Meditation – The Only Way
As the saying goes, ‘Seeing is believing, but practising is perfecting.’Therefore, it is certainly inadequate for oneto gain the knowledge on things by mere reading all the relevant scriptures, doctrines, sutras or attending to the dhamma talking sessions or exchanging thoughts or ideas among each other, etc. While enlightenment is about realising the ultimate reality, wisdom is about applying it into one’s daily perspectives and decision making, wholesomely.Just like the saying goes, “One has to gain the knowledge first and then apply the understanding and the experience with common sense and insight – that is wisdom.”Therefore, if one wishes to gain enlightenment and wisdom, one would need to walk the walk and not talk the talk.In other words, enlightenment can never be achieved through desire for it is a mere intention of building castles in the air.Buddhism is about the sheer determination to pull one’s act together to end the state of suffering conclusively and not just blowing hot air.And the only way that one could put in place the end result of seeing, knowing and letting go of things is via upholding direct experience and recognition i.e. cultivating meditation.As Ajahn Chah (an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma) has mentioned, ‘If you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate.’ This means the basic tool for practising meditation in our daily lives has been taging along with us all the time i.e. our own breath.Therefore, we could make the full use of our breathing flow to begin a meditating session at our convenience or at any interval of time. Basically, we could commence a simple meditation by watching calmly and mindfully the air intake and discharge through our nostrils and lungs.This is what the samatha and vipassanā meditation are all about.Samatha meditation is to calm or tranquil the mind by means of concentration.Whereas, vipassanā meditation is to mould the mind into seeing all things as they really are – an insight into the true nature of reality.The main focus of vipassanā meditation is to attain pure awareness via mindfulness.
Vipassanā is often preceded by samatha but nonetheless, both types are inter-dependable throughout the meditating practices in order to achieve favourable results.Upon entering deeply into a meditative state (in full concentration), the prevailing mind consciousness would separate from the subtle mind consciousness.The main reason for engaging samatha meditation is to calm or tranquil the wilderness of the subtle mind consciousness.Thereafter, the prevailing conscious mind enters a state of pure observation (mindful) without identification on the flow of thoughts conjured up by the subtle conscious mind until pure awareness is attained.Once we have mastered the breathing skills of meditation, we could progress on developing the skills of realising into emptiness by performing a series of Buddhist virtues known as the four immeasurables or brahmavihāras.Through meditation, one could cultivate and radiate out to all beings in all directions the mental states of: -
1.Mettā (Loving-kindness) –the unconditional and limitless love, goodwill and kindness with all beings or things.2.Karunā (Compassion) –the aspiration to remove the sufferings or misfortunes from others.3.Muditā (Emphathetic joy) – the delighting in the well-being of others.4.Upekkhā (Equanimity) –the balancing of mind in all circumstances.
The above four immeasurables are powerful antidotes to expedite one’s effort ofattaining enlightenment in the present lifetime.As a conclusion, Buddhism has got nothing to do with the scriptures, doctrines or sutras.Historical facts have shown that the teachings of the Buddhadhamma were solely dependent on the oral transmission among the practitioners or followers in the early era of Buddhism.No doubt the available scriptures, doctrines or sutras did play an important role in keeping the essence of Buddhism, but how many of the so-called Buddhists nowadays have gained full enlightenment by mere reading or reciting it?The key point here is not merely about the mastering of theoretical knowledge on Buddhism but instead, more on the practicality and the direct experience of it. As Ajahn Brahm has mentioned, ‘Do not eat the menu, just taste the food.’Therefore, it is imperative for one to emphasise on the direct experience and recognition more than anything else if one is sincere in upholding the Buddhadhamma.Therefore, meditate, meditate and meditate to see and taste the real truth.The state of nibbāna is inexplicable inconventional terms but it can be tasted by the practitioner during deep meditation only.Mould a right attitude and it would open up a new horizon of things.
Last edited by Buddhitakso on 23-10-2013 06:37 PM
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