Meditation

For those interested in meditation, I’ve posted a series of youtube talks (11 posts preceding this blog) by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, titled Nature of Mind, which I recommend strongly. Although she is a Buddhist nun, her teachings target a wider audience and are useful for anyone wishing to understand the mind and how to improve one’s meditation practice. She uses a lovely simple approach and her manner is always ‘down to earth’. She spent 12 years in a cave in meditation; if anyone has insight into the mind, it is someone with this sort of experience.

As I watch this series, I have the sense of one who knows and understands the mind in the same way a doctor does anatomy. I get the sense of one who was watched the workings of the mind extensively and not only deeply understands, but has mastered this science/experience. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo explains things so you know ‘why’ you need to do it, which makes the meditation experience practical and sensible, instead following what you’re ‘told to do’ without explanation, as many teachers seem to expect, perhaps unwittingly, When we simply act out instructions which we do not intrinsically understand, we will seldom pursue them in a committed way or for any prolonged period of time.

This series feels like a lovely ‘handbook’ on meditation and is excellent for beginners and also for those who have had uneven experiences and access to information on meditation and may need to ‘fill in the missing gaps’.