Cultivating Mindfulness through Freestyle Rhyming: Justin F. Miles
Justin F. Miles MA LCPC LCADAS,
Hiphop Alive: Institute of Education, Consciousness and Integral Music
Buddhist Teacher/Meditation Instructor,
Baltimore, Maryland
Introduction
Mindfulness teachings are traditionally linked to Buddhist meditation communities and as of late, have been utilized by schools, the workplace, neuroscience and mental health providers. The methods of cultivating mindfulness have similarly either taken on a conventional tone, taking its instruction from the Satipattana Sutra or more simplified versions taught by modern day mindfulness trailblazers such as John Kabat Zinn.
The variety of views and practices now available to those seeking these foundational teachings have proven beneficial for reaching a wide audience, and in turn have popularized the term mindfulness and increased the number of individuals who could possibly reap their benefit.
Mindfulness and Hiphop
However there are individuals who have no desire to become Buddhists or to meditate but who engage in activities that they experience as enlightening, centering and wisdom producing. As a Hiphop artist and Buddhist practitioner, I find that the beings in the worlds that I inhabit are seeking the same things; happiness and freedom from suffering. Although the paths are different (the former employing rhyming, dancing, mixing records and graffiti art and the later utilizing study, contemplation and meditation) the ground and the fruition are very similar. The ground of both is that it is possible to utilize what we have at our disposal, the direct human experience of our bodies and minds for our liberation and the fruition of both are peace, love, unity, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, equality, respect responsibility and “above all overcoming the negative to the positive” (Bambaataa, 2012). There will be many who disagree with this positivistic view of Hiphop based on the popularity of its mainstream musical aspects that often involve aggression, materialism, using drugs, and disrespect of self and other but I contend that how Hiphop is used is not how it could be used and in fact since it’s founding over 40 years ago many Hiphop artists have used Hiphop to wake up others to truths concerning themselves, their communities and the world. It is just as unfair and confused to base ones opinion of a worldwide culture from the outside, as it is to mistake the menu for the meal.
To be of benefit to both Buddhist and Hiphop practitioners I propose a reexamination and restructuring of Hiphop methodologies with an emphasis on what is called freestyling, usually thought to mean rhyming lyrics in ciphers (circle of practitioners) or alone that you make up on the spot that should be improvised and spontaneous (Emcee Escher esq.). Freestyle can also be applied to the other elements of Hiphop (breakdancing, graffiti writing and djing) to mean done without forethought and made up in the moment. Out of all of the ways to practice Hiphop, freestyling has the greatest potential to cultivate mindfulness because it involves embracing one as they are in the moment, being aware of ones body and mind, resting in space despite the pull of self contraction, returning to a sense of freshness, being authentic, transcending form, listening to others, reflection and non conformity to style. Looking at these attributes as a whole, freestyling can be seen as an act of egolessness and bodhisattva activity. The fruition of freestyling is the experience of Hiphop itself, peace, love, unity etc., non-things that cannot be obtained but that can be realized when the ego is not present. Cultivating mindfulness through freestyling can also be a lot of fun.
Types of Freestyle and Stages of Shamatha Meditation
In my own practice of freestyle rhyming I find it useful to employ methods that cultivate gross, subtle and causal states of mind. Giving freestyling structure ensures that I am engaging in it as a path, with the purpose and intention to gradually tame and focus the mind and not my own self-gratification. I utilize the nine stages of shamatha meditation as guideposts for the types of concentration that I am trying to cultivate and have tailored various forms of freestyle rhyming that I feel correlate to each stage. For those unfamiliar with shamatha meditation, shamatha translates to calm abiding or peacefully abiding and refers to the development of concentration through training the mind to focus on an object (usually the breath). Over time, the mind develops the capacity to stay in the moment and mental discursiveness lessens without the use of the breath and the practice becomes more spacious. Shamatha is not just one, but a series of techniques meant to gradually introduce the practitioner to the inherent stability, clarity and strength of the mind. The goal of shamatha is not heightened states of consciousness but creating the conditions to practice vipashyna or insight meditation. When the mind is still we can begin to look directly at what the mind is. This is thought to bring about wisdom and liberation from suffering. Although shamatha serves as the basis for insight meditation practices, it is a worthy path in and of itself. An explanation of 13 types of freestyling, their correlation to the first six stages of shamatha and their qualities are as follows:
Type of Freestyle: Free association
Stage of Shamatha: N/A
Quality of mind: Working with the mind as it is
1.) Free Association means saying whatever comes to mind (whether it rhymes or not) despite it sounding like nonsense. This form of freestyling is engaged in as a means of experiencing the mind as it is in all of its randomness and discursiveness. The point is to not sound good or to entertain, but to become used to witnessing how the mind works. If the mind begins to try and formulate some sense of coherent thought the instruction is to notice this tendency, let go and to return to allowing the mind to be free from any attempts at style or structure.
Type of Freestyle: Eight and out random
Stage of Shamatha: Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability, mindfulness with space, experiencing the body and mind
2.) Eight and out random means that the practitioner is to free associate rhyme for eight bars (a musical eight bar count), then to either allow another person to rhyme or to then stop for eight bars and to then compare and contrast the experience of their body and mind during and after rhyming. Afterwards returning to free association rhyming after an Eight bar count. This works with the stage of shamatha called Placement. During the placement stage the object of meditation is the eight bar count, its beginning and ending while allowing the mind to be as it is during the eight bars. Additionally awareness of the minds tendency to seek control and ground through self-contraction and returning to randomness is also an object of meditation. When one gets nervous and begins to feel as if they need to be impressive or sound as if they’re “getting it right” the instruction is to return to randomness. When the practitioner is aware of the eight bar count the mind is placed on a mental object that exists in this moment. For those new to mindfulness and meditation, the in-between space of eight bars allows time and room for wandering.
Type of Freestyle: Four and out random
Stage of Shamatha: Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability, increased mindfulness with space, experiencing body and mind.
3.) Four and out random is similar to the former stage except that instead of eight bars the practitioner rhymes for four bars. This increases the amount of mindfulness needed to engage in the practice because the practitioner has to be more aware of when their four bar time limit has been reached. If practicing with someone else the practitioner will allow the other person to rhyme and then as soon as that person has completed four bars they immediately begin to free associate rhyme again. Again the emphasis is on focusing on the four bar count as well as the minds tendency to try and establish stability instead of experiencing the natural stability that comes from returning to an object of meditation over and over again.
Type of Freestyle: Two and out random
Stage of Shamatha: Placement
Quality of Mind: Increased mindfulness, experiencing body and mind.
4.) Two and out random utilizes the same view and practice of the aforementioned types of freestyle except that the practitioner only rhymes for two bard, then either allows the next person to rhyme or if alone, stops for two bars experiencing body and mind returning to free association rhyming after two bars. Because the time to rhyme has been shortened from four to two bars the practitioner has to be more aware of when to rhyme and when not to rhyme thus causing the mind to have to be more present and return to the object of meditation sooner. This cultivates increased mental stability due to the mind having to return more often.
Type of Freestyle: Eight and out focused
Stage of Shamatha: Continual Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
5.) Eight and out focused means that the practitioner rhymes for eight bars and attempts to rhyme in a way that is coherent. This could mean rhyming about a particular topic or linking ideas together for short amounts of time (two bars, four bars all eight bars). The object of meditation is the continual placement of the mind on the source material (the topic one is rhyming about). The practitioner should rhyme, noting that when they are off topic or when they are trying to find ground, relax and return to the topic at hand. Continual placement is the stage of shamatha that describes the practice of the mind returning to the object of meditation with some sense of comfort after having found some success at the placement stage. There is increased confidence at this stage and rhyming should be done with more enthusiasm, noting when lethargy sets in and rousing bravery that comes from knowing that increased practice is having a benefit for the practitioner. Stability arises as the practitioner gets more used to the experience of coming back to the topic and overcoming the anxiety of establishing ground.
Type of Freestyle: Four and out focused
Stage of Shamatha: Continual Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
6.) The instructions for four and out focused are the same as eight and out focused except that the practitioner rhymes for four bars instead of eight. This decreases the amount of time that they have to think of what to say and increases the speed of returning to the four bar pattern. Again, if alone rhyme for four bars, note the experience of the body and mind without judgment and then return for rhyming focused for four bars. If rhyming with another, rhyme for four bars, then allow someone else to rhyme while focusing on when their next 4 bar moment is due.
Type of Freestyle: Two and out focused
Stage of Shamatha: Continual Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
7.) The instructions for two and out focused are the same as four and out focused except that the practitioner only rhymes for two bars and then either allows someone else to rhyme or then stops for two bars and focuses on their body and mind. Because of the mind having to return to the two bar sequence, mindfulness has to be increased in order to stay with the practice. The quick return to the two bar sequence also increases mental stability as the practitioner gets more used to returning to the object of meditation.
Type of Freestyle: Alliteration
Stage of Shamatha: Continual Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
8.) Alliteration is using words that begin with the same letter as closely together as possible. While freestyling the object is to use as many as one letter as one can. The words can rhyme or one can use words that begin with the same letter in one sentence i.e.
I be that analog arsonist, aiming at your arteries, all seeing, abstract, analyze everything, adding on, absolutely abolishing, average amateurs arsenal just astonishing" (Gift of Gab, A to G, Nia)
Alliteration cultivates close placement because the practitioner has to think quickly, returning over and over to words that begin with the same letter. The practitioner is challenged to not allow too much space in between words of the same letter because then the practice is no longer alliteration. The goal is to not be impressive but to see if the mind can stay with the practice, returning again and again to the minds quick apprehension of words that begin with the same letter. Should the practitioner find this difficult, they are encouraged if practicing alone to go to the next letter or if practicing with someone to allow the next person to take the same or the next letter. Either way the goal is to use every letter of the alphabet from A to Z. This can prove difficult and in some way is based on ones vocabulary, however the lyrics can be random or focused and the overall point is to be aware of the minds wandering, relaxing, returning to the process of placing the mind on words that begin with the same letter, not judging the practice and moving from A to Z. The mind grows more comfortable with returning to the object of meditation the more the practice is engaged in. Alliteration also helps to build vocabulary and is quite fun!
Type of Freestyle: What Am I?
Stage of Shamatha: Repeated Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
9.) The “What Am I” freestyle involves the practitioner attempting to describe something without actually saying what it is. If practicing as a group, after the rhyme is over they can attempt to guess what the lyricist was describing. If alone, the practitioner can attempt to describe something without overtly saying what it is. This type of freestyling cultivates the stage of shamatha called repeated placement or the mind staying with greater precision. The mind wanders less and it is easier to bring it back when it wanders. In all of the aforementioned types of freestyling the mind has either been allowed to wander somewhat or it hasn’t had to focus for long periods of time on a particular topic. What Am I asks the practitioner to return to both a topic and for as long as is necessary to describe the object being thought of. This requires a great amount of stability and the ability to stay with this type of freestyle is a symbol of stability’s maturation. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the head of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage has this to say about repeated placement:
As this stage progresses, the speed and efficiency with which we retrieve our mind increases. By comparison, the way we extracted ourselves from thoughts in earlier stages looks messy. Sometimes it was like quicksand—the harder we tried to get out, the more we were embroiled. But now, because mindfulness is so strong, we’re able to remove ourselves with precision. By the end of this stage we’ve achieved one of the milestones of shamatha: stability (Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Lion’s Roar, 2003)
Type of Freestyle: Proverb
Stage of Shamatha: Close Placement
Quality of Mind: Stability
10.) The “Proverb” freestyle involves the practitioner being given a proverb, parable or other wisdom text and explaining what it means to them. This type of freestyle is a sort of contemplation or meaning meditation meant to extract the essence from a phrase. The phrase should be short and not speak directly to its meaning, giving the practitioner the opportunity to think deeply about the subject matter. The practitioner can rhyme as long as they want but in order to ensure that the practitioner stays on topic and focused it is best if the length is kept to no longer than 32 bars. After the practitioner is done rhyming another should be allowed to rhyme. A list of proverbs can be developed beforehand or one can be developed in the moment. A moment of meditation could precede the Proverb freestyle in order to still the mind and allow contemplation to occur with less discursiveness. The quality of mind being developed is called close placement and describes a mind that does not leave the object of meditation very often. The practice should feel peaceful and without distraction and the mind should stay with the proverb. Because this type of freestyle is focused, it is easy to see when the mind wanders and it is also easy for the mind to focus on the topic. Close placement develops as the mind practices relaxing with its increased ability to stay with the object of meditation which is the proverb itself. The practitioner will be able to see how their practice has developed based on their ability to explore the proverb from a variety of perspectives and with clarity. In fact this stage is the dawning of clarity. Progress with the Proverb freestyle is based on the amount of practice at the previous types of freestyle and it is completely fine to not engage in the Proverb freestyle until one is comfortable with the earlier stages.
Type of Freestyle: Storytelling
Stage of Shamatha: Taming
Quality of Mind: Clarity
11.) Storytelling involves the practitioner telling a story that evolves over time. The quality of mind that is being cultivated is called taming and describes a mind that stays without struggle just as an animal who has been tamed stays without needing coercion or force. However the mind is not completely still, and by returning to the object of meditation in an unwavering fashion, the story brings about clarity as telling a cohesive story involves a great deal of attention. Clear seeing is both a tool and a result of this practice as the mind grows more comfortable staying with the story line after line. Stories can be decided upon before practice or spontaneously thought of in the moment and the freestyle can last as long as the practitioner likes, however it is advised that to stay focused and respect the time of others that the story not last longer than 32 bars. The story doesn’t have to end and in fact many times that I’ve done this practice the story can evolve to include different time periods, characters and moods.
Type of Freestyle: No I
Stage of Shamatha: Taming
Quality of Mind: Clarity
12.) The No I freestyle involves the practitioner referencing themselves as little as possible over the course of their freestyle. This means not referencing oneself as an “I” and not rhyming about oneself. This can prove difficult, as it is the untrained minds tendency to focus solely on itself. There does not have to be an explicitly stated topic, however it is challenging to have a topic less freestyle that doesn’t include some personal opinion. My advice is to discuss something that involves another person, a system, nature or some other topic that can be discussed from a 3rd person perspective. This freestyle s designed to reduce the focus of the ego and force the mind into thinking about how to NOT think about itself. Again the quality of mind being cultivated is taming meaning having the mind stay without struggle or force on the object of meditation, which is “not self”. Sometimes it is easier to discuss what I am not as a means of not referencing self while still operating somewhat from an “I” perspective. In this case the phrase “I am not” or “Am I?” can be used. The overall idea is to explore the existence of the self, tame the mind by returning to the object of meditation and develop clarity of the minds tendency to reference a lasting, permanent and independent self.
Type of Freestyle: Style Zero
Stage of Shamatha: Pacifying
Quality of Mind: Clarity
13.) Style Zero freestyle involves using no style at all and in fact the attempt should be to break any attachment to rhyming as one normally would. The minds tendency is to try and do what feels comfortable; to do what it is used to. In this form what we are trying to do is to maintain clarity of thought while trusting that ones practice will be enough to maintain the rhyme instead of adherence to form. I consider it a further form of pacifying the mind as peace is gained from going beyond the concern that I am either being too tight or too loose in my approach. When the mind is taught to relax within itself it experiences harmony. Breaking free of style places the practitioner in a state of groundlessness forcing them to find well-being while in an uncomfortable position. The mind must learn to trust the fruits of its practice despite the conditions.
Conclusion
I have yet to establish practices that correlate with the last three stages of shamatha meant to cultivate mental strength, however this is not problematic as the intent of the paper was to provide the reader with a glimpse of the possibilities of using freestyle rhyming to cultivate mindfulness. These are practices that my companions and I have engaged in over the years and that I have found beneficial to our personal development. I would like to share these practices with the world, as I believe that it would be of benefit to those that consider themselves members of the Hiphop community and to the expansion of the Buddhadharma. I also believe that the efficacy of these practices need to proven by being practiced by communities of Hiphoppers who are open to a contemplative view. There are many who believe Hiphop to only be a form of music with little benefit beyond entertainment. I contend that it is possible to use all of Hiphop’s elements in a skillful way as a means of waking up humanity to its nature. I do not propose that the practices that I’ve outlined are inherently correct but that the Buddha’s teachings are universal and applicable in a variety of ways. I also believe that wisdom can be discovered in all activities if we remember to look beyond their conventional presentation. May all benefit from these teachings.