Meditation

Most people associate meditat ion with Buddhism. There are thousands of statues, paint ings and engravings that present the Buddha in the lotus posit ion.

At the same t ime, the majority of people would l ikely identify the purpose of meditat ion as gett ing a sense of calm, rel ieving stress or the l ike.

The purpose of this presentation is both to take meditat ion beyond its calming benefits, and to present a variety of approaches and techniques.

I t is true that most Buddhist schools hold meditat ion at the center – but not all. Pure Land Buddhism, for instance, can at t imes look to outsiders very much more l ike a Methodist Church service than classic meditat ion.

But Buddhism did not invent meditat ion. Indeed, most of the forms and techniques that Buddhism uses have been taken from Hindu or Taoist tradit ions.

There are other forms that may predate al l these tradit ions by mil lenia.

Seated Lao Tzu, Wu Yi Mountain, Fu Jian, China

Prayer and meditat ion are not the same thing. Prayer is communication with another, meditat ion is the discernment of one ’s own mind and essence. That said, not all forms of meditat ion include the tradit ional seated posit ion. Indeed, sometimes what is called prayer is actually meditat ion, as in the Roman Catholic act of praying the rosary.

Sufi Dervishes Taoist Tai Chi Catholic rosary prayer

Hindu tradit ion identif ied two basic approaches to meditat ion: samatha and vipassana. They teach that vipassana is necessary for gaining the insight that l iberates a person from the cycle of rebirth (the Buddhist nirvana). As such it focuses inward. Samatha is easier to practice and actually serves as the basis for vipassana. I t is the practice of concentrat ion – and concentrat ion usually begins on the world outside. For instance, creating the mandala (an intr icate sandpainting l ike the one at the left) is the practice of concentration. The monk blocks all but the mandala out of mind as he works.

Kundalini is one example of vipassana – the practit ioner becomes deeply aware of his or her body and through that the deepest mind. Kundalini is a school of yoga. Through kundalini, a person can master many aspects of the physical self that most people believe are simply there: breathing, pulse, blood pressure, pain and much more are governed by our minds, and those who come to know the mind can assume control.

Shiva seated with a serpent coiled around him. In kundalini, the serpent represents the spiritual energy within that starts at the base of the spine and coils to the crown of the head.

Kundalini teaching holds that there are seven chakras (the word is actually the Sanskrit for “lotus”) or centers of energy.

I l lustration of the seven chakras.

The wand of Caduceus from ancient Greece is the symbol of the Amercian Medical Association. The idea of the serpent as sacred also f inds expression in ancient Sumeria (Lil ith is portrayed with a serpent entwined around a branch) and Israel (the snake in the tree in the Garden of Eden).

At t imes, Tantric meditat ion can go so far as to make meditat ion an act of the sexual couple. Contrary to the typical Western understanding, meditat ion in the moment of coitus is not about better sex. Rather, the goal is to

Shiva & Parvati, Nepal (10 th cent.)

The Yab-Yum

use the sexual moment as a way of gaining greater insight into the mind. Tantric meditat ion, called maithuna, is dif f icult to master, since we tend to allow our sexual desire to take control. Maithuna practit ioners very deliberately slow the process so as to allow deep concentrat ion on breathing and sensation.

Zazen is the meditation practice of Zen Buddhism. Essential ly, i t is “sit down and shut up” Buddhism, placing a radical emphasis on emptying the mind of all thought.

By now, it must be clear that the decision to take up meditat ion requires that a person consider not just whether, but how and why to meditate. Among the basic options:

• Intense focus on an outside reali ty

• Concentrat ion on one ’s physical self

• Use of repetit ive chant, dance or other activity

• Emptying the mind of al l thought

Jeannette Larzalere of Whiteriver, AZ at her Sunrise ceremony. Apache girls dance for hours in their transit ion to womanhood. That transition happens when the girl becomes one with Changing Woman, the feminine power of the earth.

When you decide to dedicate t ime to your meditat ion, your posture wil l be a crit ical dimension. Many have tried seated meditat ion, only to crash and burn with the real ization that their foot has fallen asleep or their neck hurts.

The classic lotus posit ion (with the left foot on the right inner thigh, and right foot on the left inner thigh) has the advantage of allowing very long meditat ion stretches. Many choose to do this on a pil low – not a new innovation, as the picture at the left demonstrates.

Intense focus on an outside reality

This is an everyday practice, not requir ing any special arrangements. Simply put, pick something and focus – intensely. I f the object is a tree, notice every detail – the texture, color variat ions and the blemishes in the bark, the way the shadows vary with from the edges of the trunk to the center and through the texture, the insect that scurries across the bark. The goal is to be so completely absorbed in the details that all other outside reality fal ls away.

At f irst, this can be done within the daily routine, but you wil l eventually need some dedicated t ime.

I t may seem simple but actually requires pract ice: Imagine the feelings on the surface of your skin. The temperature of the air around us is a

Concentrat ion on one ’s physical self

constant – there are pockets of cooler and warmer air. Stop al l other activity, and try to feel what that air is l ike on your arms, your neck, your face. Feel the breezes across your skin.

Buddhist nuns do a walking meditation in Bangkok, a common practice of Therevada Buddhism and Zen.

From such awareness of your exterior sensation, you can turn to interior sensation. One of the most widely used meditat ion techniques centers thought on breath – the feel ing of breath as it enters your nostr i ls, including the physical movement of the nostri ls themselves, then the breath as it moves through your nose. You can mental ly fol low the breath into your lungs, and become aware of the senses throughout your body as you breathe in, then out.

There are three other types of focus on breath. First , counting breaths is a rhythmic action that can st i l l subconscious thought in the same way as dance or rhythmic prayer. Second, you can focus intellectual analysis on breath. Considering the nature of breath – its f leeting nature, i ts interaction with the atmosphere, its way of weaving the individual to the whole – can st i l l other thought as well. Finally, focusing on the various forms of breathing can be an act of mindfulness.

Qi (pronounced “chee”), the Chinese character for “breath”. It also means “spirit” and “energy”, and is the word used in Taoist tradit ion for “l ife force.” The same interwoven set of meaning is part of the Hebrew tradition, where ruach is “breath,” “wind” and “spirit.”

Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism are not the only tradit ions that incorporate meditat ion. Within Judaism (the Kabbalah), Islam (Sufi tradit ion) and Christ ianity (the mystic tradit ion) movements have been shaping, using and exploring meditat ion for centuries. It is part of the Lakota Vision Quest and Sun Dance, the Huichol peyote pi lgrimage, Wiccan dance and chant and much more.

Thomas Merton, one of modern Christianity’s more famous mystics.

Huichol bead art – the crafting of the piece is considered an act of meditation.

Hatha Yoga and Tai Chi are both forms of non-rel igious meditat ion. The focus in each is complete physical self-control. Neither is concerned with a spir itual dimension, and thus can be taught in public schools.

The mind is a swirl of thought – most of which we never become aware. The goal of al l meditat ion is to st i l l this chaos, and the techniques above seek to focus al l mental energy on one thing and simply let al l the others “sett le”. Other techniques have been developed for a more active process.

Buddhists speak of “monkey mind” – the seemingly endless rise of thoughts from our subconscious to our conscious mind.

(PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THIS DETAIL!)

The use of sound (including drum, f lute or even didgeridoo music), dance and many other activit ies can be meditat ional i f the goal is to empty the mind of thought. One warning, however: emptying the mind of thought while running can lead to a broken foot. Seriously. I t has happened.

Tibetan nun with prayer beads Runner

Modern neurological research has given us a surprising explanation for the way meditat ion works. At the crown of the head (the highest chakra) is the area of the brain that allows us to dist inguish ourselves from other objects. This allows us to sit (the chair is something dif ferent from me) and walk (that chair is something to go around). Without this area, we could not function.

But tests have shown that meditat ion in all the forms discussed above impact on this area of the brain by slowing down the activity. Through meditat ion, we begin to quiet that separation, and feel a unity with all reality.

Where would you want to go with this? Practit ioners of meditat ion have many goals, from wanting a more laid-back approach to l i fe to a mystic union with the One. Between the two are other possibil i t ies. You can use meditat ion as a way to manage chronic pain, or you can meditate to develop a higher awareness of the world in which you move.

Meditat ion is not a religion, any more than bread or wine or music are rel igion. It is simply a powerful tool.

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