Insight Meditation With Mindfulness As Prelude

Girish Deshpande
The objective of any meditation technique is the same — to hold the mind still to calm it, to relax it for the benefit it will bring to us and others around us during this lifetime and beyond. Insight Meditation is one such technique. However, this technique not only involves holding the mind still, but goes on to observe intensely the thoughts and feelings arising, to understand the true nature of our body and mind, and the nature of the world. So there is no conflict of within and without. The mind transgresses all barriers of conceptualisation and conditioning and moves to the realm of absolute reality. Therefore, we need to understand the preparation for it. This is mindfulness. We need to understand its nature before we begin to practise it. Mindfulness has four important factors. The most important factor is clarity of mind. A mind deluded with anger and greed is toxic; therefore it is unclear. Clarity comes when the mind is free of agitation. The second factor is staying calm for stability and peace. When we are agitated, craved and excited, the mind experiences instability and unease. It is not at peace with the body. We need to bring the state of such a mind to settle into a calmness and serenity. The third preparation for mindful meditation is alertness of mind. By alertness is meant sensitised but not adversely sensitive to surroundings. We are completely aware of what is going around us in detail, but it does not bother or worry us. And lastly, an important factor in this practice is keeping the mind engaged in current events. We are to be ever watchful of this because the mind wanders, creates its own concepts and conditions and distorts proceedings. Once we prepare ourselves for a meditation session ever watchful of all these four states, we are ready to begin the practice. In all this preparation the breathing is to be set to a rhythm, focusing, preferably, on the point of release of the breath to the intake of the next breath, so the mind does not wander to the next event following the meditation session! Mindfulness meditation also works well, if we are able to set aside a part of our mind energy to police the breathing. And another part should be responsible to police the police. Now there is no threat for the mind to wander. It is, therefore, advised that when one commences this practice it is done so at a retreat, uncluttered and disturbance-free. Tibetan masters advise that the eyes can be kept partially open looking at the angle of the nose to avoid falling asleep! As tranquillity increases, the eyes can be raised. Finally, the brilliance of the practice of mindfulness is that it can be done while sitting idle, walking, doing daily chores like cooking, writing, repairing, bathing... The mind should constantly endeavour to remember all four states required for effective meditation. To begin the session of mindfulness, the following prayer has known to benefit people immensely. Om Ah Hum, Vajra Guru Padma Siddi Hum! — Prayer in praise of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, for granting our virtuous, justified lower and higher wishes. Being mindful can make the difference between life and death through watchfulness, heaven and hell as a result of karma, nirvana and samsara or what is called eternal happiness or eternal suffering. The writer is a student of Tibetanstyle meditation.