Meditation: The only introduction you’ll ever need

COPYRIGHT

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers

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First published by Thorsons 1998

© Christina Feldman 1998

Christina Feldman asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN 9780007273102

Ebook Edition © JULY 2014 ISBN: 9780007584581

Version: 2014-07-09

DEDICATION

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO ALL OF MY TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING EXAMPLES OF THE PATH OF WISDOM AND COMPASSION.

TO SARA AND ARRAN, ALWAYS AN INSPIRATION.

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

1 Principles of Meditation

2 Concentration

3 Mindfulness Meditation

4 Devotion

5 Calming the Mind and Body

6 Meditation in Daily Life

Resource Guide

Keep Reading

In the Same Series

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

For anyone wishing to explore meditation there has never been a richer time to do so. Meditation is no longer the territory of cloistered, religious communities but is readily available to all, regardless of background or religious affiliation. Meditation practices are no longer considered esoteric techniques, shrouded in secrecy but are increasingly being integrated into every level of our culture. Meditation has become the path of countless people who seek spiritual renewal, well-being, calmness and an enriched quality of life. The escalating busyness, noise and stress of our world compels many of us to turn inwardly to find a refuge of stillness and understanding.

The purpose of meditation is to transform and awaken us. It is intended to bring about change – through understanding, compassion and clarity of seeing. Through meditation practice our way of seeing ourselves – our minds, bodies, characters -alters through a process of becoming increasingly sensitive and aware. Our minds have greater access to calmness and clarity, our ways of perceiving ourselves become more intuitive and direct and we begin to understand ourselves with greater depth and compassion. We learn the art of simplicity and disentangling ourselves from the knots of confusion, images, habitual reactions and tension. We learn the skills of calmness and discover a way to be at peace with ourselves. The personal transformation that occurs translates into a growing capacity to approach our lives with increasing skillfulness, wisdom and care. The choices we make in our lives, our way of relating to other people and the events of our lives, is guided by sensitivity, mindfulness and calm.

Within the variety of schools of meditation there are both mystical and practical elements. Through meditation practice we open up to new understandings and revelations, we enter into previously unfamiliar territory of stillness, oneness and grace. Profound and sometimes startling encounters with depths of concentration, peace and unity are possible through meditation practice. The insights that come to us through meditation translate into very real changes in our lives. Our minds and bodies calm – a tangible sense of well-being and balance begins to permeate all of our lives. Our capacity to think clearly and intuitively deepens, our potential for creativity is enhanced and the inner calmness we discover manifests in an increased calmness and harmony in our lives.

Meditation is inherently experiential. It cannot be learned as a purely scholastic subject nor simply taught as an intellectual exercise. Meditation is not a new belief system to be adopted nor a collection of information to be absorbed. Whatever style or discipline we adopt its effectiveness is reliant upon our direct personal exploration, practice and experience with it. Meditation introduces us to the life of our mind, body and feelings – on a moment to moment level we increasingly see clearly the ways we affect our world and the ways we are affected by it. This is the starting point of a journey of transformation – the possibility of travelling new pathways in our lives and relationships emerges. There are thousands of meditation styles and practices in existence which each have unique differences and fundamental similarities. The primary theme that is shared within this variety of disciplines is the invitation to direct and personal experience. No one can substitute for us on this journey, no one can give to us the profound benefits of meditation, no one can effect change for us – every tradition of meditation invites us to participate directly and to see for ourselves.

Throughout history people have retreated to mountain tops, to deserts and caves in order to meditate; to find an inner sanctuary of calmness, depth and wisdom. Every culture and tradition in our world, from Asia to the Amazon, has created within it a system or discipline designed to evoke altered states of consciousness, an enhanced sense of the sacred and to bring to fruition our own potential for awakening. Meditation is not a mindless repetition of a ritual or formula but a direct response to our own aspirations for oneness, wisdom and freedom. As meditation has become more accessible in recent decades there is no longer the demand to withdraw from the world or profess life-long vows. We learn to cultivate a path of peace and understanding in the midst of our lives with their variety of demands and challenges guided by the same longings for calm, depth and wisdom.

Before we ever begin formally to practise meditation we will all experience both the longings for peace and depth and glimpses of genuine meditation. Moments when our minds calm and still: maybe a moment walking through a park when our attention is captivated by the sound of a bird and we listen wholeheartedly; it may be a moment when we feel deeply touched by the sorrow or pain of a friend, and separation gives way to deep intimacy and openheartedness; or perhaps the at times surprising moments within ourselves when we are able to let go of anxiety and preoccupation and experience hints of oneness and clarity – these are moments of meditative experience. These moments, as well as the vast variety of meditative practices and systems are like ‘the finger pointing at the moon’ – in moments of stillness and calm we have just a brief glimpse of the richness and harmony possible for us; the challenge of developing and sustaining a path still lies before us. They invite us to discover for ourselves the heart of meditation. These moments inspire us to discover and develop an enduring peace, happiness and stillness, rather than the random moments previously encountered.

Through this book I will attempt to describe some of the major paths of meditation, looking at both their unique features and aims, and the essential principles they share. There are basic instructions describing the ways to begin to practise paths of concentration, devotion and mindfulness. The chapter on calming the mind and body provides some simple techniques for alleviating stress and tension. Exercises for integrating formal meditation into our daily lives are given.

This book will provide the essential information that will enable anyone to begin a path of meditation and to experience its benefits directly. It is an invitation for each of us to discover new dimensions of well-being, calm and understanding.

1
PRINCIPLES OF MEDITATION

What is meditation? As we begin to explore this question for ourselves we are faced with the fact that there are hundreds of schools and systems of meditation that include concentration, devotion, visualization, mindfulness and a variety of other ways to calm and focus the mind. Within this diversity of paths there are genuine differences in emphasis and practice yet beneath this apparent variance there are core elements and parallel principles found in all traditions. At the most fundamental level all traditions are concerned with a process of transforming our consciousness. Within the variety of styles the themes of happiness, compassion, simplicity, calmness and depth are repeated, only in different words. Every tradition will highlight the deepening in acceptance, patience, ethics and wisdom. Different temperaments will be drawn to different styles of meditation practice or specific spiritual disciplines, yet every system will ask the practitioner to foster the essential principles of meditation shared by all traditions. It is the development of these core principles, rather than the comparison of the differences, that allows the deepening of meditation. Some of these essential and shared principles I would like to highlight.

CORE PRINCIPLES

There are several core principles which run through all meditative disciplines. Attention, awareness, understanding and compassion form the basic skeleton of all systems of meditation. Attention is the means of establishing ourselves in the present moment, providing focus and simplicity. There are hundreds of ways to cultivate attentiveness that share the essential direction of developing clarity, balance and calm. Awareness is a fundamental direction in all meditation. Developing and establishing a consciousness that is light, unburdened, sensitive and clear provides an inner environment that is intuitive and still. Clear and profound understanding is the direction of all meditation. Understanding is born of the direct and immediate perception of our inner and outer worlds. Understanding the forces that move us in our actions, speech, relationships and beliefs provides the possibility of travelling new pathways in our lives and is part of the tapestry of deepening wisdom. Understanding the processes that shape and create our inner and outer world forms part of the pathway of wisdom. The vast range of meditative traditions agree that it is understanding that frees us. Compassion is a fundamental principle of meditation. Meditation is not a narcissistic, self-interested path. It provides the foundation for love, integrity, compassion, respect and sensitivity.

The array of different schools will develop these core principles which will be discussed in greater detail in the following chapters. The differences in the pathways of meditation that have evolved are primarily shaped through the differing emphasis that is given to one of the core principles over others; all pathways will include the full range of these principles to differing degrees. Equally the differing schools of meditation will emphasize the significance of establishing a strong foundation for meditation to develop.

FOUNDATIONS OF MEDITATION

HAPPINESS

The myriad paths of meditation find agreement not only in the ingredients of their development but equally in their objectives. The search for genuine happiness and peace are core elements both in meditation and in our lives. Beset by the whole range of human maladies and struggles – loss, disappointment, tension, illness and confusion, we search for a way to end sorrow and conflict. In our lives we seek an enduring happiness and peace, deeper than just the temporary gratification of our passing wants and appetites. We look for ways for our hearts to sing with joy, delight and appreciation. Struggling with anger, tension, restlessness, meaninglessness or fear we search for ways to be at peace with ourselves and others, to live with calmness and depth.

Frequently in our lives we have attempted to find solutions to these conflicts and find happiness through avoiding challenging situations or endeavouring to create a ‘perfect’ world for ourselves where there is an absence of the disturbing, challenging or unpleasant. Or we endlessly endeavour to find happiness and peace through attempting to satisfy every desire that arises – more things, more achievements, more experiences. We begin to look at this longing for happiness and peace in new ways as we awaken to the fact that no matter how controlled or armoured our life is the world will always bring us more changes, new circumstances and challenges that we cannot avoid or control. We realize that there is a difference between pleasure and happiness and there is not enough of anything in the world that can be possessed or gained that can provide the happiness and peace we search for. No matter how much we gain or acquire we are not exempt from the possibility of loss. Our lives will always be a blend of the delightful and the challenging, the pleasant and the unpleasant, flattering and disturbing encounters, health and sickness. Endeavours to control the unpredictable and uncertain elements in life leaves us fearful and tense. Living in fantasies or ideals of how life ‘should be’ is a rejection of reality that banishes us from calm and balance. We begin to discover that avoidance, control and fantasy are not pathways to happiness but to confusion and conflict.

These primary insights are turning points in ourselves and are the beginning of meditation. They lead us not to dismiss or reject the world around us or belabour ourselves with judgement or despair, but to begin to look within ourselves for the source of happiness and the ways to foster it. We realize that to bring change in our personal lives and our world we will need to bring about radical change within our own hearts and minds. We begin to look not only for a genuine way to happiness but also cultivate the willingness to understand the dynamics of unhappiness and discontent. We begin to question our prejudices, opinions and beliefs and understand the way in which they can blind us to understanding what is true in the circumstances and events we meet. Instead of avoiding conflict or projecting blame in the face of disturbance, we find new encouragement to explore the nature of conflict, anger, fear and resentment and begin to understand the relationship between distress and its cause. Instead of searching the world for satisfaction, gratification and relief from restlessness and tension we become increasingly attentive to our inner life, and there are glimmers of sensitivity and understanding. Rather than turning on the television in an attempt to distance ourselves from anxiety or distress we learn to explore and untangle those feelings. Rather than being lost in anger and resistance to someone who disturbs us we find the calm and willingness to stay present and begin to understand the nature of our conflict.

With a greater willingness to be consciously present and awake in each moment, rather than being lost in struggle or resistance, our minds begin to calm and there emerges a deeper sense of harmony and rapport within ourselves and with the world. We discover that peace is not the elimination of the disturbing or challenging but the capacity to meet the changing circumstances of our lives with balance and understanding. We begin to sense a profound happiness that is not reliant upon a ‘perfect’ world, but that stems from the clarity, calmness and contentment of our own minds and hearts. It is not the happiness of exhilaration or excitement but an enduring happiness born of sensitivity, balance and appreciation.

THE PATH

All traditions will portray meditation as a path, a living dynamic process of unfoldment. It is intended to take us from confusion to clarity, from entanglement to freedom, from discontent to happiness, from agitation to serenity. The practice of meditation will not insulate us from the pain that our lives may bring, nor is it an escape from the challenges we will all be asked to address in our lives. It will enable us to meet all of the variety of changes and challenges of our life with increasingly deep levels of acceptance, balance, understanding and compassion. Meditation is not a path of passivity or withdrawal; it will empower and free us to live with greater skilfulness, vitality and intuition. Through meditation we find the inner skills and resources that enable greater responsiveness and clarity in life.

Meditation is not a magical solution nor will the different schools of meditation dispense prescriptions and formulae to impose upon the changing events we encounter. There is no system of meditation that will guarantee a quick and painless solution to the variety of dilemmas we meet in our lives. As a path of change and transformation all traditions of meditation will ask us to be a conscious participant in the development of the discipline we adopt and in the process of meditation. An integral aspect of all meditative paths lies in their practice and application. We are not passengers but travellers. There are qualities of heart and mind that we will need to foster and develop and other qualities we will be asked to understand and let go of. One of the meditation principles that runs through the variety of spiritual disciplines is the emphasis that is given to laying firm and clear foundations for the development of a meditative practice.

ETHICS

Every meditative tradition will emphasize the need to establish a basis for meditation upon the foundation of a moral or ethical life that fosters a mind and heart of mindfulness, compassion and sensitivity. The precepts, vows and commandments of the various traditions are not intended to be rules blindly adhered to but instead highlight the integral link between an ethical life and a mind that is able to deepen in calm and understanding. If in our lives we are engaged in actions, speech, lifestyles or pursuits that bring harm or pain to ourselves or to others, it is exceedingly difficult for the mind to deepen in serenity or compassion. Instead through unethical action or speech that harms ourselves or others, the mind collects residues of regret, guilt and unease. These feelings in turn create endless streams of thought and agitation preventing inner calmness and depth. Engagement in unethical action or speech fosters a pronounced sense of disharmony and fear, anger and alienation. For example, a cosmetics company, aware of the high turnover rate among the technicians involved in testing products on animals, invited an instructor to teach meditation as a stress reduction technique. Paradoxically, the experiment ended with many of the staff resigning as they connected with their intrinsic unease about the nature of their work. The discovery of the happiness so integral to meditation rests upon the harmony and clarity we cultivate in our lives and relationships, both inwardly and outwardly through our actions, speech, thoughts and choices.

Meditation is not ethically neutral nor is it solely a path of inner transformation intent upon achieving exotic states of inner experience. It is directed towards not only the cultivation of calm and wisdom, but also compassion, sensitivity, forgiveness, love and generosity. Meditation is a path not only of inner change, but a path that enables us to touch our relationships and the world around us with compassion, care and peace. It is not possible to separate the quality of our meditation from the quality of our lives. If our lives are saturated with tension, conflict or remorse this will be reflected in our meditation. If the culture of our lives and relationships is based upon peace, understanding and sensitivity, this too will be reflected in our meditation.

The ethical guidelines of any tradition show us the way to a life of harmony and peace and are the vehicles for embodying the spirit of meditation in every circumstance and moment of our lives. They show us the way to live a life of harmlessness, tolerance and compassion. Giving attention to the truthfulness of our speech, cultivating honesty, showing reverence for life through non-harming, bringing integrity and respect into our relationships with other people and fostering a mind and body that is unclouded by intoxicants – these are the ingredients of a life of peace and a mind that is easily collected and focused in meditation.

ATTITUDE

Right attitude is one of the essential principles of meditation practice in all traditions. Most styles of meditation are simple but this does not imply that they are easy. Our approach to any style of meditation is significant and profoundly influences the way in which our experience will unfold. The willingness to learn, the humility to accept the moments we falter, the inspiration to begin again in every moment are all fundamental ingredients of right attitude. Right attitude is the willingness to bring profound patience, openness and acceptance to our path. Every moment is greeted as our teacher, including the moments of boredom, restlessness and resistance. We learn to welcome even the sometimes painful discoveries of our own frailties and prejudices as invitations to deepen in understanding. The path cannot be separated from the goal in meditation. If we seek peace then we need to develop our path in a peaceful way – judgement, striving and forcing are not conducive to peace. If we seek compassion then compassion must be an integral part of our own approach to meditation – intolerance, blame and rejection are not elements of compassion. If we seek calm, excessive ambitiousness and preoccupation with goals are not appropriate or conducive.

Many people come to meditation practice inspired by the stories of great saints and mystics who have been changed through profound spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness. We may find ourselves looking to meditation as a fast track to our own transcendental experiences and breakthroughs. Investing too much in these expectations we may easily feel disappointed or disillusioned when our initial experiences seem to fall far short of our ideals. Vision and inspiration are a vital ingredient in developing our meditation practice, but these need to be finely balanced with a number of other qualities of heart and mind that allow us to become clearly established in the reality of the present moment with balance and openness. All meditative traditions are paths from here to there, a way of realizing the understanding and compassion that is possible for all of us. For us to fulfil those possibilities, to realize our vision and aspiration we need to begin with the ‘here’, to connect clearly and fully with the truth of our experience in this moment with an attitude of acceptance and balance.

You do not need to be a spiritual expert, religiously educated or belong to a particular tradition in order to meditate. For those who are just beginning a path and for those who have had vast previous experience in meditation, one simple yet primary ingredient is shared. It is the willingness to learn, to see clearly, to be wholehearted in our path. Meditation is essentially a ‘present’ moment experience and exploration. There are goals, directions and aspirations yet our practice of meditation and attention is focused upon the moment we are in and not upon the promises and ideals of the future. Whatever is occurring in this moment is the grist for and the birthplace of understanding, calm and peace.

PATIENCE

When you practise meditation and discover a mind that seems to be bursting with thoughts, a body that is restless or uncomfortable and emotions that are unpredictable or overwhelming it is easy to conclude that your meditation is impossible and worthless. The moment you focus your attention it seems to be swept away by memories from the past, planning the future or lost in the apparently endless mind storms of the present. You may be tempted to think that your meditation can only truly begin once you have succeeded in getting rid of or overcoming all of the distractions that plague you. This is a conclusion and an attitude that can only lead to tension, struggle and further confusion as you struggle with the apparently bottomless well of distractions. Consenting to this attitude breeds forcing, willpower and striving but does not lead to peace, calmness or understanding.

Patience is one of the primary enabling principles of meditation practice. It is the quality that allows us to find calmness and harmony in every moment rather than the struggle and tension born of impatience. The preoccupations, thoughts and distractions that appear to plague us and prevent us from meditating are not obstacles to be overcome or enemies to struggle with. It is in the midst of all of these that we learn some of the deepest lessons of our lives and our meditation. It is easy to hold love, compassion, acceptance and simplicity as ideals to be achieved in the future. It is also true that anyone can be compassionate when they remain unchallenged, we can love easily when surrounded by flattery, we can easily be calm when we are undisturbed – but this is not the truth of our lives. It is in the midst of disturbance, challenge and the difficult that we learn most deeply about acceptance, balance and compassion. The willingness to let go of our comparisons, evaluations and preoccupations with goals is a major factor in cultivating patience, to stay steady and balanced in the midst of busyness and confusion.

As we are faced with the variety of forces of our minds, hearts and bodies that appear to pull us away from our meditation it is patience that enables us to return over and over to the moment we are in with calmness and ease. No matter how lost we become in our thoughts and preoccupations, we can begin again to cultivate awareness and connectedness in the very next moment. The willingness to begin anew in every moment, free from judgement or conclusion is always possible for us. It is the embodiment of patience.

ACCEPTANCE

The capacity for acceptance is another of the primary principles that allows meditation to deepen and that runs through the variety of approaches. True acceptance is neither blind nor passive, but the capacity to see things as they actually are, free from judgement or prejudice. Acceptance is the extension of generosity, tolerance and forgiveness.

The process of inner change includes the process of becoming increasingly aware and sensitive to our inner landscape. In cultivating the power of attention we are revealed to ourselves. The variety of inner processes and dynamics that shape the life of our hearts and minds becomes progressively more visible to us. No one has yet created a path of meditation in which we are able to bypass ourselves – our bodies, emotions, minds, or personalities on the way to enlightenment, peace and understanding. Instead through meditation we become increasingly intimate with all the variety of thoughts, feelings, impressions and aspirations that shape us as human beings. We do not always enjoy or appreciate facets of our being that are revealed through our meditation practice. Qualities such as greed, anger, jealousy or indifference are not easy to accept with kindness and tolerance. It is easy to become judgmental and rejecting of parts of ourselves that we dislike because they are not in accord with our image of who we think we should be. Our judgements and rejections serve only to harden the mind and create endless agitation as we endeavour to avoid what we condemn within ourselves.

In a very real way meditation begins with acceptance. It allows us to soften and open, to bring compassion and generosity of heart. We do not have to justify, excuse or villify the variety of thoughts and feelings that arise. As we become increasingly aware and sensitive to the movements of our minds and hearts we also more deeply understand that rarely do they come to us through personal choice or selection but are born of confusion and misunderstanding. We are not always in control of our minds and hearts – this is a significant understanding. Rarely do we wake in the morning and decide it is a good day to be depressed or angry. Equally it is not so simple for us to wake in the morning and decide it’s a timely day to be happy or compassionate. Understanding with sensitivity and balance the unpredictable nature of our thoughts and feelings enables us to step back just a little, to refrain from judgement, to see things as they actually are and to stay balanced. This is the embodiment of acceptance and compassion.

Acceptance is the withdrawal of judgement and prejudice; this is also the beginning of change and transformation. Instead of resigning ourselves to helplessness or despair in the face of our thoughts and feelings or resisting them with tension and struggle we can turn our attention to meet directly whatever thoughts or feelings are present without conditions. Surrounding those inner processes with a clear and balanced attentiveness creates a relationship of interest and exploration rather than rejection. We begin to sense the possibility of new pathways of understanding, letting go and depth.