WHAT IS BUDDHIST MEDITATION?
Buddhist meditation is simply about getting to know yourself and learning how to be more yourself. It is finding out that we are all on our own individual paths – whether we want to be or not!
Meditation helps us to see this path more clearly and find direction in our lives. What happens now affects what happens next, and this is the law of karma – the law of cause and effect. We learn about this too in Buddhism. It makes sense then, that we are as in touch as possible with what is going on in our lives, and be more true to ourselves.
How many of us think we don’t have time for meditation? We can so easily find that days turn into weeks, months and years and we still never start that meditation course or read that meditation book because we think we don’t have time. Yet only a very small amount of time each day can make an incredible difference.
It is also about learning to be in touch with, and open our hearts. No one else can do this for you, no matter how much you love them. At the end of his life the Buddha simply stated “Be a light unto yourself”, and this is simply common sense. A lot of people think that Buddhism is mystical or inaccessible unless you wear a dark red robe and have your hair shaved off. That is only for monks and nuns, you can become a Buddhist by making some very simple vows such as refraining from killing, stealing, lying, etc., and by practising what the Buddhists call mindfulness. Mindfulness, simply stated, is about paying attention and being aware of yourself and what is going on around you. This develops wisdom and self-knowledge. This learning process, by way of meditation, is how we deepen, expand and refine this awareness. It’s not a magical cure for all our problems, and it involves effort and a willingness to try to be in the present moment.
How many of us are? Few of us really get time to smell the flowers and just be, breathing in and breathing out and being aware of how simple and amazing it is just to be alive. So practising Buddhism on however small a level is a start for people who are looking for more sanity, generosity and kindness in their lives. An openness to the possibility of this happening helps too, as, like most spiritual practices it requires work and sometimes a letting go of prejudices and fears.
It has been found in tests that meditators who practise for 45 minutes a day (either broken up into segments or all at once at some point in the day) have lowered blood pressure, less heart problems and are generally less stressed. His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the exiled leader of Tibet and widely accepted as an advocate of world peace. He has written many books on the teachings of Buddha.
SO HOW DO I MEDITATE?
There are many different forms of meditation depending on your spiritual path. What they all have in common is the practice of sitting, usually in a cross-legged position on the floor. However for some people this is impossible or uncomfortable, so sitting in a chair is an alternative.
Some meditators practise with their eyes open, sometimes focussing on something such as a candle, flower or even a picture. In Buddhism meditation is done with the eyes closed. It is widely believed that in order meditate we have to push away our thoughts or try not to think them at all, but have you ever tried not to think about something? It’s impossible! What is easier is to allow the thoughts and emotions to come, but to see them as passing clouds rather than becoming attached to them. In fact it can be helpful to imagine the body as a mountain or rock, the breath as the wind and the mind like the sky with its passing clouds.
Breath is always very important in meditation, and is often known as the ‘support’ – because it does support life and some believe it is the very essence of life itself. Deep breathing always enhances relaxation and affirmations such as ‘I know I am breathing in’; and ‘I know I am breathing out’; are used to become as one with the breath rather than allowing it to become shallow.
Do you remember the last time you felt stressed? And where you were breathing from? Usually the chest, which becomes tight and restricted, so meditation for breathing is the opposite of that. Even for one minute, why not try some simple meditation right now? It could change your life, for much more than a minute!