Meditation On Ignorance

First Truth

At the root of suffering (mental unrest) is dissatisfaction with life.

Second Truth

This mental unrest is rooted in ignorance about its cause in the past, craving for continued contact with feelings, and contact with the external world and the senses.

As a result, one clings to life to the point where one forgets the distinction between self and other.

Thus does one become attached to the world.

Indeed, this attachment to the world becomes so strong that one thinks of the mind and body as permanent in the form of the ego, and considers the personality to have identity independent of others.

In this way, mental unrest arises due to spiritual ignorance about the transient nature of everything including the ego.

Third Truth

So why not stop dissatisfaction with life by illumining ignorance with the wisdom of the Buddhadharma.

Fourth Truth

So as to quiet mental unrest, one practices appeasement of the ego through breath meditation.

For long-lasting stress relief, just be aware of breathing. Done daily, the positive benefits of breath meditation will last a lifetime.

Without restriction, this activity may be done anywhere. However, the quality of breathing is different because you are aware of it.

Indeed, relief of mental unrest is as easy as breathing.

Breath Meditation in Detail

One breathes through one's nose, inhaling positive energy and transforming it into spiritual light. In this light, all stress cannot escape; they are instead illumined and reveal their usefulness to you.

When illumined by meditation, anxiety is transformed into inspiration which turns fear into respect for that which is feared.

If one fears old age and death, the clear mind arising from meditation is able to reflect on growing respect for old age and death.

The Illumined Mind Reflects Easily on Dependent Arising

Indeed, once illumined the mind is able to reflect on dependent arising, and then develop respect for each of its twelve parts (ignorance, formations, consciousness, mind and body (personality or identity), the six sense bases (five physical senses and the mind), contact (between objects and the senses),feeling (registering the contact),craving (for continued contact), clinging, becoming (similar to formations), birth and old age & death).

Once the mind is calm, clear insight into dependent arising manifests itself. Indeed, one is able to validate its twelve conditions.

When one's mind is calm, mental unrest is replaced with calm insight into its root cause and its cure.

Meditation, the Ego and the Gift of Serenity

At this point, with stress forgotten, one is able to practice the deeper meditation needed to reduce dissatisfaction with life, which is the root of stress, mental unrest.

So as to relieve mental unrest, one reflects on ignorance and its relationship with clinging and craving.

This deeper meditation consists of reading the following text and reflecting on its deeper meaning:

What drives the heart and mind apart?
Craving and clinging:
ignorance bears fruit as ego.
What brings the heart and mind as one?
Not craving, not clinging:
wisdom bears fruit by letting go.
Having let go of the world, the mind
free of unrest is calm and serene,
being illuminated by wisdom
to the depths of its very heart.
Thus it is called the heart-mind.

---

Reference
Dependent arising: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da