Quotes and Verdict

Now that I have been exposed to Buddhist ways, particularly meditation, I would like to share a few quotes that resonated with me from the famous Dalai Lama.

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Although I cannot call myself a Buddhist, this is definitely not the end of my meditation practices. I will continue to engage in the ones I have experimented with already and try new ones. What I can say for sure is that I respect and appreciate how accepting, freeing, and widespread the ways of the Buddha are, which mindfulness has made me aware of.

Research from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_hindrances

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda06.htm

https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/what-meditation

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices/meditation.htm

My Own Experiment Part 3

The third and last type of meditation I practiced with was the Loving-Kindness one, or Metta Bhavana, which happened to be my favorite. It is usually paired with some other form of mediation, but the purpose is to develop the habit of selfless love for oneself and others. This progresses through stages, the first being specific pervasion, where I was to focus on sending loving-kindness to myself, then an admired or respected person, next a beloved person, then a neutral person and lastly a hostile person. Going down this list, I practiced using visualization, reflection, and mantra.

The next stage, known as directional pervasion, was focused on directing these feelings toward diverse communities all over the world and therefore uniting from it.

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The last stage, non-specific pervasion, is about radiating these feelings in everyday life, and spreading unconditional love. This phase is only reached if the others were successful, and I proudly accomplished all of them. Though it was emotionally taxing because you have to be the one to forgive, it was also rewarding and felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

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I was most engaged in the loving-kindness mediation because it deals with such positive energy toward others and oneself, making everyone equally important and deserving of love and kindness.

My Own Experiment Part 2

Then I experimented with insight meditation, or vipassana, where the purpose is to realize important truths like impermanence, suffering, and egolessness. This one is superior to tranquility meditation and the primary form practiced in Theravada Buddhism. Rather than simply concentrating, I had to become mindful by observing and comprehending, and it takes skill. I practiced with walking mindfulness (the one I enjoyed most), sitting meditation, and mindfulness in everyday activities.

First I found a quiet place to walk in a relaxed setting where I could pay close attention to the movements and sensations I was experiencing. There were several times when my mind drifted, but as soon as I realized this, I zeroed back in on the moment. What I liked is that the moment turned into what seemed like much longer than that. I found that I actually lost track of time, which is rare in today's society when we feel such an urgency, a "press" for time. It was bliss.

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At last, when I sat down, it was time to focus on my breath going in and out of my body as I inhaled and exhaled and take notice of how it moved me, pumped my insides. I closed by eyes, though I did not have to. My mind wandered even more than when I was walking because I was at a standstill. But I kept bringing myself back to my intention.

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Then I used the same skills as I did while walking and sitting, and applied them to everyday life, everyday activities, more specifically, eating. I was more aware than ever of the smell, the texture, the taste, of the food I put in my mouth. I felt as though I was participating fully and completely in the present moment, in a task I do not usually think twice about. I could do the same thing with drinking, cleaning, washing, or sleeping.

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My Own Experiment Part 1

After my interview with the Dalai Lama, I decided to experiment with different meditation techniques to see which one would be most successful for me.

The first one I tried was the tranquility meditation, or Samatha. It was hard, because as beings who live, move, and act in such a busy, vast, and fleeting world, I was not used to training my mind to be still and concentrate, which was the purpose. I chose an object of concentration, or kammatthana, which could either be devices like color or light, repulsive things like a corpse, recollections such as sayings of the Buddha, or virtues like loving-kindness. The kammatthana I picked was light.

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I was taken through a series of stages, or dhyanas of which I attempted. The first was to detach from the outside world and become aware of joy and tranquility. Next was to concentrate without any necessary reasoning or examination. Then the joy was to pass away, with only the tranquility remaining. The final stage was the passing away of the tranquility and being in a state of pure self-possession and presence of mind.

Interview with Dalai Lama

I flew to Tibet next to China to meet with THE Dalai Lama for an exclusive interview. When he walked into the room to greet me, he was all smiles and had a peaceful aura about him. He was wearing his traditional robe, red and yellow. He was polite and had a contagious laugh. Just being around him, I could not help but feel happy.

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Me: Mr. Dalai Lama, I am glad to be here! Thank you for your time and for being so willing to answer my questions!

Dalai: No, the pleasure is all mine!

Me: So I have already investigated meditation a little bit myself, but I want to start off by asking what does meditation mean to you?

Dalai: Good question. Well, to me, meditation is like a growth or transformation of the mind. With clarity of the present moment, I can see what is genuine and true. The next step is accepting and appreciating reality for what it is. Then I can go about cultivating new, more positive ways of being.

Me: And why do you meditate exactly?

Dalai: So many things in life are out of my control. But through meditation, I can take responsibility of my mind, the mental state that it is in currently, and change it for the better. I can come to terms with my own suffering, my anxieties, fears, sorrows, hatreds, and confusions, with practicing mindfulness. Then I have the opportunity to reach a profoundly peaceful understanding of life.

Me: What are the most common misconceptions of meditation?

Dalai: Many people are turned off by meditation for a number of reasons. Primarily, a meditator does not have to be Buddhist or even religious at all for that matter, even though meditation is a sacred part (right effort, mindfulness, concentration) of the Noble Eightfold Path, which was created to lead to the end of dukkha, or suffering. Also, most picture it as a practice done while breathing deeply or humming in the traditional Indian style position in silence. It is believed that we need to maintain posture but let go of tension, and do absolutely nothing else, which is far from true; we can meditate while doing everyday activities in whichever way we feel comfortable. Lastly, it is not about blocking out any thoughts that come to the mind; it is about consciously letting them escape and using them to our advantage, for our own good and wellbeing.

Me: I see...now to switch gears a bit, what exactly are the Five Hindrances?

Dalai: Ah, so you have been doing your research! The Five Hindrances are basically like obstacles that get in the way of meditation, or "hinder" the progress of the practice. The first mental factor is sensory desire, which is a wanting that seeks for happiness through any of the five senses. The second is ill-will, which brings about thoughts like the want to reject, and bitter feelings of hatred, resentment, or hostility. The third is sloth-torpor, which slows one down into a deep depression when the body becomes heavy and the mind becomes dull. The fourth is restlessness-worry, which keeps the mind away from a calm state. The fifth and last is doubt, which results in a lack of trust.

Me: Wow, those all seem to be natural forces that would be difficult to shut out.

Dalai: You are absolutely right. It is part of the challenge of meditation. In the Theravada tradition, these hindrances can come in conflict with the jhanas, or the stages of concentration, while in the Mahayana tradition, they can conflict with samatha, or the exercise of tranquility.

Me: What would you say is the hardest component of meditation?

Dalai: I would have to say patience. You cannot expect an instant cure to all of your problems in one session of meditation neither. You also have to be aware that thoughts will intrude but they will eventually weaken. It just requires effort and takes time and practice, as it is a technique that is to be learned. There is not necessarily a right way to meditate, but it is always something that can be perfected!

Me: So it is all about learning how to focus your energies and where to project them?

Dalai: Absolutely! You have wonderful insight!

Me: I have you to thank for that Mr. Dalai Lama! Until next time!

Dalai: Good luck to you!

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Objective

Naturally, I am not a religious person. No specific religion has ever resonated with me, and that's my goal, to find one that does, or at least comes close. I have a hard time with organized religion, and fitting myself into a certain category, labeling myself as this or that. I would very much describe myself as a free spirit, and I am okay with that.

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This is simply a test for my own curiosity...I am not exactly searching for where I belong. Growing up with a Persian father who was converted from Islam to Christianity by an extremist, and an apathetic mother who considers herself Agnostic, I did not know who I was and had a yearning for discovery, so I could understand the world a little better and become more familiar with what faith actually means. The idea of indoctrination never really set well with me. So here is my beginning. I start with Buddhism and what intrigues me most about it - meditation. I am grateful to have landed an interview with the famous Dalai Lama.