Meditation

1. Meditation

2. Meditation • A self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind. • Origins in Eastern religious practices. • Studies have found that regular meditation can: • increase longevity and quality of life • reduce chronic pain and anxiety • reduce substance abuse and PTS in Vietnam veterans • increase intelligence-related measures • lower blood cortisol levels initially brought on by stress. Medterms.com 2008

3. Types of Meditation • Zen • Focuses on the background perception or field, seeking a deeper understanding. • Concentrative • focuses the attention on the breath, an image, or a sound (mantra), in order to still the mind. • Mindfulness • Helps to gain a more calm, clear, and non-reactive state of mind, by focusing between field and object. Shapiro 1982

4. Buddhist Meditation • Shamatha is often translated as calm abiding or peacefulness; the development of tranquility.  • Vipashyana is clear seeing or special insight, and involves intuitive cognition of suffering, impermanence, and egolessness. • Samadhi is concentration or one-pointed meditation.  It involves intense focusing of consciousness. Webspace.ship.edu 2008

5. The Buddha, or Enlightened One, was born (approx) in 566 BC as Siddhartha Gautama. He was a prince of the Sakya tribe of Nepal. Buddhism: a Brief Overview Suzuki 2006

6. At age 29, Siddhartha sought the meaning of suffering. • Bodhi Tree = Buddha became enlightened. • 45 years of wandering; died in 486 BC at age 80 • Dharma = teachings • Sangha = community of monks and nuns Suzuki 2006

7. The Buddha At the time of his death, the Buddha spoke these words: Impermanent are all created things; strive on with awareness. Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama 2006

8. The Four Nobel Truths • Life is suffering. • Suffering is due to attachment. • Attachment can be overcome. • There is a path for abandoning attachment. Suzuki 2006

9. Eight-Fold Path Prajña, or wisdom • 1. Right view is the true understanding of the four noble truths. • 2. Right aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness. Suzuki 2006

10. Shila(Morality) • 3. Right speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk. • 4. Right action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex. • 5. Right livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including animals. Susuki 2006

11. Samadhi (Meditation) • 6. Right effort Bad qualities should be abandoned and prevented from arising again; good qualities should be enacted and nurtured. • 7. Right mindfulness is adjusting thinking as to overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance. • 8. Right concentration is meditating to progressively realize a true understanding of imperfection, and impermanence. Suzuki 2006

12. Meditation Basics Remember to attend to your breathing. Sit with your back straight. Hands are placed loosely on the top of the thighs, with the palms facing up. Place the thumb and middle finger so that they are touching. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed. Inhale, counting to 10; exhale with the same count. Webspace.ship.edu 2008

13. Mantra (prayer) To recite Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra. Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit. Dharma-haven.org 2008

14. Om Mani Padme Hum Cannot be transliterated into a simple phrase or sentence Is the most widely used of all Buddhist mantras Is open to anyone who feels inspired to practice it Reading from left to right the syllables are: Om (ohm) Ma (mah) Ni(nee) Pad (pahd) Me (may) Hum (hum) Dharma-haven.org 2008

15. Variation of pronunciation is: Om Mani Peme Hung Om helps to achieve generosity Ma helps to achieve ethics Ni helps to achieve tolerance and patience Pad helps to achieve perseverance Me helps to achieve concentration Hum helps to achieve wisdom Dharma-haven.org 2008

16. Can Meditation Help Me? • Anxiety • Researchers at the University of MA. Medical Center found statistically significant improvements among 22 patients. • Aging • Maharishi International University in Iowa, found improvement in 73 elderly patients in learning, cognitive flexibility and mental health, as well as blood pressure and a 3-year survival rate for participants. Duke University 2006

17. Health Benefits • GI Disorders • State University of New York found significant reductions in symptoms of 10 patients for abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating. • Psoriasis • 1998 Study found in Psychosomatic Medicine reported a faster heal rate for those patients who included meditation with traditional methods. • Stroke • 2000 study found in Stroke published coronary atherosclerosis was reduced, after 6 to 9 months of meditation therapy. Duke university 2006

18. Summary • Meditation is easy to learn. • Meditation can be practiced anywhere. • Helps to relieve psychological disturbances • Helps to relieve a variety of medical issues • Does not need to be included with religion • Can be silent, focused or with music • Meditate for at least 15 minutes a day to keep the doctor away.