Meditation Tips

Meditation Tips

The mind, in meditation must be so perfectly still that not a ripple of thought enters it.
God, the Subtlest Reality, cannot be perceived except in utter silence.

Meditate with Interest and Energy
Yogananda said that most people do everything only half-heartedly
and use only one-tenth of their concentration. To be successful in
meditation it is essential that we concentrate with our full attention,
otherwise our efforts will be mechanical, diffused, and lack power.
Spiritual awareness depends on two things: the amount of energy and
how that energy is focused. You can increase your level of energy
and focus by commanding your mind's attention with such practicesas chanting, prayer,yoga postures, breathing exercises, and the energization practices generate a strong flow of energy.
Swami Kriyananda, The Art and Science of Raja Yoga

Meditation Tips for Concentration
The devotee, to protect the candle flame of his concentration from the gusts
of restlessness, must try to banish from his mind all images, all worldly
scenes, the words of others, the remembered episodes in his life, all
thought of physical pleasures, his plans for the future. Nothing must tempt
him to stray from his fixed purpose while his soul calls to God.
To protect his concentration from sensory invasion, he must first control
his response to outward stimuli. He should train his will not to respond to
sensations of heat or cold, comfort or discomfort, restlessness or fatigue.
Swami Kriyananda, Rays of the One Light

With a little discipline of the body at the beginning of meditation, and
with the strong determination not to move or fidget about, the body¹s
demands will grow weaker. After even five minutes of this discipline, one
may find it easy to sit for a long period without even wanting to move.
Most of the difficulty encountered in meditation is due to physical tension.
Once tension is removed by the practice of deep relaxation, one finds
meditation itself becoming increasingly enjoyable.
Swami Kriyananda, The Art and Science of Raja Yoga

Again, with a little mental self-discipline at the beginning of meditation,
one finds it increasingly easy to remain without thought.
Tell your mind firmly the moment you become settled on your seat to
meditate, This is my time for God. If restless thoughts try insistently to
engage your attention, reassure them, We'll discuss these things later!
Swami Kriyananda, The Art and Science of Raja Yoga

The technique of sitting meditation is very simple: it is the process of
becoming one with the breath. It is very important to understand the
difference between following the breath and becoming one with the breath.
Following the breath involves some kind of witness or watcher, and can
actually reinforce the sense of self or ego. Strictly speaking, becoming one
with the breath does not involve any kind of witness. Breathing does not
need a watcher; it is not self-conscious. The breath goes in and out very
naturally. We do not consciously have to try to breath. So working with the
breath is not adding anything particularly new to our experience.
Osel Tenzin

Traditionally, meditation is practiced sitting cross-legged on a cushion
of some kind. Sitting on a cushion on the ground is a statement of our
connection with earth; that is, we are not fantasizing. We are being
realistic and practical. The first thing we do is simply to sit down
on our meditation cushion. We relax and take a comfortable
posture, upright but not rigid. Correct posture means sitting with
our head, shoulders, and spine vertically aligned, but without tension.
This posture expresses our wakefulness; we are not asleep or dreaming.
After arranging the proper seat, we rest our hands comfortably on
our thighs, palms down. Our eyes are open, and our gaze is directed
slightly downward. We do not have to stare fixedly at one point or blur
everything into a fuzzy haze, but gently take in the immediate environment.
Osel Tenzin

Awareness of Breath
At that point we become aware of our breath going out. As we do so,
we feel the actual physical breath going out - not just a mental picture
of the breath. It goes to the end of its journey and dissolves into space.
As the breath goes out, it has a particular texture and tone and outward
movement. Sometimes it is ragged; sometimes it feels very smooth.
Sometimes it is shallow, and other times it is deep or heavy. We should
be mindful of the texture of the breath without trying to change it.

When the breath dissolves into space, there is a gap. At that
moment there is no memory of the meditator. The breath dissolves,
there is a gap, and that is followed by the inbreath. The in breath is
not emphasized. It is simply a natural function: our lungs are filling
with air. The breath just comes back; then it goes out again. Breath;
out; dissolve; gap. That is precisely the process we are working with.
When we begin to meditate, we feel self-conscious. We have an
exaggerated sense of ourselves as "the meditator." That is not
particularly a problem. However, we should remember that what we
are interested in doing is becoming one with the breath. The reason
we work with the outbreath is because it has a natural sense of expansion
and decentralization, of letting go and going out as opposed to focusing
on "this", or "me". There is no one watching the breath go out.
There is simply breath going out into space and dissolving.

This process is very important because it brings a sense
of leaving this territory, this "I". The practice of meditation awakens
the intuitive sene of egoleness. Breath goes out, dissolves into
space, and comes back; goes out, dissolves into space, and come
back. By practicing in this way we are eroding the basis of ego.
It is so simple that it does not involve any concept at all. In fact,
when we say, "going out", "dissolving" and "gap", we are just
Osel Tenzin

Labeling "thinking"
Generally speaking, when we begin to practice we think we should
become an "ideal" meditator - someone who can follow the technique
without being interrupted by thoughts. However, we have a lot of
accumulated memories, and the thought process continually churns
them up. What do we do with the thoughts that we experience? According
to the traditional instructions, when a thoiught arises, we label it "thinking".
We might say, :Isn¹t that just another thought?" Labeling thinking is
merely a reminder to return to the breath. The word "thinking" doesn¹t
mean anything. It marks that moment of awareness when we realize
we are thinking rather than being one with the breath. When we are
practicing, following the technique, it dawns on us that we are actually
meditating properly. Then we become fascinated by that. In the process
of becoming fascinated, we also become self-conscious and start to
worry about whether we can maintain our experience of meditation. That
immediately opens the door to discursive thoughts because we are
again focusiong on the notion of ourselves as the meditator. We are
inviting back all our memories, fantasies, hopes and fears. Sometimes
that fantasy world seems overwhelming and has the appearance of a
private horror show of our own. The point is not to take it too seriously. Just
look at it. It doesn¹t matter whether it is pleasing or not - it is simply thinking.

Labelling thinking is like a sharp knife, which cuts precisely but gently.
When we label a thought "thinking", it is not a matter of pushing it away.
At the point when we label "thinking", the thought process is cut, on
the spot. By doing that, we automatically come right back to the breath.
Bodily sensations are also labeled "thinking". We could say that
whenever we are not one with the breath, everything that arises in
our practice is labeled "thinking". This includes the itch on our face
and the pain in our knees. This does not mean that our posture must
be absolutely rigid. If we are so distracted by a particular physical pain
that we cannot follow the technique, it is sometimes necessary to
adjust our posture. from Buddha in the Palm of Your Hand, pp. 33-35
Osel Tenzin

There is no struggle. There are only idle distinctions created
by the intellect for its own interest. Those who take these distinctions
too seriously, or try to read them into the very fibre of life, are
those who mistake the finger for the moon. We are complete in
ourselves and each in himself. Life as it is lived suffices. It is only
when the disquieting intellect steps in and tries to murder life as it
is that we stop to live and imagine ourselves to be short of or in
something. Let the intellect alone, it has its usefulness in its
proper sphere, but let it not interfere with the flowing of the
life-stream. If you are at all tempted to look into it, do so while
letting it flow. The fact of flowing must under no circumstances
be arrested or meddled with; for the moment your hands are dipped
into it, its transparency is disturbed. It then ceases to reflect the
image which you have had from the very beginning and will
continue to have to the end of time.
DT Suzuki Rochi

"If there is something you truly want to know, then you truly want to listen
to your own wisdom. You know, meditation is learning how to listen with your
own wisdom, so that you can see. I think why meditation is amazingly important,
is that somehow our unconscious world is much bigger. It is huge, universal, and
we don't understand that one. Meditation allows this world to be light and
knowable, understandable. That is why it is important. Normally we are totally
robbed by the egotistic, conventional mind, not allowing the fundamental mind
to be functioning. That is why one should have confidence, truly... through
experience, one has confidence in one's spiritual journey."
By Lama Thubten Yeshe

"The most important thing is practice in daily life; then you can know
gradually the true value of religion. Doctrine is not meant for mere
knowledge, but for the improvement of our minds. In order to do that,
it must be part of our life. If you put religious doctrine in a building and when
you leave the building depart from the practices, you cannot gain its value."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from 'The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness'

Before starting meditation, we need to take care of a few things:
- a quiet place (using music is nicely relaxing, but
not really meditation), switching off the telephone may help.
- make sure you are not too tired,
early morning is generally said to be the best time.
- sit comfortable; most people like a cushion under
their behind, the room not too warm or cold
- wear loose, comfortable clothing, .
- try to create continuity in time and place to become
habituated to the circumstances of meditation.

The Body

- keeping the back straight, in whichever posture you meditate is most essential.
- try to be comfortable and physically relaxed, but avoid moving too much.
- keep the head straight, slightly bent forward, keep the teeth
slightly apart, the tip of the tongue against the upper pallet.
- the eyes are best kept half-open (without really looking),
but many beginners find that too distracting and close them.
- the shoulders should be relaxed and the hands can be put in one's lap
- the legs can be in the full lotus (which not may Westerners manage), but also
simply crossed. In fact, other positions like sitting on one's knees or on a bench
are good as well. If these are too difficult, you can also use a chair. When using
a chair, try to use only the front half of the seat, not leaning against the back rest
to avoid a bent back, and keep the feet flat on the floor.
Keeping the knees warm may help to avoid numbness of the legs.
- try belly-breathing; not breathing with the chest, but from the navel.
- always remember that the posture should enhance meditation, not be an obstacle! Ani Tenzin Palmo, 'Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism'