At this point, the basic technique of formal meditation practice is complete. The theory in the previous chapters is enough to allow a new-comer to at least begin on the path towards understanding reality as it is. In this final chapter, I will discuss some of the ways in which we can incorporate the meditation practice into our daily lives, so that even during the time when one is not formally meditating one can still maintain a basic level of mindfulness and clear awareness.
Before discussing meditation techniques for use in daily life, however, it is necessary to talk point out those activities one must abstain from in order for one's meditation practice to be effective in bringing sustained positive results into one's life.
As I explained in the first chapter, “meditation” is the mental equivalent to “medication”. It is well-known that with various medications there are certain substances one must avoid taking in conjunction with the medication itself; certain things, when taken together with the medication, will either nullify the positive effects of the medication or, worse, are contraindicative to and will actually turn the healing power of the medication into poison. Likewise, with meditation there are certain activities that, due to their tendency to cloud the mind, will nullify the effects of the meditation or, worse, turn the meditation into a poison, leading the meditator down the wrong path.
Meditation is meant to bring a state of clarity, of natural purity to the mind; to bring our minds back to a state of sobriety that is free from addiction, aversion, and delusion, and therefore free from suffering. Since certain behaviours by way of body or speech are inevitably bound up in addiction, aversion, and delusion, such behaviours are invariably contraindicative to our meditation practice. These behaviours have the opposite effect to the meditative practice, encouraging delusion and defilement in the mind. Meditators who insist on continuing with such behaviours will invariably develop meditation habits that are detrimental to their own well-being based on the misunderstanding of reality caused by these unwholesome actions.
So, to ensure our minds are perfectly clear and capable of understanding reality, we will have to take certain behaviour out of our “diet”, so to speak, that our meditation will be truly effective and beneficial. First, there are five kinds of action from which we must refrain completely, as they are inherently unwholesome. [1]
1. We must refrain from killing living beings. We have to make a promise to ourselves not to kill any living being – not an ant or a mosquito or any sort of animal whatsoever.
2. We must refrain from theft. If our meditation is to be effective we have to be able to control our desires at least to the extent of respecting the possessions of other people and not taking things without permission.
3. We must abstain from committing adultery or sexual misconduct - romantic relationships that are emotionally or spiritually damaging to other people, due to existing commitments of the parties involved.
4. We must refrain from telling lies, deceiving other people, or leading other people away from reality in any way.
5. We must refrain from taking drugs or alcohol, those substances that will intoxicate our minds, taking it away from a natural, clear state of being.
It's very important that we make a commitment to abstain from these actions completely if our meditation practice is to be successful, due to their inherently unwholesome nature and the invariably negative effect they have on our minds.
Next, there are certain other modes of behaviour that we may partake of but must do so in moderation if our meditation is to be of real benefit. These are actions that are not necessarily unwholesome in and of themselves but, when undertaken in excess, will nonetheless inhibit clarity of mind and lessen the benefit of the meditation practice. [2]
One such occupation is eating; if we wish to truly progress in our meditation practice, we must be careful not to eat too much or too little. If we are constantly obsessed with food, it can be a great barrier to our progress in meditation since not only does the obsession cloud the mind, over- and under-eating can create debilitating states of drowsiness and fatigue, both in the body and mind. We should always remind ourselves that we have to eat to stay alive but we are not alive simply to eat.
Another occupation that will interfere with the meditation is entertainment; watching entertaining shows, listening to music and so on. These occupations are not inherently unwholesome but when undertaken in excess they can easily create states of addiction, states of insobriety in a sense, taking the mind out of its natural state of clarity. We should therefore remind ourselves that the pleasure that comes from such entertainment is fleeting at best, addictive at worst, and that we should make the best use of our short time in this life, rather than wasting it on meaningless entertainment that doesn't lead to our long term happiness and peace. If we are to find true peace and contentment, we must moderate such activities. Use of the Internet to socialize, watch videos, etc., should be undertaken in moderation as well.
The third occupation we must moderate is that of sleeping. Sleeping is one addiction that is often overlooked. We generally do not realize that most of us are quite attached to sleep as a means of escape from the problems of the reality around us. In the same way, many people become insomniac, obsessed with sleep to the point that they think they are not getting “enough” sleep, which in turn leads to increased stress levels and even more difficulty in falling asleep.
Upon undertaking the meditation practice in earnest, you will find that you need less sleep than was previously required. Lack of sleep for a meditator is not a problem since at the time that one is meditating one's mind is calm and clear. When you cannot fall asleep, you can simply practice lying meditation instead, watching the stomach rise and fall, reminding yourself “rising”, “falling”, all night if necessary. You will find that when morning comes you are as rested as if you had slept soundly all night.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that to truly gain results in the meditation practice, a meditator should set aside at least a period of time to remain entirely celibate, not just avoiding immoral sexual activity, since all sexual activity is invariably intoxicating and will be an inevitable hindrance in one's attainment of mental clarity and peace.
These are the activities we will have to take out of our lives entirely, in the case of the first five, or moderate, in the case of the rest, if the meditation practice is to become a fruitful part of our daily lives.
We can now turn to the question of how to actually incorporate the meditation into daily life. There are two basic ways of approaching our everyday experience in a meditative way, and we should practice them together.
The first method is to focus our attention on the body, since it is by far the most obvious meditation object of all, and will thus serve as a convenient means of bringing the mind back to a clear awareness of reality in our daily lives. The body is generally in one or another of four postures at all times – walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. We can use any one of these four postures as a meditation object to bring about clarity of mind at any time.
So when we walk, instead of simply walking and letting our mind wander, we say to ourselves either “walking, walking, walking, walking” or “left, right, left, right” as we move each foot. When we stand still, we can focus on the standing position and say “standing, standing”; when we sit, “sitting, sitting” and when we lie down “lying, lying”.
So, even when we’re not practicing formal meditation, we can still develop clarity of mind at any time. This is a basic method of keeping the mind focussed on reality, using the body as a meditation object.
Additionally, we can apply the same technique to any small movement of the body – for instance when we bend or stretch our limbs, we can say “bending” and “stretching”. When we move our hand, “moving”. When we brush our teeth, “brushing”. When we chew or swallow food, “chewing, chewing”, “swallowing, swallowing” and so on.
Any movement whatsoever that we make with the body during the day can become an object of meditation in this way. When we go to the toilet, when we shower, when we change or wash our clothes, whatever we do during the day we can be mindful of the movements of the body involved, creating clear awareness of our reality at all times.
This is the first method by which we can incorporate the meditation practice directly into our daily lives.
The second method is the acknowledgement of the senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling. Normally when we see something we either like or dislike it and it therefore becomes a cause for addiction or aversion and ultimately suffering when our experience is not in line with our desires. In order to keep the mind clear and impartial, we try to create a clear awareness at the moment of seeing, rather than allowing the mind to create judgements according to its habitual tendencies. When we see something, we simply know that we’re seeing, reminding ourselves using the mantra, “seeing, seeing, seeing”.
When we hear something, instead of judging it as good or bad, we simply say to ourselves “hearing, hearing”. When we smell pleasant or unpleasant odours, we say “smelling, smelling”. When we taste, instead of becoming addicted to or repulsed by the taste, we can simply remind ourselves “tasting, tasting” and keep our mind clear when tasting as well. When we feel something on the body, hot or cold, hard or soft, and so on, we say to ourselves “feeling, feeling” or “hot”, “cold”, and so on.
In this way, we are able to receive the full spectrum of experience without compartmentalizing reality into categories of “good”, “bad”, “me”, “mine”, “us”, “them”, etc., and can thus realize true peace, happiness and freedom from suffering at all times, in any situation. Once we have come to understand the actual nature of reality and accept it for what it is, our minds will cease to react to the objects of the sense as other than what they truly are, and we will be free from all addiction and aversion, just as a bird, when it flies, is free from any need for a perch on which to cling.
These two methods are a basic guide to practice meditation in daily life, incorporating the meditation practice directly into our lives even when we are not meditating. Of course we can also be aware of all of the objects discussed in earlier chapters – pain or the emotions, for instance, but the techniques discussed in this chapter are particularly useful as an additional means of making the meditation practice a continuous experience whereby we are learning about ourselves and the reality around us at all times.
So, this is an explanation of meditation practice in daily life. This also concludes the discussion of how to meditate. Remember that no book, no matter how long or in-depth it may be, can substitute sincere and ardent practice of the teachings by oneself. One may learn by heart all of the wise books ever written and still be no better off than a cowherd guarding the cattle of others, should one not practice accordingly.
If, on the other hand, one accepts the basic tenets included in a book such as this as sufficient theoretical knowledge and practices accordingly in a sincere manner, one is surely guaranteed of attaining the same results as countless others have likewise attained – peace, happiness and true freedom from suffering.
I would like to thank you one last time for taking the time to read this short introduction to meditation, and I once more sincerely hope that this instruction brings peace, happiness and freedom from suffering to you and by extension to all of the people with whom you come in contact.
Should you find anything lacking or unclear in these pages, or if you would like more detailed or specific instructions in the practice of meditation, you are welcome to can contact me through my weblog at:
http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/
Notes:
[1] These five behaviours correspond with the five Buddhist moral precepts.
[2] The following is in accordance with the eight meditator precepts normally taken by Buddhist meditators on holidays or during intensive meditation courses, adding the three precepts below to the five above and undertaking total celibacy.
Yuttadhammo