Meditation: A Practice for Peace

Meditation: A Practice for Peace By McKenna Valdez

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

He moved on to a grove, where he found a papal tree under which he could sit in isolation. The paths suggested by others had not worked for him. Abandoning the path or rigid asceticism, he practiced a form of meditation that did not cause such bodily pain. It was in that state of meditation that he became enlightened, the Buddha (World Religions, pg. 113). The Buddha that is commonly known among man, Siddartha who was once just like us, became The Buddha through enlightenment from his own personal meditation. The enlightened one knew that he had overcome the ignorance that leads to suffering with the knowledge that brings release (World Religions, pg. 114). Siddartha found his way to enlightenment through his own personal meditative state. The purpose of this piece is to identify what benefits Buddhists feel they receive through the practices of meditation, practices that begun with Siddartha, the Buddha himself. As I drove to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temple in downtown Salt Lake, I could feel my nerves acting up. I am not a nervous person, I rarely feel negatively affected by daunting encounters, but for some reason the particular decision to attend a religious service not of my own faith seemed to be as scary as a banshee to a 4-year-old. As I pulled in, after searching and searching for the right place to park, I began to feel myself getting more and more anxious. I walked up to the large brown doors, took a deep breath, and locked. The doors were locked. I looked around nervously, it was nearing 6:30, and although I am an intimidating 4 feet tall, I began to fear of every scary thing that occurs after 3:00 pm. I knocked and knocked, hoping that someone was inside and that I hadnt driven an hour just to turn around and go home. I rang the bell and knocked again still nothing. As I turned away to walk back to my car and call it quits, I noticed a small white attachment to the large brown building. On the door there read a sign:

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

Meditation: 6:30, Wednesday Evening. I swung open the door and was greeted by the familiar smell of incense. The building seemed to be empty, just a hallway with one open door to a lit room with all sorts of colorful pillows on the floor. I stood patiently waiting for the arrival of someone, anyone, that might have a clue as to what was going on, and could perhaps direct me. A man walked in and I hesitated, nervous that he might think I was some random stranger asking about his life and completely disregard me. I built up the courage and looked his way and asked him if he was there for meditation, No, he responded, I come on Sundays. But Jorgen is here, he should be coming in to lead any minute. After a moment, the man left and in walked an older man with a full head of gray hair and a friendly smile. He stuck out his hand, Hi, Im Jorgen. He led me down the hall to the lit room with the pillows, what I was expecting to see, benches, altars, candles and maybe an Asian or two, was not what I got. We take our shoes off here, Jorgen told me as we stood outside the room. It was bright, well lit, with cushions and pillows on the floor, and a beautiful golden image of the Amida Buddha. As I looked around the room my anxiety lessened and I realized that this experience of a whole different world to me, would be one that I would forever remember, and maybe even come back to. As we waited for others to arrive to begin our meditation, I had the opportunity to interview Jorgen, a practicing Jodo Buddhist of six years. He started with something that I immediately wrote down, Meditation allows me to open up my mind to my beliefsI am given the opportunity to think about my made up beliefs I am not good enough, or I cannot be loved and then focus on them and think, are these beliefs true? (Jorgen, 2014) Given the

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

opportunity to meditate allows one to open up to the mind, to the body, and to really feel what is going on within. Before we sat down to begin our meditation, I was informed that we are to bow first to our Zafu, a round thick cushion for sitting meditation (Dictionary.com, 2014), and to our Zabuton, a large square cushion used for sitting meditation often as a mat under another cushion(Dictionary.com, 2014). After we bowed to our mats, showing respect for the meditation and work that was about to be done, we then bowed toward those around us, respecting and recognizing the work that they were about to perform. I notice that those around me are beginning already to prepare for their meditative practice. The lights have been lowered and we have all sat atop our zafus, patiently awaiting Jorgens direction. He informs us that he has decided to have a specific focus for the evening meditation: to focus on our anxieties, locate them in our bodies and their sources, and determine why they are there. One of the elements of this practice that stuck with me the most, and at the time really had a dramatic effect on me was the ringing of the bell by Jorgen. It looked like a small glass or ceramic bowl black with an intricate white design. Before we began to meditate Jorgen rang the bell one time. After doing some research I learned that there are many forms of terminology used to define this bell. It can be referred to as a Meditation Bell, Zen Bell, Mindfulness Bell among many other various names (onbeing.org). The sound of this bell was different than any I have ever heard. It was so peaceful, yet demanding with a sound that was deep and strong but not too loud and not at all obnoxious. I asked Jorgen later the purpose of the bell, he informed me that it is to begin to allow one to enter their meditative state (Jorgen 2014).

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

After we meditated for about thirty minutes, Jorgen broke the silence by ringing the bell three times. Coming back into the normal world seemed strange to me at this point. Throughout the meditation you could sense the feeling of calm and connectedness that existed between those of us who were meditating. The peace was overwhelming. Meditation has two important benefits: Meditation prevents stress from getting into the system and meditation releases accumulated stress that is in the system. Both of these happen simultaneously, leaving one refreshed and joyful (Artofliving.org). Jorgen began to discuss with the group the feelings that were felt and the anxieties that we were realizing as we really began to focus on them through our meditation, reaching deep down within to locate where they were held in our bodies and why it was that those anxieties existed in the first place. He explained the importance of recognizing these anxieties, pinpointing them and then analyzing them. Why were they there and causing us to feel hurt or sad or angry? He then asked each of us what we felt; did we sense ourselves drawing nearer to our inner self in order to locate these issues within?

As the group discussed the anxieties and then the sense of calmness I was able to witness first-hand the benefits felt by practicing Buddhists. Many made comments, including myself, about the difficulty of obtaining and then retaining the focus of meditation. Keep a 45 degree gaze of eyes open, aware of the things around you, but focused on your own thoughts Jorgen gently reminded me before we began (Jorgen 2014). I recalled this as I explained that it took me quite a while to overcome my desires to scratch my arm or adjust my sitting position. I was not the only one who struggled with this by any means, but once that focus was really truly obtained, I was able to fully reap the benefits of meditation and begin to understand it.

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

The sense of overwhelming calm and peace of the room, of those around me, all due to the meditation that we had just practiced was honestly an incredible experience. In order for the Buddhists to reach Nirvana the state of being free of egocentrism and the suffering it causes they must practice this meditation. Find a way to inner peace. For me, this practice was extremely enlightening, and I immediately understood why the practice of meditation was so important to practicing Buddhist peoples.

In our interview, Jorgen informed me that he does not only practice meditation in the traditional sense in a group, with incense, etc. He said boldly, You can meditate anywhere!! Thats the best part about it! Find something that requires your focus washing dishes, weeding the garden, and then allow yourself to simply put all of your focus into just that. Dont think about the laundry you should be doing or the doctors appointment tomorrow, just think and focus on the now. Allow yourself to meditate (Jorgen, 2014). There are countless medical benefits of meditation, On a physical level meditation can help - lower cholesterol, lower levels of blood lactate reducing anxiety attacks, decrease and tension-related pain headaches, ulcers, insomnia, increases serotonin production improving mood and behavior, improves the immune system, and increases energy level as you gain an inner source of energy level(artofliving.org). These benefits alone are reason enough to have a desire to meditate. But are these the reasons that Buddhists meditate? When I asked Jorgen this specific question, do you meditate specifically for the medical benefits of meditation? He responded, Well, not only for those reasons, of course. I practice my meditation because I receive countless benefits from the practice. It helps me rid of the monkey chatter in my head, and really allows me to explore my own beliefs of myself (Jorgen, 2014).

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

I believe that through my personal experience with attending the Jodo Shinshu Temple to practice my own meditation, my interview with Jorgen, and my research, the only conclusion to the question of: what benefits do Buddhists receive from practicing meditation, is that there are endless benefits. Endless reasons behind the practice: medical benefits, inner peace, understanding, clarity of the mind, and countless other reasons. If anything, what I learned is that members of every religion, peoples of every belief or disbelief should take note from the Buddhists: meditation is one of the best things that ever happened to them, and if we allow it, it can be one of the best things to ever happen to us.

Meditation: A Practice for Peace

Works Cited
artofliving.com. 2013. 20 February 2014. Dictionary.com. 24 February 2014. 24 February 2014. Jorgen. Interview. McKenna Valdez. 19 February 2014. Matthews, Warren. World Religions. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2007. onbeing.org. 2012. 24 February 2014.