05.01.07
Posted in Meditation at 5:54 pm by admin
Buddhism teaches that all things are connected. The joy and sufferings of others is our own just as our thoughts and feelings touch everyone else. Only when our mind is peaceful and we are free from worries we can experience true happiness and reach enlightenment (Nibbana). That’s why it is so important to train our mind to stay peaceful all the time. And that is the main goal of Buddhist meditation.
Here is an explanation of two most distinct Buddhist meditation techniques.
Samatha
Samatha (literally means ‘calm’ or ‘peacefulness’) is concentration or one-pointed meditation. It involves intense focusing of consciousness. You can concentrate your mind on candle flame, water, music or discs of various colors. One of the most widely practiced techniques is mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), where both mind and body are calmed by concentrating on the breath. By keeping your mind focused we rid ourselves of five hindrances (ill-will, sensual desire, anxiety, sloth and doubt). Unfortunately it’s only temporarily. It is why Samatha meditation doesn’t take one all the way to enlightenment.
Vipashyana
Vipashyana or ‘insight’ meditation offers quite a different approach. It teaches us to see things as they really are, unclouded by attraction or aversion. The basic technique is to note everything you are doing as you are doing it. When you are walking, know that you are walking. When you are doing laundry, note that you are doing laundry. Be aware of the sensation in one’s foot as it touches the ground, and the different sensations as it rises again. Alongside this bare attention is the insight into the three marks of existence that are most important to reach the enlightenment: suffering (dukkha); egolessness (anatta) and impermanence (anicca). Unlike samatha, vipashyana is a meditation method that can take one all the way to Nibbana.
Combining the Two
Different teachers will emphasize different approaches. It is quite usual, however, in Buddhist meditation for both techniques to be combined. If you are a beginner it’s probably better to start off with samatha meditation, moving on to vipassana when some mastery over concentration has been achieved. Sometimes your preference can depend on your lifestyle. It may be difficult for someone who leads a very hectic life to find time and a quiet place necessary for successful samatha practice. In this case vipashyana might be a better option.
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Posted in Meditation at 6:57 am by admin
Meditating is anything which produces or induces a certain freeing calming tranquility of the mind.It is linked to a certain brain wave sometimes called an alfa brainwave state. This brainwave is measureable using bio feedback.
This meditative state can occur when practising any types of movement i.e.yoga,chi-quong,dancing,swaying,walking,swimming,doing the dishes etc.
It can also occur when the body is stationary i.e. lying, sitting under a tree, watching the ocean, sitting at a traffic light.
It can occur while listening to relaxation tapes, poetry, music,watching a candle flame,doing specific breathing exercises, or by chanting.
It can occur while having a massage, soaking in a hot bath full of bubbles,lying in hot springs.
By illustrating the above examples I am trying to demystify the whole meditation process. Meditation is one of our natural states to be in. It is the “vacation” our system takes from the stresses,pulls,stimulations of everyday life. It is as natural as breathing.
The main misconception I have come across about meditation is that it has to be forcibly introduced and induced into our lives as if it is a foreign and difficult thing for our bodies and minds to do.
Minds and bodies have two main jobs : One is to be active,idea-filled,hectic,stimulated. The other is to be calm,let ripples of peace engulf us and to be silent, allowing us to feel oneness with all. Both of these states are natural and normal for us as human beings.
Minds and bodies are equipped equally well for both jobs. It is your job as the “manager”, to allow bodies and minds to have a balance between the two. Too much meditating isn’t healthy and neither is too much stress.
Meditation allows us to get in touch with our tranquil side, our space-filled side, our silent self, that space in our mind :that “gap’ which is nothingness and yet contains allness.
Guided meditations are great, and so is that natural meditative moment. Let us just remember that any moment in our everyday existance is a moment where we can just escape for a while and recharge and rejuvenate ourselves.
So, next time you ‘re at the park ,see if you can just switch to the meditation state; next time you are doing the dishes try it. Next time you are sitting waiting for the train, trance out for a little while. See how your life becomes richer by giving yourself meditation breaks,little day dream moments.
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