Meditation

After picking up Zen Meditation back in Oct 2009, I begin to practice back again in Dec 2010. After the course, I wasn't too sure what I was doing. Almost most of the time during the 3 x 30 mins session, I was dozing. Can't help it especially when it was done on Saturday 7pm where almost all my energy is out. Now I do it every night before bed and right after I woke up. At first it was again a difficult task for an easy instruction - Sit still and erase all your thoughts. But my monkey brain just can't sit still. Persistently, I have continued for almost a month now and now atleast I can extend from my 20 mins routine to 40 mins.

When I started, the instruction was simple but it is very hard to explain in words cause no amount of words can justify what the instructions mean. To be very vague, everything is what it is. What one hear is just an opinion and what one saw is just a perspective. What is the true nature is nature itself. I observed what Buddha did, sitting in a lotus position, arms losely by the side and hands cupped resting them just below his navel and eyes just slightly open so that he still have his sight alert. Focus a point around 3 meters away and meditate. So how does he do meditation after have his setup complete. I've yet to find out. Obviously, he does not think of anything and that is probably what meditation is about. Again, this is just my opinion :).

So I started imitate him. Setup almost exactly what he had except the lotus position as I am yet to be that flexible and just try not thinking of anything. I know I have to focus on my soul as the mind that took over most of my meditation time is anything else but meditation. I tried almost everything. Night meditation always knocked me out in 10 mins. However, I find morning meditation alot better. I open my eyes and focus on a point as I sat on my bed and sometimes I find I am actually close to meditating. I also close my eyes and similarly, I can reached a stage I called meditation - contemplation.

I read an article that meditation has a couple of stages and the first two stages are cessation and contemplation. Cessation is the ability to let your thoughts flow and let them die out without any force. Contemplation is the period between two thoughts. The longer the contemplation period, the closer you are to reaching meditation.

During the weeks I applied the two stages, I found a couple of other points.
1. As long as you can get rid of the thoughts for whatever method you apply, it is a step closer. This bring the thought why people chant like in Soka, walk, counting beads etc. As long as such activities can bring one mind from thinking past and future events and instead focus on the NOW, s/he is one step closer to meditation.

2. It is ok to doze off. When one started meditation, the first 10 mins tend to be the toughest as one has to get to that stage of mind. I call it the warm up stage where I usually end up monkey braining and dozing, realized it and begin focusing clearly doing the job correctly. Also I found out that this dozing period is good especially after a heavy meal or times when you feel sleepy. Instead of taking a short nap which usually turn out to be long and tiring especially when one start to have dreams, one could do meditation for 20 mins where one can control the thoughts and high chances one will not get oneself a tiring dream.

3. Buddha meditate to end all sufferings. And to end all sufferings, one has to have the ability to control one's mind i.e. not to let it just wonder off by itself.

4. Collective effort. I also meditate when seeing my daughters sleep. Instead of lying down with them, I will sit quietly next to them and meditate. I realized that if I have them together with me meditate, the group effort tends to build a stronger effect to the cause.

5. Bring heart rate down. During one of my meditation session, I recall watching CNA where a Singapore sharp shooter was doing her meditation during her break. Her coach was holding a watch somewhat like measuring her heart rate. I picture that besides focusing on my breathe, I could focus on reducing my heart rate which allows me to calm myself which allow better concentration.

6. The reality is a dream. Just like a dream, the mind set its own setting and reacted according to what happen in the dream. In reality, I control the mind to set my own setting. Hence instead of sitting on my bed meditating, I set myself at places where I want to be.

As dated, 6th February 2011, I am exploring ways to improve my meditation process, looking forward to complete my journey.