BUDDHISM MEDITATION and the Search for Life’s Meaning

"Gathering the Light" from the Taoist book The Secret of the Golden Flower
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today's world, with all its excitements, its adventures, and its discoveries, is moving in a very fast pace. This can be very thrilling and fun-filled for the modern man, but this can also be exhausting to the soul. That is exactly the reason why many people try to find comfort and solitude amidst the changes taking place in their environment. And, it is also because of this that meditation is becoming popular among many.

Meditation can be defined in different ways, but this is really a broad concept that no measure of words can totally unveil its real sense. Meditation is best understood when experienced and felt rather than when explained. And although this cannot be measured by words, maybe you will be able to grasp it more easily in the light of its purpose. 

Why do people meditate? The prevailing reason is the search for inner peace, the peace of the soul. Peace, in this world of changes and in this race of life, is becoming more and more elusive. In the search for things and possessions, many live a life of materialism, always looking forward into the future and seldom looking within them to monitor the state of their inner self. And once they have finally decided to venture within, they find the various pieces of themselves in disarray. This is when meditation is often resorted to. Others meditate to contemplate the things around them, to look into the realities of their life, and to find the meaning of the world to which they belong.

The popularity of meditation varies among races, cultures, and religions. It may also be seen differently according to various people. Buddhism, a popular religion and philosophy that originated in Asia, places a great emphasis on Buddhism meditation as a way of discovering life's meaning. To the Buddhists, meditation is associated with enlightenment. 

Buddhists recognize the presence of sufferings in the world. But then, recognition is nothing without any intention to alleviate and free mankind from this plague. This is therefore the ultimate purpose of Buddhism meditation – to free man from pain and agony. 

To be able to do this, one must know what causes pain and suffering. This is basically brought about by man's endless desires and expectations from the world, from the people around him, and from life itself. Expectation usually breeds despair, and this is what man must conquer. He must stop expecting from the world.

To meditate is to be enlightened, to see things in the light of reality. Life is not a bed of roses; it is an ever-changing sphere. To live life fully and to enjoy the freedom of living, one must control his cravings and desires. Only when this is achieved will man be able to know that life is not actually as complicated as he has come to believe. 

Meditation, at its best, is a great tool to help you find inner peace, and to preserve it, no matter how frustrating the outside world can be. Given the right motivation and the right purpose, this activity is one that will keep you focused on the truth that you need to know about life to keep you living healthy and satisfied.

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Buddhist MEDITATION: Bringing Your Mind Tranquility and Insight

Yuzen, a Buddhist monk from the Sōtō Zen sect begging at Oigawa, Kyoto. Begging is part of the training of some Buddhist sects. 

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a hectic world that people live in today, many are stressed out after a hard day's work. Some even get so tired that they lose their energy completely that they lose interest in activities that are considered to be pleasurable, such as sex. Imagine yourself living your life like this every day and just imagine that by living this kind of life, you won't even have the time or the energy for your family and friends. Stress can definitely ruin your social life.

Today, many people are now looking for ways to get rid of stress effectively and give them that extra energy that they need in order for them to get through another day's hectic lifestyle and still have that extra energy to spend time with your family and friends.

Many people today aren’t really depending on technology to get them that extra energy that they need. But, they do look for it in the past. Meditation is one of the methods that are constantly growing in popularity among people today. You have to consider that meditation, particularly Buddhist meditation, have originated for centuries and up until today, this Buddhist technique has proven itself to be very effective. In fact, Buddhist monks still exist today where the majority of them live in Europe while others are situated in Europe, the United States and other parts of the world.

People who do Buddhist meditation have been found that they worked more efficiently and have that somewhat "extra glow" or that extra energy. They do work as if it's nothing and Buddhist meditation practitioners have testified that they are happy doing work.

Buddhist meditation's main goal is to get to the path of Enlightenment. Mental development and mind over body are also considered to be one of the goals of Buddhist meditation. You have to consider that the body is controlled by the mind and because of this, Buddhist meditation practitioners have claimed that in order for your body to function properly, you have to get rid of the negative energy inside your mind by meditating.

A lot of people have claimed that through Buddhist meditation methods, they were able to live life happier and have reduced any negative thoughts that can affect their daily life. They also said that they don’t get angry too often even if they get stuck in a long traffic jam or when their boss gives them a hard time. They said that all they do to get rid of anger is do some of the Buddhist meditation they learned in Buddhist meditation schools.

Even scientists and medical practitioners alike were baffled by the effects of Buddhist meditation. Their patients who do Buddhist meditation are healthier and they also recover quickly from illnesses. Although there is still no significant scientific proof about the effectiveness of Buddhist meditation, you have to consider that there are quite a lot of people who are testifying about the effectiveness of Buddhist meditation.

So, if you are looking for enlightenment or you at least want to know how to handle stress effectively, you should try Buddhist meditation.

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About Guru - The Liberator

Life is a mystery. The cosmos is a mystery. What are its boundaries? If it is an expanding universe, where does it expand to? What is beyond it. Some of the stars are millions of light years away from us. What an unimaginable distance! What is there in the cosmos? Who made it? When did it form? What was there, before it was formed?

Who are we? Am I a body with a name? Then how do some people have good luck and some bad? Why do some children get cancer at a very young age and some people with all the bad habits live a healthy life for a long time? What are we destined to do on this earth? Where did we come from and where shall we go?

Photo by Wonderlane

Why there is so much misery in the world? Why do we love some people and hate some? What is that, which will satisfy us? What is the objective of human life? There are so many questions in our minds. Every religion has its own theory and its own explanation. In India, it is considered that The Guru is the only one who can answer all these questions.

Who is Guru? According to Indian scriptures, Guru is God in a human body. He comes on this earth to liberate followers. A Guru is not to be confused with people who write well or speak well about Indian mythology and philosophy. They might be called as learned persons or good speakers or good writers of books. But none of them is The Guru.

The west is getting attracted to Hinduism. Many branches of Hinduism including Yoga are becoming very popular in the west. Many people travel from India to the west to lecture upon Hinduism and scriptures of India, and many people call them as Gurus. That is a wrong use of word Guru. Guru is very mysterious.

How to know that someone is Guru? After coming in contact with Guru, you must feel a change that is life-altering. The change is not something like – I feel good, or I feel peaceful. But Guru brings about changes that can never be explained by you to others. If anytime, you come across Guru, you will know by these changes and then over a period of time, The Guru will reveal his/her identity to you. That depends on his/her wish.

No one should take every saint in India as Guru. There are very few in the world. According to Indian scriptures, only if you have collected a lot of good karma, do you get Guru. I can only make one statement. The experience of the power of Guru is very different than anything else. And in the beginning, the experience may be very painful rather than pleasant. But the end is pure bliss.

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Buddhist MEDITATION

Remember those Chinese martial art movies that feature monks with their heads shaved off? Well, those folks practice Buddhism which is a spiritual movement designed to make the person find the true nature of life. At the heart of this is meditation which is the means of making this possible. 

But to understand Buddhist Meditation, you have to know the Buddhism itself is centered on the Four Noble Truths. First, we have to realize that there is suffering in the world which happens because of our ignorance and our desires. When we do understand ourselves, we can finally find a way to end this suffering. Those who find the answer have reached a state of Nirvana.

Illustration of Buddhacinga, also known as Fotudeng (佛圖澄),
a monk who came to China to propagate the teachings of
Buddhism and Buddhist meditation.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This then leads us to the core of Buddhist meditation which is the practice of the eight fold path. These virtues namely are the right action, right concentration, right effort, right livelihood, right mindfulness, right speech, right thought, and right view.

The proceedings of Buddhist Meditation are based on two things. The first is called “Samatha” which means tranquility and the second is called “Vipassana” which means mindfulness.

Let’s talk about this a little further. “Samatha” meditation involves a lot of breathing which is designed to develop concentration, detachment, equanimity and happiness. There are 40 samatha meditations and each teaches the mind to focus on a single object to produce various states of tranquility.

Vipassana meditation on the other hand develops self understanding by being able to comprehend the things that are going inside one’s head. By practicing this regularly, you will soon develop wisdom which makes you free from all suffering.

But do you have to be a follower of Buddhism in order to practice this kind of meditation? The answer is no even if this technique is based on the doctrines of this religion and revolves around concentration and mind control.

For those who would like to get into Buddhist meditation, the first thing you have to do is find a quiet place where you can do this without being disturbed. Next, get a nice soft pillow or cushion to sit on if the floor is not that comfortable for you.

Now, let your hands rest on your lap with the palms facing upward. It’s hard to stay in this position for 5 minutes or more so don’t be afraid to make a few slight adjustments. The important thing is that you are comfortable the way you are.

Then it is time to close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Anybody can do this but there are 4 proper ways of doing it. You can inhale and exhale long, inhale and exhale short, inhale short and exhale long or inhale long and exhale short.

It will take some time before you get the hang of things. Don’t forget to relax all your muscles so your mind and body is able to act as one.

Buddhist meditation is just one of the many techniques around that can help relieve you from stress, make you think better to have a better outlook in life and do all sorts of things that will improve your overall physical health.

If you appreciate what Buddhist Meditation can do, you can already invest in cushions, prayer beads, incense and a few other accessories. It is optional so don’t think that just because they are not around that your experience is not a fruitful one.

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Different BUDDHIST MEDITATION Techniques

There are a number of different Buddhist meditation techniques that followers and many meditation enthusiasts practice. Despite their differences, the techniques are all generally based on developing two things- mindfulness and concentration. Attentiveness to the movements of the body and to the ever changing states of mind is to be developed in order to identify the real concept of self. 

Buddhist Meditation Monk in Wat Huai Chalong Rat Bamrung (Phra Ajaan Daeng Siribhatto)
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Objectivity in this case can be a valuable aid to clear thinking. With objectivity comes concentration, the ability to focus the mind and keep in focused on a single point or object.

Many Buddhist schools employ different techniques in meditation. Some may focus on such practices as breathing meditation while others on movements. The diversity can be so wide ranging that there are a multitude of variations available. Most Buddhist techniques can be school specific. Only a few masters aim to combine and categorize the techniques from several Buddhist traditions.

One of the known meditation techniques is that being practiced by Western Order meditation master Kamalashila. The teacher identifies that there are five basic methods to be used as a traditional set for meditation. Each method can be used as an antidote to one of the five primary obstructions to Enlightenment- distraction, hatred, craving, conceit and ignorance. 

One of the five basic methods is the mindfulness of breathing. This involves the practice of tranquility meditations. This method helps to counteract distraction and aims to develop better concentration. Another of the five basic methods laid out is the Metta Bhavana. This method includes the four brahma viharas and is used to counteract sentimental attachment or hatred. This method aims to develop loving kindness in a person. 

Another of the five basic methods in Buddhist meditation is the contemplation of impermanence. This method can help counteract craving and develop inner peace and the feeling of freedom. The six element practice is based on meditation involving the six elements- earth, water, space, air, fire and consciousness. The six element practice method of meditation counteracts craving and develop instead some clarity in a person regarding to self. The fifth basic method of meditation is the contemplation of conditionality which aims to counteract ignorance and instead develop wisdom and compassion. There are also other Buddhist meditation techniques not identified by the five basic methods. This includes different methods of visualizations, meditation by sitting and the walking meditation. 

Another of the many techniques used in Buddhist meditation include the five types of Zen as grouped by Kuei-feng. In this case, the Zen practices were grouped according to five categories. Although mostly common for Zen practitioners, the techniques are also applicable to Buddhist meditation methods. One of the types is the "bonpu" or "ordinary" meditation that is done to achieve physical and mental well-being in absence of any spiritual goal. There is also the "gedo" or "outside way" which is meditation that is used for non-Buddhist purposes. The third is the "shojo" or "small vehicle" which is meditation used in pursuit of self-liberation or nirvana. 

The fourth of the Zen Buddhist meditation techniques as grouped by Kuei-feng is the "daijo" or "great vehicle" which is the meditation in pursuit of achieving self-realization to experience the unity of all things. Then there is also the "saijojo" or "supreme vehicle" which is the meditation aimed to realize the Buddha nature as imminent in all beings. 

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