Mind Over Matter

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 o
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