mental affliction we have: the obsessive and compulsive mind. But before I begin to unveil this method further, let me say a few words about meditation.
First, the form of meditation I am suggesting is simple and can be done by anyone. You do not need to climb a mountain, sit in full lotus position, or learn any complicated visualizations. It is as simple as learning to relax your body, breathe naturally, and pay attention. Second, there are many different types of meditation, and all of them are designed with a specific purpose in mind. The great teachers of all meditation traditions emphasize that it does not matter so much whether we sit this way or that way, do this meditation or that meditation; what matters is whether our meditation counteracts our mental afflictions.
This is an extremely important point, and one I believe is frequently overlooked. So often we hear studies indicating that meditation has all sorts of wonderful benefits. Beautiful posters tell us that if we all meditated the world would be a peaceful place. Unfortunately, these claims are often out of context and not entirely true.
Meditation can have a beneficial, non-beneficial, or neutral effect on us. We can use meditation to escape the responsibilities and challenges of life, or to face them. We can use meditation to concentrate all our energy on selfish means, or on helping others. We can do elaborate meditations working with energy and, without proper guidance, actually damage our bodies. We can also use certain meditations, understanding their specific purpose and with guidance from a qualified teacher, that enable us to alleviate, if not eliminate, mental and physical afflictions, and improve our quality of life.
So remember: When learning to meditate it is important to understand the purpose of the meditation, the directions of the meditation, and how it addresses our afflictions. The shamatha meditation I suggest is very safe, easy to learn, and can be extremely effective in cultivating attentional balance.
Because many of us do not have a great deal of freedom and time to participate in hours of training, practice, and meditation, it is important to use what little time we do have to meditate in the most effective way. Most people I’ve taught over the years are fortunate if they have thirty minutes a day to dedicate to formal meditation practice. We lead very busy lives, and it can be challenging to break old habits and create the time for a meditation practice.
So, if you are able to meditate for only ten, twenty, or thirty minutes, why not choose the meditation that directly counteracts our biggest obstacle, the unruly mind? That is the specific purpose of shamatha meditation practice. Developing a regular shamatha practice will even improve the quality of your other meditation practices, as is provides a greater level of mental stability for them.
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