I would like your help. I would like to tap into each of your personal experiences, your wisdom. In a few weeks I will be presentation a talk on Meditation to a room full of smart people who most probably haven’t thought about meditating before. I would like your help with what questions should I be trying to answer? What questions, did you have before/when you started meditating?
I want to make this presentation as meaningful and personal as possible to the widest possible audience. This means getting as many beginner’s minds as possible on the case, and again, this is why I would like your help. Please leave a comment with anything you think I should talk about, or any questions that you think deserve to be answered. Gassho.
(If you live in Sydney, please come along! For those not in Sydney, once presented, I’ll put the video+presentation online for you to see how you helped, and perhaps, general interest ;))(photo)
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When I started my practice, the questions foremost in my mind were along these lines:
-”Am I doing this right?”
-”Is there anyone who can correct me if I’m not doing it right?”
-”Where can I go for support?”
-”I keep having all these thoughts. I’m doing it wrong. How do I stop having thoughts? I need to STOP having these thoughts! [thoughts arise] STOP it! [thoughts arise] STOP it!”
I look forward to the presentation! Let us know how it goes.
1) Why should I meditate? (physical and emotional health reasons)
2) A discussion of the different ways to meditate (eyes closed, opened, walking, sitting)
Hi Wade,
Here is a thought for you. The best meditation technique I’ve learned is the one Adyashanti teaches. It is utterly simple. Sit down, and then allow everything to be exactly as it is. If your mind chatters, let it chatter. If you have your eyes open, no problem. Just allow things to be. You very quickly notice you are witnessing your thoughts, feelings, etc., and that is a good place to be. Very simple, easy to learn, very effective, in my (humble) opinion.
Good luck with the presentation. Sounds like fun!
Hiya,
A beginners mind, that’s a fact. Aiming and sustaining and I thought meditation practice was all about these two. Aiming the attention and then sustaining that focus moment by moment. I wrote it off at the time as being pretty self-evident, almost trivial. Besides, it had too much of a sense of agency to it, I thought to myself, judgingly, too much of a sense of doing something, and therefore too much reliance on someone to be doing the doing. It took me years for the value of that insight to sink in and be revealed as fundamental.
For just as breathing doesn’t necessitate a “someone” we have to think of as the “breather” in any fundamental way, although we can fabricate the thought of one (such as “the breather…that must be me of course, I am breathing,”) aiming and sustaining don’t necessitate someone to do the aiming or sustaining either, although again, we can artificially make one up, and are pretty much bound to do so at first out of our persistent habit of “selfing.”
But really, both aiming ans sustaining come about naturally as we become more comfortable and practiced in resting in awareness itself, in what we might call “being the knowing.”
The most important part in meditation or in life is our breathe, as an example. Breathing is fundamental to life.
It is just happening. As a rule, we don’t pay much attention to it unless we are choking or drowning, or have allergies or a bad cold. But imagine restlized by calmness and one-pointedness, the arising of the knowing itself is sustained, and the quality of the knowing strengthened.
This is called wisdom. It comes from trusting your original mind, which is nothing other than a stable, infinite, open awareness. It is a field of knowing that apprehends instantly when something appears or moves or disappears within vastness.
“Meditation, is not what you “think!”
Is this what we are living for, to miss and therefore misconstrue our very lives? I prefer going into the adventure every day with my eyes open, paying attention to what is most important, even if I keep getting confronted, at times, with the feebleness of my efforts (when I think they are “mine”) and the tenacity of my most deeply ingrained and robotic habits (when I think they are “mine”).
I find it useful to meet each moment freshly, as a new beginning, to keep returning to an awareness of now over and over again, and let a gentle but firm perseverance stemming from the discipline of the practice keep me at least somewhat open to whatever is arising and behold it, apprehend it, look deeply into it, and learn whatever it might be possible to learn as the nature of the situation is revealed in the attending.
When you come right down to it, what else is there to do? If we are not “grounded in our being, if we are not grounded in wakefulness, are we not actually missing out on the “gift” of our very lives and the opportunity to be of any real benefit to others?
It does help if I remind myself to ask my “heart” from time to time what is most important right now, in this moment, and listen very carefully for the response.
As Thoreau put it at the end of Walden, “Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”
Namaste
Hi Wade,
It depends a bit on the audience. Do you know anything about who will be there. High school students are different to a senior citizens group.
My guess is that for most meditation is still seen as a bit weird. So, tell them that it is sitting quietly and taking time out from thinking all the time (this will likely be attractive).
They will probably want to know why they should bother. So you give the benefits from some studies and share your own experience.
Depending on how much time you have you can lead a brief meditation. Get them to check in with how they are before and after so that they can feel the benefit for themselves.
For a general audience where anyone can come along I’d keep any philosophy or speculative stuff to a minimum. Leave it out altogether if you can. Unless they have already experienced meditation it is just a futile ‘talking about’ it. It will most probably just lead to arguing about words and concepts.
For any talk to an audience the simplest and best advice I know is: take them on a journey. This means starting where they are (so the more you know about your audience the better), telling stories or giving information that is relevant to them (personal examples or results from others experience) and leaving them with something to think about or some change they have undergone (in this case perhaps a brief meditation).
Trust this makes sense and is helpful.
Hi All,
Some really great questions, stories and advice in here so far. A lot of it I hadn’t thought of, am I’m really grateful for your comments.
Thanks for your help so far, and feel free to keep on commenting if anything more comes to mind.
May all beings be happy.
Gassho,
Wade
How do I start meditating without thinking too much?
Also, how do I know when to stop, so that I have meditated enough or so that I have not done so so long that I might be late for an appointment?
In the years that I’ve meditated, there were soooo many questions. Now that I’ve figured how, my mind is absent. But here are a couple more that have surfaced.
Why is it meaningful to meditate? (to bring balance into my life.)
How long should I meditate? It’s the timeless now w/o judgment.
What sort of positions are available or what’s the norm?
Loving-kindness,walking,laying down, etc. (all of the above)
How should I breath? normal
What happens when objects of attention surface? (moods,emotions,sounds,etc.)
I feel a stiffness or discomfort is this normal? Can I work with this and how?
“Jesus drew our attention to how the flowers grow in stillness, one day to the next, without even thinking about how they will grow, let alone worrying about their growth. In place of thought, there is simply an unfolding.”
What works for me, may not work for someone else. Were all on different wave patterns, like the ocean. Letting go requires a conscious effort and reintroduces thought. To be in a state of non-resistant being.
What’s needed is to enter into our basic state of being, which is often very different from what’s going on in our heads. A stillness that lies behind our churning thoughts, beneath our turbulent emotions.
Good Luck with your class! Sounds like a blast.
Thought tis might help:
http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/
I have Lectured/Taught and probably bored a variety of age groups and pesuasions over the years in different subjects and have come to the conclusion.
Providing you take control right from the start and maintain it you should not have to much difficulty as long as you are prepared for some off topic questions as well.
Above all know your stuff back to front but always be prepared for the Joker in the room.
Deal with different personalities in a workshop environment on there individual level if possible, no one likes being talked down too, on the other side of the coin some concepts which require a higher understanding of the Universe are lost on those who simply cannot get the gist.
Teaching is a rewarding challenge if you are up to it, or a nightmare if your not and I have seen the nasty side of people and wonder just as to why they even bother attending when it is clear from their attitude that their mind is closed to everything but the narrow path that they walk.
However It can be rewarding for everyone including yourself even I still learn a thing or two usually from the most unlikely source,ie Teenagers, I find little pearls of wisdom or an insight will present itself out of the blue as they havn’t been around long enough to become Jaded bitter and twisted, I consider these as rewards for keeping my mind and ears open just as I hope my audience has theirs open to what I am trying to impart.
Last but not least
Take a deep breath and remind yourself:
There is no Light without Dark.
Smart people likely means busy people and critical people. More pointed than “Why should I meditate?”, I would spend time on “What will I get from meditation?”, “What’s the payoff/value?” These folks have come to a meditation presentation, they already know they should meditate and are curious. Go for the next step up.
1. how will meditation help my life improve now?
2. how will meditation help me in the future?
3. what is the short-cut?
4. what do i have to “give up” to “do” meditation?
5. isn’t meditation for hippies?
6. isn’t meditation just not having any thoughts?
7. do i get any super powers if i meditate?
8. can i get my own cushion if i take up meditation? oh, and one of those kneeling benches would be cool.. do i have to take my shoes off when i meditate? and how long is it going to take before i am “good” at meditation? (same as question 3).
Here is one I get asked, “why bother, why do that? Is it to become a better person? , isn’t just a waste of time?”
definitely should make the point of making meditation apart of your life. some seem to think meditation as an end all to their spiritual problems, life problems, etc. it takes work all day, everyday to attain something in your spiritual life. meditating can be used for various reasons. it depends entirely on the individual and/or where they’re at in their spiritual journey.
Some questions to think about:
How will meditation enrich me?
How might people in my life benefit from my meditation?
What can I expect from meditation?
Where will my efforts lead? What can I expect?
Why would this kind of thing help someone like me?
Its useful to mention there is no real right or wrong way to meditate. How people train themselves to concentrate or stop concentrating is subjective and varies widely. Some people choose to surround themselves with nature. Some people choose mediation CDs or peaceful music. Some people lie on the floor in a room and close their eyes.
Boy, was it interesting to hear all the comments on this question of yours.
I can tell you that, for me, an enormous change came when I realized that it wasn’t necessary to supress thoughts. Until then, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to relax and do it correctly.
My hunch is that lots of people will despair over suppressing thoughts, and if they can relax and let them rise and fall away, it will be very reassuring to them.
Just try it. Like most things, it probably won’t be easy when you first start but it gets easier with practice. You will almost certainly discover new things about yourself. Don’t expect dramatic changes in your life but don’t be surprised if there are. There is no such thing as a bad meditation, whether it is for 5 minutes or 2 hours, whether you are relaxed or tense, angry or peaceful, depressed or happy…there is value in any meditation.
Wade, I am sure you know this but the loving kindness meditation is always a good place to start. I found the part about focusing on how others have hurt you and you have hurt others of immense help. For a period of several months, I meditated on my past experiences, one year at a time, starting with about age 15 and worked backwards. After reviewing a certain set of unpleasant experiences I forgave myself, forgave others and asked for forgiveness. Once I reached my earliest memories I worked forward from 15. Then I did it all again, several times. This truly changed me into a new person and led to a deeper understanding of myself and the universe.
One more thing, I suggest you lead them through a short guided meditation. It could turn out to be a powerful experience for you and many people in your audience.
Another question that sometimes comes up is:
“Do I have to be Buddhist to meditate?”
Despite being Buddhist myself, and considering meditation as part of the Path which includes morality and wisdom, I always answer that one doesn’t need to be Buddhist to meditate ‘Buddhist-style’. (Of course, there are many kinds of meditation outside of Buddhism, but we’re not discussing those, right?)
Jerry made a great point about doing a guided meditation. I would make it simple and brief, say ten minutes, giving participants an opportunity to discuss it afterwards. This often gets a great response from first-timers.
Good luck, Wade,
G at ‘Forest Wisdom’.
WOW, thank you all SO much for your comments. You’ve all helped so much more than I thought was possible. Thank you.
It’s really great seeing all you different takes, some of which slightly overlap. The Beginner’s Mind is strong in you all
I’m still working on this presentation, and have been factoring in a lot of your comments whilst building it. Trying to address the questions in the presentation itself.
You’ve raised so many questions I hadn’t even thought of asking, as well as question I didn’t think needed answering until I read it asked another way.
Thank you all for your questions and support.
May all beings be blessed by the Dharma.
Gassho,
Wade
Hey chief, I didn’t read all of the above comments so I am not sure if this has been asked – but my biggest issue is having my mind start wandering. If I have unhappy thoughts then I’ll accept them and heal them, but if I have happy thoughts I’ll drift off into fantasy land and then BOOM - I’ve wasted half an hour without even knowing. Hearing your thoughts on this will be awesome
Hi Wade,
The reply from Tom Stine is very true. Sitting down and becoming the observer of your thoughts. One of the problems for beginners is that they feel they need to visualize a whole bunch of images, and get very discouraged when they come away feeling empty handed. The ego mind wants a show, it wants a sensational experience. That is not meditation. It is my humble opinion that enlightenment, (which is why people usually meditate) is actually a very ordinary thing. Sitting down and just observing that which is around you, including your thoughts, this is living in the moment. No past, no future, just the here and now. It is in the here and now where enlightenment is realized. Meditation is about not doing anything, just Being.
Hi Guys, just an update on this. I’m confirmed speaking, all the details;-
When:Monday, May 12, 2008 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Where:Belvoir Street Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, New South Wales
Cost:$35 (tickets from here)
Get:Drinks, Food, Ideas, and a Great People
May all beings be blessed by the Dharma.
Gassho,
Wade
Hi Wade, this is the first time I have read this section.so sorry for that.. I felt Jerry had a very good point in looking over ‘past’experiences and ‘forgiving ’ others and self as this is part of the ‘healing process’.This can be achieved at subconcious level best in meditation .as at the various levels we can reach, we can release all past emotional reactions we experienced in that situation and once realised can be let go. All had good points to share as we all never cease ‘learning’and as Brian pointed out just ‘being’and for my bit ‘positive’ Sorry I did not read this section before your presentation..love val..