Samatha and Vipassana Meditation
by Ajahn Jagaro
I would like to begin this talk firstly by speaking about developing the posture for meditation. The ideal posture is one that is quite balanced, so try to sit on the floor quite straight. Keep the back straight and push the lower back forward as if something is pulling you from the chest upwards a little bit so that you are lifting yourself up. The top of the head should be towards the ceiling, keep your chin tucked in a little so that the neck is straight. The posture is something that you can work with and improve, as it is never perfect from the start.
Rather than using the cross-legged posture, try to cultivate either the half lotus or the Burmese posture for sitting meditation practice; when the knees are firmly on the floor there is greater stability and it is easier to sit for longer periods. Use a firm cushion to help push the pelvis forward, so that the belly softens and the knees drop lower. Hatha yoga exercises are helpful in building strength in the back and to help open the thighs, and make the body more flexible. You should be careful not to pull the muscles, but do try to exercise and stretch the legs.
Some people sit on a low stool, which is tilted slightly forward to straighten the back. If none of these postures are possible for you, and you must sit on a chair, choose a straight backed firm chair, and support your own back; do not lean on the back of the chair, do rest your feet firmly on the ground. Experiment with these postures to find your own limits. Work with your body to see if you can gradually cultivate a good, straight and balanced posture. The more balanced you are, the more comfortable you”ll be and the easier you”ll find it to sit for longer periods; however some discomfort is natural, as we are unaccustomed to sitting still for any time at all.
Working with the posture is in itself a very good meditation, especially when we feel very dull. At this time the breath is too refined an object, so take this opportunity to use the body. The body is so concrete; it feels so solid that it really grounds us and the feelings of the body are always there definite, sharp and very present. So when the mind starts getting into dull, confused states or very distracted thinking, come back to something really definite like the bodily posture. Just feel the body sitting, bring the mind within the body; fill the body with the mind. Remind yourself, whenever the mind starts to wander - just sitting. Let the mind sink back into the body. Body just sitting. Then you can begin to experiment with improving the posture. Start by putting a bit of strength into the back and neck. This is not only developing posture for its own sake but it is also disciplining the mind itself by cultivating awareness and energy in the mind. The state of the body reflects the state of the mind. When our mind is dull or lazy the body starts slumping, losing its strength and energy.
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As for the natural exercise of concentration, this is what we call Samatha meditation. This meditation is good for everyone because we tend to create, think and analyse too much. Intellectually we are very active and agile but this always leads to a sense of confusion and complexity because the nature of thought and the conditioned world is very complex. We are very complicated beings and when we try to understand ourselves just by thinking it can be very confusing. One”s mind seems like a jungle of thoughts, ideas, perceptions and memories. So what we really need is a firmer foundation of clarity and stability, where the mind can begin to rest and focus on being still, content in the present moment and not getting lost in thinking one thought after another. Moving away from the realm of thought and complexi…
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