You have noticed by now that stray thoughts interrupt you each time you are meditating. This is inevitable. Now it is time to develop a particular line of thoughts to think about. You can consciously choose one of these when you are meditating, when you are working, or when you are feeling stress.
1. Sit and relax. Take a few deep breaths.
2. Recall a place that you enjoy visiting. Consider its colors, sounds, and smells. Notice how you relax more deeply as you think of this place. Mountain meadows are one of my favorites.
3. Put that place on your written list.
4. Recall a melody that you particularly like. It can be anything; Bach or the Beatles, even the loudest music may help you relax if it is something you really enjoy.
5. Put that melody on your list.
6. Imagine a range of colors. Choose one that feels peaceful to you, and add that to your list. I like the violet color that I see when alpha brain waves are present.
7. Remember a poem, a quotation, or words of encouragement—even the fortune you found in your last fortune cookie. Add that to the list. "Stay in the flow" works well for me.
8. Write the word "breathe" on the list too.
9. Write up your list on a small card and carry it in your wallet or purse. Put it where you keep your paper money. That way it will turn up frequently to remind you of things that are relaxing.
Whenever you read the items on your list, you will be taking a brief moment to enter a state of relaxation. As you practice, you can do this more easily. You will find that those moments are like a breath of fresh air. And speaking of breath, one or two deep breaths are enough to significantly alter your state of mind. So simple!
We think of consciousness as being a relatively static state of mind, when in fact we enter an altered state of consciousness on a moment-to-moment basis. The flexibility of mental states is what allows us to move from one task to another very easily. Because we can change our minds so easily, meditation can help us use this capacity to make positive changes in our lives.
How Much to Meditate
Previous chapters have shown that you don't need to meditate for hours at a time to achieve real benefits. Let's look at the evidence of the benefits.
Cary Barbot has written:
Ten minutes a day, according to many meditation teachers, is far more beneficial than an hour and ten minutes once a week.
We can set aside ten minutes a day. That is less than the average break time you get at work, for example, and a meditation break has healthy advantages.
Cary Barbor again:
This study included a control period during which the subjects simply sat quietly, but were not meditating. The results suggest that by learning to meditate, you can effectively change your body's response to events. The "fight or flight" response triggers a surge of adrenaline, speeds the heart rate, and may prepare the blood to clot more readily. A continued, or prolonged "fight or flight" response can lead to cardiovascular stress and disease. The "relaxation response" has the reverse physical result, and is shown to reduce indicators of heart disease.
Cary Barbot has written:
Recent research indicates that meditating brings about dramatic effects in as little as a 10-minute session. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditated for a short time showed increased alpha waves (the relaxed brain waves) and decreased anxiety and depression.In "Why Meditate?" I mentioned that short amounts of time are beneficial, and that you don't need to set aside hours each day. Now research documents that even ten minutes can prove very beneficial.
Ten minutes a day, according to many meditation teachers, is far more beneficial than an hour and ten minutes once a week.
We can set aside ten minutes a day. That is less than the average break time you get at work, for example, and a meditation break has healthy advantages.
Cary Barbor again:
"I was approached by young practitioners of transcendental meditation who asked me to monitor their blood pressure . . . what we found was astonishing. Through the simple act of changing their thought patterns, the subjects experienced decreases in their metabolism, breathing rate and brain wave frequency. These changes appeared to be the opposite of the commonly known "fight or flight" response, and I called it the "relaxation response."
This study included a control period during which the subjects simply sat quietly, but were not meditating. The results suggest that by learning to meditate, you can effectively change your body's response to events. The "fight or flight" response triggers a surge of adrenaline, speeds the heart rate, and may prepare the blood to clot more readily. A continued, or prolonged "fight or flight" response can lead to cardiovascular stress and disease. The "relaxation response" has the reverse physical result, and is shown to reduce indicators of heart disease.
The Role of Medication
Your doctor may prescribe medication for any number of ailments. Most medicines are designed to treat the symptoms of disease. Some get to the heart of the problem, but most reduce the symptoms, thereby allowing the body time to heal itself. It is important for you to continue to take prescribed medicines, even if you get into a more serious meditation practice. Certainly you can discuss meditation with your doctor, and you can work with him or her to find the fight dosages as your mental activity changes.
Some naturopathic medicines are designed to get the body itself to attack an illness or to overcome weakness. These tend to push the body's healing mechanisms into action. Sometimes a homeopathic remedy will evoke an emotional as well as a physiological response. We can take this as an indication that the remedy is doing its job, just as we take the reduction of symptoms as an indication that an allopathic medicine is doing its job.
Meditation can certainly reduce the need for medications. If your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are lower, you may not need all the medications you were given during an acute episode. If you no longer experience migraine headaches, naturally you can stop taking the medication for it. By the same token, you may keep a dose or two on hand for a while. Meditation is not meant to take the place of medical treatment. It is a valuable supplement to diet, exercise, and medical care.
In an interview on the Internet, Dr. Dean Ornish states:
Some naturopathic medicines are designed to get the body itself to attack an illness or to overcome weakness. These tend to push the body's healing mechanisms into action. Sometimes a homeopathic remedy will evoke an emotional as well as a physiological response. We can take this as an indication that the remedy is doing its job, just as we take the reduction of symptoms as an indication that an allopathic medicine is doing its job.
Meditation can certainly reduce the need for medications. If your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are lower, you may not need all the medications you were given during an acute episode. If you no longer experience migraine headaches, naturally you can stop taking the medication for it. By the same token, you may keep a dose or two on hand for a while. Meditation is not meant to take the place of medical treatment. It is a valuable supplement to diet, exercise, and medical care.
In an interview on the Internet, Dr. Dean Ornish states:
Meditation is great for your heart, as well as for the rest of your body. Meditation can take you to a deeper state of relaxation that is more profound even than sleep. This deep relaxation allows the heart to begin healing . . . Many studies have documented that the regular practice of meditation may lower blood pressure, reduce the frequency of irregular heart beats, and even lower cholesterol levels independent of diet. Meditation is an important part of my program for reversing heart disease.Dr. Ornish confirms here that physical healing can result from meditation, just as I mentioned earlier in this chapter that emotional healing happens. This is because you consciously are altering your perceptions, or at least your responses, to the world. You are learning how to choose your response instead of reacting.
EXERCISE 15 - Changing your pulse rate
Research has shown that individuals can raise or lower their blood pressure through physical activity. If you walk, jog, or run, you will increase your blood pressure. As you slow down, blood pressure falls back toward normal. You can manipulate your mental state in a similar way.
You notice that your breathing has slowed, just as it does when you cool down from vigorous exercise.
The mind is a powerful tool. It can work for us or against us in our search for peace. We can regulate out thought process in a positive way through practice, and meditation is a part of that practice.
- Assume your meditative posture and take a moment to relax. Take a few deep breaths. Feel the spots where your body meets the floor, cushion, or chair.
- Notice your rate of breathing. Place your fingers on your throat and feel your pulse (or use a heartbeat sensor).
- Now imagine yourself engaging in a vigorous activity. Perhaps you ate running up a hill to catch up with your dog. Chase him around at the top of the hill. Imagine doing this until you begin to tire.
- Place your fingers on your throat again. Even though you have not changed your physical position, you find that your pulse has increased. Just thinking about the chase sped up your heart.
- Now imagine you have the dog on his leash. You start back down the hill. Instead of hurrying, you wander back and forth. He sniffs the plants for signs of rabbits and other small animals. You notice the color of the plants, the rocks, whatever is in your path. You may even pick up some small thing to examine. You feel the warmth of the sun on your back.
- Place your fingers on your throat again. You will find that once again, without physically moving, your pulse has changed—it has come back toward normal.
You notice that your breathing has slowed, just as it does when you cool down from vigorous exercise.
The mind is a powerful tool. It can work for us or against us in our search for peace. We can regulate out thought process in a positive way through practice, and meditation is a part of that practice.
Meditation Goal
One of the goals of most meditation practices is to alert your state of consciousness in a specific way.
At first this seems nearly impossible. Your mind changes all right, but when you sit down and try to clear your mind, dozens of stray thoughts arise to plague the peace you are seeking. You can't seem to get to the desired state of peace.
It may be helpful to redefine what we mean by altered state of consciousness.
Perhaps the definition is too narrow.
Yes, we meditate in order to achieve a mote peaceful, restful state of mind.
The problem may be that we have defined this state without understanding what has to happen to get there. We may also have labeled other states of consciousness as being bad because they are not peaceful or restful.
We experience altered states of mind from moment to moment. Everything other than what we are thinking, feeling, or hoping for at this very moment is an altered state. Most medications cause an altered state. Coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, and chocolate all can alter our consciousness. Warm clothing, cool air, a bath, perfume—you name it—all create altered states.
If everything is an altered state of consciousness, then it shouldn't be too hard to achieve one.
Just be open to anything and everything.
Now that we understand how easy it is to alter our state of consciousness, we can move toward an answer to the actual question: How do I learn to achieve a more relaxed, more peaceful state of mind? How do I dig around in all those possible altered states to find the ones that make me feel better, or lower my blood pressure, or enhance my compassion for others?
You have entered the realm of sitting meditation, and as you sit, you begin to see what kinds of thoughts and feelings come to you. You begin to understand the altered states of mind that are typical in your life. This is because the thoughts that arise when you meditate are the same familiar thoughts, or kinds of thoughts, that you have all the time.
Perhaps you tend to make a list of the things you "ought" to be doing instead of meditating. Maybe your thoughts go to feelings about things that happened yesterday, last week, or twenty years ago. You may think about your parents, children, spouse, or friends. Work issues may come up again and again. Any problem you are trying to resolve may enter your mind in a variety of forms. If these things or things like them occur when you meditate, you can congratulate yourself for being completely normal. Welcome to the world of altered states!
Meditation is not actually about getting those thoughts to go away. After all, you have the kinds of thoughts you need each day in order to get your work done, prepare meals, or engage in social activities. You will want to be able to continue having those thoughts on an as-needed basis.
What you want from meditation is to develop the skill of relaxing your mind so that you have greater control over how and when certain thoughts arise.
At first this seems nearly impossible. Your mind changes all right, but when you sit down and try to clear your mind, dozens of stray thoughts arise to plague the peace you are seeking. You can't seem to get to the desired state of peace.
It may be helpful to redefine what we mean by altered state of consciousness.
Perhaps the definition is too narrow.
Yes, we meditate in order to achieve a mote peaceful, restful state of mind.
The problem may be that we have defined this state without understanding what has to happen to get there. We may also have labeled other states of consciousness as being bad because they are not peaceful or restful.
We experience altered states of mind from moment to moment. Everything other than what we are thinking, feeling, or hoping for at this very moment is an altered state. Most medications cause an altered state. Coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, and chocolate all can alter our consciousness. Warm clothing, cool air, a bath, perfume—you name it—all create altered states.
If everything is an altered state of consciousness, then it shouldn't be too hard to achieve one.
Just be open to anything and everything.
Now that we understand how easy it is to alter our state of consciousness, we can move toward an answer to the actual question: How do I learn to achieve a more relaxed, more peaceful state of mind? How do I dig around in all those possible altered states to find the ones that make me feel better, or lower my blood pressure, or enhance my compassion for others?
You have entered the realm of sitting meditation, and as you sit, you begin to see what kinds of thoughts and feelings come to you. You begin to understand the altered states of mind that are typical in your life. This is because the thoughts that arise when you meditate are the same familiar thoughts, or kinds of thoughts, that you have all the time.
Perhaps you tend to make a list of the things you "ought" to be doing instead of meditating. Maybe your thoughts go to feelings about things that happened yesterday, last week, or twenty years ago. You may think about your parents, children, spouse, or friends. Work issues may come up again and again. Any problem you are trying to resolve may enter your mind in a variety of forms. If these things or things like them occur when you meditate, you can congratulate yourself for being completely normal. Welcome to the world of altered states!
Meditation is not actually about getting those thoughts to go away. After all, you have the kinds of thoughts you need each day in order to get your work done, prepare meals, or engage in social activities. You will want to be able to continue having those thoughts on an as-needed basis.
What you want from meditation is to develop the skill of relaxing your mind so that you have greater control over how and when certain thoughts arise.
EXERCISE 14 - Wandering thoughts
Find a nice place to sit for a few moments.
Perhaps you are already sitting, in which case you don't even have to move.
1. Relax, and just settle your mind into the exercise.
2. Without using any effort, simply pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.
3. Pay attention to how yout mind wanders from one thing to the next.
It is incredibly easy to be distracted as you try this exercise. In just thirty seconds I was aware of the crick in my back, the sound of the chair as I leaned back, the sound of an airplane going by, the fan in my computer, the feel of my hands resting in my lap, even the sensation as my eyelids closed.
Perhaps you are already sitting, in which case you don't even have to move.
1. Relax, and just settle your mind into the exercise.
2. Without using any effort, simply pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.
3. Pay attention to how yout mind wanders from one thing to the next.
It is incredibly easy to be distracted as you try this exercise. In just thirty seconds I was aware of the crick in my back, the sound of the chair as I leaned back, the sound of an airplane going by, the fan in my computer, the feel of my hands resting in my lap, even the sensation as my eyelids closed.
EXERCISE 13 - Changing states of mind
1. Spend one minute thinking about just one thing.
Okay. Were you able to do that, or did your mind wander off the topic? For most of us, wandering off the topic is inevitable. On the other hand, if I had instructed, "Don't think about a red car," you might have found that you had numerous visions of red cars go through your mind: convertibles, hot little sports models, and so on. You may have wandered off the topic to fire trucks, pick-ups, and vans. You may have even had time to escape the red group and try a different color, but you probably would have stayed with cars and red. Odd, isn't it, that it is sometimes easier to do what you are told not to do?
Okay. Were you able to do that, or did your mind wander off the topic? For most of us, wandering off the topic is inevitable. On the other hand, if I had instructed, "Don't think about a red car," you might have found that you had numerous visions of red cars go through your mind: convertibles, hot little sports models, and so on. You may have wandered off the topic to fire trucks, pick-ups, and vans. You may have even had time to escape the red group and try a different color, but you probably would have stayed with cars and red. Odd, isn't it, that it is sometimes easier to do what you are told not to do?
Altered States of Consciousness
Going into an altered state is nothing weird. You do it all the time. The question is whether you use the altered state to produce change.In the sixties, we thought an altered state of mind was something induced by drugs. Not that drugs are anything new; alcoholic beverages alter one's consciousness, and they have been around since about the beginning of recorded history or longer. Opiates have been used for both medicinal and recreational purposes since the first century or earlier. Coffee and chocolate alter the brain's chemistry, and thus the state of consciousness. Some of us are affected by changes in the weather.
Richard Bandler and John Grinder~ Frogs into Princes
With the introduction of Hinduism and Buddhism in the West, we have incorporated some of the basic principles of mind-altering practices into our daily language. We joke about good of bad karma (a Sanskrit term). When we say, "Give me space," oftentimes what we really mean is "Give me both the time and space I need to think."
Now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we alter our minds with television, the Internet, and electronic games. Using technology, we can enter a virtual reality and experience something very like the real deal. We use aromathetapy to soothe our bodies and minds. We use headphones to shut out ambient reality and to create a different one for ourselves.
We have dozens of ways to tune in, tune out, and turn on.
Actually, we enter an altered state of consciousness very frequently. If I change the subject, first I enter an altered state, and then I induce you to do the same. Each time your attention wanders from one thing to the next, you enter an altered state. This is how we relate to the world— by changing the state of mind.
EXERCISE 12 - Meditating on the lighter side
Think of something that you really like.
1. As you begin meditation, focus on this thing very closely.
2. Examine it in all its appealing reality.
3. As you focus, notice what stray thoughts arise.
4. Notice any feeling that you feel, emotionally or in your body.
5. Really get into the goodness of the thing you are examining.
6. As you do this, notice how your attitude toward the thing changes.
1. As you begin meditation, focus on this thing very closely.
2. Examine it in all its appealing reality.
3. As you focus, notice what stray thoughts arise.
4. Notice any feeling that you feel, emotionally or in your body.
5. Really get into the goodness of the thing you are examining.
6. As you do this, notice how your attitude toward the thing changes.
EXERCISE 11 - Meditating on the Shadow
Think of something that you really dislike.
1. As you begin meditation, focus on this thing very closely.
2. Examine it in all its distasteful reality.
3. As you focus, notice what stray thoughts arise.
4. Notice any feeling that you feel, emotionally or in your body.
5. Really get into the badness of the thing you are examining.
6. As you do this, notice how your attitude toward the thing changes.
1. As you begin meditation, focus on this thing very closely.
2. Examine it in all its distasteful reality.
3. As you focus, notice what stray thoughts arise.
4. Notice any feeling that you feel, emotionally or in your body.
5. Really get into the badness of the thing you are examining.
6. As you do this, notice how your attitude toward the thing changes.
Insight meditation
Insight meditation trains the mind to voluntarily enter the state of concentration; then insight arises. This insight concerns what is. It concerns your personal mental activity, the obstacles to listening to the inner voice, and the obstacles to seeing what is right here and now.
As you develop more meditative skill, you will be able to acknowledge and accept whatever negative thoughts are found within yourself.
You will be able to work with them instead of denying them. You will use them as the earth in which you plant the seeds of insight.
Everything you have been in past lives and in the past during this lifetime comes together in the one point that is you now.
The future opens up from this one point to all the possibilities that exist. By allowing yourself to consider all past possibilities, you open to future possibilities as well. The idea is to examine the past, but not sink into momentary urges that cause harm or pain.
Meditation helps you consider past events and feelings and then let them go once you understand them.
You may be striving to achieve a more spiritual state of mind. To do this you must also to understand the other side of your being: the Shadow.
Carl Jung developed the concept of the Shadow, a less conscious component of one's being. Without understanding the urges of this Shadow, it is difficult, if not impossible, to become an integrated personality.
In insight meditation, you not only are distracted by thoughts concerning, for example, the past or facets of yourself that you dislike; you are also occasionally moved by insight into the way you have acted and why you are unwilling to accept those unattractive characteristics.
The Shadow, according to Jung, can provide the information you need to achieve balance within your personality.
Each of us has a uniquely personal insight into the world. We are not like those twenty second-graders who are all supposed to gain insight into the meaning of certain words in the reading assignment for the day, or learn the value of certain addition and subtraction tasks. We have our own interpretations of whatever "words" come to us, and we are fully capable of adding two and two and arriving at our own answers. We are not limited by a linear, one-answer-fits-all kind of thinking.
The following exercises may help you understand your Shadow side and how it works.
The results of these two exercises may surprise you. I find that when I really examine something that I dislike, something arises to show me that there is a positive mixed in with the negatives. The opposite is true of examining something I really like. The insight could be as simple as thinking, "Why am I spending valuable time looking so closely at this thing I really like?" It could be insight into how the light and dark play of shadows adds depth to an image.
Insight may elude you for a while. Patience is necessary to achieve results with insight meditation. You have learned so far to be generous with yourself, to accept whatever ideas come up as you meditate. You have learned something of the discipline of meditating each day fot a few minutes, finding even a few minutes you can devote solely to yourself (another form of generosity). Now you have to keep doing what you are doing, even if it seems like nothing is happening.
As you develop more meditative skill, you will be able to acknowledge and accept whatever negative thoughts are found within yourself.
You will be able to work with them instead of denying them. You will use them as the earth in which you plant the seeds of insight.
Everything you have been in past lives and in the past during this lifetime comes together in the one point that is you now.
The future opens up from this one point to all the possibilities that exist. By allowing yourself to consider all past possibilities, you open to future possibilities as well. The idea is to examine the past, but not sink into momentary urges that cause harm or pain.
Meditation helps you consider past events and feelings and then let them go once you understand them.
You may be striving to achieve a more spiritual state of mind. To do this you must also to understand the other side of your being: the Shadow.
Carl Jung developed the concept of the Shadow, a less conscious component of one's being. Without understanding the urges of this Shadow, it is difficult, if not impossible, to become an integrated personality.
In insight meditation, you not only are distracted by thoughts concerning, for example, the past or facets of yourself that you dislike; you are also occasionally moved by insight into the way you have acted and why you are unwilling to accept those unattractive characteristics.
The Shadow, according to Jung, can provide the information you need to achieve balance within your personality.
Each of us has a uniquely personal insight into the world. We are not like those twenty second-graders who are all supposed to gain insight into the meaning of certain words in the reading assignment for the day, or learn the value of certain addition and subtraction tasks. We have our own interpretations of whatever "words" come to us, and we are fully capable of adding two and two and arriving at our own answers. We are not limited by a linear, one-answer-fits-all kind of thinking.
The following exercises may help you understand your Shadow side and how it works.
The results of these two exercises may surprise you. I find that when I really examine something that I dislike, something arises to show me that there is a positive mixed in with the negatives. The opposite is true of examining something I really like. The insight could be as simple as thinking, "Why am I spending valuable time looking so closely at this thing I really like?" It could be insight into how the light and dark play of shadows adds depth to an image.
Insight may elude you for a while. Patience is necessary to achieve results with insight meditation. You have learned so far to be generous with yourself, to accept whatever ideas come up as you meditate. You have learned something of the discipline of meditating each day fot a few minutes, finding even a few minutes you can devote solely to yourself (another form of generosity). Now you have to keep doing what you are doing, even if it seems like nothing is happening.
EXERCISE 10 - Vipassana, or insight meditation
1. The posture is the same as for tranquility meditation. Your eyes are not focused on the floor, but directed straight ahead into the distance. This will include your peripheral vision.
2. As you breathe, notice whatever enters your attention visually. Remember the exercise with the book cover? That focused on one object. Now you are simply experiencing whatever you can see.
3. Don't become fascinated with what you see. Simply remain aware. You will find that your mind wanders from one thing to the next: the texture of the carpet, the color of the wall, the light coming in the window, the picture on the wall, the leg of a chair— whatever is there to be seen.
This meditation helps you to become aware of your surroundings, and to appreciate the detail and richness around you.
We seldom take the time to view the world in this kind of intense way. As you learn to do this, you will find that your day-to-day environment seems brighter and more interesting.
Trungpa Rinpoche adds this about vipassana:
2. As you breathe, notice whatever enters your attention visually. Remember the exercise with the book cover? That focused on one object. Now you are simply experiencing whatever you can see.
3. Don't become fascinated with what you see. Simply remain aware. You will find that your mind wanders from one thing to the next: the texture of the carpet, the color of the wall, the light coming in the window, the picture on the wall, the leg of a chair— whatever is there to be seen.
This meditation helps you to become aware of your surroundings, and to appreciate the detail and richness around you.
We seldom take the time to view the world in this kind of intense way. As you learn to do this, you will find that your day-to-day environment seems brighter and more interesting.
Trungpa Rinpoche adds this about vipassana:
This basic form of meditation is concerned with trying to see what is. There are many variations on this form of meditation, but they are generally based on various techniques for opening oneself. The achievement of this kind of meditation is... what one might call "working meditation" or extrovert meditation, where skillful means and wisdom must be combined like the two wings of a bird. This is not a question of trying to retreat from the world.
Experiencing Insight and Intuition
People tend to make a very sharp distinction between spiritual life and everyday life. They will label a man as "worldly" or "spiritual" and they generally make a hard and fast division between the two.In the twenty-first century there is a profound need to overcome the apparent gap between world-liness and spirituality. It is essential to integrate our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual lives in meaningful ways. We are involved in an incredibly fast-paced social and economic system.
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Meditation in Action
In many cases, we are moving forward without completing tasks, and thus we feel a sense of incompleteness pervading our lives.
Sadness and a sense of loss are the inevitable results of such an incomplete life.
Many people are searching for reasons for the events and feelings we experience; they are searching for the answers to the existential questions that surround us.
Each person has a seed within that is the potential he or she was born with. It can be a lust for power, violence, an intellectual thirst, a profound desire for love—it can be anything that an individual wants and truly believes. Along with the inherent seed there is a voice, which is the inner spirit.
This daimon is always there, it never leaves, and it sometimes pushes each of us in the direction we must take. The voice may be quiet sometimes, or it may virtually shout at us to make changes. It applauds, cajoles, nudges, and teases. It may even resort to trickery to get us to change.
Insight meditation is one way to pay direct attention to the inner voice.
Benefits of Shamata Practice for the Beginner
- You will just become happier. It is that simple. You will worry less. You will have fewer neurotic thoughts. You will have less fear. You will begin to recognize that the state of your mind is based on internal, not external, conditions.
- You learn to focus. In shamata meditation, distractions occur. As you continue meditation, you are less subject to distraction, and you maintain calmness. By learning to maintain clear focus on whatever task you are doing, you will extend this skill to other activities. You will consequently be able to get more accomplished.
- Because you are happier and more productive, you will be easier to get along with. People will be more confident in your abilities because you are—you don't just seem to be, you are—more stable.
- You are able to hold your position mentally, physically, or emotionally. You are like a cube resting on the ground—you don't tip easily.
- When you do have one of those less attractive emotions come over you, you are able to go with it. For example, you do anger while you are angry, instead of pushing the feeling away. By doing this you are then able to go on to the next thing without carrying a less constructive feeling around with you.
Dharma means "work." While I don't think of meditation as work any more, I used to have to work at it pretty hard.
The following is what Khenpo Karthar says about the dharma:
If you do not speak Tibetan, you have not missed much. You have your own language. On the other hand, if you do not know the dharma, you are missing a great deal.
Focus of Attention
There needs to be a focus. It can be on a visual point, an object, or on the breath.
If breath is your focus, you want to allow each breath to occur naturally. Inhale and feel the breath going in. When you exhale, feel the breath going out into the space around you. By following both the inward and outward breath, you are able to maintain a steady focus. After a few breaths, your focus will be on the breathing process, and awareness of outer circumstances will be greatly reduced.
What to Expect
The mind is incredibly busy with distracting thoughts. You may be astonished at how much activity there is. The thoughts at first seem random and scattered—they are "bouncing off the walls."
The mind moves into a state of one-way flow.
As you settle down, you find your thoughts take on a more consistent direction. There is an almost constant flow, but it goes in a general direction—more like a stream flowing downhill. There are a few rocks and a few bends, but the flow goes in one general direction.
After a while the thoughts do not distract you from the focus of your attention. This is a fairly high level of achievement. You may feel this for a few minutes and then revert back to the "busy-mind" stage or the "flowing" stage.
Still, you have glimpsed a state of peace in which you can be fully engaged in the meditation while acknowledging that thoughts are continuously occurring.
Eventually your mind will quiet as soon as you sit down, or within only a few moments. This is a result of practice and familiarity. You slip into a quiet, comfortable, familiar space and are able to remain there throughout your meditation.
Some days you will not come close to this mental state. This can be frustrating, as you expect consistent progress.
This intermittent interruption in your meditation represents its own kind of progress. As you extend your meditation practice, you will develop even greater compassion for your not-so-meditative days.
To understand this style of meditation, you need to continue until you get the experience of being able to calm the mind as soon as you begin the meditation. The simple act of altering your focus can place you in a slightly altered state of mind. Yet it is important not to expect or demand this relaxed state of yourself. Thus, you should go with whatever you get each time you meditate, while focusing on the object or the breath.
There ate two main obstacles to meditation, and there are ways to work with both of them.
Remember, the key to meditation practice is to do some each day.
Find a time that works for you, and try to sit down at that time. At first you may want to experiment to find a time that works for you consistently. You also will find that during the day you have moments when you can relax and meditate. You don't have to meditate at the same time each day, but you may find that you drift into a regular schedule without effort.
If breath is your focus, you want to allow each breath to occur naturally. Inhale and feel the breath going in. When you exhale, feel the breath going out into the space around you. By following both the inward and outward breath, you are able to maintain a steady focus. After a few breaths, your focus will be on the breathing process, and awareness of outer circumstances will be greatly reduced.
What to Expect
The mind is incredibly busy with distracting thoughts. You may be astonished at how much activity there is. The thoughts at first seem random and scattered—they are "bouncing off the walls."
The mind moves into a state of one-way flow.
As you settle down, you find your thoughts take on a more consistent direction. There is an almost constant flow, but it goes in a general direction—more like a stream flowing downhill. There are a few rocks and a few bends, but the flow goes in one general direction.
After a while the thoughts do not distract you from the focus of your attention. This is a fairly high level of achievement. You may feel this for a few minutes and then revert back to the "busy-mind" stage or the "flowing" stage.
Still, you have glimpsed a state of peace in which you can be fully engaged in the meditation while acknowledging that thoughts are continuously occurring.
Eventually your mind will quiet as soon as you sit down, or within only a few moments. This is a result of practice and familiarity. You slip into a quiet, comfortable, familiar space and are able to remain there throughout your meditation.
Some days you will not come close to this mental state. This can be frustrating, as you expect consistent progress.
This intermittent interruption in your meditation represents its own kind of progress. As you extend your meditation practice, you will develop even greater compassion for your not-so-meditative days.
To understand this style of meditation, you need to continue until you get the experience of being able to calm the mind as soon as you begin the meditation. The simple act of altering your focus can place you in a slightly altered state of mind. Yet it is important not to expect or demand this relaxed state of yourself. Thus, you should go with whatever you get each time you meditate, while focusing on the object or the breath.
There ate two main obstacles to meditation, and there are ways to work with both of them.
- You may experience a weak feeling, or even fall asleep. Such a state is unlikely to produce much benefit, yet it is what you are feeling, and can be accepted as part of you. To remedy sleepiness or weakness, raise your level of attention to the meditation—to how you are sitting, how you are breathing, how you perceive the object. Correct your posture by sitting a bit straighter or firmer. Look up at the sky or the ceiling. Flex a few muscles. If you won't disturb other people's meditation, get up and walk a bit, paying direct attention to how you move.
You may also want to visualize the breath as containing white light. Imagine it spreading through your body as you inhale. As you exhale, your breath is white light that floats up and dissolves in space. - Excitement is another possible response. This can be caused by compelling thoughts that arise, or by distractions in the immediate environment. Either of these keep you from settling into the meditation. To alleviate excitement, try diverting your gaze a bit downward, or even closing your eyes for a few minutes. Relax your posture a bit, then straighten again. You may want to roll your shoulders to relax the muscles. Visualize that you exhale blue, indigo, or black light and imagine the darkness settling into the ground. Then breathe in the same color of light so that it pervades your body with calming darkness.
Remember, the key to meditation practice is to do some each day.
Find a time that works for you, and try to sit down at that time. At first you may want to experiment to find a time that works for you consistently. You also will find that during the day you have moments when you can relax and meditate. You don't have to meditate at the same time each day, but you may find that you drift into a regular schedule without effort.
EXERCISE 9 - Tranquility meditation
- Sit comfortably on the floor, on a cushion, or in a chair. Sit upright, but do not strain to do so. Sitting upright allows you to breathe properly.
- Place your hands lightly on your thighs. Your arms should not feel any stress. Your elbows will be close to your torso.
- Focus your eyes about six feet in front of you, looking down toward the floor. Again, find a focus point that is easy to maintain without stress.
- Now pay attention to your breath. Notice how it feels to breathe in and out. Follow your breath out, almost as though you can see the movement of the air.
- You will naturally breathe in again. Then follow the breath out.
- Getting Past the First Step
- As you do this, thoughts will occur naturally. The idea of the meditation is to recognize the thoughts, and then return to following your breath.
- Label the thoughts "thinking," check the comfort of your posture, and then follow the breath again.
This single-pointed meditation can have an object— such as a candle—for its focus.
With practice, you will find that you cease to stare at your focal point, and your eyes become relaxed and perhaps slightly defocused.
You will find that this meditation is simple, but not necessarily easy. You will sit, breathe, and find that myriad thoughts come to you. You will squirm to get more comfortable. This meditation requires patience, and patience is one of the key qualities you develop along the way. Just as developing skill at a sport takes effort and patience, learning to sit still—still in mind and body—requires time. As your meditation skill increases, you will find you are more patient with other people in your daily activities. This is because you are able to bring your full attention to those individuals.
Getting Past the First Step
One has to taste for oneself and find out if the thing is genuine, or helpful, but before discarding it one has to go a little bit further, so that at least one gets first hand experience of the preliminary stage.
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Meditation in Action
You ARE ON the path toward regular meditation, and you find you need something a bit more systematic. You are getting the idea of things, and you want to shape your meditation.Lets introduces a popular method of meditation.
Shamata, a Sanskrit word, is Shinay in Tibetan.
- Shi means "peace" or "pacification"; the lessening of the power of continuous thought.
- Nay means "to abide"; by developing tranquility, we let the mind rest on a chosen subject or focus.
So tranquility meditation leads to the development of abiding peace of mind.
Tranquility meditation shares qualities with other meditation practices. In fact, I can think of no meditative practice that does not result in greater peace of mind. This peace comes partly from conscious relaxation. It also derives from accepting whatever thoughts we have, instead of repressing or rejecting them. It comes from paying total attention to ourselves for a few minutes each day, with no thought for the rest of the day.
EXERCISE 8 - Noticing thoughts
This exercise can be done anytime. You just need a few minutes. You can do this instead of reading a magazine in a reception area when you are waiting to be called for an appointment. If there are other people around, you may want to close your eyes. This provides a signal that you are not interested in talking. If you are alone, you can adopt your usual meditation pose.
1. Begin your meditation as usual.
2. Notice the first thought that occurs to you.
3. Instead of letting it go, focus on the thought for a moment. Evaluate it, or reword it in your mind.
4. Then go back to your meditation, with the intention of finding more information about that thought.
5. Notice the next thought. Compare it to the first one. Do they seem related? If not, imagine a connection between them, and go back to your meditation.
6. Notice the next thought, and so on.
If there is a goal here, it is to notice your thoughts without judgment.
In this exercise, the thoughts become the focus. You may be curious about how the thoughts relate to each other, but you don't need to struggle to establish connections. Just notice that the thoughts arise one after the other. When you are finished, you will often find that your first thought has connections to other thoughts; it came up by itself and now fits into a broader picture. This meditation process could be called reverie.
This last exercise suggests the possibility of identifying a thought or problem, and then allowing your mind to have another thought, with no pressure to resolve anything. This is a problem-solving technique that can become part of your daily routine.
I find that the act of straightening my desk is a sort of meditation; each paper, book, or file acts as an arising thought. As I put things away and straighten the stacks of paper, my mind moves freely from one thing to the next without expecting any particular associations. When I am finished, I am then able to go back to a task with a clear mind. By doing this, I have been kind to myself in several ways.
I have made my office more attractive, I have rediscovered items that were (seemingly) lost, I have arranged my working materials so I can find them in the future, and I have given myself a five- or ten-minute break from grand-scale problem solving by solving little organizational problems. Finally, I have provided myself with a successful outcome: I have made my surroundings more comfortable.
1. Begin your meditation as usual.
2. Notice the first thought that occurs to you.
3. Instead of letting it go, focus on the thought for a moment. Evaluate it, or reword it in your mind.
4. Then go back to your meditation, with the intention of finding more information about that thought.
5. Notice the next thought. Compare it to the first one. Do they seem related? If not, imagine a connection between them, and go back to your meditation.
6. Notice the next thought, and so on.
If there is a goal here, it is to notice your thoughts without judgment.
In this exercise, the thoughts become the focus. You may be curious about how the thoughts relate to each other, but you don't need to struggle to establish connections. Just notice that the thoughts arise one after the other. When you are finished, you will often find that your first thought has connections to other thoughts; it came up by itself and now fits into a broader picture. This meditation process could be called reverie.
This last exercise suggests the possibility of identifying a thought or problem, and then allowing your mind to have another thought, with no pressure to resolve anything. This is a problem-solving technique that can become part of your daily routine.
I find that the act of straightening my desk is a sort of meditation; each paper, book, or file acts as an arising thought. As I put things away and straighten the stacks of paper, my mind moves freely from one thing to the next without expecting any particular associations. When I am finished, I am then able to go back to a task with a clear mind. By doing this, I have been kind to myself in several ways.
I have made my office more attractive, I have rediscovered items that were (seemingly) lost, I have arranged my working materials so I can find them in the future, and I have given myself a five- or ten-minute break from grand-scale problem solving by solving little organizational problems. Finally, I have provided myself with a successful outcome: I have made my surroundings more comfortable.
EXERCISE 7 - Being gentle with your thoughts
Begin your meditation by getting comfortable. Bring a pencil and paper with you in case you want to make a note about anything.
How many ideas did you feel compelled to record?
Was there much that seemed vitally important? Did some of the thoughts just pass on by without making much of an impression? Did the same thought come up again and again? By paying attention in this way—writing down whatever thought was compelling enough to stick with you—you are acknowledging your own mental process. There is no criticism here, as there is no critic. You are simply observing your own mental function.
I find that in meditation I may remember something I have to pick up at the store. By writing it down, I can let go of the worry that I may forget. Sometimes the image of a friend sticks in my mind. If I write down the name, I will remember to call or write. If a memory of something happy, angry, or sad arises, a sentence can help me acknowledge that bit of my history. I find that after a while, there are fewer thoughts that seem so compelling, and those few that are take on greater significance. While not much will have changed in my work and social life, I have experienced a renewed relationship with myself in which I have offered myself respect and attention.
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche wrote the following about the meaning of meditation:
You may find that this more relaxed, self-respecting state of mind is a refreshing change.
Think about it: why should you beat yourself up over every little thing that happens? You are doing the best you can all the time. Besides, other people are critical enough of your decisions, actions, and results. When you take the time to regard yourself unconditionally and positively in meditation, you are offering yourself a gift without price.
- As you begin to focus your mind, observe how your body relaxes itself. You may notice your breathing is slower. Certain muscle groups release their tension.
- As stray ideas enter your thoughts, notice them, and let them pass through.
- Refocus yourself.
- Perhaps an especially irritating idea arises. Just notice it and let it pass through. If an idea simply won't go away, write one or two sentences about the idea.
- Then return to your meditation. Do this for at least ten minutes.
How many ideas did you feel compelled to record?
Was there much that seemed vitally important? Did some of the thoughts just pass on by without making much of an impression? Did the same thought come up again and again? By paying attention in this way—writing down whatever thought was compelling enough to stick with you—you are acknowledging your own mental process. There is no criticism here, as there is no critic. You are simply observing your own mental function.
I find that in meditation I may remember something I have to pick up at the store. By writing it down, I can let go of the worry that I may forget. Sometimes the image of a friend sticks in my mind. If I write down the name, I will remember to call or write. If a memory of something happy, angry, or sad arises, a sentence can help me acknowledge that bit of my history. I find that after a while, there are fewer thoughts that seem so compelling, and those few that are take on greater significance. While not much will have changed in my work and social life, I have experienced a renewed relationship with myself in which I have offered myself respect and attention.
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche wrote the following about the meaning of meditation:
Meditation practice is very important in anyone's daily life. Meditation means to apply the appropriate techniques to cultivate a gentler, calmer mind. It also refers to the process of getting used to this sane state of mind.
You may find that this more relaxed, self-respecting state of mind is a refreshing change.
Think about it: why should you beat yourself up over every little thing that happens? You are doing the best you can all the time. Besides, other people are critical enough of your decisions, actions, and results. When you take the time to regard yourself unconditionally and positively in meditation, you are offering yourself a gift without price.
Be Kind to Yourself
What we need to experience, and what we can experience, is a saner and gentler state of mind. This experience is not found in something outside of us. . . . We must work with our own minds, with our own abilities, in order to have peaceful, rich minds.
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche ~ Transforming Mental Afflictions and Other Selected Teachings
YOU HAVE BEEN meditating now for a few days or weeks. You think you are getting the hang of it—you relax, breathe, and focus. Suddenly you notice that your thinking is all over the place. You focus for one or two breaths, and then you are mentally in the kitchen, in the car, following your children or friends around—you are doing everything but focusing. You begin to wonder why you can't do this simple meditation thing.
Now would be a good time to congratulate yourself for meditating exactly the way you ate supposed to! Part of the practice of meditation is allowing to arise whatever wants or needs to arise. When you are busy with all your daily tasks, you don't leave much time for this to happen. You have thoughts every moment, but they are not so much coming from deep within you as just occurring one after the other in the course of problem solving.
Develop an unconditional positive regard for these thoughts that keep popping into your meditation. These are your very own thoughts. No one is putting them into your mind. These thoughts reveal a great deal about how your mind works, and as such are valuable tools for achieving deeper relaxation, clearing out old business, and making room for something new to develop. They show you the nature of your mental habits. You can't change a habit until you understand its purpose, and meditation gives you plenty of opportunities to experience your habitual thinking processes.
Another great value of random thoughts that arise in meditation is that they point to little centers or complexes of emotional and mental energy. Such complexes, when rigid or distorted, are called neuroses. Neurotic thought patterns lead to neurotic behaviors that cause friction within your personality and in relationships with others. The fact that you have thoughts arising when you meditate indicates that you are approaching a clearer understanding of the mental distortions that limit your life in some way.
All behaviors began as an initial response to a need or desire.
While you are busy trying to resolve the mental processes you meet in meditation, remember that at some time in the past these behaviors had a positive purpose.
In fact, most of our behaviors have a positive intention behind them, or had positive value in the past. We may have outgrown the need for a particular response without discarding the habit. Examining the thoughts that lead to a particular behavior reflects your capacity to pay attention to yourself.
You honor your own choices and behaviors when you do this; you indicate unconditional positive regard for yourself. The only place you can begin, when meditating, is with your own mind. Whatever is there, you will get a chance to pay attention to it. You will "see" images, "heat" voices, experience physical sensations, and perceive emotional responses. Whatever you experience, it is you. You probably have all too few moments when you are able to simply be yourself. Now that you have the opportunity, be compassionate with yourself—even when-you are mentally criticizing your own meditation technique!
Insight and Intuition
As you gain skill in focusing your attention, you begin to experience whole periods of time when you are not distracted by constant thoughts. In these moments or gaps you experience just being yourself.
Then your intuition can speak to you.
There has to be a quiet moment for most of us, or we simply can't hear the quiet intuitive voice.
Insight resolves a question or reveals a solution to a problem.
It can involve anything you are working on in the present. There is an "Aha!" quality to insight when the pieces of a puzzle suddenly fit together. Insight arises during or after meditation.
You will recognize intuition because it is bright, shiny, loud, and clear. It can be ordinary or very strange. You may not associate the content of your intuition with anyone or anything in particular. On the other hand, you may know exactly what to do with information that relates to the future in some way.
If you are meditating and an idea arises so forcefully that you cannot distract yourself, you may want to write a few notes to yourself about it. Then you can return to your meditation. Later you can review your notes and apply the information to your daily activities, your work, or whatever. At first every thought may seem important and your meditation note pad may be full, but with a bit of practice you will be able to isolate insights that are meaningful to your problem-solving process and you may write less.
Then your intuition can speak to you.
There has to be a quiet moment for most of us, or we simply can't hear the quiet intuitive voice.
Insight resolves a question or reveals a solution to a problem.
It can involve anything you are working on in the present. There is an "Aha!" quality to insight when the pieces of a puzzle suddenly fit together. Insight arises during or after meditation.
You will recognize intuition because it is bright, shiny, loud, and clear. It can be ordinary or very strange. You may not associate the content of your intuition with anyone or anything in particular. On the other hand, you may know exactly what to do with information that relates to the future in some way.
If you are meditating and an idea arises so forcefully that you cannot distract yourself, you may want to write a few notes to yourself about it. Then you can return to your meditation. Later you can review your notes and apply the information to your daily activities, your work, or whatever. At first every thought may seem important and your meditation note pad may be full, but with a bit of practice you will be able to isolate insights that are meaningful to your problem-solving process and you may write less.
Unconditional Positive Regard
The term unconditional positive regard, taken from humanistic and transpersonal psychology, simply means remaining aware of yourself (or of another person) without making any judgments.
This is actually difficult to accomplish. We continually find small flaws or faults in ourselves, in other people, or in the process of life. When we are engaged in such judgment, we are certainly not paying full attention to what is happening in the moment, and we are probably creating the potential for suffering.
After all, if we judge something as bad, then we dislike having to deal with it. Therefore we may suffer whenever we have to deal with it.
Unconditional positive regard allows us to perceive something without evaluating it.
This is actually difficult to accomplish. We continually find small flaws or faults in ourselves, in other people, or in the process of life. When we are engaged in such judgment, we are certainly not paying full attention to what is happening in the moment, and we are probably creating the potential for suffering.
After all, if we judge something as bad, then we dislike having to deal with it. Therefore we may suffer whenever we have to deal with it.
Unconditional positive regard allows us to perceive something without evaluating it.
EXERCISE 6 - Paying attention
Pick up a book.
Bring your attention to your hands holding or touching the paper.
As you do this,
1. Notice the information you receive, about the texture of the paper, the weight, etc.
2. Become aware of your hands and fingertips themselves.
3. Open your awareness to your environment: the chair you are sitting on, the room, the temperature in the room, to sounds, smells, etc.
4- Take some time to stay with this exercise.
In this exercise you are intentionally opening your mind to whatever you can experience. By staying with the immediate experience, you can identify distinct senses and how they play into your thoughts about the exercise, the words, the paper, the environment. You may begin to discover that you have some feelings concerning the exercise. As you stay with the process, you cultivate a friendly or curious attitude toward the process.
Three outcomes of developing awareness are
Bring your attention to your hands holding or touching the paper.
As you do this,
1. Notice the information you receive, about the texture of the paper, the weight, etc.
2. Become aware of your hands and fingertips themselves.
3. Open your awareness to your environment: the chair you are sitting on, the room, the temperature in the room, to sounds, smells, etc.
4- Take some time to stay with this exercise.
In this exercise you are intentionally opening your mind to whatever you can experience. By staying with the immediate experience, you can identify distinct senses and how they play into your thoughts about the exercise, the words, the paper, the environment. You may begin to discover that you have some feelings concerning the exercise. As you stay with the process, you cultivate a friendly or curious attitude toward the process.
Three outcomes of developing awareness are
- unconditional positive regard
- insight
- and intuition.
Development of Awareness
Part of learning any new skill is an awareness of the goal and what is involved in getting there. Meditation is no different.
So far we have seen that awareness is a potential outcome of meditation, and that concentration is involved in the process.
What can we do to enhance the development of awareness?
We simply pay attention to whatever happens during meditation.
Suppose your meditation method is to gaze at the flame of a candle. You find it is easy to focus on the flame. You settle into this task quickly. Soon you find your mind wandering to an itch on your knee. You come back to your awareness of the flame, but only after you scratch the itch. You then perceive that the color and intensity of what you see around the flame changes. When you blink, it changes again. You see wax dripping. You begin to sense the heat of the candle, even though it is several feet away from you. You come back to your awareness of the flame. You may even give up at this point, frustrated with this simple task.
You have not maintained steady awareness of the flame, even though that is your goal, and even though you were able to do it for a few moments at the outset.
Why is maintaining this level of awareness so difficult?
When we consider the myriad levels of experience involved in a simple task, the answer makes a lot of sense. We are complex physical beings designed to survive in a relatively hostile environment. The senses we use to understand what is happening around us do not simply switch off when we decide to concentrate. They keep right on working, and so does the mind. Thoughts arise all the time, whether we're awake or asleep. We can't easily shut them off.
Yet we know that daily meditation can calm nerves, lower blood pressure, and so on.We know change occurs as soon as we begin.
So far we have seen that awareness is a potential outcome of meditation, and that concentration is involved in the process.
What can we do to enhance the development of awareness?
We simply pay attention to whatever happens during meditation.
Suppose your meditation method is to gaze at the flame of a candle. You find it is easy to focus on the flame. You settle into this task quickly. Soon you find your mind wandering to an itch on your knee. You come back to your awareness of the flame, but only after you scratch the itch. You then perceive that the color and intensity of what you see around the flame changes. When you blink, it changes again. You see wax dripping. You begin to sense the heat of the candle, even though it is several feet away from you. You come back to your awareness of the flame. You may even give up at this point, frustrated with this simple task.
You have not maintained steady awareness of the flame, even though that is your goal, and even though you were able to do it for a few moments at the outset.
Why is maintaining this level of awareness so difficult?
When we consider the myriad levels of experience involved in a simple task, the answer makes a lot of sense. We are complex physical beings designed to survive in a relatively hostile environment. The senses we use to understand what is happening around us do not simply switch off when we decide to concentrate. They keep right on working, and so does the mind. Thoughts arise all the time, whether we're awake or asleep. We can't easily shut them off.
Yet we know that daily meditation can calm nerves, lower blood pressure, and so on.We know change occurs as soon as we begin.
Once you engage in meditation each day, what kinds of outcomes can you expect?
While you may have one or more specific reasons to begin meditating, you will find that you get a wide variety of results. A few of them are listed here.
- Ability to focus your attention narrowly on one thing at a time. This capacity has value in everything you do. From tying your shoes quickly to preparing a seven-course meal, attention to the details is necessary. The child brings everything to her observation of an ant crossing the patio, slipping between the stones, only to emerge again. You have the most ecstatic experience of sex when you clear your mind of all distractions. Meditation helps you to develop and maintain focus.
- Awareness. Understanding what you perceive is also essential in everyday life. If you hear a sudden noise, knowing the difference between a branch hitting the roof and a burglar breaking in is helpful. Knowing your position in a dark room helps you move toward the light switch. Knowing that you have just awakened from a dream helps you put the dream experience in the context of your waking life. Meditation aids the development of simple awareness.
- Awareness of distractions. Often we don't know to what we are truly paying attention. Have you ever had the experience of driving along, and suddenly you were much farther down the road than the last time you looked? You were thinking about something else and failed to experience the trip. Perhaps you were once so hungry that you didn't take the time to experience the taste of your food. Where did your mind take you?
- Remaining fully present. A great deal of suffering has to do with the inability to remain fully present. We desperately need to be somewhere else in order to avoid the pain, but this strategy actually causes greater suffering. We usually have to return to the pain sooner or later to resolve it. When we play games, we often continue to play well past the comfort level into pain. We ache, and yet we continue to play because we find the game enjoyable.
"Why could we not cheerfully handle other sorts of pain? We certainly have the ability."We could just as well apply this tactic to any pain we experience. By cultivating focus and awareness, we face emotional pain and deal with it at once, instead of ignoring it and delaying resolution. It is true that not all pain goes away simply by paying attention. However, suffering is lessened when we understand the nature of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual pain.
EXERCISE 5 - Noticing mindfulness in others
Recall a time when you were watching an infant or small child at play. If you can't recall such a time, then go somewhere and watch a child for a while. As a courtesy, ask the parents or adult supervisor for permission to observe.
1. Notice what the child does. Watch the physical movements, the facial expressions, and the sounds the child makes.
2. Notice that while the child is focused, not much else seems to matter. The child's attention is fully engaged. Child development experts have noted that even children with ADHD can spend hours on projects that capture their attention.
3. Then notice when the child is distracted. What happens? Does the child go on to something else?
Does his or her attention return to the earlier focus of attention? What does this tell you about how the child is perceiving the environment?
Children make great teachers. They seem capable of addressing one issue at a time. They are also able to let it go in favor of the next thing. We can learn a lot about how to be present in the world from this simple exercise.
1. Notice what the child does. Watch the physical movements, the facial expressions, and the sounds the child makes.
2. Notice that while the child is focused, not much else seems to matter. The child's attention is fully engaged. Child development experts have noted that even children with ADHD can spend hours on projects that capture their attention.
3. Then notice when the child is distracted. What happens? Does the child go on to something else?
Does his or her attention return to the earlier focus of attention? What does this tell you about how the child is perceiving the environment?
Children make great teachers. They seem capable of addressing one issue at a time. They are also able to let it go in favor of the next thing. We can learn a lot about how to be present in the world from this simple exercise.
Concentration and Awareness
Know your own mind. Train yourself to think what you wish to think; be what you wish to be.There are two factors involved in meditation:
Ernest Holmes The Science of Mind
- concentration (focus)
- and awareness (mindfulness of your focus and your immediate environment).
EXERCISE 4 - Sitting Down
If you have meditated before, this exercise may be unnecessary. If you have not, be gentle with your body as you try these different postures.
1. Read the instructions for each posture again.
2. Try each one to see if you can do it.
3. Choose one or two that are comfortable.
But It Hurts to Sit Still !
Unless you are very flexible, you will find that sitting meditation places stress on joints and muscles, which causes some degree of pain. You may find that your leg or foot goes to sleep, and then tingles painfully when you move. Your back gets tired, and your knees hurt from sitting cross-legged. As with any other activity, you have to train your body to meditate. It's not just a mental activity. As with any other activity, each day you meditate you will find that your back gets stronger, your knees become more flexible, and your foot doesn't go to sleep as much.
If you meditate for just a few minutes, you may not experience physical discomfort.
If you meditate for longer periods, you may want to get up and walk around a bit in the middle of your meditation time.During meditation retreats, each hour of sitting is broken up with a few minutes of walking meditation.
We can endure pain when we are playing a game or learning a skill. Many people go to the gym and work out to the point of pain in order to give themselves healthier bodies. The same is true of meditation. A little pain will distract you in the beginning, but it does not detract from the end benefits for both body and mind.
Any time you are working with your mind, some emotional response is likely.
How often do you shy away from an activity because it is as emotionally straining as it is physical? Do you choose to engage in those activities where you excel, and retreat from areas where you can only achieve adequate, or even poor, results?
In meditation the results are the results—nothing more and nothing less.
There are no fixed goals, and there is no direct path. You may say you want to learn to relax. You find you can relax your muscles but not your mind, or vice versa. One day you lower your pulse and blood pressure, another you don't.
What meditation gives you is a set of opportunities:
• To pay attention to your own mind.
• To develop a friendly relationship with yourself.
• To engage yourself at the intuitive level.
• To allow insight to arise.
1. Read the instructions for each posture again.
2. Try each one to see if you can do it.
3. Choose one or two that are comfortable.
But It Hurts to Sit Still !
Unless you are very flexible, you will find that sitting meditation places stress on joints and muscles, which causes some degree of pain. You may find that your leg or foot goes to sleep, and then tingles painfully when you move. Your back gets tired, and your knees hurt from sitting cross-legged. As with any other activity, you have to train your body to meditate. It's not just a mental activity. As with any other activity, each day you meditate you will find that your back gets stronger, your knees become more flexible, and your foot doesn't go to sleep as much.
If you meditate for just a few minutes, you may not experience physical discomfort.
If you meditate for longer periods, you may want to get up and walk around a bit in the middle of your meditation time.During meditation retreats, each hour of sitting is broken up with a few minutes of walking meditation.
We can endure pain when we are playing a game or learning a skill. Many people go to the gym and work out to the point of pain in order to give themselves healthier bodies. The same is true of meditation. A little pain will distract you in the beginning, but it does not detract from the end benefits for both body and mind.
Any time you are working with your mind, some emotional response is likely.
How often do you shy away from an activity because it is as emotionally straining as it is physical? Do you choose to engage in those activities where you excel, and retreat from areas where you can only achieve adequate, or even poor, results?
In meditation the results are the results—nothing more and nothing less.
There are no fixed goals, and there is no direct path. You may say you want to learn to relax. You find you can relax your muscles but not your mind, or vice versa. One day you lower your pulse and blood pressure, another you don't.
What meditation gives you is a set of opportunities:
• To pay attention to your own mind.
• To develop a friendly relationship with yourself.
• To engage yourself at the intuitive level.
• To allow insight to arise.
Tips for Making Your Meditation More Comfortable
- When you first sit down, rock on your chair or cushion from side to side. This firms your buttocks and creates a solid base. It also helps to position the intestines. Try this and notice that your abdomen feels more settled and comfortable.
- Next push your belly out, relax, and sit back a bit. This helps to achieve an erect posture and avoid slumping or leaning forward.
- Instead of focusing sharply, relax your eyes. When you do this you may notice that an object close to you seems to become double. If your focus is about six feet in front of you and slightly downward, you may notice the edges of patterns blur a little.
- Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. This helps to lessen the flow of saliva, and it keeps the tongue from moving around.
- Allow your chin to drop a little bit toward the throat. This relaxes the jaw and face muscles.
Eyes Open or Closed?
Different meditation techniques allow for one or the other.
Closing your eyes will allow you to shut out the visual images in your environment, but it can be a strain to keep your eyes closed comfortably. Another drawback of closing your eyes is that you may tend to fall asleep. It is usually easy to have your eyes open, gazing downward at a point about six feet in front of you on the floor. Your eyes rest in such a position so that you don't have to work to keep them closed or fully open.
Closing your eyes will allow you to shut out the visual images in your environment, but it can be a strain to keep your eyes closed comfortably. Another drawback of closing your eyes is that you may tend to fall asleep. It is usually easy to have your eyes open, gazing downward at a point about six feet in front of you on the floor. Your eyes rest in such a position so that you don't have to work to keep them closed or fully open.
Choosing Your Meditation Posture
I mentioned that one positive outcome of meditation is muscle relaxation.
For this outcome to occur, we each need to find a posture that we can assume and hold for the duration of the meditation period. Some postures will feel more relaxing than others.
I will describe several traditional meditation postures, and you can try each one. If you find it uncomfortable, go on to a different one until you find something you can manage fairly easily. You may find that, after meditating for a while, you are able to assume a more difficult pose.
Keep in mind that the goal is not to look a certain way, but to achieve a relaxed state of body and mind.
Also remember to be careful when standing up. You may find that your leg or foot is "asleep," and will not support you without conscious effort.
Lotus Posture
Seat yourself on the floor or on a thin pad. Place your left foot on your right thigh, with the sole of the foot turned up or slightly up. Then place the right foot in a similar position on the left thigh. Your thighs and knees should be on the floor. Straighten your back, and place your hands on your thighs ot knees. Some people extend the arms straight, rest the back of the wrists or hands on the knees, and form a circle with the thumbs and forefingers while the other fingers are extended. Another position is to have the hands resting together close to the body, with the backs of the fingers of each hand touching the other, or with the fingers of one hand over the other and the thumb tips touching each other.
Half Lotus Posture
This posture is like full lotus, except that only one foot is on the opposite thigh, and the other foot is resting on the floor.
Seiza
This is a kneeling posture that involves sitting on the ankles. You can also use a thick round cushion called a zafu or a low bench for support. If you're using a bench, put your feet underneath it, and your knees on the floor or zabuton (large square floor cushion). Place your hands on your thighs. A hand position often used when sitting seiza is to interlock the fingers so they are inside your palms, then extend the forefingers so they ate touching, and place the thumbs together. The hands then are allowed to rest on the thighs. You can also be kneeling directly on the floor in this posture. At first this may be very uncomfortable, but over time your ankles stretch and it is not so bad.
Sitting Gross-legged
Some people can sit cross-legged on a thin pad or directly on the floor. For those of us who find this uncomfortable, a cushion called a gomden has been designed. This is a very firm six-inch-high cushion. You can also use a zafu or a crescent-shaped cushion. You sit on the cushion with your back vertical and straight, and cross your legs in front of you on the floor. I like something to pad my ankles a bit. Then rock from side to side to settle into the cushion, and place your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Your upper arms should hang just about vertically. Spread your fingers comfortably, or use some other comfortable hand position. Your hands should rest in one place without slipping around.
Burmese Pose
This posture, and variations of it, are even more comfortable than the cross-legged posture. You sit on the zafu or other cushion, back straight and vertical. This time, instead of crossing your legs, you rest one foot ahead of or behind the other. This way there is no pressure from the leg on top. Rock from side to side to settle in, and choose a hand position that suits you.
Corpse Pose
No, this is not a joke. There is such a pose. You may find this one easier if you fold a blanket to lie on. Beds are generally too soft and too conducive to sleep. Recline on your back with your legs and feet comfortably together. You may want to support your lower back with a rolled-up towel or small pillow. Rest your arms and hands at your sides. Rest your head comfortably on the blanket. Close your eyes, but remain awake.
For this outcome to occur, we each need to find a posture that we can assume and hold for the duration of the meditation period. Some postures will feel more relaxing than others.
I will describe several traditional meditation postures, and you can try each one. If you find it uncomfortable, go on to a different one until you find something you can manage fairly easily. You may find that, after meditating for a while, you are able to assume a more difficult pose.
Keep in mind that the goal is not to look a certain way, but to achieve a relaxed state of body and mind.
Also remember to be careful when standing up. You may find that your leg or foot is "asleep," and will not support you without conscious effort.
Lotus Posture
Seat yourself on the floor or on a thin pad. Place your left foot on your right thigh, with the sole of the foot turned up or slightly up. Then place the right foot in a similar position on the left thigh. Your thighs and knees should be on the floor. Straighten your back, and place your hands on your thighs ot knees. Some people extend the arms straight, rest the back of the wrists or hands on the knees, and form a circle with the thumbs and forefingers while the other fingers are extended. Another position is to have the hands resting together close to the body, with the backs of the fingers of each hand touching the other, or with the fingers of one hand over the other and the thumb tips touching each other.
Half Lotus Posture
This posture is like full lotus, except that only one foot is on the opposite thigh, and the other foot is resting on the floor.
Many people will never be able to manage postures like full and half lotus.
For us there are other possibilities.Seiza
This is a kneeling posture that involves sitting on the ankles. You can also use a thick round cushion called a zafu or a low bench for support. If you're using a bench, put your feet underneath it, and your knees on the floor or zabuton (large square floor cushion). Place your hands on your thighs. A hand position often used when sitting seiza is to interlock the fingers so they are inside your palms, then extend the forefingers so they ate touching, and place the thumbs together. The hands then are allowed to rest on the thighs. You can also be kneeling directly on the floor in this posture. At first this may be very uncomfortable, but over time your ankles stretch and it is not so bad.
Sitting Gross-legged
Some people can sit cross-legged on a thin pad or directly on the floor. For those of us who find this uncomfortable, a cushion called a gomden has been designed. This is a very firm six-inch-high cushion. You can also use a zafu or a crescent-shaped cushion. You sit on the cushion with your back vertical and straight, and cross your legs in front of you on the floor. I like something to pad my ankles a bit. Then rock from side to side to settle into the cushion, and place your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Your upper arms should hang just about vertically. Spread your fingers comfortably, or use some other comfortable hand position. Your hands should rest in one place without slipping around.
Burmese Pose
This posture, and variations of it, are even more comfortable than the cross-legged posture. You sit on the zafu or other cushion, back straight and vertical. This time, instead of crossing your legs, you rest one foot ahead of or behind the other. This way there is no pressure from the leg on top. Rock from side to side to settle in, and choose a hand position that suits you.
Corpse Pose
No, this is not a joke. There is such a pose. You may find this one easier if you fold a blanket to lie on. Beds are generally too soft and too conducive to sleep. Recline on your back with your legs and feet comfortably together. You may want to support your lower back with a rolled-up towel or small pillow. Rest your arms and hands at your sides. Rest your head comfortably on the blanket. Close your eyes, but remain awake.
Clothing
- Loose, comfortable clothing aids the meditation experience.
- Most practices include the removal of shoes, although you can keep them on to meditate when seated on a chair.
- Consider the temperature of the room as you prepare to meditate. Even on rather warm days you may find that after you have been seated quietly for a while, you become a bit cold. Layers of clothing, and perhaps a light shawl, provide you with the choice to add or remove garments to maintain your comfort zone.
Clothing should not bind or inhibit circulation as you are sitting.
The Meditation Setting
First, let's consider the meditation environment.
There are a number of things you can do to create a good setting for meditation without spending a lot of money or changing your lifestyle.
There are a number of things you can do to create a good setting for meditation without spending a lot of money or changing your lifestyle.
- Choose a spot that is conducive to quieting your mind. There will always be ambient noise, but you can turn off the television, radio, or stereo. Your eye can always find a place to direct its attention, but simple furniture and decorations are helpful.
- Arrange a table with flowers, pictures, or other objects that are meaningful to you. This sets the stage for meditation, and helps you cultivate a space in the environment that supports and reflects the space you develop within yourself.
- If you are grabbing a few minutes out of a busy day, carry something with you that you associate with your meditative state. It can be anything that helps you relax more quickly and easily.
- Identify a place in your body where you feel safe and relaxed during meditation. Focus your mind there for a few moments to center yourself.
Getting Ready to Meditate
Shakyamuni Buddha said in the sutras,
Although some people meditate while engaging in another activity such as walking, most meditation involves sitting still. In the process of remaining physically still and focusing the mind, we are able to still the complex physical and mental activities that keep us busy all the time.
Traditional Hindu and Buddhist meditations involve specific postures, or poses, that are believed to assist in calming the mind. Buddhist and Hindu paintings show figures seated in a variety of postures, most frequently full lotus and the Burmese posture. Some statues and paintings show the figure seated on a platform with one leg extended downward, while the other is bent close to the body with the sole of the foot against the opposite thigh. From the variety of artistic depictions, it seems evident that each Buddha or teacher had a preferred style. They probably arrived at this preference through trial and error, much as you are about to do. There are as many positions for the arms as there are for the legs and feet. Here again, you want to find something that is comfortable for you.
"The essence of the Dharma is taming the mind." He said further, "In a quiet, solitary place, on a comfortable meditation mat and cushion, you should sit in the proper meditation posture, your back erect, maintaining the correct position of the body, and engage in the practice of samadhi."Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche Dharma Paths
Although some people meditate while engaging in another activity such as walking, most meditation involves sitting still. In the process of remaining physically still and focusing the mind, we are able to still the complex physical and mental activities that keep us busy all the time.
Traditional Hindu and Buddhist meditations involve specific postures, or poses, that are believed to assist in calming the mind. Buddhist and Hindu paintings show figures seated in a variety of postures, most frequently full lotus and the Burmese posture. Some statues and paintings show the figure seated on a platform with one leg extended downward, while the other is bent close to the body with the sole of the foot against the opposite thigh. From the variety of artistic depictions, it seems evident that each Buddha or teacher had a preferred style. They probably arrived at this preference through trial and error, much as you are about to do. There are as many positions for the arms as there are for the legs and feet. Here again, you want to find something that is comfortable for you.
EXERCISE 3 - Beginning to meditate
1. Sitting comfortably with your hands in your lap, or standing in a quiet spot, look at the cover of a book.
2. Relax your eyes and simply look.
3. Allow your attention to examine the details of the book's cover.
4. Continue doing this until you see something that catches your attention.
5. Then focus on why it caught your attention. Was it the color, the shape, the texture?
6. Refocus on the book's cover, and continue for a few moments.
7. Does something else arise to take your attention?
8. Notice any connections you make between the book's cover and your personal experience as you do this exercise.
Whatever arises for you is a bit of insight. It may not be the most profound insight you will ever experience, but it is insight. In the moments when we are not totally focused on the outer environment, or when we have a gap in our thought process, we allow insight to pop into our minds.
You don't need a huge gap, just a relaxed state and attention to the meditation process.
The simple act of altering your focus can place you in a slightly altered state of mind. In fact, we alter our states of mind every moment of out waking (and sleeping) life. We are constantly processing information, relating it to what we already know, and storing it for future use. Usually we are not conscious of the process, but we enter an altered state from moment to moment to moment.
2. Relax your eyes and simply look.
3. Allow your attention to examine the details of the book's cover.
4. Continue doing this until you see something that catches your attention.
5. Then focus on why it caught your attention. Was it the color, the shape, the texture?
6. Refocus on the book's cover, and continue for a few moments.
7. Does something else arise to take your attention?
8. Notice any connections you make between the book's cover and your personal experience as you do this exercise.
Whatever arises for you is a bit of insight. It may not be the most profound insight you will ever experience, but it is insight. In the moments when we are not totally focused on the outer environment, or when we have a gap in our thought process, we allow insight to pop into our minds.
You don't need a huge gap, just a relaxed state and attention to the meditation process.
The simple act of altering your focus can place you in a slightly altered state of mind. In fact, we alter our states of mind every moment of out waking (and sleeping) life. We are constantly processing information, relating it to what we already know, and storing it for future use. Usually we are not conscious of the process, but we enter an altered state from moment to moment to moment.
Meditation Goals
If your meditation goals go beyond relaxation, then you will want to experiment a bit to find methods that help you to achieve those goals. Don't get me wrong, relaxation is an admirable goal in our stressful modern lives. In fact, it is essential to physical and emotional health. Still, you may have other goals for your meditation.
Insight
Insight is a time-honored goal of meditation. Eastern adepts and Western monks and nuns have spent years in meditation or retreat in order to discover their connection to the universal plan. Your personal goals are just as important to you.
I will relate a story told to me by an elderly Episcopal priest. He had been a priest all his adult life. During the Lenten season he had undertaken a forty-day retreat, something most of us will never do. He had devoted his life to understanding the nature of God and to helping others. In a conversation with me concerning how we demonstrate our love of God and what we feel we owe God, he said,
Now, we are not all priests or monks and we cannot all go on extended meditation retreats. What we can do is take the moments we have to calm our minds. Then we can perceive our place in the universal plan more clearly. You may connect through the Goddess, through multiple gods, through vibrational methods, through scientific investigation, or whatever means suits you. You can devote as much time as you wish to your meditation goals.
When you have a complex problem in the work environment, you need to get away from it to get a different perspective and to let the details sort themselves out in a way that points to a solution. Meditation provides one means of this. Sometimes a walk around the block is enough to accomplish this task.
Regarding the practice of meditation, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche has written:
Insight
Insight is a time-honored goal of meditation. Eastern adepts and Western monks and nuns have spent years in meditation or retreat in order to discover their connection to the universal plan. Your personal goals are just as important to you.
I will relate a story told to me by an elderly Episcopal priest. He had been a priest all his adult life. During the Lenten season he had undertaken a forty-day retreat, something most of us will never do. He had devoted his life to understanding the nature of God and to helping others. In a conversation with me concerning how we demonstrate our love of God and what we feel we owe God, he said,
"You know, I have been a priest for over sixty-five years, and in these past weeks on retreat I have only now learned something about Him. God does not put us on Earth just so that we can love Him. He puts us here so that He can love us."This simple statement changed my life. Since that conversation I have often remembered this, and I have occasionally shared it with people who seemed to need reassurance that we each are part of a larger spiritual plan.
Now, we are not all priests or monks and we cannot all go on extended meditation retreats. What we can do is take the moments we have to calm our minds. Then we can perceive our place in the universal plan more clearly. You may connect through the Goddess, through multiple gods, through vibrational methods, through scientific investigation, or whatever means suits you. You can devote as much time as you wish to your meditation goals.
When you have a complex problem in the work environment, you need to get away from it to get a different perspective and to let the details sort themselves out in a way that points to a solution. Meditation provides one means of this. Sometimes a walk around the block is enough to accomplish this task.
Regarding the practice of meditation, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche has written:
Many people expect the result of meditation to come in a short space of time, overnight, so to speak, but this is not possible. It is a process of development wherein consistency is the key. If we practice every day, regularly, even for a short period of time, that will add to our development.Whatever your meditation goals, you can begin with just the simple act of sitting down and trying it. You don't need any fancy equipment or clothing and you need not revolutionize your daily schedule. Eventually you may want to find a teacher or attend workshops, but for now all you have to do is begin.
Why Meditate?
No one has ever plumbed the depths of either the conscious or the subjective life. In both directions we reach out to Infinity.
Ernest Holmes The Science of Mind
The most basic result of meditation is an altered state of consciousness.
Actually, this result is not difficult to achieve, as yout state of mind changes from moment to moment anyway. With meditation, however, there is a certain direction that the alteration is expected to take: muscles relax, emotional states become mote calm, the mind rests, blood pressure decreases, pulse rate declines, the eyes focus in a different way, breathing slows, and an awareness of sounds in the immediate environment may increase.
If you meditate for an extended period of time, you may become aware of the shifting angle of the sun coming in a window. Your awareness may extend to other people in the room, or to sounds outside the building. Some people have said they can tune in to the movement of the planet itself by lying still on the ground and looking up at the night sky.
If your only meditation goal is relaxation, you will meet a challenge.
Yes, your muscles relax, your emotions become quiet, and your heart rate slows. You can achieve measurable stress reduction in this way. On the other hand, the chattel in your mind becomes more and more apparent as you become quiet. Also, after an extended period of sitting in a meditative posture, your muscles begin to rebel. You develop twitches, muscles begin to cramp if the posture is unusual, and you fidget. What is meant to be relaxing becomes uncomfortable—sometimes quite uncomfortable.
During extended meditation it is helpful to vary your technique.
A period of sitting can be followed by a few minutes of walking to loosen up your muscles. You may think that ten minutes is a long time to sit still, and one minute of walking around is enough to flex and stretch. Often, people sit for forty-five to fifty minutes and walk for ten.
Meditation is not about how much time you put into it.
Unless you live in a monastery or ashram, you probably don't have many hours each day to devote to meditation. However, you do have shorter periods of time available.
The following are some examples:
• After you come home from school or work and have prepared supper, use the fifteen to twenty minutes while your food is baking in the oven.
• When you are on a plane or train or bus.
• When you are getting a haircut.
• When you ate waiting for an appointment.
• When you are in the dentist's chair and waiting for the shot to take effect. (I know, this one will be a challenge for almost everybody!)
• When you are walking, running, or jogging.
• When you are painting, raking leaves, or doing other repetitive work.
By the same token, there are other times when your conscious attention needs to be given to what you are doing, and safety is an issue.
Examples include:
• Driving a car
• Weightlifting
• Boiling or frying food
• Using any sharp implements
• Caring for children
• Crossing streets or roads
• Handling breakable objects
• Attending a lecture or performance
• Walking up or down stairs
• Moving furniture
These lists are not exhaustive, but they show that you can find meditative moments in your daily life. You don't have to set aside hours of time. If you can, that may be helpful. If not, find short bits of time and make use of them each day. Meditation will help you become more clear and focused when you are engaged in those other activities that demand your conscious attention.
Discover the doorways
Meditation is a safe, secure way for you to explore both the inner workings of your own mind and the outer manifestations of transcendental reality. Along the way you will meet your own personality and make friends with all its facets—good, bad, or otherwise.
You will also touch the larger nature of the Universe in ways that are profoundly comforting and healing. You will develop patience with yourself and others. Finally, you will gain insights from your contemplative experience that cannot be obtained any other way.
Going back to the image of the wall, it is my hope that through meditation, you are able to discern the walls you have constructed within your own mind and between yourself and the world. Also, through meditation I hope you begin to discover the doorways through these obstacles.
You will also touch the larger nature of the Universe in ways that are profoundly comforting and healing. You will develop patience with yourself and others. Finally, you will gain insights from your contemplative experience that cannot be obtained any other way.
Going back to the image of the wall, it is my hope that through meditation, you are able to discern the walls you have constructed within your own mind and between yourself and the world. Also, through meditation I hope you begin to discover the doorways through these obstacles.
EXERCISE 2 - Perceiving Systems
1. Remember the blocks kids play with?
Sometimes they come in bright colors, and sometimes they just have different shapes. Some are larger than others. Yet they are all part of the set of blocks.
2. Think about the pieces on a chessboard.
They serve individual functions, yet they are all chess pieces.
3. Think of individual people within the larger set of humanity, which is within the larger set of
vertebrates, which is within the still larger set of living things.
Even as we recognize this "wheels-within-wheels" view of the world, we need a self-concept in order to survive in the physical world. I need to distinguish between what is mainly inside my mind and what is outside it, and so do you. The paradox of ultimate wholeness and individuality is that both are fundamentally true and real and desirable. We may want to stick to the scientific method of understanding, but we are continually surprised by the world and its workings.
We examine the trees, and are startled to find ourselves deep in the forest.
Sometimes they come in bright colors, and sometimes they just have different shapes. Some are larger than others. Yet they are all part of the set of blocks.
2. Think about the pieces on a chessboard.
They serve individual functions, yet they are all chess pieces.
3. Think of individual people within the larger set of humanity, which is within the larger set of
vertebrates, which is within the still larger set of living things.
Even as we recognize this "wheels-within-wheels" view of the world, we need a self-concept in order to survive in the physical world. I need to distinguish between what is mainly inside my mind and what is outside it, and so do you. The paradox of ultimate wholeness and individuality is that both are fundamentally true and real and desirable. We may want to stick to the scientific method of understanding, but we are continually surprised by the world and its workings.
We examine the trees, and are startled to find ourselves deep in the forest.
Is your perceived meditation goal 'ultimate wholeness'?
Maybe not.
Still, the transcendent experience is very likely going to occur while you meditate, and your concepts of boundaries will be challenged. It is helpful to understand from the outset that you will not lose your capacity to function within boundaries. Many boundaries are comfortable and they serve definite purposes in our lives. We would be lost without them.
What meditation will do is reveal broader experiences of consciousness.
You will develop greater flexibility in deciding how to stop reacting and begin responding to the pressures in your life.
Another benefit of meditation is an alteration of self-image.
We define our position in the world through the boundary between self and other. The paradox is that while you may feel very separate and different from others, this is a false distinction. We are not separate from each other, even though you are reading this page and I am (physically) far away. We are actually significant "parts" or members of the same unified, complete, and perfect whole. In fact, we are co-determinant with the Universe. We are not so much separate parts of the Universe as we are distinct facets of one larger system.
Still, the transcendent experience is very likely going to occur while you meditate, and your concepts of boundaries will be challenged. It is helpful to understand from the outset that you will not lose your capacity to function within boundaries. Many boundaries are comfortable and they serve definite purposes in our lives. We would be lost without them.
What meditation will do is reveal broader experiences of consciousness.
You will develop greater flexibility in deciding how to stop reacting and begin responding to the pressures in your life.
Another benefit of meditation is an alteration of self-image.
We define our position in the world through the boundary between self and other. The paradox is that while you may feel very separate and different from others, this is a false distinction. We are not separate from each other, even though you are reading this page and I am (physically) far away. We are actually significant "parts" or members of the same unified, complete, and perfect whole. In fact, we are co-determinant with the Universe. We are not so much separate parts of the Universe as we are distinct facets of one larger system.
Your Mental Meditation Equipment
Meditation begins with our perceptions and judgments of the world.
We perceive the world through five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and tactile feeling.
The limitations of these physical senses necessarily limit our ability to gather information about the world. Using the mind, we judge the world based on what we perceive; we think about the facts and make decisions. Integration depends on things we cannot perceive with the ordinary senses.
We live within the unified system we call the body, and this system is connected to other systems. (For example, you are one member of your family system.) We depend on, are affected by, and respond to many factors within the body that we can't experience through the ordinary senses. (Pulse rate, for example, is something we can readily experience, but generally, blood pressure is not.)
How can we relate to these factors?
We have three methods of gathering information beyond the senses.
While we are all familiar with basic ways to let machines gather information and register it in useful ways, we often forget that we can simply relax and allow our minds to scan remembered information and reorganize it. Even less are we able to use our minds to gather information from outside the stores of "normal" memory.
We think of scientists as using method number one (1) from above, and philosophers as tending toward method number two(2). The third method(3) is often ignored. Yet Ken Wilber, a leading writer in the transpersonal psychology field, makes a case that all three methods are valid in their own ways.
However, relatively few of us are taught how to gather and evaluate transcendental data.
Western religions tend to "can" such information and spoon-feed it to us as though it were scientifically proven fact, when it is no such thing. In Mission of the University, Spanish author and philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset states,
Many religions tell us that the plan can be understood through contemplative practice, but you do not need to engage in organized religion in order to gather information about the world.
Ken Wilber addresses the question of purpose in our lives in the following way:
The basic Nature of human beings... is ultimate Wholeness.
This is eternally and timelessly so—that is, true from the beginning, true to the end, and most importantly, true right now, moment to moment to moment. This ever-present and ultimate Wholeness, as it appears in men and women, we call Atman (after the Hindus), or Buddha Nature (after the Buddhists), or Tao, or Spirit, or Consciousness (super-consciousness), or ... God.
We perceive the world through five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and tactile feeling.
The limitations of these physical senses necessarily limit our ability to gather information about the world. Using the mind, we judge the world based on what we perceive; we think about the facts and make decisions. Integration depends on things we cannot perceive with the ordinary senses.
We live within the unified system we call the body, and this system is connected to other systems. (For example, you are one member of your family system.) We depend on, are affected by, and respond to many factors within the body that we can't experience through the ordinary senses. (Pulse rate, for example, is something we can readily experience, but generally, blood pressure is not.)
How can we relate to these factors?
We have three methods of gathering information beyond the senses.
- We use tools and machines to take measurements for us. We don't need meditation for this one, although meditation in some form was probably involved in the creation of the tool or machine.
- We use our minds to gather information through thought. Once we have gathered the sensory data, we engage in a thought process designed to make sense of the data—to put it in order or organize it in a useful way. Much of our day-to-day problem solving involves this mental process of examination and sorting. Critical evaluation can then occur.
- We also gather information through contemplative practice, or the resting of the mind. The process of meditation often focuses the mind on one thing— mantra (words) or yantra (visual image) or the breath—to the exclusion of other thoughts. A sort of ritual process is used to get the mind to go in a specified direction. Some meditative practices deliberately clear the mind of thoughts as completely as possible.
While we are all familiar with basic ways to let machines gather information and register it in useful ways, we often forget that we can simply relax and allow our minds to scan remembered information and reorganize it. Even less are we able to use our minds to gather information from outside the stores of "normal" memory.
We think of scientists as using method number one (1) from above, and philosophers as tending toward method number two(2). The third method(3) is often ignored. Yet Ken Wilber, a leading writer in the transpersonal psychology field, makes a case that all three methods are valid in their own ways.
Each of the three modes of knowing, then, has access to real (experiential) data in their respective realms—to sensible data, intelligible data, and transcendental data— and the data in each case is marked by its immediate or intuitive apprehension.We all learn the first way to relate to the world; we use our senses or we gather sensory data from machines. Most of us also learn some theory and philosophy of subjects that interest us, so we are familiar with the second method as well.
However, relatively few of us are taught how to gather and evaluate transcendental data.
Western religions tend to "can" such information and spoon-feed it to us as though it were scientifically proven fact, when it is no such thing. In Mission of the University, Spanish author and philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset states,
"There is no cogent reason why the ordinary man needs or ought to be a scientist."He suggests that we should learn about the physical scheme of our work, themes of organic life, processes of the human species, and finally the plan of the Universe.Note that he presumes there is such a plan.
Many religions tell us that the plan can be understood through contemplative practice, but you do not need to engage in organized religion in order to gather information about the world.
Ken Wilber addresses the question of purpose in our lives in the following way:
The basic Nature of human beings... is ultimate Wholeness.
This is eternally and timelessly so—that is, true from the beginning, true to the end, and most importantly, true right now, moment to moment to moment. This ever-present and ultimate Wholeness, as it appears in men and women, we call Atman (after the Hindus), or Buddha Nature (after the Buddhists), or Tao, or Spirit, or Consciousness (super-consciousness), or ... God.
EXERCISE 1- Perceiving Boundaries
Take a few moments to think of an area of your life that is important to you.
Meditation can help you understand the boundaries you have created around yourself. You will come to understand how some boundaries are helpful, and some serve no apparent purpose. In the process you can expect your relationships with other people to change. You can also expect a dramatic change in your understanding of yourself.
Much of the stress you experience in your life is about boundaries. As you understand how systems—conscious, less conscious, social, and economic—interact in your life, you will relax in both body and mind. Meditation provides a way to explore your beliefs about boundaries among different systems.
- Think about the boundaries that you encounter as you think about it.
- What people, pets, or other things fit within that area of your life?
- Now think about what happens to those people or things when you are not doing something with them? Do they go across a boundary to become part of another system? Do you cross a boundary yourself?
- Is the picture becoming complicated? How do you know exactly where the boundary is? Does it move or change depending on circumstances?
Meditation can help you understand the boundaries you have created around yourself. You will come to understand how some boundaries are helpful, and some serve no apparent purpose. In the process you can expect your relationships with other people to change. You can also expect a dramatic change in your understanding of yourself.
Much of the stress you experience in your life is about boundaries. As you understand how systems—conscious, less conscious, social, and economic—interact in your life, you will relax in both body and mind. Meditation provides a way to explore your beliefs about boundaries among different systems.
What Exactly Is Meditation Anyway?
[in meditation] consciousness shifts increasingly into awareness of that which is not form and into the realm of that which is transcendent or into the world of the abstract,i.e., into that which is abstracted from form and focused in itself.It is easier to say what meditation is not.
Alice Bailey Esoteric Astrology
Meditation is not relaxing in your recliner to watch Sunday football games. Meditation is not becoming hypnotized by the dotted lines on the pavement while driving. Meditation is not sitting and staring out the window instead of doing your work.
The process of meditation as discussed in this book is about focusing attention, not thoughts. In some systems, it is not even about focusing attention, but about relaxing the mind and body instead. Because there are many ways to meditate and many potential goals for meditation, there is no one definition that suits all the possibilities.
Definitions from the dictionary tell us about the properties associated with meditation.
The first definition in the tenth edition of Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is not about meditating at all, but has to do with the result of meditation ot reflecting. It states that "meditation is a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation." It is a work written after one has considered the subject deeply, and for the use of others.
The second definition is not much more helpful. It tells us that meditation is the "act or process of meditating."
Hmm, we already knew that. So what does "meditate" mean?
- "Meditate" comes from the Latin word medium, and means "to engage in contemplation or reflection."
- It also means "to focus one's thoughts" on something, or "to reflect on or ponder" over something.
- A third definition is "to plan or project in the mind," to intend, or to develop one's purpose.
So far the most helpful is the bit about focusing one's thoughts, but that is not the true intention of meditation either.
The definition for the word "meditate" in the ninth edition of Webster's New College Dictionary mentions the Latin word mete, which means "boundary." The tenth edition of Webster's Collegiate Dictionary mentions the Latin word tnederi, which means "to remedy, heal" (it is the root of the word medical), and the Greek word medesthai, which means "to be mindful of."
At first blush, these definitions don't do much to help explain how to meditate. In fact, the definitions are very misleading. Let's take a look, though, at the words intend and purpose from above. For most of us, everything we do has some intention. We don't spend much time acting without purpose. If I am to convince you that meditation is a good thing, I need to be very clear about its purpose. I need to convince you that you can achieve some worthwhile goals through meditation.
Now let's consider the phrase "to be mindful of," or simply "to be mindful." This is more like it.
Meditation is sometimes called mindfulness training or training the mind.
Instead of letting it go wherever it chooses, we can train our minds to focus.
Meditation is about :~
- relaxing the mind,
- focusing attention,
- and fulfilling a purpose or goal.
So what's this business about boundaries?
How does that fit into the meditation picture?
When we think about ourselves, we tend to think that each of us is separate. "I live inside my body/mind, and the rest of the world is outside. I prescribe a boundary around myself." Such a boundary is not entirely logical. Each time I breathe, I inhale air that has, for the most part, been through someone else's lungs. I eat food that has been cycled and recycled. In my daily interactions with others, I seek to make connections so that I feel less separate. Yet I have this self-made boundary between myself and others.
We set boundaries for everything. My house is a boundary between me and the cold. My yard has a boundary that was legally set when the land around me was subdivided. Nations have boundaries. Corporations have boundaries described in law by patent, copyright, and so on. We are all about boundaries. Or are we?
In his poem "Mending Wall," Robert Frost writes, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall." Later in the same poem he suggests, "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know/What I was walling in or walling out,/And to whom I was like to give offense." Frost is asking, "Why do I need this boundary of a wall between me and my neighbor?" You could ask yourself the same question about any "wall" between you and others, or between your own conscious and unconscious experience.
One goal of meditation is to understand the boundaries we have set for ourselves.
Perhaps the greatest boundary— and certainly the toughest—is the one we set between the conscious and less conscious parts of our own minds. No single activity requires as much of us as the assault on that barrier. Each day we go about our conscious waking life, and each night the unconscious speaks to us in the form of dreams, enticing us to deeper self-understanding. Then each day we rebuild the boundary. We all need a way to gain a deeper understanding of what goes on inside our minds when we are awake, asleep, or just not paying attention, and meditation is one way to pay attention long enough to find out.
Let's explore how boundaries work through some of the systems in our lives. We tend to think of our lives as consisting of separate units that interact with each other, yet remain independent. An example is the family. I grew up in a household that included my parents and siblings. Eventually my grandmother came to live with us. Before she lived in our house, she was like a separate unit. Once she lived in our house, she came to be defined as a member of our nuclear family. She took an active role in household management, and she read to us, talked with us, and scolded us just like our parents. She went to concerts with us, shared the crossword puzzles in the newspaper with my father, and took vacations with my mother. When she later moved out of our house, she ceased to be part of the nuclear group and returned to her former status of "close relative."
Does the distinction feel artificial? How could we just move Grandma in and out of the nuclear family system? The door of our house was the defining boundary. All persons who lived on the other side of our door were not part of the nuclear family.
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