Meditation

151. NO NEED TO BE A SLAVE

“The man who has no inner life is the slave of his surroundings.”

HENRI FREDERIC AMIEL (1821–1881), FRANCE

152. WHOLEHEARTED

“Meditating earnestly, the wise realize nirvana, the highest happiness.”

THE DHAMMAPADA

153. MEDITATION

Translated as dhyana in Sanskrit or jhana in Pali, meditation is a paramita (see page 49) of the Mahayana (Northern) tradition. Meditation simply means to cultivate and develop calm and peaceful awareness, concentration and insight. Eventually, sincere and dedicated practice can lead to the ultimate goal of enlightenment.

154. MUDRAS

Symbolic gestures made with the hands and fingers, which sometimes represent aspects of enlightenment, mudras are also often used as an aid to meditation. Often the Buddha is seen with his left hand upward in his lap, and his right fingertips pointing toward the earth. This is the bhumisparsha (earth-witnessing) mudra, which refers to the Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree (see pages 10–12).

155. THE POWER OF INSIGHT

“Stop talking and thinking, then there is nowhere you cannot go. Returning to the source, you gain the meaning; chasing forms, you lose the wholeness. A moment’s true insight transcends all.”

SOSAN (DIED 606), CHINA, THE THIRD ZEN PATRIARCH

156. HEART AND MIND

The ancient Indian master Santideva states: “Tigers, lions, elephants, bears, snakes, all enemies, guardians of hells and demons become controlled by controlling the mind alone. By subduing the mind alone, you subdue them all.” Once you have overcome your demons, they can become helpers and guardians to your meditation: their appearance is a normal part of practice, but they will eventually pass away.

157. BULL-HERDING PICTURES

Zen uses a series of ten images known as bull-herding pictures to illustrate practice. The bull represents the restless heart, which must be found, tamed and trained by the student of Zen, represented by the herdsman. In this picture the herdsman is playing a simple tune of joy, while being carried by the contented bull.

158. SINGLE-MINDEDNESS

A Zen monk retreated to a solitary mountain to meditate, but found it difficult to concentrate. One evening he saw a tiger crouched in nearby bushes. If he moved, the tiger would attack him – he had to remain still, in total absorption. When dawn came, the tiger gave up and left. The next two nights, the monk sat in the same place, and the tiger returned. At dawn on the third day, the monk experienced a great awakening, collapsed and died. At his funeral, a tiger was seen watching in the distance.