What is meditation and what are its benefits?
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Meditation is not just about blanking the mind. It is an action of mind whose nature is single pointed concentration and whose function is to make the mind calm and peaceful.
Although we can start with a simple breathing meditation to gain some ability to control distractions, to gain the full benefits of meditation we should focus on meaningful objects. That is, objects of mind that will bring great meaning to our life. These include subjects such as impermanence, loving kindness and compassion. KMC Aberdeen offers a wide range of classes to suit every level of interest in this subject.
THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful.
If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness. However, if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.
If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all of the time, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind. Blown here and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy. For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession or a new partner, we become excited and cling to them tightly.
However, since we cannot have everything we want, and since we will inevitably be separated from the friends and possessions we currently enjoy, this mental stickiness, or attachment, serves only to cause us pain. However, on the other hand, if we do not get what we want, or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated.
For example, if we are forced to work with a colleague whom we dislike, we will probably become irritated and feel aggrieved. The result will be that we will be unable to work with him or her efficiently and our time at work will become stressful and unrewarding.
Such fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation. We are like a child making a sand castle who is excited when it is first made, but who becomes upset when it is destroyed by the incoming tide.
By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind, regardless of the external circumstances. Gradually we will develop mental equilibrium and a balanced mind that is happy all of the time, rather than an unbalanced mind that continually oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency.
If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we will be able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our problems and suffering. This way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as “liberation” or “nirvana”. Then, day and night in life after life, we will experience only peace and happiness.
To read more on this subject, see The New Meditation Handbook, Transform Your Life, and Eight Steps to Happiness.