Gradual Training

The word "MEDITATION"

There are many types of meditation; in fact the word itself carries a huge cultural baggage and depending on one's education and cultural milieu, one can have a very different image of what this may mean compared to another. Some aspects of meditation aim to still the mind, another aim to create a wholesome mindstate of Love and Compassion while yet another serves for the yogi to see the harsh realities of life directly.The word often translated as "meditation" that is used by the Lord Buddha is "Bhavana" which actually means 'the training of the Mind' and this encompasses a wide spectrum of behavioural and mental disciplines.

Misunderstanding a technical term

The term 'detach' does NOT refer to running away from reality or escapism, on the contrary it refers to confronting emotions directly and objectively from the perspective of an observer so that it is seen without bias. It serves to train oneself to handle the emotional rollercoasters of life with an even minded and calm mind, not reacting based on past conditioning or reflexly, but with rationality which requires a calm objective approach.

Present moment awareness, Inspect NOT expect, Letting Go

The aim of Insight Meditation is to help the yogi see the truths of life within the experiences of his own mind and body. There is No denial of anything pleasant or unpleasant. All experiences are acknowledged as an arising experience to be seen and 'let go off ', i.e. 'unattached to'. Even the 'Dark sides' of one's lives are seen objectively as and when the thought or emotion arises, the yogi is taught specifically NOT to push away or deny any arising phenomena but to "Inspect NOT expect", inspecting all arising phenomena like a scientist inspecting the reactions in a test tube.

Foundation training FIRST

'Meditation' or mental training is a discipline based on the foundation of Morality and doing good deeds, Virtue. It is NOT and cannot be a single legged table. It similarly requires the development of Metta Bhavana i.e. the simultaneous development of a mind filled/ saturated with Love and Compassion.

The yogi is thus a well disciplined individual, virtuous and generous with himself and others, besides being a happy contented person whose mindstate is that of a Loving kind person... in the context of this background, he/she searches for the basic realities of life within his/her bodily and mental experiences. The Buddha is clear that the training process is a graduated one based on clear structured "DOs and DON'Ts". If one tries to short circuit the training and finds 'undesired results', the fault is not the method but the approach.

Ego and Non-Self

A skilled teacher will NOT ask anyone to "kill their egos", instead one sees the delusion of the Ego by oneself when one observes the body and mind. The teachings of 'Non self' is very profound and it takes a well prepared mind to understand it. Pushing a neophyte to understand such profound truths is akin to asking a primary schoolchild to understand quantum physics, the occasional genius will see it clearly but the vast majority will be confused.

The Final Result: Right Insight and Right Liberation

The true goal of meditation is to see the Truths of life directly for oneself, INSIGHT; it is certainly NOT emptying the Mind or simply calming the mind. A sedative will do better in both occasions but will not help the mind be any wiser. Seeing the realities of the Impermanence of everything in life and adjusting ourselves to this reality is what lessens suffering, ultimately understanding the Truths of life fully is what frees us from all suffering. Furthermore meditation is not an half hour affair on a cushion BUT a discipline in attitudes, responses and perception that is used or applied in the other hours of the day.

Partial understanding of the path is Not only Incomplete but Wrong!