Book of Zen
Surely, you have seen images of the practitioners of Buddhism sitting in
the lotus position. Those familiar with such a posture are undoubtedly
aware that when practitioners are in such a position they are
meditating. Without a doubt, meditation can be considered one of the
most vital components to the practice of this eastern religion.
Yes,
if there was one component that most people were familiar about when it
comes to Zen Buddhism it would be the art and science of meditation.
Now, while most people are familiar with the concept of meditation, they
are probably only familiar with it on a cursory level. Meditation is
not just about calming and relaxing the mind. There is a deeper meaning
and spirituality behind it. As such, a greater exploration of the
process is worth engaging.
So, what is the
primary purpose of meditation in Zen Buddhism? It should come as no
surprise that the purpose of meditation is to attain enlightenment.
Actually, the prime purpose of meditating is to remove many of the
common obstacles to attaining enlightenment. This is achieved through
reflecting on life, the universe, and all things in between. Through
closing one's eyes, relaxing, and looking inward, it becomes possible to
see one's experiences in a clearer perspective. Such a process allows
for a greater understanding of oneself and one's place in the world. It
also aids in reducing the psychic noise and internal dialogue that may
clutter how we perceive things and how we act.
In
some ways, you could say that meditation can be a form of personal
psychotherapy. Our perceptions and actions can be dictated by the
inaccurate way we see things. Personal psychoses can lead to poor
interpersonal and intrapersonal relations. By calming the mind, we can
get a better handle on both these components. That, in turn, allows us
to be more effective in our daily pursuits and also aids in the
potential to attain enlightenment.
Through
years of practice, Zen experts have found ways to get the most out of
meditation practice. Often, Zen meditation will involve pondering on a
Zen koan. A koan is a form of riddle/parable designed to be pondered on.
Generally, the messages and morals of a Zen koan are ambiguous. Such
ambiguity is by design because it promotes the potential to think deeply
on the answer to the riddle. In most instances, there is no answer to
be found and finding a definitive answer is not the purpose. The goal is
to develop deep personal insights that can help you improve
spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. The inclusion of a koan helps
provide targeted thinking on a particular concept. For many, this aid in
making the meditation session quite fruitful because pondering on the
koans helps keep the mind focused.
Similarly,
some may ponder on a mantra. A mantra can be a word or phrase that when
meditated upon can also lead to deep insights and meaning. A basic
mantra such as "life is all things good" can mean different things for
different people. Regardless of what its individual interpretations
mean, great insights can be derived when thinking of this or any other
mantra. As with this koan, a mantra can prevent the unfortunate instance
of intrusive thoughts permeating the mind and undermining the value of
the session.
It is important to point out there
needs to be a specific process involved with performing mediation.
Namely, you will need to set aside quiet time in a special place in
order to perform it. Noise and distractions can undermine your ability
to properly mediate. That is why you need to pick the proper time and
place to meditate.
Additionally, you will want
to be as comfortable as possible when you meditate. That means you need
to wear loose fitting clothing and have a cushioned mat in which to sit
upon. Why is this so? If you are not comfortable, you run the risk of
being distracted and that certainly would not help the cause in any way.
Consistent
practice is a must for those that want to get the most out of
meditation. The more you do it, the better you will become at it. This
means you will get greater benefits from it. Hopefully, the end result
will be the proper attainment of enlightenment.
Book of Zen