Tricycle | Awake in the World

 THIS VIPASSANA PRACTICE is based on the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, the scripture that deals with the four foundations of mindfulness. We started with the first domain of mindfulness: paying attention to body sensations. As a way of beginning, we have people bring their attention to the breath and to walking. But really, if you think about it, is there such a thing as "the breath?" There are vibrations and pulsings and pullings; there are all kinds of sensations that make up this thing called "the breath," but there isn't any one thing that makes up "the breath." Neither is there any such thing in walking as "lifting" or "moving" or "placing" our feet. Those are names that we give to a very complex variety of body sensations.