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Meditation
What do you think about when you meditate?
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Okay, I know this probably sounds like a canned answer, but the point is to NOT think when you meditate.
It's not something you can do without practice. Meditation (especially for westerners with our decreased attention-span culture) is a very frustrating and challenging exercise. It is physically demanding, mentally tiring, and just plain unpleasant at times.
You will find that meditation is simply sitting still and breathing. That is a very hard concept for us to grasp. I still can't really do it for more than a few minutes at a stretch.
The thing I try to compare it to is driving. Have you ever had a moment when you were driving and you sort of "zoned out" but you knew you were driving perfectly and then you "wake up" a few seconds or minutes later and you think "wow. that was weird. How did I get here?" but you knew immediately that you were in no danger, your senses were alert, your movements were exactly right, and you were driving at the best level you possibly could?
Meditation is something like that. The point is to let go of everything, including thoughts. Thoughts distract you and make you forget the moment. When you are thinking, you are picturing events, hearing voices, analyzing thoughts, etc. You are doing all kinds of things. If you "think" about thinking, you're actually quite busy!
One exercise is to try to analyze exactly what you are thinking about, and then consciously cease thinking about that particular item, one at a time. Like peeling an onion or something. Get rid of one layer of thought at a time:
"Okay, I realize that I am thinking about the sound of the ambulance that just went by. Forget it. Put it out of your head"
"Okay, my foot is uncomfortable. I should just shift it about one inch to the left. No, never mind. Put it out of your head"
"I wonder if I am meditating right now. Is this all there is? No, forget it. Out of my head"
My mediatation instructor taught me that one thing to do is find a "thought-object", that is, pick a single thing and think about NOTHING ELSE but that thing. We use the breath as an example. Focus solely on the air coming in through your nostrils and then focus on the air leaving your body. Focus literally on the physical sensation of the air passing through the very tip of your nostrils - at the first point of entry and the last point of egress. If you "fill your head" with that thought, you will have no room for other thoughts. This is a form of practice in which you can get skilled at concentrating. It is an essential skill to acheieve a meditative state. You'll probably have to do this for 3-5 minutes a day for several days, perhaps several weeks, before you are able to actually concentrate on one thing alone.
Remember that this is actual mental exercise, just like physical exercise. It take practice and persistance before you are able to see or feel any results at all. So don't get discouraged!
How do you know if you are thinking? You would have to think about it...
Do you meditate anywhere other than your temple?
You can meditate anywhere that you can concentrate... I think the more practiced you become, the more places you'll be able to do it. I still need a quiet room because I'm not very good at say blocking out the noise of a fan or conversation. The other day I just pulled out a big pillow and meditated for a while in the middle of my dorm room. Luckily I have a roommate who doesn't consider it "weird" or anything - he came back while I was meditating
I try to concentrate on my breathing while meditating. Still, it is difficult for me. I am a type A personality and my mind is always going a mile a minute! I am getting better. I focus on the actual act of the breath going in and out; the sensation of the act itself. This helps me to focus and in turn I am able to calm down to get the desired effect of meditation. I have to be honest here and say that sometimes it just doesn't work! I am getting better and I figure the more I work on it the better I will get at meditation.
Adiana
"The Mind is like a Hungry Monkey - jumping from tree to tree, from branch to branch, always active, always looking, frenetic in its' need to feast on anything and everything it comes across.... never still, it rushes around, whirlwind fashion, with no order or purose, until exhausted, it falls into a deep sleep. Then it is still, calm and quiet, although it may dream, so even then, it may be disturbed, and it may not reawaken rested. The only time the Monkey is quite still then, is either when it is sleeping, or when it is actually engaged in eating: there it sits, awake, alert, responsive, yet for once, immobile and nourished. The secret then, is to feed the monkey a valuable food, to calm it down and to render it still and relaxed. So while meditating, feed your Hungry Monkey (Mind) with worthwhile morsels of food (Mantras): Sit comfortably in a way you will be able to sustain, in an alert fashion, so as to not fall asleep, and try to still the Hungry Monkey.... grab it's attention; say "Hey, you! come here and be still.... I have some food for you!" In that gap, that moment of silence, while you have the Monkey's full attention, breathe deeply, and calm the body... centre yourself, and smile inwardly....you are in control.... and the moment you 'see' the Hungry Monkey start to move (a thought arising) offer it a morsel of food (your preferred mantra). THis can be any word or sound you wish; let it be a peaceful, calming sound... something which truly entices the Monkey irresistably, towards this wonderful satisfying morsel. Savour this wonderful morsel of food, see how satisfyingly calming it is... in this way is the Hungry Monkey adequately nourished... and thus, in time, its' sleep will also be more rested".
I found this to be an accurate and vivid image and portrait of just how un-tamed and un-trained the Western Mind is. It is one method I have put into practise with my students, with positive and surprising results. One woman tells me that since she started meditating this way, her migraines have been greatly reduced, and she sometimes has problems responding to her alarm clock come the morning....!
^gassho^
My mind thinks a lot as well and it is hard to get the mind empty. I either focus on a place that is like Nirvana to me (a field of soft grass surrounded by mountains and the smell of pine. Then I imagine being lifted up on a soft white fluffy cloud floating effortlessly) or I listen to Yoga/meditation music while I breathe.
For me certain music has a way of letting my mind go blank. The only downside is when I do this after Yoga and I am laying on my back I sometimes fall asleep because I am so relaxed. My Yoga teacher used to say if a student fell asleep during meditation it was the ultimate compliment because they acheived ultimate relaxation.
I realize though that the challenge is to meditate for longer periods of time as one gets better at it. I hope to get there one day.
^gassho^
What book did that come from? I am sure I have read it before...