Essay/Term paper: Mind over matter

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

Mind over Matter


Matt Pickering
Religion 101
Brantley Gasaway
Section BD


Out of the myriad of religions that encompass the earth, one of the
least understood is Buddhism. In the pursuit of a higher plane of existence, a
Buddhist monk will renounce his worldly secular life, instead embracing a life
of meditation and study. While attempting to achieve enlightenment, and
therefore nirvana, a Buddhist must first come to eradicate his sense of self,
effectively destroying his ego. By doing this, "durkha," (pain and suffering),
end and one can be at peace and harmony with the world and all who reside in it.
A practice that helps monks achieve this enlightened state is meditation. By
clearing the mind of mundane clutter and distractions, a monk can become in tune
with his inner being and body, which results in a greater understanding of the
barriers that need to collapse before nirvana can be achieved. This practice of
meditation was the Buddhist practice that I participated in, with the intent on
a greater understanding of what being a Buddhist means. This exercise taught me
the inherent difficulty in calming the mind, along with the negative effects
outside influences like other people have on the practice.
The first place I attempted to meditate was outside my dorm next to a
tree. This proved to be a comfortable place, yet full of distractions. I have
meditated before in my martial arts classes, yet it was difficult calming my
mind. While concentrating on my breathing, I was easily distracted by outside
occurrences such as leaves falling and people walking by. The more I attempted
to shut out the outside world, the more my mind focused on the little things
around me. I gained immediate appreciation of the Buddhist monk's ability to
shirk the outside world and focus on his inner self. When I had meditated before
in my dojo, it was as a group and in silence. This greatly helped the exercise
and I can see why this is the modus operandi at most temples.
The second place I attempted to meditate was in the basement of Reid
Hall. I hoped that the familiar surroundings would calm the mind easier and
allow me to concentrate on clearing my mind. While not an ideal setting, it was
better than outside. As I concentrated on my breathing and felt myself unwind, I
was able to tune into the sound of the dryers in the distance and this white
noise helped me focus on my spirit and not anything happening around me. I
imagined myself first as earth, then air, striving to feel these elements inside
of me. However, friends from the hall soon entered the basement and inquired
about what I was doing. This broke my concentration, snapping my mind back into
the present. I was unable to achieve that sense of oneness again, as people came
down to play Ping-Pong, making the exercise virtually worthless. I had come
closer than the first time, yet had a long way to go.
My third attempt at imitating a Buddhist monk while meditating took
place in my room, while my roommates were gone. I sat cross-legged (the lotus
position was impossible for me) on the floor and once again concentrated on the
air flowing through my body. I found that just like the dryers in the basement,
I was able to concentrate better with classical music on very softly. I guess,
for me, the incessant noise of society makes white noise better for
concentrating than absolute silence. This time, I quickly sunk into a sense of
calm, all my thoughts of school fading away. I imagined myself a monk in the
Chin Shan temple, striving for enlightenment. Just to add another level to the
activity (by this time is was fairly boring) I attempted to decipher the Zen
Buddhist koan "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" This proved utterly
impossible in the half-hour time period I was meditating, yet it gave me a feel
for what a Buddhist monk does and helped focus my errant mind, preventing it
from wandering. By far, the last time I meditated was the most successful. There
were no major advances, everything was a measure of degree. Yet sitting for a
half-hour cross-legged was no longer extremely uncomfortable, focusing the
breathing and mind was easier, and I felt at peace which was nice feeling in a
usually hectic college day. After trying to emulate the life of a Buddhist monk,
even for a total of an hour and a half, I have infinite more respect for these
men and women. I have always respected forms of mental concentration and the
ability to raise oneself into a higher plane of consciousness. In my study of
the martial arts, the ability to become one with your opponent and therefore
know how he will move before he actually moves is paramount. This omniscient
sense occurs only after years of training, and while a black belt who has
trained for six years I am still far from this state of ability. I can readily
see why the pursuit of nirvana can span a lifetime, indeed, multiple lifetimes.
The mind is, indeed, the hardest element of the human body to control.
With the brain's need for activity, a combination of seclusion from
society and group meditation is of great importance, especially in the beginning
of one's path toward the mastery of the Eight-fold Path. The seclusion is
necessary so that outside distractions and desires are eliminated. If the mind
has nothing to crave or look forward to, it is easier to pursue the task at hand.
Unlike the hustle and noise of Oxford, a temple offers a place to get away from
life and find the inner life within oneself. Yet this inner self, which is
ultimately to be eradicated, is hard to find. One can know who one is and yet
not be able to define oneself. One of the goals of a Buddhist monk is to be able
truthfully define oneself and this knowledge will then set one's soul free. Yet
this endeavor is the hardest task a human can undertake. To truly face what one
really is takes more courage than most people have. To aid this, the community
of the temple comes into play heavily. It is easier to meditate and deny oneself
the riches of secular life if you struggle beside others. While Buddhism
advocates a personal struggle toward enlightenment, humans are gregarious beings
at heart and so normally work better in the presence of brethren. Along with
one's fellow monks, the abbot and preceptor's help guide and direct the learning
of the monks. They offer subtle forms of encouragement, often disguised in
hardship, that aid the monks in their struggle toward understanding. This is a
boon, allowing enlightenment to occur quicker than in the solitary meditation I
experienced.
A Buddhist way of life is a lot harder than one may suspect, for while
they are released from the worries of everyday life, the mental tasks assigned
to them are far greater than worrying about what to cook for dinner tonight or
paying one's electricity bill. Furthermore, a Buddhist lifestyle is not very
conducive to an American lifestyle. I give a lot of credit to the founders of
the Zen Mountain Center in San Francisco, creating a microcosm which can support
the solitude necessary for personal growth is a daunting task. From my limited
venture into the life of a Buddhist, I learned that controlling one's mind and
then harnessing this power to delve out truths and desires from oneself is a
feat almost inconceivable by the normal mind. Those who accomplish this task are
truly Buddha's, master's of the world and therefore outside the grasp of time,
free at last.