Daniel P Brown Step 1 Separating The Yak Curds Of Thought From The Pure Milk Of Awareness — Daniel P Brown Step 1 Separating The Yak Curds Of Thought From The Pure Milk Of Awareness

Step 1 - Separating the Yak Curds of Thought From the Pure Milk of Awareness

This is step 1 of a guide to take a meditator to a taste of awakening/enlightenment based on Daniel P Brown's 3 map system.

Through these steps we'll move into deeper levels of awareness. In step 1 we move from thought into awareness using shamatha or focus meditation. Through this meditation we recognize that thought appears in awareness. Daniel talks about this at 33:50 of the Sacred Sundays with Dr. Daniel Brown, Ph.D. video.

Daniel Brown’s Three Point Meditation

1. Set your posture

Sit upright without leaning back.
Let the spine rise in a natural way.
Allow the body to be balanced, grounded, and relaxed.
Let the breath move in its own rhythm.
Eyes can remain open or closed

(for further sitting instructions you can look up vairocana posture, burmese posture and zafu)

2. Set your intention

Bring to mind that you are practicing for the sake of awakening.
Let this intention rest quietly in the background.

3. Invite the masters and teachers

Imagine that the space around you is filled with the masters and teachers who have walked this path.
Place any personal teachers at the center of that space.
See them looking upon you with kindness, support, and encouragement.

Ask them to send the gift waves of influence.
Ask them to clear obstacles in your mind stream,
to activate the positive qualities of mind,
and to plant the view that leads toward awakening.

Let their presence remain with you during the meditation.

4. Rest in the whole body field

Bring awareness to the felt sense of the entire body as a single field.
Not parts of the body, but the full field of sensation.
Let attention rest evenly throughout this field.

This is the first point.

5. Feel the rising breath

When the in breath begins, direct awareness toward the rising movement of the breath.
Stay with the full duration of the rising breath.
Let the rising movement show itself clearly and completely.

This is the second point.

6. Feel the falling breath

When the out breath begins, direct awareness toward the falling movement of the breath.
Stay with the entire duration of the falling breath.
Engage the falling movement closely and precisely.

This is the third point.

7. Move through the cycle in a steady rhythm

Continue with the three point cycle:

whole body field

rising breath

falling breath

When each point appears, direct attention to it and stay with it fully.
Daniel Brown calls this directing and staying.

8. Develop nepa, sustained attention

A main goal of this practice is to train nepa,
which means staying continuously on the object for longer periods of time.

Nepa is a clear and steady staying
without breaks,
without drifting,
without dullness.

As nepa grows stronger:

attention becomes continuous

thought activity becomes thinner

stillness becomes more frequent and longer

the difference between thought and awareness becomes clearer

9. When distraction appears

When the mind slips away into thought, imagery, planning, or daydreaming,
recognize this as chasing after mode.
The Tibetan term for this is jay sar.

Do not struggle with it.
Simply notice jay sar
and gently return to the next point in the cycle.

Returning is the practice.

Don't get frustrated
When you return to the cycle, you are slowly improving the skill

10. Engage each point with intimacy

Over time, allow more intimacy with each point.
Feel the rising breath in fine detail.
Feel the falling breath in fine detail.
Feel the body field as a vivid and unified presence.

Let clarity increase naturally.

11. Allow thought activity to calm

As nepa strengthens, background thought elaboration slows.
Moments of complete stillness arise on their own.
Eventually longer periods of quiet and bright awareness appear.
Let this unfold naturally.

12. Stay alert and steady

Sit upright and allow awareness to remain bright and awake.
Do not let the mind sink into dullness or drift into reverie.

13. Close the meditation with steadiness

When you are ready to end, rest again in the whole body field.
Acknowledge the presence of the masters and teachers.
Let gratitude arise if it appears.
Open the eyes gently and continue with awareness into your next activity.

Signs that Step One is developing well

-Attention stays on the object for longer periods of time
-Nepa feels continuous and unbroken
-Thought activity becomes faint and then quiet
-Stillness appears without dullness
-Awareness feels steady, bright, and distinct from thought