MEDITATION

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MEDITATION

THERE ARE THREE PRACTICES/TECHNIQUES ONE NEEDS TO LEARN AND ADHERE TO, TO BEGIN MEDITATION PRACTICE ON THE BASIC LEVEL AND BECOME PROFICIENT.

ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS SIMPLE THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

THESE PRACTICES WHICH I WILL EXPLAIN IN SIMPLE DETAIL ARE WHAT I USE TO TEACH AND PRACTICE MEDITATION WHICH I LEARNED IN FIVE MONASTERIES OVER A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS WHILE STATIONED IN HONOLULU. 

I FIND ONLY A RARE INSTANCE WHEN ONE MUST HAVE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BASIC ROUTINE FOR ANY REASON EXCEPT FOR EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCE. ANYTHING WHICH IS PRACTICED ABOVE THIS LEVEL COMES INTO THE REALM OF MAGICAL AND BOARDERS ON THE STATE OF MYSTICAL NATURE AND QUITE POSSIBLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE WITHOUT GOING INTO THE EXTREME ASCETICISM WHICH AS MOST PEOPLE KNOW BUDDHA WENT THROUGH BEFORE REALIZING THE “MIDDLE WAY.”

 

MEDITATION TECHNIQUE, PRACTICE & METHODOLOGY

1. POSTURE: REMEMBER, ONE MUST CONSISTENTLY PRACTICE FOR A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF GRADUALLY INCREASING TIME.

THESE ARE THREE PRACTICES/DISCIPLINES THAT MUST OCCUR AS ONE MOVEMENT, ONE STILLNESS.

A) POSTURE: SITTING, STANDING, KNEELING, LAYING, WALKING 

B) POSTURE MUST BE NATURAL, STRAIGHT, RELAXED BUT NOT LOOSE/LIMP

C) INCLUDES THE MUDRA (HAND POSITION), BACK, LEGS AND EYES/EYELIDS

D) THE ENVIRONMENT (LIGHT/DARK), THE PLACE, AMOUNT OF TIME AND TIMING

E)  ALSO INCLUDES THE NOISE LEVEL, PEACEFUL AMBIENCE, MENTAL STATE.

2. BREATHING: JUST AS IN THE HAND POSITION THERE ARE SEVERAL SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT AS TO THE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE PROPER BREATHING TECHNIQUES.

AS YOU KNOW BREATHING INVOLVES INHALING AND EXHALING, THIS REPRESENTING THE ESSENCE OF THE FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE YIN ( INTERNAL) AND YANG ( EXTERNAL). THESE  FORCES WHICH ARE BALANCED ARE ALSO OPPOSITES AND WORK CONTRARY TO EACH OTHER, YET WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE AN OVERALL UNITY OF ONENESS WHICH IS ABLE TO MOVE THE UNIVERSE AND YET SIT ON A QUIET LAKE.

 THIS SCHOOL PRACTICE INHALING THROUGH THE NOSE AND EXHALING THROUGH THE MOUTH WITH THE TONGUE TOUCHING THE ROOF OF THE MOUTH BUT LIGHTLY PRESSED BEHIND THE TEETH WITH THE MOUTH SLIGHTLY OPEN TO ALLOW THE AIR TO ESCAPE.

3. FOCUS: THERE ARE ALSO MANY TECHNIQUES AND SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THE FOCUS POINTS. 

THEY ALL INVOLVE THE SENSES AS WELL AS THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT.

THE GENERAL GOAL BEING THE ATTAINMENT OF AN ENLIGHTENED; A STATE OF QUIET PEACEFULNESS, A ONENESS WHICH ENRICHES OUR PERCEPTION OF LIFE AND OURSELVES AND THE UNIVERSE.

FOR OUR PURPOSES THE EYES ARE CLOSED BUT NOT TIGHTLY AS TO ALLOW ONLY  A SLIVER OF LIGHT TO COME THROUGH.

THE CENTER OF THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL BODY OR HARA IS THE FOCAL POINT UPON WHICH THE HANDS IN THE CHOSEN MUDRA POSITION WILL BE PLACED.

THE BACK AND  HEAD ARE STRAIGHT WITH THE CHIN PULLED IN AS IF IN MILITARY FORM.

THE LEGS CROSSED IN FRONT BUT NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WHILE SITTING ON  CUSHION WHERE THE BUTT IS RAISED.

FOCUS ALSO INVOLVES THE USE OF SEVERAL OR AIDES TO ASSIST IN BEGINNING THE MEDITATIVE JOURNEY. 

EXAMPLES ARE: SOUND, VIBRATION, LIGHT, INCENSE, A MANTRA (SOUND, WORD OR SONG), DARK  OR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, ETC.

SOUND OR VIBRATIONS MAY BR REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE MEDITATION SESSION WHICH IS RECOMMENDED TO CONTINUE BETWEEN TWENTY MINUTES MINIMALLY TO AN HOUR FOR PRACTICE, TRAINING AND  GENERAL PURPOSES.

OBJECTIVES:  

1. STILLNESS  2. AWARENESS 3. ALERTNESS/SENSITIVITY  4. QUIETNESS 5. CONCENTRATION 5. SPEED  6. MEMORY/FEELING  7.  POWER 8. FLOW 9. DISCIPLINE

KEY TO MEDITATION

THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE IS BALANCE. 

THE KEY TO BALANCE IS MOVEMENT. 

THE KEY TO MOTION IS VIBRATION. 

THE KEY TO VIBRATION IS STILLNESS.

THE KEY TO STILLNESS IS MEDITATION.

THE KEY TO MEDITATION IS PRACTICE.

THE KEY TO PRACTICE IS DISCIPLINE.

THE KEY TO DISCIPLINE IS FOCUS.

THE KEY TO FOCUS IS ATTENTION.

THE KEY TO ATTENTION IS NOTHINGNESS.

THE KEY TO NOTHINGNESS IS THE GATE-LESS GATE.

THE KEY TO THE GATE-LESS GATE IS THE UNIVERSE.