PRACTICE GUIDES

PRACTICE GUIDES

🌱 FOUNDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The Supportive Conditions for Freedom

Dependent Origination can only be seen clearly
when the mind is stable, harmless, and honest with itself.

The Buddha summarized this supportive structure as:

Sīla — Samādhi — Paññā
(Ethics — Collectedness — Wisdom)

These are not religious rules.
They are practical conditions that make liberation possible.

1️⃣ Sīla — Ethical Conduct

(Creating a Safe Mind)

Ethics means removing the causes of regret, guilt, and fear.
It protects the mind from becoming its own enemy.

For a lay practitioner, the foundation is:

The Five Precepts
as the standard of harmless living.

When we stop harming ourselves and others:

• the heart softens
• the mind becomes trustworthy
• awareness stabilizes
• suffering does not multiply

Ethical conduct is emotional safety.

2️⃣ Samādhi — Collected and Steady Mind

(Presence Without Struggle)

We do not need deep absorption or mystical states.
What we need is a mind that does not wander instantly
into stories of past and future.

Even short, everyday mindfulness supports liberation:

• awareness of breathing
• awareness of posture
• feeling the body from within
• pausing before reacting

Samādhi allows us to stay
in the moment where freedom is possible.

3️⃣ Paññā — Wisdom That Sees Clearly

(Understanding Without Concept)

Wisdom is not information.
Wisdom is a direct recognition of truth.

The key insight:

Clinging creates suffering.
When clinging stops, suffering stops.

Wisdom sees:

• feelings are impermanent
• reactions are conditioned
• identity is fabricated
• “self” is optional

Wisdom dissolves the illusion
instead of fighting it.

The Unified Support

Condition	What It Provides
Sīla	A stable and safe emotional base
Samādhi	Awareness in the present moment
Paññā	The ability to not construct a self

Together they form:

the environment
where liberation becomes natural.

Core principle

We do not build freedom —
we remove what blocks it.

With these foundations in place
we can now practice in real life
where suffering actually arises.

🅐 Practice Guides

A1 — The Freedom Gap

(Catching Feeling Before It Becomes “Me”)

Suffering begins when a feeling becomes personal.
Before that moment, everything is harmless.

There is a brief window right after contact
where the mind has not yet claimed ownership.

This is the Freedom Gap.

If the feeling is noticed there:

• craving cannot arise
• clinging cannot form
• identity cannot be born
• suffering has no foundation

🔍 The 5-Step Method

Step	What Happens	Internal Recognition
1️⃣ Contact	A sense impression appears	“There is contact.”
2️⃣ Feeling	Pleasant / unpleasant / neutral	“This is just feeling.”
3️⃣ Knowing	Recognize it without judgment	“Known — not personal.”
4️⃣ No Ownership	Do not turn it into “my reaction”	“Not me. Not mine.”
5️⃣ Let it Move	Allow it to rise and pass	“It is already changing.”

We meet the sensation
without becoming the sensation.

Why this works

The “self” is slower than the feeling.
If we catch the feeling first,
the self has no chance to form.

Stop the link:
Feeling → Craving
and the entire chain ends.

Mini Practices for Daily Life

Try these short exercises:

1️⃣ Sudden noise →
 “Just sound — nobody attacked.”

2️⃣ Pain in the body →
 “Unpleasant sensation — not a self.”

3️⃣ Criticism →
 “Feeling hurt — no one to defend.”

4️⃣ Being ignored →
 “Uncomfortable feeling — already passing.”

Each time you remember
you cut a rebirth of self.

Signs You Interrupted the Cycle

• The emotion rises but does not expand
• No urge to explain, defend, or retaliate
• Soft body instead of tension
• Awareness stays bigger than the feeling

This is Nibbāna in real time
—peace through non-ownership.

Simple Self-Reflection

Ask this once a day:

“Did I notice a feeling
before it became my story?”

If the answer is yes even once,
dependent origination was interrupted
in a living moment.

A1 Summary

See feeling as just feeling,
and no ‘self’ will be born.

This is freedom at the root.

A2 — Craving Watch

(Noticing the Urge Without Obeying It)

Craving (taṇhā) is not the problem itself.
The problem is believing craving and obeying it.

Craving is simply the mind saying:

• “Do this now, or something bad will happen.”
• “Get that, or you won’t be complete.”
• “Escape this feeling immediately!”
• “Fix yourself to be acceptable.”

When craving is believed, it becomes identity.
When craving is observed, it fades on its own.

🔑 Key Principle

Craving is a suggestion, not a command.
You can watch it without acting on it.

🔍 How to Spot Craving in Real Time

Craving always produces tension:

• Pulling toward pleasure
• Pushing away from discomfort
• Restlessness toward neutral states

Common physical markers:

• chest tightening
• throat pressure
• jaw clenching
• contracted belly

Common mental markers:

• urgency
• “must” / “should” thinking
• fear of loss
• fear of missing out

If there is pressure, craving is present.

🧭 3-Step Craving Watch Method

Step	Action	Internal Recognition
1️⃣ Detect	Notice the urge arising	“Craving is here.”
2️⃣ Name	Call it what it is	“This is just a suggestion.”
3️⃣ Don’t Feed	Do not obey it	“It can be here and fade by itself.”

No pushing away.
No indulging.
Just non-cooperation.

🍃 Letting Craving Burn Out

Craving fades like a flame
that dies because it receives no fuel.

Not by:

• suppressing
• fighting
• judging

but by seeing.

This is the opposite of self-control.
It is wisdom-control.

🧪 Small-Suffering Practice Examples

Use this method in everyday irritations:

Situation	Recognition	Result
Someone ignores your message	“Craving to feel important.”	Tension softens
Desire to scroll social media	“Craving for stimulation.”	Clarity returns
Waiting in line	“Craving for this to be over.”	Patience arises
Feeling mildly criticized	“Craving for approval.”	Ego loosens
Boredom hits	“Craving for distraction.”	Calmness appears

Each time you observe craving
instead of acting from it
the self is not reborn.

🎯 The Freedom Question

Ask silently when craving appears:

“What happens if I don’t follow this urge?”

You will discover:

• nothing is lost
• nothing explodes
• nothing collapses
• peace appears

Because craving only has power
when it convinces you that you need it.

💡 Core Insight

Not obeying craving =
not constructing a self.

When craving is seen clearly,
identity has no reason to arise.

This is real-time liberation.

A2 Summary

See craving as an urge,
not a truth —
and the fire of becoming cannot ignite.

A3 — Releasing the Grip

(Seeing Through “Mine” Without Forcing Letting Go)

Clinging (upādāna) is the moment the mind says:

“This is mine.”
“This defines me.”
“I cannot lose this.”

Clinging always comes with:

• tightness in the body
• fear of losing
• identity pressure
• defensiveness
• rumination

But here is the key:

We do not need to drop clinging.
We need to see that nothing was owned.

When the belief in ownership dissolves,
the grip releases by itself.

🔑 Principle

Letting go is not something you do.
It is something that happens
when the reason to hold on disappears.

🧭 The 4-Step Insight Method

Step	What to Observe	Internal Recognition
1️⃣ Notice Holding	“I must keep/fix/change this.”	“Clinging is here.”
2️⃣ Feel the Pressure	Sense the tightness in the body	“This costs energy.”
3️⃣ Question Ownership	Ask: “Who does this belong to?”	“Ownership is a belief.”
4️⃣ Let Reality Show	Watch condition change naturally	“There is nothing to hold.”

Release is the side effect
of seeing the truth.

🧪 Daily Mini-Exercises

(Start with small-suffering situations)

Experience	Recognition	Insight
Feeling ignored	“Clinging to importance.”	“Worth isn’t assigned by others.”
Wanting to be right	“Clinging to image.”	“This identity is temporary.”
Worrying about mistakes	“Clinging to perfection.”	“No one is collecting my failures.”
Regretting the past	“Clinging to a story.”	“Memory does not define me.”
Overthinking a message	“Clinging to approval.”	“They cannot confirm my existence.”

In each case…

Clinging tries to protect a self
that does not actually exist.

💡 Insight Prompt (Very Effective)

Whenever the grip tightens:

“What exactly am I trying to protect?”

Search sincerely…
and you find nothing solid.

The moment this is seen—
the grip lets go on its own.

🎯 Freedom Signs

When clinging fades naturally:

• defensiveness softens
• fear reduces
• forgiveness becomes possible
• humor returns
• the heart feels open again

You discover that:

There is no owner.
Only experience happening.

This is upādāna-nirodha
—the cessation of clinging in real time.

A3 Summary

We do not force release.
We see there is nothing real to hold.
That seeing is the letting go.

A4 — The End of Becoming

(Acting Without a Self to Protect)

Becoming (bhava) is the mind trying to create someone:

• someone who must win
• someone who must look good
• someone who must be safe
• someone who must not fail

The project of “me” is exhausting.

Action is natural.
Becoming someone through action is unnecessary.

🔑 Key Principle

Do what is needed
without adding a self who must succeed.

This removes fear
before fear begins.

🧭 The 3-Lens Practice

Before acting, check:

Lens	Question	What This Cuts
1️⃣ Kindness	“Does this reduce harm?”	Ego-based aggression
2️⃣ Clarity	“Is this a wise response?”	Reactive behaviors
3️⃣ No Self	“Is this personal?”	Identity creation

If answers are Yes–Yes–No
→ take action
→ without becoming anyone

🧪 Everyday Practice Situations

Context	Old Pattern	A4 Response
Someone disagrees	“I must prove myself.”	“Respond wisely, not personally.”
Work performance	“My value is judged.”	“Skills change; worth is not involved.”
Social media	“They must approve of me.”	“Post without asking for identity.”
Helping others	“I must be the good person.”	“Help and disappear.”
Mistakes	“I am a failure.”	“A mistake happened. Move on.”

We stop turning actions
into evidence of who we are.

🎯 The Core Skill: Non-Identification

Whenever you act, add this silent phrase:

“Action. No actor.”

Example:

• Washing dishes → “Washing is happening.”
• Solving a problem → “Care is happening.”
• Speaking kindly → “Kindness is moving.”

Action remains.
Identity does not.

✨ What happens when becoming stops

• Calmness replaces tension
• Integrity replaces performance
• Creativity flows without fear
• Energy is spared
• The moment is enough

You live fully
without carrying “yourself” through life.

This is bhava-nirodha
—the end of identity formation.

A4 Summary

Act from wisdom,
not from a self-image —
and becoming ends naturally.

A5 — Centerless Awareness

(Experiencing Life Without a Middle Point)

Ordinary perception puts a “self”
at the center of every experience:

• “What does this mean about me?”
• “How will this affect me?”
• “Are they judging me?”
• “Is this good or bad for me?”

This creates identity pressure
and turns every moment into a personal struggle.

But when there is no “me” in the middle…

Experience flows without friction.

🔑 Key Principle

Awareness does not need a center.
Experience does not need a controller.

There is seeing — without a seer.
There is hearing — without a hearer.
There is thinking — without a thinker.

Everything works
without anyone inside.

🧭 The Centerless Shift

(3-step direct practice)

Step	What to Notice	Practice Phrase
1️⃣ Expand Awareness	Include more of the sensory field	“Everything is happening in space.”
2️⃣ Remove the Center	Do not locate awareness behind the eyes	“No inside. No outside.”
3️⃣ Observe Selflessness	No one is controlling this moment	“The world is moving itself.”

Let perception stay open
without collapsing into an identity.

🧪 Everyday Practice

Try these short experiments:

1️⃣ When listening to someone:
 Hearing without a hearer

2️⃣ When anxiety arises:
 Sensation without a sufferer

3️⃣ When walking:
 Movement without a mover

4️⃣ When looking at a scene:
 The whole field is aware — not a point inside the head

5️⃣ When thinking:
 Thoughts appear. No thinker found.

Not denying anything.
Simply not adding someone to experience.

✨ Signs of Centerless Perception

• The body feels spacious and light
• Awareness feels boundaryless
• Thoughts lose urgency
• Emotions move freely without story
• The world becomes vivid — not threatening
• Other people stop being “characters” in your story

This is the taste of freedom
before enlightenment is complete.

🧘‍♂️ Advanced Reflection Prompt

Ask gently:

“Where is the one at the center?”

Search honestly…

You find:

• sensations
• images
• expectancies
• reactions

…but no entity.

The center was assumed
never located.

The Great Relief

When nothing is in the center,
nothing is under attack.

Life becomes simpler
because there is no “me” to protect
no “me” to maintain
no “me” to get in the way

Awareness rests
in its natural openness.

A5 Summary

Remove the center,
and the whole world becomes safe.

This is the practical realization of:

• non-self
• non-conflict
• non-fear

all at once.