Meditation made easy (1)

If you have been reading my posts about Buddhism you know I have a hard time bowing in front of statues just for ritual's sake. But everybody who knows me knows I've been meditating for years. Nothing compared to the years spent reading and/listening to idle talk, false mysticism and new age mumbo jumbo. So I thought I'd save everybody some time. And for all of you who've wondered and emailed and stuff: you'll finally know what it is that I do to keep so ehm...relaxed, centered, fresh and in the moment :)

Just to set the record straight: meditation is not Buddhist. Not only does it predate Buddhism, it is practiced in other religions (like Catholicism) and outside of the religious context all together. But only an idiot would ignore the strong ties between meditation and Buddha. The man studied hard with the most renowned (Bhramanistic) masters of his time. One of them (Alara Kalama) could be more mindful than anyone else. But the Buddha eventually managed to surpass his teacher and attained the highest level of mindfulness known to man. Not easy. It takes any master years to keep up these high levels of concentration 24/7.

Here's the good news and the kicker though: it is actually very easy to achieve a high level of mindfulness for a moment. And it's not that difficult to string those moments together. In fact: there is no need to try hard at all. It's not a race. But let's get started quickly!

Exercise 1: counting the breath

There are a million ways to do this. This is just a way that I have found to be easy and just long enough (about 20 minutes). The object here is to try and stop/clear the mind by focusing on your breath. No more. No less.

Be careful of these things:

-Breathe naturally, don't try to breathe deeper than normal or anything. Just be aware that you are breathing in (or out). If you force anything you are doing it wrong.

-Do NOT try to suppress thoughts or be fustrated when your mind strays. Give yourself a break.

-Don't rush. Your pace should be entirely directed by the natural pace of your breath. The breath comes first, then you count it.

Ready? Here we go. Read through these points slowly first and then try to do it. Once a week is good. Once a day is better.

1) Sit somewhere were you won't be disturbed. Sit straight. This can be done on chair on a cushion, whatever as long as you keep your back straight. You can close your eyes if you want to.

2) Survey the room for a bit. Feel where your body makes contact to the floor/the chair/the cushion/the air. Take in all the sights and sounds and smells and stuff. Become aware of your breathing. You are breathing aren't you?

3) Breathe in and then breathe out. Count '50' on the 'out' breath. Count '49' on the 'in' breath and keep counting down like that.

5) Double up. When you get to '20': breathe out as before but wait with counting '19' to the next 'out' breath. You'll be doing: OUT 20- IN- OUT 19- IN- OUT 18. All the way down to 'one'.

6) Don't jump up. When you reach 'one' keep breathing consciously for as long as you like. Survey the room again, then get up slowly. Feel your feet touch the floor. You'll feel refreshed, light and clear headed. Good as new!

Note: When you lose track of the number or 'in' or 'out', don't worry. Just smile and think 'oops', breathe out and go back to 50.

Pokemon: Thai style

Remember my explanation about Buddhism? And my description of the Thai variety and its quirks? Silly me. All that explaining when a good everyday example is right up for grabs: the Jatukam Ramathep -craze. The what?! They're amulets. I see them everywhere. There are being traded in the markets, at our school and along side mobile phones and computer games at shopping malls all over Thailand. And everybody has them: monks, bus drivers, kids, politicians, movie stars, cleaners, housewives, even some farangs.

Now hold on: amulets have been a part of Thailand since time immemorial. But in the last couple of years it has become a fad that seems to know no bounds. Amulets used to be worn under the shirt to protect the wearer from all kinds of evil. Back then it was more or less a harmless personal superstition (if those exist). Costly. But easy. You didn't have to knock on wood ever again. Walked under a ladder? Who cares!

In recent years however it has become all about showing off. Some Buddhist leaders have tried to do something about it. But the amulets got bigger, ever more elaborate and al lot more sparkly. So did the names. You can now get yourself a Extra-Super-Rich-amulet with special ingredients from temple X. But better get an Ultra-Strong-Life-amulet that's been touched by monk Y too! Who knows what will happen if you don't. And of course you wear it over your shirt. How else is everybody gonna see it? And it all wouldn't be complete without a heavy golden casing. So what do you look like now? That's right: a rapper.

What this has to do with Pokemon? Combine the craze, the power ups, the estimated 20 billion Baht in turnover and you do the math.

Dharma if you do/dharma if you don't (2)

*Long post alert* Should have kept my big mouth shut. Brought it on myself. Here we go...'What is Buddhism?' Holy cow... I can't answer that. But I can tell you what's at the core and point out some common misunderstandings.

1) There is suffering, but luckily if we recognise that, there is a way (The Way) to end it and to experience a state of endless well being and happiness.

2)The Way is called the eightfold path, consisting of Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Diligence, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. One brings forth (and is interconnected with) the others.

3) Everything is impermanent: everything changes, even from one moment to the next.

4) There is no self: the division between you and me, or you and tree is an illusion. You inter-are with everything. You (like everything) consist of non-you elements.

5)There is a ground of being, a substance of all that is: Nirvana (not the band). It is the extinction of all notions. Birth, death, being, non being, chair, hate, frying pan...all these concepts, all those words do not represent reality in its ultimate essence. But we can touch that essence if we are mindful.

Of course there is more to it, but on the other hand this is it. No more. End of story. Short and sweet. Badibadabe-that's all folks.

But for all the simplicity these core teachings are often misunderstood. Because of the emphasis on 'suffering' the teachings are sometimes seen as pessimistic.

Others emphasise the 'emptiness' often mentioned in Buddhist texts and spend hours and hours trying to be empty. But empty just means empty of a separate self and has nothing to do with nihilism, thinking of 'nothing' and white furniture.

Then there's the most important rule of Buddhism. It can be found in the Snake Sutra and it's often forgotten or left out. It tells the world not to get caught in any teaching, even Buddhism itself. So:

6) Any teaching/concept is like a poisonous snake: if you handle it you've got to be very careful not to get bitten.

Dharma if you do/dharma if you don't (1)

'So what is it like, living in a Buddhist country?' I somehow got (and still get) that question a lot. At first I could not really answer that. Yesyesyes, Buddhism seems to be present in everything here. Sometimes it's beneath the surface somewhere. Sometimes it's right there in your face. But after a year in Isaan my answer would have to be 'Sometimes I'm not so sure I'm in a Buddhist country at all.'

Here's why. First of all: what is a Buddhist country anyway? It's got a whole bunch of branches just like any major religion. Second of all, in Thailand and in Isaan especially, Buddhism is heavily influenced by various superstitions, ancestor worship, voodoo-like rituals, Brahmanism and so on. Some of it quite compatible, some of it not so much so at first glance. One day I might list those here. Not today though.

What gets me about Thailand has more to do with the branch-thing. You had the Buddha and then the monks spread the word to the south, everything ended up in Sri lanka and moved into Thailand by way of...well anyway, in the end you get Thai Theravada Buddhism. And a lot of people struggle with what that means nowadays. According to some senior monks it is has become more of a belief system than a way of life. More of a religion than a practise. And who can blame some Thai for being a bit confused if you also put all the Chinese, Indian and hilltribe (and Western!) influences in the mix? Not me.

Foodism

Sometimes you get lucky. Not in Thailand though. Luck has nothing to do with it. It's all about karma (cause and effect) and merit (which you get provided you don't enjoy killing mosquito's too much and give to the poor and generally do the right thing). I don't know what I've done right. But it must have really been something. Because somehow we just happen to work and live very close to the best chicken shop in the world. That's right: the best in the world. It's roasted by the roadside on a stick until absolutely perfect, with a slight but ever so delightful hint of asphalt. *wipes keyboard clean of saliva* To top it all off the chicken comes with a fine tamarind based dipping sauce adding a nice spicy twang. *wipes keyboard clean of saliva again*

Now I can hear you think: what about the poor chicken and the tamarind and stuff. Two possible answers: 1) They had it coming. 2) It will back fire completely and I'll probably be roasted to a crisp in a next life. Delicious...