Ghost Stories

Buho, Owl, Assiolo, Hibou, Uil, originally uploaded by Sir Francis Canker Jones.

Life as a mindfulness practitioner is fun.   Now and then your friends who happen to run into an unusual situation would seek your advice.   One day, the author received a phone call from KL where a friend, let us call him Romeo, was visiting on a business trip.

"Umm, I need a little favour," Romeo started.

"I've got a colleague here.   She is a Chinese Malaysian and also a Buddhist.   Recently, she feels that there is a ghost in her house.   She feels someone is watching her all the time, especially at night.   She also said that sometimes things got knocked over around her house," Romeo explained.

"To solve the problem, she invited some Chinese specialists to pray on the compound. It did not work. This spooky experience disturbs her a lot and she is losing sleep over it. Can you help?" Romeo asked.

To tell you the truth, dear readers, of all the requests the author has received so far, this is most extraordinary.   If you were the author, what would you do?

As it turned out, Romeo did not give enough time for the author to decide what to do.   He quickly concluded, "Her name is KC. Now, you talk to her."   With that, he handed his mobile phone to his colleague.

 

Right.   The things we do to help our friends.   But that is exactly what friends are for, isn't it? You offer a free ghost-busting service for your friend's colleague!

Having no time to properly form a thorough answer, the first suggestion the author gave to KC was a spontaneous one.  Assuming there actually are sentient beings in her house, the author told KC to first give them Loving-Kindness.

Loving-Kindness meditation

Loving-Kindness or Metta meditation is probably the easiest type of meditation for everyone.   All we have to cultivate is our sincere compassion for other beings.   Many meditation teachers would let the yogi meditation practitioners, start with giving loving kindness to themselves.

To do so, one need not recite any actual Pali (for Theravada) or Sanskrit (for Mahayana) chant.   Simply repeat in your mother tongue, "May I be happy, peaceful and free from suffering," over and over again.   Some yogi believe that it helps if you do this Loving-Kindness exercise while sitting in a meditation posture, with your eyes closed. Some yogi found it helpful to also watch their breathing while repeating the Loving-Kindness phrase.

We can of course do Loving Kindness meditation in any posture, even when we walk.   What is important is to put sincere, utmost effort in giving yourself that Loving Kindness.

Once your mind starts to calm down, move on to give the same Loving-Kindness to those that we respect and love.   For Thais, the author would like to humbly suggest that we start with HM the King.   This is a fail-proof method for us Thai practitioners.   For when HM the King is the meditation focus point, you would notice that your mind and your body are easily overwhelmed with piti or joy.

Next, use that feel-good, joyous experience to continue to give Loving-Kindness to your parents, teachers, friends, etc.   At the end, your mind would be ready to give Loving-Kindness to each and every being in the universe, let alone those residing in your house.

Because you can give

Knowing that Loving-Kindness would only work if the person feels at peace with himself/herself, the author went on to give encouragement to KC by explaining that, in Buddhist teaching, those beings would only visit the person who has enough boon (merit) to share.   And precisely because of that, the author congratulated her for being a wholesome person, most likely blessed with a kind heart that loves to give, dhana, and live a virtuous life according to the five precepts, sila.

KC was pleasantly surprised.   She never thought of herself that way before.   Realising that she indeed is a kind person who has done a lot of good deeds, her mind was at peace.

Yet, the author knew that KC might still harbour some fears regarding those beings in her home, assuming there actually are some.   We humans tend to have fear of the unknown, you see.   Therefore, the author thought it would help to point out to KC that, more often than not, beings from other planes usually come to ask for merit and blessings from their blood relatives.   Therefore, they could be someone you have known, someone in your family.   It could be her beloved grandmother or great-great grandfather.

And this is the beauty of a Chinese family.   On top of the Chinese wholesome livelihood is the loving bond among the family and the respect for the elders.   The author then told KC to send her Loving-Kindness to those beings as if she would to a beloved family member.   In addition to giving Loving-Kindness, the author told her that she can also go make merit or do charity work and dedicate the boon to them. KC was delighted.

A Zen ghost story

KC's story reminds the author of a famous Zen "ghost story."   It is about a man who once had a beautiful and loving wife who one day became sick and died young.   Before she passed away, she made him promise that he would no longer seek a new love of his life, otherwise she would come to haunt him.

After she died, the man dutifully kept his promise.   Several months passed by and, as karma would have it, he fell in love again and got engaged to a new lady.   The night of the engagement, the ghost of his wife did really come to haunt him.   The ghost lamented that he is a bad husband, not keeping his promise, etc.   Naturally, the man was really scared.

Being haunted by the ghost every night, the man finally went to see a Zen master.   "Indeed the ghost is very intelligent," the master said, "She knew everything that happened between you and the new girl.   What you can do now is to praise her intelligence when she comes again.   But give her a deal.   Tell her that you have one question to ask.  If she indeed knows everything about you, then she would be able to answer.   If she could not, she has to let you go so that you can begin a new life."

That night, without fail, the ghost re-appeared.   After hearing the challenge, the ghost took the bait.   She insisted that she knows everything that happens to him.   The man then scooped up beans from a bag and demanded to know the number of beans in his hand.   At that very moment, the ghost disappeared and never came to bother the man again.

What we learn from this Zen ghost story is that, sometimes, the "ghost" in our life could be just an illusion of our own mind, our own conscience or our own imagination.   The reason that it is so real is because we are already very scared.   Being scared by our own thoughts is a sign of mindlessness.   In this Zen story, the master simply gave the man an appropriate tool to trigger his own mindfulness to work for him at the time that he needed it most.

At the moment of this writing, KC does not have a visit from invisible beings in her home anymore.   In fact, she even had a very good sleep the night we had that phone conversation.   So, even we cannot conclusively decide at this moment yet whether in fact there were invisible beings in KC's home or not, one thing is clear: fear starts first in one's own mind.   When we give a strong immunity to our mind by mindfulness practice, we will be less likely to get haunted by our own illusions or imagination.

With mindfulness/Zen, you will be able to see things as they really are.   With mindfulness/Zen, you will be at peace with yourself and you will have enough merit to dedicate to other beings, ghosts or otherwise.   Our lesson for this week is, therefore, do not wait until you actually run into a ghost in your house before you think about being generous (dhana), living a wholesome life (sila), and learning meditation (bhavana).

See you in two weeks' time.   Until then, let us always have that Loving-Kindness feeling to all beings in our heart.   It may come in handy, you know. Just ask KC.

Meditation FAQs

 

Two weeks ago in this column, we talked about the fairy-tale life of our friend Collette, who, like many contemporary Thais, has subconsciously suffered deep-rooted depression stemming from the political hullabaloo of the last few years.

Having led a perfect life before the depression hit, Collette did not realize what she had been missing until she went to a mindfulness meditation retreat.   What happened afterwards was a pure miracle.   Until the day of this writing, Collette still enjoys her daily surprises in the form of flashes of wisdom as she goes on living her busy life happily, thanks to her faithful, 30-minute-a-day walking and sitting meditation practice.

What is more surprising, to the author at least, is the amount of feedback the author received from that article on Collette's life. Some found it inspiring, saying it made them even more curious and interested in going to a retreat themselves.  Some who have already gone to the retreat forwarded that article to their friends who have yet to do so.   Some wondered if this fairy tale would be really possible for everyone. Others mused how long this "honeymoon period" of our protagonist would last.

Honestly, these questions sound pretty much like the 'Frequently-Asked Questions' (the FAQs) the author and those who have gone to a retreat always received in our daily life. M  ay be it is a good idea, then, to answer them here for the benefit of all readers.

 

Is such an amazing experience possible for all?

Yes. Seriously. And this is the most amazing thing about the miracle of mindfulness meditation. The practice is pretty straightforward: you reap what you sowed.  And, like we discussed two weeks ago, the author's friend did give 100% of her effort during the retreat.

Come to think about it, may be she actually gave 150% and, consequently, received such an enviable result!   As someone who enjoys a good life (meaning a gourmet's life) who is approaching the so-called 'golden age,' Collette has a slight physical challenge regarding sitting on the floor, even with supporting cushions.   As a result, she sustained more discomfort, not to mention more of the occasional meditation-induced pain, than most of us.

The highest wisdom in Buddhism, it should be noted, starts with one's ability to see the nature of suffering and understand it.    Fortunately for Collette, what she initially perceived as her drawback turned out to be her blessing in disguise.   For it was through her pain that her first true flashes of wisdom arose.    A very defining moment, it propelled her to a higher state of mind, a state that enabled her to sit with the pain with a smile. Right from that day until the end of the retreat.

Looking back, Collette said she realized that the pain-conquering experience alone is such an invaluable life asset. She now knows how to handle any physical or mental challenges in her life, right into the very last days of it.   Having seen grandparents and older relatives in their last moments, Collette knew how dreadful the pain for the terminally ill could be. When one becomes very ill with the kind of pain that modern medicine can no longer help, it is this very skill, mindfulness meditation skill, that we humans need the most.

Before going to the retreat, Collette never knew that, like everybody before her who gave 100%, she also has the capability to cultivate this valuable pain-conquering skill.    If the author had told her that she could acquire that in seven days, Collette would probably have said the author was crazy. Now it is Collette who enjoys telling her family and friends of that defining moment of hers, the moment she gained wisdom through the pain.

The lesson of this story is, do not worry that your physical condition may be a hindrance to your chance to gain wisdom from meditation.    For each one of us, there would be the most suitable conduit through which the Dhamma would occur. For Collette, it happened to be through a pain that was heightened by her physical condition. What would yours could be? Don't you want to find out?

 

How long would the "honeymoon" last?

 

There are two aspects of the meditator's "honeymoon period" that the author would like to address.    First, the meditation-induced "high" or various kinds of Piti or Vipassanupakilesa. Some positive, meditation-induced physical and mental phenomena could last days, weeks, or even months.    Soon, the Dhamma would reveal itself, though, no "high" would last forever.   And that would be when the value of the second aspect would shine.

The second aspect, the one that is more lasting, is the wisdom-induced peace of mind.    While less stirring than the "high," it proves to be the more meaningful one of the two.    This is especially true for those who continue to practice mindfulness diligently every day after coming out of the retreat, like our friend Collette does.

In other words, by repeating the techniques we learned from a retreat in our daily life, we are in essence re-living the retreat experience every day.   This means more meditation-induced wisdom.    Accompanying that unique type of wisdom is the state of mind that feels relieved and at peace.    And this is the most difficult part to describe to those who have yet to go to a retreat.

It starts when the mind "knows." Knows what?    You have to find out yourself in a retreat.    It is something that no words can describe because it is truly beyond everyday cognitive experience.    All the author could say is that what the mind knows would make you feel good unconditionally.    Well, with the world currently in a state of both political and economic mess, nothing beats the ability to feel good unconditionally, dear readers.    Just ask Collette.

Useful tip for "the returner"

Now, a useful tip for Collette herself and those like her, someone who just returned from their first meditation retreat. Tell people around you not to expect an angel!    Most likely than not, no matter how unbelievably good the experience we might have had from our retreat, we are nowhere near the state of the Arahantship yet.    This means we are still subject to experience the usual mental defilements, be it anger, disappointment, fear, desire, or any other mishaps.    The difference is that we would be able to deal with it better and get over it faster, that is all.

The more we continue to practice, the better our "mindfulness engine" would be, meaning the faster we will get over those nasty moments and the better we can handle it.    So, the next time you amaze those around you with your new-found "magic," be it with your incredible patience or your Zen-like calm, tell your wide-eyed audience that this skill is not definite yet.   You still can't switch to the "enlightened-mode" on-demand, you can say, but you are enjoying every minute making progress towards that.

See you in two weeks.    Until then, let us stay mindful.

It Could Happen to You

 

You Travel Far to Discover Home by Ben

 

“Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you... if you're young at heart.”  

 

Well, although what you are about to read now is not exactly a love story, it does have its fair share of love.   The reason we have this headline is because, while the author was gathering thoughts for this piece, this very phrase actually popped up in mind.

 

Being a true believer in intuition, the author decided to stay with it.   Who knows, this headline might draw the attention of someone out there who normally does not care to read this humble column, especially the romantic type!

 

Today we are going to look into a real life story of one of the author's friends from high school years.   She kindly allowed the author to share her story with the readers because she also believes it would really benefit someone who may have led a life similar to her.   In other words, she also believes that it could happen to you, dear readers.

 

Could it be you?

Enters Collette (her French nickname, given by our French teacher in high school).   Collette used to believe that she has always had a decent life.   And the author agrees with her. She is a bright lady brimmed with so much energy that she always electrifies everyone around her.   And because of that, she has always been an achiever who has done great things not only for herself but for others around her as well.

 

Since high school, Collette made it to the university and faculty of her first choice and thoroughly enjoyed her college years. Then, she went overseas for her masters'.   Coming back to Thailand, she fell in love and got married with a good-looking, respectable gentleman who dotes on her and who has also won the heart of her family.

 

If that alone is not enough.   Collette has more.   She always got to do what she wanted to do, not only in her career, but also in social work which is as important to her life as her family and work.   She made some decent investment in real property and stocks and she was able to live comfortably.

 

Collette travelled a lot, both in Thailand and abroad.   A life-long educational advocate, she always enjoyed learning new things and became the indispensable source of information when her friends need help.   From health care to travel tips to restaurant recommendations, all you have to do is to give Collette a call. You won't be disappointed.

 

A perfect life, you might say.   What more could a lady ask for? Children?   Well, she and her husband do not have any but that was also their wish.   She is busy enough now with her beloved nephew and never felt that her life is missing anything.

 

This first part of fairy tale's life was abruptly disrupted recently, when Thailand has entered a period of political and social mess. Being highly social-minded (she spent six months in Phuket helping victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami), Collette felt exhausted. She developed some kind of deep-rooted depression that slowly built up in her subconscious mind.   She felt that no matter what she did or tried to do to help the society, we are still in a big political, social, and moral chaos.

 

No matter how much love and dedication her husband, family and friends gave her, Collette was not able to shake off that heavy feeling.   It took a toll on her health.   One day, she found herself crying at night, not knowing exactly why she did so.

 

Being a courageous lady, she thought she could tough it out like she used to do with any other issues in life.   It turned out that she could not.   For three months, Collette found herself crying every night.

 

No matter how much merit she tried to do, no matter how many good activities she tried to engage herself in, her depression did not go away.

 

Collette was crying when she called the author one evening. She did not know what was happening to her.   After trying to calm her down and give her some positive encouragement, the author invited her to come along for a mindfulness meditation retreat.

 

Although Collette knew that it is a good thing to do, especially if you are a Buddhist, she did not agree to go immediately.   In other words, she still could not connect how mindfulness meditation could help her in the real world, in her daily life. Instead, she turned to a life of nightly parties.   She tried to travel abroad even more often. But she could not get away from the depression in her own mind.

 

The author could not remember how long time went by until Collette gave another call.   Perhaps it was months later.   This time, she was more composed.   Sensing that she might be ready to go now, the author invited her again, "Hey, I'm going again in two weeks' time.   Wanna join?"

 

Without hesitation, Collette said, "Yes, can you please book a place for me?"

 

The author literally jumped with joy.   "Yes!" was the reaction that spontaneously sprang up in the author's mind.   For the author knew that, with her energy and her dedication to a cause she believes in, she would excel in her retreat and thus being able to lift herself out of her constant depression.

 

The author was not disappointed.   Collette did give 100% in her very first retreat.   The author observed with admiration how she delved into each practice session with sheer determination and zest.   It was only the fourth day of our eight-day, seven-night retreat that Collette came to realize what life actually is and what her purpose of life should be.

 

She was able to see, by herself and not by anyone telling her so, that each and every suffering she experienced in life only came from within.   And she also learned that, while she can not change the world, she could indeed change herself and achieve peace even if she is still living among the same old chaos.   She also discovered that if she wants to continue "saving the world," she could still to do so.   The only difference is that now she already sees that the only cause worth promoting to people is the cause of mindfulness.

 

If people have mindfulness in the Buddhist sense of the word, Collette discovered, the society would naturally be peaceful simply because one would be able to have compassion for all.

 

In one lengthy sitting session when the pain disturbed her so much while she was concentrating on cultivating mindfulness, she saw, with her mind's eyes, flashes of the brands of her favorite alcohol drinks.   Then, a wisdom inside her told her that she has to quit this if she wants to have sustainable peace in her life.

 

And once she gave a determined vow to herself and to Lord Buddha during that sitting that she would not touch those beverages anymore, Collette experienced miracle.   She was able to live with that pain with a peaceful mind.   The pain did not go away miraculously, but her mind was lifted up one notch.   And she was free.

 

In later sitting sessions, she even found herself smiling during the sitting.   Collette has found the proven path to the peace within.

 

And Collette is now back on her fairy tale's life again, thanks to her willing to be "young at heart," meaning always opening up to learn new things.   In Zen parlance, we call it "a beginner's mind."   A Zen mind/beginner's mind opens up to any possibilities and not limited to our past experience.

 

Now, because she could make peace with herself, she could make peace with anyone.   And that is the part that is related to love.   For Collette was able to give loving kindness to all beings, including to her so-called political foe.   Her complexion, a reflection of her mind, is now glowing healthily.   Everybody in her family was astonished how glowing and happy she was when they welcomed her back home.   Now everyone in her family wants to go the retreat.

 

If you have lived your life like Collette did, believing that you already have a decent livelihood and never cause harm to anyone, Collette has a message for you.   "This (the mindfulness retreat) is the best thing that ever happened in my life.   I wished I had done it earlier."   She is still the same highly energetic Collette, but she now knows how to let go.   Collette is as driven as ever, but she no longer feels exhausted.   If this is not a fairy tale with a happy ending, then, what do you think it is?

 

Well, what are you waiting for?   It could happen to you, you know. :-)

Heed the Call of Nature

Wake me later by dmmaus

Even in a more peaceful socio-political environment, city dwellers are likely to feel the need to get away from it all from time to time. This is because we humans are wired to be right at home among nature. Therefore, when the need to "get away from it all" rises, it simply means that our body and mind are sending us a signal that it is time to return to nature.

This explains why people who try to get away from it all by simply shifting their attention to something else other than their daily routine such as by going to movies, or, worse yet, casinos, never feels refreshed or well-rested during their break from work.

While spas are abundant in any cities nowadays, what humans really need goes well beyond some exotic body treatment. Even the brief sitting posture at the end of a yoga session in your spa visit can not bring forth the sustainable peace born out of wisdom that our mind desperately needs.

What we need is a complete treatment of body and mind that goes far beyond relaxation and rest. Ironically, many holiday-makers, adult and children alike, do not realise that they are not "getting away from it all" at all. Rather, they simply change the place of doing their regular activities. Think about long driving, eating, checking emails or surfing the web on the notebook or phone they brought along, or watching movies on portable DVD players and, for children, playing electronic games.

Considering this, those who opt for a hike or trekking in the wilderness would probably get more rest out of their adventurous activities. The secret is, it is the mind that tells us if we feel relaxed or well-rested. Although, at face value, those hikers' choice of getaway may seems a bit harsh such as sleeping in a tent in a forest, they are the ones that emerge more satisfied from their wholesome holiday.

Even when the trekkers' only "entertainment"consists of trekking along a bubbling creek, listening to various soothing sounds of nature, breathing in fresh air, or taking a plunge in a tiny, virgin pond at the end of a hidden waterfall, they would have sworn that it beats the superficial, temporary pleasure derived from being glued to any electronic devices any day.

If electronic devices need a recharge of battery, so do we. We need to come out of our holiday refreshed and brimmed with positive energy to take on the various responsibilities in our life.

There will be times for all of us when simply going away to a popular commercial resort would not do the trick to make we feel completely relaxed. While it is true that the body gets fresher air, exercise, or enough sleep, the mind still continues its usual day-long workload. Even if those people argue that they really rest their mind by "not thinking of anything", they would be surprised to find it is quite the opposite from what they think.

Unless the mind is trained in mindfulness technique, we would never realise that it is the nature of the mind to work non-stop. Without mindfulness technique, we would not be able to detect how thoughts come about and go. More importantly, we would never realise that thoughts are the number one cause of exhaustion and suffering in our life.

In fact, those who can achieve the mental power of being able to rid themselves of thoughts, completely and at will, are the Enlightened ones only.

If it is the nature of the mind to work non-stop, how best could we put the mind to work for us so that we could achieve the much-needed rest?

The answer is: we all need a mindfulness meditation retreat among nature to be able to tame our thoughts and train our mind to simple relaxation techniques that we can continue to use throughout our life, during holiday or otherwise. Mindfulness is a practice so complete that it would open your eyes to the nature of things, no pun intended. This very wisdom would in turn create a sustainable peace for both the body and mind.

When the mind relaxes, the body would also be free of stress. And, even if the body is in trauma such as grave illness, if you know mindfulness technique, you would not be disturbed by the physical discomfort. This explains why many people can smile through their intense pain calmly. This, dear readers, is the skill we need when we would finally be staring death in the eyes.

While it is true that there are many urban centers offering mindfulness courses all year long, it can never measure up to a practice among nature. First, imagine a mass retreat with 400-600 participants around you in a large air-conditioned hall in a city building where all kind of worldly chats erupts during breaks or when you are back to the room you share with others to try to get some rest.

Now, imagine a smaller group, perhaps one-tenth of that urban class if not less, practicing quietly in a pavilion among a little forest and a pond where various types of fish swimming leisurely among the lotus bloom. Imagine the tranquil time you can get intimate with nature, free from any disturbs of others due to the strict and effective reinforcement of the "noble silence" rule. Now, you get the picture.

It is not that you should say goodbye forever to your yoga or tai chi classes or the usual aerobics type of exercise such as running or swimming. Those exercises do promote health which is the foundation of everything in life, mindfulness practice included. But, as we discussed earlier, the body is only a part of the whole equation. In fact, it is the smaller part. Once you know how to give the mind the attention it deserves, you would never feel deprived of total relaxation again.

If the incentives for going to a mindfulness meditation retreat among nature are not enough to convince you to do it for your own sake, think of it as you are doing a great service for the society. Mindful citizens are ideal citizens, as Lord Buddha would have confirmed to you. And, looking at the socio-political-economic environment of Thailand at the moment, we need mindful people now more than ever. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone - you get the total relaxation you need, the country gets sustainable peace. Not bad, isn't it? After all, peace starts with the mind. Yours, that is.

Until next week, let us stay mindful.

Value-Add Your Walk

Bamboo Forest by wmchuu

Last week we introduced the idea that most of us tend to take walking for granted. This, in turn, led to our going about in our daily life in a semi-autopilot mode.

We also started to explore the concept of mindful walking and ended with a brief introduction on how to try it at home.

If you indeed tried it for the first time out of curiosity, chances are that you probably found it confusing. Not because walking meditation is a confusing act per se, but because you may have found yourself wondering aloud, countless times, “What could be the benefits of this mindful walking?”

In other words, your mind was probably sending out a signal that it needs a clearer incentive of this activity. Otherwise, it finds no reasons to bother, let alone incorporating it in your daily living.

Benefits of Mindful Walking

If you are one of those doubters, you are certainly not alone. Having observed many novice practitioners, the author found that walking meditation did not get as much attention as sitting meditation because practitioners are not aware of the immediate and short-term benefits that walking meditation can give.

The need for immediate benefit is totally understandable given the fact that we are living in the age of distractions and shorter-span concentration (as exemplified in the quick-cutting shots we often see on MTV and the likes). The good news is, contrary to popular belief, there are immediate benefits of a mindful walk.

First of all, it starts with how we experience suffering. Buddhism explains that suffering occurs when our mind wanders into the past or the future. Neither a period five minutes ago nor one second ahead is the same as the very present moment.

Walking, obviously, is one of the most accommodating activities to help ground our mindfulness right into the very present moment, especially for new practitioners. With each noting of, “left, right, left, right (if you are walking fast),” or “lifting, extending, placing down,” we have something physical to firmly anchor our mind on and so many different details of noting (hot/cold, hard/soft, etc.) to help keeping our mind alert.

As a result, the immediate benefit of mindful walking is that it helps prevent our mind to fall into the usual traps of suffering, one that is caused by our mind dropping into the past or wandering into the future.

In a retreat, most often than not, our teachers would ask us to “slow down” in our walk. Initially, this almost always caused frustrations to city dwellers who are used to life in the fast lane. Be careful: slow, mindful walking is not the same as a lazy stroll on the beach that we tend to do mindlessly. While mindful walking is definitely slow, it is deliberate. Each step is performed with a clear purpose. The mental noting has to match precisely with the moment the action takes place as well. And this requires a lot of effort.

By slowing down, to the point of a complete stop in each step in some retreat, we would be able to feel, intuitively, that our life is nothing but a series of separate events, not unlike different static frames of a movie, one after another. This is the first step of our understanding of the Law of Impermanence.

On the side, we also learn that there is a “pause button” that we can actually activate in our life, at least for the purpose of slowing things down. You will also realize that, by slowing things down, you would be able to “see” and understand things much better. It is this ability to understand life better that is the true wisdom of mindfulness.

If discovering life’s true wisdom sounds a bit too far-fetched, at least consider mindful walking just for its practical benefits. Here are some of them as explained by Lord Buddha himself.

Lord Buddha on Walking Meditation’s Practical Benefits

1) People who regularly do walking meditation will have more stamina in long journey. This is not merely body-toning exercise, but mental training as well. We all need this kind of stamina not only for a long journey, but for many strategic and serious events in our life. And don’t you agree that life itself is a long journey?

2) Walking meditation brings stamina to sitting meditation. Those who have been practicing sitting meditation would understand the kind of stamina required for each sitting. There is no better way to boost up one’s stamina by having a walking session before sitting.

3) A balance of walking and sitting promotes good circulation and revives muscles. We all know that the shift of posture and the movements of walking revive the muscles and stimulate circulation, helping prevent illness. This applies to urbanites like us also who may have spent too much of our time sitting unhealthily in our cubicle at work. Next time you take a walking break, try incorporate mindfulness into it as well!

4) Walking meditation assists digestion and prevents drowsiness. Indigestion is definitely one important enemy not only to meditation practitioners but also to anyone of us who have to sit for a long time in one stretch, either at work or during commuting. The same goes for prevention of drowsiness. Woes to them who were caught dozing off at work!

5) Walking meditation helps build continuous concentration needed to gain insight. The keyword here is continuity. To unlock the true nature of things by mindfulness practice, we need a strong, continuous concentration. Every step of continued walking meditation contributes directly to your potential in gaining insight.

Mindful Walking in Your Daily Life: Tips and Technique

If you are intrigued by the idea of adding a dose of mindful walking into your daily life but somehow feel discouraged by the initial experience following last week’s article, don’t give up your hope just yet. Here are a few tips.

1) Start small. Pick the shortest distance that you have to go from point A to point B in your daily routine and starts from there. How about the first walk of the day, namely from your bed when you wake up to your bathroom? Repeat again at bed time as you walk to bed. It would become easier day by day.

2) Daily exercise. If you already exercise by brisk walking everyday, try turning off that iPod and tuning in your own body and mind. Note both your body movement and how your mind reacts to sensorial perception. Catch your thought as it is forming, note it, and let go. Then go back to the movement of your feet. If you are walking among nature, note any phenomena that come into contact with your sensorial perception, too, but do not dwell on any.

3) Disliked paths. When you are “forced” to walk the path that you do not like, either because it is boring, lengthy or otherwise, use mindful walking technique to manage that suffering. Bonus point: if you can maintain your concentration over a certain period, you could even derive pleasure from that otherwise boring walk. But that is just a negligible by-product of your path towards wisdom where happiness is certainly more sustainable than momentarily pleasure.

What would be your first mindful walking?

A Walk Like No Other

Monk Descending Temple Steps by Okinawa Soba

When was the last time you learned how to walk?

If this question prompts you to sit back and try to recall, chances are that it was when you were a toddler.

Of course, there are exceptions. Those of us who were unfortunate enough to sustain knee or leg injuries, the author included, may recall a more recent training during recuperation period.

Either case, learning how to walk is never easy. But once we think we have mastered it, we tend to take it for granted. That is, as we go about doing things in a typical day in our life, we tend to shift ourselves into an “auto-pilot” mode whenever we walk.

Not that we do not recognize the benefits of walking. In every culture there are ancient proverbs related to a good walk. An Arab proverb says, “After lunch, rest. After dinner, walk a mile.” The Roman says, “If you can’t solve a problem, go take a walk.”

In our contemporary living, dog owners know that they have to do their canine friends a favor by walking them. But, isn’t it a bit ironic that, while we consciously take our dogs out for a walk everyday, we never quite did the same thing with our own mind? Your mind needs the exercise that a good walk can provide, too.

“Wait,” you may ask, “Doesn’t our mind automatically get the workout it needs if we make sure we get some physical exercise?”

Well, not exactly. While it is true scientifically that the right amount of aerobics exercise could trigger the release of some happiness-inducing hormone in our brain, it is only just a part of the whole equation. For the vigilant, it is not too difficult to realize that this kind of “high” is something that is very short-lived.

The kind of mental exercise we really need is one whose benefits would remain with us for life. And, yes, it can be cultivated from a good walk.

At this point, the author could not help but think about a book by the late Ven. Buddhadasa, titled, “Handbook for Mankind.”

The title of his book reminds us that, unlike gadgets, we did not come into this world in a neat box, complete with “owner’s manual.” Admittedly, we could learn how to survive, more or less, by trials-and-errors. But if you really want to go for the really “good stuff,” you need some guidelines.

The author used to read somewhere that today’s computer games also have hidden gimmicks or secret functions that only people with the proper code could unlock and enjoy. The same can be said of our body and mind. If we learn how to unlock the code, we would be able to access the hidden treasures that are already there, waiting for us to retrieve. In other words, we already walk around with them, but we do not know how to access and make use of them.

Don’t pull all your hairs off in frustration just yet. For you, too, could learn how unlock the code. Today, we would try to access our built-in, hidden treasure by learning how to walk mindfully.

The first thing you need for a session of walking meditation is not the space, but a ready mind. Unlike common walk that you do everyday in your auto-pilot mode, mindful walking requires a passion from within. It has to start with your desire to walk this walk. Look into your mind and find it.

In some meditation retreat, they may recommend you to say “desire to walk” in your mind prior to actual walking. The purpose of this mental exercise is to familiarize you with how your body and mind work in a cause-and-effect process. Note that we are not using “I” as in “I want to walk.” The idea is that you are just an observer of what happens to the body and mind in your present. Let your “knowing mind” observes and feels your own physical and mental action as if it is watching a stranger from outside. Once your mind understands how this cause-and –effect works, this mental narration can stop.

You might notice right here at the very first step that, with a ready mind, a mind that is brimmed with purpose, there seems to be an inner energy that is ready to “drive” you through the task at hand. This is a very handy skill in itself. Try setting aside a moment of quiet contemplation to prep up your mind before embarking on any task and see the difference.

Initially, it is better to cover a very short distance, preferably in the tranquility of your bedroom, living room or garden. Select a clutter-free path where you could walk a few metres, stop, and turn back. While the ultimate goal is that you should be able to do mindful walking everywhere and anywhere you go, the first stage still has to be limited, just like when you were a toddler.

Start by your standing posture. Be comfortably relaxed and aware of how you stand. Exhale deeply. Notice how your body (and/or mind) changes during and after you exhaled. Do not need to rush or force your breathing. Just continue your regular rhythm for a breath or two and look into your mind for a desire to walk. Once you have located it, note it, and let go.

Then, move your mind as if it is an x-ray machine to your right foot. Don’t look down. Use your feeling only, but intently. Note how your sole touches the floor/grass. Does it feel hot or cold? Is the surface soft or hard? Then, mindfully lift your right foot up while note “up” in your mind. Hold it in the air for a fraction of a second to really feel how your foot is like up in the air. After that brief, mid-air suspension, bring the foot down to complete your step and note “down.” Note your foot’s movement through the moment of impact. Note the changes in the feeling of your foot as your body shifts your weight forward. Note everything. Note it as it is, in that particular moment only. Don’t use your imagination or try to be creative here. Just observe.

Do not continue the next step yet. Pause again for that nano-second to shift your mind to you left foot. Then, repeat the process. Try to keep your feet and body relaxed. Be natural, but deliberately slow.

Frustrating, isn’t it? Note that frustration in your mind, and let go. Wonder why you have to go through all these troubles? Note the doubt and let go. Finding that your mind wandering out to the kitchen, or to a favorite TV program? Note the thought and let go. Once you reach the end of your pre-designated path. Consciously tell yourself you want to stop before you actually stop.

Don’t turn back abruptly. Make an attempt to consciously stand still there first to note how your body is. Use your mind as if it is an MRI machine to scan your body from your head till toe, then back again to head. Repeat at least 3 times. If you find it difficult to concentrate, pair up your “mental scanning” with your breathing rhythm. Then, and only then, tell yourself you want to turn and slowly turn back, one step after another, until you face the other direction. Then, repeat the process again by finding the desire to walk in your mind.

Do not punish yourself in your first walk. Just go for a few laps. You may find that these are the most exhausting steps you have ever taken in your life. Well, probably the most exhausting since you were 11 months’ old! “Where are the benefits?…,” your mind may scream. Note that impatience, too, and let go. Continue this mindful walking experiment once a day for a week. Up next, the benefits of mindful walking, how to successfully incorporate it in your daily life, and how you can use it to advance your overall meditation training.

Hey, we were not saying your first mindful walking experiment would be fun. The title said, “A Walk Like No Other.” Now, it is up to you to discover what “like no other” means! All it takes is your ready mind!

Swimming Therapy

As appreared in Bangkok Post Real Time Friday September 12, 2008

Photo from BBC News, UK

What do Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Michael Phelps have in common?

For sports enthusiasts, the answer could be - plenty. Categorising all the superlatives known to describe them, we can perhaps narrow them down to two. Besides their physical prowess, the other extraordinary strength these athletic superstars have is their superhuman quality of focus.

Sports writers liked to describe Woods when he was closing in on a title as "in the zone." That is common parlance for the psychiatric diagnosis called hyperfocus. Before this year's US Open the press seemed to zero in on Woods' legendary nerves of steel, fuelled by Woods' own account that his late father's efforts to test his focus included dropping a golf bag while he was practicing a putt and even hiring military psychological specialists to try to "break him down."

If you think honing on concentration skill is tough enough for a healthy person like Woods, imagine what it would be like for a person suffering from ADHD, or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Wouldn't it be, well, simply a nightmare?

Ask Michael Phelps. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 9 and was on medication until 11. But, according to his mother, swimming was his saviour. It is very regimented, sequential, and, shall we say, requires a monumental amount of focus. Phelps' ADHD was finally in control. And, let's just say, the rest is history.

But you neither have to suffer from ADHD or train for the next Olympics in London to reap similar benefits from a healthy swimming therapy. Swimming is relaxing yet invigorating. Think "runner's high" without damaging your knees. Besides, living in Thailand means the blessing of being able to swim all year round. Even in the current rainy season, it hardly rains all day. You are almost always guaranteed to have a healthy morning sun.

Interested? Here are a few meditation techniques you can try adding to your routine the next time you go swimming. Just choose the one that feels right for you.

First, the samatha approach. Samatha is often translated as "calm abiding" or "peace abiding." It is designed to enhance sustained voluntary attention, and culminates in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly and for hours on end.

The easiest and perhaps most fitting for an activity such as swimming is watching your breathing, anapanasati. Simply glide through the water and pay most attention to the way you inhale and exhale. Do not force it. Just keep your regular breathing rhythm you normally use when you swim. Continue to do it throughout the swimming session.

You may be surprised to discover that your mind keeps wondering away from your focus on the breathing, and may be away from swimming altogether! Don't worry, it is the nature of the mind. Just bring your attention to the breathing whenever you realise the drift. If the wandering mind bothers you too much, use anchor words that would keep you focussed on your breathing: in/out, etc. Count each lap you are doing in your mind, if you want, while focussing on the breathing.

Want an added feel-good bonus? Try another type of samatha technique: the metta or loving-kindness meditation.

In practicing metta meditation, you are cultivating your loving-kindness for others. Although, a typical metta meditation session starts with giving loving-kindness to yourself before moving on to your loved ones, friends, teachers, strangers and even enemies, in swimming it may be more practical to just focus on only one target for the whole session.

Many meditation teachers believe that, with activities that involve bodily movement, the "unlimited" type of metta may be the best. This means you give your loving kindness to all sentient beings.

Use a short phrase in your own language that feels right and natural to you, and repeat it over and over in your mind as you are doing laps. For starters, you may begin with the standard, "May all beings be happy, peaceful, and free from suffering." Feel free to adjust the wording to fit your own style. (The author likes adding the number of the lap to the phrase.)

When you use your own language and wording, it feels more natural for the mind to feel a "boundless, warm-hearted feeling" towards all beings. Use positive wording. For example, "May you be happy," instead of "May you not get depressed."

NB: As you go on swimming with metta, you may feel that your swim become slower as both your body and mind become more relaxed. If you love speed, go for mindfulness meditation (see below) and save metta swimming for the warm-down laps.

The benefits of metta meditation are immense. HH the Dalai Lama wrote many books about it. If you feel that you are the active type that could not stay still on a meditation cushion, try adding some metta and compassion to your swim!

Do not want to focus on your breathing alone or do not really feel like giving loving-kindness to all sentient beings yet? There is another type of meditation for you, vipassana, or mindfulness meditation. The basic idea is to heighten your total body-and-mind awareness while you swim. Be careful, this is not the same as swimming while letting your thoughts take over.

For an easy start, try "mindfulness of the body" first. At each stroke, kick, body turn, or when you come up for air, pay attention to how your body moves without analysing or judging. Again, you may find that this is difficult at first as your mind would always drift. But once you get the hang of it, you will be able to enjoy swimming in an extraordinary way. You may notice, for the first time, the different ways the water moves against your body and the pleasant warmth of sunshine on your back and shoulders. If you feel happiness arise, note it and simply let go. Then, go back to paying attention to the way your body moves through water.

What is the dhamma for this story? Well, for one thing, if you continue to do mindfulness type of meditation, dhamma will arise by itself in your mind. Sceptical? Curious? Well, just try for yourself and you will be amazed.

By the way, all the athletes cited above have set up their own foundations to give back to society, especially children, the blessings they themselves have been receiving. A sign of "boundless, warm-hearted feeling toward all sentient beings" resulting from their rigorous mental training? Quite possible, really.