Meditation - some simple advice
... what meditation isn't
[according to the Kagyu Buddhist tradition]
... what meditation is
... what different types of meditation are there?
... what meditation is
... what do I need to learn?
... who can teach me?
... how to find out more
What Meditation Is Not
... a sort of trance.
... a means for increasing one's illusions
... an escape
... self-centred
... a simplistic solution limited to one or two techniques
... necessarily easy
... a quick fix
What Meditation Is
... a way of making the mind more awake, clear and wise
... a way of discerning truth from illusion
... a way of facing up to oneself: overcoming the problems and developing the good things
... a means for replacing self-centred illusions with natural compassion
... a limitless possibility, for which the Buddha taught hundreds of techniques
... sometimes difficult, but always aimed at bringing lasting benefits as a reward
... a lifetime's [or many lifetimes'] work
Of course, it is possible and easy to learn a simple concentration
technique that can be practised for say 15 minutes a day, with a view to
de-stressing a bit; relaxing and becoming more peaceful. But this is not
really Buddhist meditation - more the mental equivalent of taking an aspirin
for a headache - a great and useful relief, but only a short-term measure.
Buddhist meditation is a training, enabling one to take gradually tame one's
mind, rather than being at the mercy of its moods. In fact, the root sense of the
Tibetan word for meditation [sgom] means
to become accustomed to. Meditation systematically uproots old habits
of passion, anger, pride, jealousy, self-pity, dullness etc. and gets one
accustomed to a state of awareness, compassion and peaceful wisdom.
This mastery of one's mind - as opposed to being a puppet of its conditioning
- is an all-encompassing process than reaches far beyond the meditation cushion
to eventually bring awareness into the whole of one's life. Sgom also has
a meaning of training. The fine work that one does with the mind, when
training the mind in formal meditation sessions, will automatically
create new reflexes which will transform the way in which one experiences
everyday life. In the process, one discovers the true potential of the human
mind.
What different types of meditation are there?
As the overall purpose of meditation is to understand and transform one's
own mind, and the human mind is a very complex thing, many different types
of technique are needed to work with it efficiently and compassionately.
However, all the techniques fall into 2 main categories;
..
samatta .. those that work with one's
conditioned habits of feeling, emotion, thought, perception and consciousness,
gradually eliminating the unwanted and painful areas of oneself and bringing
an experience of peace, calm and stability.These sometimes involve specific
reflections, contemplations, visualisations, breathing techniques, concentration
on an object etc. The main point is to learn how to keep the mind where
one wants it to be - in a place which is bringing much benefit to oneself
and others. This is why samatta is defined as keeping the mind one-pointedly
in virtue
.. vipasyana .. techniques which use the
peaceful stability of samatta as a basis for developing deep insight into
the true nature of reality.
What do I need to learn?
Buddhist practice, and meditation in particular, is often compared to a
medicine. The patient is one's mind. Its ailments are all the unwanted
pains of existence and limitations of mind. Health is the fully-awakened,
linitless mind of enlightenment. A good teacher is like a good doctor. Just
as a good doctor diagnoses each patient's case and prescribes a treatment
just right for that person, so does a good Buddhist meditation master come
to understand the unique mixture of elements that each one of us is composed of,
and prescribe a series of meditations best suited to each individual's
development.
Thus the main thing to learn is a technique suited to one's aspirations,
possibilities, strengths and weaknesses. This touches on the beauty of there
being many ways within Buddhism, each responding to different needs. However,
one can say that, in general, all Buddhist meditation involves working
with body, speech and mind. Training in some degree of physical mastery will
harmonise the prime elements of the body, improve its health, make its
movements smooth and mindful and, above all, reduce the harm it may do to
oneself or others. Training the "speech" involves understanding and
improving communicative power of a human existence, making it (as the body)
non-harmful, mindful and a source of well-being. This can be very effectively
accomplished through prayer and mantra. Training the mind, which is the real
master of body and speech, involves the work described in the
samatta and vipasyana
sections above.
Who can teach me?
Our mind is our most fragile and precious possession. From a Buddhist point
of view, believing in reincarnation, lives come and go and this human life,
although so precious, is but one of a long series of existences. Our mind,
however, although changing all the time, is ourself. One cannot get away
from it even for one second. If it improves in this life, one will be
happier in the next - and so on and so forth. Therefore it is absolutely
vital to meditate - i.e. change one's mind - under the guidance of someone
highly competent. In the Kagyu tradition, it is considered better to
turn to really experienced and highly-realised teachers for meditation
guidance, even if that involves some difficulty,
rather than taking lots of advice from many different good people, whose
intentions and own lives may be very pure but whose own penetration into
the deeper truths of existence is still clouded by ignorance.
This having been said, it is possible, and often the most practical course,
to learn the most simple and elementary techniques of meditation from
fairly-experienced meditators who have been authorised by authentic lineage-
masters to pass on certain things. These beginners' techniques will bring
certain experiences and questions and it is the development of one's
meditation practice, from then on,
that needs to be done in dialogue with an excellent teacher.
These days, there are many people offering meditation tuition. Quite what
dangers or benefits exist in what they have to offer is anybody's guess. In
the ROKPA centres - called Samye Dzongs and Samye Lings - we make special
efforts to bring teachings that are truly traditional, coming to us today
from the Buddha through an unbroken lineage of
enlightened teachers.
The Samye Ling and Samye Dzong centres worldwide, participating in
Rokpa's work, are under the constant guidance of
Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche and
Abbot Yeshe Losal. In a broader context, they are
under the direct guidance of
HH Urgyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa and
the 12th Khentin Tai Situpa. The 3-year retreat
centre at Samye Ling is under the spiritual direction
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
and the centre has the honour of being associated with
the Goshir Gyaltsabpa. All these teachers are great
masters of the mahamudra teachings of the Kagyu lineage.
How to Find out More
Click here
for a list of Rokpa Buddhist centres to find
the one closest to you. Most centres offer introductory courses
and some guidance. Major centres, such as Kagyu Samye Ling,
offer permanent guidance and a variety of courses, up to a 3-year full-time
retreat, eventually to be re-located on Holy Island, in Scotland.
.. Page created and
maintained by Ken Holmes
webmaster@rokpa.org
enquiries about the spiritual aspects of ROKPA's work to
your nearest Samye Ling or Samye Dzong
Last updated 25 January 1997
© All material on this web site is
copyrighted
and all rights reserved by
Rokpa Trust, Samye Ling Tibetan Centre, Scotland.