Meditate
If you want to learn how to meditate the Tibetan Buddhist way, there is no need to feel intimidated nor go on a shopping spree for all sorts of exotic looking bells, drums, and cushions. The essence behind meditation is extraordinarily simple, and it is because of this simplicity that many people find it so difficult to do.
Meditation is essentially a mind-training tool. What is crucial in any act of meditation is your mind. External things like how straight your back is, how deeply you breathe are no where nearly as crucial in meditation as how focused you are with your mind.
This first step is crucial - determine what kind of meditation practice interests you. The kind of meditation you do fully relies on your motivation for doing it. Group yourself to the following categories:
A) I want to meditate to relieve stress and relax. Not interested in going into Buddhism.
B) I'm into Buddhism and want to meditate to calm my mind and be free of suffering for myself.
C) I'm into Buddhism and I want to tame my mind so I can help other people be free of their sufferings.
Instructions for Group A
1) Physical posture:
Sit straight, comfortably, and naturally. You don't need to sit on a cushion or in a lotus posture if it is going to distract your mind. Working on your mind is far more important.
Hands relaxed on your knees.
Eyes opened but relaxed - eyelids can droop a little. Why not close your eyes? Because training your mind to be calm should not rely on external sensory factors. Experienced practitioners can maintain a calm, focused mind even when the house is burning. If you become dependent on having your eyes closed in order to focus, you won't be able to maintain that same state in every day life, which is the point of all this, right?
Gaze pointing down along the slope of your nose.
Tongue tip touches the roof of you mouth.
2) Find an object of focus. It can be a rock, flower, your breathing; it can be real or imagined. Just give something as an anchor point for your mind to return to every time you catch it wandering off. If focused on breath, breathe naturally.
3) Focus on your object. When thoughts arise, simply watch it come. Do not indulge it. Do not suppress it. Do not judge it as "good thought", "bad thought". Just let the thoughts come and go like clouds against a blue sky.
If your mind wanders off (this will happen often), simply return your focus on your object. Try your best not to have thoughts like "I suck at meditating", "why can't I do this", etc. Catching yourself wandering off is already an accomplishment.
4) Do not force your mind to focus on the object for hours. You will feel exhausted. Let your mind be what it is. The purpose of this is for you to take a good look at exactly what state of mind you are in at different moments; this is not to train yourself to focus on a rock for long periods of time.
5) If you are a beginner, start meditating for 5 minutes a day consistently. Short, consistent practice will have results of calmer, relaxed mind much faster and more permanently than a meditation marathon for one weekend.
This is from real life experience - start off 5 minutes a day, then you will naturally want to sit for 10 minutes, then 15...You'll eventually discover that you no longer feel flushed and in a fit whenever anyone cuts you off in traffic.
Instructions for Group B
1) Find a qualified Dharma teacher/guides/Buddhist organizations before doing meditation practices if you have interest in the Buddhist path.
2) Steps to meditation are similar to the instructions in Group A, except the object of focus will be on the Triple Gem - Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The meaning behind taking refuge and meditating on the Triple Gem is extensive, beyond the scope of this little article. Please do some research about Buddhism, go to a temple or buddhist group that attracts you (it's important that you feel good about the organization you go to, keep looking until you find one where you feel at home).
You may get specific instructions depending on the Lama (dharma teachers) you meet, and depending on what works for you.
A rule of thumb for people thinking about becoming a Buddhist is to always feel comfortable with what you are doing. If something feels off, don't do it.
There are many introductory Dharma books - please look at both western and tibetan translated dharma books to give you a full picture of meditation practice and Buddhism.
Instructions for Group C
1) I rejoice at your motivation!
2) Same instruction for Group B about finding Dharma guidance - meditation techniques and instructions vary according to the level of the practitioner. There are 84,000 dharma teachings to work with 84,000 types of minds. Certain practices will attract you, others will not. It completely depends on you.
Traditional Buddhist practitioners say it is crucial to find a qualified teacher/guru eventually as you practice further. But again, if you are new, do some research, visit temples and talk to people who are practicing Buddhist, and find what works best for you. Do not be afraid to approach Tibetan Lama's! They are very friendly and some speak pretty good English.
For Group C people that have a compassionate motivation linked to their practice, a key word I would spend time learning more about is Mahayana Buddhism - or the "greater vehicle."
May this article be of benefit!
Learn How To Meditate Part 1 of 5
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