What the Buddha Taught 11
There are two forms of meditation. One is the development of mental concentration (samatha or samadhi), of one-pointedness of mind, by various methods prescribed in the texts, leading up to the highest mystic states such as ‘the Sphere of Nothingness’ or ‘the Sphere of Neither0Perceptions nor Non-Perception’. According to the Buddha, all these mystic states are mind-created, mind-produced, and conditioned. They have nothing to do with Reality, Truth, or Nirvana. This form of meditation existed before the Buddha. Hence, it is not purely Buddhist, but it is not excluded from the field of Buddhist meditation. However, it is not essential to realize Nirvana. Before his Enlightenment, the Buddha studied these yogic practices under different teachers and attained the highest mystic states. However, he was not satisfied with them because they did not give complete liberation; they did not give insight into the Ultimate Reality. He considered these mystic states only as ‘happy living in this existence, ' ' peaceful living,’ and nothing more.
He, therefore, discovered the other form of ‘meditation’ known as vipassana, ‘Insight’ into the nature of things, leading to the complete liberation of mind and the realization of the Ultimate Truth, Nirvana. This is essentially Buddhist meditation, Buddhist mental culture. It is an analytical method based on mindfulness, awareness, vigilance, and observation.
It is impossible to do justice to such a vast subject in a few pages. However, an attempt is made here to give a very brief and rough idea of the true Buddhist ‘meditation,’ mental culture or mental development, practically.
The most crucial discourse ever given by the Buddha on mental development (‘meditation’) is called the Satipatthana-sutta ‘The Setting up of Mindfulness’ (No. 22 of the Digha-nikaya, or No. 10 of the Majjhima-nikaya). This discourse is so highly revered in a tradition that it is regularly recited in Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist homes with family members sitting around and listening with deep devotion. Very often, bhikkhus recite this sutta by the bedside of a dying man to purify his last thoughts.
The ways of ‘’meditation’ given in this discourse are not cut off from life, nor do they avoid life; on the contrary, they are all connected with our life, our daily activities, our sorrows and joys, our words and thoughts, and our moral and intellectual occupations.
The discourse is divided into four main sections: the first deals with our body, the second with our feelings and sensations, the third with the mind, and the fourth with various moral and intellectual subjects.
It should be remembered that whatever the form of ‘meditation,’ the essential thing is mindfulness or awareness, attention or observation.
One of the most well-known, popular and practical examples of ‘mediation’ connected with the body is ‘The Mindfulness or Awareness of in–and–out breathing.’ For this ‘meditation’ only, a particular and definite posture is prescribed in the text. For other forms of ‘meditation’ in this sutta, you may sit, stand, walk, or lie down as you like. But, one should sit to cultivate mindfulness of in-and-out breathing; according to the text, ‘cross-legged is not practical and easy for people of all countries, particularly Westerners. Therefore, those who find it difficult to sit cross-legged may sit on a chair, ‘keeping the body erect and mindfulness alert.’ For this exercise, the meditation must sit erect but not stiff, with his hands placed comfortably on his lap. Thus seated, you may close your eyes or gaze at the tip of your nose, as it may be convenient to you.
You breathe in and out all day and night, but you are never mindful of it; you never concentrate your mind on it for a second. Now, you are going to do just this. Breathe in and out as usual, without any effort or strain. Now, bring your mind to concentrate on breathing in and breathing out; let your mind be aware and vigilant of your breathing, sometimes not. This does not matter at all. Breathe normally and naturally. The only thing is that when you take deep breaths, you should be aware that they are deep breaths, and so on. In other words, your mind should concentrate entirely on your breathing so that you know its movements and changes. Forget all other things, such as your surroundings and environment; do not raise your eyes and look at anything. Try to do this for five or ten minutes.
In the beginning, you will find it extremely difficult to bring your mind to concentrate on your breathing. You will be astonished at how your mind runs away. It does not stay. You begin to think of various things. You hear sounds outside. Your mind is disturbed and distracted. You may be dismayed and disappointed. But if you continue to practise this exercise twice daily, morning and evening, for about five or ten minutes at a time, you will gradually begin to concentrate your mind on your breathing. After a certain period, you will experience just that split second when your mind is entirely focused on breathing, you will not hear sounds nearby, and no external world exists. This slight moment is such a tremendous experience for you, full of joy, happiness and tranquillity, that you would like to continue. But you still cannot. Yet if you continue practising this regularly, you may repeat the experience repeatedly for more extended periods. That is when you lose yourself entirely in your mindfulness of breathing. As long as you are conscious of yourself, you can never concentrate on anything.
This exercise of mindfulness of breathing, one of the most straightforward practices, is meant to develop concentration, leading to very high mystic attainments. Besides, concentration is essential for any deep understanding, penetration, or insight into the nature of things, including realizing Nirvana.
Apart from all this, this breathing exercise gives you immediate results. It is suitable for your physical health, relaxation, sound sleep, and efficiency in your daily work. It makes you calm and tranquil. Even when you are nervous or excited, if you practise this for a few minutes, you will immediately become quiet and at peace. You feel as if you have awakened after a good rest.
Another very important, practical, and valuable form of ‘meditation’ (mental development) is to be aware and mindful of whatever you do, physically or verbally, during the daily routine of work in your life, private, public or professional. Whether you walk, stand, sit, lie down, or sleep, whether you stretch or bend your limbs, whether you look around, whether you put on your clothes, whether you talk or keep silent, whether you eat or drink, even whether you speak or keep silence, whether you eat or drink, even whether you answer the calls of nature-in these and other activities, you should be fully aware and mindful of the act you perform at the moment. That is to say, you should live in the present moment, in the present action. This does not mean that you should not think of the past or the future; on the contrary, you should think of them about the present moment, the present action, and when and where they are relevant.
People do not generally live in their actions in the present moment. They live in the past or the future. Though they seem to be doing something now here, they live somewhere else in their thoughts, in their imaginary problems and worries, usually in past memories or in desires and speculations about the future. Therefore, they do not live in nor enjoy what they do now. So they do not live in, nor do they want, what they do at the moment. So, they are unhappy and dissatisfied with the present moment and the work at hand, and naturally, they cannot give themselves complete control over what they appear to be doing.
Sometimes, you see a man in a restaurant reading while eating. It's a ubiquitous sight. He gives you the impression of being a very busy man, with no time even for eating. You wonder whether he eats or reads. One may say that he does both. He does neither; he enjoys neither. He is strained and disturbed in his mind and does not want what he does now. He does not live in the present moment but unconsciously and foolishly tries to escape from life. (This does not mean, however, that one should not talk with a friend while having lunch or dinner.)
You cannot escape life; however, you may try. As long as you live, whether in a town or a cave, you must face and live it. Real life is the present moment, the memories of the past, which is dead and gone, nor the dreams of the future, which is not yet born. One who lives in the present moment lives the real life and is happiest.
When asked why his disciples, who lived a simple and quiet life with only one meal a day, were so radiant, the Buddha replied: ‘They do not repent the past, nor do they brood over the future. They live in the present. Therefore, they are radiant. Bu brooding over the future and regretting the past; fools dry up like green reeds cut down (in the sun).
Mindfulness, or awareness, does not mean that you should think and be conscious of ‘I am doing this’ or ‘I am doing that.’ No. Just the contrary. The moment you think, ‘I am doing this,’ you become self-conscious, and then you do not live in action, but you live in the idea ‘I am,’ and consequently, your work is spoilt. You should forget yourself completely and lose yourself in what you do. When a speaker becomes self-conscious and thinks, ‘I am addressing an audience, ' his speech is disturbed, and his trend of thought is broken. But when he forgets himself in his remarks and subject, he is at his best; he speaks well and explains things clearly. All great work- artistic, poetic, intellectual or spiritual- is produced when its creators are wholly lost in their actions, forget themselves altogether and are free from self-consciousness.
This mindfulness or awareness about our activities, taught by the Buddha, is to live in the present moment and the present action. (This is also the Zen way, based primarily on this teaching.) In this form of meditation, you don’t have to perform any particular action to develop mindfulness; you only have to be mindful and aware of whatever you may do. You don’t have to spend one second of your precious time on this particular ‘meditation’: you only have to cultivate mindfulness and awareness daily about all daily activities. The two meditation forms discussed above are connected to our bodies.
Then, there is a way of practising mental development (‘meditation’) regarding all our sensations or feelings, whether happy, unhappy, or sorrowful. In this state, your mind is cloudy, hazy, and not clear; it is depressed. Sometimes, you do not even see why you have that unhappy feeling. First, you should learn not to be sad about your feelings and not worry about your worries. But try to see clearly why there is a sensation or a feeling of unhappiness, fear, or sorrow. Try to examine how it arises, its cause, how it disappears, and its cessation. Try to examine it as if you are observing it from outside, without any subjective reaction, as a scientist observes some object. Here, too, you should not look at it as ‘my feeling’ or ‘my sensation’ subjectively but only look at it as ‘a feeling’ or ‘ a sensation’ objectively. It would be best to forget the false idea of ‘I again.’ When you see its nature, how it arises and disappears, your mind grows dispassionate towards that sensation and becomes detached and free. It is the same for all sensations or feelings.
출처: https://storytellingis.tistory.com/3 [붓다:티스토리]