Phra Satit Thitadhammo delivered one meditation session on the morning of Saturday, 21 October at the Senior Citizens Centre, Welsford St, Shepparton. Phra Satit Thitadhammo is from the Dhammakaya Meditation Centre, Albury. He addressed the issue of mind, mind management, and methods of reaching awareness of the mind and moving beyond the mind. In this article, we consider several different types of meditation.
The word meditation covers a fairly wide spectrum of practices, from walking and eating meditation to mantra-based meditation. Some meditators find that one style works best for them—and they stick to it. Others like to experiment with the different styles. The important thing to remember is that one style isn’t better than another; they are all different and offer their own unique benefits.
Reflection
Reflection or recapitulation is to refer back over past events and situations. This can be a useful technique to practice at the end of the day—to meditate on the events of the day. It should be done without evaluation or judgement but rather as a process of witnessing the main events of the day and your reactions to them.
As you practice this you will find yourself saying things like, “I ate breakfast, I went to work, I met my friend.” You will see that the events came and went but the one constant was “I.” You begin to appreciate that who you really are is the witness in all experiences, the timeless Self in the midst of all time-bound events.
Another form of reflection is the Examen, where one recapitulates the events of the day and closely examines the feelings attached to such events: were these feelings leading you closer to your true Self, or taking away from your peace?
Contemplation
Contemplation is to think about something, to ponder it, and explore all its aspects. It can be a process of self-reflection, where you ask questions such as:
- Who am I?
- What do I want?
- What is my purpose?
- What I am most grateful for?
Contemplation is where you look to your inner world for answers, asking the questions, and then listening for the answers and insights that rise from your deepest Being. Contemplation helps you lead a life directed by your inner wisdom.
Prayer
It has been said that prayer is when you talk to God, and meditation is when you keep quiet so God can speak to you. Prayer itself can take many forms, from the “shopping list” of desires to prayers of praise and gratitude. Prayer can be a way of expressing your love and devotion for the Divine, both essential aspects of your spiritual journey. Prayer is often something you only turn to in times of need or great challenges. Fortunately, the Divine is patient and accepts all comers. The ultimate prayer and expression of surrender is, “Thy will be done.”
Eating
The air you breathe and the food you eat are what keeps you alive, so eating is a sacred act and should be a meditative experience. Try to follow these tips to make sure you’re eating mindfully:
- Eat in a settled environment, not working, watching TV, or checking Facebook.
- Sit down to eat.
- Avoid eating if you are upset.
- Practice gratitude: The first part of your digestion takes place in the mouth so take a moment to appreciate the food in front of you—the color and smell. Think of everything that went into bringing that food to you—the rain and sun that helped it grow, the farmer who tended the crop, and the love and care that went into the preparation.
- Place the food in your mouth and enjoy the taste. Put your utensil down until you have fully chewed and swallowed each mouthful.
- Avoid cold liquids during the meal as these will extinguish your digestive fire.
- Be mindful of your appetite so you don’t overeat. A good rule is to fill one-third of your stomach with food, one-third with liquid, and leave the remaining third empty for digestion.
- Take a few minutes to remain seated after finishing.
Walking
Many people enjoy making their activities a meditative experience. Whether walking, dancing, bicycling or any other activity, be fully aware of the activity. You could coordinate your movements with your breath or repeat a simple phrase such as, “I am walking, right leg up, right leg down” or something more meaningful such as, “peace and love.” Whenever you find yourself distracted by something in the environment, pause, enjoy that experience, and then return to the meditation. Next time you go for a walk, try being fully present in the walking, not thinking about what you have to do next.
Guided Meditation
In guided meditation, you are led through a series of experiences. Usually you will be instructed to see, to feel, or be aware of different things. While this is easy for some people, it can be quite difficult and frustrating for others. If you fall into the second group, when asked to “see yourself walking in a beautiful meadow,” don’t worry if you can’t see a picture of the meadow in your mind. Just imagine what you would be feeling if you were in the meadow. Awareness and imagination are really the same thing.
Many people enjoy guided meditations because someone else directs and you just have to follow along. While guided meditations do keep the mind engaged in activity, they can be useful in helping to relieve physical, mental, and emotional challenges. In meditation, you should feel or sense that your body, mind and spirit have all come to rest, in one way or another. We should always be emerging from meditation with peace.
The meditations discussed to this point have all involved some degree of activity—mental, physical, or both. While these can all have great values in helping to restore harmony and wholeness to your life, it is important to take time each day to enter totally into the experience of inner silence.
Breath
The vast majority of your thoughts take you into the future or the past. Consequently, this is where you spend most of your lives. In essence, you miss the present moment entirely. Your breath can never be in the future or the past, it is always right here, in the now. By simply sitting quietly with eyes closed and effortlessly observing your breath flowing in and flowing out, you are immediately brought into the present moment. This can have a profound effect on centering and grounding you and, more importantly, allowing your thoughts to settle down to their deepest level — silence.
Mantra
Mantra means vehicle or instrument of the mind and there are many different types of mantras, which can be used for a variety of purposes.
A mantra is that which saves through reflection on its meaning’ – ideal sounds visualised as letters and vocalised as syllables; a powerful mystical word, words or sounds given by a guru and used as an aid in meditation or in religious observances. A mantra is divine power clothed in sound. ‘Shakti is present in mantra. A mantra is a formula to invoke the all-pervading divine Presence.’ The purpose of mantra is to rein in the mind, which is like a river in flood, and begin to channel the waters to flow between the banks of the river towards the ocean of God.
Meditation essentially means to be aware, and to have focus or direction. When you learn to live your life with awareness, to live consciously, and to make conscious choices, your whole life becomes a meditative experience. Try practising different types of meditation at different times of the day until you find the practice, or practices, that work best for you.
