Achieving Mindfulness through Buddhist Meditation and Prayer
Introduction
Meditation or what is known as Sanskrit Samadhi is a state of resting and being in a state of concentration. During meditation, a persona gains a balance of awareness and the ability to recognize the inner power. An important point to understand about meditation is that the connectedness between a student and a teacher or a doctor and a patient is the same connectedness that is required in meditation techniques. This is because, meditation helps one realize inner potential. Therefore, a positive relationship is required so that during meditation, a person can understand the judgment's attitudes and beware of the cause to gain enlightenment. Mindfulness can be defined as a process where a person pays attention to the present moment to understand internal events. During mindfulness, a person does not concentrate on changing internal events but controls the event. Mindfulness is not contemplation (right concentration), it is not a form of prayer, it is not a form of communication, and it is not a method to prevent negative behaviors. Meditation is having a deep relaxation to gain calmness and access the true self. There is a proverb that says "when the pupils are ready, the teacher will come". Similarly, when a person quiets the mind, he gains insights and understands the right direction. Meditation according to Buddhism teaching is based on perception or in other words using perception to understand our lives and overcome harmful ways. For instance, Buddha had a painful disease and he was given the perception and he received healing. Likewise, individuals should engage in meditation through perception. The latter helps understand the body and mind. The process reveals experiences whether solid or undesirable and the understanding provides a cultivating purified perception that brings freedom from physical and mental suffering. Apart from focusing on perception during meditation, individuals should engage in concentration mediation which means having a gentile calm and focus in the experience, the mind will settle and become calm and emotional turmoil will decrease. Second, a person should engage in insight mediation or have a deeper understanding of our lives. Exploring the roots of Buddhist meditation, its nature of consciousness, and analyzing saint’s emphasis on the awareness of prayer, one can dissect the concept of mindfulness and its significant and long-lasting impact.
Meditation in Burma during colonial times
Ledi Sayadaw showed his interest in studying Buddhist doctrine and protecting the Buddhist religion. During the 20th century, Ledi had empowered many people who were willing to understand the Buddhist literature. Ledi focused on Abhidhamma, a philosophical text that provides people with highly valued teachings (Braun, 5). During this period, the largest part of Burma was conquered during the war and in trying to figure out how the British power controlled the country, Ledi established abstruse Buddhist doctrine so that the British could not destroy the country (Braun, 5). Another strategy that Ledi used was establishing forms of meditation. In particular, meditation was a solution to the social disruption that had occurred in the country.
Meditation allowed people to reflect on the past and focus on the present to achieve a realization (Braun, 6). Meditation was classified into two types: calming which means having a great concentration and insight meditation. Calming comes first as it allows a person to have a stable mind and insight comes second as its role is to allow gain an understanding of the nature of life. That said, calming meditation requires an effort since one is required to have attention or penetrating focus whereas insight requires a mindful observation. Braun (6) notes that before the colonial period, meditation was practiced but Ledi made it an important practice after the colonial period. Ledi noted that "Maturity of knowledge is the main, the one thing required" (Braun, 6). When talking about meditation, Ledi would convince people that meditation could be achieved through study, or in other words, the Buddha teachings would help people understanding meditation. Before the colonial era, meditation was practiced in Burma, not as a form of mindfulness but as a form of study. Buddhism laypeople wanted to learn virtuous behaviors. Ledi Sayadaw was a monk in Burma and he could teach and gain fame. Since Ledi was well known as a person with a knowledge of human nature, many people were interested in learning his practice and in particular meditation teachings (Braun, 7). A metaphor that can help understand meditation is a wind drives waves that blow and washes the sand grains. Similarly, meditation is a process where a person gains relaxation and reflects on the present movement.
Another important point about Buddhist meditation is cultivation. The latter means that meditation is not just namely a practice. Rather, a person needs practical training. In specific, Buddhism used "precepts' in everyday life to gain a conceptual meaning of the cultural and social systems (Loyola, 9). Meditation practice had a cultivation meditation or a process in which Buddhism concentrates on one's mind to promote spiritual enhancement and character. The goal of cultivation to gain wisdom that helps understand the authentic self. Cultivation helps understand that meditation is not only about focusing on the present moment but one needs to focus on mind and body (Levey & Michelle, 2). According to the Buddhist philosophy, there are things which do not have an ego and such things require denial of self (Levey & Michelle, 2). Thus, one needs to practice meditation and this is what is known as cultivation. In Buddhism, lay people followed precepts that allowed them to go beyond the social norms. For example, the precepts say not to kill, steal, commit adultery, and other moral laws. Thus, Buddhists had a religious cultivate that surpass secular standards. Cultivation promoted character formation in that individuals did not live as average persons but they established norms or self-vow precepts that were connected with meditation (Levey & Michelle, 3). To achieve mindfulness through meditation and prayer, on need cultivation, or the act of creating a link between the self and the external world. In general, cultivating meditation is having a love and kindness and all negative characters such as aversion, discontent, ill-will, and cruelty will be abandoned. One needs to consider the external world and uncover the good qualities.
Harvey (171) states that on the language of Buddhism, two scholarly languages are used and they will help understand the historical root of Buddhism meditation. Ancient India used Pali whereas Sanskrit is used in Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism is used in Northern and Eastern Buddhism. However, the commonly used term in Pali, a term that was used in early Buddhism. Buddhism has about 2500 years since discovery and today, Buddhism has a dominant cultural force in the world (Harvey, 171). Buddha means 'Awakened One'. This means that people do not understand the nature of life and they are in a deep sleep. However. Buddha's are "perfect ally Awaked Ones" (Harvey, 172). This means that Buddha adheres to the Buddha guidelines and therefore they are awakened. Buddhism is concerned about the awakening of human beings for them to gain transformation. Buddha encourages people to focus on understanding and realization. Individuals are expected to follow the Buddha teachings for them to attain libertarian. However, during the Christianity era, another form of Buddhism was established. Mahayana was the second Buddhism that focuses on holy behavior being. Mahayana has guidelines that people should follow. However, Mahayana has several sophisticated philosophies. Since almost of Buddhist schools use early cannon teachings, changes have been made following the addition of systematizing texts peculiar (Harvey, 173). For example, the early canons have Vinaya and another section has Abhidhamma. Today, Buddhism in India and beyond, and in all areas, concentrates on spiritual development. For instance, in Southern Buddhism, Buddhist worship nature gods whereas in as Sri Lank, Buddhist worship cults. When Buddhist worship minor powers, they believe that it is a way of seeking help.
The secularization of meditation mindfulness
The sole objective of a sacred meditation is to create a superior state or rather bring wholeness. However, the Westernization of meditation is not secular, or in other words, its focus on controlling the psychobiological processes (McMahan, 3). Note that a sacred meditation focus on enlightenment. However, there is sacred meditation in Eastern cultures, and meditation through mindfulness is no longer used for spiritual enlightenment but it is used as a method to reduce stress and anxiety (Rao, 301). Eastern and Western cultures have a scientific understanding that motivate them to use drugs to promote meditative practices. A point to note is that in the Buddhist tradition, meditation practices involve observation of the present event. The practice had a positive effect on psychology and cognition but the securitized program has modified the mindfulness principles. Today, meditation practices have been incorporated in the psychotherapy program and therapeutic intervention to ease the mind and body. Even though modern culture is practicing mindfulness meditation practices, they do not focus on promoting spiritual enlightenment but rather, their aim goal is to manage stress. A point to understand is that the general wisdom about physical science has contributed to bias and external pressure. The problem with secularization is that individuals’ focus on scientific constructs which restrict them from having free will (Rao, 301).The Western and Eastern cultures have relaxed the traditional cultures and the consequences are failure to have awareness of mental activity. During meditation practices, individuals have unconscious motivations and hence awareness is not accessible. According to the Buddies doctrine, consciousness is associated with mystical realization. This means that a person can distinguish between representational knowledge and unmediated knowledge. Another point is that consciousness allows individuals to understand cognition and conduct and the result is self-actualizing experiences (Rao, 301). Realization plays a significant real in life as it allows humans to make distinctions between belief and behavior, and conduct and values. However, the Western and the Eastern model raises an empirical claim o about how individuals will achieve a state of pure consciousness.
Mindfulness in Buddhist Meditation and Prayer
Buddhism's perception of mindfulness comes from Buddhism teachings about the craving and need for self-centered enjoyment. Craving means that individuals lack accurate knowledge and for this reason, people crave sensual pleasures. People are ignorant or in other words, they are uninformed about important things in life. Knowledge allows people to understand things in a distorted manner and ultimately, they lack enjoyment and sensual beauty (Levey & Michelle, 189). That said, individuals need conscious awareness and Buddha's path is the only way where people can gain a cognitive breakthrough and achieve final victory However, for people to eliminate ignorance and gain final freedom, they need mental training. In Buddhism, individuals require 'anupassana' which means close and repeat over time to achieve the insight and ultimate liberation (Levey & Michelle, 189). In general, individuals need a perceptual transformation and the transformation entails five steps that yield great fruit and benefit. For example, the perception transformation known as Girimanfnad Sutta focuses on illness and decay. However, in western Cultural, Buddhism meditation through mindfulness is another form of liberating insight. Girimanda Sutta also focuses on meditation practices which are derived from the Pali Buddhist tradition (Wallace, 37).
On mindfulness meditation, (Seaward, 149) says that mindfulness is being fully present to every activity. For example, when washing a cup, a person pays attention to running water and soap and how to handle the cup. Likewise, mindfulness is paying attention to everything we have in life or to all activities. Seaward (151) talks about how to incorporate meditation and assert that the first step is to dedicate time to a particular activity. For example, while brushing teeth, do not take it as a casual leisure activity. Instead, take five minutes to pay attention to the activity. The second step is to find a place for meditation in your inner heart. This means that since meditation is in you, you can practice it anywhere anytime. What is needed is having a conscious focus despite life changes. The third step is to have a mind-body connection. Note that mindfulness plays many roles such as helping an individual relieve pain and stress. Therefore, to achieve the goal of meditation, one needs to have a deep insight into the things you are doing. Gunaratana provides similar steps such as finding a quiet place, settle and relax, focus on the present moment, and be gentle and flexible.
Focusing on early Buddhism mediation, Arbel (137) asserts that sati is a concept in Buddhism meditation practice. Sati means having a present memory that will enable achieve real knowledge. Sati is an important concept that protects the mind from unwholesome states and ensures that the mind focuses on wholesome. Sati provides the insight to view the right effort and ensures that the person has pre-conceptual attention. Another important point is that in mediation practice, sati provides a specific observation that reveals the true nature (Arbel, 138). However, Buddha does not define sati as a memory but he says that sati is a mental quality that helps attain awakening. Buddha suggests that mindfulness is not only reflecting to the past but it also entails paying attention to the present experience. This process requires observation and in this case, 'sati' helps a person observe on psychological dimensions. In other words, the role of sati is to ensure that the mind focuses on the experiential field. It provides a pre-conceptual awareness through a cognitive process and cultivation. Another important point to note about sati in Buddhism mindfulness is that sati is not connected to thinking and intention. That sati is a form of consciousness that is developed fully and it is affected by conceptual constructions. Sati is not linked to desire and ignorance and thus it does not need intentional effort to create awareness (Arbel, 138). This indicates that sati has an 'automatic' function and hence it has an awakened awareness. Thus, sati facilities insight by providing sustained attention. (146)
Mindfulness through awareness in prayer
Despite the Secularization of meditation mindfulness, Buddhism is still meditating the reality of expressing themselves devotionally through prayers. Buddhism pray to the existing beings and they pray to deity yoga. These prayers overlap Christian prayer and this means that Christians have been influenced by the Buddhism way of praying. For example in the first prayer, Buddhism prays for invisible superhuman beings. Buddhism believes that these beings exist as saints or angels and they have the power to respond to petitions (Martin, 74). Buddhism also prays to the deity and they believe that deities are real beings who have the power to provide spiritual empowerment. Similarly, Christians pray to God and believe that he will respond to petition. This shows that Christianity overlap with Buddhist prayer since they both have an ultimate reality that prayers will be answered. Another important point is that prayers and beliefs can make a difference in one's life and therefore, Buddhism and Christiana mediate by rejoicing and making prayers of gratitude. Michele (189) says that “Silent meditation, without thoughts, totally open, awake, and aware, this is absolute prayer!” This statement shows that a contemplative prayer reveals the awareness of God and the relationship between God and humans.
On meditation and prayer, Garret (62) assert that prayer and meditation are different things. Prayer is communicating with God and meditation is listening to the 'still voice' of God. A person can pray for guidance, give thanks, to ask for divine power, and other many purposes. For example, popular people such as Ignatius of Loyola and Francis of Assisi advise about humility, penance, and being wholehearted while communicating with the Lord (Loyola, 9). The Benedictine Rule talks about fix-hour prayer and says that there should not be a specific hour of prayer. People usually pray three times a day but there is a radical change or a new rule that states that people should pray anytime they feel like talking to God. For example, Garret (62) says "The Miracle of Mindfulness". The author shows that a person can pray while doing other activities such as washing dishes. People are used to closing eyes and bowing heads but the Benedictine Rule focuses on awareness. Awareness during prayer means that a Christian should have an opportunity to pay attention to life. Note that Buddhism meditation practices are performed anywhere and anytime. Similarly, prayers should be performed anywhere and anytime even if it is in the office or homes.
Conclusion
The mindfulness topic teaches that everyone wants to be happy but if you want to be happy, you must clearly state what kind of happiness you want. Some want physical comfort, while others want mental contentment. The bad thing with physical happiness is that it is expensive as it solely focuses on material things. It has nothing to do with inner qualities but on a positive note, one can cope with difficulties and stresses that come on the way. Still, a person can choose to have mental contentment and be happy despite crises and suffering. The bottom-line of the issue of happiness is that according to Buddhism, happiness should come from within. Buddhist saints said that only fool people seek happiness outside. The wise know that genuine happiness and peace comes from within. However, to gain this happiness and inner peace, one needs a relaxed mind. When you have peace inside, things run smoothly in that it is easier to carry the daily task, understand the nature of life, and decide what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, the concept of mindfulness through prayer and meditation reveals that human beings need to understand their mind. Note that the mind is full of fear and anxieties that restricts us from having a bring future. However, when a person tames the mind and understands what is going on inside, one will have the confidence in addressing problems and finding happiness. The article reveals that mindfulness helps a person gain awareness of the thoughts both positive and negative. The important point to note is that it is not a crime having negative thought, what worsens the condition is not being mindful of the thought. Therefore, the process of mindfulness helps one focus on the feelings. Buddhists practice mindfulness to address their suffering and once a person gains a self-discovery, compassion for other people arise naturally. Thus, one should beware of the inner potential and the power to receive the perceptions. During meditation, one should be watchful and recognize capacities and capabilities as well as perceptions.
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