Meditation

Meditation – The Core Teaching and Practice of Yoga

and Buddhism

Much has been written about and reflected on

meditation and what it consists of.

In the early 21rst century, with the availability of

the computer and a number of online ways to share and disseminate information, and more people learning and practicing

meditation and writing about it, it seems that we can easily access any information that we wish to on meditation.

In some instances, we may seem overwhelmed and

confused by the availability of all of this

information or not be sure about how to practice or if

we should be practicing within the context of a larger

set of teachings and practices.

In both Yoga and Buddhism, meditation is the core

teaching and practice.

And in both Yoga and Buddhism, meditation is practiced

within a larger set of teachings and practices.

This larger set of teachings and practices is mainly

one of morals and ethics as regards thought, speech

and action plus how our consciousness works and what

influences its workings.

The idea and practice of meditation is something that

man has been doing throughout the history of mankind.

It can be practiced by clergy, monks and lay people.

It can be practiced by men and women and young and

old.

It can be practiced in prison, at home or while

traveling to another place or country.

Elements and practices in Islam, Judaism,

Christianity, and Catholicism bear a strong

resemblance to the practice of meditation in Yoga and

Buddhism.

Meditation is something that we at times think of as

being quite difficult to do and bring into our lives.

We may not be clear about how to do it or what we

should be getting out of doing it.

We may think that it is something that we are not

capable of doing.

For those who are investigating Yoga and Buddhism at

this time and want to learn them and practice

meditation we offer a few guidelines and comments

about its practice.

They may be of help to you in making meditation part

of your daily habit and routine.

Point #1 - In order to practice meditation we need to

sit in posture that is comfortable, steady and

therapeutic.

What makes the posture for meditation so important is

the fact that it is therapeutic.

Many times we can be comfortable and steady in a

posture when we are sitting reading or watching

television. It does not mean that the posture we are

in is a healthy one.

Learning to sit in a meditative posture is one of the

greatest challenges that those who are new to

meditation face.

This meditative posture does not have to be an

advanced posture as long as it is therapeutic, meaning

that it balances the energy of the body and

consciousness.

Two postures that are good for those who are new to

meditation to learn are the Yoga postures known as the

easy posture (sukhasana) and the thunderbolt posture (vajrasana).

Point #2 - Meditation practice should be done at the

same time everyday.

Determining when is the best time for one will depend

on their own schedule and a system of trial and error.

Sometimes early in the morning is best, though some

people have said that they are too distracted because

they think of their work and tasks for the day ahead.

Individuals who experience this may do better

meditating at night before dinner or going to bed.

Point #3 – When we sit for meditation practice we

should try to sit for at least 15 minutes.

How long we sit is not the most important thing,

though we should try to make it a regular habit to sit

for at least 15 minutes each time we sit.

With that kind of experience and discipline, we will

get benefits plus at the same time build a solid and

strong base for future practice.

Point #4 – When the mind and consciousness wanders

during meditation practice we should not become

frustrated or think that we are failing in our effort.

We should just simply note the movement and then let

it go, bringing our attention back to our

concentration object.

This experience of the wandering consciousness is part

of the process that cultivates wisdom and insight.

This experience of the wandering consciousness also is

why it is helpful and necessary to practice meditation

within the context of a wider set of teachings, as

these teachings give us insights as to how the

consciousness wanders and what can be learned from

this.

Point #5 – Our concentration object can be any number

of things, such as the rising and falling of the

abdomen or the breath.

What it is exactly may not be the most important thing

and like trying to build a regular practice of 15

minutes each day, it is the sticking with one

concentration object that is most fruitful and

gradually builds a stronger practice in the future.

Point #6 – It we practice sitting meditation on a

regular basis, we will lessen tendencies to stress and

anxiety in our life, be both mentally and physically

healthier and weaken unwholesome states of being

(doubt, sloth, torpor, ill – will, restlessness and

worry, among others) and cultivate wholesome states of

being (mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and

joy, among others).

That in itself should be enough of an incentive for

people to learn and practice it.

Point #7 – Our place of practice should be clean and

quiet and our clothing and body when we practice

should also be clean.

It is advised that one takes a shower before

practicing and one wears clean and fresh clothing

during the sitting meditation practice session.

Meditation is not a difficult thing to learn and

practice.

Anyone can benefit from learning to sit for meditation

practice on a daily and regular basis.

(John lives and teaches in Bangkok, Thailand. He can

be reached at johnckimbrough@yahoo.com)