Wednesday, October 25, 2006
weekday evening meditatiOn, etc.
There has been some requests for meditation sessions on weekday evenings as the current class is on Saturday mornings. We are very very happy to hear this clamour! It is a sign for a maturing practice. Looking at the current timetable, we can have these sessions either on Monday 8:00-9:00pm or Wednesday 8:45-9:45pm. Please let us know your preference and we will get these going.
. . .
As for requests for guided loving-kindness meditation instructions, we are happy to provide for our yogis free audio CDs at our studio from today - so ask for these when you come to class if you are interested. The recordings are by a teacher I practiced with, Venerable Mahinda, whose kind and good-natured demeanour so imbued the instructions with an added power of authenticity: I keep thinking, "here's the living example, the clear proof, of the beneficial outcome of the practice!" Whenever I hear his voice, I recall the earnestness and humility he brought to the instructions at the Metta (Loving-kindness) Meditation Retreat I attended and I am moved to become even more motivated in my practice. ;-)
You can also download guided meditation instructions for loving-kindness meditation instructions and Vipassana Meditation, as well as explanations about the practices from the following website: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm
I practised under Venerable Pannyavaro and I recall his precise instruction - always challenging us to see and think clearly - his deep learning and his commitment to the practice. I've benefitted much from the instructions he gave me during a Vipassana Meditation Retreat he conducted. May you benefit from these too.
Also available at our studio is a CD for guided meditation for relaxation by Venerable Kwang Sheng (the current abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery). This is available in Chinese and English tracks. . . and with a choice of either backgroud music or the sound of flowing water! Essentially, this is a comprehensive body scan technique which is great for deep relaxation and an excellent prelude for other forms of meditation.
. . .
While the instructions are by Buddhist monks and stem from the tradition, these do not invoke particular deities nor do they force you to believe in any religious dogma. The instructions are given in a straight-forward manner with a focus the practical, even mechanical aspects of how to practice meditation. The purpose of these meditations are to relax body and mind, nurture loving intentions and to learn to observe, understand and cultivate the mind for yourself.
. . .
Suggested sequence of practice is: body scan, loving-kindness, then mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight or Vipassana) meditation. You can also do each on its own. Just be sure of which you are doing and not flip-flop between the different practices when you are sitting and confuse yourself.
I find it helpful to download these to your PDA or mp3 player then you can have a portable meditation teacher with you all the time! For beginners, it is helpful to have such recordings because the consistency of each session is available to you - it may not be possible to have such good guidance at your convenience otherwise. The repeated encounters which are the same each time, create mental habits which allows you to achieve a reasonable ease in settling down to meditate each time you practice. After a while when you become familiar with these instructions, and have internalised them, you can do away with the recordings and build up on your own skills. Then, as I said to some of you, you can get to the really interesting part of your practice of meditation!
It is beneficial to your meditation practice to. . .
. . . practice regularly, have a similar time and place for practice - set a daily time for practice, the time may not be long, but it must be regular - this encourages consistency and makes it easy for you to settle the mind. Remember: You don't find time to practise, you make time for practice. If something like understanding and developing your mind is important to you, don't you want to make time for this?
. . . take care of your health and not over-indulge in pleasing your senses - poor health and having our 5 senses overstimulated with indulgences creates a busy busy mind which makes it hard to settle down, relax and watch mental processes just because there are too many things going on very fast in your mind - this is especially hard for beginners to cope with.
. . . practice with and associate with others who are also practising, especially, with those who are more established in their practice - this keeps you motivated and consistent
. . . while written instructions and recorded guided instructions help us start a habit for regular practice, it is important to seek out a teacher/mentor who can guide you as you encounter obstacles and insights or have questions.
On why we need to meditate, read our many earlier posts, including this one: http://momentomyoga.blogspot.com/2006/04/were-running-serious-business-here.html
. . .
The guided meditation recordings are given with a lot of compassion and are free of charge because it is considered beyond material value. If you feel you've benefitted from the instructions -- then share it with others, you can make copies for your friends or donate to support the replication of more copies for distribution. Donation details are enclosed in the CDs and on the website.
. . .
Y Thanks, in particular, to Betty, Michelle Khoo, Leon and all Saturday meditators, for your enthusiasm and feedback. May you grow in your practice. . . walk on and meditate your way to liberation!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
As for requests for guided loving-kindness meditation instructions, we are happy to provide for our yogis free audio CDs at our studio from today - so ask for these when you come to class if you are interested. The recordings are by a teacher I practiced with, Venerable Mahinda, whose kind and good-natured demeanour so imbued the instructions with an added power of authenticity: I keep thinking, "here's the living example, the clear proof, of the beneficial outcome of the practice!" Whenever I hear his voice, I recall the earnestness and humility he brought to the instructions at the Metta (Loving-kindness) Meditation Retreat I attended and I am moved to become even more motivated in my practice. ;-)
You can also download guided meditation instructions for loving-kindness meditation instructions and Vipassana Meditation, as well as explanations about the practices from the following website: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm
I practised under Venerable Pannyavaro and I recall his precise instruction - always challenging us to see and think clearly - his deep learning and his commitment to the practice. I've benefitted much from the instructions he gave me during a Vipassana Meditation Retreat he conducted. May you benefit from these too.
Also available at our studio is a CD for guided meditation for relaxation by Venerable Kwang Sheng (the current abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery). This is available in Chinese and English tracks. . . and with a choice of either backgroud music or the sound of flowing water! Essentially, this is a comprehensive body scan technique which is great for deep relaxation and an excellent prelude for other forms of meditation.
. . .
While the instructions are by Buddhist monks and stem from the tradition, these do not invoke particular deities nor do they force you to believe in any religious dogma. The instructions are given in a straight-forward manner with a focus the practical, even mechanical aspects of how to practice meditation. The purpose of these meditations are to relax body and mind, nurture loving intentions and to learn to observe, understand and cultivate the mind for yourself.
. . .
Suggested sequence of practice is: body scan, loving-kindness, then mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight or Vipassana) meditation. You can also do each on its own. Just be sure of which you are doing and not flip-flop between the different practices when you are sitting and confuse yourself.
I find it helpful to download these to your PDA or mp3 player then you can have a portable meditation teacher with you all the time! For beginners, it is helpful to have such recordings because the consistency of each session is available to you - it may not be possible to have such good guidance at your convenience otherwise. The repeated encounters which are the same each time, create mental habits which allows you to achieve a reasonable ease in settling down to meditate each time you practice. After a while when you become familiar with these instructions, and have internalised them, you can do away with the recordings and build up on your own skills. Then, as I said to some of you, you can get to the really interesting part of your practice of meditation!
It is beneficial to your meditation practice to. . .
. . . practice regularly, have a similar time and place for practice - set a daily time for practice, the time may not be long, but it must be regular - this encourages consistency and makes it easy for you to settle the mind. Remember: You don't find time to practise, you make time for practice. If something like understanding and developing your mind is important to you, don't you want to make time for this?
. . . take care of your health and not over-indulge in pleasing your senses - poor health and having our 5 senses overstimulated with indulgences creates a busy busy mind which makes it hard to settle down, relax and watch mental processes just because there are too many things going on very fast in your mind - this is especially hard for beginners to cope with.
. . . practice with and associate with others who are also practising, especially, with those who are more established in their practice - this keeps you motivated and consistent
. . . while written instructions and recorded guided instructions help us start a habit for regular practice, it is important to seek out a teacher/mentor who can guide you as you encounter obstacles and insights or have questions.
On why we need to meditate, read our many earlier posts, including this one: http://momentomyoga.blogspot.com/2006/04/were-running-serious-business-here.html
. . .
The guided meditation recordings are given with a lot of compassion and are free of charge because it is considered beyond material value. If you feel you've benefitted from the instructions -- then share it with others, you can make copies for your friends or donate to support the replication of more copies for distribution. Donation details are enclosed in the CDs and on the website.
. . .
Y Thanks, in particular, to Betty, Michelle Khoo, Leon and all Saturday meditators, for your enthusiasm and feedback. May you grow in your practice. . . walk on and meditate your way to liberation!