these wish-fulfilling jewels.

The great being Mahadatta, well dressed, put all the wish-fulfilling jewels on banners and made this prayer, "By the power of these jewels, may all the people in this Jambudvipa have their wishes granted.  Whatever they lack—food, drink, wealth—may it rain everything because of these jewels." As soon as he said this, the wind blew from the four directions and cleaned away all the dust.  After that, a mist of rain fell and made the land which had been cleared of dust smooth and even.  After that, a rain of delicious food and drink with a thousand different tastes fell.  Soon after this, there were rains of different types of grain, clothes, jewels, gold, and silver.  After all this, the land was covered with wealth.

At that time, Mahadatta declared to all the people this way, "The people in this Jambudvipa lack food, clothes, and wealth and, for that reason, they kill each other, steal from each other, and constantly create negative karma.  From that cause, they will be reborn in the three lower realms and experience inconceivable and inexhaustible suffering.  Seeing this, there rose in my mind unbearable and unconditional compassion.  This caused me, even at the risk of my life and body, to gather these jewels for the benefit of all you beings.  Now that you have whatever you need, enjoy this wealth!  Make efforts not to engage in any kind of negative action!  Devote your whole lives to the ten virtuous actions!" Thus, in this way, he opened the door of the limitless teachings.

Then the Buddha spoke thus, "The Brahmin Mahadatta is now me.  The father, Brahmin Nyagrodha, is my father Vishodana and his wife was my mother, Mayadevi.  The naga king in the silver palace is Shariputra.  The naga king in the lapis lazuli palace is Maudgalyayana.  The naga king in the gold palace is Ananda.  The ocean god is Mangakpa."