Healing power of Buddhist meditation

S.M. Wijayaratne
Kurunegala Daily News Corr.

Of all the many aspects of the Buddha’s teachings, meditation occupies a very important place of interest.As science and technology become increasingly developed, people have more and more come to understand the relevance and importance of Buddhist meditation to life.

Meditation is a means to mental development. According to the Buddha, mind is the most important composite of the entire human entity. All the evil and noble deeds that are committed in the world are, in fact, a result of our thoughts. That is why the Fully-Awakened One has repeatedly proclaimed that mind is the fore runner of all actions, the chief of all things. It should therefore be trained, refined and perfected.

Meditation is the way to achieve this. Since meditation paves the way for the proper training of the mind as it is the most significant

factor that manipulates and controls our deeds and speech, the practice of meditation definitely brings benefits to us in life.

Human beings who aspire to be wise in the world seek the guidance of religions. Of all religions, Buddhism is not god-related. It purely deals with the mind and not any other super natural forces.

Of all the many aspects of the Buddha’s teachings, meditation occupies a very important place of interest.

As science and technology become increasingly developed, people have more and more come to understand the relevance and importance of Buddhist meditation to life.

Meditation is a means to mental development. According to the Buddha, mind is the most important composite of the entire human entity. All the evil and noble deeds that are committed in the world are, in fact, a result of our thoughts. That is why the Fully-Awakened One has repeatedly proclaimed that mind is the fore runner of all actions, the chief of all things. It should therefore be trained, refined and perfected. Meditation is the way to achieve this.

Benefits of meditation

Since meditation paves the way for the proper training of the mind as it is the most significant factor that manipulates and controls our deeds and speech, the practice of meditation definitely brings benefits to us in life. Following advantages can be gained by anyone who wholeheartedly practises meditation when time permits him.

(1) Meditation helps to calm the mind and get it better organised.

(2) It strengthens our will power and enables us to face all problems and hardships with confidence.

(3) It guides us think positively

(4) It improves our efficiency in work by helping us to concentrate better and by sharpening our mental faculties

(5) It frees us from worries, restlessness, fatigue, stress and blood-pressure.

(6) It increases our mental health and therefore bears a positive effect to a large extent on our physical health and thereby an awakening in all our day today activities.

(7) It helps cleanse our mind of defilements (Kilesa)

(8) It creates in us virtuous qualities like kindness, inner peace, humbleness (as opposed to arrogance), a realistic attitude towards life and it prevents us from being influenced by such elements as passion, selfishness, hatred, jealousy, malice, taking revenge or greed.

(9) An untrained person is often dominated by delusion or ignorance (Avijja) and his own pre-conceptions which prevent him from having proper insight into reality. Meditation helps to remove such unwholesome effects in a person.

Buddha once advised monks on the importance of controlling of mind and body as follows:

Five senses

“O bhikkhus, if you are able already to keep within the precepts, you must next control the five senses, not permitting the entry of the five sense desires by your unrestraint, just as a cowherd by taking and showing his stick prevents cows from entering another’s field, ripe for the harvest. In an evil-doer indulging the five senses, his five desires will not only exceed all bounds but will become uncontrollable, just as a wild horse unchecked by the bridle must soon drag the man leading it into a pit.

If a man be robbed, his sorrow does not extend beyond the period of his life but the evil of that robber (sense-desires) and the depredations caused by him bring calamities extending over many lives, creating very great dukkha. You should control yourselves!

Hence, wise men control themselves and do not indulge in their senses but guard them like robbers who must not be allowed freedom from restraint.

If you do allow them freedom from restraint, before long, you will be ruined by Mara. The mind is the Lord of the five senses and for this reason you should well control the mind. Indeed, you ought to fear indulgence of the mind’s (desires) more than poisonous snakes, savage beasts, dangerous robbers or fierce conflagrations. No simile is strong enough to illustrate this danger.

But think of a man carrying a jar of honey who, as he goes, needs only the honey and is unaware of a deep pit (on his path)! Or think of a mad elephant unrestrained by shackles! Again, consider a monkey which after climbing into a tree cannot, except with difficulty be controlled!

Control your desires

Such as these would be difficult to check; therefore hasten to control your desires and do not let them go unrestrained!

Indulge the mind (with its desires)and you lose the benefit of being born a man; check it completely and there is nothing you will be unable to accomplish. That is the reason, O Bhikkhus, why should strive hard to subdue your minds.”

Let’s ponder over the above teachings of the Buddha who was perfect in wisdom and strive to make the maximum benefits of being born as human beings during an era when pure teachings of the Fully-Awakened One exist on this noble earth.