Too Many Words - Too Much Noise

[Thomas_Merton]

....let go of thoughts and let the Buddha nature emerge...

[Gohonzon]

"While it is true that Buddhism embodies a profound philosophy of life, and we must not depreciate the intellectual side, in its essence Buddhist doctrines enlarge on the Buddha's own enlightenment — enlightenment which can be acquired only through practice." 

~Daisaku Ikeda

[sabaijai]

....let go of thoughts and let the Buddha nature emerge...

A thought itself.

[Thomas_Merton]

....let go of thoughts and let the Buddha nature emerge...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A thought itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...but it has gone - as has this one...

[Thomas_Merton]

First - learn how to sit:

[Thomas_Merton]

...our thoughts are a team of wild horses - we must tame them...

[Thomas_Merton]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin:

The Buddha knew that our everyday minds are filled with a torrent of thoughts and emotions, most of very short duration.

These act as a kind of smoke screen that prevents us from focusing our minds on anything that might undermine our carefully crafted illusion that all is well.

When we learn to concentrate our minds on a single positive and wholesome object, such as an image of Buddha, a sacred sound, or the flow of our breathing, we gradually learn to quiet our thoughts, control outbursts of negative emotion, and experience a degree of peace and tranquillity.

• Sit as illustrated in the previous posting.

• Close you eyes and listen to your breathing.

• In and Out, In and Out.

• Try to concentrate on the chest and diaphragm.

• They rise and fall, rise and fall.

• Concentrate on the rise and fall without using the words.

• Try not to think about anything else.

Practise this exercise for five mins at least once a day for seven days.

[sabaijai]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin:

The Buddha knew that our everyday minds are filled with a torrent of thoughts and emotions, most of very short duration.

These act as a kind of smoke screen that prevents us from focusing our minds on anything that might undermine our carefully crafted illusion that all is well.

When we learn to concentrate our minds on a single positive and wholesome object, such as an image of Buddha, a sacred sound, or the flow of our breathing, we gradually learn to quiet our thoughts, control outbursts of negative emotion, and experience a degree of peace and tranquillity. 

• Sit as illustrated in the previous posting.

• Close you eyes and listen to your breathing.

• In and Out, In and Out.

• Try to concentrate on the chest and diaphragm.

• They rise and fall, rise and fall.

• Concentrate on the rise and fall without using the words.

• Try not to think about anything else.

Practise this exercise for five mins at least once a day for seven days.

Yes, that's one method of Buddhist meditation, one called samatha, usually defined in English as one-pointedness or concentration. It's considered only preparatory, and in fact many Buddhist teachers question whether it is necessary at all. The second kind, and the only one that leads to stream entry (and later nibbana) is satipatthana vipassana. For the latter there is no special physical position needed, i.e., it can be practiced while sitting, standing, walking, lying down, etc.

In Thailand both samatha and satipatthana vipassana (sometimes shortened to just 'vipassana' - or 'insight' - though the latter is actually a result of the practice, not the practice itself) are practiced. Some teachers teach only one or the other, some teach both, but most agree that samatha is suitable primarily for beginners.

There is a third line of thought that says both kinds of meditation are unnecessary for attaining right view. In the latter camp, studying and understanding dhamma is sufficient for attaining right view. Once right view arises, all seven other rungs of the 8-fold path follow, or so it is said.

Of course in Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, you'll find yet other methods.

One minor point of disagreement, in samatha meditation, 'trying not to think about anything else' is considered counter-productive. When one notices that the mind has moved away from the object of concentration, one gently returns one's attention to the object. Meanwhile in the satipattana method, one notes whatever object enters the sense doors, whether touch, smell, sight, sound or mind, i.e., there's no need to choose a special object of concentration, in fact no need to concentrate, merely to observe physical and mental sensations.

[sabaijai]

....let go of thoughts and let the Buddha nature emerge...

A thought itself.

...but it has gone - as has this one...

Thus supporting the notion that perhaps it's not necessary to 'let go' of thoughts after all, as they will move on by themselves, like passing clouds. Nothing to let go, and no one to do the letting go ...

[Thomas_Merton]

....let go of thoughts and let the Buddha nature emerge...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A thought itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...but it has gone - as has this one...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thus supporting the notion that perhaps it's not necessary to 'let go' of thoughts after all, as they will move on by themselves, like passing clouds. Nothing to let go, and no one to do the letting go ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly.

But we the unenlightened, in our undisciplined, self-centred way, hold onto these thoughts:

When we know we must have a tooth extracted, despite the fact that it only happens once - pull - and it is gone, in our minds, in our thoughts, it happens a thousand times.

I love this story:

Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?”

Edited July 5, 2005 by Thomas_Merton

[Thomas_Merton]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin:

The Buddha knew that our everyday minds are filled with a torrent of thoughts and emotions, most of very short duration.

These act as a kind of smoke screen that prevents us from focusing our minds on anything that might undermine our carefully crafted illusion that all is well.

When we learn to concentrate our minds on a single positive and wholesome object, such as an image of Buddha, a sacred sound, or the flow of our breathing, we gradually learn to quiet our thoughts, control outbursts of negative emotion, and experience a degree of peace and tranquillity. 

• Sit as illustrated in the previous posting.

• Close you eyes and listen to your breathing.

• In and Out, In and Out.

• Try to concentrate on the chest and diaphragm.

• They rise and fall, rise and fall.

• Concentrate on the rise and fall without using the words.

• Try not to think about anything else.

Practise this exercise for five mins at least once a day for seven days.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that's one method of Buddhist meditation, one called samatha, usually defined in English as one-pointedness or concentration. It's considered only preparatory,...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you will, respectfully, be patient, I will be explaining in a practical way, so that all westerners (this is after all Thaivisa Thailand Ex-pat forum) can explore meditation and eventually contemplation, in a systematic and disciplined way.

Please remember, not everyone has reached such a level of enlightenment as your venerable self.

[Gohonzon]

Yes, that's one method of Buddhist meditation, one called samatha, usually defined in English as one-pointedness or concentration. is considered counter-productive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But isn't it dhayana that's one-pointedness meditation and samatha that's mindfulness of breathing?

[sabaijai]

But isn't it dhayana that's one-pointedness meditation and samatha that's mindfulness of breathing?

No, samatha meditation develops concentration, one-pointedness and tranquility. Anapanasati, or mindfulness of breathing, is a samatha technique. Anytime you choose a particular object, to the exclusion of others, to focus on for meditation, you are practicing samatha. Satipatthana vipassana develops vipassana, or insight into dhamma.

Thomas Merton. it's lovely you wish to explain basic Buddhist meditation. Just remember that trying to exclude thoughts, or to let go of thoughts, isn't one of the techniques used, as far as I know.

Also there's nothing lofty or advanced about distinguishing between the two major paths of Buddhist meditation, right from the start, so that folks know what they're getting into, and what their choices are. Just as you have chosen to share your technique with us, others like myself might like to respond, and to share our experiences or knowledge with the members at large. Or would you rather create an uninterrupted thread with only yourself posting? If that's the case, your instructions might be more appropriate as part of a thaivisa blog. Just a thought (here now, gone already). I do apologise if I offended by critiquing your instructions. Obviously you believe strongly that concentration meditation is important.

I'm not sure how useful it is for any of us to try to instruct other members on Buddhist meditation, seeing as how none of us here are experts or have any high attainments to share (speaking for myself, anyway). There are dozens of well-written meditation instruction manuals available in print and online, written by experienced meditation teachers from many traditions. For expats who live in Thailand, there is a relative abundance of centres and monasteries where meditation instruction is freely available in English and Thai.

I think if we have individual experiences with meditation to share, that's perhaps more useful. TM, for example if you have practiced this technique of yours, sitting in a chair in the Western manner, etc, I'm sure we'd love to hear what you may have achieved from it.

It would also be interesting to hear where you learned this particular technique.

Perhaps otherwise it's just more 'noise'? Anyway, I'll get out of your way for now. As long as the thread stays relevant to Buddhism ...

[Thomas_Merton]

....

Just as you have chosen to share your technique with us, others like myself might like to respond, and to share our experiences or knowledge with the members at large...

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is a flower less beautiful because the seed is brown and wizened?

[Thomas_Merton]

The Indian mystic, Sri Ramakrishna, who lived in Bengal in the nineteenth century, used to describe the mind as a mighty tree filled with monkeys, all swinging from branch to branch and all in an incessant riot of chatter and movement.

When we begin to meditate we recognise that as a wonderfully apt description of the constant whirl going on in our mind.

The task of meditation is to bring all of this mobile and distracted mind to stillness, silence and concentration, to bring it, that is, into its proper service.

To achieve this aim we use a very simple device.

From the Christian tradition – The Cloud of Unknowing recommends the repetition of a little word: “We must pray in the height, depth, length, and breadth of our spirit, [he says] not in many words but in a little word.”

As this idea may be a novel one, and indeed sound rather strange, let me repeat the basic technique of meditation. Sit down comfortably, relax. Make sure you are sitting upright. Breathe calmly and regularly. Close you eyes and then in your mind begin to repeat the word you have chosen as your meditation word.

The name for this word in the Buddhist tradition is mantra. So from now on I will use the phrase “saying the mantra”.

Choosing your word or mantra is of some importance. Ideally you should choose your mantra in consultation with a Teacher. But there are various mantras which are suitable for a beginner. If you have no Teacher to help you, then you should choose a word that has been hollowed over the centuries by your tradition.

In my case, coming from the Christian tradition, I chose the Aramaic word “maranatha” (meaning “come Lord”). A Jew could perhaps choose “Abba” (Father) or “Adonai” (Ruler, Lord)

Perhaps practising Buddhists could contribute to this thread with suitable mantras beginners could use for following the Buddhist tradition?

Edited July 8, 2005 by Thomas_Merton