Awareness has a mirror-like quality. We can tap into it right now, become aware of the mind and body as they are in this moment. Perhaps awareness is reflecting the feeling of sleepiness or of not knowing, the feeling of cold or heat, heaviness or lightness. Reflective consciousness can see things, even the things that are closest to us. It reflects feelings of aversion, anger, kindness, pleasant feelings, unpleasant feelings – all kinds of things. This quality of seeing, of knowing this reflective mind, is neutral. There is no sense of judging or criticising; awareness merely reflects the judging or the critical mind. That is what the Buddha is talking about when he says that the Dhamma is ‘apparent here and now’; not tomorrow or yesterday, but here and now in the present moment. And the Dhamma is timeless – it is not dependent on time.

When Luang Por Pasanno completed the teaching of the retreat that is the source of this book in September of 2008, a handful of us declared enthusiastically that we would produce a book so others could also benefit from this retreat. Time passed. My mother passed. The idea to put these teachings into a book resurfaced, but this time with a deeper intention. It felt like a wonderful tribute to my mother, to all mothers—whether from a biological mother or someone who has fit the ideal, perhaps a father, aunt, uncle, older sibling, friend, or teacher—as an expression of the gratitude for the example and the love.

This book is compiled from talks given mostly in 2001 by Ajahn Sumedho. The first edition was originally published in 2004, but has long since been out of print. This new edition has been reviewed for typographical errors and redesigned, and some re- editing has been done. However, the Dhamma content has not been changed. The talks were transcribed, edited and proofread by various members of the sangha as well as people from the broader community, and a variety of people helped with the creation of the front cover. The editors wish to express their deep gratitude for all of the generous and kind-hearted effort put into making these teachings available in book format.

Ci sono alcuni argomenti che i praticanti della meditazione buddhista conoscono bene: “la consapevolezza del respiro”, in cui ci si focalizza sul ritmo del respiro, “la meditazione camminata”, che ruota intorno alla sensazione dei passi mentre si cammina su e giù lungo un percorso prefissato, la ripetizione interna di un mantra, come “Bud-dho”. Tutte queste pratiche sono concepite per ancorare l’attenzione nella presenza di questo esatto momento, di questa realtà presente.

Insieme a questi metodi più conosciuti ce ne sono molti altri che possono essere utilizzati allo stesso scopo. Uno di questi è noto come “ascolto interiore” o “meditazione sul suono interiore”, o ancora, in sanscrito, “nada yoga”. Questi termini si riferiscono tutti al metodo in cui si presta attenzione a quello che è stato chiamato “il suono del silenzio”, o “il suono-nada”. “Nada” è la parola sanscrita per “suono”, come pure la parola spagnola per “nulla”. Una coincidenza interessante e – del tutto casualmente – significativa.

Este pequeño libro contiene reflexiones de Ajahn Amaro mencionadas en una charla que dio en el Monasterio Abhayagiri en el año 2003, poco antes de viajar para acompañar a su madre en sus últimos días.

“Los primeros maestros” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. “Las primeras deidades” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. “Aquellos que merecen devoción” es una expresión referida a la madre y el padre. ¿Y por qué? Los padres son una gran ayuda para sus hijos; los educan, los alimentan y les muestran el mundo. Anguttara Nikaya 4.63

… «Cuando me pregunto de dónde me llegaron esas influencias inspiradas o las inclinaciones hacia aquello que es bueno, saludable y útil, me doy cuenta de que vinieron casi por completo de ella. Cuando falleció mi abuelo materno, mi madre me dijo que ella había recibido de él lo principal de su guía y dirección. Ella respetaba esa herencia de amabilidad, discreción y benevolencia hacia todas las cosas, y transmitió a su vez esas cualidades. Esa fue realmente la principal influencia espiritual que tuve antes de ir a Tailandia: todo lo que me mantuvo operando de alguna manera en la proximidad del comportamiento humano equilibrado, fue gracias a ella. De modo que desarrollé un gran sentimiento de alegría y gratitud hacia ella por haber tenido la fortuna de recibir esto».

Este pequeño libro fue originalmente redactado como un capítulo individual del volumen llamado La Isla: Una Antología de las Enseñanzas del Buda acerca de Nibbāna. Como una de las diferentes secciones de ese libro, contiene material que puede felizmente sostenerse por sí mismo, de ahí la iniciativa que surgió de publicarlo como una separata.

En un tiempo en que la gente en el mundo está cada vez más inclinada a realizar múltiples tareas al mismo tiempo, y disminuye su lapso de atención, hay muy poco que nos anime a la compostura interior y la integración, para no perdernos en las diez mil cosas maravillosas que compiten por nuestra atención. Esperamos que la sabiduría de las enseñanzas contenidas en este pequeño libro contribuya, en alguna medida, a restablecer el equilibrio, ayudándonos a recordar y comprender la infinita riqueza y paz que contiene, in potentia.

Hay una serie de temas que son muy familiares a las personas que practican meditación budista: “La plena atención en la respiración” que trata de focalizar la atención en el ritmo de la respiración; “la meditación caminando”, que se centra en la sensación de los pasos al caminar arriba y abajo por un sendero, y la repetición interior de un mantra, como por ejemplo “Bu- do”. Todos estos métodos están pensados para ayudar a fijar la atención en la presencia de cada momento, en la realidad presente.

Junto a todos estos bien conocidos métodos de meditar, hay muchos otros que pueden servirnos para cumplir una función similar. Uno de ellos es conocido como la “escucha interior” o “meditación sobre el sonido interior”, Nada Yoga en sánscrito. Estos términos hacen referencia a lo que ha sido llamado “el sonido del silencio” o “el sonido Nada”. Nada es la palabra que en sánscrito se usa para “sonido”, y su significado en español es “nada”, una interesante y accidentalmente significativa coincidencia.

Within the pages of this book, we’re invited to read some reflections from Ajahn Viradhammo on the practice of Dhamma. For myself, and I hope for you, there will also be the experience of hearing his voice, and even being in his presence. It’s a warm voice, and a presence that supports the Way out of suffering, or dukkha. Perhaps when these teachings are carefully considered and put into practice, that Way becomes clear and the heart can be guided into openness and peace.

I think there’s a good chance of that, mostly because what is presented here are some of the cardinal teachings of the awakened Buddha, a person who is widely acknowledged for his deep wisdom and compassion. But also it’s because this particular presentation comes from Ajahn Viradhammo, a man of this age who has given himself fully to the Buddha’s Path for over forty years. More than reading or lecturing on it, he has lived in the Buddha’s Way—the Dhamma-Vinaya. And his voice is of this age, easily understandable, down-to-earth, and rich with humor and anecdotes.

This book is based upon the talks and meditation instructions offered during a thirteen-day retreat at Amaravati, in the summer of 2012. It is intended to be something of a follow up to Finding the Missing Peace, which was published in 2011 and presented as ‘a primer of Buddhist meditation’. The Breakthrough is intended to be a somewhat more specialized toolkit, describing the path of Buddhist meditation in an in-depth way, specifically highlighting the role of wisdom and reflective investigation in the development of insight and thereby psychological freedom. The title The Breakthrough comes from the Pali word ‘abhisamaya’. The word, as used by the Buddha, is synonymous with the first level of liberation, known as ‘stream-entry’ – the ‘stream’ in question being the Eightfold Path, which leads to full emancipation, enlightenment. As is described in these pages, this breakthrough is considered to be a spiritual turning point of great significance. It marks the point on the spiritual journey beyond which enlightenment is assured and freedom guaranteed.