Now with everybody having a screen they carry around, you’re not really aware of what’s going on inside your own body and how your mind relates to what’s going on in the body. That’s a lot of ignorance right there.

"Close your eyes. Feel the breath coming in; feel the breath going out. And notice where you feel it. This is something that’s going to be individual for each of us. Some people feel it most clearly at the nose. Others feel the movement of the chest, the movement of the abdomen. You can feel the breath energy anywhere in the body. So try to notice where it’s most prominent. Focus your attention there.

Then ask yourself if long breathing is comfortable. If it is, keep it up. If not, you can change: Make it shorter, deeper, more shallow, heavier, lighter, faster, slower. You can experiment for a while to see what rhythm of breathing feels best for the body right now.

We’re trying to establish our awareness right here, so that we can see things clearly — what’s going on in our mind, what’s going on in the body, because all too often our attention is directed someplace else.

Things outside grab our attention, especially now with everybody having a screen they carry around. Your eyes and brain get sucked into the screen. You’re not really aware of what’s going on inside your own body and how your mind relates to what’s going on in the body. That’s a lot of ignorance right there. We’re trying to overcome our ignorance, because it’s right here inside that the problem of suffering starts."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Universal Goodness"

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