The way of meditation blog
Bringing ancient wisdom to the modern world
Chad Foreman • October 25, 2019
In Buddhism, taking refuge is an entry point to becoming a Buddhist and is usually taken as refuge to the Triple Gem – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, which takes refuge in the teacher, the teachings and the community that follows the teachings respectively. This practice is the starting point to escape from the conditions of suffering, eliminate ignorance and liberate in freedom and peace. Buddhists commonly recite the “refuge prayer” before any formal meditation session.
The triple gemstone protects you from negative moods and puts you firmly on the path to enlightenment, but how does it actually do that? My Buddhist teacher, with whom I studied full-time in a Buddhist community for over five years, always said that the “real” refuge is the Dharma. It is the actual that protects the mind, transforms it and opens the possibility of realizing the deepest nature of your being. Dharma is the actual practice
of loving kindness, mindfulness and understanding the true nature of yourself and the world.
Changing direction
I would say that resorting to meditation implies that we are a bit lost, struggling and that our strategies for peace and happiness are not achieving their goals. From this place of vulnerability and surrender, we adopt new strategies and methods to help heal, transform, and create the life we want for ourselves and others. Actually, we turn to something for help.
This first stage is about admitting that what you have done so far has not created the peaceful, stable and joyful mind you would like. Everyone already naturally takes refuge from difficulties and suffering in something. Whether turning to friends or partners in difficult times, turning to drugs or alcohol, or even distracting and overcoming negativity by working harder or going to the gym, we all experience suffering at some point.
Resorting to suffering should not increase or delay suffering, but should serve to skillfully control it and eliminate its causes. The Buddha promised more than 2,500 years ago that his methods would be a path leading from suffering to its complete elimination. And today, scientific research has conclusively shown how mindfulness, loving-kindness and meditation can reduce and eliminate serious mental and emotional problems.
Trust the process
Second, taking refuge involves trusting in something. Instead of unconsciously reaching for a drink, the phone, or other distractions when the going gets tough, take a few deep breaths, open yourself to the experience through mindfulness, transform the situation with loving kindness, or come to rest in the ultimate refuge of non-dualism. conscience. Importantly, unlike blind faith, the trust you develop during your meditation comes from your own direct experience and the more regularly you meditate, the more solid that trust becomes.
A meditation teacher or mentor is important, as well as a community of like-minded people to support your practice is also very helpful, but ultimately it is your responsibility to use and strengthen the tools that will directly help you protect yourself from harm and the eliminate fundamental causes. of mental and emotional disorders.
You may not think to do a loving-kindness meditation when you’re having problems, but I’ve found that loving-kindness is actually a powerful refuge from your own suffering and a direct antidote to selfishness and over-centeredness, which often amplified and exaggerated. the issue at hand. Having loving-kindness opens your heart to the fact that others are suffering too, not just you, which gives you a greater perspective and also helps you enter a space of healing and growth that love and compassion offer.
How many times have you said things you wish you hadn’t done, or done things you regret and can’t even believe you did? Usually this is caused by subconscious or unconscious motivations that you were not even aware of at the time. Mindfulness helps protect the mind from autopilot. Breaking the cycle of being controlled by circumstances and allowing the inner space for wisdom to help make conscious choices based on your values and goals in life. In this sense, mindfulness helps protect you from your own stupidity.
Reliability
Then, resorting to meditation is a true and lasting friend who is always there for you, no matter what, and whom you can always rely on. Whenever you feel angry or about to scream or want to destroy someone or something, a few deep, slow, conscious breaths are always available. Connecting with sincerity and kindness is a mind movement designed to help transform hatred and jealousy, and resting in the wide open spaces of clear consciousness is always there, in the midst of the turmoil. Meditation is the most skillful tool available and can be relied upon.
An essential aspect of the practice of mindfulness and meditation is being able to detach from thoughts about the past and future and focus and absorb your attention on the present moment. This in itself is a huge refuge from suffering, because so many of our problems do not actually occur in the present moment, but are often fears, doubts and desires about what might happen in the future or how the past might have been different. Being in the moment is a simple and powerful remedy against these types of mental projections.
Simply becoming familiar with present-centered consciousness protects the mind from negative thoughts and useless ruminations and helps it to manage everything that happens skillfully and with clarity and honesty. Mindfulness has become a revolution in psychotherapy known as the third wave after the first wave of Freud’s psychoanalysis and the second of cognitive behavioral therapy. Mindfulness is now recommended by doctors, psychologists, counselors and even psychiatrists as an effective first-line treatment for stress, anxiety and other mental and emotional disorders.
A catalyst to reach your full potential
Finally, we take refuge in meditation, the same way a mountain climber would rely on the ropes to help him reach the top. Ultimately, meditation promises to reveal and connect you to your authentic nature. Hatred, greed, ego, etc. are all appearances that come and go in your experience, but are not one with your true identity. In other words, like clothing, they can be removed to reveal the naked, radiant consciousness that is your true identity and highest potential.
Therefore, taking refuge in meditation is not only a means of overcoming suffering, but is also a reliable means of blossoming your full potential as a human being. Buddha advised on his deathbed not to worship him when he died, but instead to follow the path he presented, and we too can achieve the same results. In other words, the Buddha advised taking refuge in the path of meditation.
I can personally attest to the efficacy of loving-kindness meditation to transform your emotions, of mindfulness to establish calm, steady attention, and of non-dual awareness to reveal an infinite dimension of spaciousness and bliss. The way of meditation is a holistic approach that engages every dimension of your being and everyone can access this sanctuary at their own level of understanding and practice. This incredible inner technology of meditation is now available for everyone to turn to for refuge, transformation and self-realization.
Written by Chad Foreman
Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. He now has over twenty years of experience teaching meditation. Chad likes regularly
Meditation retreats on the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Online meditation coachingprovides three online programs – The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.
Breathwork to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and
The bliss of inner fire This is a Buddhist tantric method to clear energy blockages and connect with the clear light of bliss. You can also get Chad’s free ebook now Insights on the go.