If You Want to Meditate Like a Buddhist Monk!

A technique that can take your meditation to the next level, but might seem, like a paradox.

It was the middle of Bangkok, April, and it was the Songkran festival which is the new-year celebration in Thailand. It was sweltering and the streets were jam-packed with people and there were all kinds of loud music.

We slowly eased our way through the crowd when I noticed a group sitting just inside the open entrance of a small shop. There were four people sitting on the floor, all in a perfect lotus position.

They were meditating.

I thought to myself, now that really is next-level meditation!

How could they meditate with all this chaos going on? They appeared totally oblivious to all the noise and the people walking past their shop and looking in.

It is One of the Secrets of Meditation

It’s not about sitting high up a mountain top in peace and quiet, blocking the rest of the world out. As beautiful as that can be, and Buddhist monks do that too, meditation is more than that.

The true art of meditation is to find the calmness within when everything without is a storm.

That is the level I have been trying to reach ever since and is the key to meditating like a Buddhist monk. If you can meditate in a situation like that, you should be able to meditate anywhere!

A master Buddhist monk in Thailand once told me. In the West, we try to block everything out. With meditation, you let it all in.

It’s true.

So many people think meditation is about blocking out all the noise and stopping the mind from thinking. Impossible….that’s more akin to death!

Training My Meditation Muscle, in the City

I decided that I really wanted to get to that kind of level, and I have since strengthened my meditation muscle.

Especially since I relocated to Sydney.

I commute to Sydney every day of the week for work. This means I have two 10 minute walks to and from the train station and a 35-minute train ride in between.

Believe it or not, both are perfect for practicing meditation.

On the walk from my home to the station, I often practice mindfulness walking or recite a mantra in my head.

Once I am on the train, I practice sitting meditation. I don’t mean I sit on the floor in a lotus position with bare feet. Although that would be interesting to try. I simply sit upright with my hands in my lap.

I’m just in my usual work clothes. I don’t care what people think. It is not my business. I use this time to set up my day, and most just think I am sleeping anyway.

Actually, I’m pretty sure I have seen other people meditating on the train as Sydney is rich with Asian culture! I sometimes spot the way people sit upright with their hands placed neatly in their lap.

That’s not someone catching some extra shut-eye on the train. It’s meditation.

No Pain — No Gain

Or in my case, it’s no train no gain!!

The point is that meditating on a train is like having a top workout at the gym.

It is the heavy lifting of meditation practice. To remain focused on a busy train with all the bustle, the doors opening then closing, people getting in and out, and not to forget the regular guard announcements.

You might think it’s impossible to do, too distracting. I can tell you it isn’t, you just have to persevere.

I have found that in the 4 years I have been doing this. My meditation skill has improved. I was already an accomplished meditator too. I know 4 years might seem a long time but don’t worry.

I was seeing improvements after 3 months.

It’s like the difference between running 2km or a marathon. If you can run a 20km marathon, running 2km becomes a doddle. It is the same with meditation, you strengthen your ability so much that you can meditate just about anywhere, at any time.

Don’t try it in the car if you are driving though!

When I think back to those people meditating in the shop I wonder if this is what they had come to realize.

If You Want to Meditate Like a Buddhist Monk

I’m certainly no Buddhist monk, but I do know this technique has taken my meditation practice to a whole new level.

A well-known Buddhist monk, Gelong Thubten, says he often likes to practice a spot of meditation while waiting in queues at the airport!

When people say, they can’t meditate at home because of the kids, or there are too many distractions I say, ‘that is exactly why you do need to meditate’.

Practice in situations that make you uncomfortable and are very distracting.

Your meditation muscle will toughen right up. You will find after practice like this, meditation becomes a lot easier.

Then, when you meditate in a quiet place you slip right into it. It’s so automatic to go deep into a trance state and experience quite profound meditational experiences.

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