Introduction to Buddhism
An explanation of the Buddhist Way of Life
What is Meditation?
The heart of Dharma practice is meditation. The purpose of meditation is to
make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful we shall be free from
worries and mental discomfort, and so we shall experience true happiness; but
if our mind is not peaceful we shall find it very difficult to be happy, even
if we are living in the very best conditions. If we train in meditation our
mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we shall experience a
purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually we shall be able to stay happy
all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is
like a balloon in the wind blown here and there by external circumstances. If
things go well our mind is happy, but if they go badly it immediately becomes
unhappy. For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession or a
new partner, we become excited and cling to them tightly; but since we cannot
have everything we want, and since we shall inevitably be separated from the
friends and possessions we currently enjoy, this mental stickiness, or attachment,
serves only to cause us pain. On the other hand, if we do not get what we want,
or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated. For
example, if we are forced to work with a colleague whom we dislike we shall
probably become irritated and feel aggrieved, with the result that we shall
be unable to work with them efficiently and our time at work will become stressful
and unrewarding.
Such fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external
situation. We are like a child making a sand castle who is excited when it is
first made, but who becomes upset when it is destroyed by the incoming tide.
By training in meditation we create an inner space and clarity that enables
us to control our mind regardless of the externalncircumstances. Gradually we
develop mental equilibrium, a balanced mind that is happy all the time, rather
than an unbalanced mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and
despondency. If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we shall be
able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our
problems and suffering. In this way we shall come to experience a permanent
inner peace, known as `liberation' or `nirvana'. Then, day and night in life
after life we shall experience only peace and happiness.
Meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue. It is a mind that
analyzes or concentrates on a virtuous object. A virtuous object is one that
causes us to develop a peaceful mind when we analyze it or concentrate on it.
If we contemplate an object and it causes us to develop an unpeaceful mind such
as anger or attachment, this indicates that that object is non-virtuous. There
are also many objects that are neither virtuous nor non-virtuous, but neutral.
There are two types of meditation: analytical meditation and placement meditation.
Analytical meditation involves contemplating the meaning of a Dharma instruction
that we have heard or read. By contemplating such instructions deeply,eventually
we reach a definite conclusion, or cause a specific virtuous state of mind to
arise. This is the object of placement meditation. We then concentrate single-pointedly
on this conclusion or virtuous state of mind for as long as possible to become
deeply acquainted with it. This single-pointed concentration is placement meditation.
Often, analytical meditation is called simply `contemplation' and placement
meditation simply `meditation'. Placement meditation depends upon analytical
meditation, and analytical meditation depends upon listening to or reading Dharma
instructions.
The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make our mind clearer
and more lucid. This can be accomplished by practising a simple breathing meditation.
We choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. We can
sit in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is
comfortable. If we wish, we can sit in a chair. The most important thing is
to keep our back straight to prevent our mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy.
We sit with our eyes partially closed and turn our attention to our breathing.
We breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to
control our breath, and we try to become aware of the sensation of the breath
as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation is our object of meditation.
We should try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else.
At first our mind will be very busy, and we might even feel that the meditation
is making our mind busier; but in reality we are just becoming more aware of
how busy our mind actually is. There will be a great temptation to follow the
different thoughts as they arise, but we should resist this and remain focused
single-pointedly on the sensation of the breath. If we discover that our mind
has wandered and is following our thoughts we should immediately return it to
the breath. We should repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind
settles on the breath.
If we practise patiently in this way, gradually our distracting thoughts shall
subside and we shall experience a sense of inner peace and relaxation. Our mind
will feel lucid and spacious and we shall feel refreshed. When the sea is rough,
sediment is churned up and the water becomes murky, but when the wind dies down
the mud gradually settles and the water becomes clear. In a similar way, when
the otherwise incessant flow of our distracting thoughts is calmed through concentrating
on the breath, our mind becomes unusually lucid and clear. We should stay with
this state of mental calm for a while.
Even though breathing meditation is only a preliminary stage of meditation,
it can be quite powerful. We can see from this practice that it is possible
to experience inner peace and contentment just by controlling the mind, without
having to depend at all upon external conditions. When the turbulence of distracting
thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment
naturally arises from within. This feeling of contentment and well-being helps
us to cope with the busyness and difficulties of daily life. So much of the
stress and tension we normally experience comes from our mind, and many of the
problems we experience, including ill health, are caused or aggravated by this
stress. Just by doing breathing meditation for ten or fifteen minutes each day,
we shall be able to reduce this stress. We shall experience a calm, spacious
feeling in the mind, and many of our usual problems will fall away. Difficult
situations will become easier to deal with, we shall naturally feel warm and
well-disposed towards other people, and our relationships with others will gradually
improve.
We should train in this preliminary meditation until we gain some experience
of it; but if we want to attain permanent, unchanging inner peace, and if we
want to become completely free from problems and suffering, we need to advance
beyond simple breathing meditation to more practical forms of meditation, such
as the cycle of twenty-one Lamrim meditations explained in The Meditation Handbook.
When we do these meditations we begin by calming the mind with breathing meditation,
and then we proceed to the stages of analytical and placement meditation according
to the specific instructions for each meditation. Some of these meditations
will now be introduced in this book.