S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 5 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 1 9 5 me, is that I will consciously invoke memories of when I felt one of these emotions. Then I will let that memory saturate my entire body and mind. Afterwards I watch and study how that emotion feels in the body. With practice, and in most situations, you can actually consciously bring up one of these positive emotions. The more you “hang out” in these states of mind, the more likely it is that this will become your default emotion and the way you can interact with your life. In the monastic tradition I was ordained into, meditation is very important – we meditate as a group usually for two hours a day, and are encouraged to develop our own sitting and walking practice at our private dwelling places. But a significant amount of time during the day, even while doing more intensive practice periods, is spent in “non-meditation”. So, our teachers spend a lot of time talking about developing continual mindfulness practice. The previous question can also be recontextualized in regard to the human psychosomatic structure. In contrast to certain interpretations, where meditation appears as a kind of mental activity, in Buddhism, as well as in the majority of Yoga traditions, meditation is approached on the background of psychosomatic unity of human – in concerns both body and mind. Actually, the two are inseparable and mutually interconnected. The idea can be demonstrated on all fundamental meditation practices of the Theravada tradition – on the contemplation of the Three Characteristics of Existence (impermanence, suffering, egolessness, i.e. Pa. anicca, dukkha, anattā), the contemplation of the Four Elements (earth, water, fire, air), the contemplation of the Five Aggregates of Clinging (Sa. skandhas, Pa. khandhas), i.e. factors that constitute our individuality (form, i.e. Sa. rūpa; feeling, i.e. Sa. vedanā; discrimination, i.e. Sa. sanjñā; formations of will, i.e. Sa. samskāra; consciousness, i.e. Sa. vijñāna), as well as the practice of four Brahmavihārās (good will, compassion, joy, equanimity) as you eloquently described it. However, if meditation is primarily not aimed at providing an individual with particular benefits in accor- tations – ha! The way these practices work for people if they were not living up to my expec- angry person and wasn’t shy about telling change my world view. I used to be a fairly this practice as a way to help fundamentally other’s good fortune, and equanimity). I see Brahmavihārās (good will, compassion, joy at Another important practice has been the to make a judgement?” year? Might I not have all the information needed ally true? Do you think you will believe that next questioning my own assumptions, “Is that re- question our experience. I often hear myself to views and opinions and allows the mind to ception of this, it allows us to stop clinging anicca, anattā). And once we start to get a per- unstable, and not really ourselves (Pa. dukkha, we think of as ourselves is actually stressful, leads to an experiential understanding that what changed and were never stable. Over time this aspects of my experience and watch how they sciousness). I would tune into one of these feelings, perceptions, mental activity and con- Five Khandhas or Aggregates of Clinging (body, Initially, I used a practice of investigating the is happening in both my body and mind. me to calm down and become present for what breathing and of the body. These practices allow suffering. My teachers focus onmindfulness of create our own suffering, and how we can stop understanding our minds. Learning how we In a nut shell, to me, meditation is about man life according to your understanding? of meditation and its place in the whole of hu- and with various intentions. What’s the purpose proach meditation from various perspectives recent decades. However, various people ap- been facing growing interest in meditation in Buddhism. In Western societies, we have also There is a strong emphasis on meditation in how I see the world. how their teachings or actions have influenced of inspiration. I can think of many examples of and Ajahn Amaro have also been great sources confidence. My primary teachers Ajahn Pasanno eral good monastic communities that inspire I also have been fortunate to be around sev- MARTIn DoJčáR
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