Getting comfortable in your sitting place,
Aligned with your eyes rested down,
We're going to sit together in a very open practice right now.
The practice of Fusho,
The unborn.
This was taught by the great Zen master Bankei.
First of all,
Bringing your attention into your feet and legs,
Getting a sense of where these are as you rest now and settle down,
Rocking your body a little side to side,
Forwards and backwards,
So that you can find the natural balance point and uprightness of the body.
Allow the spine to adopt its natural curves and relax your shoulders down.
Let the top of your head be directly above your sitting bones.
Have your hands in your lap or resting on a cushion if you need.
Your mouth closed,
Having your tongue resting on the roof of the mouth with your tongue broad.
Allowing those eyes to rest down and relaxing the body,
Allowing the breath to be natural and free.
In this meditation practice,
We don't particularly focus on the breathing.
In fact,
We don't particularly focus on anything.
We just stay 100% present,
Regardless of whatever arises or passes away.
And it's this quality of presence that is the important thing.
In Fusho,
We're invited to sit in the unborn mind.
So how was it for you before you were born?
How was it for you before judgment?
Feeling into this,
Sensing into this,
Remembering and revealing this sense that is still here.
For now,
We can just be.
There's nothing to hold on to,
Nothing to chase after.
Just staying with this quality of presence.
How was it for you before you were born?
Bankei invites us to sit like a mirror,
Allowing the arising and passing of thoughts to just cross the surface of our awareness.
Any thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Sounds,
Anything at all,
Just see if you can rest in this mirror-like presence without reaching out and grabbing hold of anything that comes along.
Just allowing things to pass across your awareness.
A mirror never changes.
It might reflect many things,
Or just a few,
But none of it matters.
All of these arisings are just born things.
And we're here right now to just rest in the unborn.
Our only task during this meditation is to observe when we begin to reach out of this mirror-like presence,
When we begin to identify with those born things.
When we recognize this is happening,
That's fine.
Just settle and rest back down into the unborn.
It's all so very simple.
Just resting,
Resting in this quality of presence,
This unborn mirror-like awareness.
And in this place,
You lack for nothing.
Just relax.
Enjoy the show,
The arising and passing.
None of it is you.
In this place,
You're quite safe.
Anything at all can arise,
And anything at all can pass,
And you are just fine.
You are just fine.
Resting,
Allowing.
In this place,
You are completely free.
This is free space.
Resting in this spaciousness.
Allowing everything.
Allowing even these words to pass across the great round mirror of your awareness.
Resting in the unborn.
This is the unborn space.
Now you can know that your unborn,
Absolutely indestructible nature,
Your true nature,
Is always present.
Being present now in this presence.
Bringing this unborn presence that underlies all things to come now to the forefront.
Bringing this quality of presence to the forefront of your awareness.
Remembering that this is always here.
We can be sitting in the same seat,
And yet in a different place.
And this small shift in perspective,
That's all that's called for here.
Allowing the arising,
The passing away,
Just as everything arises and passes away.
Resting in this unborn,
Mirror-like presence.
I'm going to let you rest here in this free,
Open,
Wide,
Unborn space.
Resting here for a while.
And I will come back to say hello again when we're close to the end of our time together.
But for now,
Being present,
Resting in the unborn.
It's very,
Very simple.
Just resting here.
Resting in the unborn.
Resting in the unborn.
Lacking for nothing.
Needing to do nothing.
Just being here.
Being here.
Quite safe.
Perfectly perfect.
Exactly as you are.
Allowing everything.
Grasping at nothing.
Just simply being.
Completely free.
Completely open.
And now,
As your sitting meditation comes to an end,
It's time for you to engage in other activities.
But we're encouraged to take these activities as opportunities to continue resting in this unborn awareness.
As you go about your day today,
Allowing things to arise and pass,
Dealing with that which is necessary to do,
And yet maintaining this quality of presence.
This unborn awareness.
How simple and straightforward could you allow your life to be?
How clear and open and enjoyable could it all be?
Thank you for joining me to look after yourself in this way.
Enjoy resting in the unborn.
