How to Think to Benefit from Meditation: Tips from a Buddhist Monk

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Know yourself through self-observation.

Vipassana, or insight meditation, is one of the oldest meditation techniques. It means "to see things as they really are." Buddhist monk Henepola Gunaratana in the book Vipassana Meditation. The art of living mindfully”(Mindfulness in Plain English) in simple language about self-knowledge, refutes false ideas about meditation and gives practical advice on techniques and attitude to the process. Here are the main thoughts from this book.

Expect nothing

Relax and watch what happens. Treat everything like an experiment, show interest in the process itself, and don't be distracted by your expectations from the result. If it comes to that, don't get hung up on the result at all. Let the process go at its own pace and in its own direction.

Let meditation teach you. The meditative consciousness seeks to see reality exactly as it really is. Whether it meets expectations is not important, you need to give up all prejudices for a while. Leave the visuals, opinions and perceptions, they should not accompany you during the practice.

Do not strain

Meditation is not aggressive, so don't push yourself or make more effort than you can. There is no place for self-violence in meditation, let your actions be relaxed and measured.

Do not hurry

There is no rush in meditation; you do not need to rush. Sit on a pillow and sit as if you can devote the whole day to it.

Anything of great value takes time. Calm, calm, calm.

Don't cling to anything and don't reject anything

Let what happens, come to terms with it. Pleasant images appear to you - good; bad images appear - also good. Take it as an equivalent and feel comfortable in any situation. Do not fight your feelings, but watch them thoughtfully.

Learn to let go

Learn to accept the changes that are happening. Let go and relax.

Accept everything that happens to you

Accept your feelings, even those you would like to forget. Accept any life experience, even if you hate it. Don't judge yourself for flaws and mistakes. Learn to accept everything that happens to you as completely natural and understandable. Train an impartial acceptance of what is happening and respect everything you have experienced.

Be condescending to yourself

You may not be perfect, but you are all you have to work with. To become who you want in the future, you must first accept yourself as you are now.

Study yourself

Doubt, do not take anything for granted. Don't believe in anything just because it sounds wise or because it was said to a saint. Be convinced of everything personally, rely on your own experience, but do not become an arrogant and arrogant cynic. Run all statements through you and let the results be your guide to truth.

Insight meditation is formed from an inner desire to realize reality and gain a deeper understanding of the truth of being. The practice is based on the desire to awaken and comprehend the truth; without it, it is superficial.

Treat problems like challenges

See all negative things as opportunities for development and growth. Don't run from problems, don't blame yourself, and don't bury your burdens in silence.

Problem? Perfectly! You will benefit from this. Rejoice at this, dive into the problem and investigate.

Do not ponder

You don't need to understand everything. Discursive thinking will not help you in meditation. In the practice of meditation, the mind is naturally cleared through mindfulness and wordless attention. It is not necessary to think about everything to free yourself from the things that hold you in chains.

All that is needed is a clear perception of what these things are and how they work. This alone is enough to get rid of them. Reasoning only gets in the way. Don't think. Be aware.

Don't get hung up on differences

All people are different, but it is dangerous to dwell on their differences. With the wrong approach, this leads to selfishness. When looking at another person, the thought may flash: "He looks better than me." Shame is the immediate result. A girl, comparing herself to another, may think: "I am prettier than she." The immediate result is a sense of pride.

Such comparisons are mental habits that lead us on a straight path to greed, envy, pride, jealousy, or hate.

This is our subjective attitude, and we do it all the time. We compare our appearance, our successes, achievements, material condition, property or IQ level with others, but all this leads only to alienation, barriers between people and hostility.

It is the practitioner's job to eradicate this habit by carefully studying it and replacing it with another. Instead of seeing the differences, pay attention to the similarities. Learn to focus on those things that are universal for life and that will bring you closer to others. And then comparisons will make you feel kinship, not alienation.