For the past month, I’ve been doing daily guided meditations based on a Buddhist teaching called the Honeyball Sutta. This teaching, sometimes referred to as the “Honeycake Sutta,” explains how we create our own suffering through a feedback loop.
The basic idea is that consciousness, through our senses, perceives objects—whether they are internal, like thoughts, or external, like what you’re reading now. This is called “contact.” This term assumes a self is contacting a world separate from itself. The Buddha doesn’t say this is an accurate representation, just that it’s how we perceive things.
Once contact is made, we have emotional responses. Although the sutta doesn’t go into detail, it’s understood that when the mind perceives a threat, it creates unpleasant feelings in the body. If something seems beneficial, it creates pleasant feelings. If something appears neutral, no significant feeling is generated.
We pay attention to things we have strong feelings about. What we focus on, we think about. What we think about, we often obsess over. These obsessions cause us distress and strengthen our sense of having a separate self. So, we end up in a vicious cycle, starting with the belief in a separate self and reinforcing that belief through our reactions.
A friend of mine, who recently discussed this sutta, pointed out how mindfulness can help break this cycle by reducing our reactivity. With practice, we can observe our feelings without turning them into obsessive thoughts. While this explanation is valid, it’s also incomplete because the sutta goes further.
The sutta suggests that without eyes (or other sense organs), without anything seen (or perceived through other senses), and without consciousness, there is no feeling, no directed attention, no thinking, no obsessing, no distress, and no sense of self. While this might sound strange, or nihilistic, it’s about stopping the concept of a self that perceives a separate world. The alternative is simply being.
It’s about dropping the entire process of reactivity all at once—not just letting go of reactive thoughts but resting in an awareness that doesn’t categorize experiences as self and world. This isn’t a one-time achievement; it’s something we practice repeatedly until it becomes our usual way of operating. You can practice this right now: just stop reading for a few minutes and be aware of your present experience without labeling it.
It’s natural for thoughts to arise, and you might see them as threats to your well-being, but you can let them go. It’s normal to feel resistance and craving because you’ve spent a lifetime practicing those reactions. However, in moments of pure being, there’s no sense of a self perceiving a separate world. Consciousness doesn’t identify as a self, and what is perceived isn’t seen as other. Feelings aren’t seen as threats; they just exist, and you are simply aware of them. In these moments, the mind doesn’t obsess, and you find peace.
Practicing this sense of just being doesn’t mean you need to prepare extensively. It’s about letting go of your sense of a separate self right now. The peace and well-being that come from this can be experienced immediately. Peace is available right here, right now. Don’t try to grasp it or resist anything you think is keeping it from you. Just be peace.
I’m realizing more and more in my practice that opening to a state of awareness without a center brings peace. For me, focusing on bodily sensations helps me move into this state where the sensations of body and mind merge. Although awareness often narrows, I’m developing greater stability in the open state, making reactive closure less automatic. This open awareness is gradually bringing more peace into my daily life.
Yesterday, I found myself craving the end of a session. In the past, I wouldn’t have had the mindfulness to notice this desire to escape the present moment. Usually, I’m comfortable in meditation, sometimes even wanting more time if I haven’t reached stillness. Yesterday, I tried to sit with the desire to end the session and question what I thought would be better afterward. While I didn’t completely resolve it, I felt more comfortable than usual. Hopefully, I’ll continue to be mindful of this in the future.
I’ve been on this path for about ten years, and sometimes I wonder if I’m making progress. It’s hard to remember how much I used to suffer. I occasionally think about being young again but realize it would be terrifying to return to my old state of mind despite looking well on the outside.
Thank you, Bodhipaksa, for this insightful article. I’ve just returned from a retreat at Padmaloka focusing on the Heart Sutra, and your reflections resonated deeply with me.
Peace and happiness to you,
Leatham
Hi,
Are the meditations you mentioned at the beginning of the article available somewhere?
Best regards,
Olivier
Hi Olivier,
The course actually finished last week, but because you asked, I’ve reopened registration for a couple more days. Here’s the link.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
This information is awesome! Bodhipaksa, I struggle with mental health issues like bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD, which make it hard to stop obsessing over negativity. Any advice or help?
I’m glad it’s helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Thanks for this. My spiritual condition heavily relies on my connection to meditation. I meditate twice a day for half an hour each time. I sit quietly and let my mind go wherever it wants. I suffer from stress and anxiety and find that meditation gives me space. I don’t use a mantra, so am I missing out? I also experience strange but not unpleasant sensations. Any thoughts on that?
You don’t need to use a mantra. The early Buddhist tradition didn’t use them, and they’re not a regular part of my practice. Having unusual sensations is quite common and nothing to worry about. I wrote an article on different kinds of unusual experiences, which you might find useful.
Dear Bodhipaksa,
I’m having a hard time understanding this concept. What’s the point of just “being” and practicing non-separateness? Isn’t it just deluding the mind? If most people live with a sense of separateness, isn’t that the reality? How does just “being” help us when we have a short time on this earth? Shouldn’t we be doing things to improve our lives?
Don’t you see the value in being happier and at peace with yourself, rather than being unhappy and conflicted?
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