Meditation
The modern world creates excitement but not happiness. This excitement disturbs our minds and upsets our nervous systems. Meditation is the only way to calm the mind and the nervous system in order to help us to lead a healthy life through spiritual development.
The Buddha has said, “Health is the highest gain.” If we neglect our health, no matter what we gain, we will lead a very miserable life. It is already established that meditation is the remedy for many physical and mental illnesses. Medical authorities and great psychologists the world over say that mental frustration, worries, miseries, anxieties, tension, and fear are the causes of many diseases. And even latent sickness will be aggravated through such mental conditions.
Naturally, the untrained mind is very elusive and persuades people to commit evil and become slaves to the senses. Imagination and emotions always mislead man if his mind is not properly trained. One who knows how to practice meditation will be able to control his mind when it is misled by the senses.
What is meditation? It is not mere thinking, it’s a different mental exercise. The basis is “concentration”, “ekaggata”. But “ekaggata” is not “samādhi”. Then what is “Samādhi”? Samādhi is the resultant attained through “ekaggatā”. It’s a tranquil state of mind, with which one can attain even higher – psychic powers.
The nature of the mind and the mental behavior is very beautifully explained with suitable similes in various Sutta .
Resilience Meditation
Let us now see a few terms used by the Buddha to explain the nature of the mind.
Ref. Dhammapada – Citta Vagga : “Phandanaṅ: throbbing; – Capalaṅ: fickle; – dunnivārayaṅ: difficult to guard. The mind trembles like a fish thrown on the ground, brought out from its watery home;
“Vārijo’va thale khitto okamokata ubbhato” – The simile used in this context is very graphic, and one can Visualize the trembling of the fish out of water.
Sududdasaṅ: exceedingly difficult to see; yattha kāma nipātinaṅ: falls wherever it wishes; –
dūrangamaṅ: travels far; asariraṅ: bodiless ………….
Another simile used in the Suttā- Piṭaka is that it is like a monkey “makkaṭakova”, that jumps from
one branch to another.
Buddha also emphasizes, that the protected mind brings happiness e.g. “Cittaṇ guttaṅ sukkāvahaṇ.”
“Cittaṅ dantaṅ sukhāvahaṅ” – A mind that is tamed brings happiness.”