Michael's Blog

[Michael Hawkins]

I will add the Samana-phala Sutta to my list of readings, Jeffrey.

Back in 2014 when I hosted a meditation group, we read from your rendition of the "Big Four" Phala Nikaya suttas.  Your wording makes it much easier to put across concepts that help aspirants attain the "superior fruit."

Being a longtime Linux rolling-release enthusiast... I'm familiar with things suddenly not working until subsequent updates, lol....

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Michael. I look forward to watching your next video on the fruitful discourses. The trackpad is still working, but it sure is frustrating to not be able to use my computer for about 48 hours.

[Michael Hawkins]

I'm stalled out on doing Sutta readings for the moment.  My body decided to go into another detox cycle this week, so my voice sounds pretty awful.  Hopefully it will clear before long and I can get back to it.

[Jhanananda]

I'm stalled out on doing Sutta readings for the moment.  My body decided to go into another detox cycle this week, so my voice sounds pretty awful.  Hopefully it will clear before long and I can get back to it.

I'm sorry to hear that, but I am not surprised we both live surrounded by forests, and the National Forest Service has been conducting control burns all over the USA. almost the whole state of Arizona has had terrible air quality this winter due to these control burns. Fortunately since the last storm front came through and put out a lot of these fires then air quality has been improving, but I noticed this morning air quality in central Arizona has been declining again.  I don't suppose you have an air purifier.

[Michael Hawkins]

No, no air purifier.  The other day I was in eastern Boulder County looking west toward the city, and it looked almost as bad as the smog we lived with in Pasadena in the mid-70's.  The Denver/Boulder area tends to trap bad air under certain conditions, especially during winter.  I haven't heard of any controlled burns, but that's probably because the mountains have been getting snow lately.  Sometimes forest fire plumes from Arizona and New Mexico drift up here, so maybe that's part of it.  I'm staying indoors today, exhausted, taking naps.  Just have to listen to my body and give it rest when it needs it.

[Jhanananda]

With the current winter storm we are receiving rain right now in Wickenburg, and air quality all over Arizona is currently exceptional, and in fact most of the west has exceptional air quality except the Denver area, which includes you in Boulder, so I suspect control burns or agricultural burning is why your air quality and your health are poor.

[Michael Hawkins]

Two days later and I'm feeling significantly better, though not out of the woods yet.  It snowed overnight, which I'm sure cleaned the air.  There's a possibility that an arctic freeze will arrive next weekend into next week, so conditions are definitely shifting - finally.  Hopefully I'll be back to feeling like myself in a day or two, maybe even making videos again.  I was able to resume regular meditation this morning.

[Jhanananda]

I'm glad that you are feeling better. Every morning I check the Weather Channel app for air quality and it has been pretty good for the last few days, but declining today.  I then check the AccuWeather web page for a satellite view of air quality for the entire hemisphere and noticed that nationwide air quality is rapidly declining most likely because the National Forest Service is still conducting control burns all over the country. Hopefully your health will continue to improve.  I have been staying close to my air purifiers to stay alive.

[Michael Hawkins]

Only today has my voice returned to enough stamina to read-out the Satipatthana Sutta, which I've posted to Facebook (my Samma-Samadhi page and my regular homepage), and to my blog.  Anyone interested can find it here:

https://rightabsorption.wordpress.com/?p=903

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Michael, I really enjoyed your reading of this most informative sutta on the 4 frames of reference on the practice of meditation and the contemplative arts

[Michael Hawkins]

I really love how it builds as you read along, like putting building blocks into place, ending up with the 7 Factors of Enlightenment.  There's so much instruction here, but it also seems to boil down to noting what's there or not there, how it comes to be and how it dissipates.  Letting go, letting go, letting go.  One of my favorite Suttas, for sure.

[Jhanananda]

I'm glad that you are getting so much out of reading the fruitful suttas.  How are you doing with recalling a previous blissful experience before each meditation session? Some times I like to listen to uplifting music before my evening meditation session. It just depends upon how I feel.

[Michael Hawkins]

My mind has been really active for a couple weeks now, for whatever reason.  I do access a previous successful sit, but it's not taking me immediately past the racing mind like it initially was.  In other words, I'm having to work to deal with the things that are arising.  That said, once I reconnect with a successful past sit, that puts things in motion and after a while I notice that the mind is stilled.  A couple nights ago I was surprised to see I'd been sitting for an hour and a half - must've spent half an hour in tranquility.

I've been listening to more music than normal lately.  It seems to establish a sense of flow in my being, which is helpful for contemplative practice.

Have you been able to do sitting meditation, Jeffrey?  Years ago when I was more active here, you were having to go with shivasana because of pain.

[Jhanananda]

My mind has been really active for a couple weeks now, for whatever reason.  I do access a previous successful sit, but it's not taking me immediately past the racing mind like it initially was.  In other words, I'm having to work to deal with the things that are arising.  That said, once I reconnect with a successful past sit, that puts things in motion and after a while I notice that the mind is stilled. 

It just takes regular practice and accepting some meditation sessions will be better than others.

A couple nights ago I was surprised to see I'd been sitting for an hour and a half - must've spent half an hour in tranquility.

This sounds like you had arrived at the 4th jhana, because it is characterized by a loss of sense of the passage of time.

I've been listening to more music than normal lately.  It seems to establish a sense of flow in my being, which is helpful for contemplative practice.

I find differet music has different results. I've tried many traditions. I happen to like Gregorian chants.

Have you been able to do sitting meditation, Jeffrey?  Years ago when I was more active here, you were having to go with shivasana because of pain.

Chronic pain is variable.  I still sit in meditation, but most of the time I am in Shivasana, because most of the time I am wearing my powered air purifying respirator.

[rougeleader115]

Hello gentlemen,

I am really appreciating the dialogue here. Thank you Michael for your sutta readings, I will definitely be listening to those as they come. Music helps me a lot as well to get into the proper mind state to relax with concentration. I like Gregorian chants as well and female polyphonic singing. Its not necessary but it definitely helps when I am stressed from life, or simply want to dive deep with a sense of religious atmosphere.

Thank you