Nine Ways To Work Out On Salvation

[elvira wright]

The aim of Buddhist meditation is to contribute to World Peace. The
aim of Buddhist seekers is to attain Buddha's state of purity, inspire
others to strive for it and share the Dhamma or philosophy of Buddha.
The three facets of Buddhism are sila or morality, samadhi or
concentration and panna or intuitive wisdom.
Silence and celibacy are important tenets of Buddhist meditation. The
meditator is advised to eat lightly to prevent drowsiness and
circumvent desire for sensual pleasure. Buddha has even recommended
complete fasting from noon to the next morning, extolling the taste of
meditation, which dulls all apetite and taste for worldly food.
Cleanliness is another condition for Buddhist meditation or Vipassana,
as it is popularly known. Cleanliness brings clarity and lightness of
mind.
Though Buddhist meditation can be best done in a forest or under a
tree, in the absence of these, any quiet place can be earmarked. The
meditator sits quietly with his legs crossed. If there is difficulty
in sitting on the ground, one can sit on a chair. However, the pre-
condition is that the back should be erect. This is to avoid pain
which may occur while sitting for a long time and also to allow free
flow of energy within the body. The meditator now closes his eyes and
place his attention on his belly. He is asked to concentrate on his
breathing, watching the abdomen rise and fall with each inhalation and
exhalation. If the mind starts wandering, he just watches the thoughts
as a witness. If an external sound is heard during the meditation, the
meditator is aware of this sound as a direct experience.
The Buddhist meditation is not limited to time. It can be carried out
continuously during the day. On opening the eyes after a meditation
sitting, the meditator slowly open his eyes, at the same time watching
the act of opening his eyes. The sensations occuring in the body at
the time of opening the eyes are also observed. All the postures of
sitting up and walking away are also witnessed. Throughout the day,
the meditator keeps observing the actions of his body, such as
stretching, bending, eating, bathing, dressing, speaking, traveling,
reading, listening or any other activity that he might perform. He
notes each act with careful awareness. Buddhism extols that the seeker
should maintain continuous mindfulness during his wakeful hours.
Vipassana meditation is a process of developing positive mental
factors or controlling faculties. These are - faith, effort or energy,
concentration, mindfulness and wisdom. Daily practice of meditation
develops our faith, effort, concentration, mindfulness and insight or
wisdom (which is vipassana or looking inward). However, certain causes
must be present to enable this development to take place.

Attention must be diverted towards the impermanence or anitya (called
anicca in Pali, the language used by Buddhists) of all objects of
consciousness.
Attitude of care and respect in the practice of meditation.
Maintaining continuity in awareness.
An environment supporting meditation.
Remembering and creating situations helpful while practicing
meditation, to combat any difficulty or problem occurring during
meditation.
Cultivating qualities of the mind which would lead us towards our goal
i.e. enlightenment.
Willingness to undergo intensive meditation practices.
Patience and perseverance in facing problems.
A determination to continue the practices till nirvana or
enlightenment is attained.
It is said that a seeker can travel far even he is able to fulfil the
first three conditions. If he is aware of passing away of all
phenomena continuously, the inner hindrances to his meditation or
practices will slowly decrease. His mind will start becoming calm and
clear of hindrances or disturbances. He will start experiencing an
inner tranquility and peace. This faith leads to continued effort due
to the emergence of belief in his own practice and inspires him to
move ahead towards his goal.
This increases his mindfulness, which leads to deep concentration.
Once these qualities are embedded in him, wisdom cannot be far off. He
is now able to discern between mind and matter and also understand how
they are connected through cause and effect.
Vipassana meditation has been compared to the act of sharpening a
knife on a sharpening stone. The blade must be held at a right angle
and appropriate amount of pressure exerted. One must be meticulous and
maintain continuity, for best results. The Buddhist scriptures say
that similar is the spiritual practice. If meticulousness and
continuity are present in the seeker's practice, the mind will become
sharp enough to cut through the truth or ultimate reality.