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Central to Buddhist concepts is Bodhisatva, meaning the heart of Buddha. That we are born with a Buddha nature. Meditation (or prayer) is simply our way of accessing our bodhisatva, or Buddha heart. Our own little inner Buddha! In general, Buddhism is a practice of finding peace within oneself. It is a religion formulated to win happiness during the present life as well as in the next. Through the influence of Karma, the mechanism that determines how a person's acts will impact their next incarnation, Buddhists practice finding the good within everything. Their desire is to live happily, not harming others, working towards their ultimate goal of enlightenment. Buddhism acts as a philosophy that regulates a persons place in the world, and the universe. Buddhist research are not limited to text, philosophies, logic and analysis alone. It is carried throughout the daily life with positive mental qualities. The Bodhisatva's noble search that led him to find liberation and happiness and the path for this happiness sets an excellent example of buddhist research. Meditation can give liberation to the mind, a sort of aloofness to the mind elevating it to a state of a ‘detached observer’. Central to all practice is a room or an area in your home that is your Holy place. This doesn't need to be large but should be quiet and neither to bright or too dark. In fromal, traditional Buddhist meditation, the meditation area should have a Buddha (statue or scroll), candle, incense holder, flower (either artificial or a a potted plant), food offering and a water offering. The arrangement of these items is as follows; in front of the Buddha; incense holder and water (directly in front of the Buddha), on the left flower and food offering. The candle is placed on the right. I have found that sitting in front of a candle is sufficient, or in front of any non-metalic wall, without glass or plastic, as in wall gazing. Incense, and music are optional. If you are doing sitting meditation, the cushion or a chair can be placed in front of the Buddha or facing a wall depending on what makes you most comfortable. Practice begins by lighting the candles, offering incense and then doing 3 prostrations or bows. Meditation follows and the Four Bodhisatva Vows; Sentient Being are numberless I vow to save them, The Desires are inexhaustible I vow to conquer them, The Dharmas are boundless I vow to master them and The Buddha Way is unsurpassed I vow to attain it. The time taken for the daily practice must fit ones own requirements. It could be 10 minutes or 40, but most importantly it should be daily or twice daily. If the above practices seem over whelming then do only a portion of them. The most important part is the meditation. The ancient Buddhist masters used to say that "study (practice) was like rowing a boat upstream: to stop is to float backward." They also said that "study was like boiling water over a fire: if you do not tend the fire and keep adding wood to it, the water will never boil." When you sit in the lotus position, you should sit naturally straight. Do not push the waist forward purposely. Doing so will raise your inner heat, which later on could result in having sand in the comer of your eyes, bad breath, uneasy breathing, loss of appetite, and in the worst case, vomiting blood. If dullness or sleepiness occur, open your eyes wide, straighten your back and gently move your buttocks from side to side. Dullness will naturally vanish. If you practice with an anxious attitude, you will have a sense of annoyance. At that time you should put everything down, including your efforts to practice. Rest for a few minutes. Gradually, after you recuperate, continue to practice. If you don't do this, as time goes on you will develop a hot- tempered character, or, in the worst case, you could go insane or fall into demonic entanglements. There are many experiences you will encounter when sitting Chan, too many to speak of. However, if you do not attach to them, they will not interfere with you. This is why the proverb says: "See the extraordinary yet do not think of it as being extraordinary, and the extraordinary will retreat." If you encounter or perceive an unpleasant experience, take no notice of it and have no fear. If you experience something pleasant, take no notice of it and don't give rise to fondness. The "Surangama Sutra" says: "If one does not think he has attained a supramundane experience, then this is good. On the other hand, if one thinks he has attained something supramundane, then he will attract demons." Both knees should be resting on the floor or mat while the meditator is seated on a cushion. This three pointed position provides a very stable platform. Put your right foot on your left thigh and then your left foot on your right thigh. If this it is not possible to get both feet on the thighs (full lotus) then put the left foot on the right thigh and rest the right foot on the mat (half lotus). If it is not possible to put the feet on the thighs then the legs can be folded one in front of the other with the bottom of one foot touching the inside of the opposite thigh (Burmese style). The hips should be pushed forward and the back should be straight and vertical. Keeping the back vertical is essential as the head has considerable weight and if the meditator is leaning to the side or front or back he will develop strain in his back. One way to think of this is as if balancing a ball (the head) on top of a pole (the spine). The chin should be slightly tucked in, extend your neck as though trying to reach the ceiling with the top of your head. The ears should be in line with the shoulders and the nose in line with the naval. The hands rest in your lap with the left hand resting in the palm of the right. The thumbs should be lightly touching. The tongue should be just touching the back of the front teeth. The eyes should be just slightly open and directed to a spot 3 to 5 ft in front of you. They should not be focused on any single spot. They should never be closed as this will cause sleepiness or encourage visions. Further if the eyes are open then you will be able to see if your body has shifted position. Finally take three deep breaths slowly to settle the mind. Breathe in through the nose and breathe out through the mouth. You may find it useful to recite the following silently before the start of meditation "I am formless, I am nameless - who or what is it that sits?" Beginners may find it useful to simply follow their breath and to count either inhalations or exhalations. When counting only go up to 10 and then start over. If visions or sounds appear let them go and do not dwell on them. A ‘bodhisattva’ is a person who delays his or her full enlightenment in order to aid in the liberation of all beings.” Bodhisattva literally translates to “Buddha to be”, and it is only when all beings have been relieved from suffering that a bodhisattva will allow themselves to reach parinirvana. To become a Bodhisattva is to be fearless. There is no aversion for those who are hostile and there is no obsessive clinging to those who are closest to us. There is no possessiveness, only love, compassion and discernment into the nature of reality. A Bodhisattva is motivated by pure compassion and love. Their goal is to achieve the highest level of being: that of a Buddha. Bodhisattva is a Sanskrit term which translates as: Bodhi [enlightenment] and sattva [being]. And their reason for becoming a Buddha is to help others. The Bodhisattva will undergo any type of suffering to help another sentient being, whether a tiny insect or a huge mammal. In Shakyamuni Buddha’s 'Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines' it states: “I will become a savior to all those beings, I will release them from all their sufferings.” If this sounds familiar to anyone not acquainted with Buddhism, then you only need to think of the example of Jesus Christ, a true Bodhisattva. When someone first enters the way of the Bodhisattva, they develop Bodhicitta, or, mind of enlightenment. Even as a person strives towards such an exalted goal, they feel as though they are limited by the fact that they, too, are suffering. So that they can be of aid to others, they decide to become Buddhas for a Buddha is capable of unlimited compassion and wisdom. Also, Buddhas are able to relate to all others at whatever level is needed. To those of lesser intelligence, a Buddha will use simpler words; and to those of great intelligence, a Buddha can explain answers in a more exalted language. By entering the Bodhisattva way, the mind must become enlightened. And so the training begins by generating the 6 Perfections: 1] generosity, 2] ethics, 3] patience, 4] effort, 5] concentration, and 6] wisdom. |