Expert: Laurie McLauglin - 8/12/2010

Question
Hi Laurie,
I'm doing some research on yoga & meditation, as planning on
making it a daily thing for me. What I've read about
meditation so far only states that it increases self-
awareness, but I don't understand how the quieting/clearing
of the mind leads to self-awareness. How does that work? &
is it possible to meditate on a concept/philosophy in order
to gain insight? Also, how will the answer come to someone
who asks a question (such as Who am i & what is my purpose
in life?) in the meditation? & when asking the question, is
it directed at your inner self, or at God?

Thanks, & much appreciation to your time & answers !

Answer
Hello Lynn,

Thank you for letting me answer your question.

From what I have learned from studying meditation in a Tibetan Buddhist context so far about meditation is that the mind of a beginning meditator is often called a "monkey mind" because it jumps from one subject to another like a monkey.

When we sit down to meditate and do what is called mindfulness meditation, that is where you keep your mind on just one object, such as the breath, you begin to notice your thoughts coming and going.  

When you slow down and pay attention to your mind by doing a mindfulness meditation, you realize that your mind produces many thoughts.  As we slow down, we watch that our thoughts, just like all things have a life cycle.  They arise, they abide for a time and they fade away.

As we watch our mind, we see that some of our thoughts are positive, some are negative and some are neutral.  When you stop and begin to recognize your thoughts as they arise, then you can begin to choose which thoughts to think, and which just to let go of and not act upon.  From my side, this ability to have clarity about your thoughts and watch them arise, abide and fade away allows me to have a great deal of self awareness.

Afterall, all actions, feelings, emotions (all those elements which we call self) arise from our thoughts.  The thought precedes all these.  So when we can watch our thoughts and as they arise, we can develop a great deal of self awareness.

We can learn we had thoughts we never knew we had.  We can learn whether the majority of our thoughts are positive, negative or neutral.  We can learn what thoughts are really important and act on those and which are not good, or harmful or things that we should not act on. We gain control over our lives and for me that is the best form of self awareness.

Your first question about clearing the mind deals with the first of two main kinds of meditation; mindfulness meditation.  There is a second kind of meditation that we do and that is called analytical meditation.  That is where we take a concept and analyze it in order to help us become better people.

We can meditate on concepts such as loving kindness, compassion, wisdom, emptiness, the transient nature of all things, karma, and many other topics that bring us self awareness because these cause us to explore ourselves, how we interact with these topics on a day to day basis and how to use these topics to see the world as it really is and not as we have been taught or brainwashed that it is.  That is what meditation on philosophical issues can do for us - we gain insight into the real way the world works.

Asking "who am I" is a good question to ponder.  It deals with the Buddhist concept of emptiness and dependant arising.  These are two concepts that once understood by use of meditation, can help us see the world more clearly and our role in it and how to live in more harmony with the world and even how to be happier because you have an understanding of how the world really works and how we really are. This is what meditation on this can give you.

How will the answer come you ask.  It will come differently to each person.  But meditation is the key to finding these answers. Each of us takes a different path to find the answers to these questions and it will take different amounts of time for each person.  But eventually, if one is persistent the answer will come.

When asking the question, start with asking yourself first, would be my recommendation.  And keep digging till you find the answer that works for you.

Only you can say where the information and answers come from.  For some it will be God.  For some it will be god.  For some it will be self.  For some it will be our Buddha Nature.

Buddhists don't believe in an outside God. Buddhists believe that Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism as we know it was just a man like you and me and through lots of work and diligence, he became enlightened. Buddha Shakyamuni said that every single sentient being has the same potential as he had.  It is called Buddha Nature and it is our birth right.

However, Buddha also knew that no two people learn the same way. Every one must find their own individual path up the mountain.  So yours may be Buddhist or it may be Christian, or agnostic or Jewish, Muslim or atheist.

That you are seeking and seeking honestly without any preconceived notions or any expectations is as far as I have learned what is important in making an spiritual journey that will eventually improve your life and the lives of others.

I hope this answer helped to answer some of your questions.  If not, don't hesitate to ask anything further and I will try to answer them.

In the mean time, I wish you much happiness and peace on your journey.

Namaste - Laurie