Sun, 08 Aug 2010
The Object of Meditation
Zen teacher Robert Aitken, who recently died, had some strong words to say on the subject of meditation:
If your teacher is not a fake, he or she will tell you to count your breaths. If he or she advises you to do something else at the outset of your practice, you have a fake teacher. Use this criterion and find somebody genuine.
There are many objects of meditation mentioned in the traditional texts. The Path of Purification lists 40 different objects and the mahamudra text "Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance" gives concentrating on a stick or stone as the first exercise in shamatha meditation. There is no consensus view on the best object of meditation for a new practitioner and I think it's wrong to be dogmatic on the subject. But using the breath as an object of meditation is very popular in the West. I'd bet that 80% or more of new Buddhists are first taught to meditate using the breath.
So why is following the breath so popular? It has several advantages. First, the breath is clear and distinct. It's simple to explain and simple to do. Second, if you are counting the breath, it's easy to notice when your attention has wandered. Since mental wandering is the biggest problem new meditators face, this is a big advantage. Third, because the breath is so plain and ordinary, new practitioners don't project their fantasies on it the way they would if they were meditating on an image of the Buddha.
So are there disadvantages to meditating on the breath? Yes. First, new meditators need to be told to breathe naturally and not to hyperventilate. As your meditation gets better, your breath becomes smoother and harder to notice. In other forms of practice the object of meditation gets more distinct as you practice. And emphasis on the breath can lead to a one sided practice that ignores Buddhist teachings on love and compassion.
