meditation

stillness in action

WHAT IS MEDITATION ?

Meditation is usually misunderstood. Meditation with a goal is not true meditation, but a method ; and a method, in this case, is a childish activity that will lead to nothing except inflating the "I". The "I",  the "me" will boast itself having seated thousand of hours on a cushion, but this will lead to no avail as long as there is any motive behind. (Krishnamurti)

Meditation is the continuation of the Realization (View), and can be practiced while seating, standing or walking, and further be pursued in all daily activities. Meditationg is just familiarization with what has been realized. 

WHEN SHOULD WE MEDITATE ?

Meditation goes hand in hand with the culture of attention. One cannot meditate without being attentive. The question then comes down to asking, "When should we be attentive?", And the answer is, "At any time." One must meditate at all times, because being attentive is a healthy state of mind as opposed to being distracted, which is not. You do not ask, "When should I be healthy?" In the same way, one should remain aware in all circumstances. In addition, life is a permanent teaching. But how can you be taught if you are not fully attentive. Our daily meditation session is only a reminder, not a daily accomplishment. 

In the beginning, meditation may seem constrained and artificial, because we associate it with a goal, but in the long run, goals vanish and give way to mere and natural practice of attention. The so-called ego relaxes its grip. The meditation cushion remains, but the meditator disappears. 

The habit of meditation dispels the fog that hides things as they are. When you see things as they are - not as you wish, or as you were told them to be - reacting to situations makes no sense. When it rains, it rains; when the weather is nice, the weather is nice. You cannot change it and you do not want to change it anymore. The usual reactions that make up our lives are unnecessary. People think they live when in fact they are merely reacting. Meditation prevents from the trap of ceaseless reaction.

Once you understand this, you don't count your practice in years or months, but you decide to dedicate the whole remainder of your life to practice.


Facilitator :

Seiun Dôsen was ordained a monk by Zen Master Taisen Deshimaru, whom he followed from 1969 until his death in April 1982. He then participated in Jiddu Krishnamurti's education program until 1993, when he joined the Nyingma branch of Tibetan Buddhism. He practiced and taught dzogchen until 2006 before participating in the traditional three-year retreat. In 2012, he was admitted to the Bön tradition of Dzogchen by Lopön Tenzin Namdhak. While adhering to the simplicity of Zen tradition for practice, his unique approach combines Zen and Dzogchen for understanding.