Peace from meditation
 

by Sajitha Prematunge

Finally, while tying the knot of the pirith nula, without just so much as a glimmer of doubt he claimed that I'm restless and irritable, and that I keep everything cooped up and suffer as a result. And I thought 'Not again.

Is this fortune -telling or what! This has happened to me far too many times. Was my face really a mirror reflecting my heart.' But then again this was no fortune-teller or even a normal lay person. "Do not ask me why and how I know" warned Ven. Bandarawela Amithananda Thera. Thus concluded my assignment for this week on Buddhism and its essence - meditation.

Lord Buddha was no supernatural being, he was a human being capable of doing extraordinary things with the phenomenal power of his mind, which he acquired through strenuous meditation. The noun 'Buddhist' is something that's constantly misunderstood in Sri Lankan society.

A Buddhist is an intelligent person who can discern right from wrong. A person does not need to be a Buddhist in a religious context to use the teachings of the Buddhist philosophy for the improvement of his or her life. Buddhism is not a religion but a realistic and practical philosophy, comprehended only by the intelligent.

Lord Buddha has himself said 'Pagnang waththassa ayang dhammo naayang dhammo duppagnassa' meaning 'my preaching is for the intelligent and not for the unintelligent' "The philosophy teaches how to please your mind instead of the five senses, which nobody hardly ever does these days.

Consequently anybody intelligent enough, tries to please the mind, irrespective of religion, race, cast, class or colour. The Buddhist philosophy can be grasped by any of the above." explained Ven. Bandarawela Amithananda Thera. "There is no other religious leader who has spoken directly to the intelligent mind."

Meditation is the most important of the three meritorious deeds preached by the Lord Buddha - dhana, sila, bhawana (alms giving, observing sil and meditating). "The contemporary definition of dhana is - 'giving' for the benefit of others.

However alms giving has originally meant letting go." Letting go of the yearning for comfort of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch through the five senses. "Observing sil does not merely mean physically being in a temple clad in white. Sil is the disciplining of the mind, speech and deed by way of weaning from 'yearning'.

With continuous effort this in itself becomes a certain source of meditation. Thus meditation needs to be coupled with dhana and sila. "As long as it's not practised in real life, no amount of meditation is of use."

There is no proper place or time for meditation. The effects of meditation has to be incorporated into life itself. Meththa meditation teaches how to dispel hatred. "It's not the mere repetition of the words 'siyalu sathwayo nidhuk wethwa, niroga wethwa.....' (may all beings be happy, healthy.....)" Mithree for all creatures has to be practised every passing moment of the day.

Asubha meditation teaches one to see the transience of all things, living and dead. Most people are intoxicated by their own beauty and fail to see the loathsome aspects of their own lives, concentrating on the impermanence of the five major defilements (kunapa) - kesa, loma (hair), naka (nails), dhantha (teeth), thacho (skin). People overwhelmed with yearning for worldly goods tend to overlook that they are subjected to death.

Maranaanussathi meditation teaches to accept and be ready for the impermanency of life, by concentrating on death. "A person whose mind is ignited with raga, dosa, moha (excessive craving, anger and ignorance) is able to acquire a mind free of excess craving, anger and ignorance through meditation, thereby causing a sense of calmness in this life and the next as believed by Buddhists.

Accordingly the cooling of the heated mind, by way of training, is meditation." Buddhists believe that this type of training will facilitate calmness. "The fire ignited by all toil brought on by reincarnation and sansara can be extinguished by meditation."

The major obstacle Sri Lankans face when it comes to meditation is their hectic life style.

But Ven. Bandarawela Amithananda Thera says that meditation does not require a certain place or time, nor does it demand a reason. True meditation is an attempt to break free from craving and yearning every time a thought occurs. This applies to every moment of every person's life.

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