Why do we meditate on impermanence? Why does Buddha speak so often in Sutras, on the “poison” of anger? Why do we see so many “angry” or even demonic Enlightened Buddhas in Mahayana and Vajrayana? In this feature, we discuss nine remedies for the poison of anger — from all traditions of Buddhism — and include three entire sutras (in English) on related topics, including:

• Discourse on the Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger
• Akkosa Sutra: Insult
• Vitakkasanthaana Sutta: The Discursively Thinking Mind

One of the most important missions of a practicing Buddhist is to transform the “poison” of anger. Anger is perhaps the most dangerous of the Buddhist “kleshas”, or poisons. For this reason, there are more practices in all schools and traditions of Buddhism for resolving, pacifying and transforming anger than any other of the principal kleshas or poisons: which include anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, and others.

Pithy advice from Buddha

Gautama Buddha and sutras and much to say on anger, from the simple to the complex, starting with pithy advice from Buddha in the Dhammapada (v 233):

“Conquer anger by non-anger. Conquer evil by good. Conquer miserliness by liberality. Conquer a liar by truthfulness.”

Anger is one of the great obstacles in Buddhist practice — and in daily life. The very heat of anger obscures our minds — and not just our own minds, but those we touch: online at Facebook or Twitter, those we interact with at work, and our relationships at home. Anger is contagious and dangerous.

Anger an “Out of control forest fire”!

In Buddhist teachings, anger is most often metaphorically compared to either an “out of control forest fire” or a “rampaging elephant.” Why these two? Simply because anger reacts and destroys quickly; we often don’t have time to control it — it tends to explode destructively outwards: angry words that hurt, angry fists that bruise, angry weapons that kill, angry actions that destroy relationships, angry reactions that destroy business deals.

It is worth remembering the story of Buddha calming the “rampaging elephant” with a simple gesture and a peaceful demeanor. With practice, the quiet, patient mind can overcome the destructive flash of anger.

Nine ways to end anger

Although Sutras discuss solutions to anger in great detail (see three full sutras below), the recommendations of the Buddha can be thought of as these five, led by mindfulness, which is chief among all anger-management solutions:

• Meditate mindfully in the present moment: Observing anger but not participating in it (Even psychotherapists use mindfulness to help patients manage anger.)
• Practice Metta and Karuna (Loving Kindness and Compassion): be attentive to the kindness of others, and overlook their unkindness. Practice metta kindness and compassion for all beings, putting your enemies first in your meditations
• Practice wisdom and discernment: (which includes patience, a form of wisdom). Analyze anger meditatively, understand its cause and effect; approach problems with patience — with time, anger fades
• Substitution method: Substitute something positive for the negative. In other words, if a person’s action angers you, analyze the person to find the positives you can focus on. (For example, a police chief angers a community because of a “no leeway” rule on traffic tickets; but if you analyze the police chief you see that your community has the lowest crime rate in the area.) In Tantric practice, substitution becomes “conversion” where afflictive emotions are converted into positive action and practice. (Classically, Yamantaka wrathful deity meditation for anger.)
• Meditate on impermanence: Nothing makes anger seem more unimportant than understanding death can take any of us, at any moment. It also helps us understand that anger itself is rising and falling, and impermanent.
• Truly comprehend Shunyata, Emptiness and Oneness: When we understand that ego is the only thing that separates us from “other” — that we are all One in this Universe — the very thing that gives rise to anger is gone. Ego, is the author of anger.
• Understand anger is your teacher: We’re here, in samsara, trapped by our poisons. When we take our poisons as our teacher — if we can learn from our anger, and the anger of others — we transform the anger into the path.
• Meditate on Karma: anger has repercussions. Remain mindful of karma in all of your activities. Anger inevitably leads to a downward and accelerating cycle of destructive karma.
• Practice transformation and Tantra visualizations: Tantric meditation — visualizing the emptiness of a phenomenon and practicing Yogic methods — are one of the fastest ways to transform anger, hate, greed, delusions or any other poison into the path. By personifying “anger” for instance, then transforming it into an “Enlightened form” we train our mind to transform the poison permanently.

Mahayana: Wisdom Solutions and Compassion Solutions

Or, you can think of this in Mahayana terms — wisdom solutions and compassion solutions. Wisdom solutions would include:

• mindfulness practice (even “live” on that angry phone call or meeting)
• analysis of anger meditation
• practicing patience

Compassion solutions would include:

• metta and loving kindness meditation
• substitution method: think of the positive aspects of a person or situation, to help put the negative in perspective.

It is worth reading through the three sutras in this feature. Those are the precious words of Dharma; no greater advice can be offered.There are also solutions to anger contained in Tantra (for example, Yamantaka practice is very powerful for “angry people”; or Chod practice, where we “feed our Demons.) All Buddhist traditions have extensive teachings on anger.

Karmic Consequences are Real

Still simmering from the latest fight at work or argument at home? Finding a quiet mind that evening, during your mindfulness session, may become elusive. Worse, if the anger gains momentum, there can be very negative karmic consequences. Regret only goes so far if your rage has already hurt someone. Then, there is the very real karmic consequence of “retribution.”

The Dalai Lama said, “Violence is old-fashioned. Anger doesn’t get you anywhere. If you can calm your mind and be patient, you will be a wonderful example to those around you.” [2]

A careless angry comment on Facebook can lead to hurt feelings — even dire consequences in the case of a clinically depressed person. Words expressing anger have ferocious power to damage, hurt, even kill. Anger leads to fights, accidents, homicides and war. And, in our daily practice, it makes a settled, peaceful mind nearly impossible. Or, it can just make you feel really lousy for weeks.

Sutric Solutions: Discourses on Anger

Many discourses and Sutras (Sutta in Pali) touch on anger, notably, the Madhyama Agama No.25 (full text with translation by Thich Nhat Hanh below) and the Akossa Sutra (full text also below.) Also, the Vitakkasanthaana Sutta (below.) To summarize, though, we can distill the Buddha’s methods down to five key recommendations that really work, even today, in our modern, chaotic, angry world.

Great masters such as Shantideva also taught anger management: “Anger is the greatest evil; patient forbearance is the greatest austerity.” The great teacher, and author of Bodhicharyavatara, basically informs us that forbearance and patience are a greater and more challenging austerity than fasting, prayers, practice, pilgrimages.

In other words, it isn’t easy to manage anger.

What Causes Anger from a Buddhist Point of View?

Buddhism is always about cause and effect. Karma is basically defined that way. How did Buddha describe the cause of anger? Lama Surya Das explains:

“The main klesha that fuels this whole dualism of attachment and aversion which drives us is ignorance, or delusion and confusion. From ignorance comes greed – avarice, desire, lust, attachment and all the rest. Also from ignorance comes anger, aggression, cruelty and violence.”

He goes on to explain: “These two poisons are the basic conflicting forces within us—attachment and aversion. They come from ignorance, and they’re really not that different: “Get away” and “I want” are very similar, just like pushing away and pulling towards; and both cause anger to arise. Anger is often singled out as the most destructive of the kleshas, because of how easily it degenerates into aggression and violence.”[2]

Psychology of Anger from a Buddhist Point of View

Buddhist teachings often align with psychotherapy and Psychiatry. Anger teachings certainly directly line up. Lama Surya Das explains: “anger is easily misunderstood. It is often misunderstood in our Buddhist practice, causing us to suppress it and make ourselves more ill, uneasy and off balance. I think it’s worth thinking about this.

Psychotherapy can be helpful as well. Learning to understand the causal chain of anger’s arising as well as the undesirable, destructive outflows of anger and its malicious cousin hatred can help strengthen our will to intelligently control it. Moreover, recognizing the positive sides of anger – such as its pointed ability to perceive what is wrong in situations, including injustice and unfairness – helps moderate our blind reactivity to it and generate constructive responses.” [2]

Buddhist psychology does differ in depth, however. As Ani Thubten Chodren explains:

“Science says that all emotions are natural and okay, and that emotions become destructive only when they are expressed in an inappropriate way or time or to an inappropriate person or degree….Therapy is aimed more at changing the external expression of the emotions than the internal experience of them. Buddhism, on the other hand, believes that destructive emotions themselves are obstacles and need to be eliminated to have happiness.”[2]

Mindfulness Always Works

Ultimately, mindfulness is the most-often recommended method. The often cited: “the past is gone, the future is not here yet” thought, combined with relaxing the mind into an observant state where we observe only the present moment. If angry thoughts arise in our meditation, we observe rather than react. Although it’s “easier said than done” it really does work. For this reason, daily mindfulness practice is a good strategy. This way, when needed to help us resolve anger, we can draw on well-practiced technique. There are even business books that teach how to be mindful during an “angry” meeting, how to retain control and manage emotions dynamically. Buddha, of course, taught these methods more than 2500 years ago.

Equally, Metta meditation, a Mahayana Buddhist practice, is very powerful as a remedy. If we practice compassion and kindness to all beings, on a daily basis, when faced with “evil” behavior, we are more likely to feel compassion instead of hate or anger. Metta affirmations do not say “May some beings be happy and free from suffering.” It says, “May ALL beings be happy.” This, includes our enemies.

Substitution, Analyze and Ignore Methods

One method to overcome the Discursive mind, explained in the Vitakkasanthaana Sutta (full text below), was explained by the Blessed One:

“The Bhikkhu attending to a certain sign if evil Demeritorious thoughts arise conductive to interest, anger and delusion, he should change that sign and attend to some other sign conductive to merit, then those signs conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade, and the mind settles and comes to a single point.”

The rest of the Sutra then explains what to do if the substitution doesn’t work, which break down into:

• analyze the anger: “When the dangers of those thoughts are examined those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade.
• ignore the anger: ” When those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion are not attended, they fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point.”

Discourse on the Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger

Translation by Thich Nhat Hanh from the Madhyama Agama No. 25 [1]

I heard these words of the Buddha one time when he was staying in the Anathapindika Monastery in the Jeta Grove near the town of Shravasti.

One day the Venerable Shariputra said to the monks, “Friends, today I want to share with you five ways of putting an end to anger. Please listen carefully and put into practice what I teach.”

The bhikshus agreed and listened carefully.

The Venerable Shariputra then said, “What are these five ways of putting an end to anger?

“This is the first way. My friends, if there is someone whose bodily actions are not kind but whose words are kind, if you feel anger toward that person but you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.

“My friends, say there is a bhikshu practicing asceticism who wears a patchwork robe. One day he is going past a garbage pile filled with excrement, urine, mucus, and many other filthy things, and he sees in the pile one piece of cloth still intact. Using his left hand, he picks up the piece of cloth, and he takes the other end and stretches it out with his right hand. He observes that this piece of cloth is not torn and has not been stained by excrement, urine, sputum, or other kinds of filth. So he folds it and puts it away to take home, wash, and sew into his patchwork robe. My friends, if we are wise, when someone’s bodily actions are not kind but his words are kind, we should not pay attention to his unkind bodily actions, but only be attentive to his kind words. This will help us put an end to our anger.

“My friends, this is the second method. If you become angry with someone whose words are not kind but whose bodily actions are kind, if you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.

“My friends, say that not far from the village there is a deep lake, and the surface of that lake is covered with algae and grass. There is someone who comes near that lake who is very thirsty, suffering greatly from the heat. He takes off his clothes, jumps into the water, and using his hands to clear away the algae and grass, enjoys bathing and drinking the cool water of the lake. It is the same, my friends, with someone whose words are not kind but whose bodily actions are kind. Do not pay attention to that person’s words. Only be attentive to his bodily actions in order to be able to put an end to your anger. Someone who is wise should practice in this way.

“Here is the third method, my friends. If there is someone whose bodily actions and words are not kind, but who still has a little kindness in his heart, if you feel anger toward that person and are wise, you will know how to meditate to put an end to your anger.

“My friends, say there is someone going to a crossroads. She is weak, thirsty, poor, hot, deprived, and filled with sorrow. When she arrives at the crossroads, she sees a buffalo’s footprint with a little stagnant rainwater in it. She thinks to herself, ‘There is very little water in this buffalo’s footprint. If I use my hand or a leaf to scoop it up, I will stir it up and it will become muddy and undrinkable. Therefore, I will have to kneel down with my arms and knees on the earth, put my lips right to the water, and drink it directly.’ Straightaway, she does just that.

My friends, when you see someone whose bodily actions and words are not kind, but where there is still a little kindness in her heart, do not pay attention to her actions and words, but to the little kindness that is in her heart so that you may put an end to your anger. Someone who is wise should practice in that way.

“This is the fourth method, my friends. If there is someone whose words and bodily actions are not kind, and in whose heart there is nothing that can be called kindness, if you are angry with that person and you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.

“My friends, suppose there is someone on a long journey who falls sick. He is alone, completely exhausted, and not near any village. He falls into despair, knowing that he will die before completing his journey. If at that point, someone comes along and sees this man’s situation, she immediately takes the man’s hand and leads him to the next village, where she takes care of him, treats his illness, and makes sure he has everything he needs by way of clothes, medicine, and food. Because of this compassion and loving kindness, the man’s life is saved.

Just so, my friends, when you see someone whose words and bodily actions are not kind, and in whose heart there is nothing that can be called kindness, give rise to this thought: ‘Someone whose words and bodily actions are not kind and in whose heart is nothing that can be called kindness, is someone who is undergoing great suffering. Unless he meets a good spiritual friend, there will be no chance for him to transform and go to realms of happiness.’ Thinking like this, you will be able to open your heart with love and compassion toward that person. You will be able to put an end to your anger and help that person. Someone who is wise should practice like this.

“My friends, this is the fifth method. If there is someone whose bodily actions are kind, whose words are kind, and whose mind is also kind, if you are angry with that person and you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.

“My friends, suppose that not far from the village there is a very beautiful lake. The water in the lake is clear and sweet, the bed of the lake is even, the banks of the lake are lush with green grass, and all around the lake, beautiful fresh trees give shade. Someone who is thirsty, suffering from heat, whose body is covered in sweat, comes to the lake, takes off his clothes, leaves them on the shore, jumps down into the water, and finds great comfort and enjoyment in drinking and bathing in the pure water. His heat, thirst, and suffering disappear immediately.

In the same way, my friends, when you see someone whose bodily actions are kind, whose words are kind, and whose mind is also kind, give your attention to all his kindness of body, speech, and mind, and do not allow anger or jealousy to overwhelm you. If you do not know how to live happily with someone who is as fresh as that, you cannot be called someone who has wisdom.

“My dear friends, I have shared with you the five ways of putting an end to anger.”

When the bhikshus heard the Venerable Shariputra’s words, they were happy to receive them and put them into practice.

Madhyama Agama 25
(Corresponds with Aghata Vinaya Sutta
[Discourse on Water as an Example], Anguttara Nikaya 5.162)

Akkosa Sutra

Insult

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary. Then the Brahmin Akkosaka (“Insulter”) Bharadvaja heard that a Brahmin of the Bharadvaja clan had gone forth from the home life into homelessness in the presence of the Blessed One. Angered and displeased, he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, insulted and cursed him with rude, harsh words.

When this was said, the Blessed One said to him: “What do you think, Brahmin: Do friends and colleagues, relatives and kinsmen come to you as guests?”

“Yes, Master Gautama, sometimes friends and colleagues, relatives and kinsmen come to me as guests.”

“And what do you think: Do you serve them with staple and non-staple foods and delicacies?”

“Yes, sometimes I serve them with staple and non-staple foods and delicacies.”

“And if they don’t accept them, to whom do those foods belong?”

“If they don’t accept them, Master Gautama, those foods are all mine.”

“In the same way, Brahmin, that with which you have insulted me, who is not insulting; that with which you have taunted me, who is not taunting; that with which you have berated me, who is not berating: that I don’t accept from you. It’s all yours, Brahmin. It’s all yours.

“Whoever returns insult to one who is insulting, returns taunts to one who is taunting, returns a berating to one who is berating, is said to be eating together, sharing company, with that person. But I am neither eating together nor sharing your company, Brahmin. It’s all yours. It’s all yours.”

“The king together with his court know this of Master Gautama — ‘Gautama the contemplative is an arhat’ — and yet still Master Gautama gets angry.” [1]

[The Buddha:]

“Whence is there anger for one free from anger, tamed, living in tune — one released through right knowing, calmed  and Such.

“You make things worse when you flare up at someone who’s angry. Whoever doesn’t flare up at someone who’s angry wins a battle hard to win.

“You live for the good of both  — your own, the other’s — when, knowing the other’s provoked, you mindfully grow calm.

“When you work the cure of both — your own, the other’s — those who think you a fool know nothing of Dhamma.”

When this was said, the Brahmin Akkosaka Bharadvaja said to the Blessed One, “Magnificent, Master Gautama! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what had been overturned, were to reveal what was hidden, were to show the way to one who was lost, or were to hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way Master Gautama has — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the community of monks. Let me obtain the going forth in Master Gautama’s presence, let me obtain admission.”

Then the Brahmin Akkosaka Bharadvaja received the going forth and the admission in the Blessed One’s presence. And not long after his admission — dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute — he in no long time reached and remained in the supreme goal of the holy life, for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing and realizing it for himself in the here and now. He knew: “Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.” And so Ven. Bharadvaja became another one of the Arhats.

Vitakkasanthaana Sutta

The Discursively Thinking Mind

I heard thus.

At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anathapindika in Jeta’s grove in Savatthi. The Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus from there.” Bhikkhus, by the Bhikkhu developing the mind five things should be attended to from time to time. What five: The Bhikkhu attending to a certain sign if evil Demeritorious thoughts arise conductive to interest, anger and delusion, he should change that sign and attend to some other sign conductive to merit, then those signs conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade, and the mind settles and comes to a single point. Like a clever carpenter or his apprentice would get rid of a coarse peg with the help of a fine peg. In the same manner the Bhikkhu attending to a certain sign, if evil Demeritorious thoughts arise conductive to interest, anger and delusion, he should change that sign and attend to some other sign conductive to merit, then those signs conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade, the mind settles and comes to a single point.

Even when the Bhikkhu has changed the sign and attended some other sign, if evil de-meritorious thoughts arise conductive to interest, anger and delusion, the Bhikkhu should examine the dangers of those thoughts. These thoughts of mine are evil, faulty and bring unpleasant results. When the dangers of those thoughts are examined those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point. Like a woman, a man, a child or youth fond of adornment would loathe and would be disgusted when the carcass of a snake, dog or a human corpse was wrapped round the neck. In the same manner when the Bhikkhu has changed the sign and attended some other sign, if evil de-meritorious thoughts arise conductive to interest, anger and delusion, the Bhikkhu should examine the dangers of those thoughts. These thoughts of mine are evil, loathsome, faulty and bring unpleasant results. When the dangers of those thoughts are examined, those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point.

Even when the Bhikkhu has examined the dangers of those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion, if those evil de-meritorious thoughts conducive to interest, anger and delusion arise, he should not attend to them. When those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion are not attended, they fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point. Like a man who would not like to see forms, that come to the purview would either close his eyes or look away. In the same manner when the Bhikkhu has examined the dangers of those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion, if evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion arise, he should not attend to them. When those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion are not attended, they fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point.

Even when the Bhikkhu did not attend to those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion, if these evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion arise, he should attend to appeasing the whole intentional thought process. When attending to appeasing the whole intentional thought process, those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point. Like it would occur to a man walking fast: why should I walk fast, what if I stand. Then he would stand. Standing it would occur to him: Why should I stand, what if I sit. Then he would sit. Sitting it would occur to him: Why should I sit, what if I lie. Thus abandoning the more coarse posture, would maintain the finer posture. In the same manner when attending to appeasing the whole intentional thought process, those evil de-meritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point. .

Even when attending to appeasing the whole intentional thought process, those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion arise, the Bhikkhu should press the upper jaw on the lower jaw and pushing the tongue on the palate should subdue and burn out those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion. Then those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to a single point. Like a strong man taking a weaker one by the head or body would press him and trouble him. In the same manner the Bhikkhu should press the upper jaw on the lower jaw and pushing the tongue on the palate should subdue and burn out those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion. Then those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point.

Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu attending to a certain sign, if evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion arise, he attends to another sign conductive to merit, those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point .

When attending to the danger of those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion, those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point. When not attending to those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion, those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point: When attending to appeasing the whole intentional thought process, these evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point, The Bhikkhu pressing the lower jaw with the upper jaw and pushing the tongue on the palate would subdue and burn out those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion. Then those evil Demeritorious thoughts conductive to interest, anger and delusion fade. With their fading the mind settles and comes to one point. Bhikkhus, this is called the Bhikkhu is master over thought processes. Whatever thought he wants to think, that he thinks, whatever thought he does not want to think, that he does not think He puts an end to craving , dispels the bonds and rightfully overcoming measuring makes an end of unpleasantness. .

The Blessed One said thus, and those Bhikkhus delighted in the words of the Blessed One.

NOTES

[1] The Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger, Thich Nhat Hanh. From the book Chanting from the Heart (Parallax Press, Rev.Ed., 2006)

[2] From PBS.org site, “Dealing with Anger” by Lama Surya Das

For those who are already highly sensitive, the thought of adding to their peceptual intensity and feelings may not sound appealing. With these heightened sensory experiences, meditation increases the body’s response to stimuli and helps you to handle it head-on. Increased Sensitivy can result in decreased stress and inflammation, for example.

By Beth Rush

Of Body+Mind Magazine

[Disclaimer: Always seek the advice of your health care practitioners when experiencing pain or other medical issues.]

3 Ways Meditation Can Beneficially Increase Sensitivity

Meditation affects the body in many ways, but the results are typically amazing. Although feeling your feelings more intensely may not be something you look forward to, increased sensitivity is nothing to worry about.

Essentially, sensitivity is how your body responds to external stimuli. The good news is meditation can help you make better sense of the experience. Here are three ways meditation and sensitivity go together.

1.   Boosts Brain Activity

Meditation stimulates the prefrontal cortex of the brain. It is the part responsible for memory, problem-solving, planning, information processing and social behaviors [1].

This type of sensitivity enhances your ability to focus and process what is happening around you, from objects to people to your surroundings. For example, you might have stronger taste buds, or notice subtle movements or changes in your environment.

2.   Decreases Stress and Inflammation

The best way to increase your body’s mobility is by decreasing inflammation in your joints and muscles [2]. Meditation can induce this effect by reducing stress and increasing sensitivity in the nervous system.

Just 10 minutes of daily meditation can lower cortisol levels, which is your stress hormone [3]. This regulates overactive parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems — or the vagal tone. The vagal tone pertains to your sensory reaction to the physical and emotional stimuli in your surroundings [4].

3.   Raises Awareness of Thoughts and Feelings

Of course, a state of calm raises your awareness of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations more than before you started meditating. Some highly sensitive people might be most wary of this effect. Yet, you might learn to appreciate who you really are.

Self-awareness opens doors to self-compassion, acceptance and growth. It encourages you to live authentically [5].

How to Handle Increased Sensitivity

Certainly, there are benefits of heightened sensitivity as a result of meditation. For instance, awareness allows you to appreciate simple pleasures and the present moment. At the same time, taking care of yourself is critical when stimuli feel like it’s weighing you down.

Interestingly enough, meditation can help ground you and calm your mind again in these moments. Conversely, you could take a break from meditation or whatever is triggering you if necessary.

When you need a break, shift gears to another grounding, relaxing activity like painting, journaling or walking. Talking to someone about your feelings can also help you make sense of your physical, mental and emotional responses to your environment.

Sensitivity Is a Strength

Meditation can increase receptivity and sensitivity, but you can change your perception to make sense of your feelings. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, start viewing sensitivity as a strength. If anything, meditation will create enough of a calm space for you to gain better control of stimuli.

Sources

[1] International Journal of Yoga

[2] IV Elements

[3] Buddha Weekly

[4] Psychosomatic Medicine

[5] Buddha Weekly

Meditation offers multiple benefits for your mind, body and spirit. It is an integral part of Buddhism, allowing you to achieve detachment and see reality as it is. How do you know that your practice is effective, that you’re “meditating correctly?”

By Beth Rush

Managing Editor, BodyMind.com

The answer is implicit in the question. Meditation is, first and foremost, a “practice,” not a “perfection.” The more often you devote yourself to this endeavor, the easier it will become for you to enter an enlightened state of consciousness. Dedicated practitioners can do so nearly anytime and anywhere, even in less-than-ideal conditions.

How do you know when you’ve entered a “proper” meditative state? Here’s how to know you are meditating correctly.

The Many Uses of a Meditative State

If you attached electrodes to a meditative brain, you could see the effects of this practice on its waves. You have four primary brain waves [1], including:

• Beta: Active, focused, at work on a task.
• Alpha: Awake, yet relaxed and resting.
• Theta: Relaxed waves seen in daydreaming or light sleep, linked to inhibition of responses and memory formation.
• Delta: Slow, intense waves occurring during deep sleep.

Meditation aims to take your brain out of the active, focused state and through the alpha and theta stages. Some practitioners engaged in yoga nidra may attain delta waves during their practice.

Entering a meditative state provides necessary detachment. It helps you see situations objectively as a neutral observer. In practice, the goal is to achieve enlightenment.

However, this practice has practical applications as well. It can help patients with medical disorders and chronic pain. For example, patients with overactive bladder can reduce the frequency and urgency [2] of episodes. Those receiving large injections, like cortisone in the knee, can enter such a state to make the insertion less frightening and painful — relaxed muscles provide less resistance.

Steps to Entering a Meditative State

You can know that you are meditating correctly if you follow these steps. Please bear in mind that each experience will be different. Relax and observe.

1. Focus on the Breath

In Buddhism, breathing meditation is called Anapanasati. This process simply refers to counting or observing each breath [3] as it comes. You’ll often find that the simple act of drawing awareness to your breathing patterns makes it deeper and slower.

2. Intention

Each meditation begins with an intention, spoken as a positive statement, not a wish. For example, your intent may be, “I am quiet and observant,” or “I am relaxed and calm.”

3. Turn Inward

The next step is to focus your attention inward. A useful technique for doing so is a body scan or what is called a rotation of consciousness in yoga nidra. Draw your awareness to various areas of your body, consciously relaxing any tension you encounter.

4. Explore Your Feelings

As you begin to feel detached, as if you are a neutral observer looking at yourself, explore your feelings. What is your emotional temperature? Accept these emotions. What are they trying to teach or show you?

5. Observe Your Thoughts

What thoughts attach to those feelings? For example, the sutras teach us that mindfulness is the remedy [3] for fear. Looking at your thoughts with detachment helps you determine your response. For example, if you are nervous about driving, wearing your seatbelt addresses this concern.

6. Gain Clarity Through Detachment

Ultimately, the goal of meditation is to gain clarity through detachment. You can know that you are meditating correctly when you feel a sense of inner peace and calm. In some cases, cultivating serenity alone represents your purpose.

How Do I Know If I’m Meditating Correctly? How Should I Feel?

You will know that you are meditating correctly when you feel a sense of completion upon ending your practice. You should feel a renewed sense of clarity and inner peace.

Please don’t confuse this serene state with finding the ultimate resolution for all your problems. Life is an ever-moving stream which changes with each passing moment. The goal of meditation is to sit on its banks, observing it, not get swept away by its depths. If you attain that state, that of a neutral observer, you know you are meditating correctly.

How to Enter a Meditative State

Many practitioners wonder if they are meditating correctly. Please remember that it is a practice, one that you will get better with over time.

When you emerge from your practice with a renewed sense of calm and clarity, you know you are meditating correctly. Be gentle with yourself and consistent, and you will improve, eventually learning to call on a meditative state as you need it.

Sources

[1]  TMSi

[2] Laborie

[3]  Buddha Weekly: How to know which type of meditation is best for you

Meditation and mindfulness have been practiced worldwide for centuries. Today, nearly 14.2% of American adults meditate [Note 1] or incorporate another spiritual or mantra-focused practice — about 5.4% of children do the same.

Science-backed evidence has shown that meditation provides emotional, mental and physical support, positively affecting one’s overall health. While some people practice meditation to relieve stress and center their focus, others find that it helps relax the muscles, particularly the somatic nervous system.

By Beth Rush

of BodyMind.com

[Disclaimer: Always seek the advice of your health care practitioners when experiencing pain or other medical issues.]

What Is the Somatic Nervous System?

The somatic nervous system is a component of the peripheral nervous system, branching far and wide throughout the body. It’s the part of the nervous system that controls muscle movement and sensory input [2] — taste, touch, sound and smell — that sends messages to the brain.

Many conditions negatively impact the somatic nervous system — for instance, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, infections, medicines or procedures. Trauma also can cause adverse effects.

When the body undergoes chronic or sudden, severe pain, the somatic nervous system indicates “referred pain” — what causes you to feel pain or a physical problem in a specific area that actually comes from elsewhere. A heart attack patient might feel pain in the arm or back, while someone with pelvic floor dysfunction could feel pain in the lower back or upper thighs.

Sometimes, when trauma occurs, it can imprint muscle memory in the somatic nervous system. This is why individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often feel physical symptoms like muscle tension [3] and joint pain.

Meditation and the Body

Trauma imprints and continuous discomfort within the somatic nervous system can make daily tasks and functions more difficult. However, mindfulness meditation has a long history of helping people through their pain [4] from chronic illness or cancer.

You begin to build awareness of your physical, emotional and mental duress when you meditate. Since the brain tends to hone in on the pain, mindfulness can shift your focus enough to make it less consuming [5] and more manageable. For these reasons, Mindfulness can be a reinforcing or complimentary method to Somatic Experiencing.

The deep breathing that occurs during meditation also helps to relax the body, relieving muscle and joint tension.

A Meditative Approach to Somatic Experiencing

Somatic experiencing is one approach people take toward relieving the somatic nervous system — and meditation plays a crucial role.

Many people struggle to overcome traumatic events and the body’s stress response. However, somatic experiencing helps you build an awareness of physical feelings in the body. You might begin to notice your heart beating or whether the muscles tense up or relax. Essentially, becoming aware of the physical sensations allows you to release the trauma imprint [6] and move past the event.

Meditation can improve your self-awareness and gain insight [7] into who you are, enabling you to undergo effective somatic experiencing.

For those with PTSD, studies have shown that somatic experiencing is a practical component of trauma healing [8] — but it’s best to consult with a specialist for further discussion and treatment of your mental and physical pain.

Meditation Enhances Somatic Experiencing

Meditation and somatic experiencing aren’t the same, but meditation does matter. When you meditate, you enhance somatic experiencing by creating a higher level of self-awareness. Therefore, those who intend to try somatic experiencing to heal trauma might consider building a meditation practice.

Sources

[1] NIH>>

[2] Cleveland Clinic>>

[3]  Psychiatry.org>>

[4] UPMC>>

[5] Mindfulness paradox: Buddha Weekly>>

[6]  Verywell Health>>

[7]  10 benefits of meditation: Buddha Weekly>>

[8]  PubMed>>

Disclaimer: Always consult with your medical practitioner on pain or health issues. 

By Beth Rush

Meditation and Pain Relief Research

Meditation is helpful for many things and dealing with pain is one of them. You can use it to channel different pathways in the brain that deal with pain in a way that differs from other treatments. Over time, meditation can change your brain structure to deal with pain better.

A 2018 study reported meditation and mindfulness practiced long-term could change the brain’s structure. The change happens by the cortical thickness in the brain allows you to be less sensitive to pain.

• See our previous feature with the researched benefits of pain reduction through meditation>>
• See our entire section of features on Mindfulness, including helpful how-tos>>

Mindfulness for Pain Management

Mindfulness meditation can transform your life and help you deal with chronic pain better. Many people suffer from back, neck and other discomforts that disrupt their day. Most pain comes from daily life wear and tear on the body. Aromatherapy, yoga, deep breathing and meditation relieve back pain and stress.

Meditation allows you to observe things beyond the present pain. You become aware of the pain, emotions, thoughts, and how they interact. One thing that happens is the pain is present, but the whole experience is different. Mindfulness gives a sense of mental foundation to change the perspective of the pain.

When the pain you are feeling is constantly on your mind, it acts as a mental lens that only focuses on the pain. Mindfulness meditation allows you to change the lens, which makes the pain seem smaller and more manageable. You see your thoughts as another external part of you instead of internalizing them and freeing yourself from the mental experience of pain.

Mindfulness Reframes Your Pain

Pain is the body’s natural way of letting you know an area of your body needs attention. It plays a crucial role in maintaining your physical well-being. Pain is not the enemy since it is essential to being human.

When the pain goes on for a long time or is intense, it can be hard to remember it’s a normal function. Meditative approaches help you develop a plan to transform the relationship with the experiences. Meditation techniques will help you cultivate an attitude towards situations that lessen the effects. Once you learn how the pain is weighing on the mind, it will make controlling it easier.

When practiced regularly, the physical sensation of pain from the mental and emotional processes becomes just another sensation. The development of mindfulness will bring freedom to chronic pain.

Using Meditation as a Pain Relief Aid

Research supports using meditation to change the brain’s sensitivity to pain. Pain is unavoidable, so learning how to manage it better will help you through life situations when it is inevitable.

Breath, as a focal point, however, is just one of many targeted calm-abiding meditations. Breathing mindfulness is specifically recommended for people who are dominated by “conceptuality,” and who are unable to see beyond ordinary appearances.

Many types of calm-abiding focal points

Since modern people, especially Westerners, tend to be intellectual, analytical and “conceptual”, a meditation on the breath is the most frequently taught method. However, the focal point of any calm-abiding meditation, as taught by the Buddha, varies based on the discursive or afflictive emotion the student is “tackling” in their practice. The Dalai Lama writes: “Those dominated by conceptuality can observe the exhalation and inhalation of breath because by tying the mind to breath discursiveness diminishes.”

The Dalai Lama, in his teaching commentary on Lama Tsongkahapa’s The Great Exposition of Secret Mantra (Vol.3), provides significant guidance for students. In this feature, we’ll focus on the advice of Shakyamuni Buddha, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the great Lama Tsongkhapa on topics for calm abiding meditation that suit your obstructions.[1]

Choosing the “object”

Whether we choose to visualize a Buddha, focus on a mantra, or just on our breath, depends on the result we expect or hope for.

The Dalai Lama explains: “In order to set the mind steadily on an object of observation it is necessary initially to use an object of observation suited to counteracting your own predominant afflictive emotion since its force remains with your mind now and can easily interrupt any attempt to concentrate the mind.”

Afflictive emotions

His Holiness then went on to describe the different afflictive emotions, and which contemplation works best — according to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. The afflictive emotions include:

• conceptuality
• desire
• hate
• pride
• obscuration or dullness

There are others, but these cover the primary afflictions. The Dalai Lama pointed out instructions for each:

1. Conceptual  — main focus: breath.
2. Desire — main focus: meditate on “ugliness” such as the organs, feces and blood of the body.
3. Hatred — main focus: “Metta” and “love” meditation, Bodhichitta, loving-kindness.
4. Pride — main focus: a meditation on the divisions of the constituents (fire, water, earth, wind, space, and consciousness: breaking them down to their respective constituents, such as, for the earth: flesh, skin, bone.) By breaking down the constituents to its insignificant components you lose the inflated ego and realize.
5. Obscuration and dullness: meditate on the twelve links of dependent arising of cyclic existence because it sharpens thinking and intelligence.

Buddha body object

His Holiness explains that all meditations can benefit from the “Buddha’s body” object of meditation:

“A particularly helpful object for all personality types is a Buddha body, since concentration on a Buddha’s body causes your mind to mix with virtuous qualities. No matter what the object is, this is not a case of meditating within, looking at an external object with your eyes, but of causing an image of it to appear to the mental consciousness.”

His Holiness then described how the process might work. “For instance, if you are to concentrate on Buddha body, first you need to come to know it well through hearing it described or through looking at a picture or statue, getting used to it, so that it can appear clearly in the mind. Then, imagine it about four feet in front of you at the height of your eyebrows, about two inches high. It should be meditated as being clear, with a nature of brilliant light; this helps to prevent the onset of laxity, a condition in which the mind’s mode of apprehension is too loose. Also, you can consider the imagined Buddha body to be heavy; this helps to prevent excitement, a condition in which the mind’s mode of apprehension is too light. Once the object originally has been determined, you may not change its nature or size; it must be fixed for the duration of generating calm abiding.”

The Buddha body specialists

Typically, a “Buddha body object” would be one’s own Yidam, although there are “specialist” emanations of Buddha bodies for most afflictions. For example, the five Buddha Families oppose or transform the same five major stresses. Although the attributions are slightly different between Buddhist schools, they are, generally:

1. Conceptual: the stress of mental formations and concepts is opposed by the karma activities of Amoghasiddhi (Karma family)
2. Desire: the stress of “desires” and clinging is opposed by the generosity of Ratnasambhava (Ratna family)
3. Hatred: the stress of hatred is opposed by Amitabha (Lotus family), the compassion family
4. Pride: the stress of pride is opposed or transformed by the humility of Akshobya (Vajra family)
5. Obscuration or dullness: the stress of “Ignorance” is opposed or transformed the wisdom of Vairocana and his family

These families and other meditation deities “oppose” the five stresses with their own special emphasis: Desire is opposed by generosity; hatred is opposed by love and Metta; Pride is overcome by humility; and so on. For more specific meditations, there are also many deity practices that focus on these “stresses”:

1. 

   Green Tara (member of Amoghasiddhi’s family) or Prajnaparamita for “conceptual” and also the Heart Sutra teachings. [For a feature on Green Tara see>>] [For a story on Prajnaparamita and Heart Sutra see>>]

2. Jambhala practice is often recommended for “desire” (practicing generosity to overcome greed); also Kshitigarbha (Earth Store Bodhisattva) [For a story on Kshitigarbha see>>]; Vajrayogini is recommended for “sensual desire” [For a story on Vajrayogini, see>>]
3. Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) for “hatred” [For a feature story on Chenrezig, see>>]
4. Vajrasattva to help us overcome “pride” through confession of our downfalls [For a feature on Vajrasattva see>>]
5. Manjushri (wisdom deity) for “obscuration and dullness”

If you’re really stuck, go wrathful

Only if you have appropriate initiation and full instruction from a teacher, if you are really stuck, you can also “up” the horse-power in your practice by meditating on the “wrathful” emanation of the same deity (assuming you have permission or empowerment). [For a feature story on wrathful deities, see>>]

For example:

1. Wrathful Dakinis (Wisdom Dakinis) such as Ekajati, Vajra Varahi, even Palden Lhamo (who famously renounced conceptuality in her gruesome story) and is famous for driving off our inner demons and afflictions. [For a feature on Palden Lhamo, see>>]
2. White Mahakala for general “desire”;  Kurukulle, another wrathful emanation of Tara is also recommended for “desire”.

3. 

   Hayagriva as the wrathful emanation of Chenrezig and Amitabha — again for hatred (Hayagriva is also good for many other obscurations). [For a feature story on Hayagriva, see>>]

4. Vajrakilaya, a wrathful emanation of Vajrasattva (famously, the practice that most often involves wrathful Phurba.) [For a story on Phurba, see>>]
5. Yamantaka as a wrathful emanation of Manjushri (the Buddha of Wisdom) — again for “dullness”

Excitement and laxity

Whatever the focus — breath, metta, or a deity — His Holiness advised us to develop:

• clarity of both object and consciousness itself
• staying one-pointedly on the object.

The two factors that prevent this are laxity and excitement. “Laxity prevents the development of clarity, and excitement prevents the stability with the object,” writes the Dalai Lama.

“That which interferes with the steadiness of the object of observation and causes it to fluctuate is excitement, which includes any scattering of the mind to an object other than the object of meditation. To stop that, withdraw your mind more strongly inside so the intensity of the mode of apprehension of the object begins to lower. If you need a further technique to withdraw the mind, it helps to leave the object of meditation temporarily and think about something that makes you more sober, such as the imminence of death…”

When speaking of laxity, His Holiness explains:

“It is not sufficient just to have stability; clarity is also needed. That which prevents clarity is laxity, which is a case of the mind’s becoming too relaxed, too loose, lacking intensity — the tautness of the mind having become weak, caused by over withdrawal inside.

The heaviness of mind and body can lead to becoming lax, which can lead to a type of lethargy in which, losing the object of observation, you have as if fallen into darkness; this can lead even to sleep.”

As a remedy for laxity, the Dalai Lama recommends: “When this begins to occur, it is necessary to raise, to heighten, this excessive declination of the mind by making it more taught, more tight. If you need a further technique to accomplish this, it helps to brighten the object of meditation, or if that does not work, to leave the object of meditation temporarily and think on something that makes you joyous, such as the wonderful opportunity that a human lifetime affords for spiritual practice…”

NOTES

[1] The Great Exposition of Secret Mantra (Vol.3), by Lama Tsongkhapa with commentary from H.H. Dalai Lama

• Series: Exposition of Secret Mantra (Book 3)
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion (May 2, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1611803608
• ISBN-13: 978-1611803600

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Who are the best practitioners of Zen? Aside from the great Zen masters — probably your cat.

By Josephine Nolan

“In my heart I believe that to practice ‘good-for-nothing’ Zazen is the most authentic Buddhist tradition,”

—Shokuku Okumuru, a Soto Zen priest, and founder of Sanshin Zen Community.

All forms of Buddhism “just sit”

All joking aside, Zazen (sesshin) is one of the most important practices! All traditions of Buddhism incorporate elements of this sitting. Yet, it works best when you have no goal. When you do not consciously direct your session. “No effort” is the key to Zazen. At the same time, it is one of the most difficult disciplines in Zen or Chan — and all forms of Buddhism. It was a core practice taught by Shakyamuni Buddha more than 2500 years ago, and still relevant —

Shohaku Okumura explains, “We usually think this form of meditation is to attain some kind of Enlightenment or awakening, but Dogen said we should just sit, without any expectation. Because, if you practice to attain Enlightenment, then that is a desire. Desire, or egocentric desire is still working there. So, from the very beginning we just to use Dogen’s expression just ‘throw ourselves into the way’ without expecting any reward.” In Dogen’s teachings of Soto Zen it is called Shikantaza.

Shokuku Okumuru, a Soto Zen priest, and founder of Sanshin Zen Community, explains Zazen:

Zazen is Good for Nothing from Interior Mythos Journeys on Vimeo.

Discovering the true nature of suffering — and the nature of the very Universe — requires “emptiness.” Empty does not mean “nothing” as you’ll quickly find when you try to sit for twenty-five minutes. Your mind zooms here and there — anything but empty. It is among the most difficult of practices.

“Good for nothing” in Zazen means “empty of goal, empty of purpose, empty of expectation — just be.” Arguably, Zazen is more difficult in our modern world than it might have been a few hundred or thousand years ago. “Just be” is a very big “expectation” in Zazen.

Images of Gautama Buddha most often show him seated in meditation. He attained Enlightenment — by sitting. He sat under the Bodhi tree, searching for the answers to our suffering in a heroic meditative journey. Although sitting may be easy, Zazen is far more challenging — but, we can make the same heroic journey. By emulating not only Buddha’s seated mediative posture, but the heroic quest for Enlightenment, you, too, can attain realizations.

It may seem counter-intuitive that “sitting” Zazen is challenging — but have no doubt that it is. How hard can “just sitting be.” If you have never undertaken the practice, you’d be surprised. Two or three minutes is a breeze… then the clock seems to slow down, you get itchy in hard-to-reach places, you fidget, your leg goes to sleep, your mind starts to wander, your eyes dry out, you have this unmistakable urge to scratch your nose — how is all of this a Buddhist practice?

Worst of all, if you’re undertaking formal Zazen in a group, when your mind starts to drift, or you get sleepy, you may get a whack on the shoulder from the meditation master! (It’s called Keisaku Slap — but never fear — it really doesn’t hurt, it just wakes you up!) — and in solo practice, there’s no risk of that!) One thing seems certain, “just sitting” is hardly relaxing, despite what the research shows about stress-reduction! Or, is it?

A student receives a Kaisaku Slap — looks painful — but not really, it’s to wake you up!

Fortunately, getting started is easy. In this feature, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started with profound Zazen (Sesshin), with tips on how to do it correctly.

We’ll also provide some tips for beginners who may be struggling with the practice. So if you’re interested in learning more about Zazen, keep reading!

Introduction to Zazen in your home — although, granted, your garden likely isn’t quite as lovely as this garden in the video — from Taizo-in Zen Buddhist Temple :

Where Does Zazen Come From?

It helps to have some context before diving into a new practice. Zazen literally means “seated meditation” in Japanese, a central part of the Zen Buddhist tradition. Buddhism originated in India over 2,500 years ago and eventually spread to other parts of Asia. Zen Buddhism is a particular school that developed in China and Japan.

Zen Buddhists believe that meditation is a way to see things as they are and to let go of the false beliefs that cause suffering. Zazen is one tool that can help us achieve this goal.[1]

The benefits of Zazen

Meditation has been shown to offer various benefits for both the mind and body. Studies have shown that regular meditation can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also improve focus, concentration, and memory. [We covered 17 cited  research studies on this in this previous feature>>]

For some people, meditation can even lead to increased feelings of well-being and happiness. In the Buddhist tradition, Zazen is also believed to help us see the world more clearly and to live more fully in the present moment.[2]

Many great Buddhists, including Nichiren, Dogen, and Hakuin, all practiced Zazen regularly and attributed reaching Nirvana to the practice.

The different seated postures for Zazen

Zazen is traditionally done while seated on a cushion called a zafu. The zafu is placed on top of a larger cushion called a zabuton, which helps to keep your legs and feet comfortable. It will slightly raise your hips above your knees, which helps to keep your spine straight. Your breathing is affected by the position of your spine, so it’s essential to sit up tall.

Several different seated postures can be used for Zazen. The most important thing is to keep your back straight, and your chin tucked in slightly. This will help you to breathe deeply and remain alert.

Here are some of the most common seated positions — and don’t worry if you can’t sit a lotus posture (many of us can’t!) — as there are many choices, all perfectly valid for Zazen.

Full-Lotus Posture

The Full-Lotus is known as the most stable of all the Zazen positions. For this position, your legs are crossed, with each foot resting on the opposite thigh. This can be difficult to achieve at first, but it’s worth practicing if you can.

Once you’re in position, place your hands in your lap with your right hand resting on top of your left and your palms facing up. You can also place your hands, one on top of the other in front of your belly button.

Take a few deep breaths and relax into the posture.

Half-Lotus Posture

The Half-Lotus is a variation of the Full-Lotus that is slightly easier to achieve. For this position, you will cross one leg over the other and rest it on the opposite thigh. Once you’re in position, you can place your hands in the same way as the Full-Lotus position.

This posture is easier because you don’t have to lift your second foot as high. It’s a good option if you’re just starting out or if you have trouble getting into the Full-Lotus.

Burmese Posture

Next, we have the Burmese posture. To assume this position, sit with your legs folded in front of you and your feet flat on the ground. Once again, place your hands in your lap with your right hand resting on top of your left.

It is similar to the Full-Lotus, but your feet are placed differently. This is a good option if you have trouble sitting in the Lotus position or if your knees are painful when raised off the ground.

Seiza Posture

The Seiza posture is the traditional Japanese way of sitting. To assume this position, kneel on the ground with your legs tucked underneath you and your feet pointing behind you. Then, rest your hands on your thighs with your palms facing up.
This posture can be tough on your knees, so it’s a good idea to sit on a cushion or folded blanket if possible. It’s also important to keep your back straight, and your chin tucked in, just as with the other positions.

Chair Posture

Lastly, you can also sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and your hands resting in your lap. This is a good option if you have trouble sitting on the floor or need to get up quickly.

What to do if you can’t sit

There are plenty of reasons why you might not be able to sit in traditional Zazen positions. Maybe you have an injury or a chronic condition that makes it difficult to sit on the ground. Perhaps you’re pregnant or have young children, so you can’t be away from them for too long.

Whatever the reason, there’s no need to worry. You can still practice Zazen and reap all the benefits; you just might need to sit in a different position. If you can’t sit on the cushion on the floor, you can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting in your lap. (See chair posture above.)

You can also use a meditation stool or bench if you prefer, where you are partially kneeling or partially sitting.

Standing Posture

If you have trouble sitting, but can stand, try the standing poses. In Zazen, and certainly in Zen, both walking and standing are acceptable poses for mindfulness. (Although mindfulness isn’t strictly Zazen, you do what you can!) To some extent, you can do Zazen while standing if you have a relaxed posture, usually feet slightly apart with very slightly bent knees.

Shavasana and Prone Posture

You can lie down in the so-called “corpse pose” or lie in a reclining position — don’t be frightened by the name, but do be aware of sleepiness. To counteract the relaxed prone posture, you may have to open your eyes further. Light is a remedy for “sleepy mind.”

Prone posture is sometimes helpful for people with breathing issues. In this posture you lie facing down.

The important thing is to find a position that you can maintain for a prolonged time without pain or discomfort.

To do the corpse pose, or Shavasana — a yoga poses where you lie on your back with your legs and arms extended — you can place a pillow under your head if you like, but remember to avoid total comfort. Sleeping is relaxing, but it’s certainly not Zazen!

All about Zen in Japan —

How to Breathe Correctly During Zazen

Now that we’ve gone over the different seated positions let’s talk about how to breathe correctly during Zazen.
Zazen is traditionally done with what’s known as “natural” or “abdominal” breathing. You should breathe deeply and slowly, allowing your abdomen to expand as you inhale. [3] The breath should be smooth and even without pauses in inhalations and exhalations. You can count your breaths if it helps you to keep a steady rhythm.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should be aware of your breath without trying to control it. Just let it happen naturally and don’t force anything. The mind has a tendency to wander, especially when we’re trying to focus on something as seemingly simple as our breath. But with a bit of practice, it’s possible to bring our attention back to the present and focus on our breath.
Here are some tips for how to do this.

Find a comfortable, peaceful place

Although experts at Zazen can do it anywhere — and clearly ordinary mindfulness can be undertaken anywhere, even a busy subway train — for beginners to Zazen it’s best to have a peaceful refuge, even if it’s your little bedroom. Let people know you’re meditating or resting — do not distrub please! Turn off the phone or mute!

This is important for less advanced practitioners because you are attempting to still the busy mind; you don’t want to be interrupted while meditating. Humans have an innate bias toward novelty, which means that our attention is quickly drawn to new things.

For example, a sound in an otherwise quiet room will likely catch our attention and pull us out of our meditative state. So, it’s crucial to find a place where you won’t be disturbed by things like this.

Set a timer

A timer is helpful because it allows you to relax and not worry about how long you’ve been meditating. If you’re constantly wondering how much time is left, it will be harder to focus on your breath.

If you’re new to meditation, start with a short-timer (5-10 minutes) and gradually increase the length of time as you get more comfortable with the practice.

Half – close your eyes

Since meditation is all about embracing mindfulness — and to a less extent “seeing” emptiness — it’s recommended to half-close your eyes. Dont’ think of this as cutting off or separating from the “waking world” but rather an signal to your mind to be mindful.  This will help you to focus on your internal experience and prevent distractions. If half-closed is still distracting, beginners can fully close their eyes.

People react differently to half-closing their eyes. You might see pure darkness, colorful patterns, or images of things you’re thinking about. Whatever you see, just let it be and don’t focus on it too much. The important thing is to focus on your breath and not get caught up in the visuals.

Just breathe

Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Try to practice abdominal breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly and evenly through your mouth. As you inhale, allow your abdomen to expand, and as you exhale, let it contract.

Inhaling through your nose helps to slow down your breathing and makes it easier to focus on the breath. Exhalation is also important because it lets you go of any tension you might be holding in your body.

It’s common for people to hold their breath when they’re anxious or stressed, so exhaling fully can help to release that tension.

How To Deal With Thoughts During Zazen

If you’re like most people, your thoughts will naturally wander during Zazen. It is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about, as it happens to everyone. It can be helpful to think of your thoughts as clouds passing through the sky.

They’re there for a moment, and then they’re gone. Don’t try to hold on to the thoughts nor push them away. Just let them pass and focus on your breath. It won’t be easy at first, so here are a few techniques that you can use to help you focus.

Monkey Mind? Focus on an object instead

Strictly speaking, in Zazen, we face a blank wall to avoid distractions. The focus is normally just breath. But — again for we beginners — a common beginner practice is to focus on an object, where breath or mindfulness doesn’t work for your busy “monkey mind”. This normally should be a sacred Enlightened object, such as a statue of Buddha.

If you find it difficult to focus on your breath, you can try focusing on an object instead. It’s best to choose something small and not too distracting, i.e., without too many colors or details. This could be anything from a candle flame to a pebble.

Focus on your body: Another option is to focus on your body. You can feel the sensation of your breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils or the rising and falling of your abdomen. You can also try to feel the sensation of your feet touching the ground.
It’s important to be patient with yourself and not get discouraged if your mind wanders frequently. Meditation is a practice, and it takes time and effort to improve.

Still, have trouble with Zazen?

For those of us with major monkey minds — an unofficial Buddhist term for “busy mind” — as a last resort try focusing on  a mantra. It’s not strictly Zazen, but — hey, I won’t tell if you don’t.

A mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat to yourself during meditation. It can be anything that you find meaningful. The important thing is that it’s short and easy to remember.

An example of a mantra is “Om Mani Padme Hum,” a Buddhist chant that means “praise to the jewel in the lotus ” — the mantra of the Bodhisattva of Compassion Avalokiteshvara.

You can speak gently, or chant along (for example with this video) if you find your mind too unsettled:

Ending Your Zazen Practice

When your timer goes off, slowly open your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Allow your body to adjust to the outside world before you get up and move around. Take your time getting up, so you don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded. You can also try doing some gentle stretching exercises to release any tension remaining in your body.

That’s it! You’ve just completed a session of Zazen. Aim to do these exercises every day, and you’ll start to notice a difference in your mind and body. You’ll find it easier to focus on your breath and let go of thoughts with regular practice. And remember, there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. Do what feels comfortable for you, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Meditation is a journey, not a destination.

Zazen is — good for you, too

Zazen is an ancient, simple, but powerful practice that can help to improve your spiritual, mental and physical health. It’s a holistic form of healing that is easy to learn and can be done anywhere, anytime. So why not give it a try? You might be surprised at the impact it has on your life.

If you found this guide helpful, please share it with others who might benefit from it. We also have several other articles and resources on Buddhism and meditation, so be sure to check those out.
Namaste.

SOURCES

[1] Art of Asia>>

[2] Healthline>>

[3] Meditation Instructions on ZMM>>

Although mindfulness necessitates ongoing work, it requires a specific sort of effort, natural and effortless, similar to meditation. It’s merely a matter of noticing when your ideas or feelings cause you to divert from the present moment. Simply, redirect your focus to where it’s needed. Whether you’re focused on the taste of the food you’re eating, the movement of your hands opening or closing the door, the weight of your body perched on a chair, the feel of water washing over your skin in the shower, bodily contact with your baby, the smell of toothpaste while brushing your teeth, or simply the glass of water you’re drinking right now.

Feature by Angela Johnson

(Biography on bottom)

Mindfulness applies to all senses — and all activities

Without exception, mindfulness applies to anything that is presented to you in the form of sensations. It makes no difference whether you engage in active or passive activities, whether at home or on the street, at work or in pleasure, alone or in the company. All of this can be confusing at first if you’re new to the concept of involvement.

Remember that involvement means being completely aware of the present moment, where you are, and what you are doing. You will act in the same manner as before. All you have to do is stay involved at all times, and the easiest way to do so is to concentrate on a single thing.

Returning to the present

You simply return your thoughts to the object of your attention whenever you discover your distraction. Brushing your teeth is one good example.  This action is recognizable to everyone, takes less than two minutes, and requires no explanation. It’s apparent what you’re concentrating on, and you’ll most likely be able to complete the procedure while remaining involved.

With mindfulness, the will be a significant change — from how most individuals usually perform this easy hygiene activity, on full autopilot — is to remain on the activity of brushing. Up. Down. Up. Down. Rinse.

It is necessary to feel the differences between the two scenarios in order to completely comprehend them. Feel what it’s like. Perhaps you can easily concentrate on your physical sensations, making them a focal point. Any activity can be a subject of mindful focus. For example, brushing your teeth:

The sound of a toothbrush cleaning your teeth, the sensation of a continuous back and forth motion in your palm, or the taste or smell of toothpaste are all options. Your mind will feel calmer if you concentrate on a single sensation.

After you return to the present moment, you may discover that you’ve developed a pattern of being sidetracked by unrelated thoughts or moving from one thought to the next. Perhaps you’ll realize that brushing your teeth requires too much or too little effort.

The obstacle of boredom

There’s a possibility you’ll feel a sensation of boredom. All of these discoveries are valuable in their own right because they help you to perceive your own consciousness for what it is. The contrast between a steady, peaceful consciousness and one that is out of control is reflected in this focus.

Let’s have a look at an example. Assume you’re about to take a sip of water:

Try focusing on the experience rather than drinking the water in one swallow. When was the last time you actually tasted the water you drink? You get information regarding the temperature of the water and the material used to make the glass as soon as you hold it in your hand. You can concentrate on the way your hand goes toward your mouth and the flavor of the water as it fills your mouth.

You’ll be able to follow the water as it flows down your neck and into your stomach if you learn to listen to your senses. Simply redirect your attention to how you’re drinking if you notice your mind wandering elsewhere.

With clarity comes calmness

You will discover that this strategy efficiently calms the mind as you begin to apply it in various situations. You are not only fully aware of the impressions you are receiving at any given time, but you are also calming down. Clarity comes with calmness.

You begin to comprehend how and why you think and feel, as well as why things happen the way they do. You start to observe patterns and trends that are unique to your state of consciousness. As a result, you can once again choose how you want to live your life. You can react to what is going on in the way that feels best to you, rather than mindlessly rushing through a stream of harmful, useless ideas and emotions.

Managing mindfulness in “public”

Another popular question is how does this technique work in the presence of strangers? Wouldn’t such concentration in the company of others seem rude? These worries appear absurd: after all, such a question suggests that we are normally so preoccupied with the words, feelings, and emotions of those around us that we have no time for anything else. In actuality, this is quite rare. We are usually so preoccupied with our own thoughts that we are unable to hear what the other person is saying.

Assume you’re strolling down the street with a friend. In theory, walking is a self-contained activity, but you must focus some of your attention on avoiding accidents with other walkers, avoiding entering the roadway by accident, and so on. You can only redirect your focus to dialogue with a friend when you are not preoccupied with important observations.

This does not suggest that you pay less attention to the person with whom you are talking than usual; rather, it just means that you switch from one object to another at the right intervals, in this case from your surroundings to your conversation with a friend. Your focus on your own thoughts and sensations will not be as full as it would be if you were sitting and meditating alone—at least at first—but the key thing is to stay involved. The more you practice, the easier it will be for you to maintain your focus and the more successful you will be.

Remaining fully in the moment

Involvement in the present will allow you to remain fully “in the same room” with the person you are talking to. The beauty of mindfulness is that it does not require any additional time. All you have to do is learn to thoroughly immerse yourself in the action you are performing right now, rather than wandering off into the distance. This is for those who believe they don’t have enough spare time to practice mindfulness.

Ask yourself a few questions

How often are you mindful through the day?

What happens when you stay in the present moment for an entire morning? How does it feel? How did this acuity of senses change your perspective on the ordinary and every day. Every moment is a present moment. We can remain mindful throughout every moment.

The good news here — aside from reinforcing Buddha’s teachings — is the benefits are broad spectrum. All sorts of people — who live incredibly diverse lives and have very different problems — can find the same benefits and wonders in meditation.

By Josephine Nolan,

Contributing Editor

There is plenty of science to support the objective, positive effects that meditation has on people, enough to help even the most doubtful see that there is value in the simplicity of meditation. This evidence, in the form of studies, reports, meta-analyses, and research projects, find that (and in some cases explains how) meditation simply, truly works.

[Note: normal disclaimers: this feature reports only. Always seek the advice of your health practitioners.]

Although there are many, many confirmed benefits to meditation and mindfulness, in thisfeature we will focus on the top ten.

1. Reduced stress

One of the most common reasons for people to try meditating is to try and reduce stress. Mental and physical stress cause the body to produce higher levels of the stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can cause a lot of the negative effects that stress is associated with because it triggers the release of cytokines, which are inflammatory chemicals.

These effects include increased tendency toward depression and anxiety, affected sleep, increased blood pressure, and fatigue and cloudy thoughts.

An 8-week study by researchers found that mindfulness-based meditation decreased stress-caused inflammation responses in subjects. The mindfulness training was “a better buffer of the effects of psychological stress on neurogenic inflammation” than a well-matched control condition. [Note 1]

2. Reduced pain

Meditation can also decrease pain, in any of its forms. This is especially true when that pain is caused by disorders that are often (but not always) stress-related. Some examples are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and fibromyalgia.

IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that is found in many people. Its symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, but these symptoms are easily attributable to many other diseases and can therefore often be difficult to diagnose and manage. A literature review found that meditation provided sufferers relief from their IBS symptoms. [2]

The same goes for fibromyalgia, which (after osteoarthritis) is the second most common rheumatologic pain disorder. A review found that mindfulness meditation was helpful in improving sufferers’ pain symptoms and pain perception. [3]

3. Reduced depression and anxiety

Meditation also positively impacts anxiety and depression. This is because these disorders feature stress as a factor affecting their severity, but also because mindfulness helps to break the harmful cycles of negative thought that these disorders feature.

A meta-analysis of a studies done on 1,295 subjects found that a type of meditation called Transcendental Meditation was “more effective than treatment as usual and most alternative treatments, with greatest effect observed in individuals with high anxiety”. [4]

A trial involving 93 subjects found that mindfulness-based stress reduction helped individuals with generalized anxiety disorder experience significant reductions in anxiety and an increase in positive self-statements. [5]

A review of available literature on the subject concluded that mindfulness-based interventions “demonstrated efficacy in reducing anxiety and depression symptom severity in a broad range of treatment-seeking individuals”. [6]

4. Improved social interactions

Emotional wellbeing extends beyond just feeling happy. It also involves managing negative thoughts, low self-esteem, and insecurity. Emotional wellbeing isn’t just important for personal satisfaction, but also for social interaction. Loneliness and social isolation are some of the most impactful factors on poor health and even a shorter life span.

A study of 153 adults found that when using a mindfulness meditation app for 2 weeks, there were reduced feelings of loneliness as well as more social interactions than a control group [7].

This finding corroborates the line of thinking that in order to be a better friend/partner/child/parent etc., you need to work on yourself first. When someone works on their emotional well-being, it is easier for them to find meaningful connections in the world.

5. Improved self-awareness

Self-awareness helps people to be more aware of and understand who they truly are, leading to better self-growth, acceptance, and love. They can grow into the best version of themselves. Meditation is an excellent tool in the journey of self-awareness, especially certain forms like self-inquiry meditation.

There is evidence that meditation can give a person the tools they need to be more self-aware [8], as well as positively affecting “the involvement of the attentional networks, and, likely, the cingulatecortex, particularly in the process of bare attention (ie, awareness without thought). This highest level of nonjudgmental awareness may help in obtaining a better-adjusted resilient self.” [9]

6. Longer attention span

Meditating is one of the best things to help lengthen a short attention span for people of any age, similar to how physical exercise helps muscles increase their strength and endurance.

There was a study found that just a couple of weeks of meditating increased people’s focus and memory [10]. Another study stated that people who meditated regularly had longer attention span and performed better on a visual task than those that didn’t [11].

A review published that meditation even has the power to reverse brain patterns that lead to mind-wandering, poor attention, and worrying [12].

The best part is, it doesn’t even take that much time for the benefits of meditating to show. A study showed that just 13 minutes of meditation daily can show enhanced attention and memory retention after only 8 weeks [13].

7. Improved sleep

Having trouble falling asleep is one of the most common nighttime issues that people face, and it can be caused by any number of reasons. Stress is most often the culprit, though. The cytokines mentioned earlier in this feature disrupt sleep and sleep patterns, and so meditation can help to relieve stress-sufferers from insomnia.

A study showed that people who used mindfulness-based meditation programs stayed asleep longer and had less severe insomnia than those who didn’t [14].

8. Volume changes in the brain

Meditation can physically alter the brain to make positive changes to it. A team at Harvard found that just eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus. This area of the brain is responsible for learning and memory.

MBSR was also found to increase other areas of the brain that contribute to emotional regulation as well as self-referential processing. There were also volume decreases in the amygdala which is where fear, stress, and anxiety are regulated [15].

Interestingly, the subjects self-reported exactly what the findings were before being told them, indicating that meditation doesn’t just change how the brain looks, but accompanying feelings and perception too.

9. Improved control over addiction

Since meditation has positive effects on the parts of the brain that govern self-control, it can be a powerful tool for those struggling with addiction. Meditation also helps a person to be more aware of the negative cycles that they partake in, and might therefore find it easier to break these cycles.

There was a study that had two groups of smokers try to quit smoking, either by learning mindfulness or by using the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking (FFS) program. Those that learned mindfulness were more likely to have quit by the end of their training. In the 17-week post-study follow-up, they were more likely to have quit than those that used the FFS program [16].

10. Improved age-related memory loss

The improvements in clarity and attention can help keep a mind young. Many people who are more advanced in age have a tendency to rush through or over things, but meditation helps to teach them to remember to go through things with care and live in the moment.

A UCLA study published that people who meditated long-term had brains that were in a better condition than participants who didn’t meditate long-term. 
On average, participants who had meditated for 20 years (on average) had a higher volume of grey matter in their brains than those who didn’t [17].

Conclusion

These are just some of the ways that science has echoed what Buddhism has known for many years.
Meditation might be the single most impactful thing that a person can do for themselves if they wish to change their life for the better. The benefits of meditation are well-known and in modern times, well-proven scientifically.

Sources

[1] Science Direct feature>>

[2] Science Direct feature>>

[3] Pubmed feature>>

[4] Pubmed feature>>

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3772979/ – PubMed Central

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679245/ – PubMed Central

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6397548/ – PubMed Central

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26231761/ – PubMed

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25141355/ – PubMed

[10] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797612459659 – SAGE Journals

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5962705/ – PubMed.gov

[12] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23643368/ – PubMed.gov

[13] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30153464/ – PubMed.gov

[14] https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/37/9/1553/2416992 – Oxford Academic

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/ – PubMed Central

[16] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21723049/ – PubMed.gov

[17] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01551/full – Frontiers in Psychology

Despite the science, Theta is notoriously difficult to achieve. According to one study it occurs “more frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners.”[3]

[Five mini how-tos on the five meditation methods at the end of this feature.]

NTNU joint study on Theta waves benefits

“During meditation, theta waves were most abundant in the frontal and middle parts of the brain” reports NTNU in Science Daily. [3]  Jim Lagopoulos, of Sydney University (Australia) comments: “Given the popularity and effectiveness of meditation as a means of alleviating stress and maintaining good health, there is a pressing need for a rigorous investigation of how it affects brain function.” He is one of the principles of a joint study between his university and researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) on changes in electrical brain activity during nondirective meditation.

Unfortunately, the health and cognitive benefits of Theta escape many meditators. As Lagopoulous explains:

“Previous studies have shown that theta waves indicate deep relaxation and occur more frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners. The source is probably frontal parts of the brain, which are associated with monitoring of other mental processes.” Less experienced meditators usually attain an Alpha wave state — relaxed and reflective, but not necessarily as deeply beneficial as Theta.”

Theta is not beyond reach, but why do it?

There are many proven ways to achieve Theta — and ultimately altered states of consciousness (ASC or Altered States) — but the question is why do it? Isn’t it just some nostalgic hippie trip, or a detached-from-reality buzz, or a new-age trend? On the contrary, ASC — also called non-ordinary state — is vital to human health, and is the body-mind mechanism for relieving stress, and — according to Psychologists — highly therapeutic. Christa Smith (Psy.D.) explains in Psychology Today [1]:

“Altered states of consciousness, sometimes called non-ordinary states, include various mental states in which the mind can be aware but is not in its usual wakeful condition, such as during hypnosis, meditation, hallucination, trance, and the dream stage.* Altered states can occur anywhere from yoga class to the birth of a child. They allow us to see our lives and ourselves with a broader lens and from different angles of perception than the ordinary mind.”

Meditation, which inspires Theta brainwaves, also inspires insight and ideas. According to Ned Herrman in Scientific American [2]:

People experiencing Theta “are prone to the flow of ideas… The ideation that can take place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs without censorship or guilt. It is typically a very positive mental state.”

Five Main Styles of Meditation to Achieve Theta or the Altered States

The study from NTNU (cited above), used “Acem Meditation, a “nondirective method developed in Norway. They were asked to rest, eyes closed, for 20 minutes, and to meditate for another 20 minutes, in random order. The abundance and location of slow to fast electrical brain waves (delta, theta, alpha, beta) provide a good indication of brain activity.” [3]

Main methods and practices

The main methods fall into various “practice styles,” which could loosely be tagged as:

1. Mindfulness.
2. Guided meditations and visualization.
3. Mantra.
4. Sound: binaural sounds, drumming, rattling, singing.
5. Repetitive tasks (for example, the Zen practices of sweeping, archery, martial arts).

Each of these breaks down into more detailed methods, for example, mindfulness of perception, mindfulness of breath, and mindfulness of body. Under guided meditation, there are innumerable methods. Shamanistic-style drumming and rattling are just two of many approaches to sonic methods.

But NOT Analytical meditation

Analytical meditation, logic, debate, and other forms of spiritual meditation are not necessarily ideal for generating Theta. They tend to push the mind into either Beta or Alpha. They have their place — as a method of developing wisdom — but they are not the focus of these studies.

A “non-ordinary state” of mind — Theta — is the goal of people pursuing creative insight, health benefits or cognitive development. One healthy mechanism for “non-ordinary state” is built into our daily lives: dreaming and day-dreaming are altered states, and vital to our health. Advanced practitioners often engage in lucid dreaming.

Aside from natural and lucid dreaming, the main “learned” methods are various forms of “non-directed” meditation, which has the added benefits of insight, reflection and blissful mind.

In this feature, we explore these five mains styles of meditation — mindfulness, guided, mantra, sound, and repetitive tasks — all proven methods to achieve altered states of consciousness, without drugs, fasting or other unhealthy tricks. They are so diverse; one is bound to appeal to you.

Emptiness: the common element of the five styles

Clearly, there is some common element in these five styles. The research from NTNU identified it very precisely:

“Several studies indicate better relaxation and stress management by meditation techniques where you refrain from trying to control the content of the mind. These methods are often described as nondirective, because practitioners do not actively pursue a particular experience or state of mind. They cultivate the ability to tolerate the spontaneous wandering of the mind without getting too much involved. Instead of concentrating on getting away from stressful thought and emotions, you simple let them pass in an effortless way.”

All of the five styles generate a form of “non directed mind.” In Buddhism, this is somewhat akin to the concept of Emptiness. Emptiness does not mean nothingness or non-existence. It means empty of ego, empty of direction, empty of stress — it is also a sense of “fullness” and unity with everything else. When you are mindful, your mind expands. Distant sounds become clear. Your mind expands beyond logical Beta thought.

Expansive Theta mind becomes One with everything, no longer censored or constrained by logical mind and ego.

Five methods of self-hypnosis

How can these five methods — including guided visualizations — all be non-directed meditations? All of them have an element of “hypnosis.”

1. Mindfulness: clearly non-directed mind applies. You become the observer. You do not try to think, but if you do have thoughts, you observe them. [For more on the science of mindfulness, see the BW feature: “The Science Behind Stilling Your Mind with Mindfulness.”>>]
2. Guided meditation and visualization: you allow your mind to be guided — you do not direct, you follow direction. [For the science behind visualization, see: Science: Research proves visualization improves cognitive performance…>>]
3. Mantra: sacred sounds repeated over and over until they become “emptiness” of mind. Yet, because a “meaning” is subtly attached to each mantra, it has the hypnotic effect of implanting desired “goals” in the subconscious. (Or, if you don’t accept this definition, it’s still repetitive sound.) [For a story explaining the benefits of mantra, please see “No time for daily practice? Chant a mantra…>>]
4. Sound: notably binaural rhythms, but one of the most effective proven methods in various studies are drums (as in shaman drums pounded at a high repetitive beat) and rattles. [See this story on studies reinforcing the “drumming for mindfulness” and its benefits for health, support for cancer, Parkinsons and depression.]

5. 

   Repetitive Tasks: ever wonder why Zen masters assign novices to sweep repetitively? Are they clean obsessed? Assigning the dirty work to someone else? No, they are engaging in skilful means. Repetitive chores such as sweeping, memorized martial arts routines such as Tai Chi, and even waxing the car can be meditative: “Wax on, wax off” (Mr Miyagi in the Karate Kid movie.) Even skate-boarding can be considered repetitive meditation. [See this unique story on the Zen of skateboarding>>]

All of these are non-directed meditations can induce Theta.

Ordinary mind (Beta) deliberately induces stress

“Ordinary mind” — in brainwaves classified as BETA, the stress-inducing frequency of our survival “awake” mind — evolved to help keep us alive. It motivates us to act, to work, to gather food, to cope with danger. The ordinary, awake mind induces wakeful stress to help us survive — an evolved stimulation that has its evolutionary roots in our hunter-gatherer beginnings. Ordinary mind also evolved ALPHA brainwaves — the relaxed and reflective mind — once we evolved enough to seek refuge in caves, to build castle walls, or houses with locks.

Only at night, in the safety of our caves — our homes — did the mind release the high-alert ordinary mind, and allow a little stress-reducing downtime, in the form of THETA and DELTA brainwaves: THETA during relaxing escapes such as napping, story-telling and song (today, movie watching and stereo) and DELTA during dreaming and sleep — both achieved, mostly, in the relative serenity that comes from a rampart (today, an alarm system.) This is why it is often difficult, for instance, to achieve relaxing THETA or DELTA as a stressed-out patient in the hospital.

Mindless thrillers as meditation?

Ever wonder why silly action-movies and mindless thrillers and comic-book adaption movies are so popular? It’s not that they are “relaxing” in tone and manner; it’s simply because they are a form of escapism. It’s so far removed from our stressful BETA lives, that it genuinely induces an ALPHA state in many of us — relaxed mind— probably similar to the feeling the ancient Greeks must have experienced when they listened to the exciting tales of the gods and heroes. On the other hand, a gritty, artsy, true-to-life biography or war history movie might inspire the opposite — triggering BETA — simply because it resonates with our day-to-day stress-mode.

In fact, going one step further, an over-the-top adventure or comedy movie or novel, while it usually induces an ALPHA state, can trigger THETA. (Yes, that’s you, the movie-goer who drowses slightly during the action movie.) In meditation, the goal is usually either a deep ALPHA (highly relaxed and reflective mind, for instance in Samatha meditation) or light THETA (visualization meditation.) So, although an escapist myth, movie or novel will not replace meditation, it’s certainly “good for you.” Just avoid the too-real, too-historical, too frightening stress-inducing stories unless you’re ready to jump back up to stressful BETA.

Feeling safe and secure helps change our wave pattern

A sense of safety and security helps coax the BETA brain to release its “red alert” state. Laughter, song, silly movies, good food, friends — all these help us feel safe and secure and encourages a wholesome ALPHA relaxed mind. Ultimately, for real health benefits, we hope to achieve a deep ALPHA or a light THETA. Meditation, in a safe environment, is certainly one of the surest ways to induce stress-relieving brainwaves. With mindfulness, you might also accidentally slip into DELTA (sleep mode) but if you’re doing formal Zazen retreat watch out! — whack on the shoulder from the teacher might wake you back up.

Meditational Altered States: THETA mind

From a meditational point of view — and certainly from a Buddhist perspective — ASC is the mechanism that makes meditation valid as both a stress-reliever and a doorway to insight. Altered States — specifically THETA brainwaves — is not the goal, it is only the mechanism. The goal of meditation can vary: health, stress-relief, insight (in Buddhism, “wisdom”), relief from depression, and, specific to Vajrayana and Buddhism: achieving “bliss and wisdom in union.” But the mechanism for achieving most of these is a state of THETA.

In Vajrayana, it is sometimes said that altered state is the horse, and insight is the destination. In other traditions, such as shamanism, the drum might replace the horse — the drum being the audible mechanism helping achieve ASC — and “meeting” a spirit guide might be the goal. In real yoga — not the one-hour gym class — the mechanism and goals are similar.

Office Mindfulness: Theta helps cognition

Although we’re tuned to BETA brainwaves in work and survival mode when out of our safe-places, many problems are best solved when the mind is at least in “reflective” mode — ALPHA brainwaves. This is why office workers often engage in short mindfulness sessions throughout the day. Not only for work problems but for “healing” and therapy, Altered States of Consciousness is often superior. Christa Smith, in Psychology Today, explains [1]:

“I often witness clients relying too heavily on the ordinary mind. They painstakingly analyze themselves and their problems with little payoff, as if the ordinary mind is the only and best tool for healing. Adele was one such client. She was a 45 year-old mother of two who suffered from depression related to aging. She was highly intelligent and could articulate perfectly why being in her forties bothered her so much. But as much as she tried to convince herself it wasn’t true, she could not shake the idea that her life was essentially over, that all of the good times were in the past. She struggled to overcome this belief, which was at the heart of her depression, but made little progress.”

Explaining brainwaves: electrical power?

One way to explain brainwaves is with electricity. In Scientific American, Nedd Herrman explains brainwaves this way[2]:

“Even though this electrical power is very limited, it does occur in very specific ways that are characteristic of the human brain. Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves. There are four categories of these brainwaves, ranging from the most activity to the least activity. When the brain is aroused and actively engaged in mental activities, it generates beta waves. These beta waves are of relatively low amplitude and are the fastest of the four different brainwaves. The frequency of beta waves ranges from 15 to 40 cycles a second. Beta waves are characteristics of a strongly engaged mind. A person in active conversation would be in beta. A debater would be in high beta. A person making a speech, or a teacher, or a talk show host would all be in beta when they are engaged in their work.”

He goes on to describe ALPHA as the opposite of BETA:

“Where beta represented arousal, alpha represents non-arousal. Alpha brainwaves are slower, and higher in amplitude. Their frequency ranges from 9 to 14 cycles per second. A person who has completed a task and sits down to rest is often in an alpha state. A person who takes time out to reflect or meditate is usually in an alpha state. A person who takes a break from a conference and walks in the garden is often in an alpha state.”

THETA: “ideation mode”: ideas flow without censorship

When those frequency cycles per second drop to between five and eight, we move into THETA, at first a light day-dream-like state, what Nedd Herrmann calls “ideation” mode. Repetitive tasks — drumming, mantras, watching or counting breath, jogging and running, or even driving long miles of monotonous straight highway — can induce THETA. (Obviously, not desired when driving those highways!)

This is why some of your best ideas occur when bathing, showering, jogging, or meditating. The relaxed mind, slower than ALPHA is “prone to flow of ideas,” according to Herrmann. Even brushing your hair, or sweeping the floor, or any automatic, repetitive task can inspire your most creative moments. Hermann describes THETA:

“It is a state where tasks become so automatic that you can mentally disengage from them. The ideation that can take place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs without censorship or guilt. It is typically a very positive mental state.”

Importantly, formal meditative practice is specifically designed to quickly induce THETA — or in some cases light DELTA.

DELTA: dream mode

Lighter DELTA could be thought of as daydream mode, but in meditation is associated with visualization practice and LUCID dreaming. While THETA is ideal for stress-reducing and idea/insight, DELTA has a more specialized meditative mission: deeply altered states of consciousness that allow us to see beyond conventional reality biased by conditioning.

What Buddha Taught

Buddha taught many methods for loosening the grip of conditioning on our fragile psyches. We grew up conditioned by pain and suffering — from our wailing emergence from the safety of our mother’s womb to the often-traumatic experiences that follow. We also develop attachments to those things we enjoy. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path provide the initial teachings on overcoming this conditioning that keeps us in a “suffering” state of mind.

Other methods include meditative methods, including visualization, that helps us see the world without the lens of our “conditioning.”

In the dream world, we can fly; when awake gravity takes hold. When we visualize the merit field of Enlightened Beings, we see a Pure Land as it could be if we removed attachments, conditioning and clinging; when awake, we see endless pain and suffering.

Even pragmatically, when our therapist coaches us with a guided meditation, to help us overcome some specific trauma, we are experiencing Theta.

Quick How-Tos

Although we have more extensive “how-tos” on these various practices, here is a quick “cheat sheet” to inducing Theta through the Five Styles of Altered States Meditation.

1. Mindfulness

It might seem that mindfulness is the “easiest” of these practices. In fact it is a practice that eludes many, including some experienced meditators. While guided meditation and drumming can be quickly approached, mindfulness is — by definition — not easy to instruct. Basically, you sit, stand, walk and try to “disengage” the Beta and Alpha mind by “observing.” As indicated in the above NTNU study, the “observing” mind engages the “frontal parts of the brain, which are associated with monitoring of other mental processes.”

So, by way of instruction, sit, stand or walk (in all three cases in a situation where your mind doesn’t have to intervene) and then try to simply observe. Not only do you “observe” what is happening around you — the ticking of the clock, the chirping of the bird — but without engaging with it.

The great teachers would say, “simply be.” Be mindful. Be observant. Be there but not participating. Attempt this for at least 1o minutes. Don’t try to “empty” the mind of thoughts — some meditators try to force this — but simply, instead, observe them. Even if they are stressful, nasty, hateful thoughts. No judgment. Simply observe.

The basic steps could include:

1. Sit or stand in a way that is non-involving (comfortable).
2. Adopt an upright but comfortable posture.
3. Simply observe.

Some people add in additional steps — also a bit counter-intuitive for a process designed to disengage mind. For example:

1. Sit comfortably.
2. Initially, count your breaths and relax.
3. Correct your posture, but remain comfortable.
4. Half close or fully close your eyes.
5. Watch your breath. Feel it. Observe it. Do not participate.
6. Begin to notice, without participating, what is going on around you: sounds, feelings, heat, cold, dampness, itchy skin.
7. Observe your mind and its thoughts, but do not participate. Simply let it be. Watch.
8. Expand your observation. Try to listen beyond your immediate space.
9. Continue observing, without participating as long as you can. If you start participating or correcting random thoughts that bother you. Simply cease and observe. Do not correct.

2. Guided Meditation and Mindfulness

By releasing control (Beta mind) to a guide, we can experience a most intense Theta session. The objective of Vajrayana visualization is to help induce this “open and empty” mind to introduce our minds to the concept that the true nature of reality is not what we think. This idea was first expressed by the Buddha in the great Maha nidana Sutta:

“If this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases to exist.”

By removing the “eyes” from the observer role, the mind becomes the observer — which changes everything. The guru of Quantum Physics, Niels Bohr explained why science and Shakayamuni see “eye to eye” (so to speak):

“Observations not only disturb what has to be measured, they produce it… We compel a quantum particle to assume a definite position.” In other words, as explained by physicist Pascual Jordan: “we ourselves produce the results of measurements.”

[For a full exploration of this concept, supported by both science and Buddhist thought, see “What does quantum physics have to do with the five Buddhas>>]

You don’t have to involve spiritual visualization to achieve some benefits from this method, but for a Buddhist, Vajrayana visualized meditation is the pinnacle of technique.

The easiest way to experience the power of Vajrayana deity visualization — where we visualize ourselves as perfectly Enlightened beings (a form of positive-reinforcement role play) — is to follow along with a meditation master. Here’s one of our most popular guided visualization videos for visualizing Green Tara, as guided and taught by H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche:

Or for those seeking “healing” reinforcement, here is another popular video with guided visualation of Medicine Buddha:

3. Mantra

Any collection of sounds can become a mantra, but in Buddhist meditation, many are profound and meaningful — expressing in sound and rhythm deep truths. Some are open to everyone; others are restricted practices because they require instruction.

The goal of mantra is a little more specific. Although the “mind” is still observer and detached from calculated thought, the repetitive or hypnotic element is a repeated mantra. The sound is repeated hundreds of times. Often, this is combined with visualization — even something simple, such as healing blue light filling your body. Other times, it’s just the sound and a mindful, watching mind.

Mantras in serious practice are usually intoned at a very low, rhythmic pitch, like the beat of a drum. They go beyond the role of rhythm and sound, however. Mantra contains within it a “stated intention.” If you chant the Medicine Buddha mantra, you are likely planting the seed of healing in the mind.

When mind is in Theta, it is highly suggestable. This is why, in psychotherapy, for example, hypnosis is used. Hypnosis, like all of these techniques, opens the mind — not only the “observing mind” and the “learning mind” but also the “receptive mind.”

It is said you can’t implant a hypnotic suggestion that the recipient doesn’t agree with. It’s still your mind and will. But mantra reinforces the positive intention to heal, or live a long life, or receive protective energies.

To experience a mantra anyone can practice, try singing along with the amazing Yoko Dharma, chanting the Amitabha Buddha mantra Om Ami Dewa Hri:

4. Sound: drumming, rattling, chanting

Aside from mantras, which include the added purpose of implanting an intention, other repetitive sounds also induce Theta, notably drums, rattles and chants.

The benefits of sound go beyond some other Theta techniques. Although Theta mind is one of the reasons drumming works in meditation and healing, several studies have revealing benefits:

1. Reduces blood pressure, anxiety and stress: a 2014 study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine.
2. Improves cognitive function: 2014 study in the Journal of Huntington’s Disease.
3. Pain Reduction: 2012 study published in Evolutionary Psychology
4. Improve Immunity: 2011 study published in Alternative Therapies and Health Medicine
5. Induces Theta; enhanced meditation: 2004 study published in the Journal Multiple Sclerosis
6. Depression and Emotional Disorders: 2001 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

How to drum

Drumming, or any form of percussion provides a strong focus on mindfulness. It’s as simple as taking your favourite meditation technique and adding the drum as the focal point, rather than the breath. You can either drum for yourself (which has extra benefits: the live sound of a drum is very moving), or use a drumming MP3 or recording.

The steps are literally 1,2,3:

1. Sit and get comfortable. Alternately, some people prefer to stand or even dance while drumming.

2. Using any drum, beat a regular, monotonous beat. You can beat quickly, which tends to induce a Theta response (helpful for visualization practices in Vajrayana, for example), or slowly. A heart beat, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump has also been identified as therapeutic.

3. Drum for at least 15 minutes. I find 30 better. Simply focus on the beat (rather than your breath). Become the sound. As always, with mindfulness, if the mind drifts, just refocus gently back on the beat. If images appear, just observe. Be the listener (observer).

[For a more detailed exploration of drumming, see “Mindfulness of Drumming”>>

5. Repetitive tasks: wax on, wax off

There is serenity in the broom, the mop or the clothesline. Many people, when they are furious — say, a fight with a significant other — will take refuge in cleaning the house. The repetitive tasks, such as brooming, mopping, vacuuming can be highly therapeutic.

More formally, in Zen traditions, repetitive tasks are often assigned, such as “sweeping the temple” or weeding the garden. However, instead of simply saying “Go clean the floor” the teacher will actually show a specific hand motion to be used, a direction to sweep and a speed to employ. The mindless repetition is the meditation. It unleashes the Theta mind, in the same way, a monotonous curve-free highway does for a drowsy driver.

To make this work, either receive instruction, or create your own “ritualized” repetitive task. Clean the floor, yes, but do it with a precise, memorized pattern and speed.

Any repetitive task can be therapeutic, but to rise to the standard of meditation and Theta requires an element of ritualization.

NOTES
[1] “Altered States of Consciousness” Psychology Today, Christa Smith Psy.D.
[2] “What is the function of the various brainwaves” Scientific American, Nedd Herrmann
[3] “Brainwaves and meditation” Science Dailey, NTNU research source.

The great Lama Yeshe said: “Our problem is that inside us there is a mind going, ‘Impossible, impossible, impossible. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t’ … Human beings have great potential; they can do anything. The power of the mind is limitless.”

To subdue this “I can’t” mind, many Buddhists — and non-Buddhists — practice mindfulness to still the mind. In Buddhist practice, this stilling of the “monkey mind” has many advantages, and can help us glimpse reality as it truly is — the wisdom path to eventual enlightenment.

Then, to activate the “impossible” mind, Buddhists — and non-Buddhists — practice forms of visualization. Deity visualization in Vajrayana Buddhism is a powerful practice that imagines “ourselves as we would like to be, as an enlightened being, and this enables us to actualize that state much more quickly,” according to Geshe Tashi Tsering in his book Tantra: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought.[1]

Non-Buddhists also often enhance their life with personal visualizations — everything from daydreaming, to positive affirmations, to guided meditations. It’s the same principle in Vajrayana, except with Enlightened Beings as the object of visualization — and the mantra (and what that represents) as the positive affirmation.

Which is Better?

From a Buddhist point of view — neither. Mindfulness, or stilling the mind by bringing us intimately into the present moment, has an immediate advantage of simplicity in today’s busy world. It’s also easily understood, can be self-managed, and requires no major training. Visualization practice pursues the same goal with the opposing tactic: activation, rather than pacification, of the mind—using every sense in the body and every available neuron in the brain. Both styles of meditation have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. There are also separate “health” and living benefits, not related to practice goals.

At a high level, one of the goals of both styles of meditation, in Buddhist practice is to glimpse reality — and realize the wisdom of emptiness. More importantly, according to many teachers, mindfulness allows us to still our mind enough to glimpse our very own Buddha Nature—inherent to all sentient beings.

Deity visualization, on the other hand, allows us to step-by-step activate our Buddha Nature—rather than glimpse it. Using active, guided meditation, it also stimulates “compassion” in addition to “wisdom.” Bodhichitta is a major focus of nearly all visualization sadhanas (in modern speak, “manual” or guided meditation). By activating our “Buddha Nature” we overcome our sense of being “ordinary.”

“The sadhana is like a passport to a new universe,” writes Geshe Tsering. “At first glance it may seem like an arcane ritual, but when we understand the skillful way it can transform the mind, and especially how it uniquely blends the conventional aspects of our practice, such as developing the altruistic mind, with the wisdom realizing emptiness, we can see what a profound psychological tool it is.”

Mindfulness underpins Vipassana meditation methods—seeing things as they are. Deity visualization supports tantric methods — seeing beyond the ordinary.

“Through meditation on emptiness and bodhichitta, we use the visualization of arising as the enlightened deity to eliminate this sense of ordinariness,” explains Geshe Tsering in his masterful book on Tantra.[1] “The practice of generating ourselves as a deity and holding a sense of divine pride or divine identity is an integral part of Vajrayana practice. It is a way to bring the result into practice by feeling that we are already what we will one day be.”

What’s the Same?

All forms of Buddhist meditation share a single goal, no less than ultimate full Enlightenment. The methods differ, but there are at least four aspects that are the same:

• Goal: Enlightenment
• Goal: Bodhichitta (both aspiring and engaged Bodhichitta)
• Living the Six Perfections: generosity, patience, morality, joyous perseverance, concentration and wisdom.
• Wisdom realizing emptiness

Cutting the Ordinary

In addition to the shared traits, Vajrayana visualization cuts through “ordinary appearances” by using intense visualization and identification, and four unique elements, known as the four complete purities:

• Purity of Environment: accomplished through visualization of ideal sacred environment or mandala
• Purity of Body: through visualization of ourselves as an Enlightened deity
• Purity of Resources: visualizing mundane offerings as offerings suitable for the divine
• Purity of Activities: guided visualization on benefiting sentient beings.

Comparing the Two Skilled Methods

Mindfulness                                     Deity Visualization

No focus                                             Focus: Deity, or idealized Enlightened being.

Observe the self in the moment         Observe what we one day will be/can be

Seeing beyond the ordinary               Participating beyond the ordinary

Stills the mind                                    Activates the mind

Stress-reducing                                 Strongly enhances cognitive function

Easy to learn                                     Normally requires a teacher

Self-guided                                        Guided meditation

Non-focused                                      Focused

Enhances wisdom                             Enhances wisdom and compassion equally

Simple and quick                              Complex and requires time commitment

Neurologically parasympathetic        Activates sympathetic system

Immediate stress reduction              Immediate cognitive enhancement

Observes energies and thoughts     Manipulates energies and thoughts

Tends to pacify (relax) energies      Deliberately activates subtle energies

Vajrayana visualization practice opens the mind in an active way. Vajayana and tantric Buddhists tend to practice both mindfulness and active visualization practices. Advanced practitioners may practice only deity practices, but these advanced sadhanas combine the best of both.

Visualizing Deities

The exotic nature of visualizing deities also shifts our mind, helping us move conceptually away from “ordinary” thinking. Deities in Buddhism are not Gods as thought of in theistic religions. Deities are a complicated topic, but from a strictly psychological point of view they tap into universal archetypes. “Each deity in Tibetan Vajrayana is an iconic representation of a particular enlightened energy within us that we are trying to actualize,” writes Geshe Tsering.

The very power of visualization is working with images (as well as sounds, smells, touch and other senses). For example, the image of compassion is Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara), is often visualized with 1000 arms, each arm reaching out to help sentient beings, symbolically expressing His extraordinary caring. Green Tara is visualized as green (symbolizing wind or activity), and she is seen with one leg outstretched — the hero leaping up to help those in need, in Her lovely capacity as a savior.

Since visualizing requires an object of refuge to visualize, deities are reinforcement for our meditation. We tap into an particular aspect of the Buddha Within—for example Manjusri for “wisdom” or Avalokitesvara for “compassion.” The power of sadhanas stems not only from the combination of wisdom and compassion, but also from the use of all the senses to reinforce the “beyond ordinary” experience.

All the Senses Used in Sadhanas

We use multiple skilled methods and all the senses in visualization practice, reinforcing the extraordinary meditational experience, for example:

• sound: words and mantras
• breath: visualizing prana (chi) and the subtle body
• smell: we visualize the scent of wonderful offerings of incense
• taste: we visualize food offerings
• prayers: in psychological terms, affirmations
• offerings: representing our generosity and generating merit
• activity: for example, visualizing purifying light blessing all sentient beings, and other activities.

All of this reinforces the visual symbolism of the deity. Sometimes, even the actual physical (or visualized) location is heavy with symbolism and reinforces our meditational goals. For example, advanced Chod practice is often conducted in a Cemetery, at night.

In The Way of the White Clouds, by Lama Govinda, he describes deities as “not merely beautiful decorations of aesthetic value but as representations of a higher reality, born from visions of inner experience. They were put into as precise a language of forms as is contained in a geographical map or scientific formula, while being as natural and expression as direct an appeal as a flower or a sunset.”

Non-Buddhist Scientific View

From a less spiritual point of view, mindfulness is well accepted in the psychiatric community as a method for reducing stress, and improving health issues that are impacted by stress — arguably all major health issues. A 2011 study in Neuroimage, broadly maps out how mindfulness changes the brain for the better.

On the other hand, Vajrayana Deity visualization practices improve cognitive performance and have a promising impact on patients with degenerate brain disorders, according to a study from the National University of Singapore.

Difference in Perspective

What’s the main difference between non-Buddhist and Buddhist perspectives on the two methods? The goals, clearly. Buddhist practitioners will have taken refuge prior to any meditation, while non-Buddhists likely wouldn’t. As Buddhists, the ultimate goal is nothing less than touching the Buddha within and achieving Enlightenment. Non-Buddhists will be content with either heightened relaxation and stress relief—with mindfulness methods; or, improved cognitive function, conceptual thinking and planning with active guided visualizations.

Which is better? Neither. Both are powerful, and most people can benefit from using both styles of meditation. Mindfulness meditation pacifies, creating space for wisdom—and reducing stress. Visualization, on the other hand, activates mind on the heroic quest for the Buddha Within—and improves cognitive function. Contrary to the notion that they might be opposites—pacification versus activation—they are complimentary.

Some of the images in this article feature Zasep Tulku Rinpoche from the movie Please Come Again:

NOTES

[1] Tantra: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought, Volume 6, Geshe Tashi Tsering foreword by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

[2] Visualizing Yourself as a Deity, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

— Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12

More than 2500 years ago, the drum was an important component of various Buddhist traditions. “In Buddha’s time, the gong and drum were used to gather everyone to announce the precepts, meal times, Dharma talks.” [1] Today, most Buddhist temples and monasteries of most traditions use drums in practice, and increasingly — and, significantly, in meditation practice.

“The first sound everyone on Earth heard was the sound of our mother’s heartbeat,” writes Jennifer Tarnacki in her feature Your Brain on Drumming. “Our relationship with rhythm began in the womb.” [16]

Psychology and science have identified both drumming and mindfulness meditation as helpful therapy for everything from stress to memory loss to supportive cancer care. The first person to explicitly identify drumming and music as a healing practice was likely Pythagoreas, around the time of the Buddha. This is not new science. Since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, we have known about the stress-reducing benefits of both mindfulness and drumming.

Bringing the two together — mindfulness and drumming — can be life-changing. Even one session of meditation, focused on a drum’s beat demonstrates how powerful this ancient meditation method can be in our stressful modern lives. The powerful and compelling rhythm of drums can still and focus the mind — the quick path to mindfulness.

Drumming for Mindfulness: Near-Instantaneous Results?

Lately, I’ve been personally using the drum as an assist for “mindfulness” — to help still my overworked monkey mind. The driving beat of a drum provides a sharp focus that brings instant mindful clarity. For me, personally, the practice of traditional mindfulness, while simply focusing on breath hasn’t been very successful, due to my over-active mind and stress levels. Alternate meditations, such as active body scanning, or logic meditation invariably doesn’t work well for my busy mind either. Vajrayana visualization practices, under the guidance of my teacher, helped considerably, giving me a sacred focal point — but my mind still constantly wanders off on its own.

Last year, I attended a teaching meditation weekend, focused on Mahamudra, taught by the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. The weekend was spiritually inspiration in more ways than one. I reported in Buddha Weekly, at that time:

“In a nice surprise for the many attendees of a much-anticipated Mahamudra retreat, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche—an internationally respected Buddhist teacher—was joyously “drummed in” by people from the local native community. Kathy Hopson, who helped organize, explained: “it is customary to Drum in an Elder or Healer out of Respect.”

I found the drumming-in tradition, and the magnificent chanting mesmerizing — which put me in a great frame of mind for a full weekend of meditation with Rinpoche. Since then, the drum has found its way into my daily meditations. I found “drumming for mindfulness” transformed my practice overnight.

With the powerful, monotonous, punctuated sound of a regularly beating fish drum, chod drum, damaru drum — or even an upside-down pot — I can achieve a mindful state almost instantly. With other methods, for me, it can take half an hour just to get “in the mindful zone.” I was first introduced to the drum through chod practice, but I later found that if I used the drum also in my mindfulness sessions — or even as a precursor to visualization and sadhana — my sessions become much more intense and fulfilling.

Of course, it’s widely accepted that mindfulness meditation in any form is beneficial to mind and body. Before I suggest a couple ways to easily use the drum for mindfulness, it’s worth summarizing what science says about drums. Many independent studies demonstrate drums may be a viable therapy for everything from stress and depression, to assistance with memory loss in Parkinsons, to actually encouraging the growth of cancer-fighting killer t-cells. And, as an aside, I find drumming beneficial in my personal situation: for pain reduction of arthritis.

[For tips on using drums in mindfulness meditation, please refer to last section of this feature article.]

Science and Psychology: Drumming as Therapy for Both Mind and Body

In Psychology Today, therapist Gary Diggins is quoted as saying: “We moderns are the last people on the planet to uncover what older cultures have known for thousands of years: The act of drumming contains a therapeutic potential to relax the tense, energize the tired, and soothe the emotionally wounded.” [10]

Michael Drake, an advocate of daily drumming, also highlighted the health benefits of drumming: “Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that the innate modules of rhythm, like percussion or dance, provide a secular approach to … applying spiritual perspectives. The American Journal of Public Health reviewed drum therapy in its April 2003 edition concluding … drumming directly supports the introduction of spiritual factors found significant in the healing process.” [9]

Evidence-Based Benefits of Drumming for Health

An interesting article on the 16 benefits of playing an instrument, which include: reducing stress, strengthing the immune system, using every part of the brain, and increasing memory capability. Worth a read>>According to a well-cited article on Green Med, there are six evidence-based benefits to drumming (beyond the enhanced mindfulness aspect):

1. Reduces blood pressure, anxiety and stress: 2014 study published in Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine.
2. Improves cognitive function: 2014 study in Journal of Huntington’s Disease.
3. Pain Reduction: 2012 study published in Evolutionary Psychology
4. Improve Immunity: 2011 study published in Alternative Therapies and Health Medicine
5. Induces Theta; enhanced meditation: 2004 study published in the Journal Multiple Sclerosis
6. Depression and Emotional Disorders: 2001 study published in the Journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine [15]

Psychology: Drumming for Depression

Since depression is one of the fastest growing problem areas in psychological treatment, drumming may be a particularly easy and helpful treatment option for mild cases of depression, possibly even reducing reliance on drugs.

In a story in the Telegraph, drumming was described as viable therapy for depression: “Researchers found that adults who were given music therapy sessions, in which they played drums or instruments such as xylophones, showed fewer symptoms of depression or anxiety than those who just had standard counselling.

They suggest that it helped patients express their emotions as well as well as being a pleasurable activity in its own right.” [12]

Drum Body Response: Production of Cancer Killing T-Cells

Rober Muller, Ph.D, writes: “Neurologist Barry Bittman, who co-developed a program for REMO called Health Rhythms with music therapist Christine Stevens, found that group drumming and recreational music making increases the body’s production of cancer-killing t-cells, decreases stress, and can change the genomic stress marker. Bittman says drumming “tunes our biology, orchestrates our immunity and enables healing to begin.”

Even a bucket or garbage can works fine, as demonstrated by stickStoff:

Professor Muller also emphasizes the benefits in treating depression and trauma: “For individuals coping with depression, anxiety, or trauma, there is something more intuitive and liberating about communicating through music. Some find the combination of group therapy and drumming effective as it brings more contemporary approaches to mental health together with creative and non-judgmental expression of emotions.”

The long list of health benefits also includes: “… eating disorders, children with autism, cancer patients, war veterans living with PTSD, individuals with anger management issues, people with addictions, and even Alzheimer’s patients, drumming offers physical and emotional benefits.” [10] Drumming therapy is now available in major hospitals and clinics.

The Professor ended with some good advice: “For many seeking the benefits of therapy, an hour spent creating music and an hour spent in therapeutic drumming is an hour well spent.”

Drumming for Memory: American Psychological Association

In addition to concrete health, stress reduction, and pain-relief benefits, the American Psychological Association has identified drumming and sound as promising therapy for memory loss, especially Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s: “Since the rhythmic pulses of music can drive and stabilize this disorientation, we believe that low-frequency sound might help with these conditions,” Bartel says. He is leading a study using vibroacoustic therapy with patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. The hope is that using the therapy to restore normal communication among brain regions may allow for greater memory retrieval…”

The article identified a specific case: “We’ve already seen glimmers of hope in a case study with a patient who had just been diagnosed with the disorder,” Bartel says. “After stimulating her with 40-hertz sound for 30 minutes three times a week for four weeks, she could recall the names of her grandchildren more easily, and her husband reported good improvement in her condition.” [11]

Drumming for Theta: The Relaxed Mind Through Rhythm

Drumming repetitively at about four beats per second, has been proven to relax the mind, inducing either Alpha or Theta in nearly all participants in studies on the effect of drumming. [13]

An abstract from the US Library of Medicine by Professor Winkelman, concluded, from a study: “Research reviews indicate that drumming enhances recovery through inducing relaxation and enhancing theta-wave production and brain-wave synchronization. Drumming produces pleasurable experiences, enhanced awareness of preconscious dynamics, release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self. Drumming alleviates self-centeredness, isolation, and alienation, creating a sense of connectedness with self and others. Drumming provides a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives.” [14]

Our normal awake mind is in Beta. Alpha is a more relaxed state, 9-13 Hz, characterized by “relaxed, calm, lucid, not thinking.” Not thinking sounds distinctly useful in mindfulness practice. Theta is one level of relaxation lower, at 4-8 Hz, which is characteristic of very deep meditation and mental imagery. The Theta state, is normally only achieved by very experienced meditators. However, with a drum, even novice meditators can obtain the state of total relaxation and lucid not-thinking.[13]

Buddha’s Drum: Sutra of the Great Dharma Drum

To put drums in context, I thought it might be important to emphasize how important drums were in the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Of course, the “Dharma Drum” is the name of a sutra, “Sutra of the Great Dharma Drum.”[5] A Zen organization that adopted the name Dharma Drum for their meditation centres, described why they chose the name: “The term “dharma drum” comes from the Lotus Sutra.” From the Lotus Sutra, chapter 12: “I beat upon the Dharma drum, announcing my search for Dharma in the four directions” [6]

In another example, Buddha described a time when his cycle of teachings would fade. Not surprisingly — and indicative of the cultural prevalence of drums in Buddha’s time — he used a drum metaphor in the teaching:

“Imagine a gigantic drum where if someone drums it, it can be heard for miles around, it is so awesome. But suppose this drum, over time develops little cracks in the drum skin (the drum head) from being hit all the time. So the cracks get repaired but the head of the drum is never the same – it’s like it’s got a scar where the skin has been cracked. And over time from all the relentless drumming, more and more cracks appear. As the skin gets repaired, more and more scars appear in it. It finally reaches the point where when you bang on the skin of the gigantic drum, rather than a huge reverberation that can be heard miles around, only a dull thud that can barely be heard a few meters away. This is an analogy of how the Buddha said that his teaching will start disappearing. We are starting to see this happening right now.” [4]

For a metaphor to be powerful and resonant, it must be a universally accepted image. Clearly, drums were very important in Buddha’s time.

The Many Roles of Drums in Buddhism

The drum has a long history in Buddhist traditions: from the mindfulness support of the big drum in Mahayana Buddhism to the “wakefulness” support of the fish drum in Zen, to the hauntingly beautiful use of various drums in Tibetan ritual. Drums play an important role in Buddhist Chod, Tantra and other esoteric practices. Sound is also considered one of the eight sensory offerings to the Enlightened Beings and playing the drum or the bell are considered to be very profound offerings.

Through the centuries, the drum was also central to many other spiritualities and religions, from ancient shamanism — documented use of more than 25,0000 years ago — to Medieval Catholic ritual, to ceremonies in numerous religions. The earliest known spirituality — broadly defined as shamanism — relied on the drum to journey into the mind and spiritual insights. Cave drawings dating to 25,000 years ago show the central role of drumming.

Recently, I added drumming to my meditation practice, greatly enhancing my ability to still my “monkey mind.” The trance-like effect of drumming also improved my visualizations in more formal sadhana practices. It doesn’t matter whether I use the fish drum, a chod drum, damaru, or the single-sided shaman drum, drumming prior to the formal practice, stills my mind and makes visualization meditation almost “easy.” The trance-like effect of the drum, intensifies the mind’s focus, allowing truly vivid and profound visualizations. Mindfulness of “beat” and “sound” rather than breath. I decided to research the role the drum plays in different Buddhist traditions, and what the teachers say about drums and drumming.

Mahayana Buddhism: The Great Offering

In Mahayana traditions, we daily take refuge in the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. We also speak of the Body of the Buddha, Speech of the Buddha and Mind of the Buddha. As symbols, we often represent the Buddha with a statue, image or symbol, the Speech with a Sutra or sometimes a bell/drum (for the sound of speech), and the Mind often a Stupa.

Sound is as one of the eight sensory offerings traditionally offered in Mahayana Buddhist tradition. When we burn incense, we symbolically present the scent or smell offering. Flowers please the sight sense. Food the taste sense. The drum or the chanting of a mantra represents the hearing sensory offering. Many serious practitioners make daily or weekly or monthly sensory offerings.

In regular practice, such as during sutra or sadhana recitation, the drums are often used with bells, gongs and other sounds for a number of purposes: to draw attention, to give thanks (offering) and sometimes to purify. Drums and bells are used by most Mahayana practitioners use drums regularly, in liturgy, to call the daily meditation or to make offerings.

Zen/Chan Buddhists and Drumming

Zen Buddhism and the discipline of martial arts are often thought of as complimentary. The practice of drumming, as a means to focus the mind — and to inspire discipline — is well established in both Kung Fu and Zen/ChanBuddhism. The International sensation, Tao, from Japan, takes this to the ultimate art in terms of discipline (see video below), but even the most humble Zen temple has a fish drum for both the call to meditation, and as a mindfulness aid.

“The mokugyo, or fish drum, is used in Zen monasteries to keep the beat during the chanting of the liturgy,” according to the Zen Mountain Monastery. “Its deep, rich tone makes it clear why the image of the fish—symbolic of wakefulness—is used.”[3]

In Zen, there are many methods to still the mind, from creating gardens to sweeping the floor, to the recitation of Sutra, to martial arts training, to meditations on the breath and shunyata. It may seem counter-intuitive, that the energizing sound of the drum can still the mind, but a half-hour of chanting with a fish drum will quickly change any meditator’s mind. And watching the performance of super-disciplined and coordinated martial arts drummers has a similar impact:

International drumming sensation, Tao:

Korean Buddhism: Drum for the Fish, Cloud Gong for the Birds

In Korea, Buddhist monks play the drums, gongs and bells daily. Public drumming performances in Korea by Buddhist monks have become an art form, as it has in Japan.

Public Performance with Buddhist Drums:

At one level, the drum, cloud gong and bell are intended as blessings: the fish drum blesses all creatures of the water, the cloud gong, the birds and flying creatures and the bell, everything in and under heaven. At another, it is an intense form of meditation. Watching a monk play the giant drum, shows near trance-like intensity, a form of mindfulness focus that is vivid and deep.

Chan Buddhism: Dharma Drum Talks

“The wooden fish is used by monks to alert themselves to have a spiritual sense of shame, practice diligently, and not to be lazy,” said Master Sheng Yen, a Chinese Buddhist monk, a religious scholar, and one of the mainstream teachers of Chan Buddhism, who passed away in 2009. Master Sheng Yen was the founder of the Dharma Drum Centre. “The wooden-fish clapper serves to remind Buddhist practitioners to have the path of the bodhisattva in … ” [2]

In a teaching, Master Sheng Yen said, “There’s a story behind that fish.” He explained the legendary story of the eight dragons and of the Fish Makala — the significance of the fish Makala in the context of “always open eyes.” Fish do not close their eyes, symbolic of constant alertness and mindfulness desired in Chan Buddhist practice.

“The Buddha told his disciples, to be diligent and work hard at the cultivation, to emulate the spirit of the fish.” See video below:

Master Sheng Yen on the significance of the fish drum:

Vajrayana Buddhism: the Blissful Drum

It is often said that the bell, vajra (dorje) and drum are the penultimate symbols of Vajrayana practice. The profundity of these symbols has been previously discussed in our feature: “Bell and Dorje, Wisdom and Compassion.”  At its simplest, or most profound distillation, the bell can be said to represent “the wisdom of emptiness,” the vajra embodies “compassion,” while the drum — such as damaru or chod drums — express “bliss.” Ultimately, together they express “the compassionate wisdom of blissful emptiness.”

The drum and other instruments are extensively used in public pujas — both to summon people and to propel liturgy or ritual — but also in deep meditation practices such as recitation, mantra practice, sadhana, mindfulness, and offerings. They are also used to “celebrate” festivals, to make special offerings.

Sound also symbolically reaches beyond the mundane, calling out to (or blessing) all sentient beings of all realms. The Chod drum’s sound, often with small bells attached to the drum, are said to be the “voice of the Dakinis” and carry blessings, but also help propel the intense meditation visualization of Chod practice.

How to Play the Chod Drum with Lama Jinpa:

Chod Drum: The Voice of Emptiness

The iconic symbol of Chod is the Chod Drum. In a description of a teaching to be given by the Venerable Zasep Rinpoche at Gaden Choling Toronto, Chod was described this way: ” “Chod practice was developed by Mahig Labdron, a highly realized Dakini from the 12th century,” explains the Gaden Choling poster for the event. “The purpose of the practice is to develop wisdom and compassion; to heal the sick, remove obstacles, and to purify an environment of negative forces using peaceful means.”[7]

In a feature covering the event, we wrote: “Chod means “to cut”, as in to “cut the ego”. Chod practice is, arguably, the most misunderstood practice among non-practitioners, due to the intense visualizations some people describe as haunting and almost overwhelming moving. Chod is among the most profound of the purification practices in Vajrayana. There is no faster way to “cut the ego.”” [7]

Perhaps the most beautiful performer of meditative Buddhist Drumming is from the internationally popular Buddhist Nun and singer Ani Choying Drolma. Listening to her steady, drumming and gorgeous chanting is itself an uplifting meditation:

In a similar event posting, this one from Tara Mandala, Chod was described as semi-shamanic, and the importance of the drum was emphasized: “Chöd is a unique blend of the Tibetan Shamanic traditions and the Buddhist tradition of compassion and emptiness. This centuries-old practice is sung and is accompanied by the use of a traditional Chöd drum and bell. Healing comes when fear, fixation, and self-clinging are cut through, based on nurturing not fighting what assails us, giving rise to the awareness of the empty nature of afflictive emotions… The chöd practice requires a chöd drum and bell.” [8]

Due to it’s profundity, Chod practice generally requires a teacher and instruction to perform. Playing the drum, in any of its forms, does not, and is of immense help to meditators around the world.

Monk on the drum:

Mindfulness with Drumming: A How-To

Using the drum for mindfulness practice does not require a teacher or extensive learning, and in fact could be considered easier to practice (by some, such as myself) than meditation on the breath.

This mini-how-to is strictly based on my own practice, and clearly there are no rules. The goal of drumming for mindfulness is identical to any other mindfulness meditation. It has the same benefits, but in some cases a faster result. Outside of any spiritual context, drumming for mindfulness is also recommended as a stress-reduction therapy by various therapists.

Drumming, or any form of percussion, provides a very hard to ignore focus for mindfulness. It’s as simple as taking your favorite meditation technique, and adding the drum as the focal point, rather than the breath. You can either drum for yourself (which has extra benefits: the live sound of a drum is very moving), or use a drumming MP3 or recording.

The steps are literally 1,2,3:

1. Sit and get comfortable. Alternately, some people prefer to stand or even dance while drumming.

2. Using any drum, drum a regular, monotonous beat. You can beat quickly, which tends to induce a Theta response (helpful for visualization practices in Vajrayana, for example), or slowly. A heart beat, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump has also been identified as therapeutic.

3. Drum for at least 15 minutes. I find 30 better. Simply focus on the beat (rather than your breath). Become the sound. As always, with mindfulness, if the mind drifts, just refocus gently back on the beat. If images appear, just observe. Be the listener (observer).

    

Useful Variants: Don’t be Afraid to Try…

There are so many ways to appreciate the benefits of drumming for mindfulness. Drum circles, and drumming dance are two provocative and powerful methods. They enhance mindfulness and stress-reduction benefits at a group level. Here are some other useful variants:

1. Drum while visualizing, if this is part of your practice. Visualization meditation has extra health benefits. (See our story on Visualization vs. Mindfulness>>)
2. Drum while chanting mantras, if this is part of your practice. Even if you don’t have a teacher, non-permission based mantras such as Om Mani Padme Hum can be beneficial. See our story on mantras: Part 1: Mantras: Setting the Mind Free>> or Part 2 Mantras: Good Vibrations>> or Part 3: Mantras: There’s a Mantra for That>>)
3. Drum while walking: similar benefits to walking meditation.
4. Drumming outside in nature: very relaxing, if you don’t disturb the neighbors.
5. Play a drumming tape and meditate to the sound.
6. Use drumming before formal practices such as sadhanas, as it can put your mind in a better state (more relaxed, easier to visualize) for practice.
7. Try different drums. For instance, due to my arthritis, I now prefer an open hoop drum. Chod drums have a very powerful sound. Damarus are very striking. Garbage cans turned over can be magnificent, as demonstrated in many drumming street performances.
8. If there are drumming circles in your neighborhood, try them out, they’re a blast.
9. If your neighbors complain, try a pillow. (Not kidding, see the drumming the pillow video below:

Drumming on a pillow is handy if your neighbors complain:

Types of Drums: They All Work, Even a Bucket

All types of drums work for mindfulness and therapeutic use. Find one that is comfortable for you and is all about sound. Drums with beaters or sticks are probably better for mindfulness practice than hand drums because the striking sensation on the hand can be distracting.

Find what works for you. Even though I practice formally in Chod and with the Dhamaru, I had a very light weight hoop drum made up with a well padded beater (stick.) To make it part of my formal practice, however, I decorated a non-traditional hoop drum. I use it in place of more traditional Tibetan drums, except when I’m with a group in a formal session. My reason is practical. I have arthritis, and the turning wrist action of Chod drum is difficult for me, and distracting. It’s easy for anyone to play a hoop drum mindlessly (without too much thoughtful control), which is beneficial for mindfulness practice.

There are subtle differences, highlighted below, but all can help in mindfulness focus:

1. Hoop drum and beater. The open drum has a beautiful, intense sound that genuinely makes a difference. This is sometimes casually called the shamanic drum.
2. Chod Drum: very sacred and rapid sound, although they are expensive.
3. Dhamarus: In Tibetan pratice indespensible for some offerings/sadhanas, but the sound is great for meditation too, albeit it’s much more intense.
4. Hand drums: various popular hand drums make great meditation tools, although I personally find the impact on the hand detracts from the mindfulness practice somewhat. With a stick, the impact is negligible. With a Chod or Dharmaru, there are no sticks. Hand drums are great, however, if they are recorded and played back.
5. Rattles (Gourd rattles and shamanic rattles, not the children’s kind) can make an interesting mindfulness session, a different sort of percussive sound.
6. Pots, pans, buckets: whatever you have handy. If you strike it and it makes a sound, use it.
7. Tupperware, Lockn’Lock and other plastic household containers make great-sounding drums in a pinch. Just turn upside down, without lid, and beat with a spoon.
8. Nature drumming: try just taking your stick out for your nature walk and hike, and try drumming respectfully on fallen trees, rocks, anything that makes a percussive sound.

Drum circles and dancing enhance the power and versatility of drumming:

No Disclaimer Needed: Drumming for Mindfulness is Simple and Effective.

That’s it. Try a little mindfulness practice with the drum or your household Tupper Wear. Within minutes, even a few seconds, you start to unkink and relax. Before the first five minutes have passed, without getting sleepy, you find every muscle in the body unclenches, even the hands holding drum and stick. With practice, the health benefits are profound. Visualization skills seem to improve steadily, since the drum puts the mind in Theta mode — or at least Alpha — receptive and relaxed.

There’s no down side. No need for disclaimers. There are no risks in drumming unless you have a physical condition that makes beating difficult — in which case try recordings of drumming. The benefits to your mindfulness, if you have a busy mind, should be near instant and — in many cases — quite profound.

NOTES

[1] “Entry into the Profound”

[2] ” Why do monasteries suspend a wooden fish outside the dining hall?” GDD 474 Master Sheng Yen

[3] Mokugyo Fish Drum, Zen Mountain Monastery

[4] “How Buddha’s Teaching Will Disappear” The Essence of Buddhism.

[5] Sutra of the Great Dharma Drum

[6] Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12 https://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus12.htm

[7] ” Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West, Returns to Toronto for a Month of Precious Teachings in September and October” Buddha Weekly

[8] “Chöd With Karla Jackson-Brewer and Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton” Tara Mandala website.

[9] Shamanic Drumming, Michael Drake Talking Drum Publications (April 12, 2012) Language: English, ISBN-10: 0962900230, ISBN-13: 978-0962900235

[10] Psycology Today: “The Heart is a Drum Machine: Drumming as Therapy”, Robert T. Muller, Ph.D https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-about-trauma/201501/the-heart-is-drum-machine-drumming-therapy

[11] “Music as Medicine” article American Psychological Association.

[12] “Making Music Can Overcome Depression” The Telegraph

[13] Theta Healing

[14] “Abstract: Complementary Therapy for Addiction: “Drumming Out Drugs””; Michael Winkelman, PhD, MPH

[15] “Six Ways Drumming Heals the Body, Mind and Soul” Green Med Info.

[16] This is Your Brain on Drumming, the Neuroscience Behind the Beat>>

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“If You Don’t Feel Anything, It Can Be a Problem”

“Feelings are part of us,” said Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, during a mini-retreat on Mahamudra and “mindfulness of feelings” in Owen Sound. “It’s part of our life. Because we are sentient beings. We have a life. We have a body. We have mind — consciousness. And we feel things. Feelings are good. If you don’t feel anything, it can be a problem… without feelings, we are not able to move forward. Feelings are a natural thing.”

Happy/ Unhappy?

To simplify the teaching, Rinpoche demonstrated with happy-unhappy. “When, for example, we have happy feelings, we get, maybe, kind of excited. When we have unhappy feelings we feel sad” — sometimes triggering other emotions and issues and “mental defilements.” He cautioned that strong and negative emotions tend to create “a chain reaction, creating more and more unhappiness, more complicated, more entangled.” This is because with unhappiness we tend to “react, and go through different stages of suffering.”

“Instead of trying to look at right and wrong, good and bad, with Mindfulness of Feeling we just simply meditate on feelings with… observation.” To do this meditation, “we’re not targeting or looking for particular feelings. Or, to bring up feelings. Or to find out what happened… first we start with resting the mind in the natural state, then observe as feelings naturally come out.”

Discriminating Alertness

This form of discriminating alertness, samprajanya or shezhin, or dranshe in Tibetan, has a life of its own. Shantideva’s fifth chaper of The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, focuses on discriminating alertness or mindfulness. By observing and monitoring, we stay in the present, no longer caught in the past or worrying about the future. We can observe feelings as they arise naturally in the present. Detached, non-analytical observation tends to help these emotions resolve naturally. Rinpoche cautioned us not to “judge” and not to “wish away” feelings.

Rinpoche explained that when we try this meditation, we may already have some strong feelings from earlier in the day which will arise naturally. Otherwise, if we rest the mind, the feelings will rise anyway.

“The feelings come out when we meditate. Whatever you experience, you just observe. Just observe your sadness. Don’t judge, don’t ‘wish away’, don’t suppress, don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Observe and acknowledge. ‘I have this feeling. This feeling is in me.’ First recognize, observe. That’s the first step. Then, when you observe, secondary feelings will come up… don’t be afraid of it.”

If You Observe Negative Feelings, They Subside Naturally

“When you are the ‘observer’ you have more strength and awareness. This is the observer. When you are aware, and you realize ‘this feeling is here’, but you realize it is a natural thing. When you have awareness, mindfulness, of the feeling, reaction subsides. If you observe long enough it will subside… our defilements, emotions and negative feelings, if you have the awareness, mindfulness, it will evaporate. It will subside. It will purify. It will dissolve. Then, we can let it go. It will go away itself. Then, we can say ‘goodbye!’ We don’t hold it anymore. We don’t panic. We don’t have to run away from this… you can just let it go. Let it pass”

There are three steps to the meditation on feelings.

“First, acknowledge and recognize. Second, experience. Third, let go.”

Rinpoche guided the attendees through a Mindfulness of Feelings session.

Video teaching on Vipashyana Meditation

The Main Purpose: Examine Our Minds

In Mahamudra, the main purpose of mindfulness of feelings is not to help us deal with negative emotions and issues—although it’s a wonderful side-benefit. The goal of Mahamudra is nothing less than to examine our own minds.

What differentiates Mahamudra mindfulness meditations from what is typically thought of as ordinary mindfulness, is the subject: what do we observe? In typical mindfulness meditation, you might watch the breath, or just watch the thoughts that arise naturally in your mind. In Mahamudra, once we have mastered the foundation practices, we then focus on observation of “awareness” itself, rather than just observing an “object” of the moment, such as breath.

Mindfulness of awareness — rather than object — is an important distinction. This advanced level of mindfulness practice is made possible through first training the five foundations, which begin with mindfulness of “object”, such as breath or feelings. In previous sessions in this teaching (links below), Rinpoche covered “mindfulness of breath”, as the first foundation, then “mindfulness of body” through “body scanning” in session two. In session three, he asked meditators to focus on “mindfulness of feelings.” All of these are preliminary meditation practices where we observe, mindfully, an object.

About Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Aside from teaching style and personality, what defines the credibility of a great teacher—at least for me—is: experience, compassion and care, and deep and profound teachings rooted in irrefutable lineage.One added dimension, in the case of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, is a passion for languages. His ability to master languages—six languages fluently—allowed him to communicate teachings to a wide variety of students.

Zasep Tulku is the spiritual head of a number of Buddhist Centers, including Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat Centre in Nelson, BC, Canada, Vancouver, BC, Calgary, Alberta, Toronto, ON, Ottawa, ON, Thunder Bay, ON, Seattle, WA, Moscow, ID, Kalamazoo, MI, and Tasmania, Australia.

Full Biography of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche here>>

About Host Theodore Tsaousidis

One of the hosts of the event is Theodore Tsaousidis, a student of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche who is authorized to teach. Born in a rural community in Greece surrounded by mountains and valleys, he was profoundly shaped by nature and the ancient tradition of village elders and healers. His connection to nature and the spirit world is an integral part of who he is – as is his dedication to the Zen training he has followed for 30 years. He is also blessed by the guidance of the Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. His healing and shamanic sharing stem from, his cultural roots, personal experience. and Tibetan and Buddhist traditions. Theodore sees shamanism and meditation as a great alchemy for the healing of self and other.

For coverage of Session 1 of Mahamudra Teachings>>

For coverage of Session 2 of Mahamudra Teachings>>

By Ryusho Joaquin Salazar, Soto Zen priest

[Biography below.]

We are a superior animal on the scale of evolution whose physical characteristics and brain have given it the possibility of forming a thinking mind that generates ideas, criteria, opinions, an acting will and a world of feelings, emotions and impulses of its own, unique, and only partially based on instincts.

We are “individuals”, individuals, worth the redundancy, with initiative, ideas that are mental plans about projects that we will carry out to improve our activities and the efficiency of our actions. Until now no other animal, no matter how “intelligent” has been able to match the “homo sapiens” in these abilities. Due to this, Sapiens has been able to conquer without any rivalry, it is situated as the owner of the planet.

Despite all his successes, the same “homo” has also become his own greatest enemy, with serious probability of destroying the same planet, or at least his living space in it, making it an impossible space to inhabit.

What has led us to this dilemma? In short, his ability to process the data that his conscience brings him, the elaboration of which can lead – and has led – to terrible decisions, based on multiple prejudices, animosities, cravings, desires, etc. The “homo” has become a fickle and bellicose animal.

What brings us to this? Well, the development of a “personality” as a result of our perception of the data provided by our consciousness, the sensory flow provided by the classic five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. These are the “keys” to our contact with the world and they govern our actions.

Through our childhood, studied by the great philosophers of pedagogy: Piaget, Montessori, etc. We are building all the mental baggage, the so-called “personality”, which we have to live in each moment and which together can determine our actions in adult life.

The question is: “How, as adults, can we establish – perhaps” reestablish “- our sensory and mental stability, and a vision absent of contamination?

About three thousand years ago a thinker named Siddhartha Gautama, it is said from India, gave us an answer, perhaps the only answer. After multiple tests with the spiritual currents of his time, this thinker came to the conclusion that none of them really complied with the guidelines for the reorientation of our behavior in the sense of moving it away from the whirlwind of anxieties and our desires and actions. towards our goals, due to the set of predispositions and objectives that we radiate on the basis that they “suit us”, “attract us”, or fulfill our expectations of well-being and happiness.

This “being happy,” stated without any ethical or moral definition, is, in the vast majority of cases, the instrument of human unhappiness and misery.

Either we want something, or we move away from something we dislike, as defined in the literature of the time: “if we don’t have what we want, we will suffer, if we achieve what we want irretrievably we will lose it and we will also suffer.”

It is the play of the elements acquired by our mind that leads us to perdition. So what is the answer?

Desperate for an answer, our friend simply sat under a tree and focused his mind on what was happening around him. He did not put his “mind blank” as someone has invented. He put his inner vision into what his senses communicated to her and his mind was throwing her out of the cauldron of feelings and emotions accumulated over the years.

Whatever the mind threw at him, he followed without questioning or giving an opinion, accepting or rejecting, simply on the basis of the question “who am I”, I am the one who casts the vision of good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, etc.

This person applied “full” consciousness, mindfulness, as our English-speaking friends, inventors of the term, say, concentrating on what is happening at that moment, which is always in the past, because when the present comes to consciousness, it is already past. We never see the present.

It is said that during that night, at dawn, his mind reconnected with his original purity, divorced from the sediments of a life, as it was at the beginning.

The people gave this experience a religious connotation of which, now in the 21st century, it is being stripped. Of oriental religiosity, it has been identified as “mindfulness”, the full consciousness of the present of the moment.

Do not think that this drives us to a world of “nothing”, we continue living (Oh…”neuroscience”!) In the garden of our desires, of our longing for satisfaction, love, affection, etc. The difference that this mindfulness gives us, “mindfulness”, is that we already “know” what the game is. And we are no longer lost.

It is about establishing as a daily practice to sit down and concentrate, so that the mind itself becomes our teacher and tells us what to do and where to go.

Buddhism is known for its emphasis on meditation and meditative techniques. People from all walks of life have used Buddhist techniques to ‘relax’ and ‘de-stress’, despite neither being practising Buddhists nor indeed understanding much (if anything) about Buddhism itself. Without a doubt, meditation and the meditative techniques developed by Buddhists have helped a great many to cope with anxiety and mental health issues [1] — without necessarily understanding their deeper significance.

Scientists and doctors now take meditation seriously, no longer dismissing it as incompatible with medical science. Advances in the field of psychiatry, and a greater willingness to properly investigate mental health issues has brought scientific respect for the healing potential of meditation. As is typical of the scientific mindset, many have been determined to ‘get to the bottom’ of what causes the undeniably positive effects of meditation. They’ve discovered a lot — but one of the most interesting (and lesser known) findings concerns the action of meditative techniques upon the vagus nerve.

The Vagus Nerve — the Meditation Highway?

What’s the vagus nerve? Put simply, it’s one of the longest nerves in your body (sciatic nerve is the longest). The name roughly translates as ‘wandering nerve’, and it is apt. The vagus nerve travels from your brainstem, winding down throughout your body, to finish in your abdomen. On the way, it connects with many major organs, including heart and lungs. We’ve been aware of it for a very long time, and been similarly aware of the fact that the vagus nerve is semi-responsible for your body’s regulation of heart rate, breathing rate, digestion, and so forth.

It was previously assumed that the vagus nerve acted more or less on its own initiative ‑- that is, without the conscious input of the individual. While it could certainly be influenced by external factors such as stress, diet, or motion, it acted internally, and could not be consciously influenced. However, research revealed the deeply interconnected way in which consciousness and physicality can influence one another — and the vagus nerve. Described by some as a ‘hack’ [2] to the nervous system, the vagus nerve appears to be science’s answer to the vexed question of just how, precisely, Buddhist practices do what they do. And this kind of scientific verification and understanding has come just in time; more and more of us, it seems, are in need of the benefits of ‘vagal nerve stimulation’.

Modern Mental Dysfunction — and ‘Disconnected’ People

It’s a sad fact that mental health problems associated with stress and anxiety are enormously on the rise. Some experts believe we are generally more aware of mental health problems than we used to be, and that we’re also more likely to seek help for medical issues in general. This may well have contributed to the statistical rise in mental health issues. However, the sheer scale of the problem appears to indicate that we’re not just experiencing an increase in awareness, but a tangible increase in problems as well [3].

Reasons given for this vary. Political and economic instability has been blamed, as has social media and increased work pressures. On a more spiritual level, modern (and Western in particular) society has been accused of creating ‘disconnected’ people, struggling to find a sense of identity, a sense of self, and basic spiritual fulfillment in a rapidly changing world. Whatever the reason, we’re undoubtedly suffering from a surfeit of anxiety — which can be very dangerous.

Stress and anxiety can cause any number of mental health issues, which can in turn lead to physical health issues (substance abuse springs immediately to mind). We’ve known for some time that meditation (or ‘mindfulness’ — the secular, scientific, and increasingly popular meditative practice) can help with many of these problems [4].

As meditation becomes more popular, more and more people want to dissect the mysteries of meditation, and get to the bottom of what makes it so effective. After all, no scientific doctor would prescribe a therapy — however effective it’s been proven to be — without understanding it in full, analytical detail. This is where the vagus nerve comes in.

The Sympathetic And Parasympathetic Nervous System

Our nervous systems are complex, wonderful things. They’re made up of many parts. One of these is the ‘sympathetic nervous system’  — responsible for the ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction. We’re all very familiar with the sympathetic nervous system and what it does. Your sympathetic nervous system is one branch of the ‘autonomic nervous system’ [5] — so called because it’s believed to act ‘autonomously’ (i.e. unconsciously). The other main branch of the autonomic nervous system is the ‘parasympathetic nervous system’  — about which we are in general considerably less informed.

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the so-called ‘Rest and Digest’ functions, and we don’t pay as much attention to it as we should. To cut a long story short, when we meditate, we encourage our body to switch operational control from the ‘Fight or Flight’ system to the ‘Rest and Digest’ system. But how do we do this? And why is it important?

External Nervous Stimulation

We all know vaguely how the ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction works — we’re scared by something, and our sympathetic nervous system leaps into action to give us the ‘boost’ we need in order to either fight or flee our way out of danger. Specifically, this involves diverting resources from the deeper organs to your muscles, and from higher cognitive function to the ‘reptilian’ portion of your brain which deals with immediate survival. Adrenaline and cortisol are released to facilitate this, as well as to give us the ‘fizz’ and impetus we need to escape danger. The ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction can feel exhilarating in short bursts — it’s why we ride rollercoasters — but it’s not designed to last more than half an hour at the most. Beyond that, it becomes damaging.

Society is currently running tens of thousands of years ahead of evolution. Our ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction is designed to help us flee lions — but it’s being activated by the demands of overbearing bosses. A reaction which is supposed to last mere minutes before being drained out by physical exertion is lasting for hours, days, weeks, even months. And that’s simply appalling for our health [6].

What should happen is that our sympathetic nervous system should naturally cede control to our parasympathetic nervous system once the danger is past, and the ‘Rest and Digest’ system would smoothly get our bodies and minds back to the healthy activities of digesting food, healing injuries, and processing memories, experiences, and other psychological issues. We can — with a little ingenuity — trigger a ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction in ourselves (ruminating on something stressful will do it admirably). Can we do the same for a ‘Rest and Digest’ reaction? We didn’t used to think so — but new studies into the vagus nerve are bringing up evidence to the contrary.

Working ‘Backwards’

Our ‘Fight or Flight’ and ‘Rest and Digest’ systems are, in conventional wisdom, launched by the brain in response to external triggers (or lack thereof). Our muscles, digestion, cardiovascular system, endocrine system and so on are told what to do by messages carried from the brain by our nerves, and they respond accordingly. Many people believe that this is a one-way system – messages come from the brain, and the organs obey. However, evidence increasingly shows that it can work the other way as well.

For centuries, Buddhists and meditational practitioners have spoken of ‘finding your center’ — that area of calm inside yourself from which you can gather and control your sense of self. Scientists have found something similar to the ‘center’ in the vagus nerve. It’s not a perfect analogy, but it does seem that the ability to locate and work with your vagus nerve is just as effective at ‘centering’ you as taking a sedative. And you can achieve this with Buddhist meditative techniques.

Essentially, the Vagus Nerve reverses the flow of information — rather than orders flowing from your brain to your body, the nerve is instead taking some very strong suggestions from the body back to the brain. And, nine times out of ten, the brain listens. By lowering your breathing rate, your Vagus Nerve notes that things must be calm — you have no reason to be breathing hard and fast, and must therefore be able to relax. As it travels around your body and receives ‘relaxed’ messages from those organs over which you do have conscious control while meditating (your lungs, principally, but also your heart to a certain extent), it will infer that you are in no immediate danger, and have no need, therefore, to be stressed. It will convey this message to the brain, which (nine times out of ten) will then ease control over the to parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to relax, rest, and digest.

When the parasympathetic nervous system has control, we are capable of deeper thought than we are when the sympathetic nervous system is in control (when our immediate survival is not at stake, the brain is more willing to afford time to deep thought). This perhaps explains why the deep breathing and physical relaxation aspects of meditation facilitate such excellent contemplation and self-exploration.

For helpful stories on “how to” meditate, here are some recent features on Buddha Weekly:

• The better way: standing meditation? For those with injuries, arthritis or a sleepy mind, standing can help us achieve mindfulness

• Drumming for mindfulness and healing: a simple way to calm the mind, remove stress and heal. Studies show drum meditation supports treatments of cancer, Parkinsons and depression

• Visualization activates the mind; Mindfulness stills the mind — Which is right for your practice?

• Science: research proves vajrayana meditation techniques involving deity visualization improve cognitive performance and may be promising for degenerative brain disorders

Mind/Body Connection

Western philosophy has long struggled with a marked dichotomy between the mind and the body. Since the time of the Ancient Greek’s, we’ve tended to believe that the mind and the body are separate entities, capable only of communicating with each other, but not really intrinsically linked. Furthermore, the mind has been held to be the body’s superior — something which not only controls the body, but can and should be used to suppress it in many cases.

This ‘Mind-Body Distinction’ [7] can hold itself responsible for a host of modern ills, not least among them being the idea that it doesn’t matter what we do with our bodies, and that giving into bodily desires is shameful. To this, we can trace (in some manner) obesity, sexual shame, and a whole host of other issues.

Buddhists in general, by contrast, know that the mind and body are parts of a coherent whole, which influence one another and are vital to one another’s wellbeing. Our growing scientific knowledge about the role that the vagus nerve and how interdependent body/mind really area, may allow for a more holistic view of the entire human, perhaps leading to a healthier, more respectful attitude towards our bodies.

Of course, it is likely to take a very long time to change a concept as ingrained as the mind-body distinction, but we can perhaps use our knowledge of the vagus nerve’s operation in relation to meditation to help those who are dubious about the benefits of ancient Buddhist meditation.

It should be remembered that any reaction to meditation is a highly individual thing, and the kind of deep self-knowledge promoted by intensive meditational programs may not be suitable for everyone [8]. However, as we learn more, we can hopefully work on ways in which to utilize Buddhist techniques in individualized ways which can help more of those in need.

For an interesting story profiling research on mind mapping using “Brain Stress Test”, see this Buddha Weekly Story:

Putting Compassion on the Scientific Map

For practical mindfulness methods, please see these recent features from Buddha Weekly:

• Much more than six words of advice — Zasep Tulku Rinpoche teaches on Mindfulness of body; anger; and healing through meditation

• The mindfulness of feelings: overcoming negative feelings and using discriminating alertness of feelings in your practice

• “Mind is the creator of our own happiness or suffering” — Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche teaches Lojong Seven-Point Mind Training

• Meditation techniques for people with unsettled monkey minds

• Zen skateboarding: riding into Enlightenment

NOTES

[1] Julie Corliss, “Mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety, mental stress”, Harvard Health Publications, Jan 2014

[2] Michael Behar, “Can the Nervous System Be Hacked?”, The New York Times Magazine, May 2014

[3] Mercola, “Mental Health Disorders Now Leading Cause Of Non-Fatal Illness Worldwide”, Mercola, Sept 2013

[4] Judson Brewer, “Is Mindfulness an Emerging Treatment for Addiction?”, Rehabs.com, Aug 2014

[5] Philip Low, “Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System”, Merck Manuals

[6] American Psychological Association, “How stress affects your health”

[7] Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, “Rene Descartes: The Mind-Body Distinction”

[8] Miguel Farias, “Meditation is touted as a cure for mental instability but can it actually be bad for you?”, The Independent, May 2015

Coping with the Monkey Mind — a meditation term indicating an “unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable” mind — is one of the biggest obstacles to meditation and mindfulness practice in Buddhism.

The monkey mind disturbs peaceful reflection and creates endless obstacles to mindfulness practice, and, although it sounds contradictory, mindfulness can be said to be the “cure” for the monkey mind.

Monkey King as Monkey Mind

In the epic Journey to the West by Wu Cheng-en, the famous Monkey King is named Sun Wukong, meaning: “Monkey Awakened to Emptiness.”

In this wonderful story, the legendary monk Tang Sanzang — based on the historical monk  Xuanzang — is accompanied by Sun Wukong, the powerful Monkey King. In the legendary version, Monkey King is a powerful deity converted to Buddhism — a metaphor for overcoming the monkey mind. He wears a golden crown around his head placed there by Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) to “encourage” the Monkey King to help the monk. If he “misbehaves” Xuanzang chants Amitabha’s mantra causing the crown to shrink — instantly surpressing the Monkey’s King’s naughty behaviour — in much the same way, we might, in our daily lives, meditate, or chant mantras, to calm our minds.

The monk Xuanzang’s companions represent his own obstacles:

• Monkey King: restless monkey mind
• Pig: greed and laziness
• Various demons: “symbolize thoughts, emotions and sensations that interrupt efforts to be present.”

From Lui Yiming’s commentary on Journey to the West:

“The real message completely transcends the actual words of the text.”

In one scene of the great epic, Monkey King uses his great powers to try to escape from Amitabha Buddha’s great all-encompassing hand. He somersaults to the end of the world and back in a few seconds, then realizes he never actually left the Buddha’s hand. The symbolism is vividly clear and stunning — the monkey mind, no matter how clever and powerful, can not attain Buddha Nature until the obscurations are removed. [More on this in our forthcoming feature on the Monkey King, Journey to the West.]

What is Monkey Mind?

Monkey Mind is an important concept in Buddhist practice. Buddha specified five techniques for overcoming this obtacle to our realizations.

Coping with the monkey mind can be helped with different techniques:

• active meditation: Tai chi, Chi Gong, walking [A feature on martial arts as meditation here>>]
• static meditations: standing, sitting, lying [A feature on standing meditation here>>]
• sensory meditations: focus on just hearing or feeling [A feature on mindfulness of feelings here>>]
• analytical meditation: analyze your anger or other feelings, or examine your body to find that which is “you” [A feature on Lojong Mind training here>>]
• visualization meditations: really incorrigible monkey minds can best be settled with active visualization methods [A feature on visualization meditation here>>]
• compassion meditation: meditating on metta and loving-kindness and tonglen (giving and receiving meditation) [A video how-to on Tonglen is here>>]
• voice meditations: if you’re really unsettled, combine visualization with a mantra, a repetitive toneless sound. [A feature on the power of mantras here>>]

Proven Benefits of Meditation

Meditation has numerous proven health benefits as well as mental and spiritual benefits. (There are at least ten health benefits to meditation, as proven in clinical studies. Refer to this article>>)

To achieve any gains, regardless of the goal, the mind must be able to focus, to settle. Meditation is one of the best options to help control the accumulated stress and other related problems, normally associated with this fast-paced world.  Meditation is critical to spiritual practice and reflections on the Dharma.

Psychiatry has also long recognized the benefits of stillness meditation. But, what to do if you have the monkey mind if you simply can’t still the mind or the body?

Some well-tried and lesser-known methods, which we’ve covered in detail before, also include:

• the Mindfulness of Feelings (Venerable Zasep Rinpoche’s teachings on Mindfulness of Feelings here>>)
• Analytical mindfulness: for example, “find your body.” (more below.)

Concentration Versus Clarity

One key to overcoming the monkey mind is to focus on clarity, not concentration. Don’t concentrate on the breath, simply experience it with clarity. Don’t concentrate on sounds, let yourself go and experience them, closing your eyes to remove visual distraction. Don’t try so hard to visualize the Buddha or Merit Field — let your mind go and simply trigger the visualization with a clear mind.

In Mahayana Buddhist practice, Shunyata meditation, a meditation on Emptiness, is an advanced method. Ultimately the goal is to find clear light, emptiness, the bliss of no-thinking. The clarity of any meditation, Shunyatta or Tai Chi, really comes from Clarity, not concentration.

Analytical Method Destroys the Monkey Mind

If you can’t settle on breath or sound or observation, the great teachers normally suggest Analytical Meditation. For example, in a previous feature (“Much More than Six Words of Advice”>>) Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche explained it this way:

In explaining relative versus absolute truth, Rinpoche invited us to use analytical meditation. “I look at my body, and ask myself the question, what is my body? … You do a scanning meditation and try to find your body. When you scan your skin, you ask, is that my body? No, it’s skin, not body. Then you look at your bones, and likewise every part of your body.” If you scrutinize the body this way you’ll find body parts, but not body. Even those body parts have components if you scan those body parts. “To be body, it has to be the ‘whole’ body, all the parts. If you really look, you can’t find one thing that is your body. What we call body is just a ‘label’. A name. Imputing a label.” Therefore, “yes it’s a body” in relative truth, “but when you search for the absolute body, you can’t find it. We can call this the emptiness of our body.” It only exists by virtue of it’s label.

“A good example is your car. If you take that car apart, and everything is just parts, there is no car. Just car parts. You put it back together, and then label it Hyundai, you have a Hyundai. But if you switch the labels [to Honda] is it now a Honda? It’s all labels. There is no independent existence. That’s only one way to look at emptiness.”

“Emptiness and form co-exist,” he explained. The car relatively exists, but is, in absolute terms, only a label. It is made up of parts, and defined only by a relative label.

Effort and Non-Effort

No matter how unsettled your mind, experts consistently recommend continuing your effort for at least 15 minutes regardless of results. However, the word “effort” is wrong here. You really want to continue the “non-effort” for 15 minutes or longer. Don’t try hard. That makes you tense up. The mind becomes distracted. It’s downhill from there. Focus on non-focus. Try non-effort. True, it sounds a little silly Zen 1960s to put it that way, but ultimately that’s the goal: non-effort, non focus. (So down below, where we say “focus on…” we really mean “non focus on”)

Mindfulness of Anything

Normally, the first step in meditation is to achieve mindfulness. This can be mindfulness of “anything” — not necessarily mindfulness of breath. Mindfulness of breath is certainly the most common method, but it rarely works well for monkey minds. Instead, focus on your body parts. Try “scanning” meditation, scanning your body mentally (with your eyes closed) from your toes to your crown, moving upwards inch by inch. Simply be mindful. Don’t pause on your pot belly and start thinking of diets. Scan mindfully, observe, don’t judge.

Mindfulness of Sounds

If this is too difficult, try being mindful of sounds. Even if you are inside the house, try really “listening” to the house. You might hear the wind on the window. The muffled bark of the neighbours dog.  If you are outside, all the better. Listen to the movement of branches, rustling in the wind. The birds singing. In the winter, sounds are even more magnified by cold air. Hear the cars on the highway. Hear the neighbors arguing. Simply hear, don’t think. Don’t start analyzing the neighbor’s fight — just experience. Mindfulness of sound, especially with eyes closed, is one of the most profound techniques. You will be surprised, after five minutes of mindful practice, what you can hear. You can even hear your children two floors down in the basement playing video games. You can hear the dog’s breathing.

Active People Who Cannot Sit Still

Most people make all types of preparations for practicing meditation with increased determination and they sit down and close their eyes to get into a deep state of relaxation and focus. Whenever they attempt to practice seated meditation, they will become restless and a jittery feeling will start creeping in. Due to different feelings like discomfort, distress, embarrassment, and strain, you will start twisting and turning your body like a worm or snake. What happens next? Often, an abrupt end to your meditation session. How to overcome this situation?

Varying your meditation, using the four postures can be helpful; they include sitting, lying down, standing and walking. Here are some guidelines:

• If you sit for meditation but feel jittery, try standing meditation.
• If you can’t settle peacefully while standing for several minutes, try very slow walking meditation.
• If neither of these work, try prone meditation (lie down), but remain aware, and if you become sleepy, return to sitting.
• Take up Tai Chi or other “slow” meditative actions, such as some forms of Chi Gong (Qigong) — the slower the better.

Walking Meditation

If you are a person who cannot sit still at the best of times, you might find walking meditation is best until you settle your mind. However, it’s important to understand this is “mindfulness” walking, which means you must be conscious of everything: the pressure on the ball of your foot, your breathing, the sound of the birds, the wind on your skin — every little detail. If you are doing this properly, you’ll find a clarity of vision and hearing you never imagined before.  But start with one foot very slightly in front of the other. Very close, not long strides. Very smooth, so that it appears your shoulders are not bobbing — level and without swaying. You should be walking slowly enough that you can feel the play of your muscles. You should be so deliberately focused that your movements become tortoise-like.

While walking, you still watch the breath. If your breath is rising and falling too quickly — slow down even more. You should be able to even feel your heartbeat. Walking meditation is actually one of the most powerful mindfulness practices, because you can experience it outside, and genuinely start to notice literally everything around you. You start to feel your body. You even start to feel your body in tune with everything around you.

Standing Meditation

If walking meditation doesn’t calm the mind, if you still have monkey mind, then try standing for awhile. You can practice this inside or outside. Outside, you can combine it with walking meditation. Ten minutes walking, ten minutes standing. Always mindful. Always clear. If you focus on your muscles, breathing, the sounds around you, you will find your mind settle.

It is important to bend your knees slightly. If you are a martial artist, you can use a static kata — like the horse-riding stance, which bends the knees and keeps your centre of gravity very centred. If you are untrained in martial arts, simply try to sink down over your ankles, with your knees slightly bent. Feel your centre of gravity sink lower and lower. 

Vajrayana Meditations

One reason Vajrayana Buddhism is considered an advanced path, aside from many other factors, is the extensive focus on advanced methods to settle the monkey mind:

• visualization of a merit field: idealized imagery that really allows your “beta” mind to beat down that active alpha mind
• mantras, either alone or with visualizations, to really release the mind: repeating sonerous, other-wordly sounds triggers an empty mind-space
• complex sadhanas: combining a series of visualizations with mantras with actions — such as offerings, prostrations and music — to totally occupy the mind.

The goal of complex Vajrayana meditations, combining visualization, mantra and action, is to take the mind where it normally can’t consciously go. Emptiness resides in the subconscious, rather than the conscious mind.

Mantra Mindfulness

If you are a Buddhist, particularly a Vajrayana Buddhist, you likely have a favourite mantra. Usually we focus on the mantra to achieve a goal. Another way to think of mantras is to sink into the repetitions as a “non-focus” of the meditation. Just let the repeating sound wash over you. You can chant it yourself, or play mantras on a soundbox, but either way sink into the vibrations. Combine “listening” meditation with sacred mantra.

If you are not a Buddhist, you can still create a sound focus. Something like, “I am Empty, I am Empty, I am Empty….” over and over. Or just use the generic “OM” so popular in Yoga studios.

If you don’t have a mantra in your daily practice, the compassionate mantra of the Buddha of Compassion is a wonderful focus:

Om Mani Padme Hum

Pronounced “Ohm mah nee pad me hum”

Being Comfortable

Regardless of the meditation style, it is a good idea to remove distractions. Turn off the phone. Wear comfortable clothes. Seek out quiet (unless you’re pursuing listening mindfulness). The next step is to identify an object for focus — focus, not concentration — it can be anything: your breath, your heartbeat, a painting on the wall in front of you, the texture of a piece of paper, a candle flame or any other object.

If you can’t just absorb yourself mindfully in the focal point, try visualizing. Stare at the candle, painting, or apple for a few minutes, settling, observing every detail, every minute texture and shading. Then close your eyes and continue to see it. Open, refresh. Close, visualize. Don’t try too hard. Concentration and over-trying make it harder.

This is why, in Vajrayana meditation, mantras are so powerful. Aside from their sacred meaning, they allow the mind to disengage. Repeating a mantra 10,000 times definitely brings the mind to an empty space.

10 Benefits of meditation

It is definitely worthwhile. There are ten medical and mental health benefits to meditation — recognized by doctors and psychologists — and proven with peer-reviewed studies.

See this feature:

Peer-Reviewed Science of Meditation: There are At Least 10 Reasons to Meditate: From Boosting Your Immune System to Increasing Cognitive Function

By Amanda Dudley

(Bio below.)

Buddha taught mindfulness in the 6th century BC. [See this feature with the English version of the Great Mindfulness Sutra, as taught by Buddha.] The practice has always a way to connect to our Buddha Nature and the intricacies of our minds. Successful practice requires dedication, but stress-reduction benefits can be almost immediate. Although we don’t need courses and books to teach mindfulness, if we get stuck, there are over 120 helpful features on Buddha Weekly, and a quick search will reveal many courses, books, and teachers ready to help us. So, the following meditation tips draw on a vast history and corpus of knowledge. Here, I hope to give you a “quick start” guide to mindfulness, known as the “body scan.”

The Body Scan

Perhaps the most potent introduction to mindfulness meditation is the body scan — sometimes called the sweeping meditation. Tying together our mind and our body, exploring the connection, the relationship between these two facets is paramount. Here follows a step-by-step guide to the body scan technique:

1. Make yourself comfortable; lying down is best
2. Close your eyes and gently focus your attention between your eyebrows
3. Take several slow and deep breaths
4. Starting with your feet and toes, clench their muscles as tight as you can
5. Hold for two breathes, then release them
6. Work your way up through your body, giving tension and release to each part
7. Repeat this, in segments, your upper legs, your abdomen, etc., until you reach your head
8. Once all your body has individually been given the tension and the release, engage all your muscles and fibers at once.
9. Repeat this whole body tightening five times
10. Relax

The body scan works so well because it provides a way to differentiate between action and inaction. Mindfulness is the act of being aware of your body, your thoughts, your embeddedness in the surrounding world.

Once you’ve completed a body scan, you might be ready to fall asleep. That’s ok. However, if you are practicing in the morning or afternoon, this wouldn’t be too productive, which leads to the next step – establishing a routine.

Routine is essential

Mindfulness is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to reap the benefits, regular and frequent attempts must be made. Daily meditation can provide illuminating insights and help you to solve problems or be more flexible when it comes to life’s challenge. The morning and the evening are natural bookends to the day. These can be excellent times to commit, for twenty minutes or so, to get in tune with your body.

Another way to make mindfulness part of your routine is to set a calendar reminder or alarm. If you want to practice during a lunch break at work or university, this is a superb way to remain on track. There is no set-in-stone best time to meditate. Finding what works for you is the key.

Mindfulness is not about sitting

Mindfulness is not always about sitting in a lotus pose or lying down. Being aware of your surroundings and actions can take place at any time: on the commute, while cooking dinner, or maybe doing a hobby you enjoy. [For example, see our feature on “Skateboarding to Mindfulness>>]

There are techniques that you can use to incorporate mindfulness. It may seem counter-intuitive to meditate while being active, but learning how to meditate deeply on mundane tasks allows us to make more time for ourselves in a hectic world.

The clue is in the name

Our minds are active beasts. One study from 1990 showed that our inner voice could produce 4,000 words per minute^[1]. That’s almost ten times faster than our verbal speech. Mindfulness is not necessarily slowing down this rapid pace, but engaging with all of it, being aware of those ‘4,000 words’, which in the course of an hour could produce enough content for a novel. Such is the rich tapestry of our inner world.

So then, the task of being mindful of our actions and our thoughts can help marry together the different speeds at which we operate. An example of this is to take a small sweet or a piece of onion if you are feeling adventurous and place it in your mouth.

Do not attempt to eat the piece in one quick go. Your task is to feel and be aware of the sensations that accompany the object in question. Bitter tastes may provoke us to recoil. Sweet flavors may feel enjoyable. Engaging our minds on what is happening to us in the present moment is what makes mindfulness so powerful.

• Our mindfulness section on Buddha Weekly with many features>>
• Our meditation section on Buddha Weekly with many features>>

Main photo credit: by Keegan Houser on Unsplash

^[1]The Atlantic

One of Buddha’s most profound teachings about the mind was that “Ignorance is the one thing with whose abandonment clear knowing arises.” Fundamentally, this teaching is that by clearing your mind of the clutter of delusion and misconception it carries, you can gain valuable insight about what is important both to you and to the world around you. One of the tools the Buddha promoted  for gaining this insight is the use of mindfulness. Almost all Buddhists practice mindfulness in some form and on some level.

Mindfulness is the act of truly engaging with the world around us, and the people living in it. Many people walk through life in a fog and don’t take the time out of their busy lives to engage with the beauty and wonder that they see every day. In one of his most famous teachings, the wise Thich Nhat Hanh said that:

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” This miracle is what sits at the very heart of practicing mindfulness.

The concept of mindfulness is one that has been around for centuries, but it is only recently that practicing mindfulness has been perceived as a popular and valuable thing to do in mainstream non-religious circles. Both inside and outside the practice of Buddhism, much has been made in recent years about the importance of mindfulness for spiritual, mental and even physical health.

The Impact of Mindfulness on Your Brain

All Buddhists respect and understand the impact that mindfulness, and mindful meditation can have on their spiritual health and wellbeing. For more than a decade, mindfulness has been accepted as a useful therapy for anxiety and depression, and success has also been found in adapting the teachings for addiction treatment and for the treatment of PTSD in returning military veterans. However, as more ordinary people are choosing to incorporate mindfulness into their everyday lives, extensive scientific research has been conducted on the impact that it can also have on your mental and physical wellbeing, particularly on the changes that it can cause in your brain. Brain imaging techniques have revealed that long term mindful practice can profoundly and significantly change the way different regions of the brain communicate with each other, therefore indefinitely changing the way our brain functions and the way that we think.

In one study, MRI scans were undertaken on individuals before and after they had completed an eight week mindfulness course. The study found that the amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for our ‘fight or flight’ reflex) shrank whilst at the same time the pre-frontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for higher level thinking, such as decision making and awareness) became thicker and more developed.  As a result, the researcher leading the study, Adrienne Taren,  concluded that: “The picture we have is that mindfulness practice increases one’s ability to recruit higher order, pre-frontal cortex regions in order to down-regulate lower-order brain activity.” Effectively this means that when we practice mindfulness, our more primal responses to stress (such as our fight or flight reflex) seem to be superseded by more thoughtful responses and higher level desires and understanding.  It is clear then why those individuals suffering from anxiety, depression and PTSD (disorders where the prevalence of the fight or flight reflex is high) would find the practice of mindfulness such a beneficial treatment for their condition.

The Physical Changes Mindfulness Can Lead To

Practicing mindfulness has been shown to have an impact on physical health too, as well as on spiritual and mental health. Fascinating studies have been undertaken to show that, whilst obviously not able to cure the conditions, mindful practice can significantly reduce the symptoms of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, HIV and tinnitus. Several studies have been conducted exclusively with breast cancer survivors, and found that self-reported stress, medical symptoms, and depression were all significantly lower in the control group that had incorporated mindfulness practices  into their treatment plan. In a separate study of patients with the same condition, Lengacher and colleagues found that in a  randomized controlled trial comparing a 6-week mindfulness treatment programme to a more conventional medical-focused  care programme, there were statistically significant differences in the two groups. The group that had had the mindfulness based treatment presented with lower depression, anxiety, and fear of recurrence (from a mental health point of view) as well as higher energy and physical functioning in physical terms. It is clear then that mindfulness can have significant benefits to those suffering from long term health problems, and is certainly something that all patients could consider adopting as part of their self-care. Mindfulness can be done independently with very little training or expense required, meaning it is something everyone can become proactively involved in for their own benefit, as well as to benefit the world around them.

The effects of mindfulness are truly exciting, and it is fascinating to see the practice move away from being considered to have simply spiritual value (though the value of the spirit should not be under appreciated) and into something whose value (whilst long understood and acknowledged by Buddhists) is now being supported by science and clinical evidence.

Previous story from Anne Green on Buddha Weekly>>

NOTES

“Mindfulness meditation as a Buddhist practice”,  Insight Meditation Center, https://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/mindfulness-meditation-as-a-buddhist-practice/

“The science of mindfulness”, Mindful.org, https://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-mindfulness/

Meditation 101: Practices, Postures, and Pretty Much Everything In Between, https://fitnessgoat.com/meditation-101/

“How mindfulness is working its way into my life…and into addiction treatment”,  Rehabs.com, https://www.rehabs.com/pro-talk-articles/how-mindfulness-is-working-its-way-into-my-life-and-into-addiction-treatment/

“What does Mindful Meditation do to your brain?”, Scientific American, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/what-does-mindfulness-meditation-do-to-your-brain/

“The mindfulness of breathing”, The Buddhist Centre, https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing

“Mindfulness can literally change your brain”, Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2015/01/mindfulness-can-literally-change-your-brain

“Mindfulness meditation for oncology patients: A discussion and critical review”, Integrative Cancer Therapies, https://ict.sagepub.com/content/5/2/98.abstract

“Mindfulness-based stress reduction for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms: a randomized wait-list controlled trial”, International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22618308

Mindfulness: an Everyday Guide https://www.nestmaven.com/sleep/aids/mindfulness/

Mindfulness helps us overcome striving, judging and clinging—and can be thought of as a remedy for attachment which keeps us suffering in samsara. I usually think of ten mindfulness principals in my practice, of which I believe kindness to be the most important:

• kindness
• patience
• trust
• non-striving
• a beginners mind
• no judging
• letting go
• acceptance.

The tenth, of course, is “living in the present” which anchors all the rest in real practice.

“The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.”
― Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Transforming mindfulness with kindness

Bringing kindness can transform the quality of your mindfulness practice. By focusing on kindness in practice, the quality of mindfulness tends to shift from just “being as it is” to “being as it is in a positive way.” Of course, karma is inextricably linked to kindness, since even your thoughts have karmic potentiality according to many teachers. Approach mindfulness with kindness transforms the experience.

The Eleven Advantages of Practicing Metta:

• One sleeps Happy!

• One wakes Happy!

• One dreams no evil dreams!

• One is liked and loved by all human beings!

• One is liked and loved by all non-human beings too!

• One is Guarded & Protected by the divine Devas!

• One cannot be Harmed by Fire, Poison, or Weapons!

• One swiftly Attains the Concentration of Absorption!

• One’s appearance becomes Serene, Calm, & Composed!

• One dies without Confusion, Bewilderment, or Panic!

• One reappears after death on the Brahma level if one has penetrated to no higher level in this very life!

Anguttara Nikaya XI.16

In practice, how does it work?

In the same way you focus on the present second or minute in mindfulness, with kindness training you just observe what’s happening, but always notice the “positives” and the kind moments. In the same way as a journalist can “spin” an article to be either positive or negative with the same facts, you can spin your mindfulness experience positively or negatively. This is concentrated kindness, a passive mindfulness techniques.

Also, acts of kindness are active mindful techniques—in the same way archery or kung fu are active mindfulness techniques in Zen/Chan Buddhism. Other examples of active kind mindfulness would be to stop and help when a person is in need, an injured person, simply opening a door for someone with too many bags, or any random act of kindness. Somewhat active, when you can’t stop and help, might be to say a sutra or mantra on behalf of a person or animal in need. I regularly say mantras to road kill along the highways.

“Kindness is my Religion.” Dalai Lama

Active acts of kindness are mindful

As a general concept, current, in the moment acts of spontaneous kindness are a form of mindful kindness. This is the more active form of the meditation. Going out of your way, while late for a meeting, to give money to a homeless person is an act of mindfulness. You are mindfully half-running to your meeting from your parked car, you see a homeless person across the street, on the wrong side, and — even though you are late— you cross over and give him money. Then, you arrive at your meeting with a smile in a positive state of mindfulness.
Other examples of active kindness might be

• Thinking to bring bunny food or bird food with you on your morning jog
• Focusing on waving at other drivers who cut you off on the highway
• Thanking someone genuinely when you lose
• There are hundreds of more potential daily examples.

“Letting go —— abandoning, relinquishing –— is actually the same mind state as generosity. So the practice of giving deeply influences the feeling tone of our meditation practice, and vice versa.”
― Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Passive concentrated kindness is also very powerful

Although mindfulness should be about being the the present moment, and one method advocates the “observer” mind where you simply observe, kindness mindfulness can take observation to the next level by allowing you to see the up side to any situation.

I’m in pain, how can that be transformed?

A classic example is my painful knees. A result of years of sport, my knees are now painful even in daily walk — and also for simple sitting meditation. Mindfulness helps me push through the pain. I focus on the pain — with kind attention, not as an antagonist — and the pain become quite manageable. I find myself understanding the pain is warning me not to push my body. I tell myself pain is telling me I’m alive to experience this. There are all sorts of positive spins you can put on any mindfulness observation.

I’m stressed by work, how can that be transformed?

I can’t keep up with deadlines these days. But still, I slow down and practice kind mindfulness as I face these deadlines. I don’t retreat into meditation, but I turn my work into meditation, concentrating on the immediate task with enthusiasm and forgetting “at this rate I’ll miss my deadline.” What do you know, I feel better, and I make my deadlines. I want to shout at someone, how can that be transformed?

The Metta Sutra

Simply reading or contemplating the Metta Sutra can be an act of mindful kindness. Here is a translation:

This is what should be done

By one who is skilled in goodness,

And who knows the path of peace:

Let them be able and upright,

Straightforward and gentle in speech,

Humble and not conceited,

Contented and easily satisfied,

Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,

Not proud or demanding in nature.

Let them not do the slightest thing

That the wise would later reprove.

Wishing: In gladness and in safety,

May all beings be at ease.

Whatever living beings there may be;

Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,

The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,

The seen and the unseen,

Those living near and far away,

Those born and to-be-born — May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state.

Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another.

Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child,

So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings;

Radiating kindness over the entire world:

Spreading upwards to the skies,

And downwards to the depths;

Outwards and unbounded,

Freed from hatred and ill-will.

Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down

Free from drowsiness,

One should sustain this recollection.

This is said to be the sublime abiding.

By not holding to fixed views,

The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,

Being freed from all sense desires,

Is not born again into this world.

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Physicist John Wheeler put it:

“Useful as it is under ordinary circumstances to say that the world exists ‘out there’ independent of us, that view can no longer be upheld.”

Likewise, with consciousness, we see the marvel of Buddha’s teachings, so clear and illuminating. In the Surangama Sutra, Buddha’s brilliant teaching, framed as a conversation with Ananda, stands as verifiable in modern scientific terms. [For the full, brilliant conversation, see the bottom of this feature with the conversation in full from the Sutra.]

Science and the Buddha

So, here is an eminent scientist: Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, a noted expert in consciousness studies:

“We don’t know what consciousness is, or what it does. There’s no known, obvious reason, why we should be conscious at all, or exactly how the mind works.” His conclusion, based on significant research, was:  “…The mind is field-like. That it’s not constrained to the inside of the head.”

Now, here is the Buddha, in the Surangama Sutra:

“If the mind is then within the body, it would be acquainted with the inner parts of the body itself. So that all men should be first sensible of … all that is within them, and afterwards … those things which are without. But how is it then, that we never meet a man who is able to see his own internal organs? That the mind is located within the body cannot be maintained.”

What separates these two notions. Just 2500 plus years.

(See embedded video for this full lecture of Dr. Sheldrake)

There is growing scientific acceptance for Mr. Sheldrake’s thesis — which was originally Buddha’s thesis — some of which he outlines in his lecture (video below). In fact, consciousness studies is one of the most exciting frontier areas of science today.

Mind is a separate entity not “reduced to brain cell processes”

Nobel Prize winning neuroscience Professor Eccles supports the theory that the mind is a separate entity and cannot be “reduced down to the brain cell processes,” according to the Horizon Research Foundation.

An article on the Foundation’s site, asserts “we will never be able to account for the formation of consciousness through the electrical and chemical processes of the brain.” For skeptics, it’s important to realize that all articles on the Research Foundation’s website are reviewed or prepared by scientists directly involved in research.

Professors Karl Popper and John Eccles demonstrated that research indicates a conscious event happens before the relevant brain event, in The Self and Its Brain.

These eminent scientists theorized not just mental and conscious events as separate from the brain, but a self-conscious mind distinct from both.

After Death, Consciousness Continues?

In a well-researched article, Steps Towards Solving the Mystery of Consciousness, the concept of consciousness surviving apparent brain death is highlighted.

“Consciousness appears to be present in 10-20 percent of those who are in cardiac arrest.” The author explained, “brain cells need to communicate using electrical pulses… How is it then that we have a clinical scenario in which there is severe brain dysfunction, the worst possible type, with an absence of electrical activity in the brain, but somehow thought processes, with reasoning, memory formation and consciousness continue and are even heightened?”

Buddhist perspective: duality of mind and brain

From a Buddhist perspective, the duality of mind separate from brain has been accepted since the beginning, and, in some ways, seems a critical support for fundamental Buddhist beliefs in rebirth and karma.

“There are many explanations of what the mind is and of the different categories of mind,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a speech in England in 2008. “For example, there’s a difference made in Buddhism between primary minds and mental factors.” His Holiness explains the two types: “One is brought forth by sensory perception as its immediately preceding condition and the other lacks sensory perception as its immediately preceding condition.”

Until recently, these beliefs have been treated as “faith” fundamentals, supported by authority of the Buddha, and eloquently championed in Dharma debate. Increasingly, there is more and more support amongst scientists specializing in consciousness studies. Promising research may allow us to also anchor our concept of mind, in convincing proofs.

Dr. Alexander Berzin, in his lecture The Conventional Nature of Mind, described it this way: “You can describe experiencing from the point of view of physically what’s happening – there’s the brain and the chemicals and electric stuff – or you can just describe it in terms of subjective experience of it. So we’re talking about the subjective experience of it when we talk about mind.” He went on to explain that the Four Noble Truths are experienced by the mind.

Where is Mind?

Dr. Sheldrake, in his lecture The Mind is Not the Brain, first touches on the important discussion of “just where is the mind?” He describes mind as field-like, similar to the gravitational field of the world, “which stretches out far beyond the earth.”

Mind as fields around the systems they organize

In ancient Buddhist belief, the heart is the seat of the mind. Today, we think of the brain. Either way, science is shedding light on the real nature of mind — that these fields are within and around the systems they organize, according to Dr. Sheldrake. He uses examples such as magnets and gravity which expand beyond the source — for example, by metaphor, the Earth as the brain, and the gravitational field of the earth as the mind. “And I think the same is true of our minds.”

“If the mind is just the brain, which is the normal assumption within academic and medical worlds,” he continued, “then mental activity is nothing but brain activity,” a notion he then elaborately deconstructs as erroneous.

He uses an elaborate example of the mechanism of vision, or seeing, describing first the physiological and neurological mechanism, then the two clear options that explain how we actually “see”. Either the images are projected inside our skull or brain in a form of “virtual reality” or they are exactly where appear, because the mind is able to project or see beyond the brain exactly where it is.

Can you influence something just by looking at it?

He illustrates this by asking the question, “Can you influence something just by looking at it?” He cites studies that indicate that over 90% of people can “feel” when people are looking at them, even when they have their back turned to that person. In scientific studies, there’s overwhelming evidence this is a genuine phenomenon. He illustrates with training examples from the security industry, where it is standard training to security personnel to never look directly a suspect’s back. 

The Dalai Lama expounded on the nature of mind in a 2014 speech in Cambridge: “In general, the mind can be defined as an entity that has the nature of mere experience, that is, “clarity and knowing.” It is the knowing nature, or agency, that is called mind, and this is non-material.”

“Buddhist literature, both sutra and tantra, contains extensive discussions on mind and its nature. Tantra, in particular, discusses the various levels of subtlety of mind and consciousness… with references to the various subtleties of the levels of consciousness and their relationship to such physiological states as the vital energy centers within the body, the energy channels, the energies that flow within these and so on.”

Mind Field Theory

The concept of energy channels (often called chakras) and energy body—as described by his Holiness—has been well accepted for centuries in most parts of Asia. In Buddhist visualization, mind and energy are naturally visualized as separate from body in some practices. This aligns with newly emerging science in the field of consciousness studies.

Aligning with this ancient thought, Dr. Sheldrake—a pioneer in consciousness field theory—explains the mind as a field, similar to a gravity field. He supports this with extensive blind research studies, and illustrates with examples such as bird flocks and fish schools, who seem to almost telepathically communicate. He also delves into Quantum particle theories in support of his theory.

Why is this important?

The brain, in relative dualistic terms, is a physical, impermanent implement. Consciousness also arises from the over-arching doctrine of Dependent Arising. [For a feature on Dependent Arising, see>>]. Although not permanent, mind is also something else in Buddhism, and there are different kinds of mind, mostly described in “field-like” terms. Notably, especially the “subtle consciousness” may transcend individual life-times. This is plausibly theorized by research from Professors Popper and Eccles who describe “a Self-Conscious Mind” independent of the brain, that functions even after cardiac arrest.

Self conscious mind, surviving cardiac arrest, is reassuring to those of us who believe that mind survives death. Although rebirth is supported by various other research and near-death studies, the notion of conscious mind surviving physical death adds a new dimension to death meditation and daily practice.

Surangama Sutra

Excerpt of a discussion between Buddha and Ananada on the nature of mind:

Buddha: “Using what means of sight … and who was it that beheld me?”

Ananda: “I used my eyes and my mind”.

Buddha: “Then the true ground of ‘BEHOLDING’ is to be sought in the mind and the eye.
But what is the precise location of this mind and this sight?”

Ananda: “Everyone agrees that the mind is within the body and the eye is within the head”.

Buddha: “You are seated in the preaching hall of Tahagata; look out now and see the trees, and tell me where they are situated.”

Ananda: “They are outside the hall”.

Buddha: “And as you sit here in the hall, what is it that you first behold”?

Ananda: “First the Tathagata, next the great assembly, then the trees outside”.

Buddha: “As you behold the trees outside, what is the medium through which you gaze at them?”

Ananda: “The windows of this great hall are open”.

Buddha: “Is it possible for any person within this hall NOT to see the Tathagata, and YET behold objects outside?”

Ananda: “No!”

Buddha: “If the mind is then within the body, it would be acquainted with the inner parts of the body itself. So that all men should be first sensible of … all that is within them, and afterwards … those things which are without. But how is it then, that we never meet a man who is able to see his own internal organs? That the mind is located within the body cannot be maintained.”

Ananda: “I must then understand that that the mind is without the body. It seems that the intelligent mind (or perceptive faculty) must be like a lamp placed OUTSIDE a house, not illuminating that which is within.”

Buddha: Take your assertion that the mind is dwelling outside the body. Therefore there must be an external connection between your body and this mind, and when this personal connection is not in action, then what the external mind perceives you yourself cannot know. And since (as far as you are concerned) the knowledge of a thing is the personal knowledge you posses of it, the intelligent mind (apart from this) knows nothing.
For instance, I show you my hand: At the moment your eyes perceive it, does not the mind also perceive it?”

Ananda: “Yes”.

Buddha: “Therefore it would appear that the mind is not resident outside the body, in as much as it is disconnected from it”.

Ananda: “I must therefore concede that the power of seeing and knowing is fixed in the one place.”

Buddha: “But what is that place?”

Ananda: “It appears that the mind, if not within, and yet perceiving that without, lies hidden with the sense itself.”

Buddha: “Then why do you not see the eye itself when you gaze upon the mountains? This assertion also cannot be.”

Ananda: “In your discourses with the disciples concerning the true condition of being you have said that the intelligent mind is neither within the body nor beyond it, but is between the two.”

Buddha: “You speak of between the two. Take care that this phrase does not deceive you, so that it means nowhere.
Where is the place of this middle point? Does it reside in the sense or in the thing perceived? 
If the mind is in the middle of the sense and the object of sense, then the substance of mind is either UNITED with the two, or separated and DISTINCT from the two.
If UNITED with the two, then there is a confusion of substance, so mind would not be a substantial unit.
But if there be no such union, then this intelligent mind must partake of the character of the sense which you say has the power of knowing, and partly of the object of the sense which you say has no such power.
The mind therefore has no distinct character; and if so, by what mark may you recognise it, as it exists in the middle of these two opposing powers? You may conclude that this hypothesis is not capable of proof.”

Ananda: “I have heard the assertion that the nature of the mind is such, that it could not be said to be within the body, nor without it, nor in the middle point, but that the mind in its very nature is without a local habitation, and without preference.
I would be glad to know whether I may define the mind as that which is “indefinite” and “without partiality”.

Buddha stretched out his hand and drew his fingers into a fist and asked Ananda “What do you see?”

Ananda: “I see the Tathagata raising his arm and bending his fingers into a fist.”

Buddha: “Now, what is the instrument by which you see all this?”

Ananda: “I and all present see this by the use of our eyes.”

Buddha: “If it is your eyes which see the fist, of what account is the mind?”
Ananda: “I take it that the mind is the power by which I investigate.”

Buddha: “No, no, Ananda, this is not your mind”
Ananda: “If this is not my mind, tell me what it may be called.”

Buddha: “This is but the perception of vain and false qualities which, under the guise of your true nature, has from the first deceived you.”
At this time Buddha began his explanation to Ananda and the rest of the congregation intending to excite in them a consciousness of that mind which springs not from any earthly source…

Buddha: “Tathagatha ever says, every phenomenon that presents itself to our knowledge is but a manifestation of the mind … which is the true substratem of all.
If all the varieties of being in the collection of worlds, down to the single shrub, and the leaf, or the fiber of the plant, tracing all these to their ultimate elements-if all these have a distinct and substantial nature of their own-how much more or the pure, excellent, and human mind, which is the basis of all knowledge, to have attributed to it its own essential and substantial existence?
If, you examine this question and still prefer to call the discriminating and enquiring faculty by the name of mind, you must at any rate distinguish it from the power that apprehends the various phenomenon connected with the mere senses and allow the latter a distinct nature.

Thus, while you now hear me declaring the law, it is because of the sounds you hear that there is a discriminating process within you.; yet, after all sounds have disappeared, there still continues a process of thought within, in which memory acts a principal element, so that there is a mind acting as it were on the mere shadows of things.

I do not forbid you to hold your own opinion on the question of the mind, but I only ask you to search out the … question itself.

If, after you have removed the immediate cause of sensation, there is still a discriminative power in the faculty of which we speak, then that is the true mind which you justly designate as yours; but if the discriminative power ceases to exist after the immediate cause which called it in to exercise is removed, then this power is only a shadowy idea, dependent entirely on the external phenomenon.

Suppose you were going along a road, and you were to meet a blind man, and ask him ‘Do you see anything?’
That blind man would reply to you: ‘I see only darkness before my eyes’.
What is wanting why this observation should not be called “seeing?”

Ananda: “How can you speak of an act of “seeing” when the same darkness is before the eyes of all blind people”.

Buddha: “All blind people without can only observe darkness; but now take a man who has eyes, and place him in a dark room, is there any difference between the darkness which the blind man observes and the darkness which the man sees who has eyes”.

Ananda: “No. They are the same”.

Buddha: “Suppose the blind man who observes only darkness were suddenly to receive his sight – so that he could perfectly see the various objects before his eyes – this you would call ‘eye-seeing’.
Now, suppose that other man who is in a dark room, and who sees nothing before but darkness, were suddenly to have a lighted lamp brought into the room so that he got perfect knowledge of surrounding objects, would you call this ‘lamp-seeing’?
”If so, then the lamp is able to see; but, if the lamp is the same as the eye, why do you call it a lamp? 
And again, since the lamp would then have the power of observation, what value would your eye have in the matter?
You know that the lamp is only able to make things visible so that, as far as seeing is concerned, the eyes have distinct function, opposed to the function of the lamp.

But nevertheless when we speak of the ‘power of sight’, in truth this no more resides in the eye than in the lamp.

At this time, Buddha in the midst of the great assembly, opened and closed his hand and then addressed Ananda saying “What is it that you have seen me do?”

Ananda: ‘I saw your palm in the midst of the assembly opened and closed”

Buddha: “When you saw this, was it my hand you saw open and shut, or was it your sight that opened and closed itself?”

Ananda: “It was your hand that opened and closed, for the nature of my seeing faculty admits not opening or closing”

Buddha: “What is it that moves and what is it that rests in this case?”

Ananda: “It was your hand that moved and my seeing faculty is eminently fixed what is there that can unsettle it?”

Buddha: “Just so”… and from the midst of his hand let fly a glorious ray of light which located itself to the right of Ananda, who turned his head and looked over his right shoulder. . Again, Buddha let fly another ray, which fixed itself to the left of Ananda, who turned his head and looked over his left shoulder.

Buddha said to Ananda: “Why did you just now turn your head”

Ananda: “Because I saw light issuing from the precious hand of Buddha and fix itself to the left and right of me, I therefore turned my head to see those lights”

Buddha: “Was it your head which moved, or your sight which moved?”

Ananda: “It was my head which turned, my power of sight is fixed. What then can it move?”

Buddha: “Just so.”

At this time, Prasenadjit Rajah rose from his seat and addressed Buddha: “Tell me, how I may attain the knowledge of the imperishable principle which you call the mind?”

Buddha: “Maharajah! with respect to your present body, I would ask you, Is this body of yours like the diamond, unchangeable in its appearance and … imperishable, or is it, on the other hand, changeable and perishable”

TheRajah: “This body of mine without doubt, in the end, after various changes, will perish”

Buddha: “You have not yet experienced this destruction of the body. How then do you know anything about it?”

TheRajah: “With respect to this transient changeable and perishable body, although I have not yet experience the destruction of which I speak, I observe the case of things around me and ever reflect that all these things are changing – old things die and new things succeed, there is nothing that changes not, thus the wood that now burns will soon be converted into ashes; all things gradually exhaust themselves and die away; there is no cessation of this dying out and perishing.
I may certainly know that this body of mine will finally perish …”

Buddha: “You confess that from witnessing these ceasless changes you arrive at the conviction that your body must perish.
Let me ask when this time for your body to perish arrives, are you aware of anything connected to yourself that will not perish?”

TheRajah: “I know of no such imperishable thing”

Buddha: “I will now explain to you the character of that ‘nature’ which admits of neither birth or death.
Maharajah: When you were a little child, how old were you when you fist saw the river Ganges?”

TheRajah: “When I was three years old”

Buddha: “Let us take up your own illustration respecting your gradual alteration of appearance through every decade of your life.
You say that three years of age that you saw this river.
Tell me then when you were thirteen years old what sort of appearance had this river then?”

TheRajah: “Just the same as it had been when I was three years old;
And now I am sixty two there is no alteration in its appearance”

Buddha: “You are now become decrepit, white-haired and wrinkled in face, and so your face has grown during succesive years, tell me then, has the sight which enable you to see the Ganges in former years become also wrinkled and increasingly so with your years?”

TheRajah: “No”

Buddha: “Although your face has become wrinkled, yet your power of sight has in its nature altered not.
But that which becomes old and decrepit is in its nature changeable, and that which does not become so, is unchangeable.
That which changes is capable of destruction, but that which changes not, must be from its origin incapable of birth or death”

Ananda: “If this sight power is the same as my mysterious nature, then this nature of mine ought to be clear to me; and if this sight power is the same as my true nature, then what is my mind and what is my body?”

Buddha: “Suppose that in the exercise of this vision, you are observing things around you, tell me in what does the SELF of this power consist.
Is it due to the bright light of the sun? 
Is it attibutable to the presence of darkness?
Is it the existence of space which constitutes the ground work of its SELF?
Or is it the presence of obstacles that constitutes this self?”
If the bright presence of light is the ground work, then, as this presence is the substantial basis of vison, what can be the meaning of seeing ‘darkness’?
If space is the basis of this self caused power, then, how can there be such a thing as an interpretation of sight by any obstacle?
Or if any of the various accidents of darkness be considered as the substantial basis of the SELF, then, in the daylight the power of seeing light ought to disappear…
You should be satisfied therefore, that this subtle power of sight, essentially glorious, depends not for its existence, either on cause or connection.
It is not what is termed self caused, nor yet is it the opposite of this.
It is independent of all conditions and also of all phenomenon…

Therefore Ananda, you ought to know that when you see the light, the seeing does not depend on the light;
when you see the darkness, the seeing does not depend on the darkness;
when you see space, the seeing is not concerned with the idea of space; 
and so also with the limitations of space.

These four deductions being settled, then I proceed to say that when we exercise the power of sight through the medium of this very sight-power seeing does not depend on this sight-power.
Even while ‘seeing’ we may be still at a distance from ‘true sight’.
Nor by the exercise of sight do we necessarily exercise the power of ‘true sight’….

Ananda, consider a man whose afflicted with a cataract.
At night, when the light of the lamp shines before him, he thinks he sees a round shadow encircling the flame, composed of the five colours interlacing one another.
What think you with regard to the perception of this round effulgence encircling the flame of the night lamp.
Is the beautiful colour in the lamp, or is it in the eye?
If it is in the lamp, then why does not a man whose sight is healthy see it?
If it is in the sight of the person then, as it is the result of an act of vision, what name shall we give to the power that produces these colours?

We conclude therefore that the object looked at that, ie: the flame, is dependent on the lamp, but that the circle is the result of imperfect vision.
Now all such vision is connected with disease.
However to see the cause of the disease (the cataract) is curative of the disease…

So, just what you and other creatures see now, the mountains, rivers, countries and lands, all this, I say, is the result of an original fault of sight… of the cataract, as it were, on the true and ever-glorious power of sight which I possess.

If this ordinary power of sight be a cataract on the eye of my true sight, it follows that the pure and bright mind of my true knowledge in seeing all these unreal associations is not afflicted with this imperfection;
that which understands error is not itself in error; so that, having laid hold of this true idea of sight, there will be no further meaning in such expressions ‘hearing by the ears’ or ‘knowing by the sight’.

This faculty then, which we an all the twelve species of creatures possess, and which we call sight -
this is the same as the cataract on the eye – 
it is the imperfection of ‘true sight’: but that true and original power of vision which has become thus perverted, and is in its nature without imperfection -
that cannot properly be called by the same name…

At this time, attentive to the words of the Buddha Tathagata, Ananda and all the congregation obtained illumination. The great assembly perceived that each one’s mind was co-extensive with the universe, seeing clearly the empty character of the universe as plainly as a leaf, and that all things in the universe are all alike merely the excellently bright and primeval mind of Buddha, and that this mind is universally diffused, and comprehends all things within itself.

And still reflecting, they beheld their generated bodies, as so many grains of dust in the wide expanse of the universal void, now safe, now lost; or as a bubble of the sea, sprung from nothing and born to be destroyed.
But their perfect and independent soul (they beheld) as not to be destroyed, but remaining ever the same;
It is identical with the substance of Buddha.

Buddha: “This unity alone in the world is boundless in its reality, and being boundless is yet one.
Though in small things, yet it is in great.
Though in great things, yet it is in small.
Pervading all things, present in every minutest hair, and yet including the infinite worlds in its embrace;
enthroned in the minutest particle of dust, and yet turning the Great Wheel of the Law;
opposed to all sensible phenomena; it is one with Divine Knowledge.

Video Highlight: “Ask a Monk” Are the Mind and Brain Different

In a short 20 minute video teaching (followed by a brief guided meditation), H.E. Zasep Rinpoche introduces and clarifies the complex concepts of Vipashyana Mahamudra (Vipassana in Pali): literally: “liberating the mind.” [Video plays below. Full transcript below video (pending)].

Practices include, mind observing the mind, mind as object and mind as subject, mind as object and “I” as subject. Although the teaching is an advanced topic, Rinpoche helps clarify a subject that sometimes baffles students.

Meaning of Mahamudra: “Maha” means “great” and “Mu” means “Emptiness”; “Dra” means “Liberating.” Literally: “When you experience shunyata — emptiness — then your mind will be liberated.”

After the teaching and the short medtiation, enjoy Yoko Dharma chanting the Shakyamuni Mantra: Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Ye Soha.

NOTE: H.E. Zasep Rinpoche will be on a teaching visit March 23-April 3, 2018 (See details below.)

Video Teaching:

Quoting from numerous texts, and eloquently illustrating with examples, Rinpoche helps spark at least an initial understanding of concept — then, encouraging students to study and learn more on this important topic.

Rinpoche explains the two levels of Mahamudra: Sutra and Tantra. Sutra Mahamudra has two levels: Samatha (which is common amongst Buddhist practitioners) and Vipassana (which is much less practiced.) “Usually when we do Mahamudra, we meditate on the mind… the subject is the coarse mind. The object is the subtle mind.”

Transcript

(Note: any errors are the errors of the transcriber)

The subject of the teaching and meditation is Mahamudra. According Gelug tradition, we call also Ganden tradition. Some people maybe haven’t heard Gelug Mahamudra, and yes, we do have a wonderful Mahamudra teachings, very profound teachings. The Mahamudra practice, according Gelug lineage, is a direct one. It came from Buddha Shakyamuni then to Manjushshri. The lineage from Manjushri to …  Lama Tsongkhapa. And then it gradually come down to the first Panchen Lama Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen. And then, come down to current, until now. It’s unbroken lineage, we have. And a very unique practice.

So, there are different levels of Mahamudra. First of all, Sutra Mahamudra, Tantra Mahamudra, two levels and Sutra Mahamudra, also has two levels; Samatha Mahamudra and Vipashyana Mahamudra. At this point I was requested to talk about Vipashyana Mahamudra, because Samatha Mahamudra is quite common, especially in the Kagyu tradition. And there are a number of books and you can find them. And some of the Mahamudra teaching according Kagyu and Gelug are more or less same, or similar. I should say similar.

And Vipashyana Mahamudra is different. For this is why I am talking here, Vipashyana Mahamudra. And Vipashyana Mahamudra is also known as a Madayamaka. And Uma Chenpo, a Tibetan word. Uma Chenpo means great Madayamaka. Lama Tsonghkapa himself used the term, uma chenpo instead of Mahamudra, then the first Panchen Lama Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, he compiled root texts of Mahamudra and auto-commentary, his own commentary. So there’s lots of details on Mahamudra teachings. I have received this teaching from my Guru.

So at this time, I will explain little bit, Vipashyana Mahamudra… So, usually when we do Mahamudra meditation, we meditate on the mind. The subject is the mind. The object is the mind.

The subject is coarse mind. The object is subtle mind. So it’s like mind to mind, according Theravadan Buddhist Vipashyana meditation, there’s a word called mind to mind, body to body. Okay, kind of like that mind to mind. So, here the object is the mind.

Now, I should actually say, the literal meaning Mahamudra, Mu is shunyata, emptiness. Dra is liberating quality. When you experience shunyata, Mu, emptiness of the mind, then your mind will be liberated. This is the great one. This is why Maha means the great one.

Very famous Indian Buddhist philosopher, Master Aryadeva, said in his Four Hundred Verses…  said even slightest doubt or when you have a doubt or some inquiring mind about shunyata, that is marvelous. That inquiring mind of shunyata will eliminate or destroy your samsara, like you’re holding chopping knife and chopping down vegetables or chopping some material. So this is example, very beautiful and powerful.

So here, meditating on the mind, and you focus the mind on the mind. But here, now Vipashyana Mahamudra is meditating on emptiness of the mind. Okay. So first of all, I should say a few words about the mind. What is mind anyways? So, mind is consciousness. We have primary mind, and secondary mind and mental factors, and so forth. I’m not gonna go into all this detail. And you can study text Pramanavarttika, and Abhidarma, and Madyamaka, and so forth.

So, according to Prajnaparamita Sutra, states mind doesn’t exist within the mind. The true nature of the mind is clear light. Okay. So, when it says mind doesn’t exist within the mind, that means when you look at the mind, you cannot find the mind on the level of inherent existence. You cannot find. That’s why mind doesn’t exist within the mind. True nature of the mind is clear light. The more you meditate on the mind, you experience the nature of the mind is luminous and clear light. And spacious. And stillness.

Okay. So the Tibetan word for this is ‘Semla sem mache! Sem kyi rangzen osel wa wo!’ Okay, this is from the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Semla sem mache! Sem kyi rangzen osel wa wo! Okay, ‘Semla sem mache’ means mind doesn’t exist within the mind. And ‘Sem kyi rangzen osel wa wo!’ means nature of the mind is clear light.

Now, when you meditate on the mind, look at the mind and you can’t find mind. It’s like you peeling the onion, keep peeling, peeling, nothing left. All you have is the onion, there’s no seed, there’s no solid substance. Okay, that’s one example.

And the true nature of the mind is clear light. Clear light here referring to emptiness. It does not mean some kind of bright light, like sunlight, moon light or a torch or a flashlight. And emptiness …

So now, I will explain the technique, how to meditate. According in Ganden Tradition, and Gelug Tradition, first we’ll, first of all you meditate on emptiness of personality… that make emptiness of personality. And emptiness of the mind. As the Buddha said in the Heart Sutra, form is emptiness. Emptiness is also form. There is no form other than emptiness and no emptiness other than form. Likewise, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness. So consciousness emptiness. Emptiness is also consciousness. There is no consciousness other than emptiness. There is no emptiness other than consciousness.

First of all you sit on the cushion, comfortably, meditate. And you do mindfulness breathing. We do nine-point breathing exercise and do some of the Mahamudra and observing your mind. Your mind is observing the mind. It’s called resting the mind in the natural state. So you sit down, resting your mind.

Resting the mind in the natural state. So, resting, the word resting is very important one because our mind is restless, as you know. And always thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, asking questions, this and that, busy, busy, busy. And you, your mind becomes so restless and thinks so much, and your mind is exhausted. So that’s why we need to do resting mind. Just like your body, when the body’s tired you need to rest. Right, you sit down or lie down and so on. Resting the mind in natural state. Why natural state? Unfabricated and unaltered mind. Just be here and now in the present moment. Just be. Just rest the mind in the natural state. Try cultivating a calm abiding mind. Not intentionally. When you are sitting resting your mind in a natural way, natural state, then calm abiding mind is happening naturally. So that’s the foundation.

Then you do the Vipashyana Mahamudra. So you observe your mind, okay look at the mind. And you don’t see the beginning of mind. You don’t see the end of the mind. And you don’t see the mind right now, right here in front of you. And all you see is the subject of the mind and the awareness. Your mind is the awareness and knower and cognisor. That’s all you have here. You should know that. And you see now, where is mind. You experience some aspect of emptiness of mind and what we call the dawn of emptiness of the mind.

Then suddenly, some thoughts come, right? And you see it all, this thought, that thought. But that is your mind, but that thought already came. Not here. You cannot see the mind and in other words, your mind, the subject mind and object mind cannot be same time. Cannot be simultaneous. They don’t exist simultaneously.

You only see the second moment of the previous thought that is already rising. So that’s previous thought now, and that’s okay. You see that, and then it’s gone. But no longer holding, just let it go, let it go and stay in this moment. Then naturally, awareness of the mind is here. Awareness is here. And stillness is here. And spaciousness of the mind is happening. And some level of emptiness is happening. Experiencing little bit. This is your focused mind on that. And this is Vipashyana Mahamudra.

Then, that’s the mind, right focused mind on the mind. But then what about I? What about self? I am the person who’s meditating on Mahamudra. I am the meditator of Mahamudra. Where is I or self? Same way you look at the I. Okay, so now your mind is the subject. The object is I. Where is I? What is I? Not so much, about where is I, but what is I? Also, what is self? I or self or me, all those different labels right, it’s the same thing.

So what is self? What is I? I is only the concept of I. Self is only the concept of self. There is no self other than the concept of self. There’s no I other than the concept of I. It’s a label. We’re imputing the label of self and I on this form, this body. We got this habit of doing this. It’s there. Now, is that wrong? Putting the label of I or self? No, nothing wrong. Not only you do have to put label I or self in order to communicate on a conventional level, right? Nothing is wrong.

As long as you’re not grasping onto self and I. As long as you don’t grasp on self and I, this is the point. So when you meditate in this way, your grasping mind of self or I will be subside. Gradually become less and less. You only have the concept of self or I. Nominally and you function yourself in this light in this way, dependent arising an emptiness, both at the same time.

Lama Tsongkhapa’s advice: one should mediate on emptiness, dependent arising, both co-exist. They do co-exist. There is no emptiness without dependent arising. There’s no dependent rising without emptiness of self.

Going back to the meditation, so you observed self and me. There’s no self and me. Where is self? There’s no self. It’s like you are imputing the label on a car and a machine — car —  let’s say Toyota or whatever, or Honda, or Hyundai and Kia, whatever. So you impute the label on car and you have all the parts of car; engine and wheels and transmission and et cetera, et cetera. And you impute the label, made in Japan or made in Korea, and then it becomes a car. And when you take them all apart, there is no Toyota or Honda, just parts.

Like that, our own person or self doesn’t exist, when you meditate on them, when you investigate by intellectual mind. This kind of meditation is known as an analytical meditation. First we have to do analytical meditation when we do meditation on emptiness of personality. Analyze. But not too much analyzing. You analyze then you stop and make closure. You say, “Okay, now I experience glimpse of emptiness of self or I. Or emptiness of mind.”

But at the same time, on that relative level, there is mind, there is consciousness, there is I. I am the one who’s meditating. I am the one creating good kharma. So you make the conclusion, closure this way. A brief explanational emptiness of the mind and person and Vipashyana Mahamudra meditation according to Gelug Tradition.

Meditation

So I like to leave the meditation on resting mind in the natural state. I would like to ask everybody sit comfortably on meditation cushion or on chair. Keep your back straight. So, resting your mind in a natural state. Which means, your mind is in the present moment and here, right here. Do not go to the past. Do not go to the future. And only be here, in this very moment.

                                    (Ringing Bell)

                                    (Silence)

                                    (Music Playing)

                                    (Singing)

Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Ye Soha

(Shakyamuni’s mantra)

H.E. Zasep Rinpoche’s Toronto Teachings March 2018

When H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche returns to Gaden Choling, Toronto — after yet another extensive teaching tour that took him from Vancouver to Mongolia — he will offer some very rare and treasured lineage teachings and initiations. One in particular — Guru Padmasambhava and Amitayus empowerment — is a long-life practice very rarely given, from lineage of famed Gelugpa Yogi Mahasiddha Takpuwa Dorje Chang. Details at Gaden Choling’s website (new information likely will be added between now and the visit.)

Rinpoche will also teach a weeekend retreat on Medicine Buddha at Owen Sound, Ontario.

Fri., Mar 23rd, 7pm-9pm: Vajrasattva Yab-Yum Tantric Initiation.

Vajrasattva is a manifestation of Buddha Conquerer Vajradhara and his practice is one of the most powerful healing and purification techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism. For a feature story on Vajrasattva, please refer to>>

Sat. & Sun., Mar. 24th & 25th, Both days 10am-4pm: Commentary on Yamantaka Tantric Practice

Yamantaka is the Anutara or Highest Yoga Tantra aspect of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. This practice is at the heart of the Gelugpa Tradition and a source of the highest spiritual attainments. H.E. Zasep Rinpoche will give detailed commentary and instruction and lead discussion on the many aspects of Yamantaka practice. A “must-have” for those who have received the Yamantaka Empowerment. Open to Initiates of Yamantaka practice. (This is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice. Please only attend the commentary if you have initiation.)

Tues., Mar. 27th, 7pm-9pm: Chittamani Tara Empowerment

Chittamani or “Mind-Jewel” Tara is the Anutara or Highest Yoga Tantra aspect of Green Tara, the Buddha of Compassion and Wisdom. Chittamani Tara is a relatively new practice, coming from a cycle of 13 Initiations from the “Clear Vision” of famed Gelugpa Yogi and Mahasiddha Takpuwa Dorje Chang in the 19thC and is unique to the Gelugpa Tradition. A peaceful, direct but very profound practice of Green Tara, Chittamani Tara is a source of the highest spiritual attainments in Tantra. For a detailed story on Chittamani Tara, please refer to>>

March 31 – April 1st  Weekend Medicine Buddha healing teaching in Owen Sound

Medicine Buddha practice is a strong healing practice. (Visit https://sittingatthegate.wordpress.com/ for details)

Tues., April 3rd, 7pm-9pm: Guru Padmasambhava and Amityus Empowerment

This Initiation is extremely rare, again from the “Clear Vision” of famed Gelugpa Yogi and Mahasiddha Takpuwa Dorje Chang in the 19thC, like Chittamani Tara and is both unique to the Gelugpa Tradition and unique in that it combines the Deity practice of Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life with the Guru Yoga practice of Guru Rinpoche. In terms of Gelug practice, this makes it very singular & special. It is a healing and long-practice as well.

Wed., April 4th, 7pm-9pm: How to do Tantric Sadhanas and Tsog offerings

H.E. Zasep Rinpoche will teach and give commentary on how to do basic Tantric practice & rituals as well as Tantric Feast Offerings.

Events: $25. Members / $30. Non-Members per event

Mar. 24th & 25th weekend package: $40. Member / $50. Non-Member

About H.E. Zasep Rinpoche

Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche is Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West, with meditation centers in Canada, Australia and the United States. Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

About Yoko Dharma

Yoko Dharma sang the beautiful Shakyamuni mantra at the end of the meditation. Buddha Weekly has featured a number of her gorgeous mantras in stand-alone videos. Please refer to here for other Buddha Weekly videos>>

From her website:

     Growing up as a Tibetan Buddhist in the west was a slightly different childhood then most Canadian kids have. This had a profound and deep influence on Yoko from an early age, especially when she started adapting Tibetan Buddhist meditations and practices more seriously at the age of 13. This definitely makes Yoko unique in the way she writes music and in terms of what she has to say based on her own understanding. This seems to spill out to people because many of her fans resonate with what she is singing about . Her ability to connect with the listenersweather it is on stage or through a recording is profound because of some basic truths she sings about which transcend culture, race and religion. Essentially, the science of the mind, the truth of all phenomena and some fundamental human qualities that we all possess like love, kindness and compassion. This is why so many people relate to her music and I think this is why she can move people so deeply because somewhere inside they also know these truths or have had similar experiences.”

Unlocking Your Spiritual Self with Nature

by Guest Contributor Sally Keys

One of the ways we can restore the balance is through the practice of Buddhism which teaches us to look at our spiritual development and uncover the path to true happiness.

Finding our spirituality

Spirituality is a broad concept that many scientists have tried to define through brain activity and its effects through meditation. It can mean different things for people but essentially we think about it as in terms of uncovering the meaning of life which can encompass a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves.

Anxieties in the modern world, particularly distractions from technology, have allowed negative energies to enter our lives which we need to let go of in order to feel a reconnection with the world again. Our ancestors were not faced with the same conflicts but instead had a deep connection with the universe formed through a relationship with nature. It is these traditional life practices which we have lost and need to recoup.

One of the first steps we can take is to rekindle a bond with our environment and look to making a positive impact in the world.

The mindful Buddhist practice of direct experience through nature, we’ll gain greater positivity and peace between us and others around us. Ancient cultures have always honoured nature’s rivers, mountains, trees, flower, sun, moon and natural elements but the ongoing destruction of the environment has meant that this has been damaged. By re-awakening our spiritual side, we can start to repair the damage to the natural world.

How we can connect with nature

First, we need to really listen to nature before we can communicate with her. Meditation will help although it may be difficult at first. With the effort of real commitment, and with the Buddhist qualities of qualities of awareness, wisdom and kindness. you’ll be a step in the right direction. We can do this by spending time alone in nature. Whether it be up in a mountain or in your local park, part of the reconnection involves finding a quiet time and place in your mind so you can focus on the nature that surrounds you.

The modern, western world might not always teach us to relax and observe, but by allowing ourselves to see and hear our surroundings, we’ll begin the process of unlocking our spiritual self.

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As a teenager skateboarding was my life. As I became less interested in competitive sports, the freedom of skateboarding and the lack of competition and rules was quite appealing to me. I skated throughout high school and eventually became pretty good at manipulating that piece of plywood with wheels. I managed a solid variety of flips, spins, jumps and slides. Ordinary architectural designs in the urban landscape of my hometown became a playground. Stairs and handrails were not just a safety precaution, but a challenge to find creative ways to use my skateboard to use them in unique ways.

Then, when I turned 16 years old and earned my license to drive a car I slowly lost interest in skating. I had a new-found freedom to go anywhere quickly and efficiently. I went directly to university after high school, and choose psychology as my major. The subject was a nice, natural fit for my personality and interests. I also enrolled in many philosophy courses as electives — again, basing these decisions in my interest in the subject, and critical thinking in general.

I was an atheist

One of the courses, in particular, peaked my interest in Buddhism and eastern philosophies. I identified as an atheist, but recognized the truth of the Buddha-dharma. The 4 Noble Truths outlined by the Buddha made sense to me. I could identify with them, it all made sense — and as the Buddha encouraged — I found these truths for myself through introspection and everyday life experience.

I read many books on meditation, and practiced daily. I tried many methods — from the complex to the more simplistic.

The ideas made complete sense, but I didn’t get the results I had expected and was thus a bit let down. I continued meditation throughout college, with varying results, and decided that although I agreed with the premise, I had trouble meditating in a lotus position Just focusing on my breath.

A bit discouraged with how meditation provided me such sporadic results, I lost interest in the practice altogether for a period. During this time, I had graduated university and returned to my parents’ home for the summer to relax after 4 years of hard studying; it was time for a little break, I told myself.

One day while cleaning in the garage, I came across an old skateboard from my mid-teen years. It was in good condition, likely the last board I used before I starting driving. I didn’t know it at the time, but this piece of plywood and wheels would become my teacher, my guru, and my own personal meditative device.

A couple hard falls on the way to understanding

I took the skateboard for a spin around the neighborhood and was delighted by the familiar feel of the grip tape beneath my feet. Going to a local park, I tried some of the tricks I had previously mastered — only the balance and skill was not there as it had been. I took a couple hard falls, and realizing that, although I was still young by most standards, my body felt much older — I no longer had the rubber body of my teenage years. In my teenage years,  a fall to the concrete may have hurt, but not to the point of discouraging me. Now, in my mid-twenties, I realized that such spills had a stronger impact than they did not even ten years prior. I was sore, unhappy, and grumpy — about to toss the board in the garbage, but realized that the ride home would be much easier with a little help from the wheels.

On that ride home, something clicked inside me —— it was familiar, but hard to pinpoint exactly what it was. I suddenly felt completely at ease, despite my physical discomfort. The feel of concrete sliding beneath me was soothing. I started to curve left-to-right, back-and-forth through the streets. I was just traveling home, without any  flips, tricks, slides or grinds ——just the ride. I wasn’t even seeking anything, when it just happened —— awareness.

That was the familiar feeling I couldn’t quite figure out at first, but without question I had reached an altered state of awareness. I didn’t recognize the feeling at first because it came in an unfamiliar way -—through motion and balance — rather than sitting still and focusing on my breathing. It was an amazing realization for me: I didn’t need to be sitting quietly and force myself; simply rolling along and paying attention to the world around me brought the experience of awareness.

The skateboard become my guru

I continued to skateboard again from that moment on, but in a different way. The skateboard itself became my yidam, my teacher, and my guru all at once —— and this realization seemed so natural that I was amazed I had not found it before.

I thought long and hard about this heightened awareness that randomly occurred on my skateboard; I realized what was different about that ride home as opposed to previous riding: I was not focusing on trying to do tricks and stunts, I was riding in the moment. I realized that the frustrations and disappointment only hours earlier were a direct result of my desire to ride with style and skill, as I previously had. This desire disappeared on the journey home, by simply riding and navigating my way through the roads of my town.

Skateboarding is now meditation

Skateboarding is now my means of meditation. The skateboard itself became my focus awareness — instead of yidam or breath. I don’t do flips down stairs, or slide handrails anymore. I skate for the sake of skating and what it offers me now — a path to achieve attention and focus, a personal harmony in navigating through urban landscapes.

There is no purpose other than being aware of the ride. Instead of focusing on breath, I focus on balance. I look ahead and pay attention to the surroundings and navigate through accordingly. I take notice of the brief sensation of gravity as I roll off a sidewalk curb, the different sensations of riding on various surfaces — click and clacking of bricks, the smooth concrete, the gritty pavement — I feel the wind push around my body, the sun on my face, and the sensation of balance and control. By paying attention to the physical nature of simply riding I found that the blissful state of awareness can be achieved in more than one way — and simply sitting cross-legged in silence may not work for everyone the same.

Buddha by accident

I found the way of the Buddha in my own way and entirely by accident. Had I not previously studied Buddhism I still would have felt the same sense of inner peace riding on a skateboard, but may not have recognized the added value of it as a meditative tool. The skateboard is now a part of my daily routine, and my main meditation. I have no purpose, I simply ride. I just ride — without any expectations.

My board allows me to set aside my thoughts, feelings, and desires and just ride. The pleasure of skateboarding without any attachments to fancy tricks or stunts has given me a new way to look at the world, pay attention to it, and move forward through it. No two rides are the same, and something new is always experienced.

Through zen skateboarding, the sense of liberation just comes —— there is no search, it comes naturally and on its own terms. I willingly accept this as the nature of zen skateboarding —— you cannot find liberation in riding the skateboard, but if you pay close attention, liberation may find you. The rewards are great, and the freedom and inner-peace I attain are priceless experiential moments of liberation.

The skateboard has become my personal vehicle and yidam. With a piece of plywood with 4 wheels underneath, for those moments I become a rolling bodhisattva, that is aware and accepts every moment for what it is — nothing more, nothing less.

“On one level all our minds are connected,” said Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche in his introductory remarks at a weekend retreat dedicated to Lojong Seven-point mind training. “We are the creators of our suffering. Everything depends on mind.”

Lojong literally can translate as “mind training”— lo, mind; jong, training. Lojong is both thought provoking and thought-suspending, as the various meditations took participants from analytical meditation, through to Shunyata emptiness contemplation.

This feature teaching is based on a  special Lojong retreat — attended by the author — that took students deep into their own minds. Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, spiritual director of Gaden for the West, led seven separate meditations, each more thought-provoking than the previous. The meditation culminated in a very moving Tonglen healing “giving and taking” practice.

Preliminary Practices (Point One)

The teachings began with the traditional “point one” in Lojong — a teaching on the importance of preliminary practices such as prostrations, taking refuge, Vajrasattva practice, mindfulness meditation, and Guru Yoga. Venerable Zasep Rinpoche  joked, “Doing 100,000 full-body-to-floor prostrations sounds difficult, but it’s very good yoga. You will be very healthy after you finish!” And, of course, it is a remedy for pride and ego.

Each of the seven retreat meditations helped lead to an understanding of the seven important points of Lojong.

Lojong Mind Training

Rinpoche clarified that one of the many purposes of Lojong mind training is to “help us to heal and remove obstacles in our lives. It teaches us to turn these obstacles and challenges into objects of practice.”

He taught that anyone, of any faith system can succeed with Lojong—there is no prerequisite of practicing Buddhism, and clarified this when discussing the preliminary practices. For example, he said, “Taking refuge practice can be refuge in any faith object,” not necessarily the traditional Buddha, Dharma, Sangha refuge—if one is practicing Lojong as a non-Buddhist.

Seven Points of Lojong

The teaching was organized around the seven points of Lojong (see below for the 59 slogans, organized under the seven points, which are the dos and don’ts of Lojong according to the root text):

• Point 1: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice

• Point 2: The main practice, which is the training in bodhicitta

• Point 3: Transformation of bad circumstances into the way of Enlightenment

• Point 4: Showing the utilization of practice in one’s whole life

• Point 5: Evaluation of mind training

• Point 6: Disciplines of mind training

• Point 7: Guidelines of mind training.

Rinpoche led students through seven meditations to help anchor the mind in the concepts.

For example, in discussing the third point—”Transformation of bad circumstances into the way of Enlightenment” — he explained that “each obstacle is to be seen as an opportunity, rather than a problem.”

He also taught extensively on the importance of staying in the present moment. Problems are past or future. The present moment is not about problems. The problems you believe you had are those experienced in your history—which is now irrelevant to the present. The problems you worry about are part of a hypothetical future—which is not real and not in the present.

To illustrate, he explained with the concept of love. Love in the past is just a memory. It no longer is love. Love in the future is a desire or dream. It is not real. “Love in the present moment is the only true love.”

What is Mind?

Important analytical meditation topics included “What is mind?” and “Where is your mind?? — where Rinpoche challenged students to try to answer both nearly impossible questions. If that wasn’t enough for mental overload, the next session asked us to watch our own minds, mindfully.

Rinpoche’s meditation sessions included “watching the breath”, mindfulness meditation, an intense and challenging analytical session, shunyata emptiness contemplation, and tonglen—giving and taking.

Rinpoche assured students it was safe and beneficial to visualize taking in another’s suffering and giving up some of your own virtues in exchange. It is safe, he explained, to visualize taking in the suffering of a cancer patient, and giving them your own strength in return. In fact, it was a form of self-healing as well.

Tathagatagarbha and Buddha Mind

Rinpoche stressed the concept that mind has no beginning and no end. It never began, and it will never end. He explained the concepts of mind stream, karma and reincarnation and Buddha Mind.

Rinpoche described the different kinds of mind we might experience: indifferent mind, sinking (lazy) mind, virtuous mind, non virtuous mind, and Buddha Nature.

“All beings have Buddha Nature, Tathagatagarbha.” Insects, animals, humans, all have Buddha Nature. Tathagatagarbha, as explained the Sutra of the same name, means that every being can attain Buddhahood—a fundamental understanding in most schools of Mahayana. A key to understanding Buddha Nature is that it requires no cultivation—but rather uncovering or re-discovery.

“An unknown treasure exists under the home of a poor person that must be uncovered through removing obstructive dirt, yielding the treasure that always was there. Just as the treasure already exists and thus requires no further fashioning, so the matrix-of-one-gone-thus [i.e. the tathāgatagarbha], endowed with ultimate buddha qualities, already dwells within each sentient being and needs only to be freed from defilements” —Mountain Doctrine: Tibet’s Fundamental Treatise on Other-Emptiness and the Buddha Matrix, Jeffrey Hopkins, Snow Lion Publications.

Other sutras that teach Tathagatagarbha include Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra, Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Angulimaliya Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra and Avatamsaka Sutra.

Lojong Root Text

The original Lojong practice is organized around seven points with 59 slogans, which are expanded on in various commentaries by great Buddhist teachers. The slogans are organized around the seven points explained in Rinpoche’s teaching.

Video teachings from Zasep Rilnpoche, from another weekend on Foundation Practices (which is Point One in the Lojong Root Text):

Translations vary, but the basic slogans are:

Point One: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice

Slogan 1. First, train in the preliminaries

• Maintain an awareness of the preciousness of human life.
• Be aware of the reality that life ends; death comes for everyone; Impermanence.
• Recall that whatever you do, whether virtuous or not, has a result; Karma.
• Contemplate that as long as you are too focused on self-importance and too caught up in thinking about how you are good or bad, you will experience suffering. Obsessing about getting what you want and avoiding what you don’t want does not result in happiness; Ego.

Point Two: The main practice, which is training in bodhicitta.

Sub Point: Absolute Bodhicitta

Slogan 2. Regard all dharmas as dreams; although experiences may seem solid, they are passing memories.

Slogan 3. Examine the nature of unborn awareness.

Slogan 4. Self-liberate even the antidote.

Slogan 5. Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence, the present moment.

Slogan 6. In postmeditation, be a child of illusion.

Sub-Point Relative Bodhicitta

Slogan 7. Sending and taking should be practiced alternately. These two should ride the breath (aka. practice Tonglen).

Slogan 8. Three objects, three poisons, three roots of virtue — The 3 objects are friends, enemies and neutrals. The 3 poisons are craving, aversion and indifference. The 3 roots of virtue are the remedies.

Slogan 9. In all activities, train with slogans.

Slogan 10. Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself.

Point Three: Transformation of Bad Circumstances into the Way of Enlightenment

Slogan 11. When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.

Slogan 12. Drive all blames into one.

Slogan 13. Be grateful to everyone.

Slogan 14. Seeing confusion as the four kayas is unsurpassable shunyata protection.

The kayas are Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya, svabhavikakaya. Thoughts have no birthplace, thoughts are unceasing, thoughts are not solid, and these three characteristics are interconnected. Shunyata can be described as “complete openness.”

Slogan 15. Four practices are the best of methods.

The four practices are: accumulating merit, laying down evil deeds, offering to the dons, and offering to the dharmapalas.

Slogan 16. Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.

Point Four: Showing the Utilization of Practice in One’s Whole Life

Slogan 17. Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions.

The 5 strengths are: strong determination, familiarization, the positive seed, reproach, and aspiration.

Slogan 18. The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important. When you are dying practice the 5 strengths.

Point Five: Evaluation of Mind Training

Slogan 19. All dharma agrees at one point — All Buddhist teachings are about lessening the ego, lessening one’s self-absorption.

Slogan 20. Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one — You know yourself better than anyone else knows you

Slogan 21. Always maintain only a joyful mind.

Slogan 22. If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.

Point Six: Disciplines of Mind Training

Slogan 23. Always abide by the three basic principles — Dedication to your practice, refraining from outrageous conduct, developing patience.

Slogan 24. Change your attitude, but remain natural.– Reduce ego clinging, but be yourself.

Slogan 25. Don’t talk about injured limbs — Don’t take pleasure contemplating others defects.

Slogan 26. Don’t ponder others — Don’t take pleasure contemplating others weaknesses.

Slogan 27. Work with the greatest defilements first — Work with your greatest obstacles first.

Slogan 28. Abandon any hope of fruition — Don’t get caught up in how you will be in the future, stay in the present moment.

Slogan 29. Abandon poisonous food.

Slogan 30. Don’t be so predictable — Don’t hold grudges.

Slogan 31. Don’t malign others.

Slogan 32. Don’t wait in ambush — Don’t wait for others weaknesses to show to attack them.

Slogan 33. Don’t bring things to a painful point — Don’t humiliate others.

Slogan 34. Don’t transfer the ox’s load to the cow — Take responsibility for yourself.

Slogan 35. Don’t try to be the fastest — Don’t compete with others.

Slogan 36. Don’t act with a twist — Do good deeds without scheming about benefiting yourself.

Slogan 37. Don’t turn gods into demons — Don’t use these slogans or your spirituality to increase your self-absorption

Slogan 38. Don’t seek others’ pain as the limbs of your own happiness.

Point Seven: Guidelines of Mind Training

Slogan 39. All activities should be done with one intention.

Slogan 40. Correct all wrongs with one intention.

Slogan 41. Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end.

Slogan 42. Whichever of the two occurs, be patient.

Slogan 43. Observe these two, even at the risk of your life.

Slogan 44. Train in the three difficulties.

Slogan 45. Take on the three principal causes: the teacher, the dharma, the sangha.

Slogan 46. Pay heed that the three never wane: gratitude towards one’s teacher, appreciation of the dharma (teachings) and correct conduct.

Slogan 47. Keep the three inseparable: body, speech, and mind.

Slogan 48. Train without bias in all areas. It is crucial always to do this pervasively and wholeheartedly.

Slogan 49. Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.

Slogan 50. Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.

Slogan 51. This time, practice the main points: others before self, dharma, and awakening compassion.

Slogan 52. Don’t misinterpret.

The six things that may be misinterpreted are patience, yearning, excitement, compassion, priorities and joy.

Slogan 53. Don’t vacillate (in your practice of LoJong).

Slogan 54. Train wholeheartedly.

Slogan 55. Liberate yourself by examining and analyzing: Know your own mind with honesty and fearlessness.

Slogan 56. Don’t wallow in self-pity.

Slogan 57. Don’t be jealous.

Slogan 58. Don’t be frivolous.

Slogan 59. Don’t expect applause.

The event was hosted in Toronto by Gaden Choling Toronto, Medicine Buddha Toronto and Snow Lion Canada with teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche and introduced by Theodore Tsaousidis.

About Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is the spiritual head of Gaden for the West, and many associated Buddhist Centres in Canada, the United States and Australia, including : Gaden Choling and Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat Centre. He is the author of Tara in the Palm of Your Hand, a precious teaching on the 21 Taras.

Rinpoche is a highly realized and internationally respected teacher of the Gelugpa Buddhism, one of the great Tibetan-born teachers, and the 13th incarnation of Lama Konchog Tenzin of Zuru Monastery. He founded Gaden Relief over twenty-five years ago, to help bring aid and donations to people in need in Mongolia, Tibet and India. Each year, he travels tirelessly around the world, teaching at many dharma centres—and, also bringing healing and aid to people in need.

The Lojong event was hosted in Toronto by Gaden Choling Toronto, Medicine Buddha Toronto and Snow Lion Canada with teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche and introduced by Theodore Tsaousidis.

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The trick is finding the right type of meditation for you. Some people have monkey minds (busy brains) and can benefit from mindfulness focus on the breath, for example. Others, such as creative or visual people, tune into visualized meditation. Meditation can even be “in motion” as with Tai Chi or Chi Gong (Qi Gong). Meditation has been practiced for many centuries, even before the time of the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. Done well and done right, it brings calm and awareness to the mind and health benefits to the body. It also helps to reduce stress and improve mindfulness, which in turn can help to reduce a variety of symptoms, from depression to inflammation.

According to the graphic (and supported by research we have sourced at Buddha Weekly), meditation can benefit you in these ways:

• reduce anxiety
• reduce depression
• enhance immune function
• improve stress reactivity
• diminish cravings
• reduce pain
• diminish inflammation
• increase levels of melatonin and serotonin
• improve quality of life for people suffering from chronic pain
• supports cognitive performance.

Learn more about the benefits of meditation, as proven in peer-reviewed research>>

Four types of focus in meditation

You don’t need formal instruction to begin meditation — unless you’re undertaking advanced Vajrayana or tantric visualization meditations. You need the will, a focal point, and a comfortable position. You can focus on an image or repeat a saying, or mantra, to yourself over and over again. And once you figure out what the basics are, you can pursue different types of meditation that has different goals.

The poster goes on to instruct in the basics, including what our focus should be:

• breath
• a specific object (such as a candle)
• a visualized image (for example, a Buddha visualization)
• sound mantra (and also prayer).

The beautiful graphic also describes the three main poses for comfortable meditation: sitting, walking and lying down. It instructs in mindfulness meditation method, mantra meditation, and guided image meditation (at a basic level, but with lovely illustrations.) The poster also discusses the benefits of more active meditations:

• Kundalini meditation
• Yoga
• Qi Gong
• Tai Chi.

This lovely poster distils the benefits and basic instructions in several types of meditation. We know it’s good for us. So, the only thing remain is to get out (or stay in) and meditate — daily.

According to The Express Tribune, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange, was full of praise for the training: “That’s a great practice to have in your life — full stop,” referring to Gelong Thubten’s training. [1]

Trailer for Doctor Strange movie:

In the movie, Gelong Thubten’s on screen alter ego would be the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, who becomes the teacher of Doctor Strange, helping him master the mystical arts. It was Swinton who introduced Gelong Thubten to the crew: “I introduced him to the project and he’s been hanging out with us and teaching everybody, if they don’t know, about mindfulness and about how to still the mind.” Interestingly, in the original comic book, the Ancient One was a sorcerer rather than a Buddhist-inspired sage.

Gelong Thubten is himself famous for an extensive four year retreat in 2005. According to the Buddhist Channel: “In June 2005 Gelong Thubten, 37, from the Home Counties, was voluntarily incarcerated in a remote part of Scotland, cut off from radio, television and telephone communication. Apart from letters once a month, he and his 14 fellow monks were divorced from the outside world.”

Video on Mindfulness featuring Gelong Thubten:

About Gelong Thubten

Gelong Thubten spent four years in intense closed retreat at Samye Ling, meditating 19 hours a day, seven days a week. In the second year, they observed a strict vow of silence. He is from a middle class background in England, son of an Indian Actress, Indira Joshi. He studied drama in the University of Oxford.

He is now a senior monk, under strict vows. After the strict four-year retreat, the Buddhist Channel quoted him as saying: “The first year dragged so much. Me and one of the other monks, we would meet over lunch and joke, 1,099 days to go, and the next day we’d say, 1,098 to go. It really seemed a drag. But in the second year you lose yourself in it, you become very focused. Then, towards the end, when it starts revving up, and you know you are out in a year, you start to get impatient again.

“I’m reluctant to compare it to a prison sentence. You can walk out any time. There’s no stigma. One or two people did leave and we do not judge them. I have friends who dropped out and I understand — it’s so hard.”

About Mindfulness Training and Gelong Thubten

He is well known as a lecturer/teacher on mindfulness. In a separate article in Wales Online, he is quoted describing mindfulness training: “It’s a way of training the mind to reduce stress and develop greater clarity,” he said:

“It also helps us deal with our emotions better. It’s about focusing on the present moment, feeling less controlled by your own thoughts and having more mental freedom.

“It doesn’t mean blanking out your mind. People think it’s about going into a trance, but it’s not.

“It’s about dealing with your thoughts more creatively.”

NOTES

[1] The Express Tribune: “Fee it: ‘Doctor Strange’ cast learns from Buddhist monk”

[2] The Buddhist Channel “Buddhist Monk Returns After Four Years in Retreat” 

[3] Wales Online: “Everything you need to know about mindfulness and how it can help you.”

“Don’t recall, don’t imagine, don’t think, don’t examine, don’t control, rest,” Tilopa’s six word’s of advice to Naropa, could be said to be an important concept for understanding Mahamudra.[1]

By Lee Kane

Tilopa’s famous “six words of advice” was clearly a theme emphasized consistently throughout Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s wonderful introductory Mahamudra teachings in Owen Sound. The very essence of mindfulness is captured in the longer explanation of the six words: “Let go of what has passed; let go of what may come; let go of what is happening now; don’t try to figure anything out; don’t try to make anything happen, relax right now and rest.” [2]

You could say that Rinpoche’s one-day retreat on Mahamudra, while much more than six words, in essence condenses down to Tilopa’s advice. The key difference, Rinpoche delivered powerful tips on how-to understand this seemingly simple, yet profound advice. Rinpoche brought the teachings to life with insights and anecdotes and advice, focusing on the key elements of

• one-pointedness (in Sanskrit ekagra, or in Tibetan rtse gcig)
• simplicity (in Sanskrit nishprapancha, or in Tibetan spos bral)
• one taste (in Sanskrit samarasa, or in Tibetan ro gcig)
• non-meditation (in Sanskrit abhavana, or in Tibetan sgom med) — to not be or hold either object of meditation nor the meditator.

In session 1 — see Session 1 of the introductory Mahamudra Teachings coverage — Rinpoche explained that Mahamudra basic practices fit into life just as it is. He instructed the full house on how to practice Anapanasati meditation, the “mindfulness of breathing.”

• Part 2 of introductory Mahamudra, teachings from Zasep Tulku Rinpoche
• For Part 1, “More Than Six Words” please visit>>
• For Part 3, “Mindfulness of Feelings” please visit>>

Rinpoche described Anapanasati as “wonderful. It doesn’t require religion, even though it was taught by the Buddha.” He encouraged us to refer to the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, “the great mindfulness Sutta,” which taught how to establish the mindfulness of body (Kaya), sensations (Vedana), mind (Citta) and mental contents (Dhamma).

Mindfulness of Body

“Shakyamuni Buddha taught the mindfulness of body first,” Rinpoche explained, at the beginning of session two. “Why body first? Because this is the object we see. We see body first.”

He brought chuckles from the audience as he illustrated with is own body: “Oh, I’ve got a goatee. I’ve got grey hair. I’m getting old. I’ve got some wrinkles. I can feel my knees and ankles, my stiffness.” He explained that because we see all of this first, our first perception, we should practice mindfulness of body first.

“When you practice mindfulness of body, you don’t judge. We don’t judge your body. You don’t compare your body with somebody else… The way you practice mindfulness of body is you observe your body just as it is.”

“There’s a meditation we call, in modern language, ‘body scanning.'” He compared it to an impartial review of body with ultrasound, except we do it mentally, our mind examining our body as it is now. The translation of the ancient term for this meditation translates as “sweeping meditation.”

He instructed us on sweeping or scanning meditation. “You sit, focus your mind on the crown, then on your face, then on your throat, chest, stomach, thighs, knees, ankles, toes and so on.” Just mindfully sweep the body as an observer, slowly. As you do this, the muscles and tension in the body tends to let go, releasing the tension from recent past experiences or future anticipated experiences. By staying mindful of the body now — as you observe the tension in shoulders, arms, knees, ankles — the muscles tend to slowly relax.

Body and Mind Come Together

“Your body will relax. And you are with the body, your mind and body together, here and now. Sometimes, it seems not so relaxing. You notice and feel aches and pains… you notice what is wrong with your body—you don’t want to see that! Fear and issues can come up. But it’s an important meditation. We have to know ourselves, feel ourselves.”

Rinpoche joked that “we don’t know our bodies. That’s why we’re always going to the doctor to do ultrasounds. Here, we become our own doctor, healer, therapist. Without judging, just observing.

“The point here is to bring mind and body together, cultivate mindfulness of body by observing the body now, and become one in body and mind.”

Rinpoche explained that the same obstacles will arise in body mindfulness as bothered us in the previous (session 1) breath mindfulness meditation: wandering mind, and torpid mind. The remedy is the same. Just observe you are wandering, and bring yourself back to the body part you were mindfully observing. Or observe you are drifting into sleepiness, and mindfully bring yourself back.

The group of participants were invited to ask questions, and then we performed our own mindfulness of body meditation under Rinpoche’s guidance.

Heart Sutra: Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form

One of the students asked Rinpoche to elaborate on relative truth (or conventional truth) and absolute truth. After thanking him for the question, Rinpoche began his answer with reference to the Heart Sutra.

“In this sutra, two of Buddha’s disciples had a dialogue. One of the disciples, Avalokitesvara speaks on emptiness:

‘In this case, Shariputra, form is emptiness and emptiness is itself form; emptiness is not different from form, and form is not different from emptiness; that which is form is emptiness, and that which is emptiness is form. So it is for perception, conception, volition and consciousness.”

Rinpoche explained that what we seem to see as our physical body, or a vase of flowers, or a glass of water are “form”— a conventional truth or relative truth. He explained, if we need a drink, we drink water. “We don’t deny the existence of conventional truth.”

Analytical Meditation: Two Truths

In explaining relative versus absolute truth, Rinpoche invited us to use analytical meditation. “I look at my body, and ask myself the question, what is my body? … You do a scanning meditation and try to find your body. When you scan your skin, you ask, is that my body? No, it’s skin, not body. Then you look at your bones, and likewise every part of your body.” If you scrutinize the body this way you’ll find body parts, but not body. Even those body parts have components if you scan those body parts. “To be body, it has to be the ‘whole’ body, all the parts. If you really look, you can’t find one thing that is your body. What we call body is just a ‘label’. A name. Imputing a label.” Therefore, “yes it’s a body” in relative truth, “but when you search for the absolute body, you can’t find it. We can call this the emptiness of our body.” It only exists by virtue of it’s label.

“A good example is your car. If you take that car apart, and everything is just parts, there is no car. Just car parts. You put it back together, and then label it Hyundai, you have a Hyundai. But if you switch the labels [to Honda] is it now a Honda? It’s all labels. There is no independent existence. That’s only one way to look at emptiness.”

“Emptiness and form co-exist,” he explained. The car relatively exists, but is, in absolute terms, only a label. It is made up of parts, and defined only by a relative label.

Anger: Does it Exist?

A student asked Rinpoche to apply the Two Truths to something like an emotion. Rinpoche answered, “Anger is a good example.” He dissected anger, to illustrate: “I’m angry. So, I try to observe my anger. What kind of anger is this? Just observing, looking at anger, observing, and soon I analyze why I’m angry. I say to myself, I’m angry with myself! I feel I’m angry with myself. I ate too much food, or I failed an exam, or I’m late for work. It’s not a big deal.” He explained that this is relative anger. “That’s a real thing, I’m really angry. But then, you keep looking at your anger,” analyzing it the same way as the car, you realize, “that anger concept is a label.”

For example, if we’re angry with self for eating too much—when we’re supposed to be on a diet—then you analyze that anger and you find multiple feelings: “I feel disappointment. I feel shame. I feel embarrassed. I feel I’m not doing the right thing. I shouldn’t do ‘this’, I shouldn’t do ‘that.’ That’s also my expectations. So, there are many layers and layers…so where is anger? There’s no real anger. Anger is just a concept, a label imputed on all these layers, thoughts, expectations.”

Knowing this you may realize, “I don’t have to be angry with myself. All I have to do is be more mindful. Be mindful of eating. Of not eating. Cultivate more mindfulness, and there’ll be no need to be angry.”

Healing Through Meditation

Another student asked about “healing your body with meditation. Instead of using conventional doctors, using their mind to heal, and being able to self heal through body scanning and mindful meditation?”

Rinpoche’s answer was cautious, probably due to the qualifier in her question, “instead of using conventional doctors” — which it soon became clear he did not agree with.

Rinpoche said, “Yes, I have seen, and I have heard of healers, and I know healers — I know lamas and yogis who do healing for themselves and other people. They do healing without taking medicine. They are very powerful and can heal through visualization, mantras, prayers and through meditation. BUT—” he said, his voice rising, “to do that, to reach that state, you have to have profound realizations, lots of experience, years of experience. It’s not so easy.

“It depends also on the nature of your illness. Some illnesses—you cannot. And some illnesses, you can. Depends on the illness. Not every illness can be cured by our mind.” Ultimately, “it all depends on you. You take responsibility.”

“For example, if someone has an illness, cancer, it may not be curable by [conventional] medicine. With meditation, it’s still not curable. But the power of healing meditation can help you to live with it, without so much agony, pain, anger, blame… Meditation helps you learn to live with it.”

“So, yes, meditation can help. Certain illnesses can be healed by the power of meditation, and prayer.” The clear subtext was — see your doctor.

A Funny Story: My Student the Smoker

Rinpoche, always one to pepper his answers with often-funny anecdotes, said, “I’ll tell you a story. I used to live in Australia back in the late seventies. In 1984, I went back there for a visit. I know one lady, she smoked a lot. Doctors said ‘you’ve got two years to live.’

“She was scared and came to me. I taught her meditation, visualization and Tara practice. And now, how many years is it? 32 years later, she’s still alive! She’s still running around smoking!” The audience erupted in laughter.

The last time he saw her, “I said to her, ‘how are your lungs?’ She said, ‘like a good chimney’,” he added, to more laughter. “She said, ‘I got thirty years, no complaints, now every day is a bonus.’ So, that’s the power of meditation, of healing, of Tara, I believe.”

(For more information on Tara and Tara practice refer to this feature>> or on White Tara here>>)

Mahamudra Meditation: Resting the Mind in Natural State

Rinpoche asked us to prepare for the next group meditation, resting the mind in the natural state. “As I said before, today our minds are so busy. Not only the body, but the mind is tired! Our mind gets cloudy. Agitated… This is not our natural state. Due to the environment, due to conditioning, expectations that you should be busy, doing this, doing that, obligations, responsibilities—so, the mind gets quite tired. Not only that — exhausted.”

Rinpoche explained this is why the meditation method “resting the mind in natural state” is important today.

In a gentle voice, he guided: “Sit comfortably on the cushion, relax your body, and keep your mind here, in this moment. Do not go to the past. Don’t think about past events. Don’t think about yesterday, last month, last year, ten years ago, do not go to the past. Do not go to the future. Tomorrow, next month, ‘I want to do this or that’ — don’t go to the future. Do not analyze anything. Do not investigate. Be here and now. In the present moment. Keep your mind like a mirror, an empty mirror. An empty mirror only reflects. Or, keep your mind like an empty sky. This way, you rest your mind in a natural way.” He cautioned us not to examine the question ‘what is mind’ — that session was planned for the afternoon — but simply to rest the mind in it’s natural state. Unlike mindfulness of breathing, from session one, here we were asked to simply rest the mind in the now.

Watch for Session 3 of Mahamudra Introduction.

Read the notes from Session 1 here>>

About Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is the spiritual guide for Gaden for the West—with several meditation centres across Canada, Australia and the United States. He travels extensively, teaching several times each year in parts of Canada, Australia, the US and Mongolia. Rinpoche received many teachings and initiations from other great lamas, legendary teachers such as: Yongzin Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. (More about Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>)

About Host Theodore Tsaousidis

Theodore Tsaousidis has been conscious of his spiritual journey from an early age. Born in a rural community in Greece surrounded by mountains and valleys, he was profoundly shaped by nature and the ancient tradition of village elders and healers. His connection to nature and the spirit world is an integral part of who he is – as is his dedication to the Zen training he has followed for 30 years. He is also blessed by the guidance of the Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. His healing and shamanic sharing stem from, his cultural roots, personal experience. and Tibetan and Buddhist traditions. Theodore sees shamanism and meditation as a great alchemy for the healing of self and other.

NOTES

[1] Translated from the Tibetan “mi mno, mi bsam, mi shes, mi dpyod, mi sgom, rang sar bzhag”

[2] UnfetteredMind.org https://www.unfetteredmind.org/six-words-of-advice/