BASIC MEDITATION, LESSON 1:

OK, first let’s talk about sitting. First you will need pillows. Up to three or four can be used. The higher you get your rear, the more comfortable you will sit. Over time your muscles and ligaments will stretch until you are comfortable sitting on one pillow. I use one stuffed with barley hulls, and it is very comfortable.

The reason for sitting in a lotus position (with legs crossed onto thighs) is twofold. This literally locks you into a tripod with your rear and your knees. The reason being is that when you are in this position you will not fall over. The lotus position is, also, the best for the travel of the lifeforce, or spiritual breath, or prahna, or chi, to travel hrough your chakras (We’ll talk about those another time.). If you can do it comfortably, it is, by all means, the best
way to sit. But, don't force it. there are others that work just fine.

The next position you might try, if the full lotus is too much, is a half-lotus. This is the position I use, as these old legs won’t quite fold into a lotus anymore. In this position the right leg folds over and lays across the left or visa versa. This still leaves you quite stable and does not restrict flow of the breath.

If the half-lotus is still a little difficult, you can sit in the Burmese posture. Both legs are folded but the right lies flat in front of the left or visa versa. This is a common way of sitting for those in South East Asia, thus, the Burmese.

Still another is the Native American. (Legs folded together below the thighs.) This is uncomfortable for me for any length of time, but many prefer it. I do use it when sitting, listening to teachings, or doing the non-meditational parts of my daily practice.

There is also the Japanese sit (with legs folded back under the hips, and feet stretched out straight). If you were not born into it, it can become painful over long periods. A pillow can be folded between your legs to sit on, which helps. Also, a bench can be bought or made to fit over your legs and under your derrière.

If, for some reason, you cannot sit in any of these positions, a solid straight-backed chair will suffice. When sitting on a chair, sit toward the front so that the back of the chair is not being used as a support. If none of these are suitable, do what you have to. Try to keep your spine erect but not strained.

Meditation is about the use of mind, not a specific sitting position.

BASIC MEDITATION - LESSON 2:

OK, I assume you have found a comfortable sitting position. You can burn a little incense, if you wish, to set the mood. That's a matter of personal preference. It's nice to have a timer. A kitchen timer works good. There are also meditation clocks available on the internet. They are very nice, but a bit on the expensive side. Better you spend your money on a comfortable pillow and buy a digital kitchen timer at your local department store.

For this first assignment, we're going to do a counting meditation. I must warn you that many teachers don't like this form because it is so easy to attach to the counting. With us, we are only going to use it for a very short time as a first step into meditation. I would like you to practice 5 minutes twice a day on this. If that is not possible do it 10 minutes, once a day. The best time to meditate is just after you arise in the morning. Get up, turn on the coffee/tea pot, go to the bathroom, and go to your pillow.

In the evening, if you are very tired, there is a possibility that you will fall asleep. Try your second 5 minutes during a break at work (find a comfortable place where you won't be disturbed) or in the afternoon at home.

Try not to eat before meditation. If you do, don't eat a lot.

If you are unable to set aside time for meditation, you might try stopping what you are doing, at times throughout the day. Say you are washing the morning dishes, stop, and while standing in front of the sink meditate for just a minute or so. Keep your back comfortable, but straight. Slightly, bend or flex your knees and follow the nstructions, below.

My instructions will be for a sitting meditator, but will, also, be the same for any position.

Make yourself comfortable. Allow your eyelids to droop, but do not close them. Allow your shoulders to drop.
Your head is a helium filled balloon that gently stretches up. Rest your hands in your lap laying the right over the
left about two knuckles. Gently touch the tips of the thumbs, or touching your thumbs to you middle fingers
lay your hands on your knees, palm up or palm down. Relax the jaw and place the tip of the tongue in that rough area just above the front teeth. This helps stop saliva production. Breathe gently, but comfortably, with your iaphragm. Your stomach will move in and out. For westerners, this sometimes takes a little practice, as we like to
breathe with our chests. Start counting the out-breaths (exhales), in your mind:
One....Two....Three....Four....Five....Six....and
return to one and repeat. The purpose is not to see how many breaths you do, but to get you aware of your breath. Breathe normally and always repeat after six.

You may, quickly, find that this is more difficult than it sounds. What, in Asia, is called monkey-mind will soon take over. Your thoughts will intervene and you will either stop counting, keep counting past six, or, most likely, loose the breath and the count to continue thinking. This is normal and ok. Notice that you lost count, and return to it.
Monkey-mind will always be with you, what we are doing is learning to control it and watch it. Even the Dalai Lama admits to monkey-mind, surely we will do no better. The trick is, how we use it and not attaching to it. When your thoughts invade, and you catch them, notice them, let them go, and simply return to your count. What we are doing is practicing, like an athlete needs to practice. We are learning to control the mind (as much as possible) and to be aware of the breath. Much as an basketball player practices to learn to concentrate on his/her game, so we practice in order to learn to meditate.

There are times in your life where you experience complete awareness. No concepts, no thoughts, just awareness. You might have experienced this standing beside a stream listening to the water flow and
feeling the touch of a breeze, or watching your child struggle to learn to walk. No concepts, no thoughts.
What we are doing is to, not get rid of thought (that would be counter productive in another way), but extend the time between thoughts, open up our mind to the buddha-nature. Here is where we truly live, not in thought that comes and goes, but in the awareness in between. Thought is necessary, we make plans and consider
choices. It is not our enemy. But, through meditation, what we see is that thought is empty of any intrinsic
nature. It is built on other causes and conditions, it survives because of our attachment to it. Use it for what it is, a tool. Don't attach to it, don't hold the thought to your heart. Consider it, acknowledge it, and let it go.
As you meditate you will see the "self" constantly through up roadblocks to make itself heard. These
roadblocks are the discursive thought. See them, acknowledge them, and let them go. Return to your practice.

Anything worth doing is worth working for. This will be work. The biggest problem, that I found, was the
feeling of boredom. I felt that I needed to be doing something, instead of sitting here on this damn pillow
waisting my time. Well, I had good teachers who kept me meditating, and, eventually, I found purpose in my
practice. Now, I feel like I'm letting myself down on those occasions when, for one reason or another, I can't practice.

OK, we are "setting the stage" for meditation with a counting practice. Let's go over it again, quickly.

Sit comfortably, relaxing your body. Keep your back straight but relaxed. Eyes about half open. Notice
your breath. Breathe comfortably and normally. Count your out-breaths to number six, and then return to
one, repeating. Any thoughts that intrude, notice them and softly bring yourself back to the count.
Practice for two five minute periods during the day, once early and once later. Don't force yourself
further. A total of ten minutes is fine for this first week.

I must remind you, this is for beginners. It is a series of assignments that will bring you to a
comfortable state in meditation. There are deeper meditations and different ways of learning. I have
found, from past experience, that this is the best way, for me, to teach with success for my students.

BASIC MEDITATION - LESSON 3:

Meditation is the practice of doing nothing while seeing everything. While doing nothing, we experience everything. Our mind wanders and we grab it and say, "Where do you think you're going? Get back here!
Concentrate on this object." And, the self says, "OK, but I'm going off again, just as soon as you let your guard down. Because, if I don't, then you'll control me. If you control me you'll see that I don't actually exist. That I am
simply a part of the whole. That I arise because of certain causes and conditions and pass away in the same way." So, you become angry at yourself and say, "Then I will have to keep a watch on you. You 'will' not wander
again. You 'will' concentrate on this object to the exclusion of everything else." Do you see what is being done in this scenario? The self, which is taking control of your mind at a millisecond's chance, is fighting for it's existence.
Do not become angry, do not attach to the fact that your mind is wandering. Everyone's does to an extent. When you realize that your mind has wandered. Take a mental note of it. Try saying to yourself, "Thinking," when it happens. Then, return to your object, feeling the breath. There is no need to become angry. It serves no purpose, except to keep you attached to new thoughts of anger. Just, gently, return.

I hope you have been practicing twice a day for 5 min, and are ready to start expanding the time period. Try,
now, expanding one of the 5 min. periods to 10 min. For those taking short minute snippets here and there,
I'd like to see you doing 1 - 5 min. sitting a day and continue your short 1 to 2 min breaks, several of them.

Now, we are going to stop counting. It has served it's purpose, and we no longer need it. When you get ready
for practice, simply sit in your position, take each part of your body and see yourself putting it in the position that you use, e.g. drop the shoulders, allow the head to rise, place the tongue, etc. Drop your eyes to the object you have chosen. Feel your breath.

It's time to stop doing. It's time to just simply allow yourself to be.

BASIC MEDITATION - LESSON 4:

I hope you have been practicing daily and have extended your times to those that I had mentioned. You
know this is a lifetime practice we are starting, here. The problem is getting in a routine where you
practice everyday at about the same time. Now, I'm am not stupid, I know there are things that get in the
way. Certainly, I miss practices often, too. We are not Buddhas, yet. What, I hope, we are learning is
that we are not in control, and that we can be.

We are now focusing on the breath, while we are still aware of the object sitting in front of us. The object
has become fuzzy and unfocused, though, it is still there. Relax your shoulders. Your head is as light as
a balloon. Your tongue settles just behind th front teeth. You see the object, as if it is in another
dimension, but you attention is focused upon your breath. Your mind wanders, and you gently bring it
back to your breath. You have found time in your hectic schedule for 15 minutes once a day and again 5 min once a day. You also, when you can, just stop and watch the breath for short periods, not too often, but once in a while.

You are using an opening prayer before your 15 and 5 minute practices. You are also dedicating the benefits
of the practice to others. You are doing well, but you are bored. You say you should be doing the dishes. Believe me, this is more important. The dishes will still be there. You may not.
Soon, we will start using this concentration you are
deveoping. Just keep meditating.

peace,
Ken/