The Buddha has categorised several types of meditations

The main kleshes in the mind are lust, hatred, and delusion

The Buddha has categorised several types of meditations

When one comes across the word ‘Meditation’ most often people entertain fear. They think that they are entering a zone in the unconsciousness. This is highly unlikely. If at all the mind would be even more luminous following a meditation session.

Why do people meditate, in a Buddhist context? It is simply to understand the true nature of the world and be rid of the kleshes- or defilements within the mind. The main kleshes in the mind are lust, hatred, and delusion.                                                      
The Buddha has categorised several types of meditations. One is the meditation on loving kindness, and one is the meditation on the breath. These are the two main ones. There are lots more.

For me, Ajahn Brahm’s teachings stand apart from all the rest. Especially Ajahn Brahm’s guided meditations and meditation instructions. They are so clear and lucid.

What most people battle with when meditating for the first time is that they feel drowsy and may fall asleep. This is simply the byproduct of relaxing oneself and relieving all the stress one has accumulated. There’s nothing wrong in it. During the first attempts of meditating, if one should fall asleep, so be it. However, gradually, one’s mind is bound to get concentrated with time and that sleepiness will wear off.

Ajahn Brahm’s guided meditations often go as follows:
First sit comfortably. This can be either on the ground or on a chair. Place your right hand over your left. Then close your eyes. When one closes one’s eyes, the sense perception of vision is cut off. This helps one not get distracted and the visual stimuli don’t exist. This helps in the meditation. Then focus on your feet. Ask your feet, “How are you feet?” Treat your feet like they were a friend. Also, when asking the feet, how they are, please truly mean it and try and spread warmth and love towards your feet. 

Spread love and warmth towards these areas in your body. Then gradually move your attention from there to the neck and then to your face

Then gradually, move your warm loving awareness from the feet, up to your calves, then the knees, then the waist. Also make sure you are seated comfortably on either your cushion or chair. If you want to fidget, then please do so. (However, once the meditation starts, then try to be still as much as possible. It’s good to fidget before starting to meditate rather than while the meditation is in progress. Because if one does not do so at the beginning, one’s meditation will get interrupted later.) Then move your attention to your upper torso, your intestines and chest.

Spread love and warmth towards these areas in your body. Then gradually move your attention from there to the neck and then to your face. Try and relax your facial muscles around your eyes and the muscles around your mouth. Then move up to your brain. Imagine taking your brain gently and keeping it on a very soft cushion. Speak to your brain. Relax it. Shower it with love. Ask it how it is. When one asks the body parts how they are, one is bound to get feedback from them. Be in the present moment. 

Eventually, the mind and body will relax and be at ease. After a while, one’s attention will move very naturally onto the breath. 

As one’s attention becomes focused and concentrated, gradually, one’s feeling, or perception of the body begins to disappear. Then slowly one’s mind becomes naturally focused on the meditation object- which is the breath. Just be aware of the breath coming in and going out. 

After a while, one enters the first jhana. Here one will experience bright lights -often called Nimittas. Usually, when one sees them for the first time, one becomes excited. This only makes the Nimittas go away. As Ajahn Brahm says: “Nimittas are very shy”. However, with practice, the Nimittas will stay in the mind for longer periods. The jhanas are important because they are what gives rise to real wisdom.

When one focuses on the Nimittas, gradually, with time, one will ascend to all the jhanas from the first to the fourth. Main thing is to keep the Nimittas as the centre of one’s focus.

The preparatory work before meditation is vital. One can’t just sit down and hope to enter all these exalted states of mind. Every mental state has a corresponding center in the body. Often when one is feeling low, just rubbing the chest gently helps. It soothes one and calms one down.

There are other types of meditation, one being that of loving kindness. Spreading loving kindness to oneself and others is a beautiful act. 

Before doing serious loving kindness meditation, it’s always good to start by thinking of someone or something one really loves.  Say the words internally:

“All I ask of you, is for you to always think of me, as loving you”. Repeat this like a mantra. Gradually, the mind will become suffused. 

Ajahn Brahm often tells us about the thousand petalled lotus. How it originates in the mud in a pool of water. How it rises above the water. At this point one feels ‘Piti Sukha’. (Happiness and Joy)- This is a natural byproduct of a concentrated mind. The enlightened mind is symbolized by the fully open lotus. 

Ajahn Brahm also has taught the meditation of imagining one as being the actual Buddha. Attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. How He vows that He will attain Buddha hood. That He won’t get up, no matter what, until He has reached Enlightenment. And it worked! (For Him most certainly).  

The meditation on the breath is called Samatha Bhavana. There’s also Vipassana Bhavana, which gives rise to Insight. Usually, when one meditates and emerges from the meditation, insight into the way things are naturally arises in the mind. One need not intellectualize about it. The insights naturally come to one.

There are four main types of Vipassana practice. 
Kayanupassana- Observation of the Body 
Vedananupassana- Observation of Feelings
Chittanupassana- Observation of Thoughts and Mental Formations
Dhammanupassana- Observations of the Dharmas 

Just because everything is Impermanent, Suffering and Non- Self, one need not be miserable. The Buddha never wanted anyone to be miserable and unhappy. If at all, it’s the opposite. 

Wishing you the best in your meditation practice and a Happy and Peaceful Poya to you, With Metta!