Meditation Testimonials
Dr.Aaron Stern, Ph.D
(U.S.A.)
Dr.Aaron stern
My two daughters
were born during my doctoral program and despite the joy they gave both my wife
and I, all parents know the amount of time and energy required for
children-rearing. Meditation helped me maintain my patience when handling the
strain of a temper tantrum, a near sleepless night tending to a sick child and
many other responsibilities associated with parenthood.
My introduction to
Dhammakaya meditation began about five years ago when I first learned about the
basic method from a monk at the Meditation Center of Chicago. I had meditated
many years earlier using Vipassana meditation (essentially focusing on my
breath) and had not returned to any regular meditation practice until learning
about Dhammakaya meditation. I did some background reading and directed
questions at various monks and people know ledgeable about the Dhammakaya
method before starting to practice it regularly.
Similar to other
people who had their minds consumed by the vicissitudes and influences of
daily life, it was not easy to meditate
initially. A key element of the Dhammakaya method was to empty the mind, clear
out mental clutter and let the mind become still.
Train your Mind
A mind trained to
“multi-task” (a good description of my mind) needs time to slow sown so that it
will not wander from thought to thought, memory to memory and worry to worry. I
struggled with this mental wandering (and still do) for many months before I
experienced my first moment of true mental stillness. That brief moment
demonstrated the happiness associated with a still mind; a sense of being
relaxed and at peace with the world, without feeling the need to escape from
the world. I continued to meditate, although I felt a little annoyed on some
says at my wandering mind.
There were also
physical concerns with meditation. In my initial efforts to meditate, my legs
would go numb and my back would start to ache. Monks recommended that I stretch
regularly, especially found I could greatly reduce my back pain by sitting with
my back against a hard surface and lodging a small pillow against my lower
back. Once I had addressed my physical discomfort, my meditation sessions grew
longer and more relaxing.
Initially, I did
nearly all my meditation at home. I was fortunate to have the opportunity in
July 2005 to participate in Wat Phra Dhammakaya’s Dhammadayada International
Ordination program in Thailand.
Dhammakaya Meditation
The monk instructors at the temple focused
heavily on meditation practice, and all participants in the program meditated
for at least four hours per day. The combination of concentrated meditation,
along with the benefits of having regular access to highly experienced monks in
Dhammakaya meditation, helped me progress notably. It felt very good to
meditate and sometimes, I would see a small point or ball of light floating in
front of me, something I had rarely perceived in my meditation at home. Even
the memory of such experiences can help induce a feeling of contentment and
help make future meditation efforts more fulfilling. Meditation has had a number
of tangible benefits in my life and my family life. I took up Dhammakaya
meditation while I was in my doctoral program. Meditation reduced the intense
stress associated with simultaneously completing my doctoral dissertation,
teaching 40-50 undergraduate students, and searching for a job. It became
important to me to find the time to meditate, typically early in the morning or
late at night. Without meditation, I could have easily succumbed to the
pressure of my responsibilities as a student and dimply given up pursuing the
doctorate, even after investing so much time and money. Instead, I found that
meditation helped me to concentrate when writing my dissertation. My teaching
improved also, written by my students.
My two daughters
were born during my doctoral program and despite the joy they gave both my wife
and myself, all parents know the heavy amount of time and energy required for
child- rearing. Meditation helped me maintain my patience when handing the
strain of a temper tantrum, a near sleepless night tending to a sick child and
many other responsibilities associated with parenthood.
Lovingkindness Meditation
Meditation also
improved my relationship with my wife. I would often forget things, make wrong
turns while driving, bump into objects and commit other errors that frustrated
my wife because they occurred too frequently. Meditation improved my mental
clarity, reducing the frequency of these blunders. I also had a tendency to
think too much about myself, focusing on my own problems and priorities when
the concerns needing the most attention were with my focusing on needing has
made me more aware of what matters most in life and led me to stop and consider
the consequences of my choices in my studies, work and family.
In addition to the
benefits of Dhammakaya meditation, various monks recommended practicing
“loving-kindness
meditation”. Lovingkindness meditation involves mentally identifying and
sending good wishes to all fellow human being s and creatures. When done
consistently, it cultivates a sense of caring and com passion for one’ living
companions on the planet. Lovingkindness meditation helped shake me out of my
penchant for putting my own needs above those of others, especially those of my
family. Whenever I meditate now, I devote some time to lovingkindness meditation
as an integral component of Dhammakaya meditation.
Crystal Ball
The more I have
meditated, the more I have realized that the human mind is strong but very
susceptible to influences that may weaken its powers of concentration and
clarity. Dhammakaya meditation helped me see the value of keeping the mind
relatively free of unnecessary clutter and other things that may impede this
clarity. This is an important reason why I decided to stop consuming alcohol
because I started to find that even small amounts – say, one bottle of beer-
made my mind fuzzier than I expected. The alcohol buzz soon lost its
attractiveness. My decision greatly pleased my wife as well and I hope it will
serve as a good example for my children. Meditation is an activity that
everyone in this world should take part in. It is one of the few human
activities free of any drawbacks. It is free, relaxing and good for the mind.
For the mind. It promotes improved behavior and according to an increasing
amount of research, it has medical benefits such as lowering blood pressure.
Meditation does not need to be a religiously-motivated activity in order to
reap its advantages. Meditation only requires a commitment of time and some per
severance. The only case in which I would question the appropriateness of
meditation is for a person with a serious mental illness or psychosis. Otherwise,
there is every reason to believe that meditation has substantial potential for
improving the quality of life for all living creatures by increasing the
capacity of human beings to feel more relaxed, mentally alert, and at peace
with themselves. And if people feel at peace with themselves, they will feel at
peace with the world; something our planet direly needs.
