D4S1 - Concentration, and Balancing Effort With Relaxation
David Oromith · 86 minutes · recorded August 10, 2026
The morning opens with mindfulness of breathing at the nostrils, with relaxation, stability and the counting. David turns to concentration, the fifth of the six perfections, and what gets in the way: excitation, the scattered mind, and laxity, the dullness that can feel like meditation. He talks about balancing effort with relaxation, and about mindfulness as the guard at the gate and introspection as the manager checking on it. In a second practice we attend to sight, sound and mind, then harvest joy.
Attentional balance Distraction and attention Introspection and self-monitoring The six perfections (paramitas) Mindfulness of breathing Shamatha (calm abiding)