Meditation of the week from cybermonks

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Meditation of the week

 

Awake And At Rest

 

 

Rest in natural great peace

This exhausted mind

Beaten helpless by karma and neurotic thought,

Like the relentless fury of the pounding waves

In the infinite ocean of samsara.

- Nyoshul Khenpo

 

 

In the recent Time Magazine cover story on meditation, writer Joel

Stein, in describing a group meditation experience, expressed surprise

when the group stopped for a break after 20 minutes. He wrote, " I would

not have guessed that sitting on a cushion is an activity that requires

a break. " Sitting on a cushion doing nothing should be easy, huh? It is

an interesting comment from someone who portrayed himself as a novice

meditator. Frequently, beginners find meditation hard work. So do many

experienced meditators. Maybe we should adopt Mr. Stein's 'beginner's

mind. " Why should sitting be hard?

 

There is a story of an old Buddhist monk who died seated in his

meditation position, and when the last breath left him, he did not

move. He merely remained sitting as if he were still meditating.

Perhaps that is the model of meditation we should follow. Let the

sitting be so effortless that no effort is required to maintain the

position. Let our minds be so still that no effort is required to

remain calm and awake.

 

If we are struggling to maintain our meditation position, we haven't

gotten the correct position yet. Ideally, the body would be balanced,

so that the head floats upon the neck and the spine holds up the whole

works without strain. In a good meditation position the body supports

itself. That's why sitting in the lotus or half lotus position is often

recommended. The crossed legs become a firm foundation for the rest of

the body like the base of a pyramid supports the peak. When you are

piling rocks, the pyramid shape is always the most stable. When you are

meditating, a similarly well-balanced position is optimal.

 

While the body should be stable, balanced and at rest, so should the

meditator's mind. Meditation offers the possibility of taming the wild

mind. Letting go of turbulent thoughts, the meditating brain sends

signals to its component parts to suppress processes related to fear

and anger, and it tells the body/mind to rest and recuperate.

 

Some of us tend to fall asleep when our minds become calm. That's a

reason to meditate sitting up instead of lying down. If you need sleep,

then maybe you should sleep, but if your intention is to meditate, then

inviting a state of full awakedness would be better.

 

 

Practice:

 

Find your preferred meditation position and spend some time becoming

aware of your balance point. See if you can find that position where

the least effort is required to be upright and still. If you notice

muscle tension, see if you can adjust your spinal position so that the

tension is reduced. Maybe you need more arch in your back for instance,

or you are slumping over somehow.

 

As you breathe in and out use the phrase " Awake. at rest " to remind

yourself of the state you seek. As you breathe in, think the word

" Awake. " As you breathe out, think " At rest. " Let the word " awake "

remind you to stay alert, positioned and breathing so that you stay

awake. Let the phrase, " At rest, " remind you that you intend to be

calm, stable, and free of strain.

 

 

 

 

Peggy Jentoft http://solarraven.com