Six creature game

After reading The six creature story -Samyutta Nikaya XXXV.206 Chappana Sutta

What happens, when you have mindfulness immersed in the body and your eyes would see a pleasing form?

What movements would you be able to notice?

-if my body-mindfulness is established I would feel immediately when the eyes are attracted by a pleasing form
(the eyes would turn towards the direction, get hooked there, and next perhaps I could feel how something in the body wants to move closer to it, grab it....)

I could stop the movement and just WATCH THE IMPULSES without moving REGISTERING 

"Oh, that's what's going on, eyes attracted...!

Optional
 I could reflect whether  it is actually skilful to go there and take it or whether it is better to leave it -
Maybe it's against the precepts: I shouldn't take it because it belongs to someone else?

And if I find out that it is actually not harmful to take it, then I could allow it to happen and move towards it, take it, share it, enjoy it.

What happens when you body-mindfulness is not established  and you see a pleasant form?

if my body-mindfulness is not established and I see a pleasing form, I could easily go and take it.
(maybe I wouldn't even notice that my eyes got hooked there and that my body has already turned towards it -maybe I would just realize that I have already grabbed it, and then it's much more different to put it down...)

and I may miss the moment when I can reflect if it is skilful or unskilful to take it - and I could be in trouble doing something which I may regret afterwards

Six Creatures Game

Each Creature in the story is representing a sense : We have:

A snake - seeing

A crocodile - hearing

A bird - smelling

A Dog  tasting

A hyena  -touching

A monkey-  thinking

Please now get into groups of 7 - before you go to your places, please close stay close, so that I can explain the game.

You have to decide in your group, who is which sense and who is the post. 

The post needs to be the STRONGEST person in the group.

So now each of the sense has to find something that is pleasing and toward which you want to pull 

or

Something which is repellent and from what you want to get away from.

On the first attempt of this game - the post is just A BYSTANDER

So now each group can now find some space - link your arm together (each hand on the other person wrist).

Now just start pulling into your direction and see what happens.

Post in Middle

The post is going into the middle and you link your arms around him in the same way as before.

Now again start pulling into your directions. And see if the post is strong enough to hold you back

GO!

So you see, in the story, the strong post means MINDFULNESS of the body

So if mindfulness of the body is established, the sense have no power of that person.

But if the mindfulness of the body is weak, the sense pull that person all over the place...

Heres another version of the same game

Remember to point out that each creature is a sense. Which creature is what?

Make sure each person in the circle is one of the senses.

Get into groups of six –each groups need one strong adult to act as the the circus director.

Then link arms together in group- circus director in middle – not linked,

Let each person pull in one way or all pull in different ways, pretend you are that sense, if you like the smell of the incense move towards it, if you like the buddha rupa move towards it (if done in a temple). If you don’t like person hands your are holding move pull away from it.

The role of the Circus director can be like a facilitator

Ask question to the senses?

Ask the eye: Do you see something which makes you want to get closer something, or move away from it.

Ask the ear, nose, tongue, bdoy (touch) the same questions.

The mind: do you have an idea what makes you want to go somewhere?

So is there something we like to do TOGETHER without pulling into different directions?

Negotiate with six sense and seee if you can agree to do something togther

(So now we are moving towards the five precepts)

So now the circus director he can act as the pole.

All link to him. If he does not move where can you gou

Now explore the six sense from this position- this is like using the 5 precepts.

So maybe its easier if you all work together.

May the circus director can just stand in the middle of a circle formed by the six people around him holding hands and just move around the circus director in away which supports harmony and peace.

Now see what happens if the circus director moves and you see if you can move with him.

The pole in the beginning is like the precepts it holds you and then when you understand and develop wisdom then its awareness the still point in the turning wheel – the pole is that.

So we are here to learn and understand about awareness. To use our sense of wonder – which is being like a detective about the way things are.

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