27 – Chapter 9 – Mindfulness of the Breath (part 2)

·59 min·5 clips

Mindfulness therapy achieved a 50% recovery rate for depression when nothing else had surpassed 10%.

This episode is part two of a chapter from 'The Mind and the Way' on mindfulness of the breath, delivered by Ajahn Amaro at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery. It begins by addressing the challenge of enduring despair and disillusionment in meditation, noting how boredom and negative states are not permanent. Ajahn Amaro highlights depression as a global issue, referencing Jon Kabat-Zinn's statistic that depression causes twice as many work days lost as other injuries or illnesses. He then details the development of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, crediting scientists like Mark Williams, Zendel Siegel, and John Teasdale for achieving a 50% recovery rate for repetitive depression, a significant improvement over historical 5-10% rates. The methodology was influenced by John Teasdale hearing Luang Por Sumedho's points that thoughts are not true and not ours. Ajahn Amaro shares personal insights on how believing negative stories like 'I'm always anxious' can be misleading, as states come and go. A narrative about a monk in Thailand who felt overwhelmed by sorrow but was made to laugh by Ajahn Chah's squirrel story illustrates the importance of perspective. The talk covers practical applications of anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) in daily life, especially during demanding times, and mentions Thich Nhat Hanh's advice to move carefully. Ajahn Amaro discusses using the inner sound (nada) as a meditation object, tracing its introduction by Luang Por Sumedho in England and its roots in various traditions. He addresses questions on meditation methods, emphasizing experimentation and simplicity based on individual needs. The episode concludes with reflections on seeing the way things are in Buddhist meditation, where the unconditioned is ordinary and often overlooked, and includes a discussion on samatha and vipassana aspects of breath meditation, with anecdotes about breath slowing during concentration.

As heard by us

A meditation talk for the moments when practice turns dull and discouragement sets in.

Mindfulness of the Breath focuses on the hard stretch of practice, when meditation stops feeling vivid and starts feeling flat. It treats despair, disillusionment, boredom, and depression as states that can feel permanent from the inside, and that frankness gives the talk much…

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Why you'd press play

For when your breath feels ordinary and your enthusiasm has taken the afternoon off.

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