These are the soft words of the venerable monk as he directs a group of Buddhist disciples in meditation.
The smell of sage incense fills the still air. The meditation hall is dimly lit. Only bright candles illuminate the altar, strewn with vases of white flowers, plates of fruits and food, small bowls of rice, and small stacks of Dharma books. The towering white statue of the Guatama Buddha at the center of the altar calmly smiles down to his followers as they practice meditation.
“Practicing any form of meditation doesn’t require a lot of discipline or strength. It requires simply focus and serenity.” The venerable Monk Dao Quan, who leads the meditation sessions during the Buddhist retreat and study held at Viet Nam Temple in Houston over the weekend, teaches students attending the retreat about how to meditate and the science and benefits of meditating.
Buddhists practice meditation for several reasons. Religiously, Buddhists strive to emulate Guatama Buddha, who reached enlightenment after 49 days of deep meditation. Monk Dao Quan (attribution…is it possible for me to keep it like this? This is his full title) jokes with the students saying, “We as human beings today might not be able to be that focused for even two days without food or water, but nevertheless, we practice just like the Buddha did in his lifetime in hopes to achieve some kind of peace.”
Monk Dao Quan gives a presentation via Powerpoint slides prior to practicing meditation with his students. His presentation, entitled “What Science Says about Meditation” gives students attending the lesson a practical look at meditation and the studies conducted to show its physical and mental benefits.
Benefits of meditation:
• increases mental ability and capacity as the parts of the brain are stimulated when practicing meditation
• develops stronger focus and concentration
• keeps the body healthy by lowering blood pressure, calming the heart, and may reduce pain
• helps relieve stress and anxiety
• makes you happier and more conscious of yourself and the world around you
Monk Dao Quan then takes the students through a step-by-step guide to meditation. First, he explains to the students what they need.
• a quiet place with moderate temperature and dim lighting
• something comfortable to sit on like a pillow
• at least 10 minutes
“There’s nothing complicated about meditation. All you need is yourself. With practice, you may not even need the pillow anymore.” Monk Dao Quan explains that one goal of meditation is to get used to any sensations, pains, or urges, accept them, and then put them aside.
Monk Dao Quan then asks the students to practice with him as he guides them through his step-by-step process of meditation.
• Sit in the “lotus” position. Legs crossed and hands in your lap, right hand resting on top of the left, both palms facing upward, thumbs gently touching.
• Back should be straight, but not tensed or flexed. Avoid resting against a wall.
• Head is tipped slightly forward so the eyes are cast down to the ground.
• Eyes closed.
• Inhale deeply through the nose.
• Count to three.
• Exhale slowly through the mouth.
• Repeat the process for at least ten minutes.
“Continue this meditation,” Monk Dao Quan says to his students, “until your mind is clear and you feel that you are alert and serene.” Monk Dao Quan uses the metaphor of calming the sea of the mind through meditation. “As you close your eyes, see the sun slowly set over the distant horizon. Let the calm night blanket the water and calm the waves until all is quiet and still.”
Nghia Bui, an Oklahoma resident attending the retreat for the first time, commented after the fifteen-minute meditation session.
“It was pretty hard to sit so still for so long. At first, I felt really peaceful and managed to clear my head, but after the ten-minute mark, my back started hurting and my legs went numb.” Bui says that meditation takes some practice for the beginner. Monk Dao Quan made it look so simple, but in all actuality, it takes more than one fifteen-minute session to get used to the feeling.
Livia Phan, from California, says, “I try to practice, not even ten minutes, but at least five minutes a day. It helps me focus and concentrate during the day. I kind of lose that as the day drags on, but I think with a little more practice, I can meditate for longer times and be able to focus better for the entire day.” Phan also says she practices meditation before a big test at school. “I took a test with meditation and one without meditation. I think it works, because I made a better grade on the test where I meditated the morning of.”
Meditation isn’t something that people can pick up easily. Like most physically and mentally beneficial activities, this one takes some practice and dedication as well.
“Meditation doesn’t have many steps or details,” Monk Dao Quan says. “All you have to do is sit still and breathe. But even that takes practice. My hope is to make understanding, appreciating, and practicing meditation better for the average Buddhist, no, human being.”
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