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When Chong Lim gave me a book, Discovering Meditation by Godwin Samararatne, I thought what a fine book that was. Buddhist meditation techniques which encompasses a variety of meditation techniques aimed at developing mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight, had been said to be effective in alleviating anxiety and depression and had been used by psychologists and psychiatrists in the West most notably by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Alan Clements and Sharon Salsberg. With such great benefits from meditation, it is a shame sometimes to find that there is no clamouring for making meditation a very part of our lives, most specifically mine. Meditation, I suppose is more than what meets the eyes. It is not just passive sitting down; there's a lot of hard work involved, observing the rising and falling of the stomach as you try to breathe naturally and yes, a lot of pain too, which sometimes, when you are observing it, could twist and turn and evolve into something extremely excruciating. While in Makasar, Indonesia, Letchumy, someone sweet I met, told me about the meditation class which is held every Saturday night in the Singhalese Buddhist Temple in Assam Kumbang, Taiping which she patronises, the Bodhi Lankarama Buddhist Temple. I invited myself along, saying I'd like very much to join the class and would call her first thing after the Chinese New Year holidays. It must have been months since and I have yet to give her a call. Most of the time, there is this letharginess in us, me, I mean, and sometimes, there is the lack of time and we - I, I mean, have to attend a wedding or some other social function and there is always some work to do. When come to practising something good like meditation,even helping others, sometimes, there are 101 excuses. By the way, may I ask: About the 101 positions and 102 excuses in the illustration, what were you thinking of exactly? Over here, I am talking about meditation.I suppose there are not too many sitting or standing positions for meditation but definitely there are more than 102 excuses not to meditate...
When Chong Lim gave me a book, Discovering Meditation by Godwin Samararatne, I thought what a fine book that was. Buddhist meditation techniques which encompasses a variety of meditation techniques aimed at developing mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight, had been said to be effective in alleviating anxiety and depression and had been used by psychologists and psychiatrists in the West most notably by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Alan Clements and Sharon Salsberg. With such great benefits from meditation, it is a shame sometimes to find that there is no clamouring for making meditation a very part of our lives, most specifically mine. Meditation, I suppose is more than what meets the eyes. It is not just passive sitting down; there's a lot of hard work involved, observing the rising and falling of the stomach as you try to breathe naturally and yes, a lot of pain too, which sometimes, when you are observing it, could twist and turn and evolve into something extremely excruciating. While in Makasar, Indonesia, Letchumy, someone sweet I met, told me about the meditation class which is held every Saturday night in the Singhalese Buddhist Temple in Assam Kumbang, Taiping which she patronises, the Bodhi Lankarama Buddhist Temple. I invited myself along, saying I'd like very much to join the class and would call her first thing after the Chinese New Year holidays. It must have been months since and I have yet to give her a call. Most of the time, there is this letharginess in us, me, I mean, and sometimes, there is the lack of time and we - I, I mean, have to attend a wedding or some other social function and there is always some work to do. When come to practising something good like meditation,even helping others, sometimes, there are 101 excuses. By the way, may I ask: About the 101 positions and 102 excuses in the illustration, what were you thinking of exactly? Over here, I am talking about meditation.I suppose there are not too many sitting or standing positions for meditation but definitely there are more than 102 excuses not to meditate...
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