Meditations

Here are a few meditations that I have found particularly useful:

1. Who am I?

Look into yourself and peel away everything that is not "you". Start with your waking life. You almost certainly peel off your roles, your possessions, your mannerisms, your emotions, your thinking. Dismiss anything that is not "you" at the deepest level. When you are ready, move into examining who the "I" is who is dreaming and how that is different from your waking self. Finally, think about deep, dreamless sleep - is there an "I" there and, if so what form does that "I" take. Was there an "I" while you were in deep, dreamless sleep. If so, what was its nature?

2. What am I?

Think of the vast distance bewtween the nucleus of an atom and the first electron (I have heard that if the nucleus was the size of a ping-pong ball, the first electron shell woudl be 8 miles away). In that space is a quantum field of nothingness giving rise to pairs of subatomic particles popping into and out of existence. Now think of these vast spaces of emptiness/fullness within your own body - to what extent is there an inside of you and and outside of you? Where do "you" begin and end? Are you as "solid" as you think you are? Where do "you" physically begin and end?

3. When is my self in time?

Where does the past exist? Where does the future exist? What exists other than the present moment? If only the present moment exists, what does that do to your sense of self? How is your self different from the present moment?

4. Where is my self?

Be still and identify where in your body your sense of self abides. (For many Westerners, it is immediately behind the eyes, for most of the rest of us, it is in their heart.) In your mind's eye, move that sense of self to another part of your body (say your heart) and then back to where it came from. Next begin to expand the sense of self until it fills your entire body - allow it to inhabit, fully, your full physical frame. If possible, in your mind's eye extend your sense of self out of your body and begin to explore how far this goes.

5. The Still Lake

This is not, necessarily, a transcendental exercise but it is useful. Lie down and relax. If you have calming music with headphones you can listen to that (I used Pachabel's Canon). Create a lake in your mind's eye, notice if it is calm or filled with waves. Imagine those waves generally reflect the activity of your mind (worry, thoughts, joys, concerns and so on). As you listen to the music, slowly calm "your" lake to the point that it refelcts the sky perfectly - not a ripple on it. Repeat this daily.

6. Big Mind

Do Genpo Roshi's Big Mind meditation on You Tube - start at the beginning and watch all of them. Then start doing this on your own or with a partner.

What meditations have you found useful?

© 2007. Matthew Wesley. All rights reserved.