The ancient Romans had a unique way of punishing those guilty of parricide. They would sew the criminal into a leather sack and throw them into a river or the ocean. Cicero noted that this punishment symbolized how the severity of the crime separated the offender from natural law. Over time, this punishment evolved to include animals in the sack, starting with a viper and a dog, and eventually growing to four animals in total. This became known as the poena cullei.
Just imagining this is horrifying. Suffocation alone would be dreadful, but adding two terrified animals into the mix would create a chaotic and painful situation as they clawed and bit at each other and the person.
This image popped into my head last week during a meditation class when we discussed managing restless thoughts that disrupt meditation practice. People talked about various methods to stay focused, like concentrating on breathing. It struck me that this effort is similar to trying to calm down a dog and a snake trapped in a sack with you.
It’s challenging to quiet your thoughts when you feel confined with them in a small space. What’s more effective for calming thoughts, in my experience, is creating a sense of spaciousness. It’s like opening the sack and releasing the dog, the snake, and yourself into a large meadow. You’re still together, but there’s less pressure and more calmness.
So, what does it mean to develop a sense of spaciousness?
Many beginners to meditation see noises as distractions, but these sounds are simply sensations we can be mindful of. Instead of being distractions, sounds offer chances to practice meditation.
Right now, try to be aware of the sounds around you. (You might want to close your eyes.) As you mindfully listen, notice how these sounds are inherently spacious. They can come from several yards away or even miles away, creating a much larger space than your head’s “leather sack,” where you might feel suffocated by your thoughts.
While you pay attention to the sounds around you, notice your thoughts. They are likely still there, but they probably aren’t bothering you as much. The snake and dog of your thoughts are off doing their own things without causing a commotion.
Now, focus your attention back inside your head, on your thoughts. How does that feel? Does it feel tight and unpleasant?
Then, broaden your awareness again to the sounds and space around you. How does this feel? Perhaps it’s more relaxed and calming?
Try alternating between these two ways of focusing a few more times. This can help you realize that you have a choice between an expansive awareness and a contracted one. Even if expansive and calm awareness is unfamiliar, it’s a place where you can feel at home.
Trying to manage our thoughts directly can work sometimes, but it’s often pointless, like trying to soothe trapped, panicked animals. It’s better to broaden your attention—to open the sack—and let your thoughts exist in a spacious field of awareness, where they can naturally find peace and calm.