21. Meditation - Bhavana

Meditation is a practice where an individual operates or trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content,^[1] or as an end in itself.^[2] The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion,^[3] love, patience, generosity, and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration^[4] meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.

Meditation helps to manage workplace stress, especially among professionals like nurses and doctors  who are at high risk for chronic burnout and stress due to the involvement of human suffering and extra-long work hours they have to put up in the job.

Work stress and burnout are significant concerns on both an individualistic and an organizational level. On an individualistic level, stress symptoms can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes.^[

·         Meditation reduces stress.

·         It improves concentration. ...

·         It encourages a healthy lifestyle.

·         The practice increases self-awareness. ...

·         It increases happiness.

·         Meditation increases acceptance. ...

·         It slows aging.

·         The practice benefits cardiovascular and immune health.

The Five Hindrances (Nivarana Dhamma)

five hindrances  are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives.

 In the Theravada tradition, these factors are identified specifically as obstacles to the jhanas (stages of concentration) within meditation practice. 

Extreme sense desire (Kamachanda)

Extreme sense desire (kamachanda) is compared to the dark dye. Kamachanda (“käma”+“ichcha”+ “anda” means blinded by sense desires). Here “kama” means the five sense faculties that belong to the kamaloka: eye, ear,nose, tongue, and the body; “ichcha” is desire, and “anda” is for blind. The attraction for something becomes so strong that one’s complete attention is given to that object. The mind can lose any control over what is sensible and what is not sensible (or immoral).

Extreme hate (Vayapada)

Extreme hate (vayapada) is compared to boiling water. You probably have seen someone so enraged that he/she is totally out-of-control. One could become “animal-like”, and actually one who develops such character (“gathi”) could end up in the hells (apayas). Vayapada (“vayä”+”päda”) means travelling downward (in the 31 realms).

Frozen mind (Thina middha)

Thina middha (“frozen mind”) is compared to moss covering the water. Sleepiness is just a symptom of it; it is the dull mind that has not been exposed to Dhamma. When one learns Dhamma, one’s mind gets energized. Those meditators who fall asleep during meditation can get rid of that problem by learning pure Dhamma.

Restlessness (Uddacca-kukkucca)

Uddacca-kukkucca (normally translated as restlessness and brooding), arise because of high-mindedness (uddacca) and low-mindedness (kukkucca); in most cases, because of the high-mindedness, one tends to DO lowly things. When one has uddacca, one is “drunk” with power, money, etc and when one has kukkucca one is willing to do “lowly things” suitable even for an animal. Both these characteristics lead to a scattered mind that is incapable of seeing right from wrong; as a nivarana, they arise together. After the Sotapanna stage is attained, only uddacca remains as a cetasika and is removed only at the Arahant stage.

Doubt regarding the Dhamma (Vicikicca)

 (“vi” is twisted, “ci” is thoughts, and “kicca” is action) is the tendency to do unwise things because of the ignorance of the true nature of this world. For example, tendency to do any kind of immoral act to get one wants comes from vicikicca; one does not know, or does not care, about the bad consequences of such actions. Thus vicikicca is compared to muddy water. 

Simple meditation techniques to help a beginner

Did you know by spending just a little time preparing for your meditation, you can actually have a deeper experience in meditation? The question about ‘how to meditate’ and especially, ‘how to meditate at home’ become easier when you prepare yourself.

Here are some meditation tips for beginners, to help you prepare for your meditation at home.

Choose a Convenient Time

Meditation is essentially relaxation time, so it should be done entirely at your convenience. Choose a time when you know you are not likely to be disturbed and are free to relax and enjoy.

The hours of sunrise and sunset, while nature transitions between day and night, are also ideal for the practice. You will also find these times quiet at home, which will help in your meditation.

Choose a Quiet Place

Quiet and peaceful surroundings can make the meditation experience for a beginner more enjoyable and relaxing.

Sit in a Comfortable Posture

That you have to sit in padmasana (the lotus position) to meditate is a very common myth of meditation.

 Adjust your posture

Your posture makes a difference too. Make sure you are relaxed, comfortable and steady. Before you begin, review your posture and get comfortable. Here’s a checklist: 

Adjust any supports you use to help you sit comfortably.

Sit straight with your spine erect; keep your shoulders and neck relaxed, and eyes closed throughout the process.

Your head, neck, and back should be aligned, leaning neither forward nor backward, nor to the side. Your shoulders should be even and your hands level with each other so your muscles are balanced.

Your lips should be closed, your teeth slightly apart, and your tongue against the roof of your mouth, with the tip against the back of your upper teeth.

Start with your eyes closed and angled slightly downward, as though you were reading a book. This creates the least tension in your forehead and face. If you prefer, leave your eyes slightly open, with your gaze directed at the floor in front of you. Your eyes will move during meditation, but when you notice they’ve shifted, return them to where they were.

With your lips closed, breathe through your nose in a natural way. It shouldn’t feel controlled or forced.

Relax and enjoy yourself. Scan your body for any tension and let it go. All the activity of meditation is in the mind, so the body should be like a lump of soft clay-solid and stable, but completely pliant. This helps keep physical distractions to a minimum. 

Keep a Relatively Empty Stomach

After food, you might doze off while meditating. However, do not force yourself to meditate when you are very hungry.

You will find it difficult because of hunger cramps or you may even keep thinking about food the whole time! In this case, you can meditate after two hours after having food.

Start With a Few Warm-ups

A few warm-up or sukshma yoga exercises before sitting to meditate helps improve circulation, removes inertia and restlessness and makes the body feel lighter.

This is a very important step in your list of ‘how to meditate’ since you will be able to sit steadily for a longer time.

Take a Few Deep Breaths

This is again preparation for easy meditation.  This helps to steady the rhythm of the breath and leads the mind in to a peaceful meditative state.

Open Your Eyes Slowly and Gently

As you come close to the end of the meditation, don't be in a hurry to open your eyes and start moving about. Open your eyes slowly and gradually and take time to become aware of yourself and your surroundings.

Maithree and Anapanasati are the easiest out of the different types of meditation. It is always advisable to start with these two. Getting some advice from an experienced  monk is important and helpful before you start meditation.

Metta meditation

Metta (compassion) meditation is a type of meditation that helps you manage long term anger and sadness in you!

It is the cultivation of a mind of unconditional love and benevolence for all sentient beings which ultimately culminates in identification of oneself with all beings.

Pure happiness arises only from wishing for other's happiness while unending suffering arise wishing our own happiness.

 

Dealing with anger

Being treated unfairly and feeling powerless to do anything about it, Feeling threatened or attacked, Lack of respect or politeness of others, Failure to achieve your goals are common causes for anger. How you react to anger depend on lot of things.

The situation you are in at the moment – if you're dealing with lots of problems or stress in your life, you may find it harder to control your anger.

Things we say in anger can drive our loved ones away, in extreme cases we can end up doing violent things, commit crimes frighten other people. It affects your mental and physical well being, can cause you high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, depression. 

Dealing with sadness

We live in a society where a high value is placed on being positive. Yet sometimes this simply isn't possible, and people find themselves facing temporary or long-term sadness

Everyone's existence contains challenges, disappointments, frustration and failed expectations. We distract ourselves by watching more television or spending more hours on the computer.

We wait for sadness to pass and we behave as if nothing bad is going on. Keeping up a good front is important in most people's lives, yet behind the facade can lurk a good deal of fear. Instead of positivity, what's needed is reality. Being realistic means that you drop the main defense that all of us are tempted to employ: denial.

Metta is first practiced toward oneself, sitting quietly; mentally repeat, slowly and steadily, the following or similar phrases: 

May I realize dhamma
May I attain nirvana

May I be free from anger
May I be free from arrogance
May I be free from jealousy
May I be free from hatred
May I be free from pride
May I be free from greed
May I be free from Delusion
May I be free from ignorance
May I be free from sickness
May I be free from sadness
May I be free from stress
May I be free from fear
May I be free from pain

May I be free from hunger
May I be free from danger
May I be free from suffering
May I be free from natural disasters
May I be free from natural wars


May I be generous
May I be helpful
May I be peaceful
May I be happy
May I be healthy

May I be intelligent
May I be mindful
May I be calm
May I be relaxed
May I be courageous

May I be filled with loving kindness
May I be filled with compassion
May I be filled empathy
May I be even minded

While you say these phrases, allow yourself to sink into the intentions they express. Loving-kindness meditation consists primarily of connecting to the intention of wishing ourselves or others happiness. However, if feelings of warmth, friendliness, or love arise in the body or mind, connect to them, allowing them to grow as you repeat the phrases. 

After a period of directing loving-kindness toward yourself, bring to mind a friend or someone in your life who has deeply cared for you. Then slowly repeat phrases of loving-kindness toward them replacing “I” with their names.

As you say these phrases, again sink into their intention or heartfelt meaning. And, if any feelings of loving-kindness arise, connect the feelings with the phrases so that the feelings may become stronger as you repeat the words. As an aid to the meditation, you might hold an image of the person in your mind's eye. This helps reinforce the intentions expressed in the phrases. 

As you continue the meditation, you can bring to mind others. Parents, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, animals, and finally people with whom you have difficulty. You can either use the same phrases, repeating them again and again, or make up phrases that better represent the loving-kindness you feel toward these beings. 

Loving kindness can be practiced anywhere. You can use this meditation in traffic jams, in buses, and on airplanes. As you silently practice this meditation among people, you will come to feel a wonderful connection with them – the power of loving kindness. It will calm your mind and keep you connected to your heart.

Benefits of metta bhavana as explained by Buddha

You will sleep easily

You will wake easily

You will have pleasant dreams

People will love you

Devas (gods or angels) and animals will love you

Devas will protect you

External dangers, such as poisons, weapons, and fire, will not harm you

Your face will be radiant

Your mind will be serene

You will die un-confused

You will be re-born in happy realms

Anapanasati

Anapanasati is mindfulness of breathing. "Sati" means mindfulness; "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation. Anapanasati means to feel the sensations caused by the movements of the breath in the body. The Anapanasati Sutta gives an exposition on this practice. Practicing it would continuously help you develop the Absorption. (Jhana).

Satipaṭṭhāna

Satipaṭṭhāna is the establishment of mindfulness in one's day-to-day life, maintaining as much as possible a calm awareness of one's body, feelings, mind, and dharmas. The practice of mindfulness supports analysis resulting in the arising of wisdom (Pali: paññā, Sanskrit: prajñā).

Vipassana

Vipassanā is insight into the true nature of reality, namely the three marks of existence: the impermanence the unsatisfactoriness and the non-self nature of every conditioned thing that exists. With this insight, the practitioner becomes a so-called Sotāpanna, a "stream-enterer", the first stage on the path to liberation.

In the Theravadin context, Vipassanā is commonly used as one of two poles for the categorization of types of Buddhist practice, the other being samatha (Pāli; Sanskrit: śamatha). According to the contemporary Theravada orthodoxy, samatha is used as a preparation for vipassanā, pacifying the mind and strengthening the concentration in order to allow the work of insight, which leads to liberation.