Meditation = Awareness

MEDITATION = AWARENESS

By The Most Ven Dr M Vajiragnana

Introduction | Meditation is Awareness | Techniques | Insight Meditation | Text Satipatthana Sutta

MEDITATION IS AWARENESS

The word “meditation” means many different things to many different people. The fact that it is used in so many religious and philosophical traditions does not mean that it is always used in the same sense. Some people approach this subject with all sorts of preconceived ideas about what sort of experiences they should expect. We shall look at the meditations recommended and practised by the Buddha 2,500 years ago. These practices do not demand adherence to the Buddhist religion.

Practising meditation is not a ritual or a ceremony to be performed. It is in no sense a ‘mystical’ state. Meditation is a straightforward practice designed to cultivate awareness of the present moment.

The intrinsic value of meditation is that, by making us more aware of ourselves, it can lead us to an appreciation of our individual place in life. We are able to face the vicissitudes of life quietly, calmly and wisely. In Buddhism there is one word which describes this precisely, it is Wisdom (Panna). Panna is not the same thing as intelligence - it is not accumulated ability. Wisdom is pure understanding in the present, reality in the here and now. Wisdom sees the truth as the truth, and the false as the false. It is wisdom that enables us to love all beings and has the power to alleviate suffering.

Meditation also helps us live as neurosis-free beings, free from fear and worry. In the modern world, this alone is enough justification for the regular practice of meditation, but it also brings the further benefits of a greater understanding of life, leading to purity of action, speech and thought, and a deep serenity born of seeing the world as it really is, not as we wish it to be.

MENTAL CULTURE

The Buddha said, “There are two kind of disease. What are those two? Physical disease and mental dis­ease. There are people who enjoy freedom from physical disease for a year or two… even for a hundred years or more. But rare in this world are those who enjoy freedom from mental disease even for one moment, except those who are free from mental defilements”.

He referred many times to the benefits and blessings of meditation, teaching its physical and mental benefits as well as its spiritual value. When the Buddha spoke on the subject, he used the word Bhavana. The word ‘meditation’ is in fact not a good translation of the Pali word Bhavana, which means ‘mental culture’ or ‘development’. This means culture in the fullest sense of the term. It aims at cleansing the mind of impurities and disturbances, such as lustful desires, hatred, anger, jealousy, pride, arrogance, ill-will, indolence, sceptical doubts, worries and restlessness, whilst cultivating such qualities as love, compassion, kindness, concentration, awareness, determination, energy, discernment, confidence, joy, and tranquillity. The more we can fill our minds with positive qualities, the less room there will be for negative feelings to manifest themselves.

Hence, one reason we practise meditation is to train the mind to develop its pleasant qualities and reduce its unpleasant states. There is, however, a more important, more fundamental aim. This is to reach the Truth - wisdom or penetrative knowledge - which Buddhists call Enlightenment. Ordinarily, our minds are clouded by defilements, so we are unable to see things in their proper nature; it is like looking through a veil or a piece of tinted glass. We do not see reality, but we see things as we would like them to be. For example, because we like to perceive our bodies as objects of beauty, we spend much time and effort to decorate them with fine clothes, cosmetics, and perfume. All of these embellishments prevent us from seeing the real nature of the body, which in its true state is not so attractive. Buddhist meditation enables us to see things as they really are, shorn of our preconceived ideas, our projections, our likes and dis­likes. It leads eventually to the attainment of the highest wisdom. This does not mean that we have to give up conventional activities - we still have to live in society and we can still carry out our customary actions, such as caring for our bodies, but we are no longer attached to them and we see them for what they are.

Some people think that meditation is only for those people who have problems which need to be sorted out. This is, however, a serious misconception as it ignores the very positive contribution which meditation can make to the way in which we live our lives. It is a way to bring about peaceful living with a mind that is relaxed and able to understand things that are happening both within us and outside us. The practice of meditation helps prevent us from becoming upset when difficulties arise, and it develops beneficial qualities such as courage, energy and vision.

One element of the Buddhist path is called right effort. It has four parts. First, we should strive to prevent the arising of unwholesome mental states which have not yet arisen. Secondly, we should strive to eliminate unwholesome mental states which have already arisen. Thirdly, we should strive to arouse wholesome mental states which have not yet arisen; and fourthly we should strive to develop those wholesome mental states which have already arisen. By practising right effort in order to purify our minds of negative mental states, we can cope with whatever situations we have to face, be worry-free, and enjoy life as it comes.

Happiness and unhappiness lie within our own minds. They are not dependent on our external circumstances, but on how we react to these circumstances. Two people may have the same experience, but one will react by feeling happy, and the other by feeling unhappy. Meditation helps us to cultivate the happy responses and reduce the unhappy ones. It gives us the courage to withstand life’s inevitable difficulties without disturbing our peace of mind.

In addition to its mental benefits, the practice of meditation also improves physical health by inducing relaxation and sound sleep. It can also help to alleviate other physical problems, such as heart disease, duodenal and gastric ulcers and many more conditions related to stress, which are increasing rapidly in the developed countries of the world.

At the Harvard Medical School Dr. Herbert Benson found that meditators develop what he calls the “relaxation response” to difficult or dangerous situations. This is a much healthier response than the very common “fight or flight” reaction. He also observed that during meditaton the heart rate decreases on average by three beats a minute, and that the rate of breathing also decreases. The blood pressure of those who have high blood pressure is reduced during meditation. Dr.Benson found that all the traditional methods of meditation evoke this response. He also found that four basic elements are needed. They are a quiet environment, an object for the attention to dwell on, a comfortable posture and, above all a non-discriminatory attitude towards meditation. This is exactly what the Buddha taught two thousand five hundred years ago.

The requirements for meditation are time, patience and confidence - the time to practise without interruption at a convenient and conducive time of day (more about this later), the patience to be aware that the results of meditation may not be experienced or even be noticed for some time, and confidence in its efficacy. What is not demanded is any strict religious observance, rites, or rituals. Nor is it demanded that a middle-aged person all but break his legs assuming a sitting position he may not have used before - all these things are foreign to the spirit of Buddhism.

You can read about meditation in many books and you can hear about it from well-respected teachers, but you will not know meditation until you try it first-hand. You cannot know the taste of a mango until you eat one yourself. Taste is a personal matter which cannot be fully described by one individual to another. There is no substitute for direct, personal experience. So it is with meditation. Meditation is something that must be experienced. No matter how many learned books you may read about the subject, it is practice which counts.

For Buddhists, meditation is a central part of their lives. In the Satipatthana Sutta, the most important of the Buddha’s discourses on the subject, meditation is said to be, “a direct way for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path and for the attainment of Nibbana.” (In Sanskrit the word used is Nirvana). Meditation, as it is expounded in the original Pali texts, is based primarily upon the experience of the Buddha himself and the method adopted by him in the attainment of enlightenment.

Notice Board

Sermon in Sinhala by Ven Napal Pagngnasara Thera on Saturday, 20 April 2024 at 7.00pm
Please see Events page for details

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Sutta discussion and meditation class (in English) starts on Tuesday, 16 Jan 2024
Sutta discussion (in Sinhala) starts on Friday, 19 Jan 2024
Read more on Classes page>sutta

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Introduction to Buddhism starts on Monday, 16 January 2024
See Classes page>For Beginners

This class has ended. It may be repeated later this year

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Devotees wishing to receive blessings at the Vihara are advised to make an appointment with one of the resident monks

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Current Situation at the London Buddhist Vihara

Dear Supporters,

 We wish you all a Peaceful, Happy and Healthy New Year. 

As there are many new supporters, we feel that it is good to write to you all with some background information about the London Buddhist Vihara (LBV) and an update. 

Some of you would know the history of the LBV but it is good to mention it briefly here. As you know, the LBV moved to the present location in 1994. Ven. Vajiragnana, the Head Monk at the time, had the foresight and the courage to take that step with the generous help of the supporters who have been a great strength to him.
In the UK land registry title deed the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka as the Custodian Trustee of the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust ((ADT) was named as the owner.    

 There was the need to make changes to the building for it to be suitable for a Vihara and it was done. Then in 2002, as more space was needed, a contractor was engaged to build an extension. The construction started with the donations received from the supporters. Unfortunately, for some reason the costs far exceeded the original estimate which LBV was unable to meet, and the contractor issued a High Court writ against the ADT demanding a payment of £95,000 for unpaid bills. The total value of the contract had been exceeded by £95,000.

The Head Monk became helpless, and part of the building was sealed off with no access. The Head Monk was isolated as the person who managed the Vihara activities at that time was also on the side of the contractor and there was no money in the Bank account to spend on the case. It was then that three people including two of the present trustees were asked by the ADT for help with the matter and they were given Power of Attorney’s (POA) as they had to represent the ADT in the UK.

The Vihara Management Committee (VMC) was formed at the time with the three persons mentioned above and they took the necessary action immediately by retaining lawyers and filing the required reply within the few days left. Failure to file a reply would have meant summary justice by the court which could have resulted in losing the LBV building bought with the supporters’ donations. However, thanks to the supporters who continued with their donations, the VMC managed to put up a defence and the case was decided in favour of the LBV after over two years of a difficult litigation process. Afterwards the VMC continued to manage the Vihara and in 2006 completed the extension that the contractor had left only partially completed. Again all the funding was by the donors and we all can be happy that Ven. Vajiragnana was able to see the completion and also move into his new quarters before his passing away in December 2006.

The VMC continued to manage the Vihara and welcomed a new member in 2010, who had been a supporter for a long time and was instrumental in the completion of the extension after the court case.

The continuing progress of the LBV demanded more space for its programs and also for accommodation of monks. Planning Permission was a big issue as the building has a Grade II listing and due to the limited space available. After several attempts with different architects, we eventually succeeded in getting planning permission from the Ealing Borough Council in 2019.

Although a substantial amount had been saved by the LBV, the estimated cost of the project was £1 million after lengthy negotiations and cost cutting. There were suggestions from the ADT, that it  should be done in stages as they felt that there was no likelihood of raising the required funds. The project was managed by one of our trustees who is highly qualified and experienced in that field thereby saving about £70,000 in project and cost management fees. Our supporters came forward once again raising a substantial amount of money. This support with the efficient management helped us to complete the project in one year and within the allocated budget despite the challenges faced during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.   

Getting LBV registered as a Charitable Trust had been a long term need as we were not able to benefit from Gift Aid. Furthermore, the accountant warned us that LBV would have to pay tax on the donations unless it becomes a charity. It was also important that the LBV is properly regulated under the Charity Commission (CC) regulations and is subject to the UK legal system.

This was achieved with the agreement and approval of the of the ADT who were involved right from the beginning of the formation of the Trust in December 2020.

During the formation process, the draft Trust Deed prepared by the ADT was not accepted by the CC and instead suggested that we use a Trust Deed prepared by the CC as it was necessary to ensure the independence of the LBV Trust from the ADT in order to act in the best interest of the LBV. CC stated that ADT as an organisation based in Sri Lanka was outside the jurisdiction of the CC and the Legal System of the UK. Furthermore, the trustees had to give an undertaking to the CC that they would act independently in the best interest of the LBV. With the formation of the Charitable Trust, the management of the LBV and the maintenance of the Building was officially transferred to the LBV Trust.

Therefore, the Trustees are legally bound to oversee the Vihara activities fulfilling the objectives of the late Anagarika Dharmapala and for efficient management including filing accounts, Annual Returns and Annual Reports with the CC according to the CC regulations.

It should be noted that the title deed of the building remains with the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka as the Custodian Trustee of the ADT. LBV has occupied the building for 30 years now.

In 2022 the ADT nominated a person to be appointed as a trustee by the LBV Trust, which was done in good faith although there were certain issues.

In September 2023 the new trustee and another trustee were found to be involved in serious violations of the signed Trust Deed, CC Regulations and the Charities Act 2011. These included making unauthorised changes to the CC register which was a Criminal Act. After clarifying the matters with the CC and as per the guidelines provided by the CC, they were terminated as trustees following the procedures laid down by the Trust deed and the Charities Act 2011. This was  after giving them the opportunity to provide explanations and also to attend a Trust meeting which were not taken up by either of them.

 As the trustees are responsible for the safety of the trust funds and also the Data Protection, the above action had to be taken by the other three Trustees as per the guidelines of the Charity Commission and the Charities Act 2011. If not, the other three trustees would have been guilty of not taking appropriate action in the best interest of the LBV and its supporters.

In December 2023, before commencing the fourth year of forming the LBV Trust, the LBV Trust has appointed a long standing, highly respected LBV coordinator as a trustee and the Trust now has 4 trustees who have been actively involved in the LBV matters for many years. 

As mentioned above, we the trustees, the Head Monk, Ven. Bandula and the resident monks have a high regard for our supporters who have helped the Vihara so much over the years. Should you require any clarification on these matters please do not hesitate to contact us. You can also check the current situation of the LBV Trust on the Charity Commission website under London Buddhist Vihara Trust (Charity registration 1192854).     

Finally we the undersigning Trustees, wish to reiterate to all the supporters that we shall be carrying out our duties and responsibilities with the main interest of safeguarding the London Buddhist Vihara  for which we are legally bound  under the UK Charity Commission regulations and the Charities Act 2011.

With Metta

1 Mr Gamini Amarasekera

2 Dr Lakdas Panagoda

3 Mr Leslie Dep

4 Mr Harsha Siriwardane

Trustees of the London Buddhist Vihara Trust                              

 


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