SHORT GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS PRACTICING SAMATHA AND VIPASSANA MEDITATION

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Benefits of meditation Samatha meditation is to attain a good mindfulness and concentration . Samatha meditation focus on stopping the flow of thoughts, worries, and mental distractions. We are able to say that practicing samatha is the cause, and concentration is the effect. Before practising meditation, you should clearly understand its benefits. Samatha meditation has the following benefits:- Meditation helps us reduce thoughts and mental chaos.- Meditation helps us reduce worry and stress in daily life.- Meditation helps us relax and balance the body and mind.- Meditation helps us achieve mindfulness and concentration in daily life.- Meditation helps us attain a peaceful and happy mind.- Meditation helps us develop wisdom and compassion.

SHORT GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

PRACTICING SAMATHA AND VIPASSANA MEDITATION

PRACTICING SAMATHA MEDITATION

Benefits of meditation
Samatha meditation is to attain a good mindfulness and concentration . Samatha meditation focus on stopping the flow of thoughts, worries, and mental distractions. We are able to say that practicing samatha is the cause, and concentration is the effect. Before practising meditation, you should clearly understand its benefits. Samatha meditation has the following benefits:
- Meditation helps us reduce thoughts and mental chaos.
- Meditation helps us reduce worry and stress in daily life.
- Meditation helps us relax and balance the body and mind.
- Meditation helps us achieve mindfulness and concentration in daily life.
- Meditation helps us attain a peaceful and happy mind.
- Meditation helps us develop wisdom and compassion.
Meditation is not a religion. Meditation is a method that helps improve our life for the better. Therefore, everyone can apply it in their life. You can practice meditation anywhere.

Cultivating compassion before meditating
Buddhism is the path of opening the mind, meaning that Buddhism teaches everyone to open the mind with compassion to love and save all sentient beings. Therefore, before practising meditation, we make the following vows:
1. I vow to open my heart to love all people.
2. I vow to develop great compassion to save all sentient beings.
3. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings to understand the truth of life.
4. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings understand the truth of the true mind.
5. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings be free from the suffering of old age, sickness, and death
6. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings be free from the suffering of greedy, hatred, and delusion
7. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings be free from the suffering of samsara.
6. I vow to attain wisdom to help all sentient beings become enlightened beings.

How to practise Samatha meditation
We practise Samatha meditation to achieve concentration. We practise Samatha meditation to eliminate mental chaos. Before meditating, we should prepare our mind. We should not think about time, family activities, work, social media, natural disasters, wars, etc. Why is that? If we think about these things, our mind will become even more chaotic. When meditating, we only focus on the breath. This is also called breath meditation. Meditation consists of 3 parts: 1. Sitting posture, 2. Practising meditation, 3. Finishing meditation (self-massage).

Sitting posture

Sitting on the floor
Sitting on the floor is more comfortable as you can focus better. If you are sitting on the floor, use a cushion at least 10 cm high. This helps you keep your back straight more easily. Place your left leg first, then your right leg.
Sitting on a chair
You can sit on a chair. Place your feet on a mat to keep warm (if the floor is cold). Then, keep your back and neck straight, place your right hand on your left hand, and focus your eyes on your nose, relaxing your entire body.

Practising meditation

Inhale deeply into your abdomen through your nose. Then exhale slowly through your mouth (3 times). After that, let your breath to move in and out naturally through your nostrils. Simply observe your breath. Inhale and exhale, count once. Inhale and exhale, count twice. Continue counting your breath from 1 to 10. Then, count your breaths again from 1 to 10. If you forget number, don't worry. Start counting your breaths again from 1 to 10. Try to count your breath from 1 to 10 without any other thoughts. That is mindfulness. If you want to sit for 15 minutes or 30 minutes, set an alarm clock.

Zen massage (Self-massage)

After meditating for 15 or 30 minutes, inhale deeply into your abdomen through your nose. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, do this three times. Rub your hands together to warm them and massage your eyes, nose, face, ears, forehead, head, neck, and back. Rotate your shoulders in a circular motion from back to front at least five times, then change direction. Massage both arms from the inside out. If your legs feel numb after sitting meditation, you should not stand up immediately. You need to massage both feet. Then stretch your legs out and massage them from the inside out, then stand up. We practise meditation in four postures: walking, standing, sitting, lying.

PRACTICING VIPASSANA MEDITATION

We practise Vipassana meditation to develop wisdom and compassion. Thus, Vipassana meditation is the cause, and wisdom and compassion are the result. After achieving concentration, we begin to observe all activities of the mind, or in other words, observe the illusory thoughts in the mind. Illusory thoughts are false and not true. What are these illusory thoughts? They are sadness and joy, happiness and suffering, love and hatred, success and failure, anger, worry, etc. We recognise mistaken thoughts and eliminate them. That is wisdom. When we are suffering, we know we are suffering and we can end that suffering. That is wisdom.
Breathing in, I know, breathing in. This is mindfulness, awareness.
Breathing out, I know, breathing out. This is mindfulness, awareness.
When the mind is greedy for money, I know, the mind is greedy for money. When the mind is greedy for material things, I know, the mind is greedy for material things.
When the mind is greedy for love, I know, the mind is greedy for love.
When the mind is lustful, I know, the mind is lustful.
When the mind craves status, I know, the mind craves status.
When the mind craves fame, I know, the mind craves fame.
When the mind craves food, I know, the mind craves food.
When the mind craves sleep, I know, the mind craves sleep.
When the mind is sad, I know, the mind is sad.
When the mind is happy, I know, the mind is happy.
When the mind is worried, I know, the mind is worried.
When the mind is distracted, I know, the mind is distracted.
When the mind is angry, I know, the mind is angry.
When the mind is jealous, I know, the mind is jealous.
When the mind is selfish, I know, the mind is selfish.
When the mind is deceitful, I know, the mind is deceitful.
When the mind is flattering, I know the mind is flattering.
When the mind is arrogant, I know the mind is arrogant.
When the mind is sleepy, I know the mind is sleepy.
When the mind is lazy, I know the mind is lazy.
When the mind is concentrated, I know the mind is concentrated.
When the mind has compassion, I know the mind has compassion.
When the mind is calm, I know the mind is calm.
The thoughts of greed, anger, and delusion are not real. When we are mindful and aware that these arising thoughts are illusions, they will dissolve immediately. This is wisdom.

HOW TO APPLY MINDFULNESS MEDITATION IN DAILY LIFE
Meditating while sitting, standing, lying down
If you meditate while sitting, standing or lying, practise counting your breaths as described above. Count your breaths from one to ten, without thinking about anything else. This means you have good mindfulness.

Meditating while walking
When practising walking meditation, pay attention to your steps. Step forward with your right foot and silently recite "one". Step with your left foot, then silently recite "two" and continue counting up to ten, then start counting from one to ten again. When practising walking meditation, you have no other thoughts. This means you have good mindfulness.

APPLYING MINDFULNESS IN DAILY LIFE

It is important to apply mindfulness practice in all activities of daily life. You know what you are doing, saying and thinking. This means you have good mindfulness.
In the morning I am waking up, I know I am waking up.
I am getting up, I know I am getting up.
I am opening the door, I know I am opening the door.
I am going into the bathroom, I know I am going into the bathroom.
I am brushing my teeth, I know I am brushing my teeth.
I am rinsing my mouth, I know I am rinsing my mouth.
I am washing my face, I know I am washing my face.
I am drying my face, I know I am drying my face.
I am taking a shower, I know I am taking a shower.
I am washing my hair, I know I am washing my hair.
I am drying myself, I know I am drying myself.
I am getting dressed, I know I am getting dressed.
I am returning to my room, I know I am returning to my room.

In the kitchen
I am opening the fridge, I know I am opening the fridge.
I am taking the vegetables, I know I am taking the vegetables.
I am peeling the carrot, I know I am peeling the carrot.
I am cutting the carrot, I know I am cutting the carrot.
I am washing the vegetables, I know I am washing the vegetables.
I am stir-frying the vegetables, I know I am stir-frying the vegetables.
I am boiling the vegetables, I know I am boiling the vegetables.
I am making soup, I know I am making soup.
I am braising tofu, I know I am braising tofu.
I am cooking rice, I know I am cooking rice.
I am setting food on the table, I know I am setting food on the table.
I am hungry, I know I am hungry.
I am taking food, I know I am taking food.
I am putting food into my mouth, I know I am putting food into my mouth.
I am eating, I know I am eating.
I am chewing, I know I am chewing.
I am swallowing, I know I am swallowing.
I am full, I know I am full.
I am thirsty, I know I am thirsty.
I am drinking tea, I know I am drinking tea.
I am tidying the dishes, I know I am tidying the dishes.
I am washing the dishes, I know I am washing the dishes.

In the living room
I am boiling water, I know I am boiling water.
I am making coffee, I know I am making coffee.
I am drinking coffee, I know I am drinking coffee.
I am watching television, I know I am watching television.
I am vacuuming, I know I am vacuuming.
I am mopping the floor, I know I am mopping the floor.

At the office
I am going to work, I know I am going to work.
I open the car door, I know I open the car door.
I am sitting in the car, I know I am sitting in the car.
I am starting the car engine, I know I am starting the car engine.
I am driving the car, I know I am driving the car.
I am going to the office, I know I am going to the office.
I am working on the computer, I know I am working on the computer.

Exercising
I am wearing sports clothes, I know I am wearing sports clothes.
I am wearing socks, I know I am wearing socks.
I am wearing shoes, I know I am wearing shoes.
I am walking, I know I am walking.
I am jogging, I know I am jogging.
I am resting, I know I am resting.
I am lying down, I know I am lying down.

Key: SHORT GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS PRACTICING SAMATHA AND VIPASSANA MEDITA