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Meditation
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142
By Edna Lake
The important thing for a person who is interested in meditation is actually to do it. Thinking about what to expect, or trying to understand how it will work, is not really useful.
However, a beginner does need help and support and it is good to try out several ?exercises.? These are not like physical exercises, but are ways of using the mind in order to discover how it works. What are the habitual paths it takes in your own, individual mind. These so-called exercises are meant to help you to come to an understanding of the nature of existence by investigating what you find in your own mind and body, and in the external world as you experience it.
When we start to meditate, there are some things we should keep in mind. We are not trying to make the mind blank. First of all, this is impossible and in any case, what could we learn from blankness? On the other hand, we do not want to let the mind roam freely, it is not a time for day dreaming. Neither do we want to use this time to focus on any problems we may have, nor to indulge in reflecting on past or future events.
In order to give the mind some kind of regulation, without being repressive or cramping, we take a meditation object which is not inherently interesting, and not likely to arouse strong emotion. The most commonly used meditation object is called ?mindfulness of breathing.? There are several things to think about here; we do not have much control of the breathing process. It goes on all the time whether we like it or not. For the most part we take it for granted, but we cannot live without breathing. For the purpose of meditation, we do not think about how or why we breathe, but we try to notice what is actually happening in the body at every moment. As we breathe in the abdomen rises, as we breathe out, it falls. So we try to focus the mind on this movement, without trying to control it. we will notice that when the mind is calm, the movement is slow, but as soon as a thought enters the mind the movement quickens.
So this is what we are asked to do. Simply to sit in a stable position, with the back upright and the eyes closed, and we direct our attention to the rising and falling of the abdomen. ?How boring is that? you may ask. It may be very boring, but if so we do not try to distract, or amuse the mind, we simply recognise boredom has arisen, and repeat the word ?boredom?, silently, three times and then return to the rising and falling. By this means the boredom is seen merely as a temporary phenomenon, and not as an attack upon the self.
It may be that we become distracted by our thoughts. In this case we do not pursue the thoughts, but recognise that thinking is taking place, by silently repeating the word ?thinking? until we are able to return to concentrating on the breathing movement. Whatever happens is observed in this detached way, we recognise the event, but do not react to it. If we hear a noise, we do not regard it as a problem or a distraction. We simply note that hearing has taken place. We may experience anger, distress, disappointment, impatience, or any pleasant or unpleasant feelings. These, too, are accepted as temporary disturbances of concentration, and are acknowledged in the same way.
Of course, it is not easy to take this detached attitude because we usually have the feeling that things are happening to me, and if they are things I do not like, I feel annoyed. If they are things I do like I want them to stay or continue, but everything changes and comes to an end. Just as the breath goes in and out, without stopping, so also, we find, do thoughts go in and out of the mind, all the time. We find, with practice, that the less we cling to the idea of ?me? and ?mind? the less anger and hatred we feel, therefore the less suffering we have, because we are bound to discover, for ourselves, that clinging to what is impermanent brings unhappiness. You may ask, ?What is the point of this meditation?? The only way to find that out is to practise for yourself.
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MIND MOMENTS
Written by Edna Lake
If we think of events as a cycle which occurs in every mind moment, we start again with delusion or ignorance, or lack of
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Meditation Practice
By Edna Lake
Meditation is bare observation uninfluenced by opinion or expectations. It is awareness of the body and mind as they are experienc
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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High tech High suffering
Written by Dhammacaro
Technology is developed more and more every year. Sometimes we seem not to catch up, for instance, take the computer, so
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Life is uncertain
Written by Dhammacaro
Many people want to know their future, they spend money to have their fortune told. Some are pleased with their fortune,
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Kammic Creation
By Dhammacaro 16-12-04
One subject, which is very interesting, in the Buddha?s teachings, is the question of where is non-produced kamma? The a
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Imitation
Written by Dhammacaro
Sometimes we like to imitate others when we don?t have confidence in ourselves. We can imitate others with consid
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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How to
Written by Dhammacaro
When I went to Munich, Germany, I met one novice who got interested in meditation. He is German, he speaks only a
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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How long is life
Translated by Dhammacaro
On one occasion, the Buddha noticed that his disciples were careless about life, and forgot that life was short, unce
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Life consultant
Written by Dhammacaro
A Buddhist monk is a good choice of confidant for those who want help. Why is that? Ajahn Brahmavamso answered, ?He may b
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Kammic Creation
By Dhammacaro
One subject, which is very interesting, in the Buddha?s teachings, is the question of where is non-produced kamma? The answer is
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Items of meritorious action
Written by Dhammacaro
In (Thai) Buddhist tradition in the old days, on holidays people stopped working and flocked to the temple to do meritori
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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It is not fair
Written by Dhammacaro
One part of my job as a Buddhist monk is to listen to what people are saying. This is a service that I give to people; to
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Is name important?
Translated by Dhammacaro
Once upon a time, at Disapamokkha School in Takkasila city, there were 500 students. One of them was named ?Sinner? an
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Life journey
Written by Dhammacaro
Life is a journey, and the ultimate goal of our journey is happiness. In life, more or less everything we do is for happi
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Life is learning
Written by Dhammacaro
It has been said of humans that ?we are but actors upon a stage?. This has then been refuted by some who say that if tha
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Live a Dhamma life
By Dhammacaro
The Buddha?s words: Those who live a Dhamma life are happy in two worlds.
Those means monks and lay people who have right
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Metta-loving kindness
Written by Dhammacaro
Hatred is regarded as a serious disease which lies hidden in every creature. It is charming and ugly, as every creature i
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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The mind door
Written by Dhammacaro
The mind is like a door which is opened and closed all the time; we have to know when we must open and close it. ?Open fo
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Misunderstanding meditation
Written by Dhammacaro
Two years ago, I was invited to teach meditation in Brixton prison. The first day, I was a bit excited; it wasn?t my firs
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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One is one's own refuge
Dhammapada says: Who else but the self can be master of the self? With self well-controlled another master is hard to find.
This teaching is of
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Open your mind to learn
Life is learning", a sage said, and some said something different, but it is true that life is learning as we have to learn through all our life. What
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Pain
'Pain', 'Written by Dhammacaro
?Pain? is something which any human being cannot escape in life. No matter who they are; a king, a queen, a man,
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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Panic
Panic Translated by Dhammacaro
Panic: is the primal urge to run and hide in the face of imminent danger. It is a sudden fear which dominates or
Monday 28 July 2008 17:49 | viewer 142 |
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One Teaching Method Of The Buddha
