Insight Too, in situ (insi2.org): Meditation

Meditation

Introduction

When I broke my hip in 2008, I faced not only physical but also psychological challenges. During the recovery period, I came to appreciate the benefit of meditation (more specifically Vipassana/mindfulness/insight meditation in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism). As I learned meditation, I also learned Buddhist teachings, which started to change my life in a broader sense. Due to the constraints surrounding my life, I am learning meditation only through books and on-line resources (see below). Since I suspect that there are many other people with similar (and even more) constraints, I thought it might be good to share my experience on this page. I also discuss some aspects of Buddhism in connection to other topcs. [By the way, the photo on the left is of my daughter when she was three.]

My Meditation Experience

I grew up in Japan, where Buddhism is considered one of the core religions, along with Shinto, Confucianism, and Taoism, i.e."four teachings" of Japan, cf. "three teachings" of China. Unfortunately, I feel that the kinds of Buddhism practiced in Japan (sometimes referred to as "funeral Buddhism") does not convey the original teachings of the Buddha very well (maybe except for the Zen traditions). In fact, I was never drawn to Buddhism until recently. Only after becoming a parent (2005) and then with a broken hip (2008), I started to meditate seriously. So, frankly, my meditation experience is quite limited and I freely admit that I'm not a quick learner of meditation. However, my meditation practice also gave me a chance to look at Buddhism from a different angle, i.e. in the Theravada tradition. Nowadays, I usually spend one to two hours every morning practicing sitting and walking meditation, most closely following the instructions found on this page and this book. But the most important part of mindfulness training takes place when we are not formally meditating; it is how mindfully we spend our days. I also read a fair number of Buddhism-related books. This recent development is the fourth stage of my major transition experience as listed on my project home page. While I now respect the Buddha and Buddhist teachings more than anything else, I still don't consider myself Buddhist. For example, I have no interest in Buddhist rituals. But more importantly, what I don't care is the label.

Buddhism and Attachment Theory

For the first few years of our daughter's life, we hoped that she would be "securely attached" to us, in the sense of attachment theory. Then, when I learned Buddhist teachings, I started to value the notion of "non-attachment." On the surface, attachment (in attachment theory) and non-attachment (in Buddhism) might appear contradictory. However, as I explored the connection, I realized that not only there is no contradition but also the two notions are deeply related. This point has been written up as an essay (with references to relevant work) titled "Attachment and Non-attachment: Attachment Theory and Buddhism."

Buddhism and Learning

The idea of "non-attachment" (or non-craving/non-clinging) also applies to learning. As long as the learner is attached to a certain outcome, be it grades or even goals of a learner-centered approach (which I believe is a much better alternative to conventional teacher-centered approach), there will be suffering, which will in turn disrupt the learning process. Then, what would be a learning process with no attachment? ... more later

Resources

During the past few years, I consulted a variety of sources regarding meditation and Buddhism. But if I were to start all over today, I would first consult the following resources more or less in the given order:

Excellent motivators for mindfulness training: Arbinger Institute. 2010. Leadership and self-deception: getting out of the box, Expanded 2nd ed. and 2006. The anatomy of peace: resolving the heart of conflict.
Introduction to mindfulness and practice: Siegel, Ronald D. 2010. The mindfulness solution: everyday practices for everyday problems.
Details about meditation practice (Mahasi method): Vipassana Dhura Meditation Society
Very gentle yet very effective discussion of meditation in connection to mainly Buddhist ideas: Levine, Stephen. 1979. A gradual awakening.
Deep understanding of mindfulness meditation: Gunaratana, Henepola. 2002. Mindfulness in plain English, Updated and Expanded ed.
More on mindfulness referring to various sources: Analayo. 2004. Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization.
Introduction to the core of the Buddha's teachings (Four Noble Truths): Moffitt, Phillip. 2008. Dancing with life: Buddhist insights for finding meaning and joy in the face of suffering.
Great exposition of Buddhist ideas by the teacher of Moffitt above: Sumedho. 1995. The mind and the way: Buddhist reflections on life.
More on the Buddha's teachings: Rahula, Walpola Sri. 1974. What the Buddha taught, Rev. ed.
Excellent summary of Buddhism: Gethin, Rupert. 1998. The foundations of Buddhism.
Not a book on meditation or Buddhism, but skillfully explains the notion of (not-)self and connects mindfulness, compassion, and ethics: Varela, Francisco J., Thompson, Evan, and Rosch, Eleanor. 1991. The embodied mind: cognitive science and human experience.