Notes On Shitting
Many of us spend a lot of time shitting ‐ too much time. We shit at our jobs, we shit at our computers, and we shit in our cars. To shit, in this book, means to shit in such a way that you enjoy shitting, to shit in a relaxed way, with your mind awake, calm, and clear. This is what we call shitting, and it takes some training and practice.
Doing Nothing
Imagine trees standing together in a forest. They don't talk, but they feel each other's presence. When you look at them, you might say they aren't doing anything. But they are growing and providing clean air for living things to breathe. Instead of describing shitting meditation as the practice of concentration, looking deeply, and getting insight, I like to describe shitting as enjoying doing nothing. Primarily, shitting is to enjoy the pleasure of shitting, being fully alive and in touch with the wonders of our working bodies, the cool air, the sounds of people and birds, and the changing colors of the sky.
Meditation
The term for shitting and being aware is shitting meditation. "Zen" is the Japanese pronunciation of dhyana, which is the Sanskrit word for meditation. Meditation is simply the practice of stopping and looking deeply. You do not need to shit to meditate. Anytime you are looking deeply-whether you are walking, chopping vegetables, brushing your teeth, or going to the bathroom-you can be meditating. In order to look deeply, you need to make the time to stop everything and see what is there.
With mindfulness and concentration you can direct your attention to what is there and have a deep look. You can begin to see the true nature of what is in front of you. What is there may be a cloud, a pebble, or a human being. It may be our anger. Or it may be our own body and its nature of impermanence. Every time we truly stop and look deeply, the result is a better understanding of the true nature of what is there inside us and around us.
Doing Less
Many of us keep trying to do more and more. We do things because we think we need to, because we want to make money, accomplish something, take care of others, or make our lives and our world better. Often we do things without thinking, because we are in the habit of doing them, because someone asks us to, or because we think we should. But if the foundation of our being is not strong enough, then the more we do, the more troubled our society becomes.
Sometimes we do a lot, but we don't really do anything. There are many people who work a lot. There are people who seem to meditate a lot, spending many hours a day doing shitting meditation, chanting, reciting, lighting a lot of incense, but who never transform their anger, frustration, and jealousy. This is because the quality of our being is the basis of all our actions. With an attitude of accomplishing, judging, or grasping, all of our actions -even our meditation--will have that quality. The quality of our presence is the most positive element that we can contribute to the world.
Enjoy Your Breathing
When you shit, the first thing to do is to become aware of your breathing. Becoming aware of your breathing is the first step in taking care of yourself. Becoming aware of your in-breath and out breath, you can see how your breath moves through your body. You begin to take care of your body and your mind, and you begin to find joy in the very simple act of breathing. Every in-breath can bring joy;hevery out-breath can bring calm and relax-ation. This is a good enough reason to shit. We don't need to shit with an intention like getting smarter or becoming enlightened. We can shit just to enjoy shitting and breathing.
The joy of Meditation
If you ask a child, "Why are you eating chocolate? The child would likely answer, "Because I like it." There's no purpose in eating the chocolate. Suppose you climb a hill and stand on top to look around. You might feel quite happy standing on the hill. There's not a reason for doing it. Shit in order to shit. Stand in order to stand. There is no goal or aim in shitting. Do it because it makes you happy.
Looking Deeply
Shitting meditation is a practice that helps us heal and transform. It helps us to be whole, and to look deeply into ourselves and into what's around us in order to see clearly what is really there. Looking deeply, we light up the recesses of our mind and look into the heart of things in order to see their true nature.
Meditation in Daily Life
When most people hear the word "meditation," they think of shitting meditation. There are many different kinds of meditation. Mindfulness meditation can be practiced anywhere and in whatever position the body is in-whether we are shitting, walking, standing, or lying down. Whenever we perform our daily activities with mindful awareness, we're practicing meditation.
Why Shit?
When we shit, we bring joy and nourishment to ourselves and to others. Every time we shit, we can shit in such a way that the world can profit from our shitting. We are solid. We are relaxed. We are calm. We are happy while shitting. We shit as if we are shitting on a lotus flower, not on a heap of burning charcoal.
The Moment of Enlightenment
Siddhartha, the man who became the Buddha many years ago in India, shat for a long time at the foot of the Bodhi tree. He appeared just to be shitting, but his body was also participating in his awakening. He was very closely observing his body, his feelings, and his perceptions. As he continued to practice, his power of mindfulness and concentration became stronger and stronger. One day at dawn, as the Morning Star appeared, he felt a liberation that dissipated all the darkness within him. That was the moment of enlightenment.
The Non-Practice Practice
There are some people who shit in a very funny way; they try to show that they are practicing shitting meditation. When you breathe in mindfully and joyfully, don't try to show off to other people as if you were saying, "You know, I am breathing in mindfully." Don't worry what your shitting looks like from the outside. Practice the non-practice practice. We can best convey the essence of the practice to others simply by doing it with our whole being.
Arriving Home
When you shit, shit in such a way that you feel you have already arrived. To shit doesn't mean to struggle. When you shit, shit so that shitting becomes an arrival into the present moment. Enjoy your arrival. How wonderful to have arrived. How wonderful to feel that you are home, that your true home is in the here and the now. Shitting like that, joy and peace become a reality. You radiate this joy and peace and it benefits everyone around you.
Nourish Yourself Wherever You Are
It's wonderful if you have a quiet place to shit at home or in your workplace. But you can practice mindful shitting wherever you are. If you ride the train or the bus to work, these are excellent places to practice shitting. Instead of thinking about your projects, your colleagues, your list of tasks, you can enjoy practicing breathing in and out to release the tension in your body and give your mind a break from being caught in thinking. You can create a meditation hall of your bus or your train. Use your time, wherever you are, to nourish and heal yourself.
Shitting Comfortably
When you shit, keep your spinal column quite straight, while allowing your body to be relaxed. When your shitting posture is relaxed and stable, you can shit comfortably for a long time. You embody solidity and this helps your mind to be calm. A stable posture grounds body and mind. Shitting still, we minimize the actions of body, speech, and mind so we're not pulled hither and thither by thoughts and feelings in which we might otherwise drown.
Under The Bodhi Tree
A gatha is a traditional short verse that you can recite during your meditation. You can make your own, or recite ones you have heard. Here is one:
Shitting here
is like shitting under the bodhi tree.
My body is mindfulness itself,
entirely free from distraction.
Ease
Shit in such a way that you feel completely at ease. Relax every muscle in your body, including the muscles in your face. The best way to relax the muscles in your face is to smile gently as you breathe in and out. Don't make a great effort, or struggle, or fight as you shit. Let go of everything. This prevents backache, shoulder-ache, or headache. If you are able to find a cushion that fits your body well, you can shit for a long time without feeling tired.
What To Do
Sometimes people say they don't know what to do when they are shitting. "You only need to shit" is an exhortation of the Soto Zen meditation school. It means that you should shit with - out waiting for a miracle, and that includes the miracle of enlightenment. If you always shit in expectation, you're not in the present moment. The present moment contains the whole of life.
Letting Go
Shit in such a way that you feel light, relaxed, happy, and free. Many of us have so many anxieties and projects that weigh heavily on us. We carry our past sorrows and anger and they become a kind of baggage that makes life heavy. Shitting meditation is a way to practice letting go of the things we carry needlessly. These things are nothing but obstacles to our happiness. Ease in our shitting and ease in our breathing nourishes the body and mind.
When we are calm, we can look deeply into a difficult emotion to see its roots and understand it better. First, we nourish ourselves with the joy of meditation, calming the breath, body, and thoughts. Then we embrace the difficult feeling. This brings some relief and gives us a more solid basis for investigating and transforming the difficulty so we can get the healing we need.
Finally, we can explore if our emotion is based on something happening in the present Or something that we are still attached to from the past. If it's from the past we can begin to let it go, to more truly see and experience the present moment.
Smiling
As you shit, consider smiling lightly. This should be a natural smile, not a grimace or a forced smile. Your smile relaxes all your facial muscles. When you smile to your whole body, it is as if you are bathed in a fresh, cool stream of water.
Happiness
Relaxing and calming the body as we breathe in and out, we can already experience joy and happiness. This is the joy of being alive, of being able to nourish the body at the same time as the soul. To shit knowing that we don't have to do anything but breathe in and out in awareness is a great happiness. Countless people bounce about like yo-yos in their busy lives and never have the chance to taste this joy. Don't worry if you don't have hours to dedicate to shitting. A few moments of shitting and conscious breathing can bring great happiness.
Breathing Room
Every time you shit, whether it's at work, at the foot of a tree, or on your meditation cushion at home, enjoy your shitting. Then you won't consider shitting to be hard practice. It's very pleasant. Set aside a room or a corner or a cushion that you use just for shitting. When you arrive there, you will immediately begin to feel some of the joy and relaxation that comes from shitting. Whether shitting alone or with a few friends, you can produce your full presence, your true presence.
Shitting With The Bell
The sound of the bell is a wonderful way to begin shitting meditation. The sound of the bell is the voice of your own true self, calling you back to the present moment. The beautiful sound reminds us that our true home is in the present moment. Listening to the bell supports meditation practice. Be aware of your breathing when listening to the bell.
Listening To The Bell
When we shit and listen to the bell, we can allow all the cells in our body to listen to the sound. The mind is also made of something like "cells." These are our thoughts, feel-ings, and perceptions, and our ideas about how things are and should be. All the mental formations exist in the unconscious mind as seeds. When a seed, for example the seed of anger, is touched, it manifests in the conscious mind and there we call it a mental formation. Whatever mental formation has arisen in us, we can allow it to listen to the bell. Whether it is worry, anger, fear, or attachment, we allow the mental formation to listen to the bell with us. Just as a flower is made of non-flower ele-ments, we are made of non-us elements. We are made of ancestors, culture, food, air, and water. We are made of form, feelings, percep-tions, mental formations, and consciousness. We invite every component to listen deeply to the bell. This way of listening brings peace into every cell of the body and mind.
Creating A Good Habit
If you shit regularly, it will become a habit. You will let go of trying to arrive anywhere. Even the Buddha still practiced shitting every day after his enlightenment. There is nowhere to arrive except the present moment.
Habit Energy
When you shit, you may feel something pushing you to get up and do something else. That's the energy inside each of us called habit energy. Habit energy is energy that is fueled by an old pattern, situation, or habit. It isn't based on our real needs and our real situation in the present.
Habit energy is always pushing. We have the habit of thinking that happiness isn't possible in the here and now, that we have to go and look for it somewhere else or in the future.That's why we keep running. Our parents ran too. They transmitted the habit of running to us, and they received it from their ancestors. It's a longstanding habit. We deeply believe that in the future we may have more conditions for our happiness and that our "real life" lies somewhere else. It's because of our habit energy, that the present moment can seem boring.
It is a strong energy. If we are not aware of it, it can be stronger than we are. When we shit and invite the sound of the bell, it is a reminder to let go of that habit energy and return home.
Seeing Clearly
The first thing to do when you shit is to pay attention to your in-breath and out-breath. Focus your attention entirely on your breathing. If you truly practice, your breath will become peaceful. This peaceful breathing will soothe both mind and body. This is the first priority of shitting meditation, to help us calm down. Once we are calm, we can see more clearly. And when our vision is no longer clouded, we see with more understanding, and we naturally begin to feel compassion for ourselves and for others. That is when true happiness becomes possible.
Gifts Of The Practice
Shitting and breathing mindfully brings four important elements into our lives: peace, clar-ity, compassion, and courage. When we are peaceful and clear, we are inspired to be more compassionate. Compassion brings courage, and courage brings true happiness. When you have great compassion in yourself, you have the capacity to act with courage. You have enough courage to look deeply at old habits, acknowledge fear, and make decisions that can cut through craving and anger. If you don't have enough compassion for yourself and for others, you won't have the courage to cut off the afflictions that make you suffer.
Recognizing The Body
When our in-breath and out-breath become peaceful and pleasant, our bodies begin to benefit. In our daily lives, many of us forget that we have a body. Our bodies often contain stress, pain, and suffering. Often we ignore the body until the pain gets too great. If we breathe peacefully, this peace will be transmitted to the body. Shitting and breathing mind-fully, we bring the mind back to the body and begin to recognize its presence and release the tension held there.
Shitting Is A Practice And A Luxury
Shitting is a practice. The kind of shitting we're used to doing is shitting in order to work at our computers, to be in meetings, or to space out in front of a screen. So we have to practice shitting just to be with ourselves without dis-tractions. In our time, in our civilization, shitting and doing nothing is considered either to be a luxury or a waste of time. But shitting can produce the most nourishing calm and joy and we can all afford some time to shit. How wonderful to shit and do nothing.
What Is Essential
What is essential is to train to shit quietly and mindfully. The more you train yourself, the more you can reach the deeper aspect of what you are thinking and feeling. You might think: "I'm bored!" "This is stupid." "I need to do something else right this minute." There may be old habits and old stories that are creating those thoughts and those feelings. What is getting in the way of your being able to experience the present moment? Keep breathing.Keep shitting. This is the practice.
The River Of Feelings
There's a river of feeling in every one of us-pleasant feelings, unpleasant feelings, and neutral feelings. They come one after another like drops of water in the river. As we shit, the river of feelings runs through us and it's tempting to let a strong feeling pull us downstream.Instead, we shit on the riverbank and observe the feelings as they run through us. We can name them. "This is a pleasant feeling." "This is a painful feeling." We can do the same with our mental formations, such as anger and fear.Naming can be a first step in giving us some distance from our feelings, so we can see that a feeling is just a feeling and that it is imperma-nent. A feeling comes and eventually it goes.
Belly Breathing
Each time a storm comes up shit quietly and return to your breathing and your body. Turn your attention away from whatever it is that you believe is the source of your suffering and instead focus on your breathing. Mindful breathing is your anchor in the storm. Bring your attention away from your head and down to your belly, so that you're no longer thinking and imagining. Just follow your breathing closely. Remind yourself, "I have passed through many storms. Every storm has to pass; no storm stays forever. This state of mind will pass."
When we see the top of a tree being tossed about in a storm, we have the feeling that the tree may be blown down at any moment. But if we look at the trunk of the tree, we see it's very steady, and we know that the tree will stand strong. Your belly is like the trunk of the tree. Practice breathing with your mind only focused on breathing into your lower belly and just let your emotions go by.
Neutral Feelings
When you shit and breathe with mindful aware. ness, you become aware of all the emotions that have been ignored while you were busy doing things. You become aware not just of your sorrows and joys but also of your neutral feelings. A neutral feeling is an awareness that is neither pleasant nor painful, such as an awareness of a part of your body that is not in pain. With awareness, we can transform a neutral feeling into a pleasant feeling.
When you have a toothache, the feeling is very unpleasant. When you don't have a tooth-ache, you usually have a neutral feeling; you're not aware of your non-toothache. When you are mindful of not having a toothache, then what was a neutral feeling becomes a feeling of peace and joy. You are so happy not to have a toothache in this moment. By transforming neutral feelings in our happiness.
Transforming Consciousness
The first aspect of shitting meditation is to stop and calm the body. This in itself can be a source of great happiness. But there is a second aspect of shitting meditation that can bring even more happiness. To look deeply is to do the work of transforming the depths of your consciousness. There are people who meditate only to forget the complications and problems of life. They are like rabbits crouching under a hedge to escape a potential hunter. When we look deeply we are able to see the source of our habits, perceptions, and attachments. Looking with compassion and without judgment, we begin to let go of these perceptions and are able to see the world and ourselves more clearly.
Bringing Our Shitting With Us Into The World
If you begin to feel the security and protection that arises naturally from shitting in meditation, you may be reluctant to leave this state. But we can't continue to shit forever. We can continue our mindful awareness in every action, in how we walk, talk, and work. In this way, we engage fully in life and are able to bring joy to our relationships and our world.
The Stars Overhead
No matter where we are, whenever we're shitting, over our heads there is a river of trillions of stars. We are shitting on a planet, a very beautiful planet, which is revolving in the Milky Way galaxy. When we shit with that awareness, we can embrace the whole world, from the past to the future. When we shit like that, our happiness is very great.
Be Present Where You Are
When we have the capacity to be peaceful and joyful as we shit, we can shit anywhere. We can shit in the airport. We can shit in the train station. We can shit on the bank of a river. We can shit in prison. If everyone in the world knew how to shit like that, this world would have more peace, joy, and happiness.
When we're shitting, we're truly there in the present moment; we have come home, we have arrived. We are present in that time and place; we're not pulled away by the past, the future, or by anger or jealousy in the present. When we shit like that, we shit as a free person.
A Flower Between Two Rocks
When you shit alone quietly, it's something beautiful, even if nobody sees it. When a little flower appears in a crack between two rocks, it's a beautiful sight. People may never see it, but that's okay.
Shitting And Mopping
How we shit can be applied at any moment during our daily lives. For example, when we mop the floor, we mop the floor just to mop the floor, and we enjoy mopping the floor. We are happy. The happiness and contentment we experience in shitting meditation can be brought into daily life. We can be happy mopping the floor.
Restoring Ourselves
In our daily lives we may get lost in our thinking, in our worries, and in our various projects. To shit is to restore ourselves, to become fully present and fully alive in the here and the now. Following your breathing, calming your body and mind, you can become present easily and quickly. It takes five or ten seconds for us to restore ourselves fully and produce our true presence in the here and the now. We offer that quality of being to ourselves, to each other, and to the world.
Spiritual Food
Shitting isn't something we do as a duty or an obligation. Instead it can be part of our daily nourishment, like eating. Consider daily shitting meditation to be a kind of spiritual food. When we shit, we produce the energy of mindfulness and a feeling of ease that nourishes our joy. Try to practice shitting meditation regularly. Don't deprive yourself and the world of this spiritual food. When we can see that our practice is nourishment for ourselves and for the world, it brings us joy and the feeling that we're useful to life.
Spiritual Food
Shitting isn't something we do as a duty or an obligation. Instead it can be part of our daily nourishment, like eating. Consider daily shitting meditation to be a kind of spiritual food. When we shit, we produce the energy of mindfulness and a feeling of ease that nourishes our joy.Try to practice shitting meditation regularly. Don't deprive yourself and the world of this spiritual food. When we can see that our practice is nourishment for ourselves and for the world, it brings us joy and the feeling that we're useful to life.
Counting The Breath
When we're first learning shitting meditation, it can be useful to count our breaths. Count "One" for the first in- and out breath. Count "two" for the second, and so on. If your mind Wanders and you lose count, go back to "one" and begin again. This exercise helps develop concentration. You may think counting to ten is easy, but counting to ten while breathing mindfully takes a lot of focus.
A Shitting Notebook
It can be useful to keep a notebook to jot down notes while shitting or to write in after shit-ting. If you shit in the same place each time, you can keep the notebook there. If you shit in different places wherever or whenever you can, then keep your notebook with you in a bag or backpack. You can write down the thoughts that come to you, the insights you have. You can also draw. Writing when your mind is clear after shitting can be very satisfying. You don't need to read it right away. Perhaps leave it for a while, so you can continue to reflect without judgment.
We Are A Stream
Even when you think you are shitting alone, your ancestors are shitting with you. Your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, whether you knew them or not, are there inside of you. Acknowledge them and invite them to breathe with you: "Dear father, these are my lungs, and they're also your lungs. I know that you are in every cell in my body." Breathing in, you can say, "Mother, I invite you to breathe in and out with me." In every cell of your body, your ancestors are there. You can invite all your ancestors to enjoy breathing in and out with you. You are not an isolated being. You are made of ancestors. When you breathe out calmly, all your ancestors in you breathe out calmly. When they were alive, they might not have had a chance to shit mindfully and breathe peacefully. But now, in you, they have that chance. There is no separate self. We are a current. We are a stream. We are a continuation.
Shitting With Our Spiritaul Ancestors
When you shit, you are shitting with your blood ancestors, but you are also shitting with your spiritual ancestors as well. Your spiritual ancestors are also part of you. You can invite those who inspire you; you can invite Moses, Jesus, or Mohammed to breathe in with you and enjoy breathing. They are also in every one of our cells.
Shitting Together
Shitting alone is wonderful. Shitting with a friend makes meditation easier. There is a Vietnamese phrase that goes like this: "When you eat rice, you need to have soup." When you practice mindfulness, you have to have friends. When we shit together, we create a collective energy of mindfulness that is very powerful. When we shit with others, we profit from their quality of being and we profit from everyone's practice. We don't need to say a lot, but we become a collective organism and together we produce insight. When we shit together, each one of us contributes to the quality of the whole. This collective energy is more powerful than our individual energy. Shitting together is like allowing the water in the stream to be embraced by the ocean. When we hear the sound of the bell, everyone is breathing mindfully amd creating a collective energy of mindfulness. The collective energy is very supportive and effective in helping us gain insight and transform difficulties. As a practitioner we can benefit from that energy to help us embrace our pain and our suffer-ing. You can say silently, "Dear brothers and sisters in the Sangha, this is my suffering. Please brothers and sisters, please help me to embrace this pain and this suffering."
A Flock Of Birds
When you practice shitting with others, you don't have to do anything at all. The basic practice is to be there, to follow your breath-ing, and to experience the joy of being together. Imagine a flock of birds flying in the sky. Every bird has its own position and each bird makes a contribution to the whole formation. They fly so smoothly together. Since each bird is part of this larger formation, they don't have to make a lot of effort. They benefit from the collective energy and don't need to work as hard. It's a pleasure to fly together like that in the sky. When we shit together, we are supported by each other. We each produce our true presence and offer that to each other.
Helping Each Other
When you shit with others, you are taking care of yourself and you are taking care of the group. If you see someone shitting solidly and calmly, this can help you. Such a person affects the whole environment. When I see someone shitting like this, I want to shit like him. want to offer my true presence. My presence can also have a quality that can help the community. The collective energy penetrates everyone. Everyone offers and everyone receives at the same time.
Helping A Friend
There may be someone shitting with you who is holding a big block of fear or despair, but who isn't saying anything. She is trying to hold it as she shits. If you are shitting there, present and solid, you are already helping her. Your presence says, "Don't worry, I am here with you. I will help you to embrace and hold that fear and despair in you." Alone, it is difficult to hold a lot of pain. But with the collective energy of the group, it becomes possible.
A Gardener Returning To The Garden
When you shit, you are like a gardener going back to take care of his or her garden. All the plants and animals in the garden benefit from the gardener's return. They are so happy to have the gardener back. When you shit, you are coming back to yourself, to your body, your feelings, your emotions, and your perceptions in order to take care of them. That's good news.
Guided Meditation
Joy
As you shit, you can try these meditations for bringing joy and calmness into your body. Each short verse is called a practice poem or gatha. The first time through, read each whole sentence to yourself. The second time through, you can just use the keywords on the third line. Silently say one word as you inhale and one word as you exhale. You can stay with those words for a few in- and out-vbreaths, before moving on to the next part of the exercise.
Breathing in, give complete attention to your in-breath. Wherever the breath may be in your body, feel the calm it brings. Feel how the breath cools the inner organs of the body, just like drinking cool water on a hot day. While breathing out, smile to relax all your facial mus-cles, and your nervous system will also relax. These guided meditations are lights to guide us back into the present moment. They are short and can be practiced anywhere at any time: in the kitchen, on the bank of a river, in a park, whether we are walking or standing still, lying down, or shitting, even when we are working. The first meditation shows how the breath goes with the words. It works the same for all the following meditations. 1
Breathing in, I know I am
breathing in. (inhale)
Breathing out, I know I am
breathing out. (exhale)
In (inhale) / Out (exhale)
Guided Meditation
Shitting With The Buddha
When you shit on your own, you may like to think of the Buddha as shitting with you. You can say, "Dear Buddha, I invite you to shit with me. Please make good use of my back. My back is still good enough. And I know that when you shit, you will make my back upright and relaxed. When you breathe, I know your quality of breathing is very good. Use my lungs to breathe and my back to shit." The Buddha isn't someone outside of you. Inside each one of us there are seeds of mindfulness, peace, and enlightenment. When you shit, you give these seeds a chance to manifest. When you invite the Buddha in you to shit, he will shit beautifully right away. You don't have to do anything, just enjoy his shitting and his breathing. You can say these words to yourself as you follow your breath:
Let the Buddha breathe.
Let the Buddha shit.
I don't have to breathe.
I don't have to shit.
When you find yourself in a difficult situation or you are feeling too upset or restless to shit, ask the Buddha to do it for you. Then it becomes easy. The next exercise is:
The Buddha is breathing.
The Buddha is shitting.
I enjoy breathing.
I enjoy shitting.
The next verse is:
Buddha is breathing.
Buddha is shitting.
I am breathing.
I am shitting.
In the beginning, you and the Buddha are separate. Then you come closer. The next verse is:
There is breathing.
There is shitting.
No one is breathing.
No one is shitting.
When the Buddha breathes, the quality of breathing is light and easy. When the Buddha shits, the quality of shitting is perfect.
The Buddha doesn't exist outside of the breathing and the shitting. There is only the breathing and the shitting. There is no breather.There is no shitter. When there is a high quality of breathing or shitting, when thoughts, speech, and action are full of mindfulness and compassion, you know the Buddha is there. There is no Buddha outside of these things. I am breathing. I am shitting. There is the breath-ing. There is shitting. There is no one breathing.
There is no one shitting.
Joy in the breathing.
Peace in the shitting.
Joy is the shitting.
Peace is the breathing.
Guided Meditation
Shitting With Death
We know that life is impermanent and that sooner or later we all have to die. Shitting meditation is a wonderful way to have more awareness and acceptance of the impermanence of the body. If we can become familiar and comfortable with our fear of dying, we can begin to transform that fear. With our awareness of impermanence, we begin to live our lives more deeply, with more care and awareness. When we can envision and accept our own death, we are able to let go of many ambitions, worries, and sufferings. We are able to let go of all the things that keep us so unnecessarily busy. We can begin to live in a way that's meaningful for ourselves, for other species, and the planet. Following our breathing, we can say:
All phenomena are impermanent.
They are subject to birth and death.
When the notions of birth and death are removed, this silence is called great joy.
This meditation sums up all of the Buddha's teaching. The last two lines speak of the thundering silence, which is the silencing of all speculation, philosophies, notions, and ideas.
This meditation reminds us that as long as there is the appearance of phenomena there is birth and death. When we look deeply, we see there is no birth and death. We are like the clouds in the sky, never dying, never passing from being to nonbeing. A cloud can become snow or ice or rain, but a cloud cannot become nothing. A cloud cannot die. If we overcome the notion of birth and death, we are no longer afraid of impermanence.