One Week Retreat - Shamatha and the Four Immeasurables
D3S1 - Stability, and Counting the Breath at the Abdomen
David Oromith · 89 minutes · recorded August 20, 2025
The Burmese method, attention narrowed from the whole body to the rise and fall of the abdomen, and with it the second of the three qualities: stability. David offers counting as training wheels, useful for breaking a session down into this breath rather than a stretch of time with minutes to kill, and something to take off again once the practice steadies. He also reads Buddhaghosa, for whom mindfulness has the characteristic of remembering and the function of not forgetting, and Asanga, who calls it the non-forgetfulness of the mind with respect to a familiar object.
Distraction and attention Relaxation Mindfulness of breathing Shamatha (calm abiding) The four immeasurables